Rookie Lucas Spence hit his first three career homers and drove in five runs and the Houston Astros smacked five homers while posting a 7-5 victory over the Athletics on Thursday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker added solo blasts for the Astros (79-80), who remained tied for first in the American League West with the Rangers (79-80). Houston holds the tiebreaker, having gone 9-4 vs. Texas this year.
Zack Gelof hit two homers and Jeff McNeil drilled a three-run shot for the Athletics (63-96), who lost for the seventh time in nine games.
Houston reliever Miguel Ullola (2-0) gave up one hit in three scoreless innings. Brayan Abreu worked 1 1/3 shutout innings for his ninth save as the Astros won for the fourth time in their last 12 contests.
Spence, 23, broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh when he came up with one out against Scott Blewett (2-2) and hit his second homer of the night. He smacked a 1-1 fastball 387 feet to right-center.
Walker made it a two-run margin in the eighth when he drilled a 436-foot blast to left-center off Chris Roycroft.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Gelof hit his second homer of the game to bring the A’s back within one. He socked a pitch from Bennett Sousa, and the ball hit the top of the fence in left-center and bounced over.
The Athletics’ Michael Stefanic reached on an infield single with two outs before Abreu entered and walked Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Jonah Heim lined out to Spence in center to end the inning.
Spence then led off the ninth and hit a first-pitch fastball from Elvis Alvarado over the wall in right to make it 7-5. He joins Seby Zavala (July 31, 2021) and Joshua Baez (Aug. 15, 2026) as the only players to hit their first three career homers in the same game.
Walker and Cam Smith hit back-to-back one-out singles in the second before Spence came up and hit his first major league homer. He jumped on a 1-1 changeup from Mason Barnett and sent it 429 feet over the wall in right-center.
In the third, Heim drew a leadoff walk and Shea Langeliers hit a two-out single for the A’s. McNeil followed by hitting a 2-2 fastball from Peter Lambert over the wall in right-center to tie the score.
Three pitches later, Gelof homered to center to give the A’s a 4-3 lead.
Houston tied the score in the sixth when Paredes homered to left off Barnett.
Barnett gave up four runs and four hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out eight.
Lambert allowed four runs and six hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
