Graveman helps A's beat Astros
HOUSTON -- Kendall Graveman produced the Oakland Athletics' second exceptional start of the series while dominating the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.
Graveman (5-6) extended his winning streak to four games by limiting the Astros (47-41) to five hits while carrying a shutout into the ninth. He was perfect through 4 2/3 innings and did not issue a walk. By the close of the sixth Graveman had just 68 pitches on his ledger, and when Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena singled with one out in the seventh, Graveman followed by inducing Carlos Gomez to hit into a double play.
Houston mustered a rally in the ninth, with Jake Marisnick and Marwin Gonzalez stroking back-to-back singles to chase Graveman. Athletics right-hander Ryan Dull allowed his first inherited runner to score this season when Jose Altuve plated Marisnick with a fielder's choice ground ball, and Altuve later scored when Valbuena singled to left field.
Dull struck out Gomez with pinch-runner George Springer on first to record his first save.
The Athletics (38-50) earned at worst a split of the four-game series behind Graveman and left-hander Rich Hill, who shut down the Astros (47-41) over six innings on Thursday night.
Oakland staggered Astros right-hander Lance McCullers (4-3) in the second inning and made him labor before finally departing after four.
Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (3-for-4, two RBIs) lined an opposite-field solo home run into the Crawford Boxes in left with one out in the second to initiate McCullers' struggles. Three consecutive batters reached following the Vogt homer, but McCullers rallied to strike out both Tyler Ladendorf and Coco Crisp to keep the deficit at just one run.
But for McCullers, it was more of the same in the third inning. After inducing a harmless fly ball to right field from Khris Davis for the second out of the inning, McCullers allowed an opposite-field RBI single to Vogt before walking three consecutive batters, the last being Marcus Semien with the bases full to extend Oakland lead to three runs.
McCullers was coming off his best start of the season, an overpowering performance against the Mariners on Independence Day. And despite retiring the final three batters of the fourth inning, his day was done. McCullers needed 92 pitches to complete four innings, allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out six batters. He allowed the Vogt home run, uncorked a wild pitch and was called for a balk in the third.
NOTES: Astros RF George Springer was not in the lineup, ending his streak of 112 consecutive starts, the second-longest in the majors behind Mariners 2B Robinson Cano (144). Astros manager A.J. Hinch opted to give Springer the day off with one game remaining before the All-Star Game break. ... Athletics 3B Tyler Ladendorf made his third start of the month and ninth this season, spelling Danny Valencia. Ladendorf entered Saturday batting .120 with one RBI and two runs scored as a starter and needed at-bats according to manager Bob Melvin. ... Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced his rotation for the first series following the All-Star Game break, with RHPs Doug Fister, Lance McCullers and Collin McHugh scheduled to face the Mariners in Seattle. ... Astros LF Colby Rasmus remained sidelined due to an illness (ear infection).