Game Thread #99: A’s vs. Astros

The A’s begin a new series at the Coliseum against the division rival Houston Astros.

Manager Mark Kotsay is experimenting a touch with the lineup in the first game. Chad Pinder is getting the start at first base tonight. He’s played three career games at the position, once in 2018 and twice in 2019 so he’s not exactly familiar with the position. This is probably in part due to Seth Brown being placed on the paternity list earlier this afternoon, but it also gives a chance for interested teams to see he can handle the position. Remember, he’s a free agent this offseason and is currently hitting .370 over his last seven games with a pair of home runs.

The rest of the lineup looks pretty familiar. Infielder Vimael Machin gets his 12th start in the leadoff spot tonight, but he’s not exactly thriving in the role, hitting just .207/.265/.302 from the top spot this year. It’s only marginally better than the .203/.258/.277 line the team as as a whole has on the year from their leadoff men.

And on the mound tonight is rookie Adam Oller. One of the players received in the fire sale this past offseason, Oller hasn’t taken off like the A’s would have hoped when acquiring him but he’s coming off one of his better starts when he held down these same Astros to three runs in 4+ innings of work in the final game of the first half. He also faced off against Jake Odorizzi in that game, so it’ll be a rematch of sorts for the two right-handers.

A’s lineup (home)

1. 3B Vimael Machin (L)
2. RF Ramon Laureano (R)
3. C Sean Murphy (R)
4. 1B Chad Pinder (R)
5. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
6. DH Stephen Piscotty (R)
7. LF Tony Kemp (L)
8. CF Skye Bolt (S)
9. 2B Nick Allen (R)

• RHP Adam Oller

Astros lineup (away)

1. 2B Jose Altuve (R)
2. SS Jeremy Peña R)
3. DH Yordan Alvarez (L)
4. 3B Alex Bregman (R)
5. 1B Yuli Gurriel (R)
6. LF Aledmys Diaz (R)
7. RF Chas McCormick (R)
8. CF Jake Meyers (R)
9. C Korey Lee (R)

• RHP Jake Odorizzi

How to watch/listen

• Date: Monday, July 25
• Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast