OAKLAND, Calif. — Just moments away from a satisfying victory Wednesday, the Athletics instead took another gut punch in a 5-4 loss to the Houston Astros at the Coliseum.
Yordan Alvarez drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double to cap a four-run ninth against Dany Jimenez and Sam Selman as the A’s suffered a sweep at the hands of the A.L. West leaders before a crowd of 5,189.
The A’s were being no-hit by Justin Verlander going into the seventh, only to strike for two runs on an RBI double from Elvis Andrus and a two-run home run from Christian Bethancourt for a 3-1 lead they took into the ninth.
Jimenez (2-3) gave up two walks and two singles, walking in a run before Selman came on to face Alvarez. He worked the count to 0-2, but Alvarez got one he liked and put it in the gap to drive in three runs.
Houston improved to 33-18, with the A’s falling to 20-33. Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth inning for Houston and picked up his 10th save, giving up an RBI double to Andrus with two outs, with Bryan Abreu getting the win and improving to 3-0. With the tying run at second, Pressly got Bethancourt on a grounder to short to end the game.
Verlander sailed into the seventh looking as if the third no-hitter of his career and first in 11 years was a legitimate possibility. He was at the top of his game and the A’s had been locked up to the tune of two runs in 24 innings in the series against Houston pitching.
Chad Pinder drew a one-out walk for the A’s, and after Verlander struck out Seth Brown, Andrus doubled into the left-field corner over the third base bag. It brought Pinder around to score and tie the game.
Bethancourt, getting the start at catcher ahead of Sean Murphy, hit the first pitch over the center-field fence for a two-run home run and a 3-1 A’s lead. At the time of the Andrus hit, the A’s were 10 for 80 (.125) in the series.
It was the first home run of the season for Bethancourt, and his first since Aug. 12, 2016 against the Tampa Bay Rays while a member of the San Diego Padres.
Houston threatened to tie it in the seventh, putting runners on second and third with two out against A.J. Puk after a double by Jeremy Pena, but Jimenez came on to retire Chas McCormick on a grounder to third.
Cole Irvin gave the A’s a chance to win if only he had the bare minimum of offensive support.
Houston got its only run against Irvin on a bloop single by Aldemys Diaz, which brought home Alex Bregman in the third inning.
Other than that, Irvin worked out of traffic — the fifth was his only 1-2-3 inning — and finished giving up six hits in 5 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. He threw 89 pitches, 57 for strikes.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay was ejected during a mound visit in the eighth inning.
