Oakland A's make move to shore up pitching staff

The Oakland A's moved to try and shore up their shorthanded pitching staff Thursday, acquiring right-hander Brandon Bielak from the Houston Astros for cash considerations. Oakland designated left-hander Easton Lucas for assignment to create 40-man roster room for Bielak, who had been designated himself by the Astros on Saturday to create space for right-hander Cristian Javier on the active roster. Bielak has a 5.71 ERA in 10 relief outings this year, with nine strikeouts and seven walks over 17 1/3 innings.