HOUSTON -- Right-hander Kendall Graveman of the Oakland Athletics had enjoyed a lengthy enough stretch of quality starts, so what he accomplished on Saturday should not have come as a shock to anyone paying attention.

Graveman extended his wining streak to four games while producing the Athletics' second exceptional start of the series in dominating the Houston Astros 3-2 at Minute Maid Park.

Graveman (5-6) limited the Astros (47-41) to five hits and carried a shutout into the ninth inning. Wielding an effective sinker, he was perfect through 4 2/3 innings and did not issue a walk.

By the close of the sixth Graveman, had thrown only 68 pitches on his ledger, and when Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena singled with one out in the seventh, Graveman followed by inducing Carlos Gomez to hit into a double play.

Graveman matched his career high of eight innings, and while things got a bit hairy after he departed, his performance still resonated.

"I think the movement of the fastball was as good as I have had it," said Graveman, who has allowed more than two earned runs once over his last six outings. "I commanded it very well. There were some I missed location, but the movement took over, so we still got ground balls.

"I think that is the power of the fastball that I have. I did move it around in and out, up a little bit and down when I needed to. I think the command was the best I have had it this year."

Houston rallied in the ninth, with Jake Marisnick and Marwin Gonzalez stroking back-to-back singles to chase Graveman.

Athletics right-hander Ryan Dull allowed his first inherited runner to score, after stranding his first 36 this season, when Jose Altuve plated Marisnick with a fielder's choice grounder.

Altuve later scored when Valbuena singled to left.

But Dull hunkered down and struck out Gomez to record his first save this season and second of his career.

The Athletics (38-50) earned at worst a split of the four-game series behind Graveman and left-hander Rich Hill, who shut down the Astros over six innings on Thursday night.

"We're going to keep fighting and we play until the end," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Sometimes when you can't score or you don't hit, there's a dullness to the game and there's a lack of energy or enthusiasm, but our guys don't quit."

Oakland staggered Astros right-hander Lance McCullers (4-3) in the second inning and made him labor before he finally departed after four.

Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (3-for-4, two RBIs) lined an opposite-field solo home run into the Crawford Boxes in left with one out in the second to initiate McCullers' struggles.

Three consecutive batters reached following Vogt's homer, but McCullers rallied to strike out Tyler Ladendorf and Coco Crisp to keep the deficit at one run.

But for McCullers, it was more of the same in the third inning.

After inducing a harmless fly ball to right field from Khris Davis for the second out of that inning, McCullers allowed an opposite-field RBI single to Vogt before walking three consecutive batters, the last being shortstop Marcus Semien with the bases loaded to extend the Oakland lead 3-0.

"I never hit an opposite homer like that in the big leagues, so it is kind of fun to do that and a great place to do it," Vogt said. "I got some pitches to hit and strung together some at-bats and drove the ball the other way."



McCullers was coming off his best start of the season, an overpowering performance against Seattle on Independence Day. And despite retiring the final three batters of the fourth, his day was done.

McCullers needed 92 pitches to complete four innings, allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out six. He allowed Vogt's homer, uncorked a wild pitch and was called for a balk in the third.

"I've just got to keep being me," McCullers said. "If this is my worst start of the year, I'm going to be fine."

NOTES: Astros RF George Springer was not in the lineup, ending his streak of 112 consecutive starts, the second-longest in the majors behind Mariners 2B Robinson Cano (144). Astros manager A.J. Hinch opted to give Springer the day off with one game remaining before the All-Star Game break. ... Athletics 3B Tyler Ladendorf made his third start of the month and ninth this season, spelling Danny Valencia. Ladendorf entered Saturday batting .120 with one RBI and two runs scored as a starter and needed at-bats according to manager Bob Melvin. ... Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced his rotation for the first series following the All-Star Game break, with RHPs Doug Fister, Lance McCullers and Collin McHugh scheduled to face the Mariners in Seattle. ... Astros LF Colby Rasmus remained sidelined due to an illness (ear infection).