HOUSTON -- Kendall Graveman continued his string of good outings Saturday, with arguably his best start of the season.He threw eight solid innings and Stephen Vogt had three hits, including a homer, as the Oakland Athletics held on to beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday.Graveman (5-6) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out three in extending his win streak to four games. The outing tied the longest of his career at eight innings, which he set June 13, 2015 at the Angels. He retired the first 14 batters to start the game before A.J. Reed singled with two outs in the fifth.I think the movement of the fastball was as good as I have had it, Graveman said. I commanded it very well. There were some I missed location, but the movement took over, so we still got groundballs.Graveman has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts.His last three or four starts the movement from what hes trying to accomplish out there has been the same, Oakland manager Bob Melvin. But getting that deep in the game with the pitch count low is probably the best Ive seen.Vogt hit a solo home run to left field in the second, an RBI single in the third and came around to score on a Marcus Semien bases loaded walk that made it 3-0.I got some pitches to hit and strung together some at bats and drove the ball the other way, Vogt said.Graveman was replaced by Ryan Dull after allowing singles to Jake Marisnick and Marwin Gonzalez to lead off the ninth. Marisnick scored on a Jose Altuve groundout to third.Dull induced a Carlos Correa pop-up before Luis Valbuena hit an RBI single to cut the lead to one, but Dull struck out Carlos Gomez to earn his first save.Were going to keep fighting and we play until the end, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. Sometimes when you cant score or you dont hit, theres a dullness to the game and theres a lack of energy or enthusiasm, but our guys dont quit.Coco Crisp had two hits after serving a one-game suspension Friday, and Josh Reddick had two hits, including a triple.Lance McCullers (4-3) allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks in a season-low four innings. The right-hander had allowed four runs over his previous three starts before Saturday.TRAINING ROOMAstros: OF Colby Rasmus was out of the lineup for a second straight game due to an ear infection. Hes still not feeling well, Hinch said. He would have played today and yesterday if he would have felt up for it, but it sounds like hes still a little under the weather. . RHP Scott Feldman, who threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, left the game in the ninth. After allowing a single to Jed Lowrie to lead off the ninth, Hinch went out to the mound with the trainer to look at Feldman. Following two warm-up pitches, Feldman was replaced by Chris Devenski. Hinch said Feldman was a little stiff, but it was a precautionary move, and he was day-to-day.UP NEXTAthletics: LHP Sean Manaea (3-5) will try to right the ship on the road Sunday when he takes the mound for the final game before the All Star break. Manaea is 0-3 with an 11.66 ERA in three road starts this season.Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-9) will look to pick up his fourth straight victory Sunday. Keuchel allowed two runs on five hits in his last outing Tuesday against the Mariners.DULLS STREAK ENDSDull had stranded all 36 runners he had faced entering Saturday, but that streak came to an end on the Altuve fielders choice groundout in the ninth. The streak of inherited runners stranded was the longest by any pitcher in the expansion era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.You knew it was going to eventually happen, especially in that situation, Dull said. I was going to do anything to get the double play because that would help us more than that one run. I would gladly sacrifice it to get the double play there. Asics Gel Quantum 360 Knit Mens .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Onitsuka Tiger Slip On Mens . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. http://www.asicsshoesoutletstores.com/cheap-onitsuka-tiger-sale/cheap-slip-on-sale.html . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. Asics Gel Quantum 360 CM Womens . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Asics Gel Lyte Mt Black . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. DENVER -- Mike Montgomery was on a strict pitch count but did all he could to stretch it in his starting debut for the Chicago Cubs.Montgomery pitched four hitless inning before the low pitch count and a mistake ended his day two outs too soon, as the Cubs cruised to a 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.Kris Bryant launched a long homer and drove in four runs, and Ben Zobrist had three hits and also went deep for Chicago.Montgomery was solid in his first start since coming over in a trade with Seattle on July 20 but didnt stick around long enough to earn the decision. Manager Joe Maddon was cautious with the young left-hander and took him out after giving up a one-out homer in the fourth, the first and only hit he allowed.Montgomery threw just 60 pitches but had not started since July 17 with the Mariners. His first seven appearances with Chicago were out of the bullpen, so Maddon kept him on a strict pitch count.Its almost like spring training for him right now. Just stretching him out, Maddon said. I thought he was outstanding. Would I have loved to have left him out there? Absolutely.He walked two batters through four innings and got Ryan Raburn to start the fifth, but Nick Hundley got Colorados first hit off the lefty with a solo blast to left that made it 7-1.Maddon took him out after the homer and Trevor Cahill (3-3) pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for the win.As a competitor I wanted to stay in, Montgomery said. I was a little pissed but I understand the situation and the pitch count. Thats just how it goes. I felt good but I respect the decision.Miguel Montero had three hits and drove in three for the Cubs, who spoiled the major league debut of Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman.I felt very comfortable here, Hoffman said. I dont know why that was. I was really expecting to be nervous, to be jittery, all that stuff. For my first big league game, this was exactly wwhat I was expecting.dddddddddddd.Hoffman (0-1), a former first-round pick who was acquired a year ago as part of the deal that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto, started off well but ran into trouble the second time through against the NL Central leaders.Bryant made it 7-0 in the fifth with his 31st homer, a three-run drive that went an estimated 469 feet to dead center.It was scoreless until the fourth, when Dexter Fowler led with a single, went to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Hoffman and came home on Bryants single.Anthony Rizzo followed with a single, Zobrists double made it 2-0 and Montero beat the shift with a two-run single to right.The three-run homer hurt, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. The big one was that two-run single by Montero. We get an out there, were in good shape.Hoffman allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on seven hits in four-plus innings.The Cubs added a run in the eighth and another on Zobrists 14th homer in the ninth.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: CF Charlie Blackmon was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game because of a bruised right toe. Manager Walt Weiss said Blackmon originally hurt it colliding with Washington pitcher Gio Gonzalez on Tuesday. Weiss said he doesnt think its a long-term issue but as of now running in the outfield is tough for Blackmon.ROSTER MOVEThe Rockies optioned RHP Christian Bergman to Albuquerque in order to recall Hoffman from Triple-A. To make room for Hoffman on the 40-man roster, Colorado placed LHP Jason Gurka on waivers for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release. Gurka pitched nine games for Colorado last year.UP NEXTThe Cubs will send RHP Jason Hammel (13-5, 2.75) against his former team to face Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5.29) in the series finale Sunday. ' ' '