Category: MLB

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s showing signs of snapping out of it; Had day off on Sunday

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Oakland A’s hitter Jed Lowrie singles for two RBIs in the seventh inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston against the Astros on Sat Apr 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

#1 The Oakland A’s started the 2021 season going 0-6 but once that streak ended the A’s have now won three of the their last four games. Including two wins in Houston against the AL Champion Astros.

#2 The A’s got a big 7-3 win over the Astros on Saturday that included a two run home run from Ramon Laureano for his first home run of the season.

#3 The A’s run production came up with two runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings something they lacked in those first six games and stayed ahead for the series win.

#4 The A’s got pitching help from starter Frankie Montas going six innings giving up six hits and one run, reliever Sergio Romo threw for two thirds of an inning giving up one hit and two runs. A’s relievers Jake Diekman and JB Wendelken shutout the Astros for the rest of way.

#5 The A’s open a brief two game series in Arizona against the Diamondbacks who have lost six out of their last ten games. The D-Backs are in dead last at 3-6 but the season is still early. The A’s will start Chris Bassitt whose looking for his first win of the season (0-2 ERA 5.56) the Diamondbacks will counter with Madison Bumgarner (0-1 ERA 11.00) since coming to the Diamondbacks he’s struggles and in his last outing he surrendered five runs on eight hits to the Rockies.

Join Barbara for the A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Apr 12, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants getting good starting pitching at the start of season

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San Francisco Giants starter Johnny Cueto seen here working in the first inning later pitched into the ninth inning on Sat Apr 9, 2021 against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

#1 The San Francisco Giants (5-3) have won five of their last seven games most of those wins have come on the road. They opened the home season last Friday and have won the series form the visiting Colorado Rockies.

#2 The Giants are getting key hits as the Giants Brandon Belt demonstrated with his three run home run on Saturday it proved to be a vital homer has the Giants would win that game by a run.

#3 The Giants also have been getting key pitching from starter Johnny Cueto in Friday’s home opener he got into the ninth inning and held the Rockies to just one run and gave up four hits.

#4 In Saturday’s 4-3 game the Giants starter Logan Webb gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings of work but four pitchers mopped up in relief not giving up a run for that win as the bullpen comes through.

#5 The Giants open a series with the Central Division leading Cincinnati Reds (5-3). The Reds until Saturday had a six game win streak going. The have been getting excellent pitching in their series last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates they’re offense scored 36 runs in the four game series against the Bucs. How do you see this series which kicks off tonight at Oracle Park?

Join Morris for the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips Mon Apr 12, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

DeSclafani goes six in 4-0 shutout win to sweep Rockies

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani was the winning pitcher of record going six innings against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Anthony DeSclafani made a great impression before the home crowd for the San Francisco Giants.

DeSclafani, pitching at Oracle Park for the first time as a member of the Giants, pitched six strong shutout innings, allowing zero runs on eight hits, walking just one and striking out eight, as the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-0 before a crowd of 6,560 at Oracle Park.

This is the fourth straight win for the Giants and they have won five out of their last six, all over division opponents.

With the victory, the Giants completed their first sweep of the Rockies at Oracle Park for the first time since June 26-28, 2017.

Alex Dickerson gave DeSclafani instant offense in the bottom of the first inning, as he took a German Marquez pitch and put it into the center field bleachers to give the Giants a quick 1-0 lead.

The biggest play of the game will not appear in the box score, but it was a stolen base by Brandon Belt that manufactured the second run of the first inning by the Giants.

Following the Dickerson home run, Belt walked and then with Evan Longoria at the plate, Belt stole second without a throw and standing up.

On the very next pitch to Longoria, he put it into center field to score Belt with a huge second run of the inning.

After that rough first inning, where he threw 35 pitches, Marquez settled down, as he only allowed two more hits until the bottom of the sixth inning.

It was in that sixth inning, that with one out that Belt launched a solo home run onto the arcade for his first home run of the season.

LaMonte Wade, Jr. made his Giants debut and it was a memorable one, as he singled, doubled and walked in his first three at-bats before flying out in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Giants tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Evan Longoria drove in Mike Yastrzemski, who doubled with one out in the inning.

NOTES: Reyes Moronta was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right flexor strain and Wade, Jr. was recalled from the alternate site to take his spot on the roster.

Also before the game, the Giants received infielder Thairo Estrada from the New York Yankees for cash considerations. Estrada will report to the Giants alternate site, while outfielder Jaylin Davis was recalled and placed on the 60-day disabled list with left knee patella tendinitis.

Entering the game, Giants’ starting pitchers have tossed 5.0-or-more innings and allowed three-or-fewer runs in each of SF’s first eight games…only twice in the modern era have the Giants had a longer streak to begin a season (2002 & 1937)…the rotation has posted a 2.61 ERA, the third best figure in the National League behind Miami (2.01) and Milwaukee (2.08), (Stats, LLC).

Today marks the 21st anniversary of the first ever regular season game at what is now known as Oracle Park.

On April 11, 2000, Kirk Rueter threw the first pitch in what was then called Pacific Bell Park to Devon White, who singled to right field; however, it was the Kevin Elster show that day, as he hit three home runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Giants 6-5 before a sellout crowd of 40,930. Barry Bonds hit the first Giants home run in the new ballpark, as he hit a solo home run off of Chan Ho Park.

Bay Area native Ed Montague was the home plate umpire for that inaugural game.

UP NEXT: Aaron Sanchez looks for his first win of the season, as he takes for the Giants on Monday night in the opener of the three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who will send left-hander Wade Miley to the mound, as he looks for his second win of the season.

A’s not letting early season struggles define them

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By Morris Phillips

Among the encouraging things happening with the A’s the last couple of games?

Seth Brown may finally be ready to bring his big fly game to the Major League level.

The 28-year old is well-known in minor league circles as an unrepentant slugger, the author of 92 home runs since his debut in 2015, including 37 in just 112 games for AAA Las Vegas in 2019.

That last line had the A’s hopeful Brown could elevate his game in Oakland, but in his first 36 games with the A’s over the last three seasons, Brown didn’t clear any fences…

Until Saturday night. With the A’s 6-0 lead cut in half, Brown took reliever Ryan Stanek into the upper deck, a not-high-enough fastball turned into a memory of a lifetime. So majestic was Brown’s homer, the flight of the ball on television revealed the entire Minute Maid Park scoreboard showing Brown’s numbers without a home run for the last time.

“The only thing he doesn’t have on his resume is a homer for a guy who really is a home run hitter,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I know that takes a lot of pressure off him now that he finally has a home run.”

Pressure off Brown? More succinctly, pressure off the entire Oakland roster. Brown’s shot put the finishing touches on a 7-3 win, the A’s third in four games after an 0-6 start. Not wanting to get buried in the competitive AL West two weeks in, the A’s are fighting back, and giving their 2021 season a healthier look.

In the last four games, the A’s have out-manuvered the Dodgers late, come up with some more late game magic in Houston on Friday, and set up a couple of wins with nearly identical, exemplary starts by Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.

The key? When you don’t fall behind early–as the A’s did repeatedly in their winless start–you can pick your spots and pounce on the opposition in the later innings.

“We grind it out a little bit and stay in the game until we do something nice late,” said Mark Olson, who came up big in Friday’s win. “I think we can take this momentum and ride it out.”

A few key presences must be reclaimed from the injury list with Chad Pinder (knee), Mike Fiers (hips), Burch Smith (strained groin) and A.J. Puk (strained biceps) on the 10-day injured list, and Trevor Rosenthal on the 60-day list after surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on Thursday.

Matt Chapman and Sean Murphy remain mired in awful slumps, but both have expressed optimism in recent days–not just for themselves, but for the team as a whole.

We’re always rotating guys and new faces, so for us, it always takes a little bit to get going,” Chapman said. “But once we get going, we’re able to really bond and really pick up steam.”

The A’s open a two-game set with the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Monday. Familiar face Madison Bumgarner squares off against Chris Bassitt in the opener at 6:40pm.

Oakland Takes Series From the Astros 7-3

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Oakland A’s hitter Ramon Laureano (right) is greeted at the plate by teammate Mark Canha (left) after hitting a two run homer in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Sat Apr 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After yesterday’s game against the Houston Astros, the Oakland A’s reclaimed the form that we have grown to expect. The form that has taken them into the post-season for quite a few years now. Beating the Astros 6-2 was a real boost for the A’s and also gave them the opportunity to win the series should they win todays game.

Oakland certainly came out in this game full of confidence and once again it was the fourth inning when the A’s began to make some noice. Ramon Laureano and Jed Lowrie scored giving the A’s a 2-0 lead. The Astros would come up empty in the fourth inning and so trailed by the score of 2-0.

The fifth inning was also a good one for the A’s extending their lead to 4-0. Laureano homered scoring Mark Canha who was on base. Frankie Montas was having a great outing through seven innings. Pitching for the A’s was starting to turn around, something that we all knew was just a matter of time.

Oakland would strike again in the seventh inning. Lowrie would hit a single and Mark Canha and Ka’ai Tom would score and the A’s were looking at a 6-0 score in the middle of the seventh. The Astros would get on the scoreboard when Kyle Tucker homered to right giving Houston their first run of the game. Houston was not done scoring two more runs. Myles Straw and Jose Altuve crossed home plate and just like that the Astros were well within striking distance. You can never count the Astros out regardless of the score.

The eighth inning was a highlight for Oakland DH Seth Brown who hit his first homer of the season giving the A’s a 7-3 lead.

It was a quiet ninth inning as the Oakland A’s took the series from the Houston Astros. The Oakland A’s have their rhythm back and now we can all look forward to some high-powered Green and Gold baseball.

Oakland will have the day off on Sunday and will be back on the field on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks for a two game series. First pitch is at 6:40 PM.

Crawford’s heroics on stage once again; Giants edge Rockies 4-3

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San Francisco Giants hitter Brandon Crawford launches a three run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning at Oracle Park against the Colorado Rockies on Sat Apr 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Brandon Crawford seems to have found his hitting stroke through the first two games of the home stand.

Crawford hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, helping the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies before a crowd of 6,176 at Oracle Park. This was the Giants third win in a row and have also won four out of their last five games.

It was the second game in a row that the veteran shortstop gave the Giants the lead that they refused to give up.

Alex Dickerson led off the inning with a walk, and pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores walked; however, Evan Longoria popped out for the first out and then Crawford launched a Ben Bowden pitch onto the right field arcade to give the Giants the lead for good.

Logan Webb started for the second time this season, and pitched five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out six. Webb also gave up a two-run home run to Ryan McMahon that gave the Rockies a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

Webb, who went those five innings did not fare in the decision. The same goes for Rockies starter Chi Chi Gonzalez, who also went five innings, allowing just one run, scattering four hits, walking three and striking out one and did not fare in the decision.

The Giants got to Gonzalez in the bottom of the third inning, as Tommy La Stella doubled to lead off the inning, then C.J. Cron made a great stab at first base to get Mike Yastrzemski and then Dickerson singled in La Stella.

Cron also made a great play in the bottom of the first inning, as robbed Dickerson of a base hit that would have given the Giants a lead early against Gonzalez.

The Rockies got to Webb in the top of the fifth inning, as Gonzalez helped out his own cause by singling off of Webb, then after Garrett Hampson struck out for the second out of the inning, McMahon gave the Rockies the lead when his two-run home run landed in the Rockies bullpen.

This was the second inning in a row that the Rockies scored, as they got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, Raimel Tapia singled to center field to score Charlie Blackmon from second base, as he doubled with one out in the inning.

The bullpen was huge in relief of Webb, as Caleb Baragar, Reyes Moronta, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee combined to throw four innings, allowing no runs on just one hit, walking just one and striking out five.

Baragar gave up a walk and struck out a batter in his lone inning of work to pick up his second win of the 2021 season.

McGee pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out one on his way to picking up his second save in as many days and his fourth save of the season.

NOTES: Donovan Solano was presented with the 2020 Silver Slugger award prior to the game, as he was presented the Silver Slugger award by Hitting Coaches Donnie Ecker and Justin Viele along with Director of Hitting/Assistant Hitting Coach Dustin Lind.

UP NEXT: Anthony DeScalafini make his Oracle Park debut for the Giants, as he looks for his first win for the first win of the season, while the Rockies will send German Marquez will take the mound for the Rockies, as he also goes for his first win of the season.

Oakland Hits 3 Home Runs To Beat Houston 6-2

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Oakland A’s hitter Matt Olson (right) celebrates with Mark Canha (left) after hitting a three home run in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field on Fri Apr 9, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday evening the Oakland A’s took on the Houston Astros in Game two of their three game series. It has been a rough start for Oakland this year. They lost a four game series against the Astros to start the season. The A’s then went on to play the defending champs the Los Angeles Dodgers losing two out of three games. It was game seven for the A’s that broke the six game losing streak. They beat the Dodgers 4-3 in ten innings. This year has been their worst start for Oakland since 1916.

Now the A’s are once again tangling with the Houston Astros who seem to have their number. In Game 1, the Astros won handily 6-2 and now the A’s have to suffer through two more games against Houston. In game two loss against the Dodgers, the Oakland club looked far better than they had looked all season. They began hitting and their defense was solid. The bottom line is that this team is far better than they are currently showing. The A’s got a 6-2 win over the Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Field.

A win over the Astros would be a real confidence builder, especially since the Astros have looked unbeatable. Their current record is 6-1 while the A’s have a 1-7 record. Houston is on a real roll and it will be tough to stop them.

At the end of five innings the game was tied 1-1. Both of the runs in the game were scored in the fourth inning. Jed Lowrie hit a 374 feet homer and Yuli Gurriel scored for the Astros.

The game remained quiet until the eighth inning when both Mark Canha and Jed Lowrie had hits and the A’s had a chance to break the tie. Oakland did exactly that when Matt Olson hit a 414 ft homer scoring three runs and taking the lead 4-1.

The A’s were not finished with the Astros. In the top of the ninth Mark Canha hit a two run homer scoring Elvis Andrus for a 6-1 lead.

This was a great game for the Oakland A’s with 3 homers, Lowrie, Olson and Canha each hit one looking like the team that we have seen for the past few years. It sure was a lot of fun seeing the A’s playing such great baseball. We had to wait a bit but it sure worth the wait. Game three of this series will be played Saturday with first pitch at 1:05.

Cueto throws a gem in the home opener for 3-1 win

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San Francisco Giants starter Johnny Cueto throws to the Colorado Rockies line up on Fri Apr 9, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

With the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day and the return of the fans to Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants did not disappoint their throng of fans.

Johnny Cueto came within one out of a complete game, as he went 8.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out seven and the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 3-1 at Oracle Park.

After not being allowed into the ballpark during the Covid-19 shortened season, the Giants played before 7,390 fans in the 22-year old yard for the first time since Bruce Bochys last game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 28, 2019.

Brandon Crawford drove in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he doubled with the bases loaded to score Darin Ruf and Buster Posey with the only runs that the Giants would need.

Alex Dickerson added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he singled to right field to score Brandon Belt.

The Rockies tried to get back into the game in the top of the ninth inning, as Garrett Hampson hit a sacrifice fly that scored Micah Owings with the lone run for the Rockies on the afternoon.

Cueto was masterful on the afternoon, as he did not allow a hit until there was one out in the top of the fifth inning when Raimel Tapia singled to left field. The Giants were able to get out of the inning, as they turned an inning-ending double play to keep the Rockies off the board.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler came out to the mound following Owings triple and Hampsons sacrifice fly; however, Cueto stayed in the game. After he allowed a single to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story that brought the tying run to the plate, that was the end of the line for Cueto and he was replaced by Jake McGee, who closed out the game for his third save of the season.

Rockies starter Austin Gomber was cruising into the fifth inning with no hits allowed; however, Posey put an end to that with one out, as he singled.

Gomber went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, on just one hit, walking four and striking out five, as he lost for the second time in as many starts.

NOTES: Bryan Stow threw out the ceremonial first pitch just over 10 years after he was brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium. Stow, who spent nearly nine months in a medically induced coma threw the first pitch to Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken.

Evan Longoria sat out the home opener after feeling side effects from taking the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine on Thursday. Something was seen on the Giants home uniforms for the first time since they moved into Oracle Park, names on the back of their home jerseys.

UP NEXT: Logan Webb takes the mound on Saturday afternoon for the Giants, while Chi Chi Gonzalez will take the mound for the Rockies.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Athletics Sabermetrics and Closer

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Former San Diego Padre pitcher and current Oakland A’s pitcher Trevor Rosenthal seen in this Sep 26, 2020 photo is congratulated by catcher Austin Nola after pitching against the San Francisco Giants. Rosenthal will be out for approximately four months after having arm surgery (Bay Area News Group file photo)

Athletics: Sabermetrics and Closer

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Perhaps the worse news for the Oakland A’s 1-7 start to the 2021 season is that they will be without Trevor Rosenthal, signed to a 1-year deal for $11 million contract to take the place of Liam Hendricks, who is now the closer with the Chicago White Sox. Rosenthal had surgery Thursday.

An issue affected his pitching arm (he threw 100 mph) this surgery required removing his first rib releasing the pectoralis minor muscle of his chest-wall. It is called Thoracic Surgery. Matt Harvey had same surgery a couple of years ago when he was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds; today he is pitching with the Baltimore Orioles.

Rosenthal will be out a few months, maybe back in July or August, if everything goes very well during his rehab. About the Rosenthal surgery, manager Bob Melvin said; “I had a feeling that was going to happen,” Melvin said before Thursday’s game against the Astros. “Everything went well. I don’t really have a timetable or anything like that.”

Without a legitimate experienced closer, the team is left with these potential replacements for that position: Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino, J.B. Wendelken or Jordan Weems. Some suggested that young A.J Puk was given a shot, but he was recently placed on the Injured List as they called up Deolis Guerra.

The closer has become one of the most specialized and important jobs for a pitcher in baseball, it’s a given, that nobody can win without a star closer. We do not know, if the A’s would make a trade to acquire somebody to take their closer spot, nobody knows.

You really never know who is going to become a great closer. In 1987 I remember when Dennis Eckersley came to the A’s from the Chicago Cubs (already a 13-year veteran and 20-game winner in 1978 with Boston) Eckersley started two games with the A’s before an injury to then closer Jay Howell.

That opened the door for Eckersley as pitching coach Dave Duncan and manager Tony LaRussa gave him the ball to move into the closer’s role. That year Eck saved 16 games, next year 1988 he saved a league-leading 45 games helped the A’s win the pennant and went to the World Series, and the rest is history.

He was a dominant closer with the Athletics until 1995, then ended with St Louis and finally back to Boston for his last season in 1998. Dennis Eckersley pitched for 24 years ended with 390 games saved. In 2004 he was elected with an A’s uniform to the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

I will never forgot one of my interviews with him while playing here in Oakland. I asked him what makes him that sharp (I nicknamed him, “La Cuchilla”- “The Knife”) he responded “I am afraid of failure and that keeps me motivated.”

He was as automatic as any closer during those years in baseball. The Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays are the sabermetics darlings of Major League Baseball. They have not spend a lot but they have gotten very good return on their investment, the A’s won the Western Division last season, the Tampa Bay Rays won the American League pennant and lost to the Dodgers in the World Series.

Both clubs are similar in their approach to player’s salaries and they have worked the Sabermetrics very well. The world (everybody not only baseball people) was made aware of Sabermetrics by the movie Moneyball in 2011. “Baseball is like a poker game, nobody wants to quit when he’s loosing; nobody wants you to quit when you are ahead” -Jackie Robinson.

Stay well and stay tuned

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LaGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s woes continue lose fifth straight time to the Astros 6-2

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Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvine throws against the Houston Astros line up in the first inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Thu Apr 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s lost again for the seventh time in the first eight games of the season. The Astros beat them 6-2 Thursday night at Minute Maid Park. The A’s offense has been non-existent so far this year, and it did not produce until late in the game.

The Astros’ pitchers held the A’s scoreless for eight innings and allowed them just three hits. They plated two runs in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. The Astros continued to pummel Oakland pitching as they bashed three dingers in the game. The A’s have not been able to find a way to stop the Astros’ relentless offense. The recap of the game follows below.

The Astros grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Houston’s All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa hit a lazy fly ball to right field that barely made it over the fence for the score. The only other park in the American League where that would have been a home run is New York’s Yankee Stadium which is just 314 feet from home plate.

The Astros put another run on the board in the fourth. With one out, Astros’ DH Yordan Alvarez doubled to left-centerfield. Carlos Correa followed with a double to left to drive in Alvarez. Correa’s second RBI of the game gave the Astros a 2-0 lead after four complete.

The A’s threatened in the top of the fifth. With one out, Elvis Andrus doubled to left field. Andrus tagged on Tony Kemp’s fly to right field. Mark Canha walked to put men on at first and third. Astros’ pitcher Christian Javier struck out Matt Olson looking. The Astros still lead 2-0 halfway through the fifth.

Houston plated three runs in the sixth. With one out, Yordan Alvarez did his best Willie McCovey impersonation as he blasted a solo home run into the second deck of Minute Maid Park. Irvin walked the next batter, Carlos Correa. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in J.B. Wendelken to pitch.

Wendelken retired Yuli Guriel for the second out. Astros’ right fielder, Kyle Tucker, doubled down the left-field line to send Correa to third. Myles Straw singled to right to drive in Correa and Tucker. The Astros increased their advantage to 5-0 after six.

The Astros extended the lead to 6-0 in the seventh when Jose Altuve homered off A’s reliever Deolis Guerra. Guerra was called up to fill a vacancy in the bullpen.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the top of the ninth. It was too little, too late. Aramis Garcia, pinch-hitting for Mitch Moreland, singled to start the rally. He scored the A’s first run when Stephen Piscotty doubled. Jed Lowrie, pinch-hitting for Tony Kemp, singled to drive in Piscotty with the A’s second run. The A’s could do more. The Astros win 6-2.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are 1-7 for the season. The Astros are 6-1. Five of the Astros wins have come at the expense of the A’s

Houston’s hitting stars were Carlos Correa with a home run and two RBIs and Yordan Alvarez with a monster dinger and a double.

The A’s received bad news about the closer, Trevor Rosenthal. Rosenthal had Thoracic Outlet surgery Thursday to remove an impingement in his shoulder. He will be re-evaluated in eight weeks and is expected to miss about four months of the season. The A’s also announced that lefty A.J.Puk has gone on the ten-day IL with a shoulder issue. The A’s recalled Deolis Guerra to take his spot in the bullpen.

The A’s meet the Astros Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Lefty Sean Manaea will start for Oakland, and righty Lance McCullers will go for Houston. The game will start at 5:10 pm.