Astros: Myles Straw instrumental in sweep of Oakland

The Houston Astros complete the weekend sweep of the Oakland A’s and Myles Straw’s speed was key to Sunday afternoon’s victory.

Myles Straw is the latest call-up from Round Rock to make a big contribution for the Astros. Straw put his speed on full display yesterday stealing three bases and manufacturing runs to help get the team off to a 3-0 start to this seven-game road trip.

After going 0-for-4 in a  disappointing showing for his first start of the season Saturday, Straw was out for redemption and redemption he got. He reached base four times in his five plate appearances with three singles and a walk, catapulting his batting average to .375 and his on-base percentage to .444.

But more importantly, he used his speed to put himself in scoring position time after time. Straw scored the third, fourth and fifth runs for the Astros, accounting for half of the six runs needed to topple the Oakland A’s in twelve innings.

On a day when the pitching staff just couldn’t quite put the game away, that speed was influential in the victory. Gerrit Cole got off to a rough start surrendering two home runs in the second inning, one to Robbie Grossman and the second to Jurickson Profar two batters later.

Then in the fifth inning, Straw crossed the plate with the go-ahead run, scoring all the way from first on Alex Bregman‘s single. In the seventh inning, Straw drew a walk, stole second and was knocked in by Derek Fisher‘s single scoring an insurance run.

But in the bottom half of the seventh, Will Harris gives up a homer to Ramon Laureano. Then in the following inning, Ryan Pressly would get a blown save when Matt Chapman knocks one over the wall to tie the game back up in the eighth.

The game would remain tied up until the top of the 12th inning when, guess who, Myles Straw singles, steals second, and scores the winning run on a single by Michael Brantley. The Astros would then make it 6-4 when Yuli Gurriel knocks in Alex Bregman to complete the win and the sweep.

There is no doubt that Straw’s speed was an essential part of that victory over the A’s. With Carlos Correa out for an undetermined amount of time with cracked ribs, Straw’s ability to fill in at short will be an asset the Astros will need as they try to get over this injury bug.