Murphy rewriting report card for Athletics

Sean Murphy entered Monday night on the verge of losing his status as a prospect. He made sure to celebrate that graduation in style.

The now-former top A's prospect homered for a second straight game, singled and drove in a season-high three runs to help down the Astros, 6-0, at Oakland Coliseum. Murphy, who scored twice, has hit safely in three straight games after enduring a 2-for-19 stretch to end August.

Top #Athletics prospect Sean Murphy with the flex 💪
hammers this one to the deepest part of the park to homer for the second straight game.pic.twitter.com/QrdMZLNmDb

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 8, 2020

The roundtripper was the second in as many at-bats for MLB.com's former No. 32 overall prospect, who cleared the fences in his final at-bat during Sunday's loss to San Diego. Facing Houston's fifth-ranked prospect Cristian Javier in the second inning, Murphy deposited a 93-mph fastball over the center-field fence to open the scoring. The 25-year-old catcher popped out to second base in the fourth before walking and scoring on Ramon Laureano's sacrifice fly to right in the seventh. In the eighth, Murphy grounded a single into right that scored Stephen Piscotty and Chad Pinder to break the game open.

It marked the first multi-hit performance of the season for the native of Peekskill, New York, and pushed his slash line to .231/.341/.423 in 76 at-bats. Murphy has four homers, three doubles and nine RBIs.

A career .267 hitter in parts of four Minor League seasons, he endured an injury-plagued 2019 but still batted .293/.384/.550 with 20 extra-base hits and 31 RBIs in 41 games, 31 with Triple-A Las Vegas. Murphy made his Major League debut last September and compiled a slash line of .245/.333/.566 with four homers in 20 contests.

Javier (4-2) completed five innings for the sixth time in seven starts for Houston. The 23-year-old was charged with two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three.

In other action:

Phillies 9, Mets 8 (10 innings)

After Philadelphia surrendered a three-run lead by yielding four in the bottom of the seventh, baseball’s No. 28 overall prospect Alec Bohm helped save the day for his team. Bohm lined an RBI single to right off Mets righty reliever Jeurys Familia to knot the score, 7-7, in the eighth as the Phillies rallied to win in extra innings. New York's third-ranked prospect Andrés Giménez doubled and singled off righty Zack Wheeler. Giménez was also hit by a pitch and sports a .293/.344/.402 slash line in his rookie season. Box score

Nationals 6, Rays 1

Randy Arozarena provided Tampa Bay's only offense. The club's No. 19 prospect smacked a pinch-hit homer -- his third roundtripper in two days and fourth in four games. Arozarena is batting .471 with four long balls, five RBIs and a stolen base in 17 at-bats since his promotion Aug. 30. Top Washington prospect Carter Kieboom went 0-for-3 with an RBI groundout and a walk. Box score

Marlins 5, Braves 4 (10 innings)

The No. 67 overall prospect Jazz Chisholm went 0-for-4 at the plate, but reached on a fielding error charged to Atlanta right-hander Ian Anderson and scored a run in the second inning. Anderson, the No. 38 overall prospect, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits and four walks while striking out four in three frames. Miami’s No. 10 prospect Monte Harrison came on as a pinch-runner for left fielder Corey Dickerson in the eighth and stayed in as the team’s right fielder, reaching on a fielder’s choice grounder to third in the top of the 10th. Box score

Cubs 5, Cardinals 1

St. Louis’ No. 12 prospect Johan Oviedo fell one out shy of finishing five innings, giving up five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings. Out of the bullpen, No. 27 prospect Seth Elledge worked around a walk in his third scoreless relief appearance in five outings, dropping his ERA to 4.50. Box score

Giants 4, D-backs 2

No. 13 overall prospect Joey Bart singled to left in the sixth against D-backs right-handed starter Zac Gallen and scored on an RBI single by Darin Ruf. After batting .161 (5-for-31) in 10 August games, Bart is hitting .429 (9-for-21) in six September contests. Arizona’s No. 3 prospect Daulton Varsho went hitless in three at-bats, but walked and scored a run in the third. Box score

Twins 6, Tigers 2

Ryan Jeffers crushed his first Major League home run and added a run-scoring single for his first multi-RBI performance. The No. 6 Twins prospect launched an estimated 437-foot blast that kicked off Minnesota’s four-run third. Jeffers’ first multi-hit effort since his Aug. 20 debut snapped a 1-for-12 funk. No. 12 Brent Rooker singled in four at-bats and has hit safely in four of his first five games. Sixth-ranked Tigers prospect Isaac Paredes was 0-for-3 and is hitless in his last 18 at-bats. No. 30 Rony Garcia allowed a solo homer to Byron Buxton in his lone inning of work. Box score

Mariners 8, Rangers 4

Fifth-ranked Seattle prospect Evan White singled, walked and scored. Although he has five homers and 20 RBIs in 35 games, White is batting .179/.254/.359. No. 22 Aaron Fletcher recorded his only out on a whiff and was charged with two runs on two hits and two walks. Box score

Padres 1, Rockies 0

San Diego’s No. 10 prospect Jorge Mateo pinch-ran for Greg Garcia in the bottom of the ninth and scored the game’s only run on Jurickson Profar’s double. According to MLB.com's Andrew Simon, Mateo’s sprint speed from first base was 30.8 feet per second. In his big league debut, No. 24 prospect Jorge Oña was 0-for-2 with a walk. No. 13 Jake Cronenworth went 0-for-4. Box score

Indians 5, Royals 2

Edward Olivares singled twice in four at-bats to continue his hot hitting for Kansas City. The No. 22 Royals prospect has gone 7-for-18 with three multi-hit efforts in four games since he was picked up from the Padres on Aug. 29. Olivares was 2-for-25 in his final nine games with San Diego prior to the trade. Box score

Blue Jays 12, Yankees 7

Second-ranked New York prospect Clarke Schmidt worked a scoreless eighth. The 24-year-old walked two and struck out a pair in his second big league outing. Toronto's No. 21 prospect Santiago Espinal singled in a run in two official at-bats. The 25-year-old walked and scored a run. No. 24 Julian Merryweather walked one and fanned one in two hitless innings of relief. Box score