id=content_id>OAKLAND [url=http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-george-foster-jersey]George Foster Jersey[/url] , Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics believe they have stability in their leadership structure to keep a good thing going and build momentum from their 2018 playoff return.Manager Bob Melvin has been rewarded for guiding another turnaround, receiving a long-term contract extension. The A’s also reached new deals with executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst.The extensions for all three were announced Monday by the small-budget franchise. Under Melvin’s guidance, a young, slugging Oakland club went 97-65 and lost the wild-card game 7-2 to the New York Yankees.“From the moment I got here it’s been a special place for me for a lot of the reasons I’ve already talked about in the past,” Melvin said. “It just seems like every year it gets more and more comfortable for me being at home, the people that you work for, the continuity in the organization.”With majors’ home run leader Khris Davis leading the way, the A’s reached the postseason for the first time since 2014 following last-place finishes in the AL West each of the previous three years. They trailed the Mariners by 11 games in the wild-card race on June 15 before a strong second half — not to mention all the comeback wins and walkoffs — pushed them into the playoffs.Last year, Melvin received a contract through the 2019 season. Melvin’s new contract is through 2021 with a club option for 2022, Beane said. Forst’s deal goes through 2023.“There are some things we don’t have, which are obvious, and there are some things we do have: We have stability and we have loyalty,” Beane said. “It goes back a long way. Listen, we have our challenges but we all love working here, we love working with each other.”The surprising A’s caught the country’s attention. They went 63-29 from June 16 through the rest of the season for the fourth-best record in baseball. Yet it was the top mark in the majors during that stretch — ahead of World Series champion Boston’s 60-31. Oakland also went a majors-best 31-14 in one-run games and had 10 walkoff victories.With his starting staff slim late in the season, Melvin turned to using an “opener” for an inning before going with another pitcher as a long man, and most everything he tried worked out well in 2018.“I’ve always felt like one of Bob’s biggest strengths is his flexibility, his ability to adjust to the roster that we hand him [url=http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-tom-seaver-jersey]http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-tom-seaver-jersey[/url] ,” Forst said.The 57-year-old Melvin, who joined Oakland in 2011, improved his managerial record with the A’s to 634-599 (.514). His wins are third-most in franchise history behind Connie Mack (3,582) and Tony La Russa (798).Oakland won 20 more games this season, the third time a team managed by Melvin has improved by 20 wins from the previous year.“It’s a driven group that expected to win and expected to get better as the season went along and that’s how it played out,” Melvin said.Forst will begin his 20th season with the A’s and fourth as GM. He was promoted to GM on Oct. 5, 2015, when Beane assumed his current position. Beane wouldn’t say how long his contract runs aside from the fact, “I anticipate having a long-term relationship and that was secured during this negotiation.”The A’s believed from the start of the 2018 season that they had a contending club, even with an opening-day payroll of $66,039,675 that ranked lowest in the American League and second-lowest in baseball ahead of the Phillies. Beane envisions an increase in payroll this coming season and in the following years. He also expects to look outside the organization this offseason to find a starting pitcher.Davis led the majors with 48 home runs, his third straight 40-homer season.“I’m proud of the tremendous success of our team under the leadership of Billy, David and Bob and am excited to have that continue for years to come,” A’s managing general partner John Fisher said. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jonny Venters thought he had given up a tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.“It sounded loud,” the Atlanta Braves‘ reliever said. “I thought it was gone.”Gregory Polanco’s drive to right field hit off the top of the 21-foot wall, however, and he was held to a double.Venters then got Francisco Cervelli to hit a game-ending comebacker [url=http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey]http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey[/url] , preserving Atlanta’s 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.Ronald Acuna Jr. hit another leadoff home run and Freddie Freeman had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to lift Julio Teheran and the Braves to a three-game sweep.Polanco was disappointed his drive did not clear the high wall.“It’s unbelievable, man,” he said. “I hit the ball really hard. It’s PNC (Park), man. Every other park, that’s a homer.”Acuna hit the fifth pitch out to left-center off Trevor Williams. It was the rookie’s 20th homer and sixth leading off the first inning, including four in the last two weeks.“He’s so exciting,” Teheran said. “You expect him to hit a long ball every time he comes up.”The NL East leaders went ahead 2-1 in the eighth when Freeman, who leads the league in hitting, sent a fly ball to deep left field off Edgar Santana. That came after Atlanta loaded the bases against Kyle Crick (2-2), who did not retire any of the three batters he faced.“You’d love to score five or six runs every night, but that’s not always going to happen,” Freeman said. “These are the types of games you have to win in a pennant race. It’s a really good win for us.”Atlanta moved three games ahead of the second-place Phillies, who lost 8-7 at Washington.Freeman’s sac fly made a winner of Teheran (9-7), who allowed one run and two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking one. Teheran is 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA in his last five starts.Brad Brach struck out pinch-hitter David Freese with a runner on third to end the eighth. Venters completed the three-hitter and earned his second save.Atlanta also mustered only three hits but won for the 17th time in 25 games.It was seven years to the day since Venters converted his last save for the Braves on Aug. 22, 2011, at the Chicago Cubs. The left-hander missed five major league seasons from 2013-17 while recovering from three Tommy John operations. He returned this year with the Tampa Bay Rays.The Braves acquired Venters in a July trade and he got his first opportunity to fill in for injured closer A.J. Minter (lower back tightness) on Wednesday.“I told Jonny I might be using him in some save situations and he was ready,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.The Pirates got their run in the fifth when Colin Moran broke up Teheran’s no-hit bid with a two-out RBI single. Pittsburgh’s only other hit was a two-out single by Cervelli.The Pirates have scored just 16 runs in their last 10 games, going 2-8.Williams had another strong outing [url=http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-omar-vizquel-jersey]http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-omar-vizquel-jersey[/url] , permitting one run and two hits in six innings, but again was hurt by a lack of run support. Williams’ ERA is 0.97 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break, yet his record is just 3-2. He is also 1-2 in four August starts despite a 1.44 ERA.“He’s pitched so well, and he pitched so well again tonight,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “It was just fun to watch him out there like a kid in the backyard going to work.”TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: C Kurt Suzuki (bruised left triceps) was out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch but is not expected to go on the disabled list. C Chris Stewart was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to serve as a backup, and OF Michael Reed was optioned to the Stripers.Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (left leg discomfort) is listed as the scheduled starter Sunday at Milwaukee. He left his start Monday night against Atlanta after four innings. … 2B Josh Harrison (strained left hamstring) did not start for a third straight game but struck out as a pinch-hitter. … INF-OF Sean Rodriguez (strained left abdominal muscle) is likely to begin a rehab assignment in the next few days. … SS Jordy Mercer (strained left calf) took batting and fielding practice. … INF Jung Ho Kang (left wrist surgery), on the disabled list at Triple-A Indianapolis, has been cleared to begin gripping exercises.TRICK SHOT ARTISTBraves second baseman Ozzie Albies hit a foul ball in the seventh inning that rebounded off the netting behind home plate and struck him on top of his batting helmet.TURN BACK THE CLOCKThe Braves announced their weeknight and Sunday afternoon home games will begin 15 minutes earlier next season at 7:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m., respectively.UP NEXTBraves: Open a four-game series Thursday night at Miami, with LHP Sean Newcomb (10-6, 3.73 ERA) facing RHP Dan Straily (4-6, 4.60).Pirates: Begin a three-game series Friday night at Milwaukee, with RHP Joe Musgrove (5-7, 3.31 ERA) starting against LHP Wade Miley (2-2, 2.18).