LDN - Sports

Aggressive baserunning leads A's past Astros in 10th

[July 20, 2016] OAKLAND, Calif. -- There were two outs and runners on first and second when Oakland A's right fielder Josh Reddick came to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning to face Houston Astros left-hander Tony Sipp in a 3-3 game Tuesday night.

Reddick broke his bat and hit a soft ground ball, but it wound up being a walk-off infield single. Marcus Semien scored to give the A's an improbable 4-3 victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

"I have no idea how that worked out," Reddick said of his sixth career walk-off RBI. "Something special. The baseball gods looking out for us, I guess."

Astros reliever Pat Neshek (2-2) gave up a two-out single to Semien in the 10th and was replaced by Sipp. Semien stole second base, and Sipp walked Yonder Alonso, bringing the left-handed-hitting Reddick to the plate. Reddick hit a ground ball that shortstop Carlos Correa, who had lined up close to second base in a shift, fielded deep in the hole as A's third base coach Ron Washington waved Semien home.

Correa's off-balance throw to the plate was late, and Semien scored the game-winning run.

"I didn't expect him to send me right there," Semien said. "I was trying to get out of the way a little from the batted ball, and then Wash was aggressive and it worked out. He was winding me pretty early, which is good for us baserunners.

"I looked back and saw there was a pretty big gap because of the shift, and I knew there could be a chance he would send me, and it just worked out really well. I think if he makes a good throw there, it would be a pretty close play, but he had to throw it on the run."

No Athletic was happier to see Semien score than Coco Crisp, who made a costly baserunning gaffe in ninth inning.

The Astros took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth with closer Will Harris on the mound. Harris was a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities, but the A's pulled even when Stephen Vogt and Crisp hit back-to-back doubles with one out.

Crisp missed a walk-off, two-run home run by a foot, as his double hit off the wall in right field. Crisp thought the ball had gone out, and he jogged around second and was caught off base and tagged out by Correa after a brief rundown.

"I thought it was a home run, so I'm running around the bases like it's a home run," Crisp said. "Just bad baserunning, I guess, when it's all said and done. I didn't see it, and I thought it was a home run until I realized it wasn't and it was like, 'Uh oh, backslash, exclamation point,' all that stuff. Thankfully we won the game. ... It did get the run in. Kept us playing."

Sipp said he made a good pitch to Reddick.

"I think everyone wants to play well, and it just so happens that it seems like these guys hit another gear when we play them," Sipp said. "They're talented, too. You can't take anything away from them."

The A's beat Houston for the second straight game and will go for a series sweep Wednesday afternoon.

The Astros left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th.

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Astros catcher Evan Gattis (11) tags out Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien (10) in the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

"Definitely a winnable game," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. "Not too many of our (relievers) came in and had clean innings. It wasn't their night, and when that happens, especially in this ballpark, bad things happen. They put up some good at-bats, we had some ill-timed walks, a few seeing-eye hits and we walk out of here feeling like we should have won the game."

Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings and appeared headed for his fourth straight victory but got a no-decision.

Keuchel, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, allowed five hits, struck out six and walked three. He posted his sixth straight quality start.

George Springer hit his 21st home run of the season for the Astros, a solo shot in the fifth inning.

Jose Altuve had a career-high-tying four hits in five at-bats, and he came up a home run shy of his first career cycle. Altuve had four hits for the 18th time in his career. He scored two runs and raised his batting average to .354, the best in the major leagues.

A's rookie left-hander Dillon Overton, who was called up Tuesday from Triple-A Nashville, gave up three runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings in his third career major league start. He also got a no-decision.

"I thought he was great, and we needed him to go deep in the game," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

Rookie Ryon Healy went 2-for-4 with a two run double for the A's, and Crisp also had two hits. Relievers Daniel Coulombe, Liam Hendriks and Marc Rzepczynski (1-0) combined to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

NOTES: The A's called up LHPs Dillon Overton and Daniel Coulombe from Triple-A Nashville, put RHP Andrew Triggs (left calf contusion) on the disabled list and optioned INF/OF Tyler Ladendorf to Nashville before the game. ... Oakland C Josh Phegley (right knee surgery) resumed baseball activities Tuesday. He played catch and swung the bat but did not face pitching. Phegley had a cyst removed earlier this month but did not need any structural repair to his knee. There is no target date for him to go on a rehab assignment. ... Houston DH/C Evan Gattis made his 20th start of the season at catcher, all since being recalled on May 17 after a brief stint at Double-A.

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