LDN - Sports

Graveman pitches Athletics to win over Astros

[July 19, 2016] OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Houston Astros had to know what was coming when Oakland A's right-hander Kendall Graveman took the mound Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

Nine days earlier in his previous start, Graveman challenged the Astros with a heavy dose of mid-90s sinkerballs and held them to two runs over eight innings in a 3-2 A's victory in Houston.

Graveman followed the same game plan Monday and extended his winning streak to a career-high five games with a 7-4 victory against the Astros.

Graveman (6-6) allowed three runs -- only two of them earned -- struck out five, walked one and threw a career-high 112 pitches. He went 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA over his first nine starts before going 5-0 with a 3.29 ERA in his past nine.

What's been the difference?

"Confidence in the sinker," Graveman said. "I think you can tell that, everybody can tell, 'Hey, he's going to throw the sinker, he's going to throw it on both sides of the plate.' And confidence in it means I'm locating it better.

"I think that's been the biggest key right now. I'm locating the sinker. It has a little more velocity and it still has good movement. I think that's been able to get me deep in ballgames, early outs and get double plays when I needs to."

Graveman had plenty of offensive support. Yonder Alonso drove in a season-high-tying three runs, while Khris Davis hit his 23rd home run of the season and fourth in four games.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and scored a run. Marcus Semien had two hits in three at-bats and scored twice. Stephen Vogt went 2-for-4 with a double and a run, and rookie Ryon Healy had an RBI double and scored a run.

Astros right-hander Mike Fiers (6-4) had his second straight rough start as his three-game winning streak ended. He gave up six runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. Fiers struck out five, walked two and threw two wild pitches.

When he came out of the game Monday, an angry Fiers threw a fit in the dugout and had words with manager A.J. Hinch. Then in the top of the fifth, Carlos Gomez confronted Fiers in the dugout, as pitcher Doug Fister stepped in between them.

"Being a competitive person out there I want to stay in the game as long as I can," Fiers said. "He just had to do his job and I wasn't doing mine so he had to take me out, and I'm never going to be happy with being taken out of a game, so we had a couple words here and there, but we smoothed it over."

Fiers said Gomez took exception to his outburst in the dugout.

"He's one of the leaders of the team," Fiers said. "He doesn't want to see that. I can't show that much emotion in the dugout, so he was just letting me know that if I had to say something or act, take it inside and do it without anybody watching, which he's right. I think my emotions got the best of me."

Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for the Astros. Carlos Correa doubled twice, drove in a run and scored once. Jose Altuve went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the eighth, after Graveman was gone.

[to top of second column]

Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (49) throws to the Houston Astros in the second inning of their MLB baseball game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

"We were trying to get the fastball up," Hinch said. "He's got a good arm and for whatever reason he's got a little bit of our kryptonite. He's done a good job against us of moving pitches around. He's got a lot of movement on his pitches and he attacks out strike zone and gets us in swing mode. We pound the ball into the ground quite a bit."

A's right-hander Ryan Dull gave up two hits and a run in the eighth as his scoreless streak ended at 11 1/3 innings. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.

Oakland trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the fourth but scored five times to take a 6-2 lead. Vogt doubled to left with two outs and nobody on then moved to third on a wild pitch. Semien walked and stole second. Alonso brought them both home with a single to center and scored on Ryon Healy's double to right-center.

After Fiers walked Coco Crisp, right-hander Michael Feliz walked Jed Lowrie, loading the bases. Feliz then walked Josh Reddick and Danny Valenzuela, forcing in two runs.

"Making them throw strikes is important and not chasing as hitters," Davis said. "When we chase, usually good things don't happen, but those walks just turn the lineup over and get us more opportunities to get runs in."

NOTES: LHP Dillon Overton will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and start for Oakland against the Astros. Overton went 1-1 with an 11.42 ERA in his first two major league starts in June. He is 10-4 in Triple-A. ... A's RHP Andrew Triggs, who was hit by a line drive in his left calf against Toronto on Sunday, was not available to pitch Monday. Triggs had his injured calf wrapped and was limping in the clubhouse. The A's will need to make a corresponding move Tuesday when Overton is activated, and Triggs is an obvious candidate for the DL. ... Astros 2B Jose Altuve played in his 183rd consecutive game, the longest current streak in the major leagues.

Back to top