Clutch 3-Run Breggie Double Gets Astros by Oakland 6-3

Power brownout: When the demand for electricity exceeds the power provider’s ability to deliver, resulting in intermittent power outages.

Monday, the Astros scored twelve runs. Then they failed to score for two straight games. Friday night, the Astros managed five runs but with almost no hard contact against a pitching staff with not only the worst ERA in baseball, but more than a run and half worse than the next worst staff.

Today....A two run outburst in the first and a four run outburst in the eighth provided enough to let the Astros glide to their second straight win against the lowly, lowly Oakland A’s, 6-3

The Astros struck like lightning in the first inning against A’s starter Austin Pruitt. Jose Altuve led off with a single and scored on Jeremy Peña’s seventh home run.

The A’s got one back in the second inning off Astros starter Framber Valdez on a Ramon Laureano double, a stolen base, and an Aledmys Diaz sac fly.

Valdez Frambered his way out of deep trouble in the fifth inning after a leadoff double by Shea Langleiers, who was bunted to third by Tony Kemp. Valdez then walked the bases loaded but got Seth Brown to ground out to first on a play that Jose Abreu made interesting with a bobble that made the play a photo-finish.

The Astros were held without further scoring until the eighth inning when Jose Altuve led off with a double followed by a Peña double that failed to score Altuve. After an intentional walk to Alvarez, Alex Bregman hit a three run double, and after a Kyle Tucker groundout, reached home on a Jose Abreu sac fly.

Against a weak-hitting A’s team, Astros starter Framber Valdez managed to go six innings, allowing only one run on four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

He was followed by Phil Maton, who threw a perfect inning, but Bryan Abreu left the bases loaded in the eighth with two outs for Hector Neris, who promptly allowed a two-run single to Shea Langeliers, making the score 6-3.

Ryan Pressly polished off the A’s in the scoreless ninth for his second save in two nights and his 10th of the year.

Alex Bregman was 3-4 with the big double and Jeremy Pena was 2-4 with a homer and a double.

Cristian Javier goes for the sweep tomorrow at 3:07 CT

Box score HERE.