Oakland A’s Game Thread: ALDS Game 3 at Houston Astros

The Oakland A’s have to win this one. They’re down 0-2 in the best-of-five ALDS against the Houston Astros, and they have to win the next three in a row or go home for the winter. It’s not impossible, and it’s been done before — eight times, actually, in the 26 years of Division Series play. Plus a ninth time, in a short LCS in the 1980s. And on one of those occasions, the team who blew it was managed by none other than Dusty Baker, who now skippers the Astros. Click here to read all about how there’s totally still hope.

But hope will need to turn into reality quickly for the A’s, and they have only nine innings to prove that they still belong in October. They’ll hand the ball to Jesús Luzardo for his second start of the postseason, after the rookie got beat up by the Chicago White Sox last week in the Wild Card Series opener. One key will be keeping the ball in the park, which he didn’t do against the Sox, and which nobody has been able to do on either team thus far in Dodger Stadium this week.

The Astros counter with Jose Urquidy. The right-hander saw the A’s in 2019 and struck out 10 of 17 batters he faced, then tossed five scoreless innings in a World Series start that fall. He faced Oakland again this year but lost, throwing six quality inning but striking out only one batter. He pitched in the Wild Card Series last week and took a no-decision after leaving in the 5th, in a game Houston eventually won. Click here for more on the Luzardo vs. Urquidy matchup.

Notably, this game may have been started by Zack Greinke, but the Astros ace is instead headed to the doctor due to arm soreness

Click here to see the full rosters for both teams.

First pitch is 12:35 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:

• TV: TBS
• Online audio stream: A’s Cast

A’s lineup (away)

1. SS Marcus Semien (R)
2. 2B Tommy La Stella (L)
3. 3B Chad Pinder (R)
4. DH Khris Davis (R)
5. 1B Matt Olson (L)
6. LF Mark Canha (R)
7. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
8. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
9. C Sean Murphy (R)

• Jesús Luzardo, LHP

Super hot Davis moves up to cleanup. Bold! I like it. Overall this looks like a lineup against lefties, which is evidently a specific matchup play against Urquidy.

Astros lineup (home)

1. CF George Springer (R)
2. 2B Jose Altuve (R)
3. LF Michael Brantley (L)
4. 3B Alex Bregman (R)
5. SS Carlos Correa (R)
6. RF Kyle Tucker (L)
7. 1B Yuli Gurriel (R)
8. DH Aledmys Diaz (R)
9. C Martin Maldonado (R)

• Jose Urquidy, RHP

Josh Reddick out, Diaz in, with some positional shifting to make it work. Correa moves up a spot in the order.

Let’s Go Oakland!