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Athletics fall to Astros 5-1

The Oakland Athletics dropped into Minute Maid Park in Houston tonight to open a three-game series against the reigning World Series Champion Houston Astros.

Lefty Ken Waldichuk took the mound for the A’s while Houston righty Brandon Bielak got the start for the Astros. Waldichuk (1-2, 7.02 ERA) is fresh off his no-decision last week against the Rangers while Bielak who has bounced back and forth between the big-league club and AAA affiliate Sugar Land Space Cowboys is 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in his two major league starts.

The A’s got off to a terrific small-ball start, when Esteury Ruiz drove the first pitch of the game into centerfield for a base hit, and then Ryan Noda dropped down a bunt single on his first pitch.