Springer’s 2 HRS lift Astros
2-0 series lead moves team within one victory of 4th straight ALCS
George Springer hit two homers and the Houston Astros kept making more noise in the playoffs, beating the Oakland Athletics 5-2 on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.
Martin Maldonado also went deep for Houston, which needs one win to reach its fourth straight AL Championship Series. Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Wednesday, when Houston is the home team in the neutral site matchup.
“With every victory, the energy and the confidence grows,” first-year Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re expecting good things to happen.”
Springer put Houston ahead to stay with a two-run, two-out drive in the third on a second straight 90-degree day at Dodger Stadium.
Maldonado’s solo shot in the fifth chased losing pitcher Sean Manaea in his first appearance of this postseason. Yusmeiro Petit came in and promptly gave up Springer’s second homer of the game, extending Houston’s lead to 5-2.
Springer’s 17 postseason homers tied Nelson Cruz and Jim Thome for most through a player’s first 54 career postseason games. Five of Springer’s postseason homers have come at Dodger Stadium, where the Astros beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series.
Houston improved to 7-3 in Dodger Stadium since that World Series. Current A’s pitcher Mike Fiers last year told of his old team’s sign-stealing scandal used in 2017, a revelation that rocked baseball and drew the still ongoing ire of other players and fans.
Hot, sunny and dry conditions again created an ideal environment for the long ball. The teams combined for five homers, raising the series total to 11.
Winner Framber Valdez allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked one. The 26-year-old left-hander, making his first postseason start, retired his final 10 batters.
“His ball is moving all over the place. His breaking ball was good,“A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Our bats were better early. He got more confidence as the game went along. Last three times out he has pitched with a lot of confidence.”
Enoli Paredes retired the side in the eighth. Ryan Pressly worked around Marcus Semien’s leadoff single in the ninth, Oakland’s only hit past the fourth inning, to finish a six-hitter for the save.
Oakland didn’t have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
Oakland got on board in the second with Khris Davis’ second-inning home run, his third of this postseason, putting the A’s ahead.
After Springer’s first homer, the Astros extended their lead to 3-1 on Carlos Correa’s RBI groundout in the fourth that scored Michael Brantley, who doubled leading off.
Chad Pinder led off the bottom half with a 453-foot homer to right-center, the longest at Dodger Stadium this season.
For the second straight game, Oakland’s starting pitching failed to go deep. Manaea gave up four runs in 42⁄ innings.
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Greinke hurt
Baker said right-hander Zack Greinke is dealing with arm soreness. He hasn’t pitched in the series and Baker said the team is awaiting test results. “It’s pretty evident the last three, four starts that he wasn’t himself,” the manager said.