Davis, A's hand Greinke, Astros 6th straight loss in Game 1

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Khris Davis is in a far different role these days for the Oakland Athletics and still delivered in a key moment.

Davis homered and hit an RBI double in a rare start facing previously unbeaten Zack Greinke, and the A's sent the Houston Astros to their sixth straight loss with a 4-2 win Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Ash from nearby wildfires fell inside the Coliseum as the A's stretched their AL West lead over second-place Houston to 5 1/2 games.

Robbie Grossman hit a go-ahead double in the sixth and Ramón Laureano added an RBI single for Oakland.

The A's played as the visiting team in a makeup of a postponement from Aug. 30 after pitcher Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test result. Oakland missed four games in all, including three in Seattle that forced the club to play three doubleheaders in a seven-day span that began Tuesday.

Davis, the major league homer leader in 2018, snapped an 0-for-8 stretch playing for the first time since Aug. 26 at Texas. He began the day 3 for 8 lifetime against Greinke with a home run and a double.

“For a guy that’s a star like he is to not get the type of playing time, you would think he’d put some pressure on you,” A's manager Bob Melvin said. "But he doesn’t. He does anything but. He’s as team-oriented of a guy that we have here.”

Greinke (3-1) allowed four runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out six.

He seems unconcerned about the Astros' long skid.

“It doesn’t matter, everyone makes the playoffs, so we’ll be all right still,” Greinke said. “If we don’t make the playoffs then we didn’t deserve to make the playoffs. We’re still looking good in that case.”

A’s opening day starter Frankie Montas (3-3), 0-2 over his previous three outings, gave...

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