OAKLAND –– Tony Kemp said that the first half of this season was the worst of his major league career, but Monday night against his former team the Houston Astros he found a jolt of energy to break out of a slump.
Kemp was batting .161 over his last 21 games entering the series opener but went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and was part of a five-run inning that propelled the A’s (36-63) over the first-place Astros (64-33) in front of 4,105 fans at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s have won four of six games since returning from the All-Star break.
The All-Star break provided an escape for Kemp to slow down before picking things up in the second half.
“I feel like it was just a good reset to be able to just hang out with the wife and kid and to be able to just really enjoy life for those couple days,” Kemp said. “It was a good reset for a lot of guys, especially myself, and we’re just gonna a second-half push and continue to put forward that work.”
The A’s trailed after the first inning courtesy of a solo homer by Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña, but Kemp tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run to left field. It was the second time in his career Kemp had homered in back-to-back games.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp #5 rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 in the third inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The A’s took the lead in the fourth inning with a single by Elvis Andrus that scored Ramón Laureano. With runners on first and second, Kemp barreled a double past centerfielder Jake Meyers, who was shaded toward left, that scored Andrus and Chad Pinder.
As Skye Bolt stepped to the plate, A’s manager Mark Kotsay said postgame that he told A’s quality control coach Mike Aldrete that Bolt was going to hit a home run.
Bolt did just did, as he sent a two-run home run right above the out-of-town scoreboard to make it 6-1 A’s.
“I just think for Skye it’s getting his confidence, getting his feet on the ground and understanding that this is his opportunity,” Kotsay said. “I think he’s really starting to feel like he belongs here.”
Bolt has been making the best of that opportunity as he is batting .364 with three home runs and six RBIs over his last nine games, a drastic improvement after hitting .133 over his first 11 games.
“The more swings that I’m able to get, the closer we are to get to where we want to be to figure out and get that feedback,” Bolt said. “It’s just getting your swing up. You take a swing and feel your balance you feel like you feel early and all that information comes back.”
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Adam Oller #36 throws against the Houston Astros in the third inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Houston got a run back in the fifth inning on Chas McCormick’s double off A’s starter Adam Oller, but Oller finished out the frame and got his first major league win. He allowed three earned runs on four hits in his five innings.
Oller (1-3, 8.07 ERA) came in the trade that sent Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets and said that he felt like he was not meeting the expectations that came with being involved in such a important transaction. After getting sent down to Triple-A, Oller said he religiously worked on throwing his fastball.
“There were a lot of moments in the first half of the season where I did take a look in the mirror and (said) ‘look at yourself in the mirror and decide what you want to be’,” Oller said. “I told myself that the second half was a new start and try to put myself in the best situation to not only help myself but to help the team that believes in me.”
When Oller started the sixth inning by allowing two baserunners, Domingo Acevedo entered for his American League-leading 45th relief appearance. He began by allowing Jeremy Peña to score on a pickoff throw to unattended first base and then hit Yuli Gurriel on the next pitch. Gurriel proceeded to steal second base, during which Alvarez stole home to cut Houston’s deficit to 6-4.
Andrus knocked in his second run of the day on a double that brought in Sean Murphy.
Lou Trivino gave up a solo homer to McCormick but recorded his ninth save of the season.
The A’s and Astros will be back at it on Tuesday night for the second game of the series. The A’s will send Frankie Montas, who could be making his last start in an A’s uniform at the Coliseum ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, to battle Houston’s Luis Garcia.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics closer Lou Trivino #62 celebrates after striking out Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena #3 to end their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. The A’s won the game 7-5. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick #20 is congratulated by Jake Meyers #6 after hitting a solo home run off Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino #62 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick #20 hits a solo home run off Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino #62 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy #12 scores after an RBI single by Elvis Andrus #17 in the eighth inning of their MLB game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Elvis Andrus #17 hits an RBI single off Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryne Stanek #45 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy #12 celebrates his double off Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryne Stanek #45 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Nick Allen #2 attempts a bunt in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics second baseman Nick Allen #2 makes the throw to first base to complete a double play as Houston Astros’ Korey Lee #38 is forced out in the seventh inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ shortstop Aledmys Diaz #16 is congratulated by Jake Meyers #6 after scoring on an hits an RBI by Chas McCormick #20 in the fifth inning of their MLB game against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick #20 hits an RBI double off Oakland Athletics’starting pitcher Adam Oller #36 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Skye Bolt #11 celebrates with Tony Kemp #5 after hitting a two-run home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Skye Bolt #11 hits a two-run home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Chad Pinder #10 scores on a double by Tony Kemp #5 in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Houston Astros at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena #3 and Yordan Alvarez #44 celebrate Pena’s solo home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Adam Oller #36 in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Adam Oller #36 throws against the Houston Astros in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena #3 and Alex Bregman #2 celebrate Pena’s solo home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Adam Oller #36 in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 throws against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Skye Bolt #11 hits a two-run home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: Oakland Athletics’ Skye Bolt #11 celebrates with Tony Kemp #5 after hitting a two-run home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi #17 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
