HOUSTON -- Before dropping the series opener against the Houston Astros on Monday night, the Oakland Athletics had caught a glimmer of hope with consecutive series victories over postseason contenders Cleveland and St. Louis.Oakland (57-74) has been besieged by injuries, using the disabled list a club-record 27 times this season. With starters Sonny Gray (strained right forearm) and Jesse Hahn (strained right shoulder) currently on the DL, the Athletics have been forced to fill the void with relievers making spot starts. At this point, the objective is a murky blend of pursuing wins while also evaluating young talent.Thats the tough balance, Athletics manager Bob Melvin said. A team thats in our position, were trying to look at younger players as well as try to keep our veteran guys in the lineup enough to keep them happy too. Its not an enviable position to be in and weve put ourselves in this position with our record. Its a little bit of a delicate balance.Right-hander Kendall Graveman (10-8, 3.97 ERA) will start for the Athletics on Tuesday looking to maintain his streak of exceptional appearances. Graveman is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his last four starts and 9-2 with a 3.33 ERA in his last 16.Graveman is 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA in his career against Houston, including back-to-back starts in July where he allowed four earned runs in 15 innings in two wins.The Astros (69-62) welcomed back a critical cog in the bullpen on Monday night when veteran right-hander Luke Gregerson relieved rookie right-hander Joe Musgrove with one out in the sixth inning and runners on the corners in a 2-0 game.Gregerson made his first appearance in 11 days after being sidelined with a left ankle injury suffered when he stepped on a sprinkler head in Baltimore. Gregerson has served effectively in a setup capacity since losing his job as closer earlier this season, and while the Astros have won eight of 10 games, his steady hand was missed.Against the Athletics, Gregerson did his job with aplomb, inducing Yonder Alonso to hit grounder back to the mound that Gregerson turned into an inning-ending double play.I didnt know when the ideal spot to bring him in was, but I trust him with the ball in his hand as much as anybody, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I dont care that he hadnt pitched in a couple weeks. He knows how to navigate innings. And that spot, highest leverage, big spot, we needed him to come in.The Astros extended their lead in the bottom half of the inning and were able to complete the win without using right-handers Will Harris and Ken Giles. Both will be available when Houston attempts to claim the series on Tuesday night behind right-hander Collin McHugh (8-10, 5.01 ERA).McHugh is 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in his career against the Athletics, getting 47 strikeouts in 45 innings and seven starts. He has scuffled against Oakland this season, however, totaling just 11 1/3 innings in two starts with a 5.56 ERA. McHugh did not factor into the decision in either appearance.Custom Bengals T-shirts . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Custom Bengals Jerseys . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. http://www.custombengalsjersey.com/ . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Cheap Bengals Jerseys . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Bengals Jerseys China . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night.ST. LOUIS -- Yoenis Cespedes says he has no plans to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract with the New York Mets.The outfielder from Cuba is in the first year of a three-year, $75 million deal that has an escape clause after the first season. He said through an interpreter before Wednesdays game against the St. Louis Cardinals that he intended to honor the deal.Ive said it before, my intentions of course are to be here for three years, and if I could spend the rest of my career wiith the Mets, I would, Cespedes said.ddddddddddddHe said he hasnt discussed the matter with his agents and added that if anything happened, it would be after the season.My mind is on playing, Cespedes said. I just havent thought about it.Entering Wednesday nights game, Cespedes was batting .295 with 25 homers and 64 RBI, second on the team in both categories. ' ' '