Christian Walker has HR, 3 RBIs to back Framber Valdez's strong start as Astros beat A's 11-5

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Christian Walker homered and drove in three runs to back a strong start from Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros beat the Athletics 11-5 on Thursday to snap a five-game losing streak.

Houston avoided a sweep and ended a seven-game losing streak to the Athletics and remained one game behind Detroit for the final AL wild card with the Tigers owning the tiebreaker. Detroit beat Cleveland 4-2 later Thursday.

Nick Kurtz homered twice and drove in the three runs for the Athletics. He hit a shot off Valdez in the sixth and a two-run shot against Enyel De Los Santos in the eighth. Kurtz's 35 home runs are the second-most by an A's rookie — trailing only Mark McGwire's 49 in 1987. He hit nine homers in 11 games against Houston, tied for fourth-most against the Astros in a single season.

Valdez (13-11) gave up a run and seven hits in seven innings, striking out 10 and walking two in his 31st start. He was 1-7 with a 6.80 ERA in his previous nine outings.

Victor Caratini had an RBI single and Walker a run-scoring fielder's choice in the first inning against J.T. Ginn for a 2-0 lead and Houston never looked back. Walker hit his 24th homer in the eighth to push the Astros' lead to 11-1.

Jose Altuve went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Isaac Paredes had two hits and two RBIs for the Astros

Ginn (4-7) allowed seven runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four.

Valdez gave up a leadoff single to Shea Langeliers in the first and then struck out the next five batters to set the tone.

Langeliers went 4 for 4 for the A’s on Wednesday and singled his first three times up against Valdez before striking out in the seventh. He and JJ Bleday had back-to-back doubles leading off the ninth against Nick Hernandez before Bryan Abreu came in to close it out.

Astros RHP Jason Alexander (4-2, 4.83 ERA) goes against Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (8-10, 4.79) in the opener of a three-game series in Anaheim on Friday.

Athletics RHP Luis Morales (4-2, 3.07) faces Royals LHP Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90) in the opener of a season-ending series at home on Friday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Athletics' Nick Kurtz jogs around the bases after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

The Houston Astros celebrate their win over the Athletics in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Houston Astros' Carlos Correa hits an RBI double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez throws to an Athletics batter during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Thursday on social media, “Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

A social media post from U.S. Southern Command on the capture said that Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to make the capture while Noem’s post noted that, like in previous raids, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team conducted the boarding and seizure.

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products, and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

Noem, in her social media post, said that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” in the military as well as the State and Justice departments.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

As with prior posts, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Last week, Trump met with executives from oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)