OAKLAND http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , Calif. (AP) — 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 Brandon McCarthy Jersey , 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,” 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 http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey ,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. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Pitcher Aaron Brooks reminded himself to hustle and back up home, even though he had zero doubt strong-armed center fielder Ramon Laureano would throw out the runner at the plate.Brooks didn’t have to do a thing. And a run got saved, at an early stage of the game when momentum means so much.Khris Davis hit his fifth home run over Oakland’s first seven games, Laureano connected and also saved the run with a perfect throw, and the Athletics scored their first five runs on homers to beat the struggling Boston Red Sox 7-0 on Monday night.“Those ones are kind of like in the moment so adrenaline gets you going,” Laureano said. “It’s the same thing we practice every day.”Davis led the majors with 48 homers last season, and he went deep again leading off the second against David Price (0-1), who then struck out three straight before giving up Laureano’s leadoff drive the next inning.“Sometimes I stay up at night trying to think of more superlatives to say about Khris Davis because I know I’m probably going to have to when I come in here after the game,” manager Bob Melvin said. “But I’m kind of all out of them. Go ask him Jose Ramirez Jersey , go ask his teammates. It’s amazing. He just keeps getting better and better.”Chad Pinder added a two-run homer in the sixth for the A’s to back Brooks (1-0) in his first start since 2015.The right-hander tossed six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and a walk to continue a stretch of stellar outings by A’s starters. They have given up just one run over 30 innings the past five games since the team returned from an 0-2 trip to Tokyo, all allowing three hits or fewer. There has been a pair of shutouts, too.The ERA during this span? 0.30.“Obviously when the first four go that well you kind of have to keep the roll going, or at least try,” Brooks said.Pinder’s first home run of the year was the 11th surrendered by Red Sox starters in 20 innings to begin 2019. Matt Chapman homered leading off the eighth before pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales‘ RBI single.Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 3 with a double after Boston’s shortstop signed a $120 million, six-year contract covering 2020-25, a deal that raises his guarantee to $132 million over seven seasons.He doubled and went home on Mitch Moreland’s single, but Bogaerts was out at the plate on a 96 mph throw home by Laureano. The call stood after going to replay review, although it appeared Bogaerts’ foot beat the tag by catcher Nick Hundley.“It seems like we were putting something together and Laureano changed the game with that throw,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.The tarp was on the infield more than three hours before first pitch because of rain, and neither team took batting practice on the field. There was a short drizzle before Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 900th career appearance. It tied him for 25th all-time with Arthur Rhodes.Price struck out nine with two walks over six innings, tagged for four runs and five hits — with the three homers. It was the left-hander’s 300th major league appearance, 290th start.It has been a slow start for the defending champion Red Sox, who lost three of four at Seattle to open the year and begin 2019 with an 11-game road trip. It is the most road games to begin a season in franchise history.“There’s no panic in this clubhouse or the dugout. Just nothing good is happening right now Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey ,” Price said. “We’d rather it happen right now than the last two weeks of September or whatever. We’ll get through this time and we’ll be better for it.”Boston has struggled at the Oakland Coliseum, 15-36 in the last 51 games while going 3-12-1 in their previous 16 series here.CAFARDO TRIBUTEA pregame tribute and applause, instead of a moment of silence, was held in honor of late Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo, who died at age 62 in February while at spring training in Florida. A bouquet of flowers sat on the table at his press box seat.CHAMPS GALOREOn Tuesday night, the reigning World Series champs will play next-door at the same time the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors host the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia, on the injured list with left knee inflammation, was scheduled to play nine innings in his second extended spring training game Tuesday before beginning a rehab assignment with Class A Greenville on Thursday.Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt will start for Class A Stockton on Thursday as he works back from the injured list for a bruised right lower leg.UP NEXTRed Sox: LHP Chris Sale (0-1, 21.00 ERA), tagged for seven runs in three innings pitching opening day at Seattle, makes his second 2019 start.Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (1-1, 5.00) looks to build off six scoreless innings in the home opener Thursday against the Angels.