Oakland A’s, starring Brent Rooker, beat Houston Astros

JP Sears #38 of the Oakland Athletics throws against the Houston Astros in the top of the first inning on May 25, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

OAKLAND – JP Sears was the only pitcher to spend the entire season in the Oakland A’s rotation last year. Now, after another injury to the A’s staff, he is the team’s only healthy regular starter.

Sears responded Saturday, allowing one unearned run and two hits in six strong innings as the A’s beat the Houston Astros 3-1 before an announced crowd of 10,617 at the Coliseum.

Brent Rooker hit a two-run double in the first for the A’s, who earned their first win against the Astros this season after losing the first five games.

With a win today in the final game of the three-game set, Oakland could earn its second straight series victory. The A’s had lost four straight series before winning two of three against Colorado earlier this week.

Sears (4-3) bounced back from a loss at Kansas City in his last start by stopping the Astros in a 68-pitch performance that included a strikeout and a walk. Mason Miller struck out the side in the ninth for his 10th save, capping three shutout innings by the Oakland bullpen.

Sears retired the first batter in each inning after the first, and his slider and sinker worked effectively.

“Just a good, efficient day,” Sears said.

He felt like he could have pitched longer Saturday, but he understood that manager Mark Kotsay didn’t want to push him.

“A lot of the season is just trying to be available as much as possible,” Sears said.

Kotsay said he has faith in the bullpen to pick up where Sears left off and that the team will continue to rely on the 28-year-old’s durability.

In addition to not having injured starters Joe Boyle, Paul Blackburn and Alex Wood, the A’s are now without Ross Stripling, who was placed on injured reserve with a strained throwing elbow, making him their fourth arm rotation to hit the IL this month.

Stripling was perfect through three innings in Friday night’s loss to the Astros, then allowed six runs in the fourth and failed to get out of the frame.

Boyle failed to record a takedown in his first rehab session Friday due to a lower back strain, Blackburn is sidelined with a stress reaction in his right foot and Wood has rotator cuff tendinitis.

“Until April we had five players in the rotation and in May we lost four out of five,” Kotsay said. “So for JP, testimony to his resilience. He’s coming off a year where he made all 32 (starts), and I know he’s determined to do it again. It’s his state of mind.

Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti (2-5) calmed down after allowing the first three batters to reach. But Rooker’s double down the left field line scored both Abraham Toro and JJ Bleday to provide enough offense for the A’s.

Arrighetti allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Houston couldn’t do much against the A’s pitchers, shortstop Jeremy Peña said.

“He was just causing withdrawals,” Peña said of Sears. “We put the ball in play, weak contacts everywhere. But that’s what pitchers do.

Daz Cameron added an RBI single in the sixth after Houston scored an unearned run in the top half of the inning.

Saturday’s attendance marked the team’s third-largest home crowd of the season, after 13,522 people showed up for the opening night game against Cleveland on March 28, and a crowd of 12,212 people were announced for a May 5 game against Miami on Youth Baseball and Softball Day. .