Muncy’s solo homer caps off A’s rally as Oakland beats Houston 7-6

In a thrilling game, the Oakland Athletics rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat the Houston Astros 7-6 on Sunday. The turning point came in the seventh inning when Max Muncy delivered a go-ahead solo homer, securing the A's lead. Brian Serven had contributed significantly earlier with a three-run shot, his fourth of the game.

Lawrence Butler added an RBI double, while Tommy White drove in two runs to even the score at 6-6. Jack Perkins made a crucial appearance, pitching five innings of relief, striking out six batters while allowing only three hits, despite issuing five walks, including two intentional ones to Yordan Alvarez. Despite Alvarez setting a new franchise record with his 28th intentional walk of the season, he remained in the game.

The Astros managed to score runs in every inning, starting with three in the first, followed by a run in the second and two more in the fourth. Jose Altuve led the charge with his 14th home run in the first inning, while Isaac Paredes added another homer in the fourth. Hogan Harris secured the ninth inning, earning his 13th save for the Astros.

Notably, Astros manager Joe Espada was absent due to a family emergency, and bench coach Omar López stepped in to manage in his place. The Athletics will host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series starting Monday, with Minnesota's starting pitcher being right-hander Jack Flaherty (7-8, 5.12 ERA). The Astros, meanwhile, will have a day off before beginning a three-game series against the New York Yankees in The Bronx, where right-hander Will Warren (8-6, 4.43 ERA) is scheduled to start for New York, and Houston has yet to name a starter.