ck of creativity was striking. Neither player created a single scoring oppor

OAKLAND, Calif. Avonte Maddox Jersey . -- The Oakland Athletics hope they are poised for another spectacular September like the one that propelled them to an improbable AL West title over the Texas Rangers on the final day last season. The Rangers arrive Monday for an important three-game series, clinging to a one-game division lead over Oakland with six meetings left. Coco Crisp and Stephen Vogt homered, A.J. Griffin struck out seven in seven innings, and Oakland completed a three-game sweep of fellow playoff contender Tampa Bay with a 5-1 victory Sunday. "This is what we look forward to, a chance to control our own destiny and get where we want to be, and thats to win the division," third baseman Josh Donaldson said. The As are on a nice little roll again. Oakland pulled off a pair of one-run wins before Sundays result against the Rays, who are right behind Oakland in the AL wild-card race. "The games were a little more electric, definitely, playing against a good team, a scrappy team like Tampa and being in the situation were in alongside of them," Crisp said. "They do bring the energy and playing against a team like that the atmosphere it has been a little bit more intense." After Crisp led off the bottom of the first with a home run, James Loney tied it with his own longball in the top of the second. Griffin (12-9) settled in after that to win his second straight outing following a four-start winless stretch in which he was 0-2. Griffin allowed one run on five hits and walked one. He yielded his majors-leading 33rd home run, most since current pitching coach Curt Young gave up 38 in 1987. The defence behind him made some crucial stops. Wil Myers was thrown out at the plate to end the seventh trying for the tying run on a single by Desmond Jennings. Griffin was there to congratulate catcher Vogt, who took Donaldsons relay and tagged Myers on his second swipe after the baserunner tried to avoid Vogt and went over the bag. Donaldson said replay showed Vogt tagged him the first time. "I knew the situation, the line drive was hit to my right and I froze on it. I should have gotten a better read on it," Myers said. "I didnt know where the ball was so I was just trying to avoid the tag. When youre not scoring runs, things like that get magnified." Vogt then connected for his third home run in the bottom of the seventh, against the club that traded him to the As on April 5. Oakland earned its first sweep in a series of three or more games since June 11-13 against the Yankees. The As have won six of seven and seven of nine following an 8-13 stretch from July 30-Aug. 23. "Were in a good groove right now and looking to keep that going," Griffin said. Tampa Bay missed another chance in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson led off with double, but fresh September additions Luke Scott and Delmon Young failed to deliver against Sean Doolittle. The Rays swept the As in April, then Oakland returned the favour to leave the season series even -- meaning a possible tiebreaker for the wild card would next go to intra-division records. "I dont want the game," As manager Bob Melvin said of a potential one-game playoff. The skipper is scoreboard watching when it comes to Texas. On a day when the typically sure-handed Rays struggled with the afternoon sun and committed two errors, they dropped their fourth straight. Tampa Bay has scored just five runs during the skid. Oakland capitalized on the miscues. Rays manager Joe Maddon chose to go with Jamey Wright as a spot starter over lefty Roberto Hernandez against the As left-heavy lineup. Wright went 1 2-3 innings in his first start since 2007 with Texas, leaving with the game tied at 1 in the second. He allowed five of his nine batters to reach base. Alex Torres (4-1) -- the first of six Rays relievers -- pitched 3 1-3 innings of relief, giving up a go-ahead RBI single to Brandon Moss in the third. After leading the majors with an Oakland-record 13 doubles in August, Jed Lowrie started September with another in the fifth. Crisp matched his career high with his 16th home run, his fifth this year leading off the game, 11th with the As and 13th for his career. Is he ready for another strong September? The As went 17-11 over the final month of 2012. Crisp laughed and said, "If I knew the answer to that I wouldnt be playing baseball." NOTES: Wright became just the 19th Rays pitcher to start a game since 2008. ... As RF Josh Reddick no longer has pain in his right wrist after getting an injection Wednesday. He hopes to start take some swings in the cage Monday and be eligible to return from the disabled list on schedule Sept. 10. "The way things are going theres a decent chance he could be activated after 15 days," Melvin said. ... Oakland promoted four players from Triple-A Sacramento: LHP Pedro Figueroa, INFs Andy Parrino and Jemile Weeks and OF Michael Choice. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Choice, the As designated C Luke Montz for assignment. ... The As raised $61,395 on their annual breast cancer awareness day, bringing their total raised since 1999 to more than $1.3 million. Michael Bennett Jersey . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. Chris Long Jersey . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. http://www.officialphiladelphiaeaglesfootball.com/authentic-isaac-seumalo-jersey-womens . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half.Olivier Giroud came off the bench and scored a late equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Frenchman headed home Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains cross in the penultimate minute of normal time after Juan Mata had given United a deserved lead midway through the second half.It was a bitter blow for Jose Mourinhos side, who dominated the game for long periods and restricted Arsenal to just a single shot on target. Here, we round up the top talking points. More frustration for unlucky UnitedMourinho described his side as the unluckiest team in the Premier League in his post-match interview with Sky Sports. He might well have a point. United have had 74 shots to their opponents 14 in their last three league games at Old Trafford, but somehow they have drawn them all. Jose Mourinho hailed Manchester Uniteds phenomenal defensive display in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford The United boss was keen to emphasis his sides phenomenal performance, but it was a maddeningly frustrating outcome after such a one-sided encounter. United produced one of their best performances of the season despite a raft of injuries and suspensions, and until the 89th minute it was looking like a statement of intent that could kick-start their season.United were utterly dominant in the second half and they could easily have been ahead before the break. Mata and Anthony Martial went close, and United had a strong claim for a penalty when Nacho Monreal tangled with the excellent Antonio Valencia shortly before half-time. Jose: United are unluckiest team Manchester United are the unluckiest team in the Premier League, according to Jose Mourinho. United played with intensity. It was only the second time all season they have ran further than their opponents, and the defensive work-rate made a real difference. Arsenal have averaged 14 shots per game this season but they only managed five at Old Trafford. United should have killed the game earlier, but it was typical of their bad luck that Arsenals only effort on target ended up in the back of the net.Giroud makes his markAlexis Sanchez went straight into the Arsenal team despite his injury scare on international duty, but the Chilean looked well short of his best. Instead, it was left to Giroud to come up with the equaliser. The Frenchman only touched the ball 10 times after replacing Mohamed Elneny, but it all came down to that dramatic moment in the 89th minute. Olivier Giroud heads home a late equaliser for Arsenal Giroud timed his run perfectly to meet Oxlade-Chamberlains delivery and his bullet header was unstoppable for David De Gea. Just when the team needed him most, it was the perfect piece of centre-forward play, said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.The muted celebration hinted at frustration at his lack of playing time, but it is only a few weeks since he came off the bench to inspire Arsenals 4-1 victory at Sunderland. He has scored with eight of his nine shots on target in the Premier League, and he is proving to be a perfect Plan B following Sanchezs emergence as Wengers first-choice striker. Arsene Wenger was pleased with Arsenals response after going 1-0 down against Manchester United to rescue a draw at Old Trafford Giroud does ever so well, said Thierry Henry in the Sky Sports studio. He is saving points for Arsenal again. I dont know if hes going to like doing that job but you need a guy whos going to come off the bench and spark something.Mata proving his worth to MourinhoIt seemed the writing was on the wall for Mata when Mourinho was named Manchester United boss in the summer. The playmaker was dropped and sold by the Portuguese at Chelsea, and a similar situation appeared to be in the offing when he suffered the iggnominy of being subbed after coming off the bench during the Community Shield win over Leicester in August. Chance Warmack Jersey. Jose Mourinho congratulates Juan Mata as he leaves the pitch Mata, though, has made himself indispensable, impressing both centrally and on the right. He netted Uniteds first goal of the Premier League season against Bournemouth, and his sweeping equaliser against Arsenal was reminiscent of his winner in Uniteds EFL Cup clash with Manchester City last month. Manchester United v Arsenal running stats Player Team Distance covered Ander Herrera Man Utd 11.6km Aaron Ramsey Arsenal 11.1km Michael Carrick Man Utd 10.9km Juan Mata Man Utd 10.8km Mesut Ozil Arsenal 10.7km Graeme Souness praised his fabulous football brain after the game, but Mourinho will have taken just as much satisfaction from his work-rate. Matas defensive frailties did for him at Chelsea, but he has worked tirelessly to win over Mourinho this season. Only three players covered more ground at Old Trafford, and Mata also made three tackles and two interceptions.Arsenal missing CazorlaWenger picked a defensively-minded central midfield duo of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny in an effort to shore up the middle of the pitch, but the lack of creativity was striking. Neither player created a single scoring opportunity, and they also struggled to work the ball to the players in front of them. Paul Pogba goes down under the challenge of Mohamed Elneny Coquelin only found Sanchez once in the entire game, while Elneny only managed to pick him out five times. With Mesut Ozil similarly peripheral, this was another game in which Arsenal missed Santi Cazorlas passing ability from the base of midfield.The Spaniard has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since Arsenals 6-0 win over Ludogorets last month, and its a major headache for Wenger. Cazorla is the player who makes the Gunners tick. This season they have created just 8.4 chances per game without him in the team compared to 11.9 with him. They need him back as soon as possible.Did Arsenal lack ambition?Arsenal left as the happier side but this was a grimly familiar performance from Wengers men. Once again they appeared to freeze at Old Trafford, the scene of so many disappointing results in recent years. They never looked like winning the game, and there was barely any attacking intent in the second half before Girouds late leveller. Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal Against a makeshift back four, should Arsenal not have gone for the jugular? They will be going back down south really happy with themselves because theyve dug out a result scoring in the last couple of minutes, but they didnt put a marker down, said Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness. They havent turned up at one of the big stadiums, one of their biggest historical rivals and said: Were the team in form, youre not, and were going to show you how good we are. They didnt do that today. Theyll think its a good point but I was looking for them to come here today and show how good they were. 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