3 takeaways after A's shine in series win over Astros

HOUSTON -- The A’s were in position for a sweep of the Astros at Minute Maid Park, something that has eluded them since 2013.

Though Brent Rooker's 36th home run of the year -- a solo shot off Ryan Pressly -- made it a tie ballgame heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Astros ultimately staved off a sweep with a four-run eighth to sink the A’s, 6-3, on Thursday afternoon.

Nonetheless, taking two of three from a first-place Astros club falls in line with what continues to shape up as a strong finish for the A’s. It’s also a series win that felt like another day at the office for this young Oakland squad, which now believes it can hang with any team in baseball.

“The most telling thing about this series win is how normal it felt,” Rooker said. “There’s been times the last two years where if we had come into Houston and won a series, it would have felt like a really big deal. This just felt like it was a normal thing.”

That confidence is generated from their 34-27 record since July 1, third best in the American League behind only the Tigers and Astros over that span.

“We’ve been playing so well that we expect to win series, no matter who it’s against or where it is,” Rooker said. “Obviously, [the Astros] are a really good team who could very well be playing for a World Series. We came in and won a series, and it just felt like what we were supposed to do. That shows the growth we’ve had and where our mindset is.”

Before heading to Chicago for six games against the White Sox and Cubs, here are three takeaways from the series finale in Houston:

Bleday in Hall of Fame company
JJ Bleday is leaving his mark with one of the better performances by an A’s center fielder in quite some time.

Two nights after he surpassed Dave Henderson for most doubles by a center fielder in Oakland history, Bleday roped a double off Astros starter Framber Valdez in the sixth to bring his total to 40 on the year.

Now sitting at 20 home runs and 40 doubles, Bleday is only the second center fielder (min. 50 percent of games played in center field) in A’s history to hit 20 homers and 40 doubles in a season. The last player to do so was Hall of Famer Al Simmons (24 home runs and 43 doubles) nearly a century ago for the Philadelphia A’s in 1925.

Bleday is one of two center fielders in MLB this season with 20 homers and 40 doubles, joining Red Sox All-Star Jarren Duran. Before those two, the last MLB center fielder to reach 20 and 40 in a single season was Jacoby Ellsbury in 2011 with Boston.

“He’s really solidified himself,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Bleday. “I think he’s one of the better center fielders amongst the 30 teams right now, and he’s earned every bit of that with the work that he’s put in. … He’s only going to continue to get better.”

Streaks and milestones
Lawrence Butler’s third-inning double extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the Majors. Meanwhile, Rooker extended his on-base streak to 22 with the game-tying homer.

The quest for becoming the sixth player in Oakland history with 40 home runs is attainable with 15 games remaining. Rooker’s most satisfying milestone, however, occurred Wednesday when he reached 100 RBIs for the first time in his career.

“I’m proud of that one,” Rooker said. “It shows the growth and maturity that I’ve gone through as a hitter from last year to this year. I’m a better and more complete hitter. … More than hitting home runs, I think the ability to drive in more runs than I did last year shows that.”

Wilson wizardry
Jacob Wilson looked every bit like his billing as the A’s No. 1 prospect. The 22-year-old shortstop shined on both ends, first robbing Alex Bregman of a hit with a stellar play in the first and later setting up Oakland’s first run by smacking a double to right off Valdez to lead off the seventh as part of a two-hit day.

“He’s been as advertised,” Rooker said. “The bat-to-ball skills are real. His ability to just go out there and find knocks is real. He’s been a really good shortstop, too. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow and develop. … He’s going to be a really good asset to this club moving forward.”