Astros’ Verlander shuts down A’s again
Right-hander Justin Verlander continued his mastery of the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night, throwing eight innings of four-hit ball in the visiting Houston Astros' 5-1 victory.
One night after using late-inning home runs to overtake the A's in a battle of two teams that represented the American League West in the playoffs last season, the first-place Astros rode Verlander's strong arm to their sixth victory in seven meetings with Oakland this year.
The veteran served up a solo home run to the fifth batter he faced -- Stephen Piscotty -- before limiting the A's to just an additional double and two singles over his season high-tying eight innings. Verlander (9-2) walked two and struck out eight.
Right-hander Will Harris worked a one-hit ninth to preserve a four-run lead.
The Astros took the lead for good against A's starter Brett Anderson (6-4) on a two-run home run by Josh Reddick in the fourth inning. The former Oakland outfielder's sixth homer of the season came with Yuli Gurriel aboard and put Houston up 2-1.
The home run by Reddick was his second off Anderson in seven career at-bats.
The Astros gave Verlander a two-run cushion in the fifth when Jake Marisnick doubled with one out and scored on Alex Bregman's two-out single.
Anderson was pulled after 5 1/3 innings, charged with three runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out two.
The A's twice put the potential tying runs on base against Verlander, first when Ramon Laureano singled with one out in the fifth and Josh Phegley singled one out later.
Verlander then got Marcus Semien to ground out.
Still down just 3-1, the A's made a last-ditch effort to get even in the eighth when Chad Pinder reached Verlander for a two-out double and Matt Chapman walked.
But again the Houston ace worked out of the jam, striking out Matt OIson with his season-high 114th pitch of the night.
The Astros then tacked on in the ninth when Reddick singled and Robinson Chirinos belted his seventh homer of the season, a two-run shot.
The win improved Verlander's regular-season record against the A's to 13-6. Eight of those wins have come in 13 starts in Oakland.
Verlander also sports a 4-0 record against the A's in postseason play.
Piscotty collected two of the A's five hits. His homer was his seventh of the season and was the A's 11th in their last five games.
--Field Level Media
