Michael Stefanic and Henry Bolte each drove in two runs during a six-run sixth inning and Jacob Lopez tossed six strong innings as the Athletics recorded a 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
The Astros (79-81) remain in a first-place tie with the Rangers (79-81) in the American League West. Texas lost 10-2 to the Minnesota Twins earlier Friday. Houston holds the tiebreaker due to dominating the season series, 9-4.
The division champion will be the first team in major league history to reach the playoffs without a winning record, excluding shortened seasons.
Lopez (7-5) gave up one run and two hits. He struck out four and walked two as the Athletics (64-96) won for just the third time in four games.
Hogan Harris induced Jeremy Pena to hit into a game-ending double play in the ninth for his 17th save.
Christian Walker and Cam Smith drilled homers for the Astros, who have dropped nine of their past 13 games.
Houston starter Hunter Brown (6-4) gave up two runs, one earned, and two hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four.
Houston trailed by four before scoring three times in the eighth to get back into the game.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out as Lamonte Wade Jr. walked, Yordan Alvarez singled and Isaac Paredes walked against Geoff Hartlieb. Luis Medina entered, and Jose Altuve hit a sacrifice fly for one run before Yainer Diaz delivered an RBI single to pull the Astros within 6-4.
Walker drew a walk to load the bases before Medina uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Paredes to score. Medina struck out Smith to end the inning.
The Athletics sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth.
With the hosts trailing 1-0, Jeff McNeil led off with a single and Zack Gelof followed with a grounder to Pena. The Houston shortstop’s throw to second was low, and second baseman Altuve dropped it to put two runners on base.
Donovan Walton sacrificed the runners to second and third before Brown was pulled. Bennett Sousa entered, and pinch hitter Stefanic delivered a two-run line single to center to give the A’s a 2-1 lead.
Tommy White followed with a single, and Jonah Heim then ripped a single for a two-run lead.
AJ Blubaugh replaced Sousa and Bolte greeted him with a two-run triple off the right field wall to make it 5-1. Lawrence Butler then grounded to first, and Walker’s throw home was off the mark as Bolte scored.
With two outs in the seventh, Smith hit a 2-0 fastball over the wall in left off Seth Johnson to cut Houston’s deficit to four.
Earlier, Houston got on the board in the fourth inning when Walker smacked a 425-foot homer to left.
–Field Level Media
