A few positives for A’s despite loss to Astros

Oakland played superbly in the field, with outstanding catches by Matt Joyce and Adam Rosales, and rookie Daniel Gossett was terrific at times in his fourth big-league start.

Sure, the A’s lost 6-1 the Astros, but the team with the majors’ best record routinely makes Oakland look silly and Thursday was anything but that.

Rosales made a great diving catch in the third inning on a liner by Alex Bregman, but it was Joyce who made the best play of the day.

With one out in the first, Josh Reddick hit a high drive to deep right and Joyce leaped with his glove extended well over the top of the fence, to haul in the ball, taking away a homer.

Reddick, who made many such a grab while the A’s right fielder, doffed his helmet in respect.

Gossett retired the first 10 Houston hitters before Reddick’s one-out double in the fourth, and with two outs, Carlos Correa drove a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right-center.

The Astros loaded the bases with nobody out, and Gossett struck out Jake Marisnick and got George Springer to line into a double play.

Gossett hadn’t allowed an earned run in his previous outing, and he’d limited Houston to two runs in 62/3 innings on June 19.

Ryon Healy and Matt Olson singled to open the inning, Josh Phegley walked, and with one out, Rosales drove in a run with a fielder’s-choice groundball.

Oakland hitters struck out 14 times, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on.

The A’s won the first four games on the trip before dropping the last two, recording their first winning road trip of the season.