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PITTSBURGH -- Dan Straily knew before he went to work on Tuesday night his next start wouldnt be in the majors. The All-Star break and a quirk in the Oakland Athletics schedule means the AL West leaders wont need a fifth starter for a couple of weeks. Before hopping a plane for Triple-A Sacramento, the rookie right-hander left a little something to remember him by. Straily (6-2) allowed two hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out seven and walking three to win his fifth straight decision. "I could have thrown a perfect game and I was going to get optioned out," Straily said. "Its nothing personal. Its the situation were in. It is what it is." The As called up right-hander Sonny Gray to take Strailys spot, hoping the 2011 first-round draft pick can get some work out of the bullpen over the next couple of weeks. That apparently wasnt an option for Straily. Oakland manager Bob Melvin called having someone at the back end of the rotation with Strailys talent a "luxury," one the team can apparently live without until later in the month. "Thats the life of a fifth starter," Melvin said. Even if Straily isnt exactly pitching like one at the moment for the As, who have won 10 of 13. He tossed seven shutout innings in a victory over the Chicago Cubs in his previous start, then backed it up by silencing the quickly cooling Pirates. Straily credited a much-improved curveball for keeping the Pirates off balance. "(Pitching coach) Curt (Young) said in passing in my last bullpen that he thought my curve was good and that I should use it more in games," Straily said. "Its something Ive worked on a lot and youre always trying to get better, but last year I put the curve on the shelf because I was working on the changeup so much." Straily threw just one changeup against the Pirates, and Pedro Alvarez sent it 448 feet to centre in the second for Pittsburghs lone run. "I didnt throw another one after that, so the curveball gave me a third option," Straily said. Grant Balfour worked the ninth to remain perfect in 24 save chances this season. Brandon Moss slammed a two-run homer in the fourth off Gerrit Cole (4-2) to supply all the offence Oakland required. Moss spent parts of three seasons with the Pirates between 2008-10, with Pittsburgh hoping his raw left-handed power would help him pound balls off -- or over -- the Clemente Wall in right field. It never really happened. Moss hit all of 13 homers in 195 games for the Pirates before eventually making his way to Oakland, where hes become a key cog in one of baseballs biggest surprises. Moss provided a glimpse of what could have been in Pittsburgh in the fourth when Cole wobbled for the briefest of moments. The right-hander had retired nine straight when John Jaso doubled with two outs. Moss followed with his 16th home run of the season, though he hardly viewed it as some sort of revenge. "I had a lot of opportunities here and I didnt do anything with them," Moss said. "Its my fault that Im not here anymore." Pittsburgh had hoped to break loose against Straily, who has struggled starting on four days rest during his brief major league career. Straily came in 0-3 with a 7.16 ERA when not given at least five days between starts. Yet he had no issues dealing with Pittsburghs suddenly punchless offence. The Pirates have scored just six runs during a 2-6 slump that has dropped them behind first-place St. Louis in the heated NL Central race. Alvarez provided Pittsburghs lone run with his drive to the bushes in centre leading off the second. The home run made him the third player in team history to reach 23 homers before the All-Star break, joining Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell. The Pirates didnt get a runner to third base over the final six innings. Their best chance to tie the game came in the seventh when Alvarez led off with a walk and moved to second on Russell Martins sacrifice bunt. Oakland reliever Sean Doolittle replaced Straily and struck out pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez before getting Jordy Mercer to pop up to first. Jose Tabata led off the ninth with a single off Balfour, but Andrew McCutchen and Alvarez struck out before Martin grounded out meekly to first as Balfour extended his club record for consecutive save chances converted to 42, dating to last season. NOTES: The start of the game was pushed back due to the potential of inclement weather. While lightning flashed several times during the 1:42 delay, it never actually rained. ... Oakland LF Yoenis Cespedes was selected to the American League team for the Home Run Derby next Monday night in New York. Cespedes, who has 15 home runs this season, is the first As player to be chosen for the Home Run Derby since Jason Giambi in 2001. ... McCutchen went 0 for 3, ending his 10-game hitting streak. ... The series wraps up Wednesday when Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (8-3, 2.20 ERA) faces Oakland LHP Tommy Milone (8-7, 4.11). ... Hall of Fame golfer Arnold Palmer, who grew up in Latrobe, about 45 minutes east of Pittsburgh, was in attendance. Sam Mills Jersey . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Bobby Hebert Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. http://www.shoptheofficialsaints.com/Elite-Archie-Manning-Saints-Jersey/ . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. 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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Marcus Mariota had never played in weather colder than 75 degrees during high school, and never in temperatures bellows 40 degrees during his college days at Oregon.Thats what happens when youre born and raised in Hawaii.So when he took the field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, and it was 1 degree with a wind chill of minus-9, perhaps it made sense the Tennessee Titans quarterback would get off to a chilly start.He was certainly hot by the end.Mariota shrugged off an early fumble and interception to lead Tennessee to a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City. Then, after the Titans failed to convert a 2-point conversion and got the ball back, he drove them into range for Ryan Succop to kick a 53-yarder for a 19-17 victory.Marcus did a great job of keeping everybody positive and letting us know that were going to go out there and make great plays, Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews said. The defense did a great job getting us the ball back. Special teams did a great job containing their returners.It was an overall team win today.Mariota was 19 of 33 for 241 yards, and his completion percentage of 57.6 was among the worst games of his career. He also didnt throw a touchdown pass -- something thats happened only nine times -- in a game that was eminently forgettable until the end of the fourth quarter.The turnovers were especially surprising for a quarterback who rarely makes a mistake.The first came as he was trying to escape the pass rush, and defensive tackle Dontari Poe got his hand on thhe ball.dddddddddddd It squirted free downfield and the Chiefs recovered.It was one of those deals, Mariota said. I was tucking the ball away. He ended up swiping at it and got it. Thats going to happen. Guys, they get paid a lot of money to do that. He made a great play.He chalked his interception up to being a good play, too, though that may be an understatement. Early in the third quarter, Mariota was making a relatively safe pass to tight end Delanie Walker when safety Ron Parker came flying in for the one-handed pick-off.Really, that team does a great job of creating turnovers, Mariota said. Thats what they do. I just think the way we were able to battle back says a lot about this team.So does the final drive. The Titans got the ball back with 63 seconds left, and Mariota hit Matthews for 19 yards before finding Walker on two more completions. That moved the ball within range of Succop, who knocked through the winner against his former team.I thought he made some really good throws, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said of his quarterback. I thought he played well, made some really good decisions with some of the runs we had, zone reads. Very good decisions. I thought he played well.As for the weather, well, Mariota wasnt willing to admit he was cold. Asked how he had prepared for it, he replied: The same. I wasnt thinking about it.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '