Marwin finds marvelous way to snap slump

OAKLAND — The only hit with runners in scoring position in Monday’s game kept the Astros from falling a game back in the American League Wild Card race.

Marwin Gonzalez came to bat with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tied game and ripped the first pitch he saw from A’s reliever Ryan Madson up the middle to score a pair of runs and send the Astros to a clutch, 4-2 win at Oakland Coliseum.

“I was trying to get a good pitch to hit,” said Gonzalez, who snapped an 0-for-12 slump with the single. “It’s been rough the last few days, but I was trying to come up and make contact.”

• Standings | Wild Card

The Astros are three games behind the Blue Jays and Orioles for an AL Wild Card spot, but pulled even with the Mariners in the standings. 

“For the team, it’s great,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody is doing their part. We’re fighting until the end. Nobody’s quitting. The pitchers are making good pitches, and the defense is there, too. We have to fight …

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