Moss stands out in A's lineup against lefty

HOUSTON -- Brandon Moss served as the lone left-handed hitter in the A's lineup for their four-game series opener against southpaw Brett Oberholtzer in Houston on Thursday.

That could become a trend, with manager Bob Melvin looking to give Craig Gentry a start each time his club faces a left-hander.

Josh Reddick was the odd man out Thursday, with Gentry getting the nod in right field, suggesting Reddick won't always start against southpaws anymore. He'll seemingly face some, though, as Gentry could play in center field vs. lefties while allowing Coco Crisp to be the designated hitter on occasion.

Moss, meanwhile, got the start over Alberto Callaspo because of "different variables," said Melvin, who didn't provide specifics on how he decides whether Moss should face a lefty, other than noting the style of pitcher often comes into play.

Next time, Melvin said, it could be Callaspo at first base against the lefty. But there's no exact formula, since the right-handed-hitting Nate Freiman -- now at Triple-A, after spending all of 2013 in the Majors -- is no longer an option.