Athletics 3, Astros 1

[August 08, 2015]  OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Sonny Gray pitched his fifth career complete game, outdueling lefty Dallas Keuchel in a battle of American League Cy Young Award contenders and leading the Oakland A's to a 3-1 victory against the Houston Astros on Friday night at the O.co Coliseum.

Gray (12-4) allowed just one run on five hits. He struck out five and walked none, winning for the fifth time in his past six decisions.

Keuchel (13-6) allowed three runs and 10 hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two.

A's third baseman Danny Valencia went 2-for-3 with a solo home run leading off the third inning. It was his eighth blast of the season and first since being claimed off waivers by the A's from Toronto on Monday.

A's manager Bob Melvin took one look at Valencia's career numbers against Keuchel and decided to have him hit cleanup. Valencia entered the game batting .556 against Keuchel, going 5-for-9 with two doubles, one home run and three RBIs.

Josh Phegley went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and scored a run for the A's.

Astros first baseman Luis Valbuena hit his 21st home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning.

The A's pushed across a run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, sending eight men to the plate and forcing Keuchel to throw 26 pitches, raising his total to 47.

Phegley lined a leadoff single to right and moved to second on shortstop Marcus Semien's single to center. First baseman Mark Canha loaded the bases with an infield single that ricocheted off a leaping Keuchel's glove.

With one out, center fielder Billy Burns brought Phegley home with a sacrifice fly to right.

Valencia made it 2-0 in the third with a leadoff home run. Keuchel threw him a 90 mph fastball that stayed up and Valencia launched it over the high wall in left-center field.

Houston cut the Oakland lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth when Valbuena sent Gray's 94 mph, 3-2 fastball into the right field seats with two outs.

The A's answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Second baseman Brett Lawrie, leading off, was hit by a Keuchel pitch and scored from third with two outs on Phegley's ground-rule double.

NOTES: Astros LF Preston Tucker (right arm contusion) started Friday night after being out of the lineup for two games. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve entered the game with an American League-best 30 steals. He is the fourth player in franchise history to have at least 30 steals in four consecutive seasons, joining Michael Bourn, Jose Cruz, Cesar Cedeno and Enos Cabell. ... A's RF Josh Reddick was out of the starting lineup Friday night against Houston and left-hander Dallas Keuchel. Reddick, a left-handed hitter, is 1-for-15 lifetime against Keuchel. He's also still nursing a sore lower back. He started Thursday for the first time since being injured Sunday against Cleveland, and A's manager Bob Melvin decided "this is a good day to give him a day off." ... The A's acquired minor-league RHP Darwin Frias from the Mets on Friday as the player to be named in their Aug. 4 trade of LHP Eric O'Flaherty. Frias, 23, was assigned to Class A Vermont.

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