Daz Cameron, Max Schuemann and Nick Allen parlayed successive bunts into a two-run rally in the top of the 12th inning, helping the Oakland Athletics escape with a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
The Athletics (63-82) rallied against Hector Neris (9-5), the sixth pitcher of the game for the Astros.
Cameron opened the 12th with a bunt single that sent automatic runner Zack Gelof to third. Schuemann added a sacrifice bunt that scored Gelof and snapped a 2-2 tie. Schuemann reached on a Neris throwing error, and when Allen followed with a bunt, Cameron scored on the fielder’s choice.
Jose Altuve opened the bottom of the 12th with an RBI double that scored automatic runner Jason Heyward, but Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris (4-3) rallied to strand Altuve at third base.
The Astros (77-67) clawed back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning against Athletics reliever Tyler Ferguson, with their bench leading the charge.
Pinch hitter Ben Gamel worked a one-out walk before pinch hitter Jon Singleton sliced the deficit in half with his first career triple, bringing home Gamel with a drive off the wall in left-center field. Altuve followed by dumping an RBI single into shallow center.
Oakland left-hander JP Sears had his start bumped up one day after scheduled starter Osvaldo Bido was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier on Tuesday with right wrist flexor tendinitis.
Sears excelled despite the change of plans, working six shutout innings for his sixth scoreless outing of the season. He allowed four hits — all singles — and issued two walks while recording one strikeout.
The Athletics struck in the first inning against Astros rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. Back-to-back one-out singles from Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday set up an RBI opportunity for Shea Langeliers, who responded with a sacrifice fly to left that plated Rooker for a 1-0 lead.
Gelof doubled that advantage with a 416-foot blast to left field on the first pitch of the second inning. His 17th home run was the first of three extra-base hits surrendered by Arrighetti, who navigated pitfalls with inning-ending strikeouts to strand runners in scoring position in the third and fourth innings.
Arrighetti allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.