The Houston Astros<\/a> defeated the the Athletics<\/a>, 13\u20132, on Saturday afternoon at Daikin Park behind a six-run second inning and another strong performance from the pitching staff.<\/span><\/p>\n Yordan Alvarez<\/a> launched a grand slam, LaMonte Wade Jr.<\/a> hit his first home run with the Astros, and the Astros’ offense broke the game open early to secure the series win over the Athletics.<\/span><\/p>\n The Astros wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Alvarez drew a walk in the first inning and later scored on Isaac Paredes<\/a>‘ sacrifice fly, giving the Astros a 1\u20130 lead.<\/p>\n The Astros broke the game open in the second inning. Wade led off the frame with a solo home run before Taylor Trammell<\/a> walked and Christian V\u00e1zquez<\/a> singled. Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/a> later drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Alvarez. The slugger crushed a grand slam to right field, extending the lead to 6\u20130. The Astros added another run in the inning, carrying a 7\u20130 advantage into the third.<\/p>\n The Athletics responded in the top of the third. Nick Kurtz<\/a> walked and Brent Rooker<\/a> singled before Tyler Soderstrom<\/a> cracked an RBI single. Zack Gelof<\/a> later drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to 7\u20132.<\/p>\n Jose Altuve<\/a> answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run to left field. The blast pushed the Astros’ lead back to six runs.<\/p>\n Tatsuya Imai<\/a> settled in after the third inning and kept the Athletics off the board through the fifth. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs.<\/p>\n The Astros extended their lead in the fifth inning. Christian Walker<\/a> and Isaac Paredes led off with back-to-back singles before Altuve drew a walk. Wade lined a two-run double, Jake Meyers<\/a> followed with an RBI single, and Christian V\u00e1zquez added an RBI double. Pe\u00f1a capped the onslaught with a two-run double that stretched the Astros’ lead to 13\u20132.<\/p>\n AJ Blubaugh<\/a> and Alimber Santa<\/a> handled the final four innings. They did not allow a run and combined to strike out six Athletics hitters. Santa recorded the final four outs to seal the victory.<\/p>\n The Astros scored seven runs through the first two innings. Alvarez’s grand slam highlighted a six-run second that gave the Astros complete control of the game.<\/p>\n Eight different Astros recorded a hit. Alvarez drove in four runs, Pe\u00f1a collected two RBI, V\u00e1zquez drove in a run and scored twice, and Wade smacked three RBI.<\/p>\n Imai tossed five innings and allowed two runs. Blubaugh and Santa followed with four scoreless innings and combined for six strikeouts.<\/p>\n The Athletics loaded the bases in the third inning after a walk, a hit batter, and several deep counts. Two runs scored before the Astros escaped the inning.<\/p>\n The Astros struck out 10 times during the game, including multiple strikeouts from the middle of the lineup. Again, in a blowout, that is not a big deal, but in a closer game, it will be.<\/p>\n The Astros conclude their series against the Athletics on Sunday at Daikin Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Central.<\/p>\n The Athletics will start left-hander Gage Jump<\/a>, who enters with a 1-1 record, a 3.75 ERA, and 10 strikeouts. To counter, the Astros will use right-hander Mike Burrows<\/a>, who carries a 3-7 record, a 5.66 ERA, and 57 strikeouts.<\/p>\nAstros \u2013 Athletics Game Summary<\/h3>\n
What Went Right for the Astros<\/h3>\n
Early Offense<\/h4>\n
Production throughout the Lineup<\/h4>\n
Pitching<\/h4>\n
What Went Wrong for the Astros<\/h3>\n
Third-Inning Command<\/h4>\n
Strikeouts<\/h4>\n
Quick Hits<\/h3>\n
\n
What’s Next<\/h3>\n
Main Picture:<\/h4>\n