Dallas Keuchel gave a strong performance as the Houston Astros toppled the Oakland A's. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
License Photo
HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel worked seven shutout innings and paced the Houston Astros to a 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Keuchel (11-2) recorded a season-high 16 groundball outs while surrendering just three hits and one walk. He recorded three strikeouts while tossing 100 pitches, 67 for strikes. It marked his second consecutive quality start following a three-start slump that coincided with his return from a two-month stint on the disabled list. Keuchel is 3-0 against Oakland (53-69) this season.
Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve slugged back-to-back home runs off Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea (8-8) in the third inning to provide Keuchel a bit of a cushion. Bregman smacked his 14th home run the opposite way to right field while Altuve belted his 19th homer to left.
Josh Reddick added an RBI single off Manaea with two outs in the sixth, driving home Yuli Gurriel. Houston (75-47) scored all of its runs with two outs and improved to 11-2 against Oakland this season.
Astros closer Ken Giles recorded his second multi-inning save of the week, inducing an inning-ending double-play grounder from pinch-hitter Matt Olson to close the eighth before striking out the side in order in the ninth. Giles, who posted a six-out save at Texas on Sunday, earned his 24th save.
Keuchel entered his 16th start of the season leading the major leagues in ground ball rate. By the close of his first inning, the direction that his performance was trending was quite clear.
Keuchel retired the side in order in the first inning on groundball outs. He added two more groundouts in the second, worked around a Matt Joyce bunt single in the shift with three groundball outs in the third, and retired the side in order again on groundouts in the fourth.
Even when Keuchel ran into a bit of two-out trouble in the fifth, he had the groundball out in his pocket ready to aid his escape. With a pair of runners on base, including Matt Chapman following his two-out double, Keuchel got Dustin Garneau to ground sharply to shortstop Marwin Gonzalez, who turned a nifty stop and accurate throw into another scoreless frame.
NOTES: The Athletics are in no hurry to reinstate C Josh Phegley from the 10-day disabled list after he made his first rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Nashville. Phegley has been on the DL since July 25 with a strained left oblique, and the Athletics are committed to Phegley making multiple appearances with the Sounds. ... According to published reports, the Astros informed more than a half dozen scouts that their contracts would not be renewed at season's end. GM Jeff Luhnow described the moves as a reconfiguring of the scouting department. ... Home plate umpire and crew chief Jerry Layne departed with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning after taking a foul ball off his left hand. Dan Bellino, who opened the game at second base, replaced Layne behind the plate.
