Astros cruise past A's at Minute Maid Park
HOUSTON -- Backed by a seven-run first inning, right-hander Doug Fister worked six shutout innings as the Houston Astros cruised to a 12-2 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros (26-30) pounced on Athletics right-hander Jesse Hahn (2-3) to provide Fister (5-3) the cushion he needed to notch a fourth consecutive win. Houston won seven consecutive starts by Fister, who allowed four hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts.
Houston won for the ninth time in 11 games by riding a balanced offensive attack. Left fielder Colby Rasmus (2-for-5 with two RBIs) and catcher Evan Gattis (4-for-5 with four RBIs) recorded multi-hit and multi-RBI games while shortstop Carlos Correa tripled and scored twice.
When George Springer scored in the bottom of the first inning, he ignited an offensive surge that resulted in every Astros starter scoring at least once. Third baseman Luis Valbuena was the lone starter who failed to record a hit, but he walked twice and scored the fourth Houston run.
The Athletics (25-30) had their five-game winning streak snapped. The Astros recorded a season-high 16 hits.
The Astros jumped on Hahn early.
He had already surrendered an RBI single to Rasmus and a run-scoring groundout to Gattis. Rookie Tony Kemp had a two-run triple that right fielder Chris Coghlan failed to corral after a long run to the gap and Jake Marisnick added an RBI single that scored Kemp with the sixth run.
When Springer singled for the second time in as many plate appearances in the first, the Astros led 7-0 and Hahn was finished, having allowed six hits and two walks while getting only two outs.
In his previous appearance against the Astros, Hahn worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Seven batters into the start of Friday night's game, he already had allowed as many baserunners, with Astros first baseman Tyler White knocking in Colby Rasmus with an RBI single to center that gave the Astros a 3-0 lead.
In Correa's third at-bat, he hit a leadoff triple in the fourth inning 430-plus feet to straightaway center field off Andrew Triggs. Two batters later, Gattis followed with his seventh home run to extend the Houston lead to 9-0.
Triggs succumbed to the onslaught an inning later, allowing three hits, including an RBI single to Correa before giving way to Marc Rzepczynski, who promptly allowed run-scoring singles to Rasmus and Gattis that pushed the Astros to a 12-0 lead with one out in the fifth.
NOTES: Astros manager A.J. Hinch expressed concern over C Jason Castro and his lingering illness. Evan Gattis is the lone catcher on the roster with rookie Tyler White, who started at first base on Friday, serving as the "double emergency" catcher in the event that Gattis is lost to injury and Castro remains feverish. ... Athletics LHP Rich Hill is tentatively scheduled to start Saturday despite dealing with a mild groin strain. Hill, named American League Pitcher of the Month on Thursday, went 5-1 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts in May. Should Hill be unable to go, the Athletics could bump RHP Kendall Graveman up one day. ... Astros CF Carlos Gomez was not in the starting lineup after striking out seven times in 12 plate appearances since his recall from the 15-day disabled list. Gomez is hitting .182/.250/.182 since his recall, a decline from his .182/.238/.248 line before a ribcage injury sidelined him. Astros CF Jake Marisnick started in place of Gomez.