hits in four innings. Hes made four solid starts for the Mets and turned in two duds against the Nationals, inclu

NEW YORK -- Claimed off waivers in spring training last year, Brad Mills toiled in Triple-A for a couple of teams and even went to Japan before getting another shot in the big leagues. No wonder he fits in so naturally on the roster full of castoffs and vagabonds that has Oakland on top of the standings. "I definitely fit that mould, you know? Been all over the place," Mills said Wednesday night after beating the New York Mets 8-5 for his first major league victory in almost two years. "Being only five or six days of being here, its very comfortable. I feel like a very big part of the team." Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run double, slumping Brandon Moss had a two-run homer and the As jumped all over an ineffective Zack Wheeler in the first two innings. Coco Crisp homered and had three hits as the AL West leaders built an eight-run cushion for Mills, who took a shutout into the seventh. "I think hes got a good little mix right there that keeps guys off balance really well," Moss said. Oakland, with only a couple of homegrown players, rebounded from its most lopsided loss of the season to split the two-game interleague series, boosting the best record in baseball to 48-30. Mills (1-0) was obtained from Milwaukee for cash last week when fellow left-hander Drew Pomeranz went on the disabled list after breaking his right hand when he punched a chair in frustration. Mills, who had a 1.56 ERA for Triple-A Nashville at the time of the trade, lasted four innings in his As debut last Friday against Boston. He was backed by some fine defence in this one and did not walk a batter over 6 1-3 innings, overcoming some early leg cramps on the way to his fourth big league win. The previous one came on July 8, 2012, when he threw five innings for the Los Angeles Angels in a 6-0 victory over Baltimore. "He did a great job," Moss said. "He definitely fits in. These guys, our front office here, they do their homework before they go and get a guy." Sean Doolittle struck out all three hitters in the ninth for his 11th save, extending his scoreless streak to 25 1-3 innings. He has retired 37 of his last 38 batters -- and racked up 53 strikeouts against one walk in 37 innings this season. Pinch-hitter Lucas Duda chased Mills with a three-run homer in the seventh. Chris Young connected for a two-run shot in the eighth, his third home run in two nights. Curtis Granderson added three hits for the Mets, who had won three straight and five of six. It was their sixth three-game winning streak of the season, but they havent won four in a row since July 7-10 last year. Wheeler (3-8) followed up the best outing of his brief career with his worst. "He just didnt bounce back," manager Terry Collins said. "He struggled with all of his pitches. ... I have never seen him get hit that hard." Coming off a three-hitter in a 1-0 win at Miami last Thursday, his first complete game in the majors, the 24-year-old Wheeler had command problems right away. He missed badly with his first two pitches in the first inning to Moss, who drove the next one deep into the second deck in right field for his 18th home run. Wheeler issued a leadoff walk to Josh Reddick in the second and another free pass after Crisps RBI single. Cespedes followed by lining a bases-loaded double down the left-field line to make it 6-0. Convinced the As were picking up signs, Wheeler called catcher Travis dArnaud out to the mound and struck out the next two batters. "They were onto my signs in the second. Its my fault for not catching onto it sooner. The next few pitches after we changed them up were good. When somebody turns on a 96 mph fastball, they probably knew it was coming," Wheeler said. "It was just a bad outing." When the Mets loaded the bases in the bottom half, Wheeler was lifted for a pinch-hitter. He was tagged for six hits and a career-high six earned runs in two innings, the shortest of his 33 career starts. Crisp hit a solo homer in the fourth off Dana Eveland. "Cocos our igniter. Usually when were playing well, hes playing well," manager Bob Melvin said. NOTES: Derek Norris was held out of Oaklands starting lineup for the second consecutive night after leaving Sundays game when he was hit in the head by a backswing. He entered behind the plate in the ninth. Before the game, Melvin said Norris was feeling better and was on target to start Friday night in Miami. ... The As clinched their 13th consecutive winning month, tying the longest streak in Oakland history (1970-72). The previous team to have a run that long was Boston (July 2004 to July 2006). ... After the game, New York optioned backup infielder Wilmer Flores to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for CF Juan Lagares (right ribcage), who will be activated from the disabled list Thursday before the Mets open a four-game series in Pittsburgh. Barry Sanders Youth Jersey . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. Jarrad Davis Womens Jersey . TSNs Farhan Lalji reports the Edmonton Eskimos non-import DT has a workout scheduled with an NFL team next week and isnt expected to sign a deal with any team until then. http://www.authenticnfllionslockroom.com/Youth-Austin-Bryant-Elite-Jersey/ . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. Marvin Jones Jr Lions Jersey . On the day the club activated Casey Janssen from the 15-day disabled list, his return from a strained oblique that cost him the first six weeks of the regular season, it announced Sergio Santos would be placed on the disabled list on Monday with discomfort in his right forearm. Kerryon Johnson Youth Jersey . The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who lose three straight finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal from 2006-08, has not played in the tournament since 2011, when he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. NEW YORK -- Gio Gonzalez came about as close as a pitcher can to a no-hitter. The left-hander would up inches away in a one-hitter Monday night and the Washington Nationals hit five home runs, including long balls by their first two batters in a 9-0 rout of the New York Mets. "It was a great performance," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "He was throwing everything over -- change, curve, fastball. It was fun to watch." Gonzalez held the overmatched Mets hitless into the seventh before pinch-hitter Zach Lutz broke up the bid with a soft single. Lutz swung at the first pitch of the inning and sliced a looper that landed on the first base line, taking out a chunk of chalk well behind the bag for New Yorks lone hit. "Off the end of the bat," Lutz said. "It was good luck." First baseman Adam LaRoche made a diving attempt as the ball hit the dirt, but it squirted by and into foul territory along the right field line. First base umpire John Hirschbeck correctly called it fair, and Gonzalez (10-6) paused behind the mound to stare in that direction. "LaRoche came over to me and said, Im sick to my stomach. All the guys came over and said the same thing," said Gonzalez, who won 21 games last season and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting. After the hit, Gonzalez kept sailing along in a dominant outing. He struck out eight and walked two for his second career shutout and fourth complete game, improving to 5-0 in six starts against the Mets since last years All-Star break. Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to-back homers to start the game. Jayson Werth and Tyler Moore also connected off Carlos Torres (3-4), roughed up by Washington for the second time in six weeks. Wilson Ramos added a three-run shot off reliever Greg Burke. The five home runs were the most a team has hit in one game at Citi Field, which opened in 2009. Handed a huge lead, Gonzalez was in cruise control as he won his third straight start. He faced three batters more than the minimum to help the Nationals, on the fringe of the NL wild-card chase, win their third in a row and fifth in six games. The only ball the Mets hit hard was a line drive to shortstop by Juan Lagares in the fifth. Gonzalez walked his second batter and penultimate one. "Fortunately, we put a ball in play where no one was at so we go home at least knowing we didnt get no-hit," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Obviously, we feel very fortunate." Washington gave Gonzalez a two-run lead before he took the mound, hittiing two homers on Torres first eight pitches.dddddddddddd Spans shot to right field was his sixth career leadoff homer and first for the Nationals this season. It also extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest active run in the majors. Zimmerman followed with a drive to left-centre for his fourth home run in three days and sixth in the last seven games. It marked the third time this season that a team hit back-to-back homers to begin a game, according to STATS. Matt Carpenter and Carlos Beltran did it for St. Louis on April 26 against Pittsburgh, and Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout connected for the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 6 against Texas. Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper were the last Nationals pair to achieve the feat on June 3, 2012, against Atlanta. The previous time the Mets served up homers to the first two batters in a game was June 28, 2003, when Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter went deep for the Yankees, STATS said. "That was the first time I had ever seen it," Mets catcher Travis dArnaud said. Span singled in the third, Zimmerman walked and Werth hit a three-run shot to left-centre. Moore opened the fourth with a long drive to straightaway centre, making it 6-0. Ramos connected in the fifth, and the only drama left was Gonzalezs pursuit of a no-hitter. Torres gave up six runs and five hits in four innings. Hes made four solid starts for the Mets and turned in two duds against the Nationals, including their 14-1 rout on July 28. NOTES: Collins confirmed that injured closer Bobby Parnell will have season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck. The team hopes Parnell will be ready for spring training. ... Harper sat out again with a sore left hip. Scratched from the lineup Saturday in Miami, Harper was examined by team doctors in Washington, and Johnson said tests showed inflammation but no structural damage. The 20-year-old slugger will take oral medication and miss at least the first two games of the series. ... Johnson said RHP Tanner Roark will start the series finale Thursday. ... Span had three hits. ... Gonzalezs other shutout was a five-hitter against St. Louis on Aug. 31 last year. ... The 70-year-old Johnson has said this will be his final season as a major league manager, so this series marks his last scheduled visit to Queens, where he piloted the Mets to the 1986 World Series title at old Shea Stadium. He said its always fun to come back, but he feels "too young to retire" and wouldnt be averse to some sort of challenging baseball job in the future. ' ' '