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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Tommy Milone threw more than 50 pitches before recording the first out of the second inning, and Oakland manager Bob Melvin wasnt sure how much longer his starter would last. Milone not only stuck it out, he ended the longest losing streak of his career despite the Athletics still having trouble scoring when hes on the mound. The left-hander overcame his rough start to outduel Ervin Santana and win for the first time in more than a month, and the As scored twice in the sixth inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Saturday night. "That was Houdini," Melvin said after Oaklands second straight one-run win. "He was at 50 pitches with three outs, 70 pitches with six or seven outs and he still goes six innings. Ive been impressed with a lot of his starts but none more than that." Milone (4-5) wasnt crisp and pitched with runners on base in all but one of his six innings but kept the damage to a minimum. The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the second but Milone got out of it without allowing a run. Elliott Johnson fouled out to first baseman Brandon Moss near the Kansas City dugout before Milone struck out Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Milone worked out of trouble again in the third when he gave up a leadoff double to Salvador Perez before retiring the next three batters. "I always feel like Im going to make it out of every inning," Milone said. "I definitely didnt make it easy on myself. Being able to come back and get out of those situations, it feels good at the end of the day." Milone walked three and had four strikeouts but overcame his uneven performance to win for the first time since April 15. Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle each pitched a scoreless inning of relief, and Grant Balfour worked the ninth for his eighth save. That was enough to offset a solid start by Santana. Santana (3-3) pitched much more effectively than Milone but was denied in his third attempt at earning his 100th career victory. He allowed only three baserunners through the first five innings and gave up just four hits total but got little support. "He really threw the ball good (but) right now there is no room for error for any of (our pitchers) out there," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "We had great opportunities. We just didnt capitalize." The As have scored just eight runs over Milones last six starts and were getting shut out before scoring twice in the sixth. Moss hit a tiebreaking triple in the sixth off Santana, one of just five hits Oakland managed. Moss was mired in a 4-for-30 slump before tripling over the head of centre fielder Cain to drive in Coco Crisp, who had walked. Eric Sogard started the inning with a leadoff double and scored on Jed Lowries sacrifice fly. The As were also held to two runs for the third consecutive game but made it hold up in front of a rare sellout crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. The As also beat Kansas City 2-1 on Friday. Billy Butler singled twice and drove in the only run for Kansas City, which has lost nine of 12. Oakland didnt get much else but didnt need it. The Royals failed to score after loading the bases against Milone with no outs in the second. They also stranded a runner at third with one out in the fourth. "Thats Tommy for you," said Sogard, who went 2 for 3. "He battled and kept us in the game. The kids a fighter." Kansas City had the tying run on base in the ninth after Eric Hosmer drew a leadoff walk but Balfour retired the next three batters on flyouts. Alex Gordon doubled with two outs in the first and scored on Butlers bloop single to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead. Notes: Oakland OF Chris Young went 0 for 2 with a walk in his first game back from the disabled list. Young was activated before the game. ... As 3B Josh Donaldson doubled in the second to extend his hitting streak to a career-best seven games. ... To clear room for Young, Oakland 1B Daric Barton was designated for assignment. Barton hit .143 with one home run and three RBIs in eight games with the As. Its the second time this season Barton has been designated for assignment. ... RHP A.J. Griffin (4-3) starts the series finale for Oakland in his first career appearance against the Royals. ... RHP Luis Mendoza (1-2), who pitches for Kansas City on Sunday, has a 3.48 ERA in five appearances against the As. Cheap Tigers Jerseys . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Wholesale Custom Tigers Shirts . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. http://www.customtigersjersey.com/ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Custom Alan Trammell Jersey . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Tigers Jerseys China .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. LONDON -- The Russian husband and wife team who felt betrayed by the IOC after blowing the whistle on state-sponsored doping in their homeland are now being offered financial and other assistance by the Olympic body.The International Olympic Committee said Monday that it was providing career opportunities to 800-meter runner Yulia Stepanova and her husband, Vitaly Stepanov, a former Russian anti-doping official.Stepanova is being given financial support, while her husband will work as a consultant for the IOC on doping matters, the committee said in a statement to The Associated Press.The couple have been living at an undisclosed location in the United States since providing information to German broadcaster ARD and others that helped expose systematic cheating in Russia.Their testimony played a central role in the IAAFs decision to suspend Russias track and field federation from global competition and exclude all but one member of its team from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.The IOC faced harsh criticism after rejecting calls to ban Russia entirely from the games and turning down Stepanovas application to compete in Rio as an independent athlete.The couple met with IOC President Thomas Bach in September to discuss the committees offer of assistance in their careers, the IOC said in an email.After the couple reached out to the IOC, Yuliya Stepanova is being given financial and other assistance so that she can continue her sports career and potentially join a national Olympic committee, the IOC said.Its unnclear which national Olympic body Stepanova could represent, although the U.dddddddddddd.S. would be a possibility since the couple have been living there.Her husband, meanwhile, will be providing a consultancy service to the IOC on all aspects of doping control and the protection of clean athletes, the statement said.Stepanova was part of the Russian doping system for years and served a two-year drug ban imposed by the IAAF. After she and her husband turned whistleblowers, the IAAF recommended that she be eligible to compete as a neutral athlete.Stepanova did run as an independent athlete at the European Championships in July, but finished last in her 80-meter heat as she struggled with a foot injury.The IOC rejected her bid to run at the Olympics, citing her past doping case and saying she did not satisfy the ethical requirements to compete at the games.At the time, Vitaly Stepanov labeled the IOCs offer to bring them to the Olympics to watch the games as VIP guests a bribe.Stepanova also criticized the IOC, saying, They never tried to understand our situation. They simply say whatever is going to serve them.The couple said recently they feared for their safety and had switched residences after hackers breached a World Anti-Doping Agency database that records Stepanovas whereabouts.Bach said in Rio that the IOC was not responsible for dangers to which Mrs. Stepanova may be exposed. ' ' '