Hayden Wesneski logged five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes posted consecutive RBI doubles in the fifth and the Houston Astros claimed the opener of a three-game intradivision series against the visiting Athletics 4-0 on Friday.
Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with two run-scoring doubles for the Astros, who improved to 3-4 on their nine-game homestand against American League West opponents.
Paredes walked and eventually scored on a Christian Walker sacrifice fly to center field in the fourth, breaking a scoreless tie. Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn (8-8) stranded two baserunners in the first and faced the minimum in the second and third in part due to Jonah Heim erasing Yainer Diaz and Jose Altuve as they tried to steal second base in those respective frames.
However, the Astros rallied with two outs in the fifth. Alvarez roped a double to right-center-field gap, a sharp line drive that scored Nick Allen from first base after Allen worked a one-out walk. Paredes, who finished 1-for-3 with a walk, followed with a double down the right field line that plated Alvarez for a 3-0 lead.
Ginn allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts across five innings. He fell to 0-2 in four starts this month.
Alvarez struck again in the seventh when he doubled off the scoreboard in left-center. Raynel Delgado, who walked against Drew Rom leading off the frame, scored on Alvarez’s double after advancing to second on Allen’s sacrifice bunt before taking third on Altuve’s fly to deep center.
Wesneski (3-1) induced Jeff McNeil to ground into a double play after issuing a leadoff walk to Henry Bolte in the first. He retired the Athletics in order in the second but labored to complete the third after surrendering a single to Donovan Walton and walking Bolte a second time.
McNeil lifted an infield popup to end that threat, and Wesneski followed with strikeouts of Zack Gelof in the fourth and Tommy White and Heim in the fifth. He issued three walks and struck out four.
