Tucker's HR backs McCullers' strong start

HOUSTON -- It took solid execution across the board for the Astros to snap a six-game losing streak against the A’s in Game 1 of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, with starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and outfielder Kyle Tucker leading the way.

McCullers held the A’s to one earned run in six innings and Tucker slugged a three-run homer in the first inning to send the Astros to a 4-2 win in a battle of American League West leaders at Minute Maid Park. The Astros trimmed Oakland’s division lead to 3 1/2 games with their first win over the A’s since last year.

• Box score

Here are three keys to the Astros’ win:

Super defense
No play was bigger than shortstop Carlos Correa’s relay throw to get Mark Canha at home plate in the second inning. The throw was 88.2 mph, according to Statcast, and kept the A’s off the board. Canha had walked with two outs and was trying to score on a Ramón Laureano double to left, but Michael Brantley got the ball quickly and threw to Correa.

“I’ve been saying this, especially, about Carlos,” McCullers said. “He’s just so special to watch, especially on defense. I have gotten to see his evolution as a player, and the pride he has on the defensive side of the ball changes games and it changed the game for me today. I owe him a bottle of wine.”

Correa’s throw home short-hopped catcher Martín Maldonado, who was able to catch the ball and apply the tag on a sliding Canha to end the inning. The Astros also turned double plays to end the third and fourth innings.

“That’s how you practice it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “[Correa] threw a seed down there, a one-hop seed. He short-hopped Maldonado a little bit and he picked it up. It was a difficult play and he tagged the runner. That was huge. That would have made it 3-1 with runners in scoring position. Who knows after that?”

McCullers remembers his stuff
McCullers (3-2) struck out a season-high-tying seven batters, including four of the first five batters he faced, while allowing six hits. He gave up an RBI groundout by Matt Chapman in the fourth and had a throwing error in the sixth that led to an unearned run.

McCullers said he had gotten away from his strengths as a pitcher, especially when he pitches on the road. He tried to be more aggressive in the zone Saturday and away from contact more. McCullers got 13 swings-and-misses Saturday, including six on his curveball and five on his changeup.

“As much as I want to be Dallas Keuchel, I’m much more of a stuff guy,” said McCullers, who has a 1.82 ERA at home this year. “I just went out there and was really confident in my ability to throw strikes with all my pitches, and it was a good game.”

Tucker carrying offense
The Astros entered Saturday leading the American League in runs per game with 5.35 despite subpar seasons from George Springer and Jose Altuve, slugger Yordan Alvarez missing all but two games and Alex Bregman out for a week with a hamstring strain. Tucker is a big reason why.

He smacked a three-run homer off Chris Bassitt for the Astros, who rallied after two outs in the first. Brantley walked and Yuli Gurriel doubled before Tucker socked his team-leading sixth homer down the right-field line to make it 3-0.

Tucker is slashing .519/.618/1.296 with four homers, 10 runs and 15 RBIs in his last nine games. He has nine extra-base hits in that span and five multihit games

“He’s actually carrying us right now with RBIs and runs and home runs,” Baker said. “I’m glad he is. He’s coming into his own. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and he’s driving in some big runs.”