Martini lifts A’s past Astros

HOUSTON – A day that began with the A’s getting bombarded with bad news enough to demoralize any team ended with them showing off that gritty resilience that’s been a major reason they’ve hung on this long in a playoff race in the first place.

Learning that No. 1 starter Sean Manaea may not return this season and Brett Anderson was heading to the disabled list did not affect the A’s on the field. They battled all night with the Astros until the offense finally broke through late in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory, bringing them within 1½ games of Houston for first place in the AL West.

Bay Area News Group/tns The Oakland A’s Nick Martini watches his gamewinning RBI double during the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Astros in Houston.

Edwin Jackson looked sharp through the first three innings with a cutter that was frustrating Astros early on, including George Springer, who slammed his bat and helmet on the ground after swinging through it for strike three to end the third inning. With Matt Olson providing some early support in the form of a three-run bomb off Charlie Morton in the top half of the third, the A’s had hoped for Jackson to get them through at least five innings before going to their lights out bullpen. But of course those Astros struck back. Third time through the order proved to be costly for Jackson. With two outs and two runners on in the fifth, Jackson battled with Springer, who fouled off a couple of tough pitches in a seven-pitch at-bat that resulted in a walk to load the bases for Alex Bregman. Jackson held Bregman hitless in his first two at-bats, but the Astros star third baseman came through this time with a two-