The Athletics opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros, hoping to get back in the win column in the first game of Players’ Weekend. In a matchup between two teams desperate for a win, the Astros emerged victorious, winning the series-opener 4-0 in a game where the A’s never posed a threat.
Both Teams Squander Early Chances
After Astros starter Hayden Wesneski worked a scoreless first inning, the hosts immediately threatened to score as A’s starter J.T. Ginn failed to retire either of the first two batters he faced. The
A’s right-hander escaped the jam, leaving Houston unable to capitalize on its golden opportunity to take the lead.
With one out in the third inning, shortstop Donovan Walton singled to record the Athletics first hit of the game. Walton stole second with two outs, putting himself in scoring position. Wesneski escaped the jam by getting Jeff McNeil to pop out, stranding two runners.
A’s catcher Jonah Heim threw out Astros runners attempting to steal second to end two consecutive innings.
Astros Strike First
A leadoff walk followed by a double put the Astros in position to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. First baseman Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly scored Isaac Paredes, putting the Astros up 1-0. Ginn limited the damage by retiring the next two hitters. A’s left fielder Carlos Cortes made a nice catch at the wall, robbing Astros catcher Yainer Diaz of a potential RBI extra-base hit.
The Astros scored two more runs against Ginn in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nick Allen, who had walked, scored from first on Yordan Alvarez’s two-out RBI double. Paredes followed with an RBI double of his own, extending the Astros’ lead to 3-0.
A’s Offense No Show
The Athletics’ injury-depleted offense failed to give Ginn any run support. Wesneski tossed five scoreless innings in his fifth start of the season. The right-hander allowed just one hit and three walks, consistently getting A’s hitters to chase pitches outside the zone, resulting in four groundouts, several popouts and four strikeouts.
With a three-run cushion, the Astros turned to their bullpen, with left-hander Bennett Sousa replacing Wesneski. Singles by McNeil and Cortes brought Lawrence Butler to the plate as the potential game-tying run. Unlike the Astros, the A’s failed to record a two-out RBI hit. Butler, who has struggled since signing his contract extension, struck out on three pitches, just one of which was a strike.
Bullpen Time
Ginn allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. The two batters he walked both came around to score, underscoring the importance of limiting free passes. Right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado replaced him and tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning.
RISP Difference Key to Score
Facing Houston reliever Bryan Abreu, Heim and Walton drew back-to-back walks with one out in the seventh. For a second straight inning, the A’s offense failed to capitalize. Abreu regained his command and escaped the jam, preserving the Astros’ 3-0 lead. In the last of the seventh, A’s left-hander Drew Rom gave up Alvarez’s second two-out RBI double of the game, which put the hosts up 4-0.
Shoutout Complete
The Athletics had one final chance to get on the scoreboard in the ninth inning, but Walton grounded out to end the game, stranding Heim at second. The A’s recorded just three singles in the shutout, completing a winless week for the 49-80 club. The team again struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-5 and leaving eight runners on base.
The Green and Gold will look to snap their five-game losing streak in Saturday afternoon’s middle game of this series. A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez is scheduled to face Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Will the team ever get above 50 wins, or will this misery last through the end of the season?
