The A's offense went cold in an 8-1 loss to the Astros on July 24, 2025. Despite an early RBI from Miguel Andujar, JP Sears and the A's dropped a 4th straight.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a frustrating case of déjà vu for Athletics fans on Thursday, as the team's offense went missing once again in an 8-1 rout at the hands of the Houston Astros. The loss marks Oakland's fourth straight, a skid defined by an inability to plate runs and put pressure on their opponents.
The Athletics have now lost four consecutive games and scored just five runs over their last three contests.
The game started with a flash of promise. In the very first inning, Lawrence Butler led off with a hit and was promptly driven in by a Miguel Andujar double. But that 1-0 lead was as good as it would get. Astros starter Hunter Brown settled in and dominated, striking out eight A's over six innings. Oakland managed nine hits but couldn't string them together, leaving eight runners stranded. Meanwhile, JP Sears couldn't hold Houston's lineup in check, getting tagged for seven earned runs in 6.1 innings. A fifth-inning solo homer by Chas McCormick and a back-breaking four-run rally by the Astros in the seventh sealed Oakland's fate.
While the on-field action was disappointing, the rest of the A's universe was remarkably quiet. There were no trades, no roster moves, no new injury updates, and no major announcements from the team or its minor league affiliates. With the trade deadline approaching, the lack of activity might be the calm before the storm, but for now, it puts the team's current performance under an even brighter microscope. The last move remains Denzel Clarke's trip to the IL on Tuesday.
This loss drops the A's to 42-62 on the season, keeping them firmly in the basement of the AL West. The four-game losing streak is concerning, but the offensive trend is the real story. Scoring just five runs in three games is not a recipe for success against any team, let alone a division rival like the Astros. The pressure is mounting on the lineup to find a spark and provide some support for a pitching staff that has been left with no margin for error.
The A's will need to wash this one away quickly as they continue their series in Houston. The challenge is clear: find a way to generate offense. Whether it's a lineup shuffle, a different approach at the plate, or simply a key player getting hot, something needs to change to break this slump. Fans will be watching tomorrow to see if Oakland can finally put a crooked number on the board and get back in the win column.
