OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are doing the little things to win the close games.Manager Clint Hurdle calls the first half two good months of baseball and one that was complicated.David Freese hit a go-ahead single in the top of the 10th inning, and the Pirates beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Saturday night for their third straight win.Erik Kratz led off the inning with a single against Daniel Coulombe (1-1), Jordy Mercer sacrificed him over and Freese singled to left. As left fielder Coco Crisp threw out Freese at home on Adam Fraziers single moments later, and the play was upheld on an umpire review.Gregory Polanco added an insurance RBI single.I just like the grit in my club, Hurdle said. Offensively, we scratched.Juan Nicasio (6-6) struck out two in the ninth for the victory, then Mark Melancon allowed a pair of singles before finishing for his 23rd save as the Pirates won for the sixth time in eight games after dropping eight of nine.Pittsburgh also has won the last three meetings against the As after losing the initial 11.As reliever Ryan Madson had runners on second and third in the ninth following a double steal but retired Sean Rodriguez on a popup and induced Josh Harrisons groundout. The Pirates challenged whether Danny Valencias throw from third to first was in time, but the call was confirmed in 1 minute, 55 seconds.Jed Lowrie had a sacrifice fly and Josh Reddick an RBI single in the third for Oakland, one of his career-high matching four hits. His double in the fifth got stuck in the outfield wall and wasnt ruled a ground-rule double, preventing a run from scoring.It was very frustrating. Could have won the game, he said. Over the years Ive obviously seen (the hole) but never really paid attention to it. After it happened I went out there and it was literally a three-inch gap to put a baseball in. Never hit a hole in one before even in golf so I guess this is going to have to count.Harrison hit an RBI double and Starling Marte a run-scoring single in the fourth as Pittsburgh tied the game at 2.Mercer led off the game with a double on a ball that got lost in the sun and dropped in shallow right field between three As players.Rich Hill came off the disabled list to strike out six while pitching four-hit ball over six innings in his first outing since May 29 after being sidelined with a strained left groin. He had a five-start winning streak since losing May 1 to Houston.Hill allowed two runs on four hits and walked two, limited to 83 pitches based on how much time he missed.Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl gave up seven hits and two runs, struck out two and didnt walk a batter in six innings. It was his second major league start after beating Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in his debut -- and he got the nerves and any awe factor out then.Now it wasnt my first time anymore, he said. Just another day at the yard.Crisp hit his 300th career double in the third and extended his hitting streak to nine games.The As ended a stretch of hitting a home run in a season-best 10 straight games, playing their first extra-inning game at home after 60 without one since Aug. 18 last year against the Dodgers.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (triceps strain) shadow threw in the bullpen a day after a simulated game. ... The Pirates have gone a week without a roster move. Shhh, shhh, Hurdle said. Its been welcome.Athletics: Oakland agreed to terms with versatile, 17-year-old Cuban OF Lazaro Armenteros on Saturday. He receives a $3 million signing bonus. The As also agreed to terms with Dominican players 3B George Bell, SS Marcos Brito, SS Yerdel Vargas, and CF Kevin Richards. All of the new acquisitions will report to the clubs Dominican training facility and later to Arizona for instructional league this fall. Organizationally, its a big day, manager Bob Melvin said.UP NEXTPirates: In his last start against the As, Sunday starter LHP Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.33 ERA) pitched seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win on July 10, 2013.Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (1-3, 2.81) makes his fifth big league start and is coming off his first major league win last Monday at San Francisco. He is the eighth pitcher in Oakland history to allow three or fewer runs in each of his initial four starts. Authentic Wholesale Nike Shoes . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Nike Shoes Cheap China . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. http://www.shoesnikecheap.com/ . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. Cheap Nike Shoes Womens . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Nike Shoes Cheap Sale . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The second week of organized team activities began for the San Francisco 49ers without Michael Crabtree but with the tough task of replacing the teams top wide receiver. Anquan Boldin sure seemed up for the challenge. As for the other wideouts, they will likely need more time -- and healthy bodies -- to help fill the void. Boldin caught the bulk of the balls during Tuesdays practice, the first one open to reporters that he has participated in since coming to the 49ers in a trade with Baltimore in March. He looked comfortable as ever in a red No. 81 jersey -- and later in a San Francisco Giants cap walking out of the locker room. With Crabtree out for the foreseeable future with a torn right Achilles tendon, Boldin could be the key to San Franciscos depleted receiving corps this season. "We have to make plays. The passing game goes through us. If we dont make plays outside, we wont be successful as an offence," Boldin said. "Its definitely on us to get better as a receiver corps entirely." Coach Jim Harbaugh has decided to put veterans on one side of the offence and have an open competition among younger players on the other for Crabtrees spot. Last years catchless first-round pick, A.J. Jenkins, and Ricardo Lockette and Quinton Patton are the leading contenders for the "X" role Crabtree so skillfully occupied until tearing his Achilles in 7-on-7 drills last week. Recovery time can often take as long as a year after surgery, though the team is optimistic Crabtree will return at some point in 2013. In the meantime, the NFC champions will rely on Boldins experience to help groom the younger receivers into a bigger role, especially with reliable wideouts Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams both coming off serious knee injuries that occurred late in the regular season. "Anquan is not a talkative guy," Harbaugh said. "Hes not a small-talk guy. Hes just very serious about competing, and very serious about football and winning. I think itll speak volumes if the young guys observe that." Boldin had 65 catches for 921 yards and four touchdowns for the Ravens last season. He also caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in Baltimores 34-31 win over San Francisco in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound receiver said he already feels comfortable in San Franciscos complicated version of the West Coast offence. In his 11th year in the NFL, Boldin said he has run many of the same plays and routes throughout his career but the terminology with the 49ers is the major difference. "For me, its just translating right now," he said. Boldins big frame already has made him a favourite of starter Colin Kaepernick and the other quarterbacks. While it was only one practice without full pads, he was often the first read and easily targeted more than any other player on the field, including while catching a 25-yard touchdown pass from B.ddddddddddddJ. Daniels between three defenders. "I guess Im looked at as being able to step in right now and make plays," Boldin said. "And thats what I want to bring. I want Kaep to be comfortable. I want the other quarterbacks to be comfortable enough to, even if it doesnt look like Im open, just give me a chance. Ill make a play for you." Thats exactly what Crabtree gave Kaepernick last season. The 25-year-old Crabtree, the teams 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Texas Tech, had career highs with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns for the 49ers last season. He was one of the biggest reasons the franchise returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years, clicking with Kaepernick after his promotion over Alex Smith in November. More than likely, the 49ers will need a collection of players to make up for Crabtrees loss. Williams already was participating in some individual practice drills and said he hopes to be ready by training camp. Harbaugh has said Manningham might need more time to recover. Jenkins and Lockette both trained with Kaepernick in the Atlanta area for about two months during the off-season. The trio even lived together in Georgia and often quizzed each other about the playbook. Back on the practice field at 49ers headquarters, now its up to the veterans to help speed up the learning. "Its a credit to the young guys we have, theyre not afraid to come ask questions, How do I do this? How do I run this route? Against this coverage, what do we do?" Williams said. "For me, Im happy to do that stuff because I want to see these guys progress and move along and become better players. Weve got it. Weve got a bunch of them. Dont sleep on some of the young guys we have." NOTES: Harbaugh said RB Frank Gore has not been participating in practice because he is "working through something," the coachs typical line for an injured player. Harbaugh said the injury is not serious. ... Second-year RB LaMichael James said he is up to 205 pounds, 10 more than his playing weight last season. He credited the off-season weightlifting program with helping him build strength and sees himself as the top option to return kicks and punts with Ted Ginn Jr. gone. ... Harbaugh said he received some tips from three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford before driving a high-performance Corvette Stinger at the track over the weekend. He said he got the car up to 118 mph the last two turns. "Of course, by next week when I retell the story it might be up to 138," he joked. ' ' '