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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Sonny Gray still remembers the first time he faced the Pittsburgh Pirates as if it happened yesterday, not three seasons ago when he was a rookie.The Oakland As right-hander made his major league debut at PNC Park on July 10, 2013, and he pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in a 5-0 loss to the Pirates. He struck out three and allowed one hit.Gray will face Pittsburgh again on Friday, only this time he will start for the As in the opener of a three-game interleague series at the Oakland Coliseum. He is bound to have flashbacks to his big league debut.Ive got pretty cool memories, small memories I guess with the Pirates, Gray said Thursday before the Athletics 12-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants. That was a fun day.In terms of wins and losses, this season hasnt been much fun for Gray, who is 3-6 with 5.03 ERA. He will take a five-game losing streak into his start Friday, and he hasnt had a victory since April 22 at Toronto.Since being reinstated from the disabled list on June 5 after missing two weeks with a strained right trapezius, Gray has pitched well but has nothing to show for it. He is 0-1 with a 3.23 ERA in his past five starts.I still feel good ever since coming off the DL, said Gray, who went 33-20 with a 2.88 ERA in his first three seasons with the As. I still think it was the right choice to make. I didnt necessarily have to go on the DL, but thats the route we decided to go. Looking back at it, I think it was still the right call.Gray and the As will face a red-hot Pirates pitcher, Jeff Locke. In his past two starts, the left-hander is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA, six strikeouts and zero walks. He outdueled Madison Bumgarner in a 1-0 victory against the Giants on June 20. Five days later, he pitched the Pirates to a 6-1 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kenta Maeda.Before winning back-to-back games, Locke went 0-2 with an 18.69 ERA in losses to the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets, who combined to hit .455 against him. Somehow, he was able to bounce back.The guys pitching, and hes confident out there, even going through that rough patch, those back-to-back games you wouldnt really wish on anybody at this level, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said after Lockes victory against the Dodgers. Hes handled it like a pro and just pitched through it.Locke (7-5, 5.12 ERA) said a key to his turnaround was to stop being a perfectionist.Trying to make better pitches instead of perfect pitches, Locke said. If its a fastball away, just get it away.Locke has faced the As one time, on June 13, 2013, at PNC Park. He is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA against Oakland.The Pirates, who had an off day Thursday, have won four of their past six games. they snapped a six-game road losing streak Wednesday with an 8-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners.The As are 6-2 over their past eight games and have won back-to-back series, taking three of four from both the Los Angeles Angels and the Giants.Weve definitely been playing well as of the last 10 games or so, Gray said.The As scored 34 runs in the four-game series against the Giants.Wilson Chandler Nets Jersey .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Spencer Dinwiddie Nets Jersey . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/David-Nwaba-City-Edition-Jersey/ . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Taurean Prince Nets Jersey . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Dzanan Musa Jersey . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage.NEW YORK -- The NFL has moved the Tampa Bay-Dallas game on Dec. 18 to prime time.As part of its flex scheduling for Sundays, the league switched the Buccaneers visit to the Cowboys, who already have clinched a playoff berth. Tampa Bay is 7-5 and tied for the NFC North lead. Dallas is 11-1 and in front in the NFC East, which the Cowboys can clinch next week with a win over the Giants.Pittsburghs visit to Cincinnati, originally scheduled for night time in Week 15, has been moved to 1 p.dddddddddddd. ET.The switch means Dallas will appear on Sunday night in successive weeks; its game at the Giants is in prime-time, too.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '