Tony Kemp and Skye Bolt hit home runs and Adam Oller beat his hometown team for his first major league win Monday night as the Oakland Athletics opened a three-game home series against the Houston Astros with a 7-5 victory.
Kemp and Bolt combined for four hits, five RBIs and three runs for the A's, who won for the fourth time in their last five games and for just the fourth time in 10 meetings with the Astros this season.
Houston had a five-game overall winning streak snapped despite getting homers from Jeremy Pena and Chas McCormick.
Kemp's homer, his fourth of the year, offset Pena's earlier solo shot, his 15th, to draw the A's even in the third inning. Oakland then produced a five-run fourth against Astros starter Jake Odorizzi (4-3).
Ramon Laureano ignited Oakland's big inning with a double and came around to give the A's the lead for good on an RBI single by Elvis Andrus.
Kemp added a two-run double two batters later to increase the lead to 4-1, after which Bolt belted his third homer of the season, a two-run shot that gave Oakland a five-run lead.
A native of the Houston suburb of Conroe, Oller (1-3) took a 6-2 lead into the sixth before giving up a double and a walk. The rookie was pulled at that point, and the Astros wound up scoring twice in the inning, including once on a double steal by Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez, to get within 6-4.
However, the Oakland bullpen slammed the door from there, with four relievers combining for four innings of one-run ball.
Oller, who was making his sixth major league start, was charged with four runs (three earned) on four hits in five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out four.
A's closer Lou Trivino picked up his ninth save despite allowing McCormick's solo homer, his 10th, with one out in the ninth.
Two-out singles by J.J. Matijevic and Jose Altuve put the potential tying run on base later in the inning before Trivino struck out Pena to end it.
McCormick finished with two hits and two RBIs for the Astros, who were coming off a three-game road sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Pena had a double to complement his homer and scored twice.
Kemp went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs, while Bolt was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Oakland, which outhit the visitors 10-7. Andrus chipped in with three hits and two RBIs.
More must-reads: