ASTROS TURN 7 DPS IN ‘W’ OVER A’S

Keuchel Induces 6 GIDPs in 8 IP

HOUSTON, Aug. 26 (AP) – The Oakland A’s grounded into a major league season high seven double plays and fell to the Houston Astros 7-3 at Minute Maid Park.  The previous high for double plays turned in a single game was set by the Chicago White Sox, who induced six double play grounders from the Los Angeles Angels on July 1.  The Angels won the game nonetheless, 12-1.  In this contest, the A’s bounced into a double play in each of the first five innings, snuffing out threat after threat.  Oakland ultimately grounded into two more double plays, in the eighth and ninth innings.  Coco Crisp grounded into two of the double plays, and five other A’s hitters grounded into one apiece.  Astros starter Dallas Keuchel, easily the major league leader in double plays induced thus far this season (40), was the beneficiary of the first six double play grounders.  Mike Foltynewicz mopped up for Houston in the ninth inning and forced the seventh double play, off the bat of pinch hitter Brandon Moss, to end the game.

After Keuchel held Oakland off the scoreboard in the top of the first, aided by Craig Gentry’s double play grounder, the Astros hung a five spot in the bottom half against A’s starter Jason Hammel.  Robbie Grossman led off by drawing a walk, then stole second base.  Jose Altuve drew another free pass and Houston had runners on first and second.  Chris Carter then grounded a single down the left field line, scoring Grossman and advancing Altuve to third.  Dexter Fowler’s infield hit scored Altuve and put runners on first and second before Hammel finally recorded the first out of the frame by fanning Jason Castro.  But Marwin Gonzalez made that academic when he drilled a 2-2 offering from Hammel for a three-run home run, giving Houston a commanding 5-0 lead.

The A’s kept getting the leadoff man on base and eliminating him via the double play grounder, but they did manage to chip into the deficit with two unearned runs in the third.  Gregorio Petit booted Alberto Callaspo’s ground ball to open the inning and Geovany Soto, just acquired from Texas and making his Oakland debut, doubled to put runners on second and third.  Andy Parrino walked to fill the bases and Crisp rolled into his first double play of the game, scoring Callaspo to cut the Houston lead to 5-1.  Gentry doubled Soto home to make it 5-2 before Keuchel got the third out.  But that was as close as the A’s would get.

The Astros knocked Hammel out of the game in the fourth when Jake Marisnick led off with a double and scored two batters later on Altuve’s triple.  And the lead was further padded in the seventh when Fowler homered deep into the lower seats in right.  Oakland picked up a consolation run in the top of the ninth when pinch hitter Sam Fuld led off with a home run off Foltynewicz, but that was the end of the scoring.

The A’s have seen their once commanding lead in the American League West dwindle to 3 ½ games, pending the outcome of the Angels’ tilt with the Miami Marlins in Anaheim.  Oakland has lost six of its last seven games while the Angels have won five straight.

8/26/2014, Oak14-Hou14, Minute Maid Park

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Athletics         0  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  1     3  9  1     2  1

2014 Astros            5  0  0  1  0  0  1  0  x     7 11  1     8  7

Athletics            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Astros               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Crisp             cf  4  0  1  0  .239    Grossman          lf  2  1  0  0  .243

Gentry            rf  3  0  1  1  .256    Altuve            2b  4  1  1  1  .363

 Fuld             ph  1  1  1  1  .287     Dominguez,M      3b  0  0  0  0  .217

Donaldson         3b  4  0  0  0  .252    Carter            dh  5  1  1  1  .235

Norris,De         dh  3  0  2  0  .317    Fowler            cf  3  2  3  2  .269

Gomes,J           lf  3  0  1  0  .224    Castro,J          c   4  0  0  0  .202

 Moss             ph  1  0  0  0  .246    Gonzalez,Ma       ss  4  1  3  3  .283

Freiman           1b  3  0  0  0  .190    Singleton         1b  4  0  0  0  .155

Callaspo          2b  3  1  0  0  .210    Marisnick         rf  4  1  2  0  .285

Soto,G            c   3  1  3  0  .244    Petit,G           3b  4  0  1  0  .365

Parrino           ss  2  0  0  0  .175                         34  7 11  7

                     30  3  9  2

Athletics                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Hammel           L 8-5           3.2  6  6  6  3  2  75  48  3.08

Chavez,J                         3.1  4  1  1  0  6  67  42  3.67

Otero                            1.0  1  0  0  1  1  19  11  2.97

                                 8.0 11  7  7  4  9 161 101

Astros                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Keuchel          W 13-9          8.0  8  2  0  1  2  98  68  2.43

Foltynewicz                      1.0  1  1  1  1  0  19  12  6.75

                                 9.0  9  3  1  2  2 117  80

Oak: Fuld batted for Gentry in the 9th

     Moss batted for Gomes,J in the 9th

Hou: Dominguez,M inserted at 3b in the 9th

     Petit,G moved to 2b in the 9th

E-Freiman, Petit,G. 2B-Gentry(8), Gomes,J(8), Soto,G(3), Marisnick(8).

3B-Altuve(3). HR-Fuld(6), Fowler(9), Gonzalez,Ma(7). RBI-Gentry(20),

Fuld(35), Altuve(50), Carter(78), Fowler 2(57), Gonzalez,Ma 3(29).

SB-Grossman(5), Fowler(9). K-Donaldson, Gomes,J, Grossman, Carter 3,

Castro,J 2, Singleton 2, Marisnick. BB-Norris,De, Parrino, Grossman 2,

Altuve, Fowler. SH-Grossman.

GWRBI: Carter

Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 16 MPH.

Attendance: 13,686

Game Time: 2:40