| Advertisement |
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Left-hander Dallas Keuchel allowed one run over seven innings, and the Houston Astros rolled to a 7-2 victory against the Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday night. Keuchel (2-0), the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner, allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked two in his third start of the season.
Advertisement
Norichicka Aoki hit his first home of the season and drove in two runs for the Astros, who defeated Oakland for the eighth straight time.
Houston's Jose Altuve went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two walks, scored twice and has reached base safely in 11 straight plate appearances. Brian McCann went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Khris Davis hit his fifth home run of the season for the A's, and Trevor Plouffe hit his first.
A's right-hander Kendall Graveman held the Astros to one run on five hits but lasted only five innings and was pulled after throwing 74 pitches. He walked two, hit one and struck out none.
The Astros broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the sixth inning off reliever Ryan Madson (0-1). McCann singled with two outs and moved to third on a single by Marwin Gonzalez, who stole second. Aoki brought McCann home with an infield single.
Houston increased its lead to 5-1 with three unearned runs in the seventh. Altuve doubled off Ryan Dull down the right field line with one out and scored on a throwing error by third baseman Plouffe. McCann lined a two-run double with two outs off lefty Daniel Coulombe. The Astros added two unearned runs in the ninth when Plouffe made his second throwing error of the game.
Khris Davis gave the A's a 1-0 lead when he led off the second inning with his fifth home run of the season. He launched Keuchel's 3-2 pitch over the center field wall to the left of the 400-foot sign.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Graveman retired Brian McCann and Marwin Gonzalez on popups.
Houston pulled even on Aoki's leadoff home run in the fifth, his first blast of the season.
NOTES: Astros right fielder Josh Reddick faced the A's for the first time since they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 1. Before the game, the A's played a video tribute to Reddick, and he received a warm reception from fans as he ran onto the field and tipped his cap to them. He went 0-for-5 with three line-outs. ... A's shortstop Marcus Semien doubled and walked twice, giving him 10 base-on-balls for the season in 11 games.
