Astros' Springer Makes Franchise History In Win Over A's
OAKLAND (AP) -- George Springer went 6-for-6 with a home run to match a Houston record as the Astros routed the Oakland Athletics 16-2 on Monday night.
Last year's World Series MVP doubled and scored in the first inning, hit a 462-foot, three-run homer in the second and then singled and scored in the fourth. Needing a triple for the cycle, he reached on infield singles in the fifth and seventh before adding a fourth single up the middle in the ninth.
Springer's batting average jumped from .264 to .292. He became the second player in team history to go 6-for-6 and the first to do it in a nine-inning game. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan accomplished the feat in a 12-inning game against the Milwaukee Braves on July 8, 1965.
Springer fell short of the cycle but joined a more exclusive club -- there have been 255 cycle games in MLB history but only 105 6-hit games, including Springer's.
His sixth hit was a single to center. As he was running to first, he flashed a big smile toward the Astros' dugout and then gave a thumbs-up sign when he reached the first-base bag.
Marwin Gonzalez also went deep and matched his career high of five RBIs. Derek Fisher hit his third home run and Max Stassi doubled twice and scored two runs for the Astros.
Houston set season highs for runs and hits (20) in its most lopsided win this season. The Astros beat the A's 11-0 on April 28.
Dallas Keuchel (2-5) yielded one run and five hits over eight innings. The Houston left-hander, who gave up three homers and six runs the last time he faced the A's on April 27, struck out four and walked two.
Jonathan Lucroy had two hits and an RBI for Oakland.
The A's played without outfielder Stephen Piscotty, whose mother died late Sunday night, less than a year after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Gretchen Piscotty was diagnosed with ALS in May 2017 when her son was with St. Louis. The Cardinals traded him to Oakland in December in part to allow Piscotty to be closer to his home in the East Bay suburb of Pleasanton during his mother's terminal illness.
Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the fourth, when the Astros scored six runs.
Oakland lefty Brett Anderson (0-1) failed to make it out of the fourth in his first start at the Coliseum in an A's uniform since Sept. 22, 2013. Anderson allowed seven earned runs and 10 hits.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Ryan Buchter (strained left shoulder) continues to do strength and conditioning work but has not resumed throwing.
© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
