Semien, Cotton send Athletics past Astros

Houston: Marcus Semien wound up with a Little League home run when Houston kept throwing the ball away, Jharel Cotton pitched well into the seventh inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Astros 3-2 Sunday. A day after the AL West-leading Astros turned six double plays, their defence quickly fell apart. Boog Powell led off the game with a single and Semien followed with a grounder in the hole that shortstop Alex Bregman threw into right field trying for a forceout at second base. Semien, who was credited with an infield hit, never stopped running. The relay from right went to first baseman Marwin Gonzalez, and his throw to third skipped into left field, allowing Semien to score easily on the two errors.