Oakland Athletics pitcher Adam Oller on Monday sat at his locker a nervous wreck as he watched the stressful final few outs on a corner clubhouse TV, elbows on knees and knees bouncing into the air.
Lou Trivino eventually finished it and Oller finally had his first major-league win, more than four months in the making.
“I’m glad it’s over,” the 27-year-old said of the weight off his shoulders, the sheer relief, special game ball ready to be sent to his mother after Tony Kemp homered and hit a two-run double and Skye Bolt added a two-run shot as the A’s held off the red-hot Houston Astros 7-5 then celebrated Oller afterward with a beer shower.
Photo: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY
Oller (1-3) struck out four over five innings, allowing four runs — three earned — on four hits, and earned the victory in his sixth start and fourth stint of the year with Oakland that included some relief appearances.
He arrived in the trade in March that sent ace Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets. During one return to Triple-A Las Vegas, Oller was told to only throw fastballs until he rediscovered his rhythm.
“It’s unreal,” said Oller, who was born just outside Houston, Texas, and still lives in the area. “It only took four months, but we got it.”
Photo: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY
“It goes back to all the stuff in between, all the ups and downs in the minor leagues, all the long hours in the off-season working to finally get to this point,” he said. “It goes to trusting your stuff. That’s kind of been something I’ve dealt with in the past, not being as confident in myself, thinking I don’t deserve to be there.”
Elvis Andrus added an insurance RBI single in the eighth for Oakland before closer Trivino surrendered a solo homer to Chas McCormick, then finished for his ninth save by striking out Jeremy Pena with runners on first and second.
American League West-leading Houston took their first defeat after a 5-0 start since the All-Star break.
The Astros are an AL-best 28-10 dating to June 12 and are now 32-17 against the AL West.
“The bottom of their order, seven and eight, Bolt and Kemp, they beat us by themselves tonight,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve certainly got to do better against them.”
Pena homered in the first for Houston before Kemp’s tying drive leading off the third against right-hander Jake Odorizzi (4-3), who had been 4-0 over his previous seven starts, but dealt with a blister this time that bothered him.
Yordan Alvarez came home on a double-steal in the sixth, and Pena doubled and scored on pitcher Domingo Acevedo’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt as Houston pulled within 6-4.
Oakland’s Chad Pinder made his third career start at first base and first since 2019.
In other games on Monday, it was:
‧ Brewers 0, Rockies 2
‧ Cubs 3, Pirates 2
‧ Diamondbacks 7, Giants 0
‧ Dodgers 1, Nationals 4
‧ Mariners 4, Rangers 3
‧ Orioles 5, Rays 1
‧ Phillies 6, Braves 4
‧ Red Sox 3, Guardians 1
‧ Reds 11, Marlins 2
‧ Royals 7, Angels 0
‧ Tigers 12, Padres 4
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