HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit a grand slam for his American League-leading 22nd home run, Tatsuya Imai struck out eight and the Houston Astros defeated the Athletics 13-2 on Saturday.
Alvarez capped the Astros' five-run second inning with the fifth slam of his career when he blasted a changeup from Athletics starter Kade Morris (0-1) into the right field seats. Alvarez tops the AL with 48 RBIs.
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Athletics starting pitcher Kade Morris, left, watches a solo home run by Jose Altuve, right, during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros' LaMonte Wade Jr. reacts after hitting a two-run double against the Athletics during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) celebrates after his solo home run against the Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, center, celebrates after his grand slam against the Athletics with Taylor Trammell (26) during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jose Altuve also homered for the Astros, who roughed up Morris in his major league debut and scored all of their runs before the sixth inning.
Morris gave up nine runs and nine hits, walked three and struck out four in four innings. The 23-year-old right-hander was drafted in the third round by the New York Mets in 2023 out of the University of Nevada, Reno. He was traded to the Athletics in 2024 for Paul Blackburn.
Wade Jr.’s solo homer led off the second inning for his first hit with the Astros since signing on Thursday. Wade finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
In the third, the Athletics scored their only runs with on Tyler Soderstrom's RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Zack Gelof — with the help of a successful Athletics ABS challenge. Soderstrom has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games.
Astros starter Tatsuya Imai (3-3) battled back to strike out Jeff McNeil swinging to end the third and leave the bases loaded. Imai gave up two runs and five hits in five innings.
In his second game since coming off the injured list, Altuve hit his fifth homer of the season and gave the Astros a 7-2 lead in the third.
Houston blew it open with its six-run fifth, led by a pair of two-run doubles from Wade and Jeremy Peña.
Isaac Paredes drove in his ninth run in the last four games with a sacrifice fly in the first.
Athletics LHP Gage Jump (1-1, 3.75 ERA) will face Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-7, 5.66) in the series finale on Sunday.
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Athletics starting pitcher Kade Morris, left, watches a solo home run by Jose Altuve, right, during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros' LaMonte Wade Jr. reacts after hitting a two-run double against the Athletics during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) celebrates after his solo home run against the Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, center, celebrates after his grand slam against the Athletics with Taylor Trammell (26) during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
MADRID (AP) — More than a million people poured into a central Madrid plaza on Sunday for Pope Leo XIV ’s main Mass and a procession highlighting one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety: flower carpets.
They cheered and shouted “This is the youth of the pope!” as Leo arrived for the Mass, looping around the plaza and surrounding streets in his popemobile to a crowd packed several rows deep behind barricades.
Sunday’s Mass falls on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. In Spain as in other predominantly Catholic countries, the processions often feature elaborate floral carpets arranged along the route.
Leo, who arrived in Spain on Saturday at the start of his weeklong visit, has been keen to highlight the long tradition of Catholic devotion here to encourage especially young generations to find their faith.
At a vigil service Saturday night, an estimated 600,000 young Spaniards knelt for several minutes in silent prayer alongside Leo, suggesting that there is indeed interest among young people despite Spain’s heavily secularized society.
“Let me take the opportunity to tell all of you: Don't ever be afraid of thinking about a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, or other services in the church!” Leo told the crowd.
Irati Valda and Javier Hormazal, a young couple, held up a cardboard sign announcing they are going to get married on June 13 and were ushered up close to receive Leo's blessing during the vigil.
“To see so many young people together, it's incredible. Half a million people in silence, this is something you will only live once," Valda said.
For Sunday's Mass and procession, local organizers said 1.2 million people had turned out on a brilliant spring morning at the central Plaza Cibeles and surrounding streets, with more trying to get in.
The tradition of laying flower carpets — and destroying them when the procession tramples them — dates back two centuries and is popular also in Latin America, where elaborate sand designs are also made. The painstaking displays are considered an offering to the Eucharist.
Poland has already had its tradition of Corpus Domini flower carpets recognized by UNESCO, and Spain's Galicia region is trying to have its tradition listed along with other countries as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
According to Spanish organizers, the 16 flower carpets decorating the half-kilometer (mile) procession route were prepared by a Spanish florists association from Galicia. Florists used more than 30,000 flowers, most the yellow and white colors of the Holy See flag, for the carpets that feature decorations such as the Holy See keys.
Wildly popular religious processions, pilgrimages and feasts continue to be held in most Spanish regions. The most recognizable are Holy Week processions during the final week of Lent where brotherhoods and robed penitents parade ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary through cities, towns and villages alongside marching bands. Such processions draw the faithful as well as droves of non-believers and tourists.
Spanish towns and cities also regularly honor local patron saints with fiestas. Religious pilgrimages to local shrines mix piety with communal festivities and music. In Andalusia, the El Rocío pilgrimage fetches a million people that make a long, dusty journey over the Pentecost weekend on horseback and decorated covered wagons to venerate an icon of the Virgin Mary.
Leo arrived in Spain on Saturday and urged its people to put an end to polarization and work for unity. Later Sunday he is to meet privately with members of his Augustinian religious order and address cultural leaders.
AP visual journalist Helena Alves contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Pope Leo XIV arrives in the popemobile at Plaza de Lima in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, for a prayer vigil with young people on the first day of a seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as he arrives at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, on the first day of his seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
