Oakland: Gerrit Cole pitched his third straight overpowering game, while teammates Max Stassi and Derek Fisher stunned Daniel Mengden with back-to-back, two-strike home runs with two outs in the seventh inning Wednesday afternoon, sending the visiting Houston Astros to a 4-1 win over the Oakland Athletics and a sweep of their three-game series.

Cole (4-1), a California native who never previously pitched in Oakland, struck out nine in six innings to run his total to 37 in his last three starts covering 21 2/3 innings. He allowed one run, which put the Astros in a 1-0 hole in the bottom of the sixth.

A one-out single by Matt Joyce and RBI double by Jed Lowrie provided the game’s first scoring. The Astros, who completed a 4-2 trip, bounced right back against Mengden, who had shut out Houston on four hits before allowing the two homers.

Matt Szczur doubled home Manuel Margot to break a seventh-inning tie, giving host San Diego a victory over Washington, preventing the Nationals from sweeping the three-game series.

Margot singled for his third hit of the game opening the seventh against Trevor Gott (0-2). Margot immediately stole second and moved to third when catcher Matt Wieters’ throw bounced into centrefield. One out later, Szczur, who was hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, lined an RBI double to left-centre.

Craig Stammen (1-0) got the win after throwing two scoreless innings in relief, and Brad Hand picked up his 10th save.

Pittsburgh overcame a four-run deficit for the second day in a row to beat host Chicago and earn a sweep of the two-game series.

The Pirates trailed 5-2 entering the ninth but scored four runs against reliever Nate Jones (2-1) on Elias Diaz’s two-run double and Colin Moran’s two-run homer, his third, to right-centre.

Pittsburgh reliever Richard Rodriguez (1-1) pitched the eighth, giving up a run but still earning his first major league win. Felipe Vazquez pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his seventh save in as many opportunities.

Results

Astros 4 Athletics 1

Yankees 9 Red Sox 6

Padres 2 Nationals 1

Phillies 11 Giants 3

Dodgers 6 Diamondbacks 3

Orioles 5 Royals 3

Angels 8 Rockies 0

Pirates 6 White Sox 5

Cubs 13 Marlins 4

Reds 2 Mets 1

Indians 6 Brewers 2

Rangers 5 Tigers 4