HOUSTON ( Associated Press) – Kyle Tucker hit a Grand Slam in the fifth inning to give the Houston Astros a 7-5 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Houston went 2–0 up and trailed in the fifth in a six-run rally. Jose Altuve scored a double and a single by Yuli Guriel. Yordan Alvarez followed up with another single, and Alex Bregman went to load the bases for Tucker. After Tucker miserably missed an 82 mph slider from Sam Moll to bring it to the 1-2 count, the left-hander went back to the same pitch and this time Tucker made it a few lines to right field. Pulled deep into the seats.
Tucker’s 21st homer of the season gave Houston a 5-2 lead. After replacing Mole (2-1), Aldamis Diaz singled out and Jeremy Pea doubled to continue the rally and extend the lead to 6-2.
Astros starter Luis García (9-8) played six innings, conceding four runs for eight hits and six runs. García broke a three-game losing streak after receiving three runs or less of run support at each start.
There was a lot of traffic at the Oakland bases compared to Garcia. Jonah Bride doubled to score Wimel Machin in the second inning, and Tony Kemp scored in the third inning off Garcia to put Oakland 2–0 ahead. After the call, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker had a brief argument with the umpires.
Skye Bolt doubled Will Smith to score Bride and Machin in the seventh. Boult pulled Oakland inside 6-5 after scoring a single from Ramon Lauriano.
A loaded the base onto Reine Stanek in the eighth, but Stanek drove Boult off the ground to end the threat and keep the lead.
The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth, when Pea scored on a sacrificial fly by Mauricio Dubon to make it 7–5.
Astros reliever Hector Neris scored a ninth for his second defense of the season.
Oakland starter Adam Aller played 4 2/3 innings, with five hits and two earned runs.
Houston has won three of its last four. At 73–41, the Astros hold a two-game lead over the Yankees for the best record in the American League.
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Astros: Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley will miss the rest of the season on Wednesday following surgery on his right shoulder. Brantley, 35, hasn’t appeared in a big league game since June 26. He hit .288 in 64 games with five homers and 26 RBIs in the final season of a $32 million, two-year contract.
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Athletics: Zach Loge (3-5, 4.79) starting Saturday. He allowed two runs and three hits in five innings in a 3–2 win over Houston on July 9.
Astros: Lance McCullers Jr. will make his 2022 debut after missing the first four months of the season due to a forearm strain.
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