Spence hits first 3 homers of career, helps Astros survive Athletics 7-5 to keep playoff hopes alive
Lucas Spence hit the first three home runs of his major league career, Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes also homered, and the Houston Astros outlasted the Athletics 7-5 on Thursday night. Houston (79-80) remains tied with the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead with three games left in the regular season for both teams. The Astros have the tiebreaker with a 9-4 record against Texas this year.
Houston Astros' rookie Lucas Spence made his major league debut by hitting three home runs, contributing to the team's 7-5 victory over the Athletics. Spence's first homer came in the second inning, followed by a second in the seventh where he drove in the winning run. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes also contributed with their own home runs, with Paredes securing a game-tying solo shot in the sixth inning.
The Astros, currently tied with the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead, remain in contention for the postseason with three games left in the regular season. Spence, called up from the minors just Wednesday, had hit just 40 times in the majors before Thursday night's game. The Athletics, led by Jeff McNeil's three-run homer in the third inning, managed to tie the game, but ultimately fell short.
The Astros have a slight edge in the tiebreaker, having a 9-4 record against Texas this season. Pitching-wise, Houston's Miguel Ullola worked three scoreless innings of relief, while Bryan Abreu saved the game with a ninth-inning save. The Athletics' Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof added to the team's effort with their own home runs.
The next matchup will feature the Athletics' Jacob Lopez starting against the Astros, who have yet to announce a starter for the upcoming game.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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