Chat » mes, Pierce, Shane Battier and Alan Anderson.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- This is how well things are going for the Oakland Athletics: They had only one hit -- and won. "Sometimes thats all you need," said manager Bob Melvin after the As won for the 11th time in 12 games, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Wednesday night. Brandon Moss hit a solo homer for Oaklands only hit and the Athletics took advantage of walks and two errors to win their fifth straight. "Its not the easiest way to win a baseball game," said Moss, who hit his 10th homer. "But its better than getting one hit and losing." Oakland scored twice on two errors and a pair of walks in the second inning, helping the As win a regular-season game for the first time since at least 1914 while getting only one hit, according to the team. Moss 11th extra-base hit in seven games came off Erik Bedard in the fourth inning. Oaklands fifth straight victory, coupled with Detroits loss earlier Wednesday, gave the As the best record in the major leagues at 30-16. Tommy Milone (2-3) gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings for the As. Bedard (2-2) pitched 5 1-3 innings for the Rays. Four Rays relievers finished the one-hitter, but the Rays gave up seven walks, one reason the As didnt need much hitting. "Its pretty remarkable. You dont hear about that too often, but we did walk a lot," said Milone. "We worked the count, got on base and put pressure on them. I guess its not that surprising when you look back." The homer by Moss was the first off Bedard since Sept. 16, 2013, breaking a homerless streak of 49 1-3 innings. Throwing errors by Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar and second baseman Sean Rodriguez and two walks in the second inning helped the As score their first two runs off Bedard. "Its really one of the more unusual games to lose," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "We pitched extremely well. Its just an awkward game to give up one hit and lose. The one hit is a home run, and that was the deciding point." After Moss sixth homer in 16 games made it 3-0, singles by Wil Myers, James Loney and Escobar produced two runs for Tampa Bay in the sixth and chased Milone. The Rays, who have lost four straight, loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but reliever Fernando Abad got Escobar to hit into a double play. "That won us the ballgame right there, in my opinion," said As catcher Derek Norris. Sean Doolittle pitched the ninth for his fourth save. Logan Forsythe was credited with a hit off Doolittle when his infield popup caromed off a Tropicana Field catwalk and landed near the pitchers mound. The umpires ruled the ball had struck the catwalk in fair territory. NOTES: The Rays will activate RHP Alex Cobb (strained left oblique) from the 15-day disabled list Thursday to pitch against Oakland RHP Sonny Gray (5-1). Cobb (1-1) went on the 15-day disabled list April 13. The Rays optioned OF Kevin Kiermaier to Triple-A Durham to create Cobbs roster spot. . . . Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson, coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in January, will throw batting practice for the first time Thursday. He hopes to be back before the All-Star break. ... Melvin said he is hopeful SS Jed Lowrie will play Thursday after missing two games with a strained neck. ... RHP Ryan Cook (right forearm strain) might pitch a bullpen session when the As return home next week. ... LHP Eric OFlaherty (Tommy John surgery) will throw one inning in a sim game at extended spring training Saturday. He is eligible to come off the disabled list May 29. Shaquille ONeal Celtics Jersey .ca Fantasy Editor Scott Cullen, NFL Editor Ben Fisher, and Isaac Owusu discuss three hot fantasy football topics. Boston Celtics Jerseys . Granada defender Diego Mainz barged into the back of Villa to send the Spain striker to the ground inside the area and Costa stepped up to the spot to score his 12th league goal in the 38th minute. Costa showed no effects of the news that his Brazilian citizenship may be revoked after he elected to play for Spains national team, as the forward was a constant threat for Atletico and forced several saves from goalkeeper Roberto. http://www.authenticcelticsproshop.com/Gordon-Hayward-Jersey/ . The 22-year-old Kreider was injured Friday night in New Yorks win at Columbus, but played in the next two games -- including Monday nights win over Phoenix. But the left winger, who has 17 goals and 37 points this season, was limited to about 10 minutes of ice time in each of the previous games. Reggie Lewis Celtics Jersey . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. Walter Brown Jersey .The Williams siblings, with 25 Grand Slam titles between them, will have a couple of Madisons joining them, too.Madison Keys had a 6-4, 7-5 upset win over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Saturday night, and Madison Brengle beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-2 in an all-U.NEW YORK, N.Y. - His opponent couldnt stop him, and LeBron James didnt quite know what to think when his coach tried. Erik Spoelstra asked James about taking a fourth-quarter rest, but the game was too important to sit. So the answer was no — just not said so politely. "He asked me and I didnt know if he was serious or not, and what I told him I cannot say again," James said. "So I wanted to finish out the game. I felt like it was a must-win for us." James tied his playoff career high with 49 points, Chris Bosh made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 57 seconds left, and the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-96 Monday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James carried the Heat nearly the entire way until Bosh hit the basket that put Miami ahead for good — a play where James resisted the temptation to force a shot, instead passing to Mario Chalmers, who swung it to a wide-open Bosh. Ray Allen followed with four free throws and James finished it off with one more, putting the Heat in position to wrap it up at home Wednesday in Game 5. James was 16 of 24 from the field and 14 of 19 from the free throw line in matching the 49 points he scored for Cleveland against Orlando in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals. He missed his second free throw with 1.1 seconds left, muttering to himself after. "Thats the first time Ive been disappointed in myself in a win," James said before smiling, realizing his performance left nothing to complain about. "He was what was needed on the road and thats what makes him the best player in the game," Spoelstra said. Joe Johnson scored 18 points for the Nets, who were 15 of 25 from 3-point range in their Game 3 victory but only 5 of 22 in this one. Paul Pierce added 16 points. "This is very difficult to swallow," Nets centre Kevin Garnett said. "Hard to take, but its what it is. Coulda, shoulda, woulda doesnt help us at this point." Dwyane Wade scored 15 points on the night his Heat post-season record of 46 points was shattered. Bosh finished with 12. Miami pulled out a thrilling victory in a game in which neither team led by double digits and has won at least one road game in 14 sstraight series, breaking the record set by the Chicago Bulls from 1991-94.dddddddddddd Garnetts two free throws tied it with 2:30 remaining. Bosh then missed a pair of 3-pointers before getting a third crack at it in the corner in front of the Brooklyn bench for a 97-94 lead. Johnson then missed a jumper while trying to draw James sixth foul — Johnson said afterward James "flopped" — and Allens free throws put it away. "Obviously the series is not over but we really have to have some urgency going to Miami and weve got to come out of there with one," Johnson said. Wade scored 46 points against Boston in the 2010 playoffs, and James best in a Heat uniform had also come against the Celtics, his memorable 45-point performance that saved Miamis season in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. Pierce, who asked to guard James after Game 1, was on the wrong end of this LeBron masterpiece. James and the Heat had shrugged off a couple days of chatter from Pierce, who said the Nets werent afraid of them. But things were testy at the start, with first-quarter technical fouls for James, Pierce, Shane Battier and Alan Anderson. Miami started quickly again and led 27-22 after one behind 12 points from James. He opened the second on the bench and Brooklyn started with a 9-2 spurt to take its first lead at 31-29. James was a force once he returned — especially after a second foul against him seemed to get James more annoyed than any of Pierces talking did. James gave Pierce a glare after a thunderous slam later in the period, when he had 13 points in 7 1/2 minutes, and the Heat led 56-49. James had 13 straight Miami points in the third, but Brooklyn cut it to one on a few occasions before he made a pair of free throws to give Miami a 79-76 lead. NOTES: Mirza Teletovic was held to four points and missed all three 3-point attempts. He had been 11 of 19 in the series, Wade saying before the game it was "red alert" when he entered. ... As they have during post-season home games, the Nets had a Brooklyn-based entertainer announce their starting lineups. On Monday it was Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were also in the crowd. ' ' '