Bayern Trupp » may be on the Buffalo

HOUSTON -- In at least one category, Dallas Keuchel is Clayton Kershaws equal. For at least one three-game series, Houston was better than Oakland. Keuchel pitched a four-hitter and Robbie Grossman homered to cap a six-run first inning that sent the Astros past the Athletics 8-1 Wednesday. Keuchel (10-7) pitched his fourth complete game of the season, tying Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead. And the Astros, 20 games under .500, won the series from the AL West-leading Athletics. "(The As) do a lot of things well," Keuchel said. "To get a complete game and get a win is something special in its own right." Marc Krauss beat out Oaklands try for a double play in the first, and the Astros went on to match a season high for runs in an inning. Keuchel struck out five and walked three. Manager Bo Porter lauded Keuchels "plus-command" and willingness to use his secondary pitches. As he mixed his pitches up, Kuechel kept he As guessing and forcing the type of contact that can make for a good day. Josh Donaldson hit his 23rd homer for Oaklands only run. Jason Hammel (0-4) remained winless in four starts since the As acquired him with pitcher Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs earlier this month. Hammel was 8-5 before the trade. Krauss hustled for an RBI grounder that kept the first inning going. After Jonathan Singleton walked, Matt Dominguez singled home a run, and another scored when centre fielder Billy Burns bobbled the ball. "Ill tell you, I think the biggest play of the game was Jason Castro going hard into second base and Marc Krauss absolutely giving the effort in which he gave getting down the line," Porter said. "Thats the way the game is supposed to be played. To both of those guys credit, they did a tremendous job in that situation." Carlos Corporan added an RBI single and Grossman, a late addition for the ill Chris Carter, homered into the right-field seats. Hammels day ended in the fifth when Singleton hit his eighth home run. "He had trouble getting the ball down again and in the next couple of innings when he got the ball down he was effective," As manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats where the movement takes over, the downhill plane and everything that makes him successful. And he had a tough time finishing guys off when he was ahead." TRAINERS ROOM Athletics: Outfielder Coco Crisp missed his fourth game in a row with a neck strain. Melvin said the club will know more about his condition when it returns home, but said Crisp wouldnt play Friday. Astros: Reliever Josh Zeid is scheduled to have surgeries on both feet in the next six weeks that will end his 2014 season. Carter was out with a stomach illness. ALTUVE EXTENDS STREAK, CESPEDES ENDS With his line drive single in the sixth inning Jose Altuve ran his hitting streak to 12 games tying his season high. Yoenis Cespedes was unable to continue his streak of games with an RBI, going 0 for 4 and ending his run six. DONALDSON PUNISHES ASTROS Donaldsons second inning home run was his fifth against the Astros this season. . ON DECK Athletics: Following an off-day Thursday, the As will start Sonny Gray at home against Kansas City. He will go for his 13th win and build on his 2.65 ERA Astros: Jarred Cosart (9-7, 4.41) will start Friday night at home against Toronto. Bobby Poyner Jersey . -- Quarterback Josh Johnson has returned to the San Francisco 49ers and his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh. Cheap Red Sox Jerseys . -- Valentin Zykov scored in overtime as the Baie-Comeau Drakkar rallied to a 3-2 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Sunday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. https://www.cheapredsox.com/751z-johnny-...ey-red-sox.html. The redshirt freshman finished the regular season with nearly 3,500 passing yards, and 35 touchdowns with another three on the ground while leading the Seminoles to the top of the BCS Rankings. Tim Wakefield Jersey . Venus Williams advanced to the ASB Classic final in Auckland on a walkover when fellow American Jamie Hampton withdrew from their semifinal Friday with a right hip injury. Dustin Pedroia Red Sox Jersey . The light-heavyweight champion and number one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world is on an 11-fight UFC winning streak, the longest in the history of the weight class.The International Scouting Services released their final rankings for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft with little change at the top. Sam Reinhart is the man the Florida Panthers will select with the first overall pick on June 27 in Philadelphia according to ISS. Reinhart, a centre for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League, tallied 36 goals and 69 assists for 105 points in 60 games last year. He picked up 23 points in just 13 games in the Ices playoff run. Barrie Colts defenceman Aaron Ekblad is second on the list and may be on the Buffalo Sabres radar. Ekblad haad 23 goals alongside 30 assists for 50 points this past season in the Ontario Hockey League.dddddddddddd Michael Dal Colle resides in the third spot and is one of purest goal scorers in this draft. The forward had 39 goals and 56 assists for 95 points in 67 games with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL this season. The Edmonton Oilers own the third pick Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs and William Nylander of Modo in Sweden round out the top five. Thatcher Demko of Boston College is ranked as the top goaltender. Click here to see the ISS rankings . ' ' '