Astros take 2-1 win over A’s in 10 innings

HOUSTON (AP) — Victor Caratini hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Houston to a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night after the Astros lost their starting pitcher when Ronel Blanco was ejected at following a foreign substance test.

The game was tied at 1 when pinch runner Trey Cabbage replaced Jon Singleton as the automatic runner at second in the 10th. Cabbage moved to third on a Jake Meyers flyball before Caratini hit a grounder to center Michael Kelly (2-1) to give the Astros their fifth win in six games.

“The bullpen did a great job,” manager Joe Espada said. “It was a big victory. We didn’t want to put Blanco out of the game like that, but the bullpen came in and did a tremendous job and it was a great team win.

Espada praised the composure of Caratini, who hit a game-ending home run as a pinch hitter on April 30.

“He was just going to put the cannon on the ball, and he did it again,” he said.

Josh Hader (2-3) earned the win by escaping a jam in the top of the 10th. With one out and runners on second and third, the veteran closer retired pinch hitter Esteury Ruiz before Brent Rooker grounded out to end the threat.

Oakland tied it at 1 in the eighth. Abraham Toro led off with a ground-rule double down the left-field line off Ryan Pressly. Toro advanced to third on a JJ Bleday groundout and scored on Rooker’s single.

Houston led 1-0 since Alex Bregman opened the second with a drive to stop JP Sears for his fourth homer. He also went deep twice Monday night.

Bregman doubled in the fourth to become the first player in franchise history with an extra-base hit in five consecutive at-bats. He became the first major league player to accomplish the feat since Yankees star Aaron Judge last season.

Bregman’s streak ended when he failed in the sixth.

Blanco was ejected by third base umpire Laz Diaz after a check of his glove before the start of the fourth. The umpires, Blanco and Espada, remained on the mound for a few minutes to discuss the problem before the right-hander was ejected.

Blanco held out his hands and patted them in front of the umpires as they inspected his glove, and he did the motion again after being thrown. Blanco’s glove was confiscated.

“I felt something inside the glove,” first base umpire Erich Bacchus said. “This is the stickiest substance I’ve felt on a glove since we’ve been doing this for a few years now.”

After Bacchus discovered the substance, he called the rest of the crew to confer.

“Everyone checked the glove to make sure we all had the same thing and he had to be kicked out because he had a foreign substance on his glove,” Diaz said.

Blanco denied using an illegal substance.

“It’s probably rosin that I put on my left arm,” he said through a translator. “Maybe because of the sweat that got into the glove and maybe that’s what they found.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said he didn’t think Blanco’s early departure had any impact on his team.

“They used all their pressure tactics,” he said. “(We came) to Pressly and got a point (but) obviously our offense the last two nights didn’t do much. Those guys pitched us really well.”

Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut, allowed four hits and struck out one. He has a 2.09 ERA this season.

MLB began cracking down on foreign substances in June 2021, and Blanco will likely face a 10-game suspension for the offense.

Sears allowed five hits in five innings.

Trainers’ room

Athletics: 2B Zack Gelof was reinstated from the injured list after missing 20 games with a strained left oblique. Gelof returned after making two rehab appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend. Oakland optioned OF Lawrence Butler and LHP Easton Lucas to Las Vegas and recalled LHP Brady Basso from Double-A Midland.

Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring) returned to rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi. He went 0 for 2 with an RBI in his second rehab game.

Following

Oakland RHP Aaron Brooks will make his season debut against LHP Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.64 ERA) when the series continues Wednesday night.