By ,
Published September 07, 2015
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Pinch-hitter Coco Crisp hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning after Oakland chased Mike Fiers, and the Athletics beat the division-leading Houston Astros 10-9 on Monday to snap a five-game skid.
Fiers (2-1) allowed consecutive walks to start the inning before giving way to Josh Fields, who gave up Billy Butler's single to load the bases for Crisp.
Fiers pitched on eight days' rest in his second start since tossing a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21 while throwing 134 pitches.
Pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar hit a home run halfway up the second deck of the stands in left leading off the seventh for the Astros then Carlos Correa added a three-run drive, but the Astros missed a chance to move a season-high-tying 14 games over .500.
Houston began the day with a three-game lead on Texas in the AL West.
Josh Phegley hit a two-run drive in the seventh for the A's after Houston had pulled within 8-6 in the top half. Houston's Jake Marisnick added a two-run shot in the eighth as 15 of the game's 19 runs came from the bottom of the sixth and after.
Lefty Felix Doubront (3-1) worked six-plus innings to win consecutive starts. Sean Doolittle, the fourth reliever, tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save in an injury-shortened year.
Doubront is someone the A's consider a strong candidate for the 2016 rotation after he ''exceeded expectations'' according to manager Bob Melvin with his performance during the season's second half initially as a fill-in for an injury-plagued pitching staff.
Mark Canha homered and singled in a run, while Billy Burns added a two-run single in the sixth for the A's on a warm Labor Day in which it was 83 degrees at first pitch.
Joe Thatcher, Houston's third pitcher in the sixth, entered with the bases loaded to face Danny Valencia, who drew a leadoff walk to begin the big inning and got Valencia to ground into a force out before Lawrie struck out swinging.
Marisnick hit a sacrifice fly in the second, then Oakland tied it on Brett Lawrie's triple in the fourth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Lowrie, a former A's INF, rested most of the day then was booed as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, when he singled. In his last seven games, he is batting .478 (11 for 23) with three home runs, four doubles and seven RBIs. ''To get him to the finish line feeling good, and he's looked as good as anybody on our team, today was a day that we chose to get him off at least a start,'' manager A.J. Hinch said.
Athletics: C Stephen Vogt was resting at home after being hit by a foul tip in the groin Sunday. He said by text message, ''I'm feeling a little better today.'' He had swelling and was scheduled to have a second ultrasound after a first test showed nothing ruptured, Melvin said. ... OF Sam Fuld, who last played on Aug. 30 but hasn't batted since Aug. 25 as he deals with back spasms, isn't likely to make a start until this weekend's three-game set at Texas.
UP NEXT
Astros: LHP Scott Kazmir (7-9) faces his former club in his ninth start for his hometown Astros, trying to bounce back from just 4 1-3 innings his last time out against Seattle.
Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray (12-7), 0-3 over his last four outings, faces close friend Kazmir. ''It's just going to be fun,'' Kazmir said. ''There's going to be a lot of trash talk through the whole deal.''
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/mike-fiers-loses-as-first-place-astros-fall-to-as-10-9