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By Jon Krawczynski The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS » By the time Dan Straily took the mound for the second inning, he knew he just didn't have it. His velocity nowhere to be found, the 25-year-old right- hander took the next step in his maturation process by gritting his teeth, focusing on location and changing speeds over any - thing flashy and shutting down the Minnesota Twins. Straily pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and Sam Fuld hit a rare home run to help the Oakland Athletics complete a three-game sweep with a 6-1 victory Thursday. "It's part of learning from the past, from last year," said Straily (1-1), who gave up one run and struck out five. "On days when I didn't have my best stuff, I would try to pitch like I did and it would cost me. After the second inning, I real - ized I didn't have my 'A' stuff in my arm today. So it was just a matter of mixing speeds and keeping everybody off balance." The Athletics' rotation has opened the season with nine straight starts allowing three runs or less and has compiled a 1.93 ERA in 56 innings. "They've done a great job. So far, so good," Josh Donald - son said of the rotation. "Can't really complain about what they've done. That's what we expect from them." Fuld hit just his sixth homer in 738 career plate appearances and singled. Donaldson had a two-run homer and an RBI sin - gle for the Athletics (6-3). Mike Pelfrey (0-2) gave up six runs on nine hits and four walks in five innings. The Twins have BASEBALL Straily, Fuld help lead Athletics over Twins Oakland pitcher throws three-hit ball for seven innings even not having 'best stuff' Andy ClAyton-King — the AssoCiAted Press Minnesota twins catcher Josmil Pinto (le) tags out the oakland Athletics' Jed lowrie in the sixth inning thursday in Minneapolis. the Athletics won 6-1. Andy ClAyton-King — the AssoCiAted Press oakland Athletics starting pitcher dan straily throws against the Minnesota twins in the first inning thursday in Minneapolis. The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS » The Oakland Athletics brought Jim Johnson into their bullpen when they lost All-Star closer Grant Balfour in free agency. Two weeks into the season, Johnson is 0-2 with an 18.90 ERA and one blown save in five appearances for the Athletics. Manager Bob Melvin couldn't afford to wait while the former Orioles closer got into a groove, removing him from that role on Thursday. Melvin will proceed with a closer-by-committee approach. "There's no timetable," Mel - vin told A's beat writers be- fore the team played their se- ries finale against the Minne- sota Twins. "Let's just get him straightened out. And we have plenty of options. That's the good thing about our team, our versatility. We'll play it by ear based on how the game's going, who's available on that partic - ular day." He's allowed at least two runs in three of his five appearances, and his seven total runs allowed is tied for the most in the AL among relievers. He's allowed more walks and hits than any other reliever in the league. It's a far cry from the reliever who saved 50 games for the Ori - oles last season. BASEBALL A's take struggling Johnson out as closer Melvin says they'll use closer-by-committee approach until he gets straightened out Ben MArgot — the AssoCiAted Press the oakland Athletics' Jim Johnson works against the seattle Mariners in the ninth inning sunday in oakland. athletics 6, twins 1 Up next: today, the A's visit the seattle Mariners, 7:10 p.m., tV on Csn. THE SCORE By Curt Anderson The Associated Press MIAMI » Three NFL players are named in a police report involving a woman who passed out in a hotel and later woke up in a hospital not knowing how she got there, though no one has been charged with a crime, authorities said Thursday. San Francisco 49ers quarter - back Colin Kaepernick and wide receiver Quinton Patton, and Se- attle Seahawks wide receiver Ri- cardo Lockette, were with the woman at a Miami hotel where Lockette lives, according to the Miami Police Department report. Police stressed that the report contained only unproven allega - tions at this point. "As far as whether there was a crime committed, it's too early to say," said police spokeswoman Ke - nia Reyes. The account of the woman, who was not identified by police, is de- scribed in the report: The woman mixed drinks and gave the men shots, and the men told her "in order to drink the shots she had to 'hit' the bong which con - tained marijuana." The four were watching a bas- ketball game when the woman be- gan feeling light-headed and went to lie down in a bedroom. Kaepe- rnick came into the room, began kissing her and undressed her completely. The woman told po- lice that they did not have sex, and that Kaepernick left the bedroom saying he'd be right back. A few minutes later, the woman told police, the other two men "peeked" inside. She said to them, "What are you doing? Where is Co - lin? Get out." The report says the woman does not remember anything after that and later woke up in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. The woman told police she has had a sexual relationship with Kae - pernick in the past. Kaepernick's agent, Scott Smith, did not immediately re- spond to email and voice mail mes- sages seeking comment. The 49ers and Seahawks issued statements saying they were aware of the in- cident but declined further com- ment. Kaepernick, 26, is one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl af - ter the 2012 season and the NFC championship game this past year. For his three-year career, Kaepe- rnick has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he has rushed for 937 yards and another nine touchdowns. AP Sports Writer Janie McCau - ley in San Francisco contributed to this story. LEgAL Players named in police report, not charged 49ers QB Kaepernick among three in incident AlAn diAz — the AssoCiAted Press Miami police officials said thursday they are investigating a woman's report that she blacked out aer drinking and smoking marijuana in an apartment in the company of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and two others. Adam scott made one bad swing that cost him two shots in a round of 3-under 69. it was the lowest opening score by a defending champion in 13 years, and it le scott one shot behind leader Bill haas. thE MAStErS Haas has lead while two champions loom FUll stORY On PaGe b2 the lady spartans will travel to shasta high school for the Wolfpack invitational, where they will face Foothill at 10 a.m. today, and Paradise at 4 p.m. the tournament runs through saturday. SPrINg SPOrtS Red Bluff soball team starts Wolfpack invite the lady Cardinal soball team will face Fort Bragg at noon today, and shasta at 2 p.m. at the Wolfpack invita- tional. Corning high's baseball team will visit Central Valley at 4 p.m. SPrINg SPOrtS Corning soball, baseball teams travel Vladimir Putin warned europe on thursday that it may face a shutdown of russian natural gas supplies if it fails to help Ukraine settle its enormous russian gas bill — a debt that far exceeds a bailout package. wOrLd Putin: Ukraine debt threatens gas supplies FUll stORY On PaGe b4 AthLEtICS » PAgE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, April 11, 2014 » More At FacebOOK.cOM/RbDailYnews And twitteR.cOM/ReDblUFFnews B1