Tommy Milone (4-5, 3.47) vs Erik Bedard (0-2, 6.00)
So much for Jose Veras' success streak. A five-run 5th had Houston in position for their first win over Oakland this season, which lasted until the 9th. But Veras walked himself into trouble, then Houston native Chris Young made his family in the stands happy with a 3-run game-winning homer. Astros fall 6-5, dropping to 14-34 overall.
On the Mound:
*Since his brief (one outing) banishment to the bullpen, Erik Bedard has justified his return to the rotation. Bedard scuffled in the 1st, but ultimately he limited the damage against him to two runs (for the third start in a row). His line: 5 IP / 4 H / 2 R / 2 ER / 5 BB / 4 K.
*Paul Clemens piggybacked off Bedard for 2.1 innings tonight, with only a solo Seth Smith HR scoring against him.
*Wesley Wright finished the 8th with two outs and no base runners.
*And then Veras with the meltdown. A pair of walks and a K preceded Chris Young at the plate, then two more outs promptly followed, but what happened in between dealt another heartbreaking defeat to Houston.
At the Plate:
*J.D. Martinez was the only Astro with multiple hits tonight, and he also had the single biggest blow. A three-run homer gave Houston the lead until Veras, and he finished 2 for 4.
*Matt Dominguez preceded J.D.'s HR in the 5th with one of his own - a solo shot to end up 1 for 3 with a BB.
*Jose Altuve broke an 0 for 18 streak with a RBI single in the 5th, ending up 1 for 5 with a run scored.
*Carlos Corporan (1 for 4, K) and Chris Carter (1 for 4) each had a double.
*Robbie Grossman (1 for 5, 2 K) and Ronny Cedeno (1 for 3, K) each singled and scored a run.
*Brandon Barnes was 1 for 4 with 3 K, and one great throw to catch a runner at third.
Turning Point:
The Astros carried a 5-3 lead into the 9th when Bo Porter handed the ball to Jose Veras, who had been perfect in his previous three outings. A pair of walks sandwiched around a strikeout put the tying runs on base, then a bad curveball to Astro-killer Chris Young killed the Astros tonight.
Man of the Match:
J.D. Martinez. He's got a 1.158 OPS with 3 home runs and 4 doubles since May 13.
Goat of the Game:
Jose Veras. Doing his part to preserve Oakland's perfect record against the Astros this season.
