Clanregeln » first hhome loss

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When the ball caromed away from Texas Rangers centre fielder Craig Gentry, he quickly recovered to get it and throw to shortstop Elvis Andrus. The game was over after a perfect relay to the plate. Oaklands Josh Donaldson was tagged out by catcher A.J. Pierzynski, preserving the Rangers series-clinching 4-3 victory over the AL West-leading Athletics on Thursday. Donaldson, who reached on a two-out single off closer Joe Nathan, was trying to score from first on Seth Smiths fast-sinking ball that that short-hopped the charging Gentry. "Little did we know, fortunately, that ended up being a blessing," Nathan said. "I was hoping that Gentry had enough foot speed to catch it, but it sunk on him, but he kept it almost in front of him, not too far," manager Ron Washington said. "If he didnt hit Elvis with the relay perfectly, I dont think we would have been able to pull that play off." Ian Kinsler put the Rangers ahead for the first time with his two-out single in the seventh. Texas pulled within a game of the Athletics by winning three times in the four-game set. The divisions top two teams dont play again until the first weekend of August. "Any win right now is special, especially against a good team like the As, especially to win the series," Andrus said. "Theyre really aggressive on the bases. ... I just want to get the ball quick, so I can make a throw and make that guy stop." Kinsler came to the plate in the seventh right after Leonys Martins hustling infield single, getting to first base ahead of Sean Doolittle (3-2) when the pitcher was taking the toss from first baseman Brandon Moss. That loaded the bases with two outs, and Kinsler hit a full-count pitch through the middle of the infield. Donaldson and Smith singled in the ninth after Nathan struck out the first two hitters. When Donaldson saw the ball get away from Gentry, who replaced Martin defensively in centre to start the ninth. Donaldson never slowed down rounding third base even as coach Mike Gallego signalled him to stop after initially waving him home. "As soon as I saw it hit his chest, I was gone," Donaldson said. "It took a perfect throw to get me. It sucks to lose a game that way, but you take that chance. It was frustrating because it was the worst outcome we could have had." Tanner Scheppers (5-0), the fourth reliever after starter Josh Lindblom, worked 1 2-3 scoreless innings before Nathan struck out two in the ninth and got his 22nd save in 23 chances. Oakland, which went from a seven-game deficit in mid-May to starting this series with a season-high three-game division lead, lost for the fifth time in seven games. "That was as frustrating as any loss weve had," manager Bob Melvin said. "They played hard on every single pitch and every single out, but it seemed everything that could go wrong did go wrong." Texas finished 4-7 on its season-long 11-game homestand. David Murphy led off the Texas seventh with a double, but was thrown out at third after Robinson Chirinos bunt back to pitcher Ryan Cook, who was then relieved by Doolittle. Pierzynski had a pinch-hit single and Jurickson Profar a foul popout before Martin kept the inning alive. The As went up 3-2 in the top of the seventh when Jed Lowrie had a leadoff single and eventually scored on an error by Andrus, who went to his right to make a nice grab on Donaldsons grounder. Andrus threw to third, but the ball ricocheted off the leg of the sliding Lowrie, who then got up and ran home. That was all the As got in the seventh, when they left the bases loaded for the second inning in a row. They left 13 runners on base. Oakland went ahead 2-1 in the sixth when pinch-hitter Chris Young drew a bases-loaded walk. Robbie Ross, the fourth pitcher in the inning, then came on and got three straight outs. Lowrie was in a 7-for-48 slide before three hits Thursday. He had an RBI single in the fifth, but grounded into a double play to end the eighth. Geovany Soto, catching until Pierzynski hit for him in the seventh, led off the Rangers fifth with a tying solo homer to straightaway centre. It looked like Coco Crisp had a chance to make a homer-stealing grab, but ran into the 8-foot wall about the same time he was reaching up to try to make the catch. Andrus had a sacrifice fly for Texas in the sixth. Notes: The Rangers said after the game they would option Lindblom to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, when 1B Mitch Moreland will be activated from the disabled list. .. Rangers RF Nelson Cruz made a leaping catch and held on when he hit in midair the inverted wall in front of the Texas bullpen in the eighth. ... Kinsler got his 161st career stolen base after his go-ahead single, matching Bump Wills for the most in Rangers history. ... In their seven previous plate appearances before Thursday with the bases loaded, the As had been 4 for 4 with a homer, a walk and two sacrifice flies. Cheap Shoes China Free Shipping . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Wholesale China Shoes Free Shipping . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/ . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Replica Shoes Wholesale China . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Shoes Wholesale China Market . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann stayed with basically the same starting lineup against Costa Rica that opened Fridays 2-1 loss to Mexico but switched to a conventional 4-4-2 formation.Brad Guzan was in goal for Tuesday nights World Cup qualifier at sold-out Estadio Nacional after entering in the 40th minute against Mexico due to Tim Howards right leg injury.Tim Chandler was at right back, John Brooks and Omar Gonzalez in central defense, and Matt Besler at left back. Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones were in the midfield along with 18-year-old Christian Pulisic and Fabian Johnson, and Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood were up front.Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya did not dress because of tightness in his left hamstring.Klinsmann started with a 3-4-1-2 formation against Mexico that had Brooks, Gonzalez and Besler as center backs, and Chandler and Johnson as wingers, then switched to a 4-4-2 midway through the first half after Mexico went ahead. Wood tied the score, but Rafa Marquezs goal on an 89th-minute header sent the U.S. to its first hhome loss in qualifying since 2001.ddddddddddddThe U.S. entered 0-8-1 in qualifiers at Costa Rica and was in danger of an 0-2 start in the hexagonal, the format for the final round of qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region since the 1998 tournament. Each team plays 10 games in the round, which runs through next October.Costa Rica made three changes from the starting lineup in Fridays 2-0 win at Trinidad and Tobago, when center back Francisco Calvo got hurt and right back Cristian Gamboa was given a yellow card that caused a one-game suspension.Johan Venegas started at forward, Jose Salvatierra took over for Gamboa and Michael Umana for Calvo.The rest of the 5-4-1 formation had Keylor Navas in goal; Kendall Waston and Jhonny Acosta with Umana at center back and Ronald Matarrita at left back.Randall Azofeifa, Celso Borges, Christian Bolanos and Bryan Ruiz were in the midfield, with Venegas up front. ' ' '