Astros turn to Cristian Javier in bid for 4-game sweep of A's

The objective was clear for left-hander Framber Valdez on the heels of a pair of victories that required the Houston Astros to utilize their bullpen to cover 33 outs: Work deep into his start. With Valdez throwing seven shutout innings, the Astros needed only one reliever -- right-hander Seth Martinez -- to complete their 3-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. The win clinched the four-game series between the teams and set the stage for a potential Astros sweep in the finale on Thursday night in Houston.