OAKLAND, Calif. [url=http://www.dolphinsteamauthenticshop.com/c-25-dolphins-byron-maxwel l-jersey.aspx]Byron Maxwell Jersey[/url] . -- Sonny Gray has been so good over the past two months the Oakland Athletics havent needed to score runs in bunches. On Friday night, with slugger Yoenis Cespedes gone t

OAKLAND, Calif. Byron Maxwell Jersey . -- Sonny Gray has been so good over the past two months the Oakland Athletics havent needed to score runs in bunches. On Friday night, with slugger Yoenis Cespedes gone to the Boston Red Sox, they had no answer for Jeremy Guthrie. Raul Ibanez homered on Grays lone mistake, breaking his own franchise record for oldest Royals player to clear the fences and leading Kansas City past the As 1-0 on Friday night. The 42-year-old Ibanez connected in the fifth inning for his fifth homer, giving Guthrie the lone run he needed for Kansas Citys first victory at the Oakland Coliseum since April 10, 2012. The Royals went 1-5 against the As last season, including 0-3 on the road. "Theres no doubt about it, with the pitching matchups were facing in this series, this was a huge win for us," manager Ned Yost said. Gray (12-4) hung tough in a pitchers duel with Guthrie. The right-hander struck out seven in seven innings and didnt walk a batter for the first time all year. "You get spoiled because it seems like hes doing it every time out. He has done it every time out," As manager Bob Melvin said. "Hes been as consistent as a pitcher can be." Gray had his five-start winning streak snapped with his first losing decision in eight outings dating to a June 13 home loss against the Yankees. "The past is the past and you move on," Gray said. "Obviously I had a good month. That doesnt matter." Guthrie (7-9) struck out six in six innings to win his second straight outing following a three-start skid as the Royals beat the team with baseballs best record for their third straight win and eighth in 10. It could get tougher Saturday, when Jon Lester makes his As debut two days after being traded by the Red Sox. The As struggled to get anything going and lost for the third time in four games a day after trading two-time reigning Home Run Derby champion Cespedes to the Red Sox for Lester and Jonny Gomes. Guthrie struck out the side in the sixth, retiring Brandon Moss and Jed Lowrie on consecutive called third strikes. Nori Aoki doubled leading off the game and advanced on a wild pitch, but Gray retired the next three batters in order to avoid damage. Grey had five or more strikeouts in each of his five July outings, going 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA for the month. ROYALS BULLPEN: Kansas Citys bullpen delivered again. The steady pitching has been key in winning a recent run of close games. Greg Holland followed scoreless innings by Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis for his 30th save in 32 chances -- and third in as many games. "Its one of those situations where youre in a 1-0 game with a tough pitching staff over there, you know theres not going to be a lot of runs scored so you want to go on with your best guys," Yost said. TRAINERS ROOM: Royals: First baseman Eric Hosmer, who will be out three to six weeks after sustaining a stress fracture of the third finger on his right hand Thursday, is likely headed to the disabled list Saturday. Yost said more testing is likely but a hand specialist has already evaluated him. "Its a non-displaced stress fracture," Yost said. "That means it doesnt need to be casted, doesnt need surgery, just needs time to heal. Hes a pretty quick healer, but its probably going to be a 3-4 week ordeal." Athletics: Center fielder Coco Crisp received pain-relieving trigger-point injections in his strained neck over recent days. Crisp missed his fifth straight game and Melvin said he needs to take swings to test the neck before returning. FULDS RETURN: Sam Fuld started in centre field and batted leadoff one day after returning to Oakland where he began the season following a trade from Minnesota. His leadoff double in the fourth was the first hit off fellow ex-Stanford player Guthrie. ON DECK: Royals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (8-4, 3.31 ERA) makes his first start since July 8. He underwent an appendectomy the next day after he experienced discomfort. Athletics: Lester pitches on seven days rest after getting scratched Wednesday ahead of the trade deadline. Lester (10-7, 2.52 ERA) is 4-0 with a 1.07 ERA over his last eight starts. Walt Aikens Jersey . Louis Cardinals continued their offensive tear with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series. Reshad Jones Jersey .J. -- The New York Jets have promoted Tony Sparano Jr. http://www.dolphinsteamauthenticshop.com/c-47-dolphins-jordan-phillips-jersey.aspx . - Considering where Jeff Gordon was after Richmond, left out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in part due to some late-race shenanigans, he couldnt have been happier on Sunday.MINNEAPOLIS -- At the crack of the bat, San Diego Padres manager Bud Black didnt think centre fielder Alexi Amarista had a chance to get Eduardo Escobars screaming line drive. Step by blazing step, it didnt take Amarista long to give Black and the rest of his team some much-needed hope. Amarista made that game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning and Seth Smith followed with a solo homer in the 10th to lift the Padres to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. "Then I saw Alexis route, and youre sort of watching Alexi and watching the ball," Black said. "And then in flight, you think maybe." Amarista ran backward on a dead sprint and laid out for a brilliant diving catch of the drive with two on and two outs to keep the game tied. "When he hit it, I thought game over," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We just watched their whole outfield move way in with two strikes, and he moved way in when that ball was hit, and Esco got a hold of it really nice, we thought he had no chance to catch that ball. But the young man ran it down, and it was a hell of a play." Smith had two hits and two RBIs. Joaquin Benoit picked up his fourth save in five tries and the Padres earned a split in the two-game series. Trevor Plouffe had a homer and three RBIs for the Twins. But All-Star closer Glen Perkins blew his fourth save in 32 chances this year. San Diego trailed 4-3 going into the ninth against Perkins, but Everth Cabrera tied the game with a sacrifice fly. The Padres earlier in the day hired Texas Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller as the teams new general manager, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made. The speedy Amarista was a late-game defensive replacement, and what a move it was for Black. He raced a good 35 yards or more to track down Escobars hit and the Padres bench erupted when he hauled it in. Smith responded with a drive more than 400 feet off Anthony Swarzak (2-1) into the right-fiield stands for his 12th homer. Ndamukong Suh Jersey. . "It was nice to win a game like that," Smith said. "Those are the games you need to win." Kevin Quackenbush (2-2) got the win. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: Yangervis Solarte came up hobbling in the sixth inning after sliding home to tie the game at 3. Solarte appeared to actually roll over a bat laying in his way as he made the slide. But he was able to finish the game at third base. Twins: Gardenhire said first baseman Joe Mauer and right-hander Ricky Nolasco both had successful debuts on their rehab stints with Class A Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night. Mauer (strained right oblique) was scheduled to play first base on Wednesday. If all goes well, Mauer will join the team in Houston next week. Gardenhire said Nolasco (elbow) "felt great" after throwing 51 pitches. He will make at least one more start before being activated. FOR STARTERS Padres right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne gave up four runs on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. It was his third straight outing allowing at least four runs and his third straight where he hasnt reached the seventh inning. "Hes been a little bit too up out over the plate for the most part," Black said. YONDER HEATS UP Alonso went 6 for 8 in the series to raise his average to .233. He was activated from the disabled list last week after dealing with right wrist tendinitis, and Black said he can see the difference. "Theres no soreness in his wrist," Black said. "His forearms, his hands, everything having to do with gripping the bat feels good. His timing is there. Hes one of the guys that we need to continue this hitting." UP NEXT Padres: San Diego is off on Thursday before opening a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Friday night. RHP Ian Kennedy (8-9, 3.59) will start the opener against Pirates RHP Vance Worley (4-1, 2.43). Twins: Minnesota starts a four-game series in Oakland on Thursday night. RHP Yohan Pino (1-3, 4.57) pitches for the Twins against newly acquired As LHP Jon Lester (11-7, 2.59). Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '