A loses first game in Houston 9-2

The Houston Astros have struggled mightily in 2024 as a pitching unit, but luckily today they faced the A’s who don’t always hit consistently. Ross Stripling had one of his best outings of the 2024 season so far and gave the A’s a competitive chance to win, but unfortunately for him, his offense couldn’t return the favor despite losing by 10 -9.

While the 9-2 score may not reflect it, the A’s were in Monday’s game for the first 7.5 innings despite timely negatives like a few errors and two caught interceptions. A four-run outburst from the ‘Stros in the eighth, however, would put the nail in the coffin as the A’s have now lost four of their last five.

The Astros drew first blood tonight in the second inning after a horrible throwing error by Tyler Soderstrom allowed Jeremy Pena to score from first on a groundout single. They would then add a second run in the third thanks to a Jose Altuve hit and a Kyler Tucker RBI double.

Right fielder Spencer Arrighetti got the nod for Houston and looked good the first time around the A’s order. In the fourth, however, Brent Rooker doubled and Tyler Soderstrom made up for it with a single RBI to cut the lead in half, 2-1. With two hits today, Soderstrom is now hitting .375 at this plate since his call-up.

Alex Bregman responded with his second homer of the season, a solo shot, into the bottom half to put the Astros back up two, but the A’s would immediately answer of their own. A walk by Abraham Toro with two outs immediately bit Arrighetti as the next batter, JJ Bleday, crushed an RBI double to the left center fence to cut the lead in half again to 3-2.

After a nightmare final start where Stripling couldn’t get out of the second, he should be given credit for bouncing back with one of his best starts of the season. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs, only two earned, and four hits. His great day ended suspiciously with just 52 pitches and not much happening right after.

With all the injuries surrounding Stripling, it’s safe to say the A’s are locked in on him as the starter for at least the mid-term.

TJ McFarland dodged a leadoff single from Yordan Alvarez with a double play to record a scoreless sixth in relief. The A’s turned in three double plays Monday night, but failed to turn that momentum into much of anything.

In the seventh, the A’s found life with a walk and Mark Kotsay immediately pinch-hit his best speedster, Esteury Ruiz. Perhaps the plan was a little too obvious as Victor Caratini hosed Ruiz to second trying to slide the sack – Caratini’s second was caught stealing the game. The next batter, Abraham Toro, struck out to end the empty-handed threat.

Mitch Spence replaced McFarland in the bottom half and Bregman immediately greeted him with a second solo bomb on the afternoon. Jake Meyers restarted the rally two outs later with a walk, and he moved up to third on his steal attempt thanks to a throwing error by Shea Langeliers. Altuve then hit a single to center to give the Astros a 5-2 lead.

Spence’s day lasted just two outs when Easton Lucas replaced him to escape the threat without further damage. This is the first time this season that Spence has failed to complete his first inning of work.

The A’s had a serious chance to cut the three-run deficit in the eighth with runners on second in third after a Rooker single and Soderstrom double. The threat went nowhere when Seth Brown struck. The A’s walked eight and struck out 12 Monday.

The Astros would load the bases with no outs in the eighth thanks to the A’s third error of the day, this one on Max Schuemann. Bregman and Caratini secured the night’s two knockouts with two two-run doubles to increase the lead to 9-2. Bregman’s 3-3 day with four RBIs alone could have defeated the A’s themselves.

While Stripling was objectively knocked out early in his outing, Kotsay let Lucas rot for the entire disastrous eighth in an inning that went from a manageable three-run deficit to a mountain of six runs. It was another example of questionable decision making from the A’s skipper, to say the least, unless there is something we are all missing.

With the loss, the A’s lead over the Astros drops from 3.5 games to 2. The two teams will face off again tomorrow at the same 5:10 first pitch with JP Sears facing 4-player Ronel Blanco -0 and thanks to a no. -hitter in early April.