Astros hit three home runs to send A’s to 4-1 loss

OAKLAND - George Springer hit his 20th home run, Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher also went deep and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Monday night.

Evan Gattis and Alex Bregman both doubled twice to help the Astros improve to a major league-best 24-8 on the road while winning their seventh consecutive game at the Coliseum.

Jed Lowrie doubled in Oakland’s run. The A’s were coming off a four-game sweep of the AL East-leading New York Yankees but fell 15½ games behind the first-place Astros in the AL West.

Brad Peacock (4-1) struck out eight in 52/3 innings. He retired 16 of his first 18 batters and didn’t allow a runner past first until Matt Joyce’s one-out double in the sixth.

Three relievers combined to get 10 outs for Houston. Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Marisnick hit his ninth homer on a 2-2 pitch from rookie starter Daniel Gossett (0-2), a two-run drive that bounced off the façade underneath the lower row of luxury suites in center field.

Springer homered off John Axford leading off the eighth. Fisher’s home run came in the ninth.

The A’s scored their lone run in the sixth. After Joyce doubled and Chad Pinder walked, Lowrie hit a ball into right-center. Joyce scored easily but Pinder was thrown out at home on a relay by star shortstop Carlos Correa.

The double extended Joyce’s hitting streak to seven games. He is 16 for 40 in his past 13 games.

NOTES

Astros outfielder Josh Reddick (concussion) is set to come off the disabled list and return to the lineup tonight.

Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. threw a bullpen before the game and could return to the rotation this week.

A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was held out with a left knee infection.

A’s shortstop Marcus Semien (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment this weekend.

Right-hander Kendall Graveman (right shoulder strain) threw in the outfield and came out fine.

Oakland bench coach Mark Kotsay took an indefinite leave of absence to be with his daughter, who suffered an eye injury. Chip Hale will fill in for Kotsay, and Steve Scarsone replaced Hale as third base coach.

Including his double in the sixth inning, Oakaland’s Jed Lowrie now has 23 doubles on the season. He entered the game ranked second in the American League with 22. He is batting .319 with 13 doubles and 16 RBIs over his past 28 games.

Houston starter Brad Peacock has allowd three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his past 18 starts.