Astros pile up 20 hits, topple A’s with double-digit runs for 2nd straight night
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- Houston notched 20 hits in 11-4 win, sparked by Altuve's sixth-inning homer.
- Luis Severino allowed two runs over five innings in improved home performance.
- A's bullpen surrendered nine runs. Its ERA was an MLB-worst 5.93 going into Wednesday.
If there’s a guy the A’s want up at the plate in a big spot, it’s without a doubt rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson.
In the fifth inning of Wednesday night’s matchup with the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park, the All-Star vote leader among American League shortstops — and runaway favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year per a Tuesday MLB.com poll — had a chance to deliver.
Justin Timberlake’s “Summer Love” led Wilson into the box — fitting for the A’s game with the hottest first-pitch temperature this season at 95 degrees. A rare two-error play seconds before, both committed by Astros first baseman Christian Walker, had put runners on first and third with one out.
Trailing just 2-1 with Astros ace Framber Valdez slightly rattled by the error, a spark was all the A’s needed to take control of the game, and they had their guy at the plate.
A nearly 102 mph exit velocity normally does the trick, especially for the .360 hitter who had already turned a 52 mph ground ball into a single earlier in the game. But on this swing, a ground ball right at Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes turned into a tough-luck double play and the end of an inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, a similar situation occurred: runners on first and second with two outs and a superstar at the plate. For the visitors from Houston, it was nine-time All-Star Jose Altuve.
A fastball down the middle from the arm of A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson turned into a 106-mph, 432-foot bomb off the second baseman’s bat, shifting the momentum into Houston’s favor — and it didn’t stop there.
The Astros (43-31) added four more hits in the frame, including a Victor Caratini four-bagger, en route to scoring four more runs amid a 20-hit night that ended with an 11-4 win over the A’s.
“We’ve seen Framber get himself out of these situations time and time again,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “It was a big two out opportunity for us to tie the game and possibly add on with (Brent) Rooker behind him and it kills momentum. Then we go out and weren’t able to hold the game there.
“It was a big turning point in the game.”
After a few late game runs for each side, the Astros walked away with their second straight win and double-digit showing, after the A’s (30-46) walked off the series opener, 3-1, on Monday. The four-game series comes to a close Thursday, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. at Sutter Health Park.
A ‘step in the right direction’ for Severino
Coming into Wednesday, A’s starting pitcher Luis Severino was sporting a 7.10 ERA and an 0-6 record in nine starts at home, while dominating with a 0.93 ERA in six starts on the road.
After an outing in which he gave up eight runs against his former club, the New York Yankees, in May, Severino said it was tough to pitch at Sutter Health Park due to its irregular setup.
But after throwing five innings of two-run baseball on Wednesday, the A’s ace said it was a “step in the right direction” both for his own performance in West Sacramento and for the quality of the mound.
“The grounds crew did a great job. They redid the mound and the clay, and, man, it was really way better now,” Severino said. “It was just softer. Before it was really hard. It’s better to just feel comfortable out there.”
Despite improvements, Severino pointed to Valdez, who he described as one of the best pitchers in MLB, giving up five walks as a testament to the difficulty of pitching at Sutter Health Park.
In his five innings of work, Severino surrendered nine hits, including a third-inning home run off the bat of Mauricio Dubón, forcing him to toss 97 pitches and cutting his start short. But it was his fight on the mound that stood out.
After giving up three straight hits to start the fourth inning, Severino bore down. He made his own play at home for the first out, struck Paredes out on a sweeping curve and got Altuve, who went 3-for-4 on the night, to fly out to center while only surrendering one run to keep the A’s in the game.
“I thought he grinded as hard as he could … they found a lot of holes tonight,” Kotsay said. “These ground balls that are getting through the infield need to be addressed. It needs to be solved, really, because it adds up to pitches and adds some more pressure on our pitching staff.”
Kurtz does it again
On the offensive side, first baseman Nick Kurtz, who was the one that walked off the Astros on Monday night, was a bright spot.
A line-drive double against the shift in the second inning gave the A’s an early lead after catcher Austin Wynns drove him home. Kurtz also contributed two more hits, including a ninth-inning home run that helped close the gap.
“This kid is continuing to impress. He’s continuing to take great at-bats, the power is there, as you saw tonight,” Kotsay said. “He took some good at bats off Framber, who is one of the best lefties in the game, so it’s a big bright spot for us tonight.”
Bullpen shows good and bad
Despite forcing a double play earlier in the frame and having nobody on with two outs, it was Ferguson who surrendered most of the damage in the explosive Astros sixth inning. The reliever was coming off two outings in which he gave up no runs and was pitching to a 4.60 ERA in 31 innings heading into Wednesday.
Ferguson alone gave up six hits in the inning and at one point allowed six consecutive baserunners before Sean Newcomb came in and surrendered the three-run shot from Caratini. Ferguson ultimately was tagged with six runs in 2/3 of an inning pitched.
“Tonight was a tough night. As a reliever, you’ve got to turn the page. You’ve got to be ready to come out tomorrow and compete and get outs,” Kotsay said. “It’s grinding on him, I’m sure. We all take these losses hard, and especially those relievers down there that feel responsible for not being able to hold a game where it is.”
Newcomb would throw a dominant 2 1/3 innings afterward, including a 1-2-3 eight inning which was the only frame where no Astros reached base on Wednesday. Newcomb is pitching to a 3.60 ERA in five appearances since being acquired from the Boston Red Sox for cash on May 27.
Hogan Harris, who currently holds a 3.29 ERA in 27 1/3 innings this season, threw the ninth, where he surrendered two more runs on three hits while striking out two.
Overall, the A’s bullpen has been a major issue as of late. The pen holds an MLB-high 5.93 ERA overall, including a 7.28 ERA with 12 losses and 11 blown saves in the 39 games leading up to Wednesday.
Injury updates
A’s Opening Day starting catcher Shea Langeliers is “doing well,” according to Kotsay, and has begun hitting off the tee after he strained his left oblique in a June 5 matchup with the Twins. Langeliers has slashed .237/.300/.430 with 10 home runs in 56 games with the A’s this season.
Utility player Miguel Andujar is starting to take dry swings after straining his right oblique earlier in June, Kotsay said. Andujar was hitting .296 with a .730 OPS in 46 games this year. However, subpar defense led to him contributing a net -0.2 WAR.
Kotsay said Brady Basso, who was pitching to a 4.03 ERA in seven outings, four of which were starts, has been pulled off his rehab assignment and will be evaluated to determine the next steps.
Basso, who was put on the injured list on March 27 with a left shoulder strain, will likely take on a role in the bullpen when he returns, MLB.com reported.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 11:40 PM.
