Deadspin | Astros ride high-powered offense into finale vs. A's

[ad_1] Jun 18, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Jose Altuve (27) reacts after hitting a three-run house run towards the Athletics within the sixth inning at Sutter Well being Park. Obligatory Credit score: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Photographs The Houston Astros are discovering Sutter Well being Park in West Sacramento, Calif., a lot to their liking.

Houston has racked up 24 runs, 35 hits and eight homers over the previous two video games. The Astros will purpose to do extra harm on Thursday night time once they end a four-game collection towards the Athletics of their short-term house.

The A's received the opener 3-1 earlier than the Astros' offense went right into a frenzy. Houston received 13-3 on Tuesday and adopted up with a 11-4 victory on Wednesday.

"Once you come to a ballpark like this, you are feeling such as you're by no means out of a sport," Astros supervisor Joe Espada mentioned. "You must assault it and proceed so as to add runs. We're utilizing the entire whole area and that is precisely what we would like. ... We wish to create alternatives by being aggressive in numerous methods."

Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini every hit a three-run homer throughout a seven-run sixth inning as Houston turned a one-run sport right into a blowout.

Mauricio Dubon homered for the second straight day. Dubon performed his last two seasons of highschool ball in Sacramento.

Contributions have been in all places for a group that has received seven of its previous eight video games. Altuve, Caratini, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Pena and Cam Smith had three hits apiece because the Astros completed with a season-best 20 on Wednesday.

"It is a whole lot of enjoyable," mentioned Meyers, who turned 29 on Wednesday. "I imagine hitting may be contagious and that is type of the way it was (Wednesday). All people put collectively nice at-bats and nice swings."

Smith is 7-for-9 within the collection with two homers and two doubles. Each of the blasts got here on Tuesday.

Smith is the primary Houston rookie with seven hits over a two-game span since Josh Anderson in 2007. Anderson did it twice, bordering a 5-for-5 sport on Sept. 16 with two hits the day earlier than and two extra the day after.

The Athletics had received a season-high 4 in a row earlier than getting torched the previous two video games. The membership has allowed 10 or extra runs 18 instances, most within the majors.

Rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz continues to thrive and was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs on Wednesday.

"That is the massive shiny spot," A's supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned. "This child is continuous to impress, he's persevering with to take nice at-bats. The ability is there as you noticed."

Kotsay wasn't happy along with his bullpen or his protection. The relievers gave up 9 runs in 4 innings whereas some balls that snuck by means of the infield irritated Kotsay.

"These groundballs which might be getting by means of the infield must be addressed," Kotsay mentioned. "It must be solved as a result of it provides up the pitches and places extra strain on the pitching workers. ...

"We had two outs and no person on and ended up giving up a seven-spot. That does not occur day by day."

Left-hander Colton Gordon (2-1, 4.70 ERA) will make his seventh begin of the season for Houston.

Gordon, 26, picked up his first profession victory towards the Cleveland Guardians on June 6 and adopted up by beating the Minnesota Twins final Friday. He gave up two runs -- each on homers -- and 6 hits over a career-best six innings towards the Twins.

Gordon has exhibited stellar management with 30 strikeouts and simply 4 walks in 30 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Jacob Lopez (1-4, 4.80) is coming off his first victory of the season for the Athletics. He gave up three hits and matched his profession excessive of 9 strikeouts whereas blanking the Kansas Metropolis Royals for six innings in a 4-0 win.