The A’s just took down the Houston Astros 6-5 on Friday night, snagging the second game of their four-game series. This wasn’t just any win, either; they squeaked by their division rivals 6-5 in convincing fashion to even things up. Even with the loss, the Astros are still tied for first in the AL West thanks to the Rangers dropping their game. That just means the A’s have all the more motivation to win again tomorrow, with two more games left in this set!
Lopez Went From “Worst Ever” to Straight Up Lights Out
Can we talk about Jacob Lopez for a minute? Dude came into his final start of the season fresh off what was easily the worst career outing he’s ever had, coughing up 10 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. That’s a brutal hit, especially after he’d had a pretty successful second half, clawing his way back onto the roster after losing his spot for a while. You know he wanted to finish strong, and boy, did he ever. The lefty absolutely carved up Houston’s formidable lineup, letting up just a couple of hits and a couple of walks. The Astros got two guys on in the second, but Lopez shut that rally down cold. The only real damage against him all night was a solo shot from Christian Walker in the fourth. Other than that, Houston couldn’t get a thing going against a pitcher leaving everything he had on the mound before the offseason. Lopez finished with 6 innings pitched, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 94 pitches. His final season ERA clocks in at 5.47, but that stat does not do justice to how locked in he was in the second half. What a way to rebound and end his season!
Clutch Hits and Smart Moves Ignite the Rally
Houston jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, putting the pressure squarely on the A’s offense to back up Lopez. They hadn’t done much against Houston ace right-hander Hunter Brown, scratching out just a couple of hits and four walks. They had some chances in the second and third innings, getting runners in scoring position, but couldn’t cash in. Then came the bottom of the sixth, and everything turned around. Deep into the game, with Brown likely tiring, Jeff McNeil kicked things off with a leadoff single. Then a Houston error put Gelof on second base behind him. Manager Mark Kotsay needed to make something happen and called for a sacrifice bunt from Donovan Walton, which he executed perfectly. With a left-handed hitter, Carlos Cortes, coming up, Houston pulled Brown, who was at 100 pitches, for lefty relief pitcher Bennett Sousa. Kotsay countered big time, pinch-hitting Cortes with the righty-swinging Michael Stefanic. That chess match worked out huge for Kotsay tonight when Stefanic crushed a two-run RBI single to grab the lead. And they weren’t done, not by a long shot! A rookie infielder followed with another single, and then Henry Bolte absolutely mashed a two-run triple in that same inning, blowing the game wide open!
What a comeback, what a win! With the series tied and two games left against the Astros, the A’s are clearly not messing around. They have all the motivation in the world to keep this momentum rolling and make a statement. You know they want to keep the pressure on in the AL West, so get ready for some more fireworks tomorrow night!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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