A’s Drop Second Straight to Astros 5-3

Can’t buy a win right now

The A’s dropped the second and final game of their quick series against the Astros on Wednesday afternoon, falling 5-3 and leaving Texas winless.

Desperate for a win, the A’s were going up against a face they’ve seen a lot in recent years as Lance McCullers Jr. took the ball to start this game for the Astros. After a couple scoreless innings to get things started the bats got going, scoring a couple runs in the top of the third courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Jacob Wilson and Brent Rooker:

On the pitching side Luis Severino got the start this morning looking for his elusive second win of the season. He was perfect early, retiring the first seven batters he faced. He also hit a major milestone as the veteran collected his 1,000th career strikeout against Jose Altuve:

Houston wouldn’t be held down forever. They broke through for their first run of the day in the bottom half of the third with a little help from a defensive miscue from Wilson, and tied this game in the next inning off an RBI single. That was all the damage Houston could manage against Sevy as he wiggled out of some trouble in the sixth to keep this game scoreless before departing.

-Luis Severino: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 92 pitches

Another quality outing from the veteran. He dropped his ERA down to 3.89 after today’s outing but unfortunately is still looking for that second win.

The A’s tried their best to get their starter the W today. Wilson blasted his 7th homer of the year to give the A’s the lead in the fifth:

… but would see that lead slip away when Justin Sterner allowed a game-tying solo home run in the seventh to the first batter he faced in Zach Dezenzo, guaranteeing no chance at a win for Severino. Today was just the second appearance all season Sterner has allowed a run, but with him when it rains it pours. The Astros weren’t done there as they proceeded to load the bases. Sterner almost escaped with just the one run allowed but a two-out single from Victor Caratini. brought in two more runs to give Houston their first lead of the day.

Now facing the prospect of a two-game sweep in Houston, the A’s now had just six outs to score two runs against one of the best bullpens in the game today. They got the tying run to the plate in the eighth and ninth but couldn’t find the big hit, ending this one with two straight strikeouts to start the closer Josh Hader.

The A’s would be the first to tell you that they should have had this one. A quality start from Severino and a lead provided from the offense wasn’t enough to stop the Astros from mounting the comeback, and once they had the lead they never looked back at a deflated A’s squad. The club has now gone just 1-13 over the past two weeks and at 23-33 are falling farther and farther down in the AL West.

That wraps up the series and now the Athletics will head north of the border. They better have their passports as they’ll head to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a four-game series that starts tomorrow evening. Left-hander Jacob Lopez is scheduled to make the series-opening start while Toronto is keeping their starter close to the chest for now.