HOUSTON -- Joe Musgrove was a hard-luck loser on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, but manager A.J. Hinch gushed over the young right-hander's best start of the season.
In 6 1/3 innings against the A's, the 24-year-old tossed 86 pitches, allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out a season-high six batters, walking one. But a homer he surrendered to Jed Lowrie in the fourth inning on a 3-0 count was enough to put him on the hook for his second loss in Houston's 2-1 defeat.
"He threw a really good fastball early," Hinch said of Musgrove, who lowered his season ERA from 5.