Athletics pitcher Sean Manaea took an important step forward in battling the mental hurdles that have hindered him for the past six weeks.

His Oakland teammates took an equally big leap at the plate when they batted around during a four-run sixth inning.

Manaea pitched four-hit ball and allowed three runs over six innings Vontae Davis Jersey , Stephen Piscotty hit a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs in the sixth inning and the A’s broke out of their funk to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Saturday.

”I wouldn’t say I’m back,” said Manaea, who has had an uneven season since throwing the first no-hitter in the majors this season on April 21. ”I’m going to think and it’s just going to be a natural part of it but I would say I’m a little more calm in gathering my thoughts and not just thinking about the very, very little things that I can’t be worried about during games.”

Manaea was perfect through the first four innings but was on the verge of coming unraveled after giving up three consecutive hits including Chris Young’s three-run home run in the fifth.

After walking Jabari Blash after Young’s home run, Manaea settled down to retire the next two batters then set down three of the four he faced in the sixth to end his day.

”Definitely collected myself and slowed the game down,” Manaea said. ”Kind of was just going through the motions a little bit. I was just throwing it and not executing. After the home run I just stepped off and really had to focus and slow the game down.”

Chad Pinder homered and tripled, Marcus Semien also went deep and Jonathan Lucroy drew a bases-loaded walk to help Oakland end its season-high four-game losing streak.

Manaea (6-6) struck out four and walked one to win for the second time in nine starts.

”All it takes for a guy of his caliber and talent level is to get a good outing or two under his belt and then he’s back to pitching confidently,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. ”When he’s confident he usually pitches game like that.”

Young, a late replacement after Angels left fielder Justin Upton was scratched from the starting lineup 40 minutes before first pitch Kenny Stabler Jersey , hit a three-run home run for Los Angeles.

The A’s had lost six straight and 12 of 13 to AL West teams before rallying to beat the Angels for only the third time this season.

Semien homered leading off the sixth to chase Los Angeles starter John Lamb. Reliever Noe Ramirez (2-3) hit Pinder with a pitch, retired Jed Lowrie on a fly out, then walked Khris Davis before hitting Matt Olson to load the bases.

Ramirez struck out pinch-hitter Dustin Fowler but Lucroy walked to force in the tying. Piscotty then lined a 1-1 pitch to center, scoring Davis and Olson.

”We needed it,” Piscotty said. ”We haven’t lost any confidence, any faith, we’ve just got to keep going. We’ve got a good team.”

Yusmeiro Petit and Lou Trivino retired three players apiece. A’s closer Blake Treinen gave up a two-out RBI single to pinch-hitter Jose Fernandez in the ninth but got Luis Valbuena to ground out for his 15th save.

Lamb pitched into the sixth inning and allowed a pair of solo home runs in his first start since July 16, 2016. He struck out five and walked one. The 27-year-old left-hander missed 50 games last season after testing positive for drugs while in the minors.

”I thought he had all his pitches working,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”He may have gotten a little tired coming out for the sixth. Got us to a nice point in the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold it.”

GEM OF A DEBUT

Angels right-hander Jake Jewell made his major league debut with a scoreless eighth inning. He hit Piscotty with a pitch but got Franklin Barreto to strike out looking for the third out.

JUST GET THERE

The A’s are 31-0 when leading after the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Upton was a late scratch due to lower back stiffness.

Athletics: Third baseman Matt Chapman was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised right hand and will meet with hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin on Monday in Los Angeles. Chapman took infield practice before the game but did not throw. … LHP Brett Anderson threw 30 pitches in the bullpen.

UP NEXT

Lefty Andrew Heaney (3-5 Brandon Fusco Jersey , 3.68 ERA) starts for the Angels in the series finale Sunday at the Coliseum. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (6-6, 3.90) starts for the A’s.

WASHINGTON — Conditioned by years of playoff failures, Washington Capitals fans are always prepared for the worst.

After Thursday’s Game 1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, some Capitals followers quickly progressed through the five stages of death and began planning for the offseason.

But the sun came up Friday, Beltway traffic was no worse than usual, and the Capitals can even the series Sunday night at Capital One Arena.

“I thought we were average,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said of Thursday’s loss. “I know we have another level.

“Playoff hockey is about … a lot of times it’s 50-50. Nothing’s happening, nothing’s happening and then something happens and it changes the course of maybe the game.”

The Capitals squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 before Artemi Panarin’s artistic overtime goal gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 series lead. It is the first time Columbus has led a playoff series in four tries as they seek their first series win.

Panarin, who led Columbus with 82 points in the regular season, added two assists and became the first player in franchise history with three points in a playoff game.

“We traded away a really good player in (Brandon Saad) to get (Panarin) Nat Moore Jersey ,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella told NHL.com. “A different type of player, a guy that makes something out of nothing. Makes a great play on the tying goal and scores just a goal that a lot of people can’t score in this league. That’s sometimes the difference between winning and losing.”

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots for Columbus and Washington’s Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves after getting the starting nod over Braden Holtby.

“There was nothing in that game that you’d say, why you would make a change? Philipp’s been really good,” Trotz told reporters Saturday. “So we’ll go back with Grubi; I’ve got a lot of confidence in him, and we’ll be ready.”

Both teams could benefit from more discipline in Game 2. While referees generally try to let the players determine the outcome at even strength in the postseason, Columbus scored on two of its four power plays and Washington scored on two of its six.

Evgeny Kuznetsov scored two goals 29 seconds apart on a five-minute power play in the first period after Josh Anderson was ejected for a hit on Michael Kempny, who left the game.

Columbus tied the score 2-2 on a third-period power play after Alexander Wennberg took a blow to the head from Washington’s Tom Wilson.

Finally, the Blue Jackets forced overtime when Andre Burakovsky went off for tripping at 14:55 of the third period.

“That’s playoff hockey. That’s what it’s all about is momentum and not giving the other team life at crucial moments in the game,” Wilson told The Washington Post. “There’s some situations out there we can obviously manage better.”

Kempny should be back for Game 2, but Wennberg is doubtful Kendall Fuller Jersey , likely forcing Columbus make some changes to their lineup. Twenty-one-year-old forward Sonny Milano, a healthy scratch for Game 1, will be in the Blue Jackets’ lineup. He had 14 goals and eight assists in the regular season.

“He still scares the hell out of me in a lot of situations,” Tortorella told The Washington Post. “But he’s a guy, another guy that can make something out of nothing and score a big goal for you.”

The Capitals could have their entire roster healthy Sunday if fourth-line center Jay Beagle returns after missing Game 1 with an upper-body injury. In addition to his faceoff prowess, Beagle plays significant time on the penalty kill. He practiced Saturday and said he hopes to play.

“It’s all about starting with the puck, and he gives us an advantage in that more than most guys in the league,” Trotz told The Washington Post.

The Capitals were 23-8-1 in the regular season after a loss.
Adidas Jakub Voracek Jersey