Houston Astros shortstop Nick Allen (left) completes a double play making a throw to first base while forcing out Henry Bolte (33) of the Sacramento A’s at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Fri Aug 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
Houston held the A’s to three singles and never allowed a runner to reach third base in a 4-0 loss that extended the Athletics’ losing streak to five games. Before the series opener, the A’s had won 10 of their previous 14 meetings with the Astros while averaging 6.1 runs and hitting 26 home runs. This game went in the opposite direction.
J.T. Ginn gave the Athletics a chance early. Houston put runners at second and third with one out in the first, but Ginn escaped after Jonah Heim successfully challenged a pitch that turned Daulton Varsho’s plate appearance into a strikeout. Ginn then struck out Christian Walker to end the inning. Heim kept affecting the game from behind the plate in the second, completing a strikeout-caught-stealing double play when Raynel Delgado went down and Yainer Diaz was erased trying for second. An inning later, Heim threw out Jose Altuve attempting to steal.
Hayden Wesneski was even tougher on the other side. The Houston right-hander allowed only one hit over five scoreless innings, with Donovan Walton’s third-inning single providing the only damage. Walton stole second, and Henry Bolte drew his second walk of the game, but Jeff McNeil popped out to end the threat. Wesneski struck out four and issued three walks, repeatedly keeping the A’s from turning baserunners into runs.
Houston finally broke through in the fourth. Isaac Paredes drew a leadoff walk, Varsho doubled him to third, and Walker lifted a sacrifice fly to center for a 1-0 lead. The fifth inning proved more costly. Nick Allen drew a one-out walk, Yordan Alvarez doubled him home, and Paredes followed with another double to score Alvarez. In the span of two extra-base hits, a one-run game became 3-0.
Ginn finished five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. It was a respectable outing against the AL West leaders, but the margin for error was almost nonexistent because the Athletics could not solve Houston’s pitching. The loss dropped Ginn to 8-8 after he entered with a 3.53 ERA and a season that included two no-hit bids lasting at least six innings.
The A’s had their best chance against the bullpen in the sixth. McNeil singled with one out, and Carlos Cortes added another single two batters later to put two aboard. Bennett Sousa ended the inning by striking out Lawrence Butler. In the seventh, Heim and Walton drew consecutive walks against Bryan Abreu, but Max Muncy struck out and Bolte grounded out. Steven Okert retired the Athletics in order in the eighth, then Enyel De Los Santos finished the ninth after Heim reached second on an error.
Alvarez supplied the final run in the seventh. Raynel Delgado drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Allen’s sacrifice bunt and reached third on Altuve’s fly ball. Alvarez then delivered his second RBI double of the game, making it 4-0. He finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch, providing nearly all the distance Houston needed.
For the Athletics, McNeil, Cortes and Walton collected the three hits. Bolte reached twice on walks, and Heim reached twice as well, but the A’s finished without an extra-base hit. Butler, who entered with five home runs in 18 August games, went hitless with two strikeouts. The lineup has also been thinned by injuries, with 13 players on the injured list and seven members of the Opening Day starting lineup sidelined.
The defeat added another layer to a difficult stretch. The A’s entered the series after being swept in four games at Kansas City and had already lost four straight, eight of 10 and 17 of 21, carrying the lowest winning percentage in the majors at 49-79. This loss pushed the record to 49-80 and left the offense searching for a way to turn baserunners into something more.
The A’s will try to answer in the next game with Jacob Lopez (5-4, 5.22 ERA, 81 K), who has allowed two runs or fewer in seven straight starts, against Hunter Brown (3-3, 3.67 ERA, 72 K), with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
