Triggs helps A's beat Astros, end skid
HOUSTON -- Andrew Triggs worked seven shutout innings and Khris Davis belted his fifth home run against the Houston Astros this season in the Oakland Athletics' 2-1 win on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Triggs (4-1) rebounded splendidly from his worst start of the season, recording a career-high nine strikeouts while limiting the Astros (15-9) to five hits, all singles. Triggs did not walk a batter and lowered his ERA to 1.84 in his 12th career start. The seven innings pitched also represented a career high for the right-hander.
The Athletics (11-13) snapped a five-game skid by making the most of the long ball, with second baseman Jed Lowrie taking Astros right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-2) deep in the fourth inning before Davis cranked his 10th home run the opposite way to right field off reliever Will Harris with two outs in the eighth. Davis has clubbed three homers this series, all the opposite way against right-handers.
Musgrove allowed one run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts over a season-high 6 1/3 innings.
Oakland needed Davis' insurance because Astros second baseman Jose Altuve belted a solo home run off Sean Doolittle with two outs in the eighth. It was his third homer and it cut the deficit in half.
Athletics closer Santiago Casilla recorded his fourth save by inducing a game-ending double play from catcher Brian McCann.
For a spell, Musgrove carried the momentum he built down the stretch of his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, an outing that included Musgrove surrendering four runs on five hits in the first inning only to reel off five consecutive no-hit frames.
Against Oakland, Musgrove retired his first 10 batters.
Lowrie snapped that string in the fourth inning with his second homer of the season, ricocheting a 3-1 pitch off the upper-deck facade in right field.
Musgrove staggered a bit after that, surrendering two soft singles before escaping the fourth inning, and allowing three baserunners in the fifth. Musgrove needed a wonderful throw from right fielder Josh Reddick to escape the latter inning unscathed, with Reddick erasing Chad Pinder at the plate following his scoop of a two-out single by Lowrie. The tag applied by catcher McCann was as effective as the pinpoint throw from Reddick.
NOTES: Astros CF Jake Marisnick began a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday. Marisnick landed on the 7-day concussion disabled list on April 25 after running into the outfield wall in Tampa Bay last Sunday. ... Athletics RHP Raul Alcantara was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, four days after being designated for assignment. Oakland also reinstated 2B Joey Wendle from the disabled list. Wendle landed on the DL on March 30 with a strained right shoulder. ... Athletics LHP Sean Manaea played catch out to 120 feet and showcased enough improvement that he will likely avoid a stint on the disabled list. Manaea was pulled from his last start on April 26 with shoulder tightness and is on course to have his next turn in the rotation skipped.