One night after becoming the first rookie to produce a four-homer game as part of a historic 6-for-6 performance, Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz finished 2-for-4 with a walk in a 5-1 win Saturday over the host Houston Astros.

If you're going to win baseball games despite having 17 players on the injured list, you're going to have to do the little things right. The Astros didn't do that Thursday night. The A's took advantage of some uncharacteristic mistakes in the field to jump out to an early lead and hold on for a 5-2 win at Daikin Park,

HOUSTON (AP) — Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler homered, Nick Kurtz followed his historic four-homer game with two hits and the Athletics won their third straight game, beating the Houston Astros 5-1 on Saturday night.

With his team up 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, closer Josh Hader delivered a 3-2 pitch to Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte—one that was pretty clearly a ball and would have put runners on first and second. Walsh, however, saw it differently, and rung up Marte to give Houston the win. Pretty clearly a ball.

Smith has just eight hits in his past 57 at-bats, raising a question of whether his workload has caught up with him.

Brent Rooker has been a consistent source of offense for the A’s, leading the team with 21 homers. If anyone can spark the visitors, it’s him. Rooker had two hits in yesterday’s loss to the Rangers, and he’s delivered 11 RBI this month.

For the Astros, this Saturday in the park wasn’t anything like the Fourth of July. But in one way, it resembled every game since. For the 17th consecutive time, Houston saw its opponent score first, w