Montas reaches 200 Ks, A’s pound Astros

Frankie Montas pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and became the first Athletics pitcher in 20 years to reach 200 strikeouts in a season, helping Oakland pound the Houston Astros 14-2 on Friday night to support its slim playoff hopes.

Starling Marte had four hits and four RBIs as the A’s snapped a four-game skid. Oakland began the day four games behind the Yankees for the second AL wild card, with the Mariners and Blue Jays also in front of the A’s.

Matt Olson drove in four for Oakland. Chad Pinder added a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning.

Jose Altuve hit his 30th home run for the Astros. Houston’s magic number to clinch the AL West remains three over Seattle.

Astros pitcher Zack Greinke was scratched from his scheduled start and placed on the 10-day injured list with neck soreness. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner could return before the playoffs.

Two years after serving an 80-game suspension following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, Montas (13-9) was dominant while helping the A’s stave off elimination in the AL West and preventing the firstplace Astros from inching closer to the division title. The right-hander allowed one run, had eight strikeouts, walked three and hit two batters.

Montas had at least one strikeout in every inning and pitched out of a jam in the seventh after giving up a leadoff walk and single. He’s the first A’s pitcher to have 200 strikeouts since Barry Zito had 205 in 2001.

Yusmeiro Petit and Domingo Acevedo retired three batters apiece to complete the two-hitter.

The Astros scored an unearned run off Montas in the first inning and went up 2-0 on Altuve’s leadoff home run in the third.

The A’s took the lead with three runs off fill-in starter Brandon Bielak (34) in the third, then broke the game open with six runs in the seventh and five in the eighth.

Pinder’s home run off Brooks Raley was Oakland’s first pinch-slam since Scott Sizemore had one against Texas in 2011.

Bielak, a long reliever with one start this season, allowed three runs and four hits in three innings.