AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel hit a winning RBI single in the ninth inning, and the AL West champion Houston Astros headed to the postseason with a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Gurriel hit . and became Houston's second player to win a batting title after Jose Altuve in 2014, '16 and '17.

AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel hit a winning RBI single in the ninth inning, and the AL West champion Houston Astros headed to the postseason with a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Gurriel hit . and became Houston's second player to win a batting title after Jose Altuve in 2014, '16 and '17.

WHIP, 87 strikeouts) LINE: Astros -180, Athletics +155; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: Houston and Oakland will face off on Sunday. The Astros are 50-30 on their home turf. Houston's lineup has 217 home runs this season, Yordan Alvarez leads them with 33 homers.

WHIP, 87 strikeouts) LINE: Astros -180, Athletics +155; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: Houston and Oakland will face off on Sunday. The Astros are 50-30 on their home turf. Houston's lineup has 217 home runs this season, Yordan Alvarez leads them with 33 homers.

A's manager Bob Melvin says MLB needs to intervene when it comes to some of these questionable calls when balls hit the roofs of stadiums.

The Chicago White Sox will head to Houston for the first two games of their American League Division Series against the Astros, who clinched the No. 2 seed with a 10-4 home victory against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday. The Central Division-champion White Sox are the No. 3 seed in the AL, while the Tampa Bay Rays, winners of the East, are the top seed. The Astros clinched the AL West on ...

Astros first. Jose Altuve singles to left field. Michael Brantley grounds out to second base, Tony Kemp to Matt Olson.

The Japan Association of Athletics Federations has entered a bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships, a source with knowledge of the matter said Saturday. The federation submitted its bid by the Oct. 1 deadline, and though there was no coordination with local governments, Tokyo is one of the candidates to host the event. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe told the federation last October that he hoped to see the National Stadium host the 2025 worlds, and during this summer’s Olym...

Khris Davis was part of a very strange moment at Minute Maid Park on Saturday.

David Peralta lines an RBI single to left field to give the D'backs a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning

Chad Pinder smacks an RBI double to right-center field, scoring Starling Marte to extend the A's lead to 2-0 in the 1st inning

Oakland Athletics (86-74, third in the AL West) vs. Houston Astros (93-67, first in the AL West) Houston; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Athletics: Paul Blackburn (1-3, 4.71 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 24 strikeouts) Astros: Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 88 strikeouts) FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -156, Athletics +135; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: Houston and Oakland will play on Saturday. The Astros are 49-30 in home games in 2020.

Matt Olson finds himself in some very impressive company with a couple of legendary MLB hitters.

It wasn’t anything personal,” Bassitt said Friday of his motivation to return this season. Honestly, the only reason I wanted to come back was I thought we could get to the playoffs, and I wanted to be part of that. So that was literally my only motivation, my only focus, was when we get to the playoffs, I want to be part of that group.

A case can be made that Houston left-hander Framber Valdez enjoyed the best season of any member of the Astros’ rotation despite the fact that he missed 49 games with a left index finger fracture. Valdez took the loss Friday night as Houston dropped the opener of its three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics 8-6, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over five-plus innings.

Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson hit his 39th homer of the season on Friday, and he’s got two games left to reach 40. In Oakland history, there have been 10 seasons of 40+ dingers by six different players. Regardless of whether he reaches that milestone, Olson already set a piece of MLB history in the power department.

Oakland Athletics (86-74, third in the AL West) vs. Houston Astros (93-67, first in the AL West) Houston; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Athletics: Paul Blackburn (1-3, 4.71 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 24 strikeouts) Astros: Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 88 strikeouts) LINE: Astros -156, Athletics +135; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: Houston and Oakland will play on Saturday. The Astros are 49-30 in home games in 2020.

Sean Manaea had plenty to take away from his strong 2021 season.

Condensed Game: Chad Pinder homered and drove in two, while Matt Olson also crushed a home run in the A's 8-6 victory over the Astros

One of those players is Matt Olson, who hit his 39th home run en route to the A’s 8-6 win on Friday night at Minute Maid Park. Olson’s 154 games played leads the team, but wasn’t planning to take a day to rest. Matt Chapman, who has played 150 game, took a break to rest his banged-up muscles.