OAKLAND, Calif. Marius Wolf Jersey . -- Athletics manager Bob Melvin is already starting to run out of superlatives to describe Scott Kazmir. The right-hander has been so effective in his first season with Oakland that Melvin might need to break out a thesaurus when talking about the veteran pitcher. Kazmir pitched seven innings to win his fourth straight start, Yoenis Cespedes hit his 14th home run and the As beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Thursday night. "Its a broken record talking about him because were seeing basically the same game out of him," Melvin said. "I had heard last year maybe this is a 100-pitch guy top, six innings maybe. Hes been anything but. Hes been absolutely terrific." Kazmir (9-2) went into the game with the second-lowest ERA among qualifiers in the AL and extended his streak to 18 1-3 innings without allowing an earned run before Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run home run in the sixth. He struck out eight and didnt walk a batter. Over his past five starts, Oaklands right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.27 ERA. "Probably one of the best (games) I felt this year, for sure," said Kazmir, who has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last five starts. "I was able to get ahead most of the time with my fastball and expand the strike zone with my breaking balls and my changeup. Didnt really use too many breaking balls. Just relied mainly on fastball location." Stephen Vogt had two hits and two RBIs, Jed Lowrie scored twice and John Jaso singled in an insurance run in the seventh to move the As a season-high 17 games over .500. Its the best record in the majors and continued Oaklands best start since 1990. Cespedes had not homered against the Red Sox until his two-out, solo shot off Jake Peavy in the third. Boston had played five straight one-run games heading into the series opener with Oakland. This one was tight as well. The As led 3-0 after Vogts single scored Lowrie in the fourth. Kazmir, who hasnt lost since May 23, took a shutout into the sixth that Pedroia ended with a two-out home run. It was the only mistake Kazmir made. "We faced a tough pitcher," Pedroia said. "To be honest, our at bats werent that bad. We have to find a way to have a big inning and get some momentum." Luke Gregerson pitched the eighth and Dan Otero worked the ninth for his first career save. Peavy (1-5) had a second straight strong outing but remained winless over his past 10 starts. Peavy allowed five hits over 6 1-3 innings, retired eight of the final nine batters he faced and struck out four with three walks. It wasnt enough to prevent the Red Sox from ending their three-game winning streak. Vogt hit an RBI groundout off Peavy in the second and singled in another run in the fourth. Lowrie, who walked and doubled, scored both times. Cespedes homered with two outs in the third. The Cuban slugger is batting .343 with four home runs and 12 RBIs through 17 games in June. Cespedes has driven in 49 runs already this season and could soon join teammates Brandon Moss (55) and Josh Donaldson (52) in the 50-RBI club. "When you look at the runs that weve put up this year, a lot of it has to do with those guys in the middle of the order," Melvin said. "Its pretty amazing." NOTES: Otero was in the closers role because Sean Doolittle had pitched in the previous two games. ... Cespedes has now homered against every team in the AL except Tampa Bay. ... RHP Clay Buchholz (hyperextended knee) pitched six scoreless innings during his second rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket. ... LHP Brad Mills starts Friday in his Oakland debut. Mills was acquired in a trade from Milwaukee earlier this week. LHP Felix Doubront (2-4) pitches for Boston. Nuri Sahin Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Omer Toprak Jersey . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. http://www.footballdortmundpro.com/Kids-Sergio-Gomez-Jersey/ . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk.TORONTO - He didnt talk about the Vatican of hockey. He didnt mention the centre of the hockey universe. He shied away from dream job talk. He didnt wax on about pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, or belligerence. He didnt lay out his vision for how his Toronto Maple Leafs would play or what ailed them this past season and in seasons before. "Im not here today for big speeches, big words, big proclamations," Brendan Shanahan said Monday morning from the Air Canada Centre. "Today is my first day at work and theres a lot of work to be done." It was more than five and a half years ago that the Maple Leafs hired Brian Burke to change the "culture" of an organization which had veered further and further off the rails toward an eventual Stanley Cup. But unlike the bombastic Burke on that excitable day in Nov. 2008, the new President and alternate governor in Toronto made few bold statements or declarations. "This is the time for me to start learning about the organization from top to bottom," he said. "Its a time for me to listen, to learn and get to work and thats all thats really worked for me in my career. Its whats worked for me when I was done playing hockey and thats what I intend to do here." Tim Leiweke, the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, says he hired the 45-year-old to become the leader of the hockey team in Toronto - a presence he was unfit to fill - to instill an identity, to become the culture, heart, soul and character of the organization. He spoke glowingly of Shanahans track record - both as a player and in the league office - his leadership skills as a player for 21 seasons, his first-hand familiarity with winning cultures in Detroit and New Jersey, his passion, his work ethic, his analytical skills and his knowledge of the game. And with that full faith came final authority on all hockey and business matters. "I couldnt find anyone to say anything bad about him," Leiweke said of fact-finding conversations which came to include Ken Holland, Lou Lamiorello and Luc Robitaille. "…what everyone talks about is the man fights," Leiweke said, selling his new management piece with vigour. "He fought as a player. He fought for the union (during the second NHL lockout). He fought for the game. And now he fights for the integrity of the league. Now he comes here to fight for the Leafs. And the one thing I know about Shanny is hes going to fight for us every day. He may be analytical, he may be patient, he may not knee-jerk, but in that heart beats a man that is extremely committed to winning and doing whatever is necessary." Whatever credentials Shanahan may boast as a former player (three Stanley Cups) and league disciplinarian, he lacks the same in actual front office experience - an obvious source of skepticism for the hiring. A growing trend in the NHL has seen teams sweep up former star players for management roles to only middling success. Maybe the most recent example of disappointment saw local legend Pat Lafontaine plucked for a senior position in Buffalo only to depart less than four months later. Brett Hull, also of limited experience, was brought back to Dallas and eventually named co-general manager. He lasted less than two seasons and now works in St. Louis. Those that found success in the transition typically gained experience before eventually ascending to the type of role Shanahan has inherited in Toronto. Steve Yzerman toiled in the Red Wings front office, also managing Team Canada at the Worlds and Olympics before becoming the Lightning GM. Cam Neely was a vice-president for a few years before he was promoted to team president. Joe Sakic, now the overseer of all hockey matters in Colorado, joined the club initially as an advisor and alternate governor. Because of that inexperience its difficult to project which direction Shanahan will take the Leafs. Will he try to follow Hollands philosophy in Detroit - skill over brawn - or lean in the direction of what Lamiorello built in New Jersey - a stifling defensive system - or try something different entirely? Above all, he said hed be open to new ideas, even spending his flight to Toronto reading all about the merits of Corsi and Fenwick (analytical tools for measuring the game). Andre Schurrle Jersey. Learning the business side of the game under the tutelage of Gary Bettman in his past business role with the NHL, Shanahan also was keen as a player, claiming to have picked the brains of superiors like Holland, Lamoriello, Glen Sather and Jim Rutherford. "I was always curious from their perspective, the difficulties and the challenges of operating and running a team," he said. "He was like a sponge and he took it all in," Leiweke claimed. Shanahans more recent gig as the leagues head of discipline offered opportunity, additionally, at the centre of controversy - something hell become familiar with in a hurry with the Leafs. "I had a job in which everyone questioned my decisions, everybody thought they knew better than us, they second-guessed everything we did and didnt like us," Shanahan said. "So now I get to come do this." Leiweke was blunt that the Leafs pre-Shanahan were lacking in direction, lacking in identity and lacking the culture of a winner - damning with Dave Nonis seated just a short distance to his left. He wanted someone to change that, much in the way, he said, that Masai Ujiri has quickly altered the course of the Raptors - though he failed to mention good fortune in that case, notably with the unexpected post Rudy Gay-trade ascension and emphatic growth of Kyle Lowry. Burke, too, talked about culture when he first landed from Anaheim, harshly critical of a "blue and white disease" that he felt had infected the club. He tried to change that and ran out of time. He also could not deliver the nasty, black and blue squad he imagined on the day of his arrival all too long ago. Shanahan wouldnt stray down a similar path as far as bold proclamations and statements were concerned on this day. If anything, it seems he aimed to undersell and over-deliver. He wouldnt get into what his vision for the club would be, wouldnt say what went wrong this year - he didnt feel it was his place - detailing instead his immediate plans, which included a full review of the coaching staff, roster, management team, and farm system, all to be done with his standing general manager, Nonis. "It would be premature for me to tell you right now where were going to go," Shanahan said. "Were going to work together to try to find the right answers together," Nonis added. "If we have questions or concerns were going to work them out, but at the end of the day Brendans the boss. He runs this team." How the dynamic between Shanahan and Nonis plays out remains of some intrigue and uncertainty. Its uncertain how much of a say Shanahan will have in the day-to-day operations of the team and more broadly speaking, how strong an influence hell exert over the bigger picture and to what effect. What direction he wants to take the Leafs wasnt immediately clear nor was how that approach will jive with that of Nonis, who helped build the current group, formerly as the No. 2 under Burke and eventual No. 1 until Mondays present. In terms of shifting the identity and culture of the Leafs, Shanahan will have to start with Randy Carlyle, quickly determining whether he is, in fact, the right head coach to guide the push forward. Though Carlyle found some success with the group in the lockout-shortened 2013, his message never seemed to hit home this season, culminating in all too familiar collapse. Both Shanahan and Nonis said all the right things as to Carlyles prowess as a coach, but neither would rightly commit to his future. Beyond the urgent matter of coaching - and who might be a suitable replacement - is a roster full of questions - be it with the core group and bundle of free agents - and a draft and development system that needs refreshment and considerable improvement. A lot, quite simply, lies on the plate of the new boss with little time to learn on the job. "Winning is just a very simple solution," he said. "Were not going to win a game sitting up here today. We have to get results." Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '