MINNEAPOLIS -- The Oakland Athletics can win a lot of different ways, as
evidenced by their two-year hold on the AL West division title.
Cheap
Jerseys . Yoenis Cespedes proved he can play through a hurting
right heel, giving Scott Kazmir and the As a spark with a pair of RBIs that
helped spoil the Minnesota Twins home opener with an 8-3 victory on Monday.
"When were swinging well, we feel like we have a deep lineup," As manager Bob
Melvin said. Cespedes has been hobbling around the last few days with the
injury, but the team wasnt worried enough about it to hold him out. The Cuban
slugger followed a leadoff walk to Brandon Moss by crushing a double in the
second inning for the first run against Kevin Correia (0-1) and hit a sacrifice
fly in the seventh. Moss added a two-run single in the third and Derek Norris
homered in the sixth. "Everyone knows their strengths and they dont go outside
of their game, and I think thats what makes us a great overall ballclub and very
deadly down the stretch of the whole season," Norris said. Jed Lowrie hit what
the As believed was a home run down the right-field line in the third inning,
but the call on the field was a foul ball and the umpire-initiated review, which
lasted more than four minutes, upheld the ruling. Lowrie took a walk instead and
later scored. Kazmir (2-0), who stymied with Twins in five starts against them
last season for Cleveland, completed six innings with six hits, three runs and
four walks allowed. He struck out five, and RBI doubles by Aaron Hicks and
Jason Kubel were the only damaging hits against him. This wasnt his best, but
Kazmir got enough quick outs to stay in there. "Not very efficient with my
pitches, but theres going to be days like that so I need to be able to battle.
To get six out of that, thats something you can build on," he said. The
30-year-old Kazmir dazzled in his As debut with 7 1-3 scoreless innings last
week against his old team, the Indians. He did the same against the Twins in
2013, going 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 31 innings with 36 strikeouts. With
Jarrod Parker, a 12-game winner last year, out for the season following elbow
ligament replacement surgery and A.J. Griffin not yet ready because of a spring
arm injury, the rotation took a hit. Kazmir, then, is that much more valuable.
Oh, and so is the lineup. "All the way through, guys are taking quality at-bats
and really working the starting pitcher early in the game. That goes a long way
as far as getting the win," Kazmir said. Correia came out with two outs in the
sixth. He yielded nine hits, six runs and two walks while striking out three.
"He started pounding inside a bit better and his last couple innings were better
because of that," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But you cant just stay out
and over the plate on these guys." Alberto Callaspo and Josh Reddick also drove
in runs for the As, who played without centre fielder Coco Crisp because of a
sore left wrist. Norris, Callaspo and Josh Donaldson each had two hits. "I just
threw a couple bad pitches in situations where I had a chance to get out of a
jam," Correia said. "Thats what Ive been able to do the last couple years."
NOTES: Lowrie was hit by a pitch on the lower right leg in the seventh inning
and was in too much pain to stay in the game. Nick Punto, who played seven
seasons for the Twins, entered as a pinch runner and eventually scored on a balk
by Sam Deduno. ... The Athletics made a bullpen shuffle before the game,
reinstating RH Ryan Cook from the disabled list and sending RH Evan Scribner to
Triple-A Sacramento. Cook, who was out with shoulder tendinitis, struck out two
in a hitless ninth. ... Attendance was announced at 35,837, more than 3,000
below official capacity. .... The Twins had left fielder Josh Willingham (left
wrist) and right fielder Oswaldo Arcia (right wrist) both out of the lineup. ...
The three-game series resumes on Wednesday afternoon, with RH Jesse Chavez (0-0,
1.50 ERA) pitching for the As against Twins RH Phil Hughes (0-0, 7.20 ERA).
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his maiden PGA Tour victory in just his 13th start on golfs top circuit. He shot
6-under-par 66 in his fianl round — despite a three-putt bogey on the 72nd hole
— for a two-shot victory over Americans Boo Weekley and Jason Bohn.
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propelled the New York Knicks to their first winning streak in over two months
by virtue of Wednesdays 98-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.CHICAGO -- The
Chicago Blackhawks were sloppy on defence at times Sunday night. The struggling
Edmonton Oilers struggled even more in their own zone and it cost them against
the defending Stanley Cup champions. Marcus Kruger scored the tiebreaking goal
with 8:16 left in the third period, Duncan Keith added a power-play goal 1:55
later and the Blackhawks beat Edmonton 5-4 for their third straight victory.
"Were happy to get wins and get points, but we always want to keep getting
better, take positives from every game," Keith said. Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw
and Bryan Bickell also scored for the Blackhawks (12-2-4), who are 6-0-1 in
their last seven games. Kruger was alone at the edge of the crease when he took
a pass from Ben Smith off the boards, turned and wrapped the puck past
Devan Dubnyk to put Chicago ahead 4-3. Keith added his first of the season on a
screened shot from the point. It turned out to be the game-winner because
Jordan Eberle scored short-handed for the Oilers on a deflection of
Nick Schultzs point shot with 1:28 remaining. "We make a few more mistakes
against these guys than we should," Keith said. "Theyre able to capitalize."
Edmonton also got an even-strength goal from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and power-play
scores from Nail Yakupov and David Perron, but lost its third straight and fifth
in six games. Sam Gagner missed on a second-period penalty shot. Chicago goalie
Corey Crawford made 19 saves, while Dubnyk had 31. "Their power play ignited
their offence tonight," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "But still, it
was one of those games where we stuck with it, which was important, and found a
way to win against a team that enjoys playing against us and has some success
against us." The Oilers were 1-1-1 against the Blackhawks last season. "We tend
to get out of our game playing against them," Saad said. "We started slow, but
we bounced back and finished the game well." The Oilers entered with the NHLs
worst goals-against average (3.83) after allowing 48 goals in their first 18
games. The Blackhawks came in averaging 3.47 goals, second only to San Jose, and
had scored 27 in their last six games. Defensive zone breakdowns doomed the
Oilers in this one. The Blackhawks scored four even-strength goals when one of
their players was left wide open near the net. Keiths power-play goal through a
screen was the only exception. "Thats missed coverage, and missed coverage by
some of our veteran players, which is concerning to me," Edmonton coach
Dallas Eakins said. "If you cant defend in this league, youre not going to win.
&"Tonight we had flashes of very good D-zone coverage and then we had some
flashes of just total unawareness of what was going on behind us," he added.
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responsibilities in our D-zone and its killing us." Chicago defenceman
Michal Rozsival left with just more than 4 minutes left after being hit in the
face with a puck, but Quenneville said he would be OK. Both teams and goalies
played their second game in two days. The Blackhawks won 5-2 at Dallas on
Saturday night, and the Oilers lost 4-2 at Philadelphia in an afternoon game.
Saad scored the only goal of a sluggish first period with 1:37 left. Edmontons
Philip Larsen got a stick on Brandon Pirris centring attempt from the left side
of the net, but the puck popped into the air and landed in the slot. Saad drove
to the net between two Oilers defenders and put a shot into the lower left
corner. Nugent-Hopkins tied it 54 seconds into the second period on a quick shot
that fooled Crawford high on the stick side. After taking Perrons feed,
Nugent-Hopkins turned and in one motion whipped a shot into the upper left
corner. Gagner was awarded a penalty shot at 4:13 after Brent Seabrook hooked
him from behind on a breakaway. On his attempt, Gagner lost control of the puck
and slid it wide right after several quick moves in close. Yakupovs power-play
goal at 8:55 put Edmonton ahead 2-1. Set up by Larsen, Yakupov ripped a
one-timer from the top of the right circle past Crawfords glove. The Blackhawks
picked up the pace, tested Dubnyk and tied it at 2 with 2:42 left in the period
when Shaw capitalized on another Oilers coverage breakdown. Saad powered into
the Edmonton zone with the puck, but was steered aside by Anton Belov and
Larsen. Shaw snuck in behind the play, took Saads pass and scored on a wrist
shot from inside the hashmarks. Bickell gave Chicago a 3-2 lead at 5:33 of the
third when he was left alone at the edge of the crease and stuffed in a rebound
of Rozsivals drive from the blue line. Perrons power-play goal 2:25 later, on a
deflection of Larsens shot from the point, tied it at 3. NOTES: Gagner is 0 for
2 on penalty shots in his career. ... The Oilers finished 1-3-0 on their road
trip. ... Chicago C Michal Handzus missed his eighth game with an upper-body and
is still "one or two weeks" from returning, according to Quenneville. ...
Veteran G Ilya Bryzgalov, signed by Edmonton to a reported $2 million, one-year
deal on Friday, is expected to join Oklahoma City of the AHL for a conditioning
stint. He hasnt played an NHL game since April. ... Edmonton LW Luke Gazdic
(shoulder) sat out. He was injured Saturday in Philadelphia.
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