Nova, Yanks’ bullpen halt A’s win streak

OAKLAND — Ivan Nova strung together six efficient innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees’ formidable bullpen finished off the A’s in a 4-1 series-opening victory Thursday night at the Coliseum, snapping Oakland’s four-game win streak.

Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer off reliever Fernando Rodriguez and drove in three runs overall, while Aaron Hicks chipped in with an RBI double for the Yankees, who knocked A’s starter Kendall Graveman out of the game after 5 2/3 innings.

“You want to go as deep as you can in the game,” Nova said. “To be able to throw so good for the team and get the win, it feels good. This is what I want to do every time I go out there.”

• Nova not letting go of another chance to start

Graveman allowed two runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four in the loss, falling to 1-6.

“That’s the best we’ve seen him pitch,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Nova. “It was a true hard sinker today. We had a tough time left or right trying to get him in the air. His curveball was just enough to keep you off balance. He maybe threw a few changeups. It was mostly fastball-curveball. His fastball had really good sink today.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDTrouble on the basepaths: Beltran drove home the Yankees’ first run with a third-inning double, then forgot that there were two outs and hesitated as Josh Reddick dropped a Brian McCann liner, costing the Yankees a run. The baserunning issues continued in the sixth, as the Yanks stroked four straight hits but settled for one run as Chase Headley was picked off and Didi Gregorius was thrown out at second base.

“I felt like I got caught up with …

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