A's Cotton Notches First Big League Victory in Two Months: ‘He Found Out If…'

HOUSTON - No one questions the quality of stuff that Jharel Cotton takes to the mound.

According to A's manager Bob Melvin, the key for his rookie starter is more an issue of mindset and aggressiveness.

Cotton was in attack mode Sunday after a wobbly first inning against the Houston Astros. The result was an encouraging six-inning outing that set the A's on the path to a 3-2 victory that helped them avoid a three-game sweep at Minute Maid Park.

While the victory was important for his team's overall psyche, Melvin also hopes it triggers some confidence for Cotton in how he can attack a dangerous lineup and have success.

"I think he found out if he throws the ball over the plate, it's gonna allow him to stay in the game longer," Melvin said. "He should take a lot out of this game, especially against a lineup like that. Knowing that if I'm throwing the ball over the plate, using a mix of pitches and I'm not afraid to use my fastball, that the results can be good. We've seen him pitch really good games because he's got good stuff."

Cotton (6-10) rang up his first major league victory since June 23 against the White Sox. That was before a blister on his thumb led to a stint on the disabled list. Since then, he'd struggled with walks, ill-timed homers, and generally enough turbulence to invite speculation on whether the A's might skip him for a start or send him down.

He answered Sunday by holding the majors' highest-scoring team to two runs on four hits over his six innings. That was after walking two in a 25-pitch first. Not since that scoreless outing against the White Sox back in June had Cotton surrendered less than four runs in a game.

A's closer Blake Treinen, who recorded a six-out save and combined with fellow reliever Chris Hatcher to bring home the ‘W' for Cotton, said watching Cotton tame the Astros lineup didn't surprise him.

"I'd heard of him from before I was even (traded to the A's), and I've seen his stuff. Sometimes as a young pitcher it just takes experience. When things are going really well, you don't have to think.You just trust it."

The A's beat the Astros for just the third time in 15 games this season. On so many occasions, Houston has taken advantage of Oakland mistakes and forced the issue with aggressive baserunning. On Sunday, it was the A's who dictated things in that fashion.

Center fielder Boog Powell, who went 3-for-4 with a walk from the leadoff spot, led the game off with a single against Brad Peacock (10-2). Then Marcus Semien grounded one toward the hole on the left side. With Powell racing hard into second, Astros shortstop Alex Bregman threw wildly into right field. Powell came around to score, and Semien - advancing all the way to third - came home on the play when Marwin Gonzalez made another throwing error.

Jed Lowrie scored on a passed ball in the sixth to push the A's lead to 3-1, marking the first time in Oakland history the A's scored three or more runs in a game without notching a single RBI.

Semien's mad dash around the bases reminded him of a similar play as a Little Leaguer in El Cerrito, when he circled the bases in the same kind of way on his mother's birthday. Afterward, she convinced him he'd hit a real homer.

"I got some texts from some old Little League friends about that one today," Semien said.

It wasn't conventional, and it didn't matter. Over the first two games of this series, the A's had scored one run total and advanced just one runner as far as third base.

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