Oakland Athletics score 2 runs in 12th to outlast Houston Astros 4-3

HOUSTON (AP) — Zack Gelof homered early, Max Schuemann and Nick Allen drove in runs with 12th-inning bunts and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Tuesday night.

With the score 2-2, Daz Cameron’s bunt single to start the 12th sent Gelof, the automatic runner, to third.

Schuemann then bunted to Héctor Neris (9-5), who spiked his throw home as Gelof scored on the sacrifice. Cameron moved to third on the error as the ball rolled in the field.

With runners at the corners, Allen bunted into a forceout that scored Cameron for a 4-2 lead.

“That was well-executed,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Obviously Daz was bunting for a hit... We had a couple of guys up there that can bunt and they do a good job with it with Schuman and Allen. We took our chances there getting a run.”

Houston manager Joe Espada was disappointed in his team's defense in the 12th.

“We just didn't do a good job of handling the ball there in that inning,” Espada said.

Jose Altuve hit an RBI double leading off the bottom half off Hogan Harris (4-3), who retired the next three batters. Houston went 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

“We battled to the end,” Espada said. “We had the right guys at the plate when we wanted to and we just couldn’t — it was just one of those games.”

Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the 11th for Houston.

Houston had a runner on third with two outs in the 10th when Jeremy Peña hit a fly ball to right field. But Cameron made a diving catch to rob him of a hit and end the inning.

“Right away I thought to myself (go) in, and I made a sick catch,” Cameron said. “The ball was tailing away and I dove at it and caught it. It was good knowing it kept us in the game to win it.”

Jacob Wilson’s sacrifice bunt sent the automatic runner to third to start the 10th before Abreu struck out the next two batters.

Altuve singled off Scott Alexander with two outs in the ninth before Yordan Alvarez sent him to third on a groundball single that rolled just past diving second baseman Gelof. But Alexander struck out Tucker to send it to extra innings.

The Astros had a runner on first trailing with one out in the seventh when pinch-hitter Jon Singleton hit his first career triple off the wall in left-center to cut the lead to 2-1. Pinch-runner Jason Heyward took over for him and scored when Altuve hit a bloop single to shallow center field to tie it.

Oakland starter JP Sears allowed four hits and walked two in six scoreless innings.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti tied a season high by allowing seven hits with two runs in 6 2/3 innings. It was his first start since he permitted nine runs — three earned — while getting just two outs in a 12-5 loss to the Reds.

Brent Rooker hit a one-out single in the first and moved to third on a single by J.J. Bleday. The Athletics took the lead when Rooker scored on a sacrifice fly by Shea Langeliers.

Oakland extended the lead to 2-0 when Gelof sent the first pitch of the second inning to the train tracks atop left field for his 17th homer this season.

Trainer’s Room

Athletics: RHP Osvaldo Bido, who was scheduled to start Tuesday’s game, was instead placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, with right wrist flexor tendonitis. … LHP Brady Basso and 1B/OF Ryan Noda were recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas and INF Tristan Gray was optioned to Las Vegas. … OF Miguel Andujar had core muscle surgery Tuesday with Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. He will return to Oakland to begin rehabilitation.

Astros: OF Chas McCormick left in the middle of the fifth with right wrist discomfort.

Up Next

Houston RHP Hunter Brown (11-7, 3.41 ERA) opposes RHP Joey Estes (6-7, 4.46) when the series continues Wednesday night.

AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB

Oakland Athletics' Zack Gelof, left, is safe at home plate as he scores on the sacrifice bunt by Max Schuemann as Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini, right, reaches for the ball during the 12th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker, left, scores on the sacrifice fly by Shea Langeliers as Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini reaches for the ball during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher J.P. Sears throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros' Jon Singleton, right, watches his one-run RBI triple in front of Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti throws against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astro' Yordan Alvarez and pinch runner Jason Heyward (22) celebrate Heyward's score on the RBI single by Jose Altuve against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve connects for his one-run RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

CORRECTS NAME TO ZACK GELOF NOT RYAN NODA - Oakland Athletics' Zack Gelof (20) touches the plate after his solo home run as Max Schuemann, left, and Armando Alvarez (50) wait on deck during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

From left, Oakland Athletics' Max Schuemann (12), Daz Cameron (28) and J.J. Bleday celebrate their win in 12 innings against the Houston Astros after a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson lays down a sacrifice bunt against the Houston Astros during the 10th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A speech by the Dutch king on Tuesday is to lay out the new government's plans for the coming year as members of the hard right-led coalition bicker over its plans to drastically slash migration.

The day, marked by pageantry as the royals are driven through The Hague in ornate horse-drawn carriages, also brings the first major test of a technocratic new government chosen by the right-wing parties that triumphed in last year's elections.

King Willem-Alexander’s speech to lawmakers from both houses of the Dutch parliament is written by the government and lays out legislative plans and the budget for the coming year.

On Monday, a senior member of a party in the coalition said she would oppose the government's plans to rein in immigration if a key political advisory panel rejects them.

The comments Monday by Nicolien van Vroonhoven of the New Social Contract party triggered angry reactions from Geert Wilders ’s populist anti-immigration Party for Freedom, which won national elections last year, and the conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

The spat underscored the fragility of a coalition that was pulled together after months of negotiations. Prime Minister Dick Schoof was eventually chosen to head a cabinet made up of politicians and civil servants because the leaders did not want the outspoken Wilders as prime minister.

While the government seeks consensus on a deal to drastically dial back immigration, a town in the northern Netherlands opened a sports hall overnight to accommodate asylum seekers who otherwise would have been forced to sleep outdoors because of a shortage of space at a reception center.

The mayor of Ter Apel accused Margriet Faber, the minister responsible for asylum seekers and migrants, of allowing an accomdation crisis to escalate.

“The minister is shunning her responsibility. She is responsible for people who come to the Netherlands for asylum. She has had enough time and sufficient opportunity to accommodate people in a decent way. She consciously does not do this,” mayor Jaap Velema said in a statement Monday.

The government is planning to declare an “asylum crisis” to pave the way for tougher measures including reining in visas for family members of people granted asylum and making it easier and quicker to deport migrants who are not eligible for asylum.

The government also plans to apply for an opt-out from European Union migration rules and step up border check following similar moves implemented Monday by neighboring Germany. It remains unclear how many of the Dutch government's plans can be enforced.

View of the governments buildings under renovation and the skyline of the Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)