Davis’ HR talents not going to Miami
HOUSTON — Khris Davis has hit the most home runs in the majors over the past two years. He wants no part of the Home Run Derby, though.
Asked whether he’d like to participate in the event during All-Star Week in Miami next month, Davis told The Chronicle before Wednesday’s game, “They haven’t talked to me, but I’m not interested.”
Davis then went out and blasted two more homers — he has 21 this season and 63 over the past two years — in the A’s 11-8 loss to Houston that snapped their four-game winning streak. Ryon Healy, Matt Olson and Jed Lowrie added solo shots during Oakland’s mini-home run derby. George Springer hit his 24th homer of the season for Houston, tied for second most in the majors. Springer, whose nine leadoff homers are an Astros season record, collected hits and runs in each of the first three innings and had RBIs in the first and third.
Yonder Alonso, the A’s top All-Star candidate, left in the eighth after slamming a foul ball off his right knee. “I should be fine,” he said after receiving treatment. “I don’t think it’s anything major.”
Alonso said he might be available to play Thursday if the knee is feeling OK; with a day game, however, he’s unlikely to be in the starting lineup.
Jesse Hahn started for the A’s and endured his usual tough time against Houston. Along with Springer’s opening shot, Jose Altuve doubled and scored in the first, and in the second, Nori Aoki singled, Springer doubled and former Oakland
outfielder Josh Reddick added a sacrifice fly.
The A’s took the lead in the third, getting singles from Jaycob Brugman, Matt Joyce and Jed Lowrie, who drove in Brugman, and then Davis hit a threerun shot to left center. But Hahn, given a 5-4 lead, allowed singles to the first two hitters in the third and was replaced by Josh Smith, who was knocked around just as hard in the Astros’ five-run bottom half of the third. The damage included Springer’s RBI double, and Reddick’s RBI single, one of his three hits.
“I’m not going to say I had good stuff today, because I didn’t, by any means,” Hahn said. “It’s unacceptable. Whatever it is, I have to find something to get me back on track, because I can’t keep having outings like this, especially when our lineup has been so good at keeping us in ballgames.”
Springer improved to 8for-13 lifetime against Hahn; Brian McCann is 6-for-10. Hahn is 1-5 with a 10.80 ERA in his six career starts against the Astros. He’s dropped three games to Houston this season, giving up 20 runs, 18 earned, in 10 innings.
“I had the right mind-set for this start and was very motivated to pitch well against these guys,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”
Brugman made a fantastic catch in the eighth, diving on the track in right center to rob McCann of an extra-base hit.
Davis has hit at least 20 homers in each of the past four seasons; Giancarlo Stanton is the only other big leaguer to do so. But Davis feels the Derby just isn’t for him.
“I don’t think it will make me a happier person,” he said. “I’m OK. I’ve already decided no, if they ask me.”
Davis hit 10 homers in April, six in May and three in June, but he’s batting .306 with 18 RBIs this month and has two stolen bases on this trip. After a first-inning steal Tuesday, he advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said Davis is underrated as a baserunner.
“He runs well, he runs hard,” Melvin said, adding of a recent incident in which Davis failed to run to first, “He was really embarrassed at home on that popup that was fair and he thought was going to be foul. That hurt him a little bit, because you watch him, every groundball, every flyball, he’s running hard.”