thats more a function of inexperienced receivers and injurie

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros keep finding ways to win games late.Jake Marisnick scored the winning run on an errant throw in the 10th inning as the Astros rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.The walk-off win was the Astros eighth of the season, third against the As and second of the series, including Fridays 10-9 victory.We seem to be full of those lately, Marisnick said. Its a nod to this team and how we dont give up.Marisnick led off the 10th with a single off Liam Hendricks (0-2) and stole second on George Springers strikeout before reaching third on a groundout by Marwin Gonzalez.After Jose Altuve was intentionally walked, Marisnick scored on Carlos Correas chopper to third that Danny Valencia threw up the line to first as Yonder Alonsos attempted tag missed Correa.We know we have a good team, and we can score runs at any time, so we have to put good at-bats together and the runs will come, Correa said.The error was the As season-high fourth of the game. The As had not made an error in a franchise-record 15 straight games entering Sunday.Hell tell you that its a play he expects to make, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. You dont win many games with four errors, yet we got one pitch away from winning the game. The first ones didnt cost us, but the last one did.Will Harris (1-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.I like the fact that we stay resilient and we compete the whole game, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. We took advantage of a couple mistakes to walk out of here with a win at the break.Evan Gattis hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth off Ryan Madson to tie it at 1.These guys have battled me for years, Madson said. A lot of times they find a way.Marcus Semien gave the As a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the sixth. Matt McBride started the inning with a single and moved to second on Coco Crisps sacrifice bunt before Semiens single.Sean Manaea scattered five hits with six strikeouts in seven shutout innings. Manaea had struggled away from Oakland, going 0-3 with an 11.66 ERA in three starts entering Sunday.Dallas Keuchel allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. The left-hander continued his recent string of good outings and has allowed three runs or less in four of his last five starts.Im feeling better, Keuchel said. Its good to get the break like that. Im just trying to follow in the footsteps of the other starters, and thats a good thing to see when we are getting starts out of the starters and getting timely offense.TRAINING ROOMAthletics: 2B Eric Sogard (left knee surgery) will start to do more baseball activity after the All Star break, Melvin said. LHP Sean Doolittle, who has been on the 15-day DL with a left shoulder strain since late June, hasnt thrown yet, but is feeling better, Melvin said.Astros: OF Colby Rasmus was out of the lineup for a third straight day with an ear infection. ... RHP Scott Feldman was day-to-day after leaving Saturdays game in the ninth due to back stiffness. Hinch said Feldman would not have been available for Sundays game anyways due to throwing 52 pitches Saturday.SHOWING OFF THE SPEEDGattis had his first career steal in the second. Gattis took off for second and went in without a throw as Danny Worth was called out on strikes. Gattis had only one other stolen base attempt in his career, a caught stealing on July 23, 2015, against Boston.UP NEXTAthletics: LHP Rich Hill (9-3, 2.25 ERA) is scheduled to start the first game back from the All-Star break Friday against Toronto. Hill has a six-game winning streak and has allowed three runs or less in each of his last 12 starts.Astros: RHP Doug Fister (8-6, 3.55) is scheduled to start the first game back from the All-Star break Friday in Seattle. Fister will be looking to end a three-game losing streak. Custom Ron Santo Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Custom David Ross Jersey . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-victor-caratini-jersey-large-1680n.html . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Ian Happ Jersey . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Steve Cishek Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Iowa and Penn State both have the same goal as they enter Saturday nights Big Ten contest at Beaver Stadium.Both schools want it to be a November to remember.No. 12 Penn State (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) has won four straight games, including a benchmark 24-21 upset of mighty Ohio State, and is still in the hunt for the East Division title. The Nittany Lions trail Michigan (8-0, 5-0), which still has difficult games at Iowa and Ohio State remaining.Iowa (5-3, 3-2), which has won a school-record nine straight road games, needs a strong finish just to become bowl-eligible after a disappointing October that saw the Hawkeyes lose at home to Northwestern, 38-31, and Wisconsin, 17-9.Projected as the favorite to win the Big Ten West Division before the season, the Hawkeyes trail Nebraska and Wisconsin by one game in the standings. But they face a challenging schedule down the stretch, starting Saturday with the trip to Penn State. They return home to take on No. 2 Michigan, then go to Illinois before finishing against Nebraska.At this point, Iowas bigger concern might be securing bowl eligibility. The only game the Hawkeyes likely will be favored to win during the final month is at Illinois. A win there would leave them with a 6-6 record -- a far cry from last seasons 12-0 season.Our goal is going to win these next four games, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. It may not be realistic. Well know that at the end of the season. But thats going to be our goal. Just like last year, our goal is to win every game.A win at Penn State on Saturday would certainly change Iowas outlook. That wont be easy, but its not unprecedented.Iowa is 7-5 at Penn State and knocked off the third-ranked Nittany Lions in 2008 in Iowa City and the No. 5 Lions in 2009 in State College.These Hawkeyes are not that far away from being undefeated. Their three losses are by two, seven and eight points -- and they had their chances to win all three.Last year, Iowa won the close ones. This year, the tight games have gone the other way.Its a fine line, Ferentz said. Typically, I believe that.Ferentz pointed out that Iowa scored 10 points last year at Wisconsin and beat the Badgers. This season, the Hawkeyes scored one fewer point and lost. Thats the razors edge between winning and losing.ddddddddddddAs we move forward, our goal is pretty simple, Ferentz said. We need to come up with a better plan. Weve got to play better. Those are the two things that are paramount which gets down to improvement.More than anything, the offense appears to be whats holding the Hawkeyes back. In three of their five Big Ten games, they have scored 14 points twice and nine points once.Quarterback C.J. Beathard is not putting up the numbers he did a year ago in his first season as the starter, but thats more a function of inexperienced receivers and injuries. The senior is completing 59.7 percent of his passes but is averaging only 172.5 yards per game.Penn State comes in off a 62-24 blowout of Purdue, which enabled coach James Franklin to empty his bench early in the fourth quarter for the first time in recent memory.I thought that was significant, Franklin said. To have that type of game where youre able to get some guys experience, especially when we were at 65 scholarships, 75 scholarships, with a lot of wear and tear on those guys.It was a luxury the Nittany Lions didnt have when Franklin took over a team lacking depth that was forced to play its starters throughout as the team clawed for wins. Now, the team is riding its longest wave of momentum since the 2011 season and will try to win its fifth straight conference game for the first time since Joe Paterno last coached.Running back Saquon Barkley played a key role in the blowout, shredding Purdues defense with 207 rushing yards and added 70 more receiving yards. Quarterback Trace McSorley threw three touchdowns in the win; he causes defenses fits with his scrambling and hasnt thrown an interception in 106 passes.But Franklin believes the game will be decided in the trenches.Its going to be our D-line against their O-line, Franklin said. I think its going to be our O-line against their front seven. Thats an area that weve been improving on since the beginning of the season. Theyre a veteran developmental program that does a great job year in and year out. ' ' '