Sears did not have it tonight
Still buzzing from a walk-off, 447-foot home run by rookie Nick Kurtz, the Athletics hoped to keep up the excitement tonight against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.
JP Sears faced off against former A’s hurler Jason Alexander. He got off to a wild start walking the bases loaded in the top of the first inning. Jake Meyers singled on a blooper just past the outstretched arms of Jacob Wilson. Both Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes scored. Myers attempted to steal second but was thrown out to end the inning. The Astros took a 2-0 lead before the A’s came to bat.
After a quick bottom of the first Sears created new problems for himself in the second. Cam Smith homered to center field, and Mauricio Dubón doubled. Sears then hit Cooper Hummel. But he worked his way out of the jam with only the one run scoring, heading to the bottom of the second, Houston was up 3-0.
If the inimitable Yogi Berra were writing this, he’d surely say the top of the fourth inning looked like déjà vu all over again. Cam Smith opened this inning too with a solo homer. Only this time Dubon’s shot cleared the fence also. With seventy-six pitches in 3.1 innings and a 5-0 deficit, A’s skipper Mark Kotsay had seen enough and turned the mound over to Osvaldo Bido.
Alexander, who was called up yesterday after being an A’s waiver casualty, gave up his first hit to Brett Rooker in the bottom of the fourth inning. Unfortunately, Nick Kurtz grounded into a double play, and Max Muncy struck out to end the inning.
Yainer Diaz led the fifth inning off with a single that ricocheted off second base for a lucky base hit. Christian Walker’s homer to left center field was much more decisive. That gave the Astros a 7-0 lead. A single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases again. Isaac Paredes singled to left field scoring both Cam Smith and Mauricio Dubón. That extended the lead to 9-0.
Lefty Hogan Harris came on to pitch the sixth inning for the A’s. He made quick work of the Astros in the top of the sixth, as did Alexander in the bottom half. In fact, it only took him six pitches to sit the A’s down.
Jacob Wilson left the game in the top of the seventh, creating speculation about whether he was injured when he was hit on the wrist by a pitch in the bottom of the third or if he was just being given a breather.
T.J. McFarland entered the game to pitch the seventh. Mauricio Dubón singled to lead off the inning and Cooper Hummel hit his first homer of the season. That brought the score to 11-0.
Rook walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and Nick Kurtz doubled, moving him to third. Gio Urshela, fresh off the Injured list, singled to score Rooker and get the A’s on the board. Kurtz scored when Austin Wynns reached on a throwing error. That ended Alexander’s night. Urshela scored when Luis Urías grounded into a double play. That brought the score to 11-3.
Sean Newcomb entered to pitch the eighth inning. Christian Walker greeted him with a base hit, and Newcomb plunked Meyers. Cam Smith kept his torrid night on fire with a double scoring Walker. An Austin Wynns passed ball scored Meyers.
A’s catcher Willie MacIver replaced Sean Newcomb on the mound. Isaac Paredes doubled and was stranded on third. And that was all.