HOUSTON -- Joe Musgrove bounced back after two horrible outings, and the Houston Astros offense did the rest Monday night.Jose Altuve homered, Musgrove and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and the Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 6-0.Musgrove (2-2) struck out seven, walked three and allowed three hits over 5 1/3 innings, and then Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek and Brad Peacock closed things out.Musgrove had allowed 13 runs over his last two starts.I have to be the guy who goes as hard as he can as long as he can, Musgrove said. The last couple outings I found myself trying to pace myself trying to get to the seventh. I did a lot of work this week making mechanical adjustments and told myself to go out there and give it everything you have as long as you can and let the bullpen take over from there.Musgrove retired 11 of the first 13 batters before Khris Davis singled with two outs in the fourth for the first hit against him.I thought he did a good job especially the fifth, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. He came out really aggressive which is an adjustment for him to match quantity of strikes with quality. He wasnt going to leave anything in the tank and he was going to go as hard as he could as long as he could.Houston closed within two games of the second AL wild card with the win and Baltimores loss.As starter Sean Manaea (5-9) left after 3 1/3 innings with a left rhomboid strain. Manaea fielded a comebacker from Yulieski Gurriel to start the fourth, then threw one pitch to Marwin Gonzalez before manager Bob Melvin and the trainer headed to the mound. The left-hander was replaced by Chris Smith.Manaea said he was uncertain if he would miss his next start. He is listed as day-to-day.Just frustrating from where Im at, Manaea said. Already been on the DL once and to me it just feels like Im letting everyone down. I hate being hurt and just getting taken out early, especially with a close game like that just bothered me. It is what it is, I just have to make sure going forward I get everything done and try not to have this problem again.Altuve hit his second homer in two games to lead off the sixth and extend Houstons lead to 3-0. Alex Bregman hit a two-run single and Carlos Correa had an RBI single as part of a three-run seventh.We got extra opportunities in the second, obviously got the two runs on a couple errors and a couple walks but Altuves homer obviously was a big tack-on run, Hinch said. The three-run inning where Bregman breaks it open is what good offenses do when you get the opportunity.Manaea allowed two unearned runs and one hit with four strikeouts.Marcus Semien had two of Oaklands hits.TRAINING ROOMAthletics: INF Billy Butler was reinstated from the seven-day concussion list. To make room on the roster, INF Arismendy Alcantara was optioned to Class A Stockton. ... LHP Sean Doolittle (left shoulder strain) will continue a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Henderson Alvarez (right shoulder surgery) is set to start a rehab assignment Tuesday in Stockton. ... RHP Jesse Hahn (right shoulder strain) will pitch Wednesday for Nashville.Astros: OF Colby Rasmus (cyst in right ear) was scheduled to work in the outfield, do some baserunning and also take batting practice, Hinch said, adding they will determine afterward whether to activate Rasmus on Tuesday or Wednesday or wait until the Texas series over the weekend. Weve toyed with the idea of whether he needs a rehab assignment, Hinch said. Hes one of our more veteran players, and maybe he will jump right back into competition. ... RHP Lance McCullers (mid right elbow strain) played catch.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Kendall Graveman (10-8, 3.97) starts Tuesday in the second of the three-game series with the Astros. Graveman is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA over his last four starts.Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (8-10, 5.01) will take the mound Tuesday, looking for his second straight win after snapping a four-game losing streak Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Roberto Osuna Astros Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Houston Astros Gear . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. https://www.cheapastros.com/ . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Cheap Astros Jerseys . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. Houston Astros Store . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginias Skyler Howard jumped just before safety Mike Lee plowed into him near the Kansas end zone, sending the quarterback into an awkward somersault and a hard landing on his right hip.Howard got up from the second-quarter scare at the end of the 15-yard run and went back to the huddle. His gutsy play epitomized his determination to restore confidence in an offense that looked flat a week ago in the Mountaineers first loss of the season.He plays his best when hes like that, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. I thought he sparked us.Howard threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores to lead No. 20 West Virginia to a 48-21 victory over Kansas on Saturday night, sending the Jayhawks to their 40th straight road loss.Howard was nonchalant about the big hit, saying he was fortunate he didnt end up in worse shape.When I was in the air, it felt like forever, he said.West Virginias Shelton Gibson, who had 102 receiving yards, including TD grabs of 19 and 32 yards, was a bit more serious about it, knowing how much his quarterback means to the team.I grabbed his facemask and said, `I dont want to ever, ever see you do that again, Gibson said.West Virginia (7-1, 4-1 Big 12, No. 14 AP) bounced back from a 37-20 loss at Oklahoma State by piling up 605 yards of offense against the Jayhawks (1-8, 0-6).Howard completed 16 of 27 passes for 260 yards and helped get the Mountaineers momentum back as they head into a tough four-week stretch that includes home games against Oklahoma on Nov. 19 and Baylor on Dec. 3.It wasnt pretty, but well take it and move on to the next one, Holgorsen said.Kansas lost its 18th straight conference game and hasnt won on the road since beating UTEP in September 2009.Those are some resilient dudes in there, Kansas coach David Beaty said. They hate losing with a passion. Im prroud of them for continuing to fight, I promise you that.ddddddddddddTHE TAKEAWAYKansas: The Jayhawks didnt get off to the fast start that Beaty had hoped for. Kansas trailed 31-0 at halftime. The Jayhawks will have one more chance this season to break the road futility streak on Nov. 26 at Kansas State, which hasnt lost to Kansas at home since 2007.West Virginia: The Mountaineers kept pace with first-place Oklahoma by doing what they was expected to do against heavy-underdog Kansas -- score early and often and play respectable defense. Rasul Douglas made two interceptions, but a late surge by Kansas halted the Mountaineers streak of four straight games of limiting opponents under 400 total yards.SOLID RUNNERSWest Virginias Justin Crawford ran for 129 yards and a score, and freshman Kennedy McKoy had 127 yards. The pair shared the rushing load in place of Rushel Shell, who missed the game with an ankle injury sustained a week ago.Holgorsen said it took him a few series to decide whether to thrown downfield all game or pound the ball on the ground. West Virginia amassed 341 rushing yards a year after running for 426 yards against the Jayhawks.POLL IMPLICATIONSDoubling up on Kansas might move the Mountaineers up a few spots in the AP poll , only because other teams ahead of them lost, including Baylor.STANLEY SHARPKansas quarterback Carter Stanley was effective in relief of Montell Cozart, completing 9 of 11 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Beaty said Cozart left the game in the third quarter with concussion symptoms.UP NEXTKansas heads home to play Iowa State next Saturday. The teams are tied for last place in the Big 12.West Virginia heads to Texas, which is coming off a 47-37 win at Texas Tech. ' ' '
