News » the high speeds of Turns 9-11 dont mix well

CLEVELAND - The Oakland Athletics showed off their offensive prowess all weekend at Progressive Field. Stitched Atlanta Falcons Jerseys . Sundays 13-3 win gave Oakland a three-game sweep over slumping Cleveland, a series in which the Athletics outscored the Indians 30-6. Yoenis Cespedes drove in a career-high five runs and Brandon Moss had three RBIs to pace Oaklands offence that began with an eight-run second inning Friday night and never let up. "I would just use the word confident," Moss said of his teams offence. "Everybodys going up there and taking good swings. We have guys who put together some good at-bats who have some pop. That usually leads to runs." The Athletics, who have won nine of 10, saved their best for the final game, pounding out 12 hits, including seven doubles, and drawing nine walks. Cespedes two-run double was the key hit in Oaklands four-run fifth. He also drove in two runs with another double in the eighth. Moss was 3 for 3 with two walks and scored four runs. He had an RBI double in the fifth, a two-run double in the sixth and a triple in the second. John Jasos RBI double in the fourth put Oakland ahead for good while Josh Donaldson, who drove in seven runs in the series, had an RBI single in the fifth and scored four runs. "All the guys we rely on to knock in runs are doing exactly what theyre supposed to do," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats when were at our best." Jesse Chavez (4-1) gave up solo homers to Michael Bourn in the first and Michael Brantley in the fifth, accounting for both runs the right-hander allowed in five innings. Cleveland has dropped four straight and six of eight. The Indians scored first in all three games, but were no match for Oakland, which leads the AL West with a 28-16 record. Indians manager Terry Francona is impressed with the Athletics. "They got it working right now," he said. "They have good starting pitching, theyve got a very good bullpen and they are swinging it from one through nine." Justin Masterson (2-3) allowed seven runs, seven hits and five walks in 4 1-3 innings. Francona moved Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana, who have battled season-long slumps, down in the batting order, but the changes didnt help the struggling offence, which has scored three runs or fewer 24 times in 44 games. Santana, moved from cleanup to seventh, was hitless in four at-bats while Swisher, switched from second to sixth, was 0 for 5 and committed an error in the seventh. Swisher fielded a routine grounder to end the inning and was given a sarcastic cheer by the small crowd of 14,872. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall also had an error, giving the Indians a major-league high 45. Bourn led off the game with a home run to centre that landed in Clevelands bullpen, but the lead didnt last long. Moss started the second with a triple. Chisenhall fielded Cespedes ground ball and his throw landed in the camera bay behind first base. Cespedes was given an RBI. Masterson walked Donaldson and Moss to start the fourth. Jasos one-out double put Oakland ahead and Josh Reddick followed with a single for a 3-1 lead. Oakland put the game away in the fifth, stringing together four hits and a walk off Masterson. Following Donaldsons RBI single, Moss drove in a run with a double and Cespedes double scored two more. Jaso and Reddick also drove in two runs apiece. "Obviously, we got a lot of guys on base this series," Donaldson said. "From top to bottom, we had guys having really good at-bats." Oakland shortstop Jed Lowrie left the game in the second inning because of a strained neck and was replaced by Nick Punto. NOTES: The Athletics announced following the game they claimed LHP Jeff Francis off waivers from Cincinnati and he will join the team for its series at the Rays that begins Tuesday. ... LHP Joe Savery, who was expected to go on the paternity list, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento instead. He pitched two scoreless innings Sunday. SS Jake Elmore (strained left quad) has been moved to the 60-day disabled list. ... 2B Eric Sogard was removed in the eighth inning after fouling a ball off his knee. ... Melvin said LHP Scott Kazmir, ejected in the second inning Saturday, will likely stay on his regular turn and start Friday in Toronto. Stitched Indianapolis Colts Jerseys . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Stitched Cleveland Browns Jerseys . And theyre pointing to the NHLs biggest market: Toronto. With Gretzky paid out for what is believed to be $7 to 8 million, Gretzky may be eager to get back into the NHL and TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Maple Leafs are very much interested in The Great Ones services. http://www.stitchednfljerseys.us.com/Stitched-Detroit-Lions-Nike-Jerseys-Cheap/ . Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo.TORONTO -- Ryan Briscoe knows all about Toronto hospitals. Briscoe broke his wrist in the first race of the doubleheader at the Honda Indy Toronto last year, an injury that kept him from competing in the second race and later led to surgery. Three years ago Briscoe also made a visit to a local hospital, albeit with a less serious injury, after a wheel-to-wheel incident with Tony Kanaan. "Ive still got a little lump on my hand from that," said Briscoe. Just finishing the claustrophobic 85-lap, 2.81-kilometre street course at Exhibition Place in one piece is difficult enough for IndyCar drivers. Surviving two races, which run Saturday and Sunday, on a crash-prone track requires plenty of strategy and a bit of luck. Briscoe has seen a bit of everything at the race. The 32-year-old Australian driver for Chip Ganassi Racing finished second when the race returned from a hiatus in 2009. But the following year he was bumped off the track by Graham Rahal and finished two laps off the pace in 18th. In 2011 Briscoe finished seventh and earned his first hospital visit for the trouble. A collision in 2012 with Dario Franchitti ended Briscoes day, and last year he broke his wrist after failing to let go of the steering wheel when Justin Wilson bounced off a wall and smacked into Briscoe and Charlie Kimball. Like most drivers, Briscoe is still trying to figure out how to win Toronto. "You never know," he said. "Everyone will say qualifying at the front of the track position is very important, but the way these races have been working out this year you really just got to be heads up all the time, get that strategy right, work the tires the right way, especially the red soft compound tires. "And then, with a track where accidents are going to happen, you dont want to be caught out on track when the yellow comes out because the pits close and then youre hosed." There are plenty of spots for potential accidents on the 11-turn track. Two in particular stand out to Briscoe: a tight right at Turn 1 and a deceptive Turn 3 hairpin where drivers often think they have more room than they do at the end of a long straight. Briscoe has been guilty in the past of being one of those drivers. His first injury in 2011 came at Turn 3 when he tried to pass Kanaan on the inside and bounced the Brazilian out of the race. "I think if theres any track where you just have to give a little extra room its there in Toronto," said Briscoe. For Marco Andretti, who finished fourth and ninth last year, the final four turns are just as hard to get out of. A bumpy Turn 8 leads into three final high-speed turns. IndyCar teams set up their vehicles differently depending on the track and weather conditions, and the high speeds of Turns 9-11 dont mix well with the street-car setup usually employed in Toronto. "You normally just have to hang onto the car thats probably not going to do what you want through there, so that normally makes it tough, but its character, its fun," said Andretti. Stitched Arizona Cardinals Jerseys. Complicating matters is a gruelling weekend set in the middle of a busy schedule. Toronto caps a set of races that has been going on at least once every weekend since June 28. Drivers get just two 45-minute practice sessions Friday. The weekend is much busier, with qualifying held in the morning before the afternoon race Saturday and Sunday. Briscoe, who is juggling the IndyCar season with life as a new father since daughter Finley was born in December, said the event can be unforgiving and require hard work. "I mean these races are so physical," he said. "Especially in the middle of summer when its so hot. ... You just really need to be on it, and on it quickly, and on the physical side its just all about staying hydrated, really." Unlike most street races, however, a good qualifying result in Toronto doesnt guarantee a checkered flag. Andretti describes the race as "attrition." "Its not as track-position dependent, meaning you dont have to lead right from the start to win at the end," he said. "If you have something happen, if you qualify bad, which unfortunately I have in the past, it gives you a shot at it because theres just so much carnage that goes on." Even some legendary family experience isnt much of an advantage for Andretti in Toronto. His father and boss, Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti, won Toronto an unmatched seven times during his career. But his fathers victories between 1989 and 2001 dont give Marco Andretti an upper hand. He has yet to step onto the podium in Toronto. "Ive been strong at other places, I dont have seven wins at one place, but you cant explain why. It just happened that way," said Marco Andretti. "If you look at his track record, he was probably more dominant at Indianapolis and he has no wins there. "So sometimes it just clicks, sometimes it doesnt. He did nothing different here than he did anywhere else. Thats the tough part. A lot of it I just have to learn by going out and doing it." Winning both races in Toronto will be crucial to the overall championship. Last year Scott Dixon swept the doubleheader en route to winning the series title. This year, Helio Castroneves holds a slim lead at the top heading into the race with 471 points. There are at least 100 points available in Toronto, meaning the championship wont be won but could be lost this weekend as the season draws to a close Aug. 31. Andretti, who is seventh overall with 337 points, said his season will be decided in Toronto. "For me in particular this is the weekend if I want to win a championship. This is the make or break," he said. "You know, if I come out of here fourth in points then Im still in striking distance but if something goes wrong then Im done. This weekends huge for me, for sure. "Im good with the top fives, but I need the W." 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