Astros dump Athletics for fifth consecutive victory

Aledmys Diaz smacked a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning and Lance McCullers Jr. recorded his highest regular-season strikeout total in more than four years as the host Houston Astros downed the Oakland Athletics 5-2 on Thursday.

The Astros (94-50) extended their winning streak to five games, and they have won 13 of their past 16 games overall. The victory over Oakland (52-92) in the opener of a four-game set cl