HOUSTON -- A's veteran Matt Joyce played robber in the early going of Thursday's 6-1 loss in Houston, stealing a home run away from Josh Reddick with a leaping catch in right field in the first inning.
"Kind of Reddick-esque," said A's manager Bob Melvin, who many a time watched Reddick star in highlight-reel plays in Oakland. "Apropos that he robbed him."
Reddick tipped his cap in recognition of Joyce, who snagged the ball over Minute Maid Park's short right-field wall for the second out of the inning.
"I knew it was going to be close to the wall, and I was kind of going back and started reaching for the wall and didn't feel the wall, so I couldn't really tell how close I was," Joyce said. "It got to the point where I was like, 'OK, I know I'm close, so let's go ahead and go for it.' I felt the fans in there with me trying to get the ball, but obviously it was nice to come down with it.
"I've had that done to me. That's a tough feeling for a hitter, but it's fun as an outfielder to take a hit away like that."
Said Reddick: "Any time somebody makes a play on me like that, it's just a great play. You've got to recognize and tip your cap to him. He made a heck of a play."
Reddick, who manned right field for the A's for four-plus seasons, went on to collect two hits and a sacrifice fly against his former team, with Joyce's grab resulting in a lone bright spot for Oakland in the series finale.
Joyce's defensive efforts helped rookie starter Daniel Gossett cruise through the first three innings. The right-hander retired his first 10 batters before yielding two hits in the fourth -- including the first of two Carlos Correa two-run homers on the day.
"I saw him going back, and I knew it was either going to be gone or he was going to do something unbelievable, and it was the latter," Gossett said of Joyce's grab. "I had no clue. I was holding my breath, then you see him go up for it, and I thought he missed it. He showed the ball, heart rate went up a bit, it was awesome."
Reddick hopes to return the favor when the two clubs reconvene play at Minute Maid Park in August.
"He made a good play," he said. "We have two more series? I'll get him back, hopefully."