A’s fall in another finale, this time 7-0 to Astros

“That’s funky,” Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said of the team’s troubles with finales.

Nevertheless: the A’s are on something of an upswing lately, winning six of their past 10 games and taking each of the first two series after the All-Star break.

Oakland had a chance to get back to single-digits under .500 Wednesday, but rookie starter Daniel Mengden had some early stumbles while Astros starter Fister was rock solid, allowing four hits and two walks in seven innings.

The A’s didn’t get a runner of their own past second base, while A’s pitchers walked eight batters.

The final score could have been much worse, because Houston was 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

Houston scored a run in the first on a groundout by Luis Valbuena and added two more in the second when George Springer doubled in Jason Castro and Mengden walked Carlos Correa with the bases loaded.

Mengden went five innings and allowed five hits, walked five (his most so far with Oakland) and struck out five; he’s 1-5 in his eight big-league starts with a 5.52 ERA.

Daniel Coulombe chipped in with two scoreless outings for the A’s after 1 1/3 scoreless innings the night before, but lefty Patrick Schuster gave up two runs in the eighth on a two-out, bases loaded bloop by Correa.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had two hits and two walks and the major-league batting leader was 8 for 12 in the series.