OAKLAND, Calif. -- On a day when his fastball didnt have much bite and his breaking pitches were flat, Jesse Chavez finally got the victory that had eluded him through the first two weeks of the season. The 30-year-old starter also managed to carve a spot in the Athletics history books along the way. Chavez combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, and Josh Donaldson drove in three runs to help Oakland beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep. "Today was one of those days where I had to make pitches and see pretty much what I was made of as a starter," said Chavez after lowering his team-leading ERA to 1.38. "The only thing I had pretty much working today was my changeup. That was a good pitch that I needed." Chavez (1-0) allowed four hits over six innings and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced after giving up a solo home run to Marwin Gonzalez in the fourth. He struck out three, walked one and became the first pitcher in franchise history to be on the opening- day roster and allow one earned run or less in six innings during each of his first four starts. Not bad for a guy who was on the fringe of the As rotation until injuries sidelined Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. "I think hell tell you he struggled with his command moreso today than any other day," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats really the mark of a good pitcher, when you dont have your best stuff. Hes been focused and ready for that opportunity and continues to run with it." Josh Donaldson homered and doubled twice while Jed Lowrie and Eric Sogard added two hits apiece for the As, who have won 11 of 13. Oakland has the best record in the American League despite a shaky defence that committed its AL-leading 19th error. Gonzalez had two hits for the Astros. Houston has dropped seven straight. "We have an underperforming team right now, and when you underperform and make the mistakes that we make this is going to be the result," manager Bo Porter said. Donaldson hit a two-run homer off Houston starter Brad Peacock in the first and added an RBI double in the seventh. He also had a two-out double in the fifth. That helped offset an early miscue by Oaklands third baseman. Donaldson bobbled George Springers grounder in the third, extending the teams worst defensive stretch since 2011. Lowrie, the shortstop, also dropped a high popup by Springer in the eighth, marking four straight games in which the As have committed at least two errors. Overall, Oakland has made an error in nine consecutive games. "I dont like it," Melvin said. "You cant continually play defence like this and get away with it." Three of Houstons first four batters reached base before Oaklands young right-hander settled down. After catcher John Jaso threw out Jose Altuve trying to steal third, Chavez got Marc Krauss to fly out. The Astros also had two runners on with two outs in the third following Donaldsons fielding error but Chavez retired Krauss on a deep fly to right. Houston managed just one baserunner against Chavez after that, a one-out walk to Dexter Fowler in the fifth. Jim Johnson, still trying to win back the As closer spot, replaced Chavez to start the seventh and retired the first two batters before walking Altuve. After Fowler reached when his sharp comebacker deflected off Johnson, reliever Sean Doolittle came in and got Jason Castro to fly out to left. Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for his third save. Donaldsons two-run home run off Peacock (0-2) in the first put the As up 2-0. Lowrie singled with one out before Donaldson hit the 3-1 pitch to left. Gonzalez, who singled off Chavez in the second, hit a two-out home run in the fourth to cut it to 2-1. Donaldson doubled in Coco Crisp in the seventh and Lowrie scored on a passed ball in the same inning. Peacock struck out four and walked three in his first start of the season. The former Oakland prospect, who began the year in Houstons bullpen, allowed five hits over five innings. NOTES: Oakland slugger Yoenis Cespedes left the game in the top of the seventh with a bruised right heel. ... Gonzalezs home run was his first since June 5, 2013. ... Oakland OF Sam Fuld was claimed off waivers by Minnesota. ... Houston LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-1) pitches the series opener against Seattle on Monday. ... RHP Dan Straily (1-1) faces the Rangers for Oakland is 3-1 in six career starts against Texas. . Judging by his performance Saturday night, Cotto has plenty left in the tank. Cotto became the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world championships in four weight divisions, stopping Sergio Martinez in their WBC world middleweight title fight Saturday night. . -- Canadian freestyle skier Roz Groenewoud isnt letting surgery to both of her knees deter her expectations for the Sochi Olympics.
http://www.nhlkingsauthority.com/authen ... gs-jersey/. Now the Minnesota Vikings have set their sights on soccer. . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. .Stanton suffered fractures in his face and other injuries when he was hit by a pitch Sept. 11. The Marlins are confident hell fully recover and be ready for spring training, and they hope to reach a long-term agreement with him.TORONTO -- Nikolai Kulemin has been in the dark. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger is a candidate to play for Russia at next months Sochi Olympics that are set to be a showcase for his home country. But with the roster being made of up some Kontinental Hockey League players in addition to NHL stars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk, he doesnt really know where he stands. "I dont really know what they want to do," Kulemin said last week. "Its their decision who to bring to the team. You never know what theyre thinking." Kulemin, a veteran of 382 NHL games, represented Russia at the 2007 and 2010 world championships but never at the Olympics. The two-way forward was invited to Olympic camp over the summer, and he said only of his likelihood that coaches "said everybody have a chance." Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Malkin and former NHL-turned-KHL poster boys Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov already take up five spots while Alexander Semin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexei Tereschenko are also seemingly in good shape. That means it could be a question of whether the Russian management team values Kulemin more than a comparable player from the KHL. Kulemin has just five goals and six assists in 31 games this season after a bone chip in his ankle cost him a month. Thats ninth among Russian-born NHL forwards, though the 27-year-old is much better known for his defensive prowess. "Hes top guy," Ovechkin said of Kulemin earlier this season. "He can play physical game, he can make big hits, good defensive player. Hes very skilled (on) offence too." Ovechkin is the face of the Olympics, so any praise from him cant hurt. "Thank him to say that," Kulemin said. "I would be happy to make the team and help the team in any position I would play for. Well see." One benefit Kulemin would bring is the ability to play on either wing. Thats especially valuable if Ovechkin reverts back to the left side he played his whole life until Washington Capitals coach movedd him to right wing, igniting an MVP campaign.dddddddddddd Ovechkins place isnt in question. But theres no certainty that Kulemin will join Leafs teammates Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk -- who were named to the U.S. team -- in Sochi. "I think thatd be great for him," van Riemsdyk said. "You see how hard he works day in and day out and what he brings to our team as far as just every shift hes out there hes 110 per cent. You know what to expect from him. He brings a lot to the table for us out there, so I think theyd be lucky to have him on their team, too." Perhaps the Leafs would feel luckier if Kulemin didnt make the cut. Asked Saturday morning about the impact of Kessel and van Riemsdyk making the U.S. team on Toronto, coach Randy Carlyle pointed to a negative aspect of NHL participation in the Olympics. "From my experience with it in Anaheim, we had seven players go to the (2010) Olympics and we had (Ryan) Getzlaf, (Corey) Perry and Scott Niedermayer come back and they didnt have any emotion left when they got back," Carlyle said. "They participated in winning a gold medal, and it was difficult to get those guys back to the level that we needed them at that time, and its understandable." The Chicago Blackhawks had nine players at those Olympics, including Canadians Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and went on to win the Stanley Cup. But the concern over the let-down is legitimate. "Its two or three weeks of high emotion, and the last thing on their mind is where they came from," Carlyle said. "Theyre playing for their country." This is especially true in the case of the Russians, who will be facing immense pressure to win gold on home ice. Kulemin, a native of Magnitogorsk, a 35-hour drive northeast from Sochi, would love to join in that quest. He has been waiting in nervous anticipation of the roster announcement. "Well see if I make the team," Kulemin said. "Id be so happy. But you never know." ' ' '
