This was becoming clear even before the four homer game. His OPS was .982, for crying out loud. He had homered seven times in his previous 16 games. The gasps and whispers had already started.

A four-game sweep at the hands of the last-place A’s at Daikin Park highlighted a depleted lineup and saw another starting pitcher join baseball’s longest injured list.

The Astros have won 40, or 55.6%, of the 72 games they've played as favorites this season.

The Miami Marlins are sending the 28-year-old catcher to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league outfielder Matthew Etzel, as first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.