Pitchers silence A’s

Mike Fiers and four relievers combine on a four-hitter in a 5-1 win over the Athletics.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Even on a night when he battled his command early, Mike Fiers came away with another great start.

That’s how well things have gone lately for the once-beleaguered No. 5 Astros starter.

Fiers improved his ERA to 3.81 behind 61⁄3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night at the Coliseum. He allowed only three hits and limited the damage despite issuing three walks and hitting two batters.

In the five starts he has made since being told he would be demoted to the bullpen, a decision reversed when Charlie Morton was diagnosed with a lat strain a day later, Fiers has shaved 1.40 off his ERA. The Astros (49-24) have won all but one of them.

After dropping his arm angle slightly and throwing his curveball 2 mph harder, Fiers has kept the ball in the park in each of those five starts after allowing a major leagueworst 18 in his first nine outings. Against the A’s he induced eight ground outs opposed to only one fly out. He struck out five.

The Astros’ bats were shut down for five innings by A’s starter Sean Manaea before breaking out for five singles in a three-run sixth. A sacrifice fly by Jake Marisnick in the eighth and a solo home run by Carlos Correa in the ninth accounted for the Astros’ fourth and fifth runs.

Fiers exited having thrown 96 pitches after allowing a double to Yonder Alonso and walking Ryon Healy.

Alonso advanced to third on a Jaycob Brugman groundout against Tony Sipp and scored on a Stephen Vogt groundout against Luke Gregerson.

Will Harris and Ken Giles logged scoreless eighth and ninth innings.