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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Third baseman Josh Donaldson sees plenty of similarities between this Oakland team and the one that stunned the Texas Rangers on the seasons final day last fall. Going on a year after the Athletics made their remarkable turnaround and their push to a surprising AL West title, the defending division champions are on a roll again. "Its contagious, winning, you know? Its about confidence," closer Grant Balfour said. "You see a guy get a big hit and the next guy comes up and does his job. Youre going to have your battles some nights, but that little thing, whatever it is to get over the edge and win that ballgame, is what were doing right now. Its been big." The As have had their share of struggles in the first half, too, not so different from all of those Oakland teams of the past that took off after the All-Star break. While Oakland (38-27) dropped the final two games of its seven-game road trip in Chicago, the As have won seven of 10 and 18 of 23. They entered Mondays off day a half-game back in the AL West race behind Texas (37-25). Starting Tuesday night, the As will get another tough home test when the New York Yankees visit the Coliseum for a three-game series. Less than three weeks ago, things didnt look so good. The As returned from a rough 3-7 road trip and lost for the eighth time in 10 games in a 3-1 home defeat to the Rangers on May 22. Oakland then rattled off a five-game winning streak that featured a three-game sweep at Houston and won the first three in a four-game Bay Bridge Series against the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Significant progress by the starting pitchers has been a big part of the recent run. "Theres no doubt thats been a key for us," manager Bob Melvin said. "Earlier in the season, the offence was ruling the day, we were scoring a lot of runs and making up for the ERA as a team were not used to looking at. All of a sudden you come into closer games and were giving up some runs earlier in the game and its a little different story." In those tight games, Oakland is showing some of the late-game magic that helped define last years special season, when the As became the first team in major league history to win a division or pennant after trailing by five games with less than 10 to play. Adam Rosales hit a two-out homer in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win over the White Sox in Chicago on Thursday night -- and he had already hit a go-ahead shot leading off the eighth inning of a 2-1 home victory over the Kansas City Royals on May 17. Oakland has 10 wins in games decided in the final at-bat. "This is kind of more of the recipe we did last year," Donaldson said. "We know we have the guys here who can pitch. Early on they kind of got off to a little rough start and the bats were able to pick them up. But lately whats been separating us from the other teams is our pitching by far -- from the starter to every reliever that comes in and Balfour shutting the door. This is something were definitely going to have to do over the course of the year." Not that Balfour is interested in hearing about his run of saves, 15 in as many chances this year and 33 in a row going back to April 29, 2012, at Baltimore. He is the only closer in the American League without a blown save this season. "I dont know, man. Dont ask me," he said. "Dont talk to me about that. I dont talk about me, Ill talk about the team." And this team has shown some serious resilience dating back to last summer. The As -- with the lowest payroll in baseball last year at $59.5 million -- trailed Texas by 13 games on June 30, 2012. With the fourth-lowest payroll on opening day in the majors this season at nearly $65.5 million, Melvins blue-collar bunch is showing that the As arent content with last falls playoff run. With a majors-best 14 walkoff wins in 2012, Oakland went 94-68 to end a five-year playoff drought. As it has for so long with this club, the pitching is setting the tone again. "I think its something where were feeding off each other," Jarrod Parker said. "This team is built around pitching and defence. Its something where were able to keep our team in the game and at any point weve got some big bats and were able to scratch runs across. I think for us to be solid is what we need, not to be spectacular. We know who we are and we dont try to panic or press. For us to just stay within ourselves and do what were capable of and things will happen." Oaklands starting pitchers have allowed one run or fewer in 11 of their last 23 games, going 13-3 during that stretch. "You cant say enough about these guys and the work they put in," catcher Derek Norris said. "Sum it up to Oakland As baseball. This is what we do well -- we have a good starting rotation, scratch a couple runs across and close the door with our bullpen. Thats what we strive to be, and were doing a great job of it." Balfour and his bullpen mates sure enjoy watching the starters, then backing them up in the late innings. In three recent home games against the White Sox, Oakland held Chicago to three total runs with two shutouts. "You couldnt ask for any more than that," Balfour said. "Its awesome to watch."Rod Carew Jersey . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. Dave Niehaus Angels Jersey . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. https://www.cheapangels.com/1273j-kaleb-cowart-jersey-angels.html . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Los Angeles Angels Gear . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Jose Rodriguez Angels Jersey . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup.CHICAGO -- The Texas Rangers starting rotation gets a big lift with Saturdays return of right-hander Yu Darvish.Darvish, 29, was expected to be reinstated off the 15-day disabled list and start the middle game of the three-game Rangers-Cubs series at Wrigley Field. It will be his first start since a no-decision against Houston on June 8.Darvish worked so hard on his rehab that the Rangers had to work on what to do with his extra strength.He practically had to learn how to compensate for the added power that he had, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Friday. He worked out so hard on his rehab that his legs got so strong, his lower half got so strong that he was throwing a little bit harder.Fortunately for him, for us hes ready to go and obviously hes a huge part of our club.Darvish will face Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel (7-5, 3.46 ERA) in the 2:20 p.m. ET game.The Japanese right-hander was 10-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 2014, his last season with extensive playing time. He missed the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.Darvish started the 2016 season on the disabled list, rejoined the Rangers and returned to the disabled list on June 13 with right shoulder discomfort, retroactive to June 6.The Rangers also activated right-hander Keone Kela from the 60-day disabled list. Hes expected to help the bullpen in the second half after being sidelined for surgery to treat a bone spur in his right elbow.Kela was 1-0 with a 7.11 ERA in seven appearances.I feel very good about the club, getting a couple of key guys back here on the pitching staff will go a long ways, Daniels said. Youre talking about two guys -- one at the frront of the rotation and the other at the back of the bullpen -- are elite-level talents.dddddddddddd. Its a big shot in the arm getting those two back here.The weekend set is the Rangers first at Wrigley Field since 2013 when they took just one in three games in a series that started in April and didnt finish until a May 6 makeup of an April 17 rainout.Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he feels more refreshed after catching up on sleep and hopes his team feels the same way as they resumed play after an admittedly rough stretch of 24 consecutive games heading into the All-Star break.I always attempt to gauge what they (his team) may feel like the way I feel like, he said Friday. Ive probably have not been as tired as I was at this break ever. I think the schedule leading up to it contributed to that. If I felt the need to rest, Im certain our guys felt the same way.The Cubs are slowly regaining full strength with the return of catcher David Ross (concussion symptoms) and left-hander Clayton Richard (finger blister) on Friday.Next to come back might be outfielder Dexter Fowler, sidelined since June 19 with a right hamstring strain. Maddon said Fowler could be reactivated sometime next week.He ran yesterday, hit the bases and felt good about it, Maddon said. Hopefully, by the end of this coming week, hell be available to us.Fowler missed 21 games since being placed on the disabled list June 10 with a right hamstring strain.Maddon foresees potential rehab assignments in coming days before Fowler is reinstated with the Cubs. ' ' '