Athletics 5, Astros 4: Sam Fuld capped a three-hit night with tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning as visiting Oakland rallied to claim the rubber match of the three-game series.

Coco Crisp homered and scored twice while Eric Sogard singled home the tying run off closer Chad Qualls in the ninth in advance of Fuld's blast as the Athletics remained one game behind the first-place Los Angeles Angels in the American League West. Dan Otero (8-1) picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief and Eric O'Flaherty notched his first career save despite giving up a solo homer by Chris Carter in the ninth.

Robbie Grossman and Jose Altuve each delivered an RBI single while Dexter Fowler matched Carter and Grossman with two hits for Houston, which lost for the fourth time in five games. Qualls (1-4) was tagged for three runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning to suffer his fourth blown save in 19 chances.

Jonny Gomes broke a scoreless deadlock with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, but Altuve reached on an error in the bottom of the inning and eventually scored the tying run on Ryan Cook's wild pitch. Crisp's solo shot in the seventh put Oakland back on top before Houston claimed the lead in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back RBI singles by Grossman and Altuve.

After Gomes ignited the winning rally with a leadoff single in the ninth, pinch-runner Craig Gentry stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and came home when Sogard dumped a single into left-center field. Two batters later, Fuld drilled a shot into the seats in right to give the Athletics momentum heading into a four-game series at the Angels beginning Thursday.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Athletics LHP Drew Pomeranz, making his first start since breaking his hand on June 16, struck out seven and allowed one unearned run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings, while Astros RHP Brad Peacock also went 5 1/3 frames, giving up one run despite yielding four hits and walking five batters. ... Altuve's RBI single gave him a hit in all 16 games against Oakland this season. ... Athletics LHP Fernando Abad had stranded all 26 runners he inherited this season until giving up Grossman's tying single.