Puk pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his second save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Astros on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Not long after Puk tallied his first career save on July 22, he was called upon to close the door once again. He came through with a perfect ninth inning to lower his ERA to 2.13. Wednesday's appearance in a save situation might be the most important of the two, since Puk came in to start the ninth rather than to bail out a struggling Lou Trivino. It could be a sign that Puk is inching his way into Oakland's closer role. However, Trivino and Zach Jackson had each pitched in two consecutive games and might have been unavailable. The Athletics' bullpen roles are worth monitoring since the team is expected to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.