Anderson pummeled; Springer collects six hits
When the A’s were torched in Houston on April 28, Brett Anderson had not yet rejoined Oakland.
He got to experience a thumping from the Astros nonetheless. In his first game at the Coliseum as a member of the A’s since Sept. 22, 2013, Anderson gave up nine runs, seven earned, in Oakland’s 16-2 loss Monday at the Coliseum.
The left-hander, pitching in the spot created when Kendall Graveman was demoted, went three-plus innings and allowed 10 hits and three walks. Manager Bob Melvin said that Anderson didn’t have much life on his fastball and his breaking stuff wasn’t as sharp.
Anderson, who’d allowed only two earned runs in his previous start, said his command in the strike zone was terrible, adding, “There were some good pitches hit for hits and bad pitches hit for extrabase hits. I don’t think Bob gives up that many hits in BP.”
George Springer matched a
Houston record with six hits, including a double and threerun homer, and he scored four runs. He lifted his average from .264 to .292.
“Nobody should feel comfortable enough in there to get six hits, whether they’re Tony Gwynn with Billy Hamilton’s speed,” Anderson said.
Springer is the only Houston hitter with six hits in a nineinning game; Joe Morgan achieved the feat in a 12-inning game July 8, 1965.
Left fielder Marwin Gonzalez had hits in each of his first three at-bats, including a two-run homer in the fourth off Chris Hatcher. Derek Fisher added a late solo shot off Wilmer Font, who has allowed nine homers in 142⁄3 innings this season. Font allowed five runs in all Monday and his ERA is 12.60.
The Astros’ runs were a season high for the defending champs, and the most allowed by Oakland this season — the Astros also had the previous high, putting up 11 in Houston 10 days earlier, and over their past three meetings, they’ve outscored Oakland 35-6.
A throwing error by first baseman Matt Olson on a potential double-play grounder by Carlos Correa contributed to the Astros’ six-run fourth inning, and the A’s offense wasn’t tiptop, either. Oakland had one hit through the first five innings against Dallas Keuchel, and didn’t score until the sixth, when Chad Pinder doubled, went to third on a groundout and scored on another.
Pinder was cut down at the plate to end the eighth, thanks to great throws by Springer, the center fielder, and Correa, the shortstop. Oakland added a run with two outs in the ninth when Jonathan Lucroy doubled in Mark Canha.
A’s third baseman Matt Chapman came out in the sixth; he had played every inning this season and Melvin said he just wanted to get him a breather.
Chapman is in a 1-for-27 funk, including a pop-up and a double-play grounder Monday.
“I know it always turns around,” Chapman said before the game. “I’m not going to put too much emphasis on it because I have been putting good at-bats together. Whether it’s one pitch or a few borderline calls or a few balls hit right at guys, I might be hitting .250. I’m glad I’m still finding a way to contribute on defense.”
Chapman, who is in his first full major-league season, hit .351 with five homers in his first 15 games. Since then, he is batting .129 over the past 20 games.
“I obviously came out of the gate pretty hot, probably the best I’ve ever hit in the big leagues, then just maybe lost that feeling a little bit,” Chapman said. “I might be a little in and out right now, not having the most consistent at-bats, but when I do put a good one together, it seems like I’m hitting it right at somebody.”
Opponents have taken to positioning an infielder up the middle against Chapman, and he has lost several line drives as a result, but Melvin pointed out that Chapman isn’t the only member of the lineup struggling — it’s almost everyone except Jed Lowrie and Lucroy.
“He’s just kind of missing his pitch right now,” Melvin said. “They’re pitching him tough, he’s not getting much to hit . ... But he’ll get it going.”