OAKLAND, Calif. — Mark Kotsay will preserve looking for the small brilliant spots as his Oakland Athletics stumble day after day, ensuring they preserve their combat. He will rejoice a defensive play right here, an at-bat there, a giant catch or mighty throw.
Hunter Brown struck out a career-high 10 over seven innings and retired 16 straight throughout one stretch, Corey Julks drove in three runs and the Houston Astros bounced again from being shut out the 2 earlier video games to beat the A’s 5-2 on Friday evening.
Oakland (10-43) now has probably the most losses over the primary 53 video games since 1900. The 1932 Red Sox gained their 53rd sport to maneuver to 11-42, then misplaced the following eight and 13 of 14.
“This start can test your character, for sure,” mentioned Kotsay, Oakland‘s second-year supervisor. “If we sit here and dwell on the negatives, there’s no chance for us to turn this thing around. Focusing on the positives through a difficult time, it’s not fake because there are positives. The more we can continue in that direction, the more we can build on those positives, for me it’s the right way to think instead of the negative thought.”
The Astros have been blanked in back-to-back video games at Milwaukee following an eight-game profitable streak. After Esteury Ruiz singled to main off the A’s first, Brown (5-1) didn’t enable one other baserunner till Nick Allen drew a one-out stroll within the sixth.
Jose Altuve returned to the lineup after exiting Tuesday towards the Brewers feeling unwell, enjoying simply his fifth sport since coming off a season-opening stint on the injured listing with a fractured proper thumb.
PHOTOS: Hunter Brown strikes out career-best 10, Astros ship A’s to worst 53-game begin since 1901
After Hector Neris struck out two within the eighth, Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his ninth save in as many probabilities.
The A’s misplaced their season-high ninth straight and twelfth of 13 and have scored two or fewer runs in eight consecutive contests – matching the second-longest such streak since eight in a row from May 10-18, 1979.
“In hitting, it definitely can get contagious and we just don’t have enough guys in the lineup right now who can put consecutive at-bats together to build that momentum,” Kotsay mentioned.
Seth Brown hit a two-run homer within the seventh for Oakland, simply 4-20 in May. James Kaprielian (0-5) made it 12 straight losses by the A’s starters over the previous 19 video games since their solely two wins May 5-6 at Kansas City.
“This is a challenge. This is tough. I’ve never gone through something like this, I don’t think anyone has,” Kaprielian mentioned. “We’re historically losing games right now, unfortunately. But we’re not going to let that steer us. I think we have the ability to show up every day, have a positive attitude, try to be a good teammate and continue to help the guys around us and continue to try and get better every day.”
A’S NOSTALGIA
Astros supervisor Dusty Baker sat in a photograph properly earlier than batting apply fascinated about his time enjoying for Oakland to finish his profession in 1985-86 and the way the A’s are planning to relocate to Las Vegas – saying it already “kind of hit home” when he went to Las Vegas a few years in the past for a Raiders sport.
“I can understand it business wise, but sentimentally you hope it didn’t come to this,” he mentioned.
Reflecting nonetheless, Baker talked about the music.
“I remember that this stadium had the best sound system in America and they still do,” Baker mentioned. “They were always jamming here. They’re still jamming now.”
NICE ARM
Steelers operating again Najee Harris, from close by Antioch, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on an evening the A’s drew a crowd of 13,345 for his or her first fireworks sport of the yr.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: LF Michael Brantley, recovering from irritation in his surgically repaired proper shoulder, is swinging once more however not but hitting. … SS Jeremy Peña bought a break day that Baker had initially deliberate to do Wednesday however needed to change gears when Altuve was unavailable. … RHP José Urquidy (proper shoulder discomfort) threw on flat floor for the primary time. … RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (proper elbow pressure) was going to fulfill the workforce in Oakland, however as a substitute will be part of the Astros again residence in Houston.
Athletics: RHP Paul Blackburn is about to start out Monday towards the Braves in his return from a blister and fingernail damage on the center finger of his pitching hand. … RHP reliever Dany Jiménez continues to be rehabilitating his strained pitching shoulder within the coach’s room and has not but superior to a throwing program.
UP NEXT
Astros LHP Framber Valdez (4-4, 2.45 ERA) is coming off a shutout and appears to win back-to-back begins for the primary time all season and his third straight choice.
LHP Hogan Harris (0-0, 162.00) is in Oakland able to both begin because the opener or comply with an opener with a number of innings, supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned.
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