HOUSTON (AP) – Evan Gattis tied a career-high with four hits, including a homer, and had four RBIs on Friday night as the Houston Astros jumped on Oakland starter Jesse Hahn for seven runs in the first inning and cruised to a 12-2 victory over the Athletics.
The Astros were up 2-0 with two outs in the first when Tyler White drove in a run with a single. The inning looked to be over after that, but a fly ball hit by Tony Kemp to the warning track in right field bounced in and out of the glove of Chris Coghlan for a two-run triple. Jake Marisnick’s RBI single made it 6-0 and Hahn was chased when George Springer, the 10th batter of the inning, drove home another run with a single.
Hahn (2-3) allowed six hits and a career-high seven runs in 2/3 innings, the shortest start of his career.
Houston starter Doug Fister (5-3) yielded four hits and struck out three in six scoreless innings for his fourth straight win.
Gattis, who entered the game 0 for 6, hit a two-run homer in the fourth to the train tracks atop left field after Carlos Correa belted a triple which landed at the back of Tal’s Hill in straightaway center field. Houston tacked on three more runs in the fifth to make it 12-0.
It is Houston’s sixth win in seven games and snaps Oakland’s five-game winning streak.
Marcus Semien hit a solo homer in the seventh for the Athletics and Billy Butler made it 12-2 with an RBI double in the eighth.
The seven runs the Astros scored in the first inning were the most they scored in an opening frame since chasing Seattle’s Felix Hernandez with just one out in the first after tagging him for eight runs last June.
Houston’s big offensive night came a day after the Astros were shut out in a 3-0 loss to Arizona where Zack Greinke fanned 11 in seven innings.
Colby Rasmus had two hits and two RBIs on a night when everyone in Houston’s starting lineup except for Luis Valbuena collected a hit.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Rich Hill, May’s AL pitcher of the month, was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday because of a groin strain. Hill left last Saturday’s start in the seventh inning with what was termed a mild groin strain and the A’s thought he’d be able to pitch on Saturday. Instead he felt some discomfort while throwing off flat ground on Friday and was scratched.
Astros: C Jason Castro missed his third straight game on Friday with flu-like symptoms. Manager A.J. Hinch said he could be used in an emergency but that they hoped he would feel better with one more day off.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Kendall Graveman (2-6, 5.09), who was scheduled to pitch on Sunday, will move up a day to fill in for Hill. Graveman allowed six hits and two runs in six innings of a 3-2 win over Minnesota in his last start to snap a five-game skid.
Astros: Collin McHugh (5-4, 4.82) will start for Houston on Saturday. McHugh allowed five hits and three runs in his the first complete game of his career in an 8-3 win over Arizona in his last start.