Gray feels refreshed in first start off DL

HOUSTON — The A’s decision to have Sonny Gray pitch against the Astros on Sunday, rather than put him through the motions of a Minor League rehab start, stemmed from a call made by the pitcher himself.

Friday night, after hearing Rich Hill had been scratched from his Saturday start in Houston because of a groin issue and was unlikely for Sunday, Gray phoned head trainer Nick Paparesta and told him, “I can do it.”

“I felt comfortable, and I was ready,” Gray said. “I wanted to get here. I talked to [manager Bob Melvin and pitching coach Curt Young], and we made the decision for me to come here, so I got on a plane and got in last night.”

Just like that, Gray was back, and in vintage form, too. The right-hander’s five-inning, one-run performance in his return from the disabled list in Oakland’s 5-2 loss provided the only good news of the day for the streaky A’s, who suffered a three-game sweep on the heels of a five-game winning streak.

The right-hander scattered five hits, his lone blemish a solo home run to Carlos Gomez in the fifth.

“He’s still the anchor of this staff,” catcher Stephen Vogt said, “and …

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