Athletics pounce on former teammate to put away Astros

Rookie Nick Kurtz recorded his fourth career three-hit game while Luis Severino carried a shutout into the seventh inning as the visiting Athletics claimed a 5-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday.
The Athletics opened the four-game series by banging out 12 hits, with 11 coming against former Athletics right-hander Jason Alexander (1-1). Kurtz produced a pair of doubles as part of his three-hit performance, while Gio Urshela went 3-for-4.
The Athletics applied pressure on Alexander throughout his six-inning stint. Lawrence Butler walked with one out in the top of the second inning and advanced to third base when Astros catcher Victor Caratini unleashed an errant throw into center field as Butler swiped second. Carlos Cortes then lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Butler for a 1-0 lead.
Two innings later, Cortes recorded his first career hit to ignite a two-run frame that featured singles from Urshela and Luis Urias and an RBI double from Kurtz. A low throw from Astros second baseman Brice Matthews prevented Alexander from recording an inning-ending double play and set the table for Kurtz to to extend the Athletics’ lead to 3-0.
Shea Langeliers added a sacrifice fly in the fifth that plated Brent Rooker for a 4-0 advantage. Urias extended that margin to 5-0 with a solo homer with one out in the sixth, his eighth home run on the year.
Alexander, selected off waivers by Houston on May 18, allowed five runs and issued two walks while recording three strikeouts in his second start for the Astros. He made four relief appearances for the Athletics before recording a quality start against them on June 17.
Severino (4-11) buckled down after surrendering a leadoff single to Taylor Trammell in the bottom of the first. He retired eight consecutive batters before Trammell laced a single off the right-field wall with two outs in the third, a ball so soundly struck that Cortes retrieved it off the carrom and erased Trammell as he attempted to stretch the hit into a double.
Severino faced the minimum over the ensuing three innings. He faltered in the seventh when he hit Jose Altuve with a pitch and surrendered a double to Caratini before Christian Walker and Cam Smith produced run-scoring outs.
Severino allowed two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings. Mason Miller notched a four-out save, his 20th, for the Athletics.