AROUND THE HORN
■ A’s: Sean Manaea carried a perfect game into the sixth en route to winning his fourth straight start, Matt Olson hit a two-run HR and the host A’s beat the stumbling Astros 3-1 on Thursday. The divisionleading A’s (27-15) moved 61⁄ games ahead of the
2 second-place Astros in the AL West. The teams split Tuesday’s doubleheader that was forced by an Aug. 30 postponement in Houston because of A’s pitcher Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test result. The A’s had four games postponed and are 5-3 since resuming play Sept. 4 against the Padres. The Astros (22-23), who won a majors-best 107 games last season and the last three AL West titles, lost for the eighth time in nine games. The A’s have their largest division lead since they were 61⁄ games up on Sept.
2 25, 2013. Manaea (4-2) struck out four and didn’t walk a batter over seven innings. The lefty has surged since going 0-2 over his initial five outings this season. He didn’t allow a runner until Josh Reddick doubled leading off the sixth.
■ Cardinals, Tigers: Jeimer Candelario capped off a two-HR day with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the seventh to help the visiting Tigers beat the Cardinals 6-3 for a doubleheader split. The Cards won the opener 12-2 behind a five-HR attack. In the first seven-inning game, C Yadier Molina, wearing uniform No. 21 in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, hit a go-ahead, two-run HR in the second for the Cards. Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Molina was among players from the commonwealth who wore the number as part of MLB’s tributes this week to Clemente, who died when a plane crashed en route to a relief mission in Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972.
■ Extra innings: Mike Trout hit his major leagueleading 16th HR and the Angels beat the Rangers 6-2 to avoid being swept in six games this season at new Globe Life Field. Trout, a three-time AL MVP, homered in the fifth against Kyle Gibson (1-5) for a 4-1 lead. ... The White Sox put LHP Dallas Keuchel on the 10-day IL with back spasms. The move was retroactive to Monday. The 32-year-old is 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA this season, his first with the White Sox. ... Yankees LHP James Paxton had a setback in his return from a strained left flexor tendon. Manager Aaron Boone said Paxton “won’t throw for a couple days and we’ll see where we are.” Paxton hasn’t pitched since Aug. 20. The struggling Yankees also are missing OF Aaron Judge (right calf strain), DH Giancarlo Stanton (left hamstring strain) and 3B Gio Urshela (right elbow bone spur) along with pitchers Luis Severino and Tommy Kahnle (Tommy John surgery). ... The Giants released 3B Pablo Sandoval, parting ways for a second time with the former fan favorite and 2012 World Series MVP. Sandoval, 34, ends a second stint with the club after he rejoined the Giants following parts of three seasons away with the Red Sox after winning a third World Series in five years with the Giants in 2014.