WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Zack Gelof kept matching Houston's power, and it still was not enough.
In the third inning Thursday at Sutter Health Park, Jeff McNeil's three-run homer tied the game, and Gelof followed with a solo shot to center that put the Athletics ahead 4-3. When Christian Walker's eighth-inning blast stretched Houston's lead to 6-4, Gelof answered again - his second homer of the night, Nos. 21 and 22 on the year - to pull Sacramento within one.
ESPN's box lists Gelof 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and a walk. The Athletics still fell 7-5.
Lucas Spence, called up a day earlier, launched three balls out in his first career multi-homer binge and drove in five, the Associated Press reported. A three-run drive in the second put Houston on the board. He added a go-ahead solo in the seventh and another in the ninth.
Isaac Paredes also homered for Houston. The Astros (79-80) stayed locked with Texas atop the AL West; Houston owns the head-to-head edge at 9-4, per the AP.
Back-and-forth into September's last weekend
McNeil finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, the three-run drive off Peter Lambert the swing that erased Spence's early damage. Lawrence Butler went 3-for-5 with a double but did not drive in a run. Henry Bolte, a night after a four-hit game, went 0-for-5.
Mason Barnett set a career high with six innings, striking out eight while allowing four runs on four hits and two walks. Scott Blewett (2-2) inherited the seventh and surrendered Spence's go-ahead homer. Miguel Ullola (2-0) threw three scoreless frames for Houston after Lambert exited with two outs in the third.
Bryan Abreu finished the last out of the eighth and the ninth for his ninth save.
