HOUSTON -- The A’s dropped down three consecutive bunts against reliever Héctor Neris to start the 12th inning, enabling them to push across a pair of runs, to beat the Astros, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

After Oakland scored twice in the top of the 12th, the Astros got an RBI double by Jose Altuve to cut the lead to one, but Altuve was stranded at third.

The Astros are 77-67 with 18 games remaining in the regular season. They still have 4 1/2-game lead atop the American League West over the second-place Mariners, who lost to the Padres on Tuesday.

Astros rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who allowed nine runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning on Wednesday in Cincinnati, held the A’s to two runs on seven hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings in a solid rebound performance.

A’s starter JP Sears threw six scoreless innings, allowing four singles and striking out one batter. The Astros had only two runners reach second base against Sears, who set down 14 of the final 17 batters he faced. Houston rallied in the seventh against reliever Tyler Ferguson, tying the game on an RBI triple by Jon Singleton and bloop single by Altuve.