The Oakland Athletics defeated the Houston Astros 7-6 on Sunday, Aug. 23, at Daikin Park, with Brenton Muncy's solo home run in the seventh inning providing the winning blow. The contest was a back-and-forth affair that saw the home team build a 6-0 lead before a late rally by the visitors.
The final score reflected a tight defensive and pitching battle that came down to the final outs. Attendance at the venue reached 30,708 fans. The game concluded with the Athletics improving their record to 51-80, while the Astros fell to 65-66 on the season.
Astros Build Early Lead
Houston took control early in the first inning. Carlos Paredes hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Carlos Pena. Shortly after, Jose Altuve homered to left center field for 370 feet, driving in Yordan Alvarez for two runs.
The Astros extended their advantage in the second inning when Altuve walked, allowing Smith to score. In the fourth inning, Paredes hit a home run to left field for 350 feet, with Pena crossing the plate to give Houston a 6-0 lead. Cristian Javier pitched four innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out eight batters.
Enyel De Los Santos entered next, pitching one-third of an inning. He allowed three hits and three earned runs while striking out one batter. Kai-Wei Teng followed, pitching one and two-thirds innings, allowing one hit and no earned runs with four strikeouts.
Athletics Rally in the Fifth
The momentum shifted in the fifth inning when the Athletics scored three runs. Serven homered to left center field for 402 feet, scoring Walton and Hernaiz. Butler then doubled to left field, bringing in Bolte.
