things for sure: Desmond has a talented infield to work with

PITTSBURGH -- At 40 years old and 16 seasons into his major league career, Bartolo Colon thinks hes having a career season. On Monday night, Coco Crisps speed helped preserve another win for Colon. Colon allowed one run over seven innings to outduel Jeff Locke as the Oakland Athletics won for the ninth time in their past 12 games, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in a matchup of All-Star starters. Colon (12-3) moved into a tie for second in the majors in victories, and has the second-most wins by a 40-year-old in As history. He allowed seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts. The final pitch Colon threw Monday resulted in Crisp making a diving catch to preserve Oaklands lead. Crisp ran to his right to track down a hard-hit sinking liner headed for the left-centerfield gap from Andrew McCutchen with two men on and two outs. "The game was decided right there, to tell you the truth," said As manager Bob Melvin, who called the catch "the play of the year." Said Colon, through a translator: "I said, three times, Thank you, when we got back to the dugout." Colon shook off a tough-luck 3-1 defeat in his previous start to win for the ninth time in his last 10 outings. "Ive never pitched better than this year," said Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young winner. "This has been my best season." Locke (8-2) had a personal eight-game winning streak snapped, losing for the first time since his first start of the season April 10. He allowed three hits and three walks in seven innings. "I wouldnt change anything about it," said Locke, selected as an All-Star over the weekend. "Everything I did, Id take it out there the next start." Except, perhaps, a walk of Derek Norris with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh that gave the As a 2-0 lead. The Pirates got runners on second and third with two outs against Ryan Cook in the eighth, but Clint Barmes lined out to left. Grant Balfour remained perfect in 23 save opportunities when he worked a flawless ninth. Jed Lowrie had two of Oaklands three hits and one of its runs. The As (53-37) improved to a season-high 16 games over .500 and held on to first place in the American League West. Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez and Barmes each had two hits for the Pirates (53-35), who have lost five of seven to lose their grip on the majors best record -- and on first place in the NL Central. They trail the St. Louis Cardinals by a half-game. Locke faced one more than the minimum through six innings. Oaklands first run came on Josh Donaldsons sacrifice fly in the fourth. Lowrie had the Athletics first hit of the game, a double off the wall in right-centre. He advanced to third on a wild pitch -- catcher Russell Martins throw beat him, but Alvarezs tag swiped through too early. "Theres nothing I can do there," Alvarez said. "Try to tag him and run into it. Its just, that happens 100 times and 99 out of 100 times Ill tag him, you know? Just one of those plays." The Pirates only run came in the bottom of the inning when Barmes scored on a two-out infield single by Tabata. McCutchen -- an All-Star selection who earlier extended his hitting streak to 10 games -- came up and hit the ball hard into the gap, but Crisp thwarted Pittsburghs chance to tie or take the lead. "Right when I hit it, I knew he was going to catch it," McCutchen said. "Its Coco Crisp and hes fast. I told myself, Im catching that ball too, if Im out there playing. "Off the bat, I knew there was a chance it would fall but there was more of a chance he was going to catch it." NOTES: Oakland is 10-0 all-time against Pittsburgh -- the only team in the majors to have never lost to another team in the majors. ... Pirates 2B Neil Walker sat out his second consecutive game since leaving Saturdays game because of discomfort in his right side. He worked out during batting practice. ... Before the game, the As recalled 2B Grant Green from Triple-A Sacramento. The 2009 first-round pick went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his major league debut. Oakland designated INF Adam Rosales for assignment. Melvin said Green will regularly be in the lineup. ... Rookie right-handers will face each other during the middle game of the series Tuesday: The Pirates Gerrit Cole (4-1, 3.94) against the As Dan Straily (5-2, 4.52). Straily is 2-0 with an 0.69 ERA and .119 opponents batting average in interleague play this season; Cole won each of his first four starts until losing a 6-4 decision to Philadelphia in his most recent outing Thursday. Nike Vapormax Off White Günstig Kaufen . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Nike Vapormax Off White Kaufen . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. http://www.vapormaxschuhe.de/vapormax-damen-deutschland.html . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Nike Vapormax Herren Billig . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Nike Vapormax Plus Billig . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. DENVER -- As a longtime shortstop, Ian Desmond knows all too well the value of a good first baseman.Hes vowing to be that reliable as the Colorado Rockies convert him to a position hes never played. He doesnt even have a first basemans glove of his own yet, borrowing one from a buddy until his arrives in the mail.Although the Rockies solution at first base seems out of left field -- Desmond did play 29 games in left for Texas last season -- its really not that farfetched. Or so the Rockies are banking on, finalizing a $70 million, five-year contract Tuesday with the two-time All-Star whos gone from shortstop to outfielder and now back to the infield.I have all the faith in the world that Ians going to be a good first baseman, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said.The 31-year-old Desmond will take over for Mark Reynolds, whos now a free agent. And while Desmond cant recall ever playing the position, even as a kid, he did prove to be a fast learner last season when he moved from shortstop to the outfield for the Rangers.I know what it takes to be prepared every day and thats what Im going to do, said Desmond, who had his wife and young kids sitting in the front row for his introductory news conference.Desmond played at an All-Star level for the Rangers in 2016, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 86 RBI as he split time between left and center.Before that, he was a shortstop for the Washington Nationals.The Rockies gave him a lucrative deal to learn a new skill set at Coors Field, where hes a .379 career hitter in 23 games.Yes, the ball does fly here. Yes, it is a good place to hit, Desmond said. For me, personally, the reason I play well here is because I like coming here. I enjoy coming to Colorado. I enjoy the people in the city. Im from small town in Florida, where when you put the blinker on to change lanes, the people behind you wave. Thats very common here.To hone his fielding skills, he borrowed one of the gloves of Correlle Prime, who just so happens to be a first baseman in the Rockiees system.dddddddddddd Years ago, Desmond took Prime under his wing when Prime worked out at the same hitting facility in the Sarasota, Florida, area.Little did the friends realize one day they would be in the same organization -- playing the same position.Its bittersweet for me, Desmond said. Trying to get this young man prepared for the big leagues and hes a first baseman and Im proud of how far hes come and the progress hes made. Now, I come in and play first base. Were talking and its like, I would rather it be me than anybody else.Now I get to go to spring training with him. Now he gets to watch me work during the season. I get to see what he does firsthand and see if theres anything I can help him with. Just be there to support him.One things for sure: Desmond has a talented infield to work with in third baseman and perennial Gold Glover Nolan Arenado, shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu.Desmond certainly wont force his way into a leadership dynamic, either. Not his style. Hes more of a quiet leader.You cant come here and expect to be the man, Desmond said. Im going to come in with a lot of respect for those guys, just get in where I fit in.Hes not sure where he might bat in a potent lineup that also features outfielders Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. Hes on board with wherever first-year Colorado manager Bud Black pencils him in.Im going to work as hard as I can right now to be the best first baseman I can be, Desmond said. Ill keep the other tools fresh also, just to try to be as much of a help as I can.I think about the opportunity here and I think about how much of a sports town this is, how deserving these fans are. That is what brought me here. First base just happened to be the position I was able to fill. Its not about the ball flying (at Coors Field) -- this is about the opportunity to bring winning back here. ' ' '