Back home. The team is starting to feel themselves again after they got back on track with a big series sweep of the Royals over the weekend. Now they’ll take on the division-leading Houston Astros for the first of four games to kick off a nice weeklong homestand and hopefully secure their 30th win of the year tonight.

(Houston, TX) -- The Houston Astros walked off the Minnesota Twins for a second straight day and completed a three-game weekend sweep with a 2-1 victory in a 10-inning yesterday in Texas.

The Houston Astros are a season-best 11 games over .500 after stringing together five straight victories but an unexpected rotation shakeup on Monday presents a new challenge.

On the flip side, the Houston Astros, who swept the A's in a quick two-game series at the end of May, are entering this series in West Sacramento at 41-30, 4.5 games up in the AL West, and 13 games above the A's. They're also on a five-game win streak and have won eight of their last ten.

The M’s on Friday got a strong start from Luis Castillo, three scoreless innings from the bullpen and the offense pounded out 16 hits on its way to seven runs. Then on Sunday it was seven shutout innings from Emerson Hancock, two easy innings from the bullpen and six runs from the offense.

Nick Kurtz hit a solo ninth-inning homer to rally the Athletics to a 3-2 win and three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals.