Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros Box Score on Aug 29, 2020

Kyle Tucker and Josh Reddick each hit a home run and Lance McCullers Jr. pitched six solid innings as the Houston Astros earned a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.

It was the Astros' first game since playing a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, while the A's were playing for the first time since Wednesday. The Astros were off Wednesday as a precaution for approaching Hurricane Laura, while both teams declined to play Thursday and Friday to recognize social justice and racial equality.

The Astros got things going early Saturday afternoon as Michael Brantley worked a two-out walk in the first inning and Yuli Gurriel doubled to put two aboard. Tucker then lifted his sixth home run of the season to right field off A's starter Chris Bassitt to give Houston a 3-0 lead.

The Astros' defense grabbed the spotlight in the second inning as shortstop Carlos Correa finished off a relay from Brantley in left by throwing out Oakland's Mark Canha at the plate.

The A's did get on the board in the fourth inning when Robbie Grossman scored on a ground out by Matt Chapman.

The Astros got the run back in the bottom of the fourth when Reddick hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center field for a 4-1 advantage. It was Reddick's first hit off Bassitt in 15 at-bats.

The A's inched closer in the sixth. Grossman hit a dribbler to the left of the mound with McCullers making an errant throw to first base. Grossman advanced all the way to third and Chapman delivered a two-out RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Tucker and Jack Mayfield had two hits for the Astros, while George Springer went 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot in his first game since Monday when he was hit by a pitch above his left elbow in a game against the Los Angeles Angels.

McCullers (3-2) gave up one earned run on six hits over six innings with a walk and seven strikeouts as the Astros won for the third time in their last four games. Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his fifth save.

Bassitt (2-2) gave up four runs on six hits over his three-inning start for the A's. He also had three walks and two strikeouts.

--Field Level Media