Bolte and Stefanic each hit 2 RBIs in sixth to lift Athletics past Astros 6-5

Henry Bolte and Michael Stefanic both contributed significantly to the Athletics' 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday, delivering two RBIs each in the sixth inning. Jacob Lopez also played a crucial role, striking out four batters in the Athletics' dominant performance. The win ensures that the AL West champion will be baseball's first postseason team without a winning record in a full season.

The Astros maintain their lead in the AL West following a 10-2 loss to the Twins. Both teams are currently 79-81, and the division winner will be the first in history to have a .500 or worse record. Lopez went six innings, allowing two hits and one run, with the lone run coming from Christian Walker's solo homer that put the Astros ahead 1-0 in the fourth inning.

An error by Jose Altuve sparked a wave of offense from the A's in the bottom of the sixth, starting with Hunter Brown's two-run single off the bases-loaded sacrifice bunt and followed by Jonah Heim's RBI and AJ Blubaugh's bases-clearing triple, extending the A's lead to 5-1. The inning concluded with a grounded fielder's choice, allowing Bolte to slide into home plate and further widen the gap.

Cam Smith's solo homer in the seventh cut the Astros' deficit to four, but they managed to score three more in the eighth. Luis Medina struck out Smith to escape the inning with the A's still leading, and Hogan Harris secured his 17th save with a perfect ninth inning. Houston can secure a postseason berth with a win against the A's and a loss by Texas to the Twins on Saturday.

The Athletics will start Jack Perkins (3-12) for Saturday's matchup against the Astros. Houston has yet to announce a starting pitcher.