Oakland A’s Seth Brown wallops a three run home run in the top of the fifth off Houston Astros pitching at Minute Maid Field in Houston Sat Sep 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Houston Astros (95-51) had breezed their way through their series with the Oakland A’s (53-83) winning game one 5-2 and game two 5-0. Saturday the A’s turned the tables on Houston with a 8-5 win at Minute Maid Field.

The Astros got a great start in the first inning and it looked like they were on their way to a third win in this series. The A’s did get a run in the inning off a Sean Murphy single driving Jeff Kemp home for the 1-0 lead but Houston would answer big in that inning. Aledmys Diaz, Kyle Tucker and Trey Mancini all had home runs in the first, two solo and Tuckers with Bregman on base taking a 4-1 lead.

Going into the third inning Oakland turned things around in this game. A Vimael Machin sacrifice drove Kemp home for a 4-2 score. Chad Pinder homered in the fourth inning, a solo and Oakland trailed by a single run 4-3. Seth Brown gave the A’s the lead in the fifth inning with a home run and two runners on base to take a 6-4 lead. Nick Allen and Sean Murphy both scored.

Seth Brown struck again in the seventh inning with a double and Sean Murphy scored, the A’s now leading 7-4.

In the eighth inning the A’s ran into a little trouble when Yordan Alvarez homered. Houston has been tough in the late innings this season. With runners on base Oakland got out of the inning with minimal damage still leading 7-5.

Oakland got an insurance run in the ninth inning when Machin singled and Kemp scored, the A’s now leading 8-5. The A’s were three outs away from their first win in this series.

Seth Brown continues to excel at the plate and this game was no exception. “With this team you have to get every advantage that you can. Cole Irvin gave us a chance to get going too,” Brown said after the game.

While Oakland pitcher Cole Irvin had a rough first inning he was stingy from there on out. He went seven innings allowing seven hits and four runs. He dismissed 18 of 19 Houston players before leaving the game. He was lights out after that first inning.

In the final game of this series tomorrow first pitch is scheduled for 11:10. Oakland pitcher Ken Waldichuk (0-1) will try to even this series. His ERA right now is 5.40. The Astros will send Framber Valdez (15-5) to the mound with a 2.50 ERA.