Victor Caratini had a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning to help the Houston Astros complete a two-game sweep of the visiting Athletics with a 5-3 win on Wednesday afternoon.
Zach Dezenzo singled, homered and scored twice for the Astros, who have won four in a row.
Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. had his longest outing in five starts since missing the past two seasons with injuries, matching his career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings.
McCullers allowed three runs, five hits and walked one on 102 pitches.
A’s starter Luis Severino also went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits while striking out four and walking two.
Jacob Wilson doubled, homered, scored twice and drove in two runs, and Brent Rooker had two hits and an RBI for the A’s, who have dropped 13 of 14.
Luis Urias walked to lead off the third and scored with a head-first slide on a two-out double into the left-center field gap by Wilson to give the A’s a 1-0 lead.
Rooker then doubled high off the wall in left to drive in Wilson and make it 2-0.
Severino retired the first seven batters before Dezenzo singled to left with one out in the third and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes to cut the lead to 2-1.
Christian Walker was hit on the hand to start the fourth for Houston and later scored on another close play at the plate following a single to right by Cam Smith to tie the score 2-2.
McCullers struck out his ninth and 10th batters of the game to start the fifth, but then gave up a towering home run to Wilson to move the A’s back in front 3-2.
Justin Sterner (1-1) started the seventh for the A’s and surrendered a leadoff homer to Dezenzo to tie the score 3-3.
Houston loaded the bases with two outs in the inning and Caratini came through with a two-run single up the middle to give the Astros a 5-3 lead.
Shawn Dubin (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the Astros, Bryan Abreu did the same in the eighth and Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 14 opportunities.
–Field Level Media
