Houston errors, Cotton set tone early for Oakland

HOUSTON — The A’s will take what they can get against Houston, and if it’s runs gifted via mistakes, that’s swell.

Oakland, dominated for the past year by Houston, scored two runs Sunday when the Astros made two errors on one play and also scored on a passed ball, accounting for all the A’s runs in a 3-2 win over the AL West leaders. Houston had won 19 of the previous 21 games between the teams, 12 of 14 this season.

“Everybody was feeling it going into the last game,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Nobody likes to get beat consistently

HOUSTON — After Boog Powell’s super day Sunday, the A’s might have a new option in the leadoff spot.

Powell, acquired from Seattle for Yonder Alonso this month, had three hits and a walk, and his hustle to second in the first inning helped set off the Astros’ two-error sequence that allowed Powell and Marcus Semien to score.

“He’s done a really nice job defensively, then we gave him a little bit of a challenge to lead off and see what he could do, and he got on base four times,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Powell loves hitting leadoff. “I mean, it’s my spot. Like, that’s where I feel comfortable,” he said. “I love leading off games, I love being on the road and being the first hitter of the game and getting things going. But it’s the big leagues, so wherever I can hit, I’m happy.”

Melvin had let his team have it after Saturday night’s lackluster 3-0 loss in which Oakland hit into six double plays. On Sunday, he put Powell up top, batting usual leadoff man Matt Joyce third and Jed Lowrie in the cleanup spot for the first time all year. Khris Davis was not in the lineup; he’s 0-for-7 lifetime against Houston starter Brad Peacock, and he is hitless in 12 at-bats with eight strikeouts over his past three games. Maxwell out: Catcher Bruce Maxwell was held out of the A’s lineup as a precaution after taking a foul ball off the mask Saturday night. Maxwell said he felt a little bit out of it Saturday, didn’t sleep well after the game and was feeling sluggish Sunday morning.

“He took a shot to the mask again,” Melvin said. “He’s taken quite a few of these. No concussion symptoms, certainly no concussions, but with a day game, we’re trying to be proactive. If he took another one today, there’s a potential for problems.”

Should Maxwell need to go on the concussion disabled list at some point, it’s possible that catcher Josh Phegley (oblique) might return more quickly.