.Alex Bregman walked with one out before Brantley and Yuli Gurriel followed with RBI singles that made it 6-4.''I'm doing everything I can,'' Straw said. ''Just let those guys behind me take care of the rest. Get on base is my job and create havoc on the bases.'' The A's were held to seven runs in the series with all the scoring coming on six homers. They had four solo homers Sunday with Robbie Grossman, Jurickson Profar, Ramon Laureano and Matt Chapman all connecting but couldn't generate any other offense.''It's been a little bit of a roller-coaster for us,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ''We have to find a way to be more consistent. Usually when we are good, we draw some walks making guys work and get some guys on base and use our power that way. There are certain times you have to figure out to get some key hits with two outs with guys on. We had some opportunities.'' Josh James (3-0) pitched two perfect innings for the win.Trivino took the loss for the third time in Oakland's past four games.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: Houston's long list of injured players including 2B Jose Altuve (hamstring) and OF George Springer (hamstring) got a day off from rehab for a recovery.Athletics: LHP Brett Anderson, who was removed as a precaution Saturday after feeling something in his right side, got treatment and the A's are hopeful he will be able to make his next start Friday at Texas.SPEED KILLSThe Astros capitalized on their speed. Tony Kemp went from first to third on a single by Straw in the fifth. Straw then stole second and both runs scored on Bregman's infield grounder . Shortstop Marcus Semien fielded the ball in the hole but his long throw to first was in the dirt and Matt Olson couldn't scoop it. The ball rolled a few feet away and Straw raced home with the go-ahead run on Semien's second error of the season. Straw then added another run in the seventh when he walked, stole second and scored on Fisher's single.GETTING TOSSEDHome plate umpire Alan Porter ejected two more A's this game. He tossed Stephen Piscotty after he questioned a called third strike that ended the 10th inning. Melvin then came out to argue and was tossed as well. Porter ejected Semien on Saturday for arguing a foul ball call. It was the first career ejection for both Semien and Piscotty.''We're in a competitive situation there and tensions are high and when something like that happens, you're not happy,'' Piscotty said. ''Most umpires can kind of let you vent a little bit. He didn't. He didn't the other night.'' FOR STARTERSBoth starters ended up with no-decisions with Houston's Gerrit Cole allowing two runs and four hits in six innings and Oakland's Chris Bassitt giving up three runs and six hits in six innings.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Corbin Martin (1-1, 5.51) will make his fifth career start in the series opener Monday at Seattle.Athletics: RHP Frankie Montas (6-2, 2.40 ERA) heads into the series opener Tuesday at the Angels having gone eight straight starts without allowing a home run.--More MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Cole, Astros look to complete 3-game sweep of A'sFLMCole, Astros look to complete 3-game sweep of A'sIn-state product Gerrit Cole looks to continue his dominance over California teams at California sites when he attempts to pitch the visiting Houston Astros to a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon.Justin Verlander pitched brilliantly for eight innings and former A's outfielder Josh Reddick hit his second home run in two games, leading the Astros to a 5-1 win on Saturday night that followed a 3-2 victory in the series opener Friday.The first-place Astros have won six of seven from the A's this season.Cole (5-5, 4.02) will make his first start against the A's this season, and the seventh of his career. The Los Angeles-area native has gone 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA against the A's, including 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts in Oakland.Cole has accumulated an 18-7 career record against Major League Baseball's five California teams. He's 10-3 at California sites.The 28-year-old is expected to get a new experience Sunday when he's throwing to catcher Garrett Stubbs. The Astros are expected to give Stubbs just his second major league start.Stubbs, a San Diego native, made his big-league debut Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs and found himself catching fellow minor league call-up Corbin Martin.He recognizes working with Cole will require less leading and more following."My goal is just to make sure Gerrit is feeling comfortable," Stubbs said Saturday, "and we have a good, quality start to get us a win." Current members of the A's roster have a cumulative .203 batting average against Cole in 118 career at-bats.Matt Olson, who struck out against Verlander in a key eighth-inning at-bat on Saturday night, has been Cole's most popular victim, going 0-for-14 with nine strikeouts.The A's welcomed back Khris Davis from the injured list for Saturday's game, but the slugger, like most Oakland batters, was snuffed out by Verlander, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.Nonetheless, A's manager Bob Melvin assured before the game that just seeing Davis on the lineup card provided a boost for his ballclub, which has lost four in a row after winning 10 straight."He's one of the better power hitters in the game, so it's nice to get him back," Melvin gushed. "From a mental standpoint for the team as well, it's a big pick-me-up." Davis has gone 6-for-24 (.250) in his career against Cole with one homer and 10 strikeouts.Cole has allowed at least one home run in nine of his 12 starts this season. He will be up against an A's lineup that has hit 11 in their last five games, with eight players contributing at least one.In fact, the only three runs the A's have scored in the series have been the product of home runs. Matt Chapman hit a two-run shot in Friday's 3-2 loss, while Stephen Piscotty produced Oakland's only run off Verlander with a solo homer.The A's will send right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-1, 3.27) in search of a sweep-preventing win.Bassitt has faced the Astros three times in his career, twice as a starter, and gone 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA.--Field Level Media
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