After their five-game win streak came to an end Friday, the Astros answered loud Saturday, steamrolling the A’s 11-0.
It didn’t take long for this one to tilt Houston’s way. Jeremy Peña got things rolling early, ripping one down the line before a misplay allowed him to take second. Moments later, Yordan Alvarez worked a walk, and Jose Altuve wasted no time cashing in, sending a shot into center to bring Peña home and give the Astros a quick 1-0 lead.
That was just the beginning.
Houston kept the pressure on from the jump, while Tatsuya Imai settled in on the mound. Despite an early challenge overturning his second pitch, Imai didn’t flinch, racking up three strikeouts before the third inning and setting the tone for what turned into a dominant outing.
The offense backed him up in a big way.
Christian Walker launched his first home run of the season, and the Astros kept stacking runs in unconventional ways as well. Jake Meyers came around to score after a pop-up from Christian Vázquez was lost in the sun, adding to the A’s struggles and Houston’s growing lead.
By the fourth inning, things had completely unraveled for the A’s.
Joey Loperfido stayed hot, driving a ball into the corner to bring in another run, and Yainer Díaz followed with a two-RBI base hit up the middle to stretch the lead to 7-0. At that point, the game felt all but decided.
Meanwhile, Imai was dealing.
Mixing his pitches with precision, he struck out seven, leaning heavily on his slider with multiple shapes that kept the A’s hitters guessing all afternoon. He exited after 5 2/3 innings due to pitch clock violations, a frustrating way to end a standout performance, but his final line told the story: three hits, three walks, and complete control of the game.
And Houston wasn’t done.
Loperfido capped off a perfect 4-for-4 day with another RBI knock, while Alvarez reached base all afternoon, drawing four walks before finally adding a hit in the sixth. Cam Smith put the finishing touch on the blowout in the eighth, launching his second home run of the season.
After a rough start to their first series on the road of the season, the Astros bounced back in a big way and dominated, showing everyone they can win at home and take control on the road.