Off Topic » Coco Crisp tinkered with his swing for a few days

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics leadoff hitter Coco Crisp tinkered with his swing for a few days and finally got the results he has been looking for. That is critical for a team trying to hang on in the AL West after owning the best record in baseball for a majority of the season. Crisp hit a tiebreaking three-run triple in the fourth inning to help Scott Kazmir earn his career-best 14th win, and the As beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Tuesday night to snap a five-game losing streak. "I havent been hitting well at all so Im trying to figure out some things to try to be successful with whatever Im dealing with," Crisp said. "These past couple of days, whatever Ive been trying to do it seems like it could work so Im trying to stick with that and see what happens." Crisp wouldnt divulge what changes he has made to his swing but it is clear he knew something had to change. Coming off a miserable road trip when he went 2-for-23, Crisp grounded out and singled before lining an 0-1 pitch from Mets starter Dillon Gee down the right field line with the bases loaded. It was Crisps third triple this season. The As, who avoided losing six consecutive games for the first time since 2012, remained a half-game behind the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. "Its very rare that he goes through a stretch like that," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Crisp. "Its not like he was striking out all the time (or) taking off-balance swings. A hit like that, especially with runners in scoring position in a tight game, can do wonders for the personality." Kazmir (14-5) allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He retired nine of his final 10 batters after giving up a solo home run to Travis dArnaud leading off the fourth. New York lost its third straight. Oakland had been mired in a team-wide hitting slump before coming up with its most productive game in a week. Crisp, the As leadoff hitter who has been in and out of the lineup with lingering neck pain, provided the biggest boost with his first multi-hit game since July 8. Josh Reddick added a two-run homer, and Alberto Callaspo drove in a run with a sacrifice fly two batters before Crisps bases-clearing hit. The Mets avoided making history but couldnt snap their skid. New York had been held to four hits or fewer in its previous five games. According to stats provided to the team by Elias Sports Bureau, no club had ever done that in six straight. The Mets managed seven hits this time but it wasnt enough to prevent their second loss in three games against the As this season. Gee (4-6) gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander fell to 0-5 in his past seven starts and is winless since July 9. "He was up in the zone," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Thats not where hes supposed to be. The balls Coco hit were because he fell behind in the count. Hes a better pitcher than hes showing." WORLD SERIES REDUX This was just the Mets second visit to Oakland since the teams played in the 1973 World Series. New York lost two of three games at the Coliseum in 2005. ON FIRE DArnauds home run was his fourth in 12 games. In 43 games since being brought up from Triple-A on June 24, he is batting .267 with eight homers, 10 doubles, 22 RBIs and 10 runs scored. TRAINERS ROOM Mets: As expected, New York placed RHP Bartolo Colon on the bereavement list following the death of his mother. RHP Gonzalez Germen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Colons roster spot. ... RHP Jacob deGrom pitched to hitters and is on schedule to come off the DL on Friday. ... 2B Daniel Murphy was given the night off. Murphy went into the day leading the NL with 152 hits. Athletics: INF Nick Punto (hamstring) will begin to do more baseball activities in the coming days. ... OF Craig Gentry (hand) was slated to play seven innings for Triple-A Sacramento. Kyle Blanks (calf strain) was penciled in at DH. UP NEXT Mets: RHP Zach Wheeler (8-8) makes his second career start against Oakland. Wheeler allowed six runs and lasted just two innings in his only other outing against the As on June 25, the shortest start of his career. Athletics: RHP Jeff Samardzija (3-2) pitches the second half of this two-game series. He is unbeaten in five starts at the Coliseum. Discount Shoes Online .C. -- Kevin Harvick won his first career pole at Darlington Raceway on Friday as he looks to chase his first Southern 500. Wholesale Shoes China . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. http://www.cheapshoeswebsites.com/ . -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will be out three to six weeks with a stress fracture of the third finger of his right hand. Cheap Shoes Websites China . The club announced on Wednesday that Malhotra signed a 25-game professional tryout contract. The 33-year-old suffered a serious eye injury when struck by a puck during a game versus Colorado in March of 2011. Cheap Shoes Online . Yet coming off consecutive series losses at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Los Angeles needed some sort of spark as August approaches. The Dodgers found it in the ballpark of their biggest rival, and left the Bay Area in first place following an emphatic three-game swing.WINNIPEG - Another honour for NFL defensive lineman Israel Idonije. The 33-year-old from Brandon, Man., received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree Thursday from the University of Manitoba. Idonije, a defensive lineman with the Chicago Bears, played his college football at Manitoba and is the only player in school history to play in the NFL. Two weeks ago, Idonije received the Order of Manitoba. Idonije is a native of Nigeria but moved to Canada with his family when he was four years old. The six-foot-six, 275-pound Idonije is entering his 12th NFL season, 10th with Chiicago.dddddddddddd He broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 2003 but joined the Bears practice squad later that season. Idonije has appeared in 149 career NFL games, starting 50. He has amassed 273 tackles, 29 sacks, six fumble recoveries and eight blocked kicks. Idonije ranks fourth in NFL history in blocked kicks since 1992 when stat first was recorded. He appeared in 15 games last season with Detroit before re-signing with Chicago as a free agent. Idonije has also created his own comic book, "The Protectors." ' ' '