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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Chad Pinder hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and a three-run blast in the eighth, powering the Oakland Athletics to an 11-4 victory against the Houston Astros and a sweep of their doubleheader on Saturday
Trailing 4-3, Oakland rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take their first lead of the game. Rookie Franklin Barreto lined an opposite-field triple off Chris Devenski (8-4) down the right-field line and scored on Boog Powell's sacrifice fly.
Pinder followed by hitting Devenski's 2-1 slider into the left field seats. It was his 13th homer of the season.
In the eighth, the A's scored six runs.
Pinder capped the explosion with a blast into the right field seats off Michael Feliz. The A's had five hits in the inning, including a two-run single by Powell, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
The A's defeated the Astros 11-1 in the opener when rookie right-hander Daniel Gossett (4-8) held them to one run on five hits with a career-high seven strikeouts and three walks over six innings. Astros right-hander Charlie Morton (11-7) gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings. He struck out eight and walked three.
Rookie Matt Olson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning for the A's in the second game. Barreto went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Maxwell went 2-for-4 with a double, and RBI and a run.
A's rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits over six innings.
Chris Hatcher (1-1) pitched two perfect innings in relief for the victory.
Astros right-hander Brad Peacock allowed two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine walked none and threw 84 pitches in a no-decision.
Peacock and Mengden were locked in a scoreless pitchers' until the top of the sixth when Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and Josh Reddick hit an RBI single.
The A's answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull even when Olson launched Peacock's 1-1 curve over the right-center field fence for his 16th home run of the season.
Matt Chapman greeted reliever Joe Musgrove with a ringing double to right center and scored on Maxwell double to center.
Houston regained the lead at 4-3 with a run in the top of the seventh on pinch hitter George Springer's sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Astros C Juan Centeno will "miss a few days" and go through the concussion protocol after being injured in the second inning of the doubleheader's first game, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. Centeno came out of the game after being hit in the head with the bat on A's 2B Jed Lowrie's backswing. "He was a little dizzy when we got on the field," Hinch said. ... The A's had five new starters in their lineup for the nightcap, inserting SS Franklin Barreto, 2B Joey Wendle, LF Mark Canha, C Bruce Maxwell and RF Chad Pinder. ... Houston had six new starters for the second game: CF Cameron Maybin, RF Josh Reddick, 1B Yuli Gurriel, DH Carlos Beltran, C Brian McCann and LF Tony Kemp.
