HOUSTON -- The A's used the long ball to start fast against the Astros in Monday night's series-opening showdown at Minute Maid Park. Then a four-run lead went poof.
Lefty Brett Anderson, the August ace, looked anything but the part in a game-altering third inning. A litany of hits went every which way as the Astros posted five runs to take lead and never looked back in a 16-hit attack that put the A's on the wrong end of an 11-4 affair.
Seeking bright spots, once a worthwhile hobby for a middle-of-the-pack A's club, used to soften such losses in the first half. Not so much anymore for a now-surging squad.
"They're just playing every day to win," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We got off to a good start today, had a good feeling in our dugout and the big inning kind of took a little wind out of our sails."

Two-run homers from Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman -- against Gerrit Cole, no less -- were surely nice to admire, and just-promoted Daniel Mengden offered fine work in his new relief role.
The A's, though, stand at a critical juncture in their playoff pursuit, and turning over a sizable lead cost them substantially, given the significance of a single game these days: A loss to the Astros distanced them 2 1/2 games from the American League West lead with 30 to play.
The next best thing, of course, would be an invite to the AL Wild Card game, and the A's are in control of the second spot by a 4 1/2-game margin over the Mariners, who will descend on the Coliseum for four games beginning Thursday.

Anderson, who had allowed just two runs in 26 2/3 innings over his first four August outings, was rocked for five runs in just 2 2/3 innings, surrendering seven hits -- including three straight doubles in Houston's five-run third.
"I feel bad because our offense obviously came out and did their job, and I should be able to preserve that lead somehow," Anderson said. "But they're a good team with a good lineup with everybody that's back in there, kinda full strength, so it was just a collection of things. Made some good pitches, got hit. Made some bad pitches, got hit. Just couldn't stop the bleeding.
"Been pitching pretty good here up until this start, so I put this one behind me and go on and pitch better next time."

Cole, who had not allowed a homer since July 4, regained his rhythm to get through six innings, fanning eight. The A's mustered just one hit against the power pitcher following Chapman's two-run shot in the third, while Mengden went to work with four scoreless innings.
The Astros loaded up on insurance in the eighth when Lou Trivino yielded a three-run homer to Alex Bregman and Emilio Pagan gave up a three-run shot to Tyler White.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Chapman collected yet another extra-base hit to open the sixth -- his Major League-leading 29th since the break -- with a double off Cole. Yet the A's, trailing 5-4 at the time, couldn't capitalize. Jed Lowrie skied a popup into foul territory, and Khris Davis and Matt Olson succumbed to the strikeout. Oakland finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
"It's going to be tough sledding against a guy like that, and we got two good swings where we're ahead, 4-0," Melvin said. "You try to put a little more pressure on him, whether it's making him throw some more pitches or situationally try to get a guy over and maybe make him up for another run, but certainly the five-run inning for them gave them some momentum and we just couldn't do anything offensively after that."
SOUND SMART
Each of the last seven home runs allowed by Pagan have come against the Astros. The right-hander has surrendered 11 on the year.

HE SAID IT
"When something is over, whether it's a win or a tough loss, I think this clubhouse just drops it pretty quick. You think about what happened for a little bit, then you let it go." -- A's outfielder Nick Martini
UP NEXT
The A's will send right-hander Edwin Jackson (4-3, 2.97 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday for the middle matchup of this three-game series, while the host Astros counter with righty Charlie Morton (13-3, 3.05 ERA) in the 5:10 p.m. PT affair at Minute Maid Park. Jackson faced the Astros in Oakland on Aug. 17, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings.