Walker homers, Peña gets 600th hit as Astros rout Athletics 11-0

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Christian Walker homered, doubled and drove in two runs as the Houston Astros routed the Athletics 11-0 on Saturday.

Walker finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored, while Joey Loperfido, Yainer Diaz and Christian Vázquez each added three hits as Houston matched a season high with 11 runs.

Tatsuya Imai (1-0) struck out nine over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and three walks for Houston.

The Astros struck first in the opening inning. Jeremy Peña doubled and scored when José Altuve lined an RBI single to center. Walker followed later in the inning with an RBI single that brought home Yordan Alvarez for a 2-0 lead.

Walker extended the advantage in the third with a solo homer to left-center, his first of the season. The Astros added another run later in the inning when Vázquez doubled to left field, scoring Jake Meyers to make it 4-0.

Joey Loperfido hit a ground-rule double down the left-field line that scored Carlos Correa, and Diaz had a two-RBI single to stretch the Astros lead to 7-0 in the fourth.

Peña opened the fifth inning with a line drive up the middle for the 600th hit of his career.

Loperfido added an RBI single in the sixth before Vázquez delivered his second RBI double of the game. Alvarez later singled home another run as Houston scored three times in the inning to make it 10-0.

Cam Smith capped the scoring with a solo homer to left-center in the eighth.

Oakland managed five hits and went 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position. Luis Morales (0-2) surrendered five runs, eight hits, and six walks in the loss.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 1.29 ERA) gets the start for the Astros, while LHP Jacob Lopez (0-1, 6.75 ERA) takes the mound for the Athletics in the final game of the series.

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

Houston Astros' Joey Loperfido celebrates in the dugout after scoring during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, right, dives for a ball hit by Houston Astros' Christian Walker (not shown) during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)

Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)

Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai, left, leaves the mound as he is relieved by pitcher Kai-Wei Teng (not shown) during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 40 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, Christian Braun added 21 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 136-134 in overtime Saturday to snap the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak.

Cameron Johnson scored 17, Jamal Murray finished with 15 points and 10 assists and Aaron Gordon scored 15 for the Nuggets.

Gordon scored with 6.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, then forced Victor Wembanyama into a miss on the final shot of regulation.

Wembanyama finished with 34 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists and five blocked shots for the Spurs, who lost for only the third time in their last 30 games.

Stephon Castle scored 20 points for San Antonio, while Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie each scored 18 for the Spurs.

Castle’s three-point play midway through the second quarter put the Spurs up 57-44, that 13-point margin the biggest that they would hold all afternoon.

Wembanyama scored with 9:08 remaining to put San Antonio up 107-96. The Spurs were 48-2 this season in games where they held double-digit leads in the fourth quarter.

They’re 48-3 now — with two of those losses against the Nuggets, who rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth to beat San Antonio on March 12.

Denver held San Antonio to 33% shooting the rest of the way, outscoring the Spurs 40-27 in the final 14 minutes of the game including overtime.

Jokic had 16 of his points in those final 14 minutes, while Denver held Wembanyama to 1 for 4 shooting in that span.

Spurs: Host Philadelphia on Monday.

Nuggets: Host Portland on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, drives the lane past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle during overtime of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, front, pursues a loose ball with Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown reacts after getting hurt while driving to the basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown, left, reacts after being injured while driving past San Antonio Spurs forward Luke Kornet in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during overtime of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)