A’s Snap Skid, Beat Astros 5-2

Back in the win column!

The Athletics finally managed to snap their tough 4-game losing streak on Thursday evening, beating the division-rival Astros 5-2 in Houston to start this four-game series off on the right foot for the visitors.

Severino dominates

On the bump for the A’s tonight was Opening Day starter Luis Severino. A lot has been made about his disdain for the temporary home in West Sacramento but at least for tonight he didn’t have to deal with that bandbox. Instead he got to deal with the newly renamed Daikin Park, known as a haven for right-handed hitters with the Crawford Boxes just right there in left field.

Looking for a top-notch performance tonight from their expensive offseason addition the A’s got just that. Severino was strong from the first inning on tonight, After a leadoff single to start the bottom of the first Severino sat down 13 of the next 15 hitters he faced, and the only two hits he allowed? One was gunned down at second trying to stretch a single into a double, courtesy of a laser from rookie outfielder Carlos Cortes…

… and the other was wiped out in an unassisted double play to first baseman Nick Kurtz. All in all Severino was about as dominant as we’ve seen him this year through the game’s first six innings, giving the Athletics plenty of time to back him up and score some runs.

Offense does its job

Going up against Houston starting pitcher and former Athletic Jason Alexander, the A’s didn’t waste much time. Center fielder Lawrence Butler worked a one-out walk to get things started in the second, and a stolen base + throwing error put the electric outfielder just 90 feet away from home plate. Up to the plate strode the rookie Cortes, looking to bring home his teammate and give his club an early lead:

That was Cortes’ first RBI of his career, and with his first career assist it was already a memorable night for the rookie. It would only get better later on for him.

A one run lead in Houston just won’t suffice and the Athletics hitters know that all too well. A couple singles in the third went to waste but back-to-back-to-back back hits in the fourth gave the team a chance to nab some much-needed insurance. One of those singles came off the bat of Cortes, his first major league hit:

What a day for the rookie! Anyway, an RBI groundout brought in the second run of the night for the A’s but the big hit came off the bat of Kurtz, who smoked a two-out RBI double to right field to bring in one runner while the other was nabbed at home:

We all already know how great Kurtz already is, but just for some perspective:

If he had begun the year in the majors with the Athletics we could legitimately have a Rookie of the Year race on the same team with teammate Jacob Wilson. Heck, we still might have one.

The Athletics added on in each of the next two innings. An RBI sac fly off the bat of Shea Langeliers made it 4-0 and then second baseman Luis Urias launched a homer into the Crawford Boxes to push the lead to five:

Considering Zack Gelof’s continued struggles even after getting healthy and returning, it feels like it’s becoming more and more likely the Athletics hang onto the 28-year-old Urias, a former top prospect in his own right who is providing at least some decent production from second base. Unless the club gets a decent offer the club may be better just hanging onto him and letting the rest of the season play out.

Astros mount comeback, fail

Now into his seventh inning of work tonight, the veteran was nearing the end of his rope. Houston finally started to get to him the third time through the lineup, getting a pair of runs on some productive outs. He was never in any major danger though and finished the inning and frame comfortably still ahead.

• Luis Severino: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 91 pitches

That’s the sort of line the A’s were hoping they were buying this offseason. That was as dominant a start as we’ve seen him toss in the Athletics uniform. It was good enough for the win, and it was also enough to lower his season ERA to below 5.00 for the first time since the end of June. Now comes the hard part of replicating this in Sacramento. He lines up to take on the Seattle Mariners early next week.

Just six outs to go. Right-hander Michael Kelly took over for Severino to begin the eighth and allowed a pair of hits, prompting Kotsay to go to his flamethrowing closer early for the four-out save. Mason Miller delivered, shutting down the rally and finishing the Astros off in the ninth to secure both the victory for his team and his 20th save of the year.

A well-rounded win from the boys tonight. Sevy was dealing and looked like the guy we all hoped he’d be. The offense got some great contributions all around, and the rookie Carlos Cortes collected his first hit, RBI, and assist all in the same game. The last time that happened?

The series continues tomorrow evening, same time same place. Left-hander Jeffrey Springs will get the ball for the 22nd time tomorrow hoping to continue his strong season. The Astros will counter Springs with solid rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto, who has helped Houston weather some critical injuries to their starting pitching. Tomorrow promises to be another good one!