Athletics Smoke Astros, Complete Road Sweep

Brent Rooker of the Athletics slides home safely against the Astros

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

July 27, 2025

Athletics 7, Astros 1

HOUSTON (July 27) — Another dominant pitching performance by the Athletics led to a decisive 7–1 victory over the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon. It completed a four-game sweep in Houston, something the Athletics had never done before in six prior tries. The victory brought the Athletics’ record on their 10-game road trip even at 5–5.

“To complete a sweep here,” manager Mark Kotsay said, “says a lot about the group. It says a lot about the mindset. We talked about coming out of the break 1–5, and to leave the road trip .500 says a lot.

“These guys have really worked hard at continuing to try to turn the page and come each day prepared to win. To be able to come in here against a first-place team and sweep them says we’re moving the needle in the right direction.”

Athletics – Astros Game Summary

A pair of first-inning homers gave the Athletics a 2–0 lead, the first by Miguel Andujar and the second by Shea Langeliers. The next two runs came in the fourth, still off Astros starter Colton Gordon, on a sacrifice fly from Gio Urshela and a double by rookie Colby Thomas, the first RBI of his career.

In the ninth, the Athletics blew it open. Three runs came across on a two-run single by Max Schuemann and an RBI single by Luis Urias, making the score 7–0. The Astros managed to score a consolation run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a Mauricio Dubon double.

What Went Right for the Athletics

Pitching

Athletics pitchers combined to strand six Astros runners in scoring position. Additionally, they held the Astros to 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. “They took care of the part of the lineup we needed to take care of,” Kotsay said, “and handled the top. That’s really what you have to do to win games.”

“I tried to do some of the same things that were working for me against Texas,” Ginn said, “and we executed really well.”

“Playing baseball here (in Houston) is tough,” Langeliers said. “It’s a tough place to play. The crowd is always into it. It’s always loud. I don’t want the pitching to take a back seat to what we did offensively this series. All four starters — Sevy (Luis Severino), (Jeffrey) Springs, (Jacob) Lopez, and JT — phenomenal. And then the bullpen shutting everything down — it was a lot of fun.”

Making the Most of Scoring Opportunities

The Athletics went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They were quite efficient with their baserunners, as they only left four runners on base.

What Went Wrong for the Athletics

The only thing that really went wrong for the Athletics in this game was losing the shutout with two outs in the ninth. But that didn’t matter, since they won, 7–1.

Quick Hits

Langeliers homered for the third straight game. On the Texas portion of this road trip — the three games in Arlington and the four in Houston — Langeliers slashed .385/.433/.731 (10-for-26) with three homers, six RBI, and five runs scored. What is it about Langeliers — who hails from Keller, a suburb of Fort Worth — hitting in Texas? “I love being home,” he grinned. “Love being home. All my friends and family are here and get to come to the games. I get to spend time with them. So it’s a special time of the year for me, especially when we get a week-long road trip in Texas (like the current trip). It’s always a lot of fun.”

As mentioned earlier, this was the first time the Athletics ever swept a four-game series in Houston. This was also the first time the Athletics swept the Astros in any series in Houston since 2013 (a three-gamer). Additionally, this was the first time the Athletics swept a four-game series since whitewashing the Detroit Tigers from April 15 to 18, 2021. That means this was also the first time the A’s swept a four-gamer under Mark Kotsay’s managerial reign.

Looking Ahead

Ginn (2–2) earned the win as Gordon (4–3) took the loss. There was no save.

The Athletics (46–62) head home for a three-game set with the AL West-rival Seattle Mariners (56–50). First pitch Monday night is at 7:05 pm Pacific. Athletics left-hander JP Sears (7–8, 4.98 ERA) will face Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (7–6, 3.30 ERA). The Astros will remain home for their next series, a three-gamer with the Washington Nationals, their opponents in the 2019 World Series. First pitch Monday night is at 7:10 pm Central. Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (11–4, 2.67 ERA) will square off against Nationals rookie right-hander Brad Lord (2–5, 3.39 ERA).