Christian Walker and Cam Smith hit homers and the Houston Astros recorded 18 hits as they blasted the Athletics 11-0 on Saturday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif.
Tatsuya Imai (1-0) threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to earn his first career major league win. The 27-year-old right-hander from Japan signed a three-year deal with Houston this offseason.
Imai left two runners on base as he exited in the sixth inning protecting a 10-0 lead, but Kai-Wei Teng came in to get the third out and keep the shutout intact.
After 2 1/3 innings from Teng, Steven Okert worked the ninth and preserved the Astros pitching staff’s first shutout this season.
Walker, Joey Loperfido and Yainer Diaz and Christian Vazquez led the way for Houston with three hits and two RBIs each.
A’s starter Luis Morales (0-2) was under siege from the opening pitch, as as four of the first five Astros to the plate reached base and Houston took an early 2-0 lead with RBI singles by Jose Altuve and Walker.
Walker then hit the first pitch of the third over the left field fence for his first home run of 2026.
Later in the frame, the Athletics’ defense let Morales down when Tyler Soderstrom lost a fly ball in the sun in left field and it dropped in for an unconventional RBI double for Vazquez.
Morales gave up five runs in three-plus innings, allowing eight hits and six walks. Changing pitchers did not reverse the A’s fortunes, as Houston added three runs off reliever Elvis Alvarado with an RBI double for Loperfido and a two-run single by Diaz.
Loperfido and Vazquez got their second RBIs of the afternoon with base hits in the sixth, before Yordan Alvarez – who drew a walk in each of his first four plate appearances – added on with an RBI single.
Smith capped off the Astros’ offensive outburst with a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth.
Max Muncy had two of the Athletics’ four hits. That is his second multi-hit game in as many days.
–Field Level Media
