German_Force » forceout after bobbling an apparent inning

ANAHEIM Jim Rice Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Ramon Laureano grabbed the spotlight, and that was just fine with Edwin Jackson.Laureano made an outstanding defensive play in the third inning, helping Jackson and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 on Saturday night.With one out and Eric Young Jr. on first, Laureano raced into the gap in left-center to haul in Justin Upton’s drive. The rookie center fielder then completed the double play by uncorking a long throw to first .“He’s a game-changer,” Jackson said. “I’ve seen him make a play similar to that in Triple-A when I was in Nashville. I knew he had it in him but man, plays like that, if those don’t get you fired up then I don’t know what does.“First of all, to make the catch. And after that the throw. That’s what he’s capable of doing. He’s a playmaker for sure. I’m sure you’ll see much more of it.”Marcus Semien homered twice and Khris Davis also connected as Oakland won for the eighth time in 10 games. The A’s also stayed 1 1/2 games ahead of Seattle for the second AL wild card.Jackson (4-2) allowed three hits and walked three in 7 1/3 innings. Ryan Buchter got two outs and Emilio Pagan finished the five-hitter.But it was Laureano’s play that caught everyone’s attention.“That’s probably one of the more impressive things I’ve seen in baseball,” Oakland left fielder Chad Pinder said.“He knew exactly what he was doing. He put it right on the money.”Semien had three hits, scored three times and drove in four runs. He hit a three-run shot in the second and a solo drive in the fourth.Davis hit his 34th homer in the third, a solo drive to right that made it 5-0. Davis has 13 homers in his 20 games since the All-Star break.Los Angeles had won four in a row. Tyler Skaggs (8-8) was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first start since coming off the disabled list after being sidelined by a left adductor strain.“I don’t know if he felt that great,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He missed some time with the groin injury. It didn’t look like it was very crisp. On a night where obviously we needed some innings out of him, unfortunately he couldn’t get to a certain point of the game. He battled hard. He missed some spots http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-nomar-garciaparra-jersey , wasn’t very crisp and those guys hit the ball well.”A’s third baseman Matt Chapman hit a run-scoring single in the first inning to reach base safely in a career-high 25th consecutive game.THAT’S A LOT OF HOME RUNSSemien’s second homer of the night was No. 8,000 for the franchise since it moved to Oakland in 1968. The Athletics got the ball and will display it at home.LONG TIME COMINGAngels catcher Francisco Arcia, who made his major league debut last month after 12 years in the minor leagues, pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit. He became the first position player to pitch for the Angels since Chili Davis on June 17, 1993. Arcia said he threw bullpen fastballs.“It was just fun,” Arcia said. “I got in the back of my mind when I was pitching in Little League.”TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: RHP Shohei Ohtani (strained right elbow) threw a light bullpen session.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Trevor Cahill (4-2, 3.12 ERA) starts Sunday. He is 3-0 with a 3.76 ERA since coming off the disabled list on July 12.Angels: RHP Taylor Cole (0-2, 1.59 ERA) will open for Los Angeles, but Scioscia said it will be a bullpen game. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics missed out this weekend on gaining ground to host the AL wild-card game.Khris Davis hit a grand slam in the ninth inning but the Athletics again came up short, beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Sunday.“It was good to see on a day that looks like we’re dragging a little bit or a little bit flat to be able to put up a four-spot like that,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.The A’s remained 1 ½ games behind the New York Yankees for the top AL wild-card spot. Oakland lost for the second straight day at Tropicana Field — the Yankees fell to Toronto both days.Oakland dropped 4 ½ games behind AL West-leading Houston Christian Vazquez Jersey , which beat Arizona.Tampa Bay trails Oakland by seven games with 14 games left.C.J. Cron and Willy Adames homered off A’s starter Mike Fiers. Eight Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter.“Oakland came in here as hot as any team and we pitched like we needed to,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Down 5-0, the A’s loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth on three walks by Jake Faria. After Jose Alvarado struck out Jed Lowrie, Sergio Romo allowed Davis’ major league-leading and career-high tying 43rd homer before getting the final two outs for his 21st save.Davis’ second career slam gave him 115 RBIs, second in the majors to the 122 for Boston’s J.D. Martinez.Fiers (12-7) dropped to 5-1 over eight starts since being acquired from Detroit on Aug. 6. He gave up three runs and four hits in four innings. The righty worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second.“Put the guys behind early,” Fiers said. “Just too many jams, too many errant pitches.”Cron had a two-run drive in the first and Adames hit a fourth-inning solo shot. The Rays (82-66) secured their first winning season since reaching the playoffs in 2013 (92-71) as an AL wild-card team.“There’s no way around it, we’ve had a good year,” Cron said. “It’s just that the guys in front of us are having an exceptionally good year. I think most years this (record) would be good enough for a playoff spot.”Diego Castillo worked the first inning for the Rays, then Andrew Kittredge (3-2), Hunter Wood and Jaime Schultz all went two innings apiece.Kittredge also got the win in the Rays’ 7-5 victory Saturday night by retiring his only batter, Mark Canha http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-fred-lynn-jersey , on two-out, bases-loaded grounder in the eighth.Matt Olson, who went 2 for 3 with a walk, was the only Oakland player to reach base through seven innings.Cron put Tampa Bay ahead 2-0 on his career-high 27th home, coming two pitches after Lowrie could only get a forceout after bobbling an apparent inning-ending double-play grounder to second by Ji-Man Choi.The Rays went up 5-0 in the seventh on Brandon Lowe’s two-run triple.TWENTY IS STILL SPECIALRays ace Blake Snell (19-5) will be seeking a major league-leading 20th win in the second of a three-game series Tuesday night at Texas. “I think it’s a huge stat for a pitcher,” Cash said. “Sometimes you’re at the mercy of the club, I understand that, but ultimately if you win 20 ballgames you’re going to put the club on your back and carry a lot of the load. Blake has done that.”TRAINER’S ROOMAthletics: RHP Trevor Cahill (upper back) is nearing a bullpen session and might rejoin the rotation next weekend. “We’ll have a better indication once gets off the mound and really has to extend,” Melvin said. “I think that’s where he was having his troubles.” Cahill is 6-3 in 19 starts.Rays: OF Tommy Pham, playing through groin and right ring finger injuries was rested. … Cash said it is unclear if C Michael Perez (left hamstring) will return this season.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Liam Hendriks (0-1) will be the opener for the sixth time this month Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels.Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-4) will face Texas RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1) on Monday night.