Lucas Spence hits his first three MLB homers as Astros edge Athletics 7-5

Lucas Spence arrived in West Sacramento with no major league home runs. He left with three, driving in five of Houston's seven runs in a 7-5 win over the Athletics on Thursday night. The rookie center fielder supplied an early lead, broke a tie in the seventh and added the Astros' final run in the ninth. Watch MLB's same-game three-homer video.

Spence's first big league homer came with two aboard in the second inning. His drive to right center scored Christian Walker and Cam Smith and put Houston ahead 3-0. The lead disappeared quickly. Jeff McNeil hit a three-run homer for the A's in the third, and Zack Gelof followed with a solo shot to make it 4-3.

Isaac Paredes tied the game with a solo homer in the sixth. Spence then hit a solo shot off Scott Blewett in the seventh to give the Astros a 5-4 lead. Walker's homer in the eighth made it 6-4, but Gelof answered with his second homer of the night in the bottom half. With Houston's margin back to one, Spence went deep again in the ninth. Bryan Abreu finished the game for his ninth save.

The three swings made for an extraordinary line from a player who had only 40 major league at-bats before Thursday, according to the Associated Press game report. Spence had been called back up Wednesday. His first homer was a three-run shot; the next two were solo drives. He finished with three hits in four at-bats and five RBIs, according to MLB's official Gameday.

Houston also got three scoreless relief innings from rookie Miguel Ullola after starter Peter Lambert gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings. Ullola earned the win. A's starter Mason Barnett lasted six innings and allowed four runs on four hits. Gelof's two homers kept the home team close, but the Athletics never retook the lead after Spence's seventh-inning swing.

The victory moved Houston to 79-80, level with Texas atop the AL West with three games left for each team. The Astros hold the season-series tiebreaker after going 9-4 against the Rangers, the AP reported. That makes every remaining game matter for the division, and Spence's sudden power has given Houston a late-season result it badly needed. The Astros and Athletics continue their four-game set Friday in West Sacramento.