had managed to equalize we might have been able to play

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Derek Norris drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, Scott Kazmir outpitched Martin Perez and the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 9-3 on Tuesday night. The As went ahead to stay on Norris two-run double in the first off Perez (4-1), who had pitched 26 consecutive scoreless innings over his previous three starts. The left-hander had thrown three-hit shutouts his last two games, including at Oakland six days earlier. Kazmir (4-0) tied for the AL lead in wins. He needed 95 pitches to get through five innings, but left with a 9-3 lead. The lefty struck out four and walked one. When Norris added an RBI double to make it 4-0 in the third, the As already had six hits off Perez, who started the night with an AL-best 1.42 ERA. The eight runs allowed by Perez were two more than his combined total his first five starts, and his ERA more than doubled to 2.95. He struck out three and walked three in 4 2-3 innings. Oakland, swept in three games at home by the Rangers last week, has won the first two games in this series that started with the teams tied atop the AL West. At 17-10, the As have the best record in the American League. Texas (15-12) has its first three-game losing streak this season. As right-hander Sonny Gray, who lost in the matchup against Perez last week, reached four wins by throwing a three-hit shutout in the series opener. Gray beat Rangers ace Yu Darvish, who with 3 1-3 innings had the shortest start in three seasons since coming from Japan. Perez and Torontos Mark Buehrle were the only other AL pitchers who went into Tuesdays games with four wins. When Craig Gentry led off the second with a triple, the As already had three hits -- matching through seven batters what they got against Perez last week. Gentry scored on a groundout by Josh Reddick, who added a two-run single in Oaklands five-run outburst in the fifth. Perez was gone after issuing a bases-loaded walk to Alberto Callaspo in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Brandon Moss then drew a bases-loaded walk on an eight-pitch at-bat against reliever Jason Frasor before Reddicks single made it 9-1. Alex Rios had an RBI double for Texas in the fourth, but was thrown out trying to come home on a groundball. After the Rangers had consecutive singles to start the fifth, Elvis Andrus sent home a run on a groundout and Prince Fielder had an RBI single. NOTES: It was Texas manager Ron Washingtons 62nd birthday. The Rangers are 0-6 in games on his birthday. ... Kazmirs ERA rose to 2.11 after he entered at 1.62, third-best in the AL. ... Oakland is 11-4 on the road, best in the AL. ... Perezs scoreless streak was the fifth-longest for a Rangers starter. ... There was delay of 1 minute, 38 seconds in the fifth for Washingtons challenge after first-base umpire Laz Diaz ruled a foul ball on Andrus liner down the right-field line just past the infield dirt. The call stood after replay, meaning there was no clear or convincing evidence to overturn it. Corey Seager Dodgers Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Joc Pederson Dodgers Jersey .C. -- With a chance to start over and maybe drive in any series he wanted, Juan Pablo Montoya thought long and hard about what mattered most at this stage of his career. http://www.dodgerssale.com/dodgers-mike-piazza-jersey/ . Then he got back at the team that released him five days before the start of last season, hitting a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning of the first game at Fenway Park since Boston won the World Series last October. Ross Stripling Jersey . The weekend at Oriole Park has been less kind, with three players suffering varying degrees of injury. The worst ailment of the three, at least optically, is the deep bone bruise suffered by Adam Lind when he fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot in the sixth inning of Saturdays game. Hyun-Jin Ryu Dodgers Jersey . The Packers, Lions and Bears were a combined 35-15 and as long as Jay Cutler can say healthy, all three could make the playoffs in 2012. MADRID, Spain -- Atletico Madrid finally got the better of Spanish rival Barcelona on Wednesday as Kokes early goal guided his team to a 1-0 win and into the Champions League semifinals with a 2-1 aggregate victory. Adrian Lopez filled in for injured striker Diego Costa and created the fifth-minute goal after hitting the post, as the Atletico forward headed an ensuing cross on to Koke to fire home. The boisterous atmosphere at the Vicente Calderon Stadium unsettled Barcelona early on, and Atletico striker David Villa hit the woodwork twice within the opening 20 minutes. Barcelona dug in but produced few tangible scoring chances apart from a pair of first-half misses by Lionel Messi. Atletico, which leads Barcelona by one point in the league, reached the last four of Europes top competition for the first time since 1974. The teams had played four previous games this season which all ended in draws, but Atleticos breakthrough kept Barcelona from the semifinals for the first time in seven seasons. "We just have to keep working hard and stay calm because we still havent won anything," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone, whose team will face either crosstown rival Real Madrid, Chelsea, or Bayern Munich in a two-legged semifinal. Bayern beat Manchester United 3-1 on Wednesday to eliminate the English champions 4-2 overall. Adrian replaced Costa after Atleticos star striker failed to recover from a hamstring injury and the little-used forward immediately made a mark by rocketing a shot off the near post just before the opening goal. Adrian eventually headed the ball back across the area for Koke to score from close range to the delight of the capacity crowd. Atletico, feeding off the roar of its home supporters, had Barcelona consistently on the back foot early on and Villa found the post in the 11th-minute. Barcelona controlled possession but Atletico was dangerous on the counter as Villa fired on the run over goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto but off the crossbar -- the teaams third touch of the woodwork.dddddddddddd Messi had Barcelonas lone scoring chances of the first half as he headed Dani Alves cross past the near post in the 13th before firing wide past the opposite post near the break after Neymars quick footwork created the chance inside the area. Barcelona took control from the restart as Atletico hung back, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois doing well to poke the ball away at Messis feet as he darted through the area and then recover in time to ensure the ball was deflected over goal in the ensuing scramble. "There was a big difference between one team and another early on. We couldnt string together four or five passes like we needed to," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. "If we had managed to equalize we might have been able to play the game we wanted." Adrian was taken off to a rousing ovation in the 61st and replaced by Diego Ribas, who scored Atleticos goal in the 1-1 draw in the first leg. Minutes later, Pinto was diving to save from the Brazilian on a counterattack before Atleticos penalty appeals were waved off when Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano tripped up Villa inside the area. Villa and Gabi Fernandez led another counter in the 70th, only for Pinto to kick out Gabis weak shot. Barcelona failed to muster up anything more and Pinto had to make a late save on Villa to keep it close, but the Catalans could not break through the hosts tight defence. "I thought we deserved the draw," Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said, despite his team managing just five attempts on goal to Atleticos nine. "The game got away from us." After walking off the pitch to loud cheers, the Atletico players re-emerged again to celebrate a memorable victory with the nearly 50,000 fans. "The five games (between Atletico and Barcelona this season) all turned out nearly the same way, there werent any major differences except there was a clear winner this time," Martino said. ' ' '