3 takeaways after A’s shine in series win over Astros.
HOUSTON — The A’s were in position for a sweep of the Astros at Minute Maid Park, something that has eluded them since 2013.
Though Brent Rooker’s 36th home run of the year — a solo shot off Ryan Pressly — made it a tie ballgame heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Astros ultimately staved off a sweep with a four-run eighth to sink the A’s, 6-3, on Thursday afternoon.
Nonetheless, taking two of three from a first-place Astros club falls in line with what continues to shape up as a strong finish for the A’s. It’s also a series win that felt like another day at the office for this young Oakland squad, which now believes it can hang with any team in baseball.
“The most telling thing about this series win is how normal it felt,” Rooker said. “There’s been times the last two years where if we had come into Houston and won a series, it would have felt like a really big deal. This just felt like it was a normal thing.”
That confidence is generated from their 34-27 record since July 1, third best in the American League behind only the Tigers and Astros over that span.
“We’ve been playing so well that we expect to win series, no matter who it’s against or where it is,” Rooker said. “Obviously, [the Astros] are a really good team who could very well be playing for a World Series. We came in and won a series, and it just felt like what we were supposed to do. That shows the growth we’ve had and where,
our mindset is.”
Before heading to Chicago for six games against the White Sox and Cubs, here are three takeaways from the series finale in Houston:
Bleday in Hall of Fame company
JJ Bleday is leaving his mark with one of the better performances by an A’s center fielder in quite some time.
Two nights after he surpassed Dave Henderson for most doubles by a center fielder in Oakland history, Bleday roped a double off Astros starter Framber Valdez in the sixth to bring his total to 40 on the year.
