Astros 11, Athletics 5
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Left fielder Colby Rasmus, designated hitter Evan Gattis, center fielder Carlos Gomez and first baseman Marwin Gonzalez hit home runs, powering the Houston Astros to an 11-5 victory against the Oakland A's on Wednesday night at the O.co Coliseum.
The Astros salvaged a win in the final game of their three-game series and extended their lead in the American League West to two games over Texas. Houston ended its five game losing streak at the Coliseum.
Right-hander Collin McHugh (16-7) gave up five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and won his third straight start despite a rough outing. He blanked the A's for four innings before giving up four runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. He struck out five and walked two.
Rasmus, who missed the previous two games because of an illness, went 2-for-4 with a two-run shot in the second inning, his 19th home run of the season. He also doubled, walked and scored twice.
Gattis hit his 23rd home run in the fifth, a two-run blast. He had two hits and scored twice. Gomez crushed a solo home run with two outs in the sixth, his 11th home run overall and third since coming to the Astros from Milwaukee in a trade. He also doubled and scored twice.
Gonzalez hit a solo shot in the seventh, his 10th of the season. He became the 11th Astro with double-digit home runs this season, which tied the major league record set by Detroit in 2004. He had three hits, including a double to go with his home run, and walked.
Catcher Hank Conger had two hits and drove in four runs for the Astros.
With 192 home runs, the Astros moved into a tie with Toronto for the major league lead.
A's right fielder Josh Reddick hit his 16th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fifth. Designated hitter Billy Butler hit a solo shot in the fifth for his 11th home run.
Oakland right-hander Aaron Brooks (1-3) gave up five runs on eight hits over four innings and took the loss.
A's shortstop Marcus Semien had two hits but committed his 34th error of the season, the most in the major leagues, and tied the Oakland record set by Campy Campaneris in 1968.
Rasmus gave Houston a 1-0 lead in the third inning, launching a home run into the second deck in right field with two outs. On a 3-2 count, Brooks threw a belt-high, 93 mph fastball, and Rasmus crushed it.
The Astros extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Gattis grounded a leadoff single to center and moved to third on Rasmus' double down the right field line. With one out and the A's infield drawn in, catcher Hank Conger grounded a two-run, opposite-field single to left.
Right fielder George Springer grounded into a force play, but second baseman Jose Altuve brought him home from first with his second double of the night, a line drive to left-center field.
Houston added three runs in the fifth. Gomez lined a leadoff double to left field fence, and Gattis lofted a two-run shot down the left-field line off A's switch-pitcher Pat Venditte with one out. Rasmus walked, moved to third on Gonzalez's double and scored on Conger's sacrifice fly.
The A's answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, cutting Houston's lead to 7-4.
Butler led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a home run to right-center. Semien followed with a single, moved to second on catcher Carson Blair's ground out and scored on center fielder Billy Burns' single to right, making it 7-2.
Then with two outs, Reddick sent McHugh's 3-2 cutter over the right-center field fence for a two run homer, his first blast since Aug. 24 at Seattle.
NOTES: Manager Bob Melvin agreed to terms with the A's on a two-year contract extension through the 2018 season. ... A's C Stephen Vogt said he expects to play again this season and considers himself fortunate to have avoided surgery or the loss of a testicle after being hit in his protective cup by a foul ball Sunday against Seattle. "I've taken so many shots to the cup," Vogt said. "This one was direct, 93 (mph) if not harder with the redirection from the bat. I've never been hit that directly with that much velocity. The pain is indescribable. I'm on pain medication and it's still not comfortable." ... Astros OF Colby Rasmus missed the first two games of the series against Oakland with an illness but returned to the starting lineup in left field Wednesday night. ... Astros LHP Tony Sipp (sore back), who hasn't pitched in a game since Aug. 26, threw a bullpen session Wednesday at Minute Maid Park and will rejoin the team in Anaheim during its three-game series against the Angels, which begins Friday. It's not known when he'll be available again out of the bullpen.