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OAKLAND, Calif. - One after another, the starting pitchers for the Oakland Athletics are shutting down opponents and making up for most of the clubs shortcomings. Especially the back of the bullpen. Jesse Chavez struck out seven and came up an inning short of his first complete game, and the As held on to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Monday night for their season-high fifth straight win. "We all feed off of each other," Chavez said. "And I think thats what makes a good staff." Chavez (3-1) gave up five hits and walked two for the AL-West leading As, who have outscored opponents 28-8 during the winning streak. The former reliever allowed only solo home runs to Dayan Viciedo and Jose Abreu, whose major-league leading 14th long ball in the ninth chased the right-hander. Josh Donaldson hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth, and Josh Reddick hit a tying triple in the second off John Danks (3-3) during Oaklands win. Jed Lowrie added a two-run double in the seventh that proved pivotal after the White Sox scored three runs in the ninth and nearly forced extra innings. Left-hander Sean Doolittle recorded the final three outs, striking out pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers and Leury Garcia to strand the tying runner on second. "Didnt want it to get to that point, but thats how it got there," As manager Bob Melvin said. Danks gave up six hits and three runs in six innings, striking out five and walking two. Chicago, which has lost four of five, came up just short and too late. "It wasnt a lack of trying. Sometimes you hit it and its right at people," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, who was agitated after a 5-1 home loss to Arizona on Sunday, calling it "uninspired" effort. After Abreus homer, Fernando Abad walked Adam Dunn. Then struggling Jim Johnson gave up a double to Viciedo and an RBI single to Alexei Ramirez, setting off another shower of boos. Pinch-hitter Paul Konerkos sacrifice fly sliced Oaklands lead to 5-4 before Doolittle struck out the final two batters for his second save this season. "I think it was important for me tonight not getting caught up in the moment of trying to get the save and stop the bleeding," Doolittle said. The AL-West leading As, coming off a home sweep of Washington, added another layer of frustration for a Chicago team beginning a nine-game road trip that also stops in Houston and Kansas City. The White Sox spent about eight hours on a plane Sunday night because of storms in Chicago that delayed their flight to the Bay Area, then they played a late game on the West Coast. They still started strong but wasted an opportunity to retake the lead when they advanced runners to second and third on Chavezs wild pitch in the fifth. Conor Gillaspie hit a hard line drive with two outs — but right into centre fielder Craig Gentrys glove. Then came Donaldsons drive in the fifth, lining a 2-0 fastball into the seats in left for his eighth home run. Lowrie added a two-run double off reliever Daniel Webb in the seventh to stretch Oaklands lead to 5-1. Chavez kept inducing quick outs and nearly finished the game himself. He had never completed more than seven innings, which he has done three times this year. Chavez has allowed one earned run or fewer in six of his eight starts this season. The As are a 7-1 when he pitches. "We faced him in the spring. Hes good," Dunn said. :Hes going to be around the strike zone. When a guy has that many pitches, you try to get him early. It didnt work out." NOTES Athletics CF Coco Crisp took swings in batting practice before sitting out for the fifth straight game with a strained neck. He is day to day. ... White Sox LHP Chris Sale, out since April 17 because of a strained muscle near his left elbow, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. ... LHP Drew Pomeranz (2-1, 1.45 ERA) makes his second start for the As opposite Chicagos Scott Carroll on Tuesday. Kyle Bird Jersey . The Thornhill, Ont., native, who is ranked 11th in the world, said hed hoped he would be ready when Canada begins its World Group first-round tie against Japan in Tokyo on Friday. Kyle Bird Rangers Jersey . -- Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he tries to come back from the second major operation on his left shoulder. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/ . Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. Charlie Hough Jersey .com) - The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with running back Jackie Battle on a one-year contract Friday. Prince Fielder Jersey . Numbers Game looks at the As getting Jon Lester from Boston, sending Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox along with a deal involving the As and the Minnesota Twins. The Athletics Get: LHP Jon Lester, LF Jonny Gomes, OF Sam Fuld and cash.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After watching Jeffery Taylor lead Charlotte to its latest win, Bobcats coach Steve Clifford was full of praise for his young star. Taylor matched a career high with 20 points, leading six teammates in double figures, and Charlotte beat the Philadelphia 76ers 105-88 on Friday night. "Hes a talented guy," Clifford said of the 24-year-old Taylor. "Hes at that age where guys make the biggest jump. Certainly he has the size, athleticism and intelligence to get his game to the next level. And hes a hard worker." Subbing for injured starter Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at small forward, Taylor mixed mid-range jumpers with athletic drives and cuts to the basket to scored nine of Charlottes first 22 points. "I was just trying to take the opportunities as they came to me," said Taylor, a second-round draft pick in his second NBA season. "A lot of the same shots I made tonight havent been going in for me lately. I just tried to stay aggressive and take what the defence gave to me." Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker added 18 apiece, and Walker also had a season-high 10 assists. Al Jefferson had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Ramon Sessions added 13 points and rookie Cody Zeller chipped in with 10. Philadelphia was led by Tony Wrotens 21 points. Evan Turner added 16, Hollis Thompson scored 12 and Spencer Hawes had 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Sixers played without starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who came in averaging 17.7 points. The rookie sat out because of a sore right knee. Taylor impressed even Philadelphia coach Brett Brown. "Hes a good player," Brown said. "You look at his length and you look at his toughness and thats a rare commbination.dddddddddddd ... He had personal pride in attacking us." In addition to playing without Kidd-Gilchrist, out four to six weeks after breaking his left hand during a loss at Dallas last Tuesday, the Bobcats lost backup centre Bismack Biyombo to a right ankle sprain in the first half. In a matchup of defensive-minded teams, the opening quarter was an up-and-down affair that ended with the Bobcats leading 36-33 after shooting 56 per cent from the field (14 of 25). They never trailed again, eventually leading by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter while shooting 46 per cent for the game. The Bobcats have held opponents under 100 points for 13 consecutive games, most in the NBA. The Sixers cooled off after hitting seven of their first 12 shots, but Charlotte shot 54 per cent (25 of 46) in the first half. The Bobcats took a 62-51 halftime lead on Jeffersons tip-in of a missed layup by Walker at the second-quarter buzzer. "I feel like the whole first half was not very good for us defensively," Brown said of the Sixers. Wroten added: "Weve got to start the game off better defensively. We played better on defence in the second half, but weve just got to play defence like that for the whole 48 minutes." Jefferson scored the first two baskets of the third to give the Bobcats the first of what would be multiple 15-point leads in the quarter. The lead swelled to as much as 18 in the fourth as the Bobcats continued running and scoring almost at will in transition, evidenced by the 22-10 edge they held in fast-break points for the game. The 105 points represented a season high for the Bobcats, only the second time they surpassed the 100-point mark. The only other time came in a 102-97 win at New York on Nov. 5. ' ' '