Sonny Gray has been hearing the comparisons since his high school days in Tennessee. The references to Tim Hudson, another right-hander with a slight build and a big arm. Fittingly, in the very ballpark where Hudson shined as a member of Oakland's Big Three beginning in the late 90s, Gray dominated the Houston Astros with his fantastic fastball and snapping curve on the way to an impressive first major league victory. Gray struck out nine in his home debut, and the Athletics used Nate Freiman's two-run homer and four RBIs to avert a three-game sweep by the lowly Astros with a 5-0 victory on Thursday.
