Even a Mason Miller sighting wasn’t enough to prevent the Athletics from losing for the eighth time in the last 10 games.
Victor Caratini singled home the winning run against Michael Kelly (2-1) in the 10th inning Tuesday night as the Houston Astros beat the A’s, 2-1, at Minute Maid Park.
Miller, who had taken the mound just once in 11 days, pitched the eighth and ninth innings for the A’s with five strikeouts, but the A’s could not score and fell to 19-25. Houston improved to 17-25, having won the first two games of the series.
The A’s squandered an opportunity in the ninth but came up empty, setting the stage for Houston to win in the 10th.
Pinch-runner Trey Cabbage opened at second base as the free runner, and went to third on a fly ball to left by Jake Meyers. Caratini followed by bouncing a single up the middle for the winning run.
In the top of the ninth, Houston closer Josh Hader (2-3) — working a rare second inning for him — walked Max Schuemann to join free runner Seth Brown on base to lead off the ninth. Both runners moved up on a fly to deep center by Abraham Toro, creating a scoring chance. Hader, however, struck out Esteury Ruiz, who was hitting for J.J. Bleday, and then retired Brent Rooker on a ground ball to end the threat.
The Athletics tied the score 1-1 in the top of the eighth against Ryan Pressly, the fourth Houston reliever after starter Ronel Blanco was ejected because umpires detected a foreign substance on his glove. Toro opened the eighth with a double and after moving to third on a grounder to first by Bleday, Rooker singled in the tying run.
Starting pitcher J.P. Sears gave up just one run on an Alex Bregman home run in the second, but had to throw a season-high 100 pitches to get through five innings. He walked one and struck out two before giving way to Austin Adams in the sixth inning. It took 35 pitches to get through the second, but Houston was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.
Austin Adams and Lucas Erceg each pitched scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, with Miller striking out the side in the eighth, walking home run leader Kyle Tucker with one out but fanning Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Pena.
Having pitched only once in the previous 11 games, Miller was sent out for the ninth and had a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. He threw 29 pitches, 20 of them strikes.
Bregman’s home run was his fourth of the season and third in two days, having hit a pair against the A’s in Houston’s 9-2 win Monday night.
Houston pitcher Ronel Blanco pleads his case with base umpire Tripp Gibson after being ejected following a foreign substance check Tuesday night against the Athletics. A.P. Photo
Conditions in the closed-roof Minute Maid Park were humid enough that Sears had change jerseys before the game was three innings old because it was soaked with sweat.
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Blanco had already been checked by umpires before he started in the first inning, but when he was re-checked going into the fourth by home plate umpire Laz Diaz, it proved to be the end of his night. His glove was confiscated and the Astros summoned Tayler Scott from the bullpen to take over.
Blanco’s foreign substance ejection ended his night after 54 pitches, and he faces a potential 10-game suspension.
