Wesneski, Alvarez get Astros back on track during rough homestand

HOUSTON -- Hayden Wesneski threw five scoreless innings, allowing one single, and Yordan Alvarez had a pair of RBI doubles to send the Astros to a 4-0 win over the A’s on Friday night at Daikin Park, after dropping series against the Mariners and Angels on the homestand.

Wesneski (3-1), making his fifth start since returning from Tommy John surgery, walked three batters and struck out four. He threw 91 pitches (59 strikes) over the five innings and got 14 whiffs, including eight on his slider.

Alvarez, who leads the American League in all three Triple Crown categories, reached 90 RBIs for the fourth time in his career and is approaching his career high of 104 set in 2021.

Isaac Paredes led off the fourth with a walk against A’s starter J.T. Ginn and eventually scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Christian Walker, who later snapped an 0-for-16 slump with a single. Nick Allen walked in the fifth and scored from first on a scorching double (113.2 mph exit velocity) off the bat of Alvarez for a 2-0 lead. Paredes followed with a double just inside the first-base bag to score Alvarez.

The A’s put two runners on base in the sixth against reliever Bennett Sousa and two more on base in the seventh against Bryan Abreu, but couldn’t come through with a big hit. Alvarez doubled off the left-field wall in the seventh to score Raynel Delgado.