Schwarzesbrett » ccurate pass from Fages this time getting centre

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Less than two months into his career, Jose Abreu is already the guy the Chicago White Sox want at the plate when the game is on the line. Abreu hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. "We realize what he is and how important he is to us," manager Robin Ventura said. "When you get in situations like that youre pretty glad hes up there. Thats what he means to us. You always feel like youre in a good spot if hes up there with guys on." Gordon Beckham homered on the first pitch of the game for the White Sox, who rallied against Oaklands bullpen to end a seven-game losing streak at the Coliseum. John Jaso and Josh Donaldson hit solo homers off Andre Rienzo for the Athletics, who were in line for a season-best seventh straight victory before the bullpen meltdown in the eighth cost Tommy Milone a chance at a win. Beckham and Conor Gillaspie started the rally with one-out singles against Fernando Abad (0-1), and Abreu greeted Luke Gregerson with a no-doubt drive to left field for his 15th home run of the season. "He has ridiculous power," Gillaspie said. "When he gets the ball up in the air like that its going to be tough for it not to leave. Hats off to him. The guy made a mistake and he took advantage of it." Abreu, a rookie slugger from Cuba, is the fourth player in major league history to hit 15 homers in his first 42 games, joining Wally Berger, Kevin Maas and Wally Joyner. "I got the opportunity to hit a good pitch," Abreu said through an interpreter. "All I was doing was trying to hit a ball in the air to bring the guy from third base. But I was able to get a good swing and a good pitch to hit." Gregerson was trying to make Abreu chase a pitch out of the strike zone but caught too much of the plate instead. "You try to make him fish, which he definitely does," Gregerson said. "I dont think it was really a bad pitch. It was just something he was ready for. He was looking for it. Weve been doing it to him the whole series, pound him in. It just stayed up a little too much. Any other day it could be a ground out to third base, we get a double play." Ronald Belisario (2-3) got four outs for the win and Matt Lindstrom pitched the ninth for his sixth save in nine chances. Milone was in danger of losing his spot in the rotation before pitching eight scoreless innings against Washington last Friday. He followed that up with another strong performance, allowing one run and five hits in six innings. But he ended up with a no-decision because of Chicagos late rally. The bullpen has been the one spotty area so far for the As, with eight of the teams 16 losses being credited to the relievers. The teams traded leadoff home runs, with Beckham going deep for his second career leadoff homer and Jaso answering with a drive on a 2-0 pitch from Rienzo for his third. Oakland went ahead when Donaldson led off the fourth with his ninth homer, a day after get his first day off of the season. But those were the only hits the As could manage in 6 1-3 innings against Rienzo. Milone got some help from his defence in the fifth. A perfectly executed relay from Yoenis Cespedes to Eric Sogard to Derek Norris caught Beckham trying to score from first on Gillaspies two-out double off the left-field wall. NOTES: The last time both teams led off the game with homers was Aug. 13, 2013, when Seattles Brad Miller and Tampa Bays Ben Zobrist did it. ... Beckham became the first White Sox player to homer on the first pitch since Ray Durham did it twice in 2000. ... Oakland OF Coco Crisp missed his seventh straight game with a strained neck but could return Friday. ... Both teams are off Thursday. Chicago starts a three-game series in Houston on Friday, while the As open a nine-game road trip in Cleveland. Stitched Hoodies . 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The sanction was double the five-match ban Nicolas Anelka received from an English Football Association independent tribunal last week for the same act.St Helens withstood a late fightback from Warrington Wolves to secure a 25-22 win over the Super League leaders at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Saints looked to have the game won when they led 25-14 with eight minutes to go, but two Wolves tries in five minutes left the visitors hanging on desperately for a hard-fought but ultimately deserved victory.Warrington remain top, but they could be replaced by Wigan Warriors on Sunday depending on their result against Wakefield Wildcats. Frenchman Theo Fages led the way for Saints, as Kieron Cunninghams side secured their sixth successive win at Warrington. Kevin Penny scores a superb try to give Warrington the lead against St Helens in Super League The Wolves actually outscored their visitors by four tries to three, but they managed just one conversion and spurned the last kick of the match in a bid to save time as they went in search of a match-winning score.It was a victory against the odds, with the visitors missing eight front-line players through injury, and 20-year-old second rower Jack Ashworth was among their try-scorers on only his second Super League appearance.Cunningham also gave a debut to 19-year-old winger Jake Spedding in the absence of an entire threequarter line, while Warrington had the luxury of being able to slot England utility back Stefan Ratchford in at scrum-half in place of an injured Chris Sandow. St Helens claimed victory at Warrington for thr sixth game in a row Warrington had blown Wigan away in the first half of their previous game and they looked set to stage a repeat performance after storming into a 10-0 lead inside 11 minutes.Ratchfords inch-perfect high kick to the corner was plucked out of the air by winger Kevin Penny for the first try and prop Ashton Sims short pass got centre Ryan Atkins crashing through the Saints defensive line for the second.Veteran England forward Ben Westwood, a surprise choice as kicker, added one conversion to make it 10-0 but Saints emerged from their early lethargy in impressive fashion to dominnate large periods of the remainder of the first half.dddddddddddd Ben Currie (left) scored a try for Warrington but ended up on the losing side Stand-off Fages, a close-season signing from Salford who has had to wait for his chance to impress at his new club, did so in front of the Sky Sports cameras.Replacement prop Kyle Amor proved unstoppable from 10m out after supporting a jinking run from full-back Shannon McDonnell and Fages short pass got Ashworth charging over for Saints second try.Luke Walsh converted both to edge his side into a 12-10 lead and they had chances to increase it before a break from deep inside his own half by Penny set up the position for Ben Currie - a second rower playing at centre in the absence of Rhys Evans - to force his way over for a solo try in the final act of the first half.Saints stayed positive, though, continuing to look the more lively side after the break and it was no surprise when they regained the lead, another accurate pass from Fages this time getting centre Matty Dawson over for their third try. All the reaction to St Helens 25-22 win over the Warrington Wolves in Super League The Wolves were forced into some desperate defence to keep the visitors at bay as the game developed into a war of attrition.St Helens captain Jon Wilkin was forced off on 64 minutes after taking a knock to the head, an incident that prompted referee Ben Thaler to place Atkins on report, and Walsh kicked the resulting penalty to edge his side further ahead.The visitors looked to have secured the points when substitute Morgan Knowles pounced for a third try after Walshs grubber kick had eluded full-back Matty Russell, with Walsh adding the goal and slotting over a drop goal eight minutes from the end.That extra point was to prove crucial as Currie sent Penny over for his second try a minute later.Had Kurt Gidley added the goal, the Wolves would have been within a score, but he was just wide and Tom Linehams try two minutes from the end proved too little, too late as Saints deservedly hung on for the win. 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