Gray outpitches Kazmir as A’s blank Astros, 4-0

OAKLAND, Calif. History held firm in the A’s 4-0 win over the Astros on Tuesday.

Sonny Gray was No. 1, Scott Kazmir No. 2.

Kazmir was Gray’s mentor for most of the past year and a half, but Gray was always the man at the top of the Oakland rotation. Tuesday the A’s saw Kazmir on the mound for the first time since he was dealt to Houston at the trade deadline.

The pecking order didn’t change Tuesday. Gray throwing a five-hitter for seven innings as the last-place A’s best American League West-leading Astros for the second night running. Kazmir was no easy customer, as is usually the case, but the A’s beat up on the man with the fourth-best ERA in the league for a couple of homers.

Billy Burns hit his fourth homer up to the TD deck in left center to open the fourth, and two innings later Mark Canha went down the left field line with two men on to give Gray a sizable measure of breathing room. He came into the game 27-2 with a lead of four runs, and he locked this one down.

In the process, Gray burnished his Cy Young Award credentials, taking over the A.L. ERA lead at 2.28. Houston’s Dallas Keuchel is at 2.29.

Kazmir, who crafted most of his 2.50 pregame ERA during his time with the A’s before the trade, said Monday there was plenty of trash talk to be had between he and Gray, but none of that was in evidence on the field as both men did what they do best.

Gray faced a jam of his own making in the second inning, opening with a leadoff double from Carlos Gomez, then adding to his troubles with back-to-back one-out walks to Evan Gattis and Luis Valbuena.

He needed just a deep breath and a moment to get some composure, something he and Kazmir talked about many times. Once he got that, it took just five pitches to get out of trouble, striking out Hank Conger on three, then getting a foul pop on the second pitch to Jake Marisnick.

Burns’ leadoff homer in the third, his fourth of a year that will garner him some Rookie of the Year votes, got Gray the lead he needed. Houston put two on in the fifth, but A’s-killer Jose Altuve flew out. And he put two on with two out in the seventh and struck out Altuve, who came into the game with a .339 average against Oakland pitching.

Ryan Dull pitched a scoreless eighth inning and as he has yet to give up a run since his promotion, pitched a scoreless ninth as well.

Catcher Stephen Vogt spent a second consecutive day at home after taking a foul tip in the groin, but a second ultrasound showed no rupture and nothing that would need surgery, so he is expected to rejoin the A’s Wednesday, although manager Bob Melvin said “it could take a while” before he can catch again.

Craig Gentry, who began the season in the big leagues but who spent most of 2015 in the minors, was called up for the final four weeks of the season Tuesday. Making the trip with him from Triple-A Nashville was first baseman/third baseman Max Muncy.

Burns had three homers in five minor league seasons. He has four homers this year, his first in the big leagues.

A’s DH Billy Butler singled three times and has a nine-game hitting streak. He’s had multiple hits in five of the nine games.

The A’s announced their 2016 scheduled Tuesday and their first two long trips in April and May are three-city swings to the Eastern Time Zone. They have the Yankees, the Blue Jays and the Tigers from April 19-28 and the Orioles, Red Sox and Rays May 6-15. After that Oakland won’t go to the East the rest of the season. Compare that to 2015, when Oakland made four separate trips to East cities.

Minor league pitching coordinator Garvin Alston is with the A’s for this homestand as the A’s bring in minor league personnel for stays with the big clubs. Double-A Midland manager Ryan Christenson is expected on the next homestand.

Outfielder Sam Fuld hasn’t played in a game since Aug 30 and has just one at-bat since Aug. 23, but he could be ready to start for the A’s as soon as Wednesday. Melvin said Fuld’s back problem is improving daily, and that he might even be available as a pinch-runner or defensive change Tuesday night.

Right-handed starter Chris Bassitt hasn’t throw a ball since shoulder issues cropped up in his start on Aug. 26, but that could change this weekend, Melvin said. Bassitt, whose 2.82 ERA belied the bad luck of a 1-6 record, wants to start a game again before the end of the season, but that possibility is going less likely by the day. Citing the amount of time it takes to build up arm strength for a starting pitcher, Melvin implied that a relief appearance was more likely.

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