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A's hold off Astros

Jul 24, 2014 - 6:01 AM Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Yoenis Cespedes clubbed two homers and drove in five runs to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros in the second of three from O.co Coliseum.

John Jaso went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Jed Lowrie added a solo homer for the A's. Jesse Chavez (8-6) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts to pick up the win.

Brad Peacock (3-7) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Jon Singleton knocked in two runs, while five other Astros provided an RBI apiece in the setback.

Lowrie led off the second with his fifth homer of the season. Josh Reddick then walked, Eric Sogard singled and Coco Crisp walked to load the bases. Jaso sent a sacrifice fly into center that scored Reddick before Cespedes smoked a three-run shot over the wall in center that gave the hosts a 5-0 edge.

"(Cespedes) has been real diligent in batting practice staying up the middle," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "His strength is using the whole field."

Cespedes struck again in the fourth with a two-run blast to left that plated Jaso, who doubled with one out.

Matt Dominguez gave Houston its first hit with one out in the fifth and he later scored on Marwin Gonzalez's groundout.

Cespedes left the game after his at-bat in the fifth with a sprained right thumb.

Jaso added to the lead with an RBI single that restored the seven-run cushion, but Singleton ripped a double to left in the away sixth that cut the deficit to 8-2.

Oakland loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and got an RBI grounder from Craig Gentry to increase the margin to 9-2.

That run in the seventh proved to be pivotal as Houston charged back with a five-run eighth. Jose Altuve and Jason Castro opened the frame with singles against Jim Johnson, then Chris Carter crushed a run-scoring double to center that plated Altuve. Marc Krauss followed with an RBI single that cut the deficit to 9-4.

Dan Otero replaced Johnson, who didn't record an out, and Singleton grounded one to third where Josh Donaldson committed a throwing error that kept the rally alive. After a lineout from Dominguez, Robbie Grossman and Enrique Hernandez each contributed RBI singles which made it a two-run game.

Luke Gregerson was called upon to end the mess, and he immediately struck out Tuesday's hero L.J. Hoes before inducing an inning-ending groundout from Altuve.

"Whenever you give up a five-spot early in the game it makes it pretty difficult," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "Our guys did a tremendous job of mounting the comeback but we just came up short."

Sean Doolittle ended any hope of a comeback by converting his 15th save of the season in the ninth.

Game Notes

It was Cespedes' fifth-career multi-homer game and second this season. The homers were his first in a game since June 19 ... Johnson allowed four runs -- three earned -- in his appearance, raising his ERA to 6.92 on the year ... Donaldson now has 18 errors this season ... Crisp had three walks in the win ... Houston went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.