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ByJohnHickey BayAreaNewsGroup MINNEAPOLIS It's not clear at what point an abnormal level of play becomes normal, but the Oakland A's have to be getting close to that point af- ter a 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. The defense cost Oakland four runs, and that Brett Law- rie and Eric Sogard were play- ing out of position when they made their errors doesn't mask that the A's have made 27 er- rors, more than any other team in the big leagues. And while starter Drew Pomeranz wasn't good — he walked five in 4 1/3 innings — errors led to the first four runs and the bullpen couldn't pitch out of a jam after Pomeranz put two runners on in the fifth inning with the score tied 4-4. Dan Otero proceeded to walk the bases loaded, then gave up a two-run single. Ike Davis homered in the sixth to close the lead to one run, but Minnesota's bullpen finished the game with three shutout innings to preserve the win. "I didn't make very compet- itive pitches," Otero said. "And there's no reason for it." Since the runs were charged to Pomeranz, the A's bullpen ERA went down from 5.34 to 5.12, but bullpen work isn't primarily about ERA. It's also about preventing inherited runners from scoring, and the A's haven't been good at that. BASEBALL SloppyA'sbeatenby Twinsduetomiscues Defense costs Oakland 4 runs while bullpen has another meltdown game JIMMONE—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Oakland Athletics center fielder Billy Burns leaps to catch a long fly ball off the bat of the Minnesota Twins' Brian Dozier in the third inning Thursday in Minneapolis. JIM MONE — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Oakland A's Brett Lawrie (le ) high-fives Ike Davis a er Davis hit a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. TWINS6,ATHLETICS5 Up next: Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners, 7:10p.m. today, TV on CSN-CA. THESCORE By Paul Newberry The Associated Press Spurs and Celtics? Already eliminated. Lakers and Heat? Didn't even make the playoffs. There's a new look to this NBA postseason, which will crown a champion that hasn't won the ti- tle in at least 17 years — or, quite possibly, a franchise that has never been on top. "There is not just one domi- nant team," Washington's Brad- ley Beal said Thursday. "You're not going to see the same teams." Indeed, of the eight confer- ence semifinalists, the most re- cent to win a championship is the Chicago Bulls, who claimed the last of six Michael Jordan-era titles in 1998. The Houston Rock- ets are the only other multiple champion still playing, winning back-to-back titles in 1994-95. There are two franchises that won their only championships so long ago, well, one had a dif- ferent nickname (the Washing- ton Wizards were the Bullets when they took the 1978 title) and another was in a different city (the 1958 St. Louis Hawks, who moved to Atlanta a decade later). The Golden State Warriors are 40 years removed from their lone championship season, but at least they've got a banner. NBA PLAYOFFS Long-sufferingteamshavetitlechances With perennial powers sidelined, basketball's postseason has fresh, new look this season MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (le ) celebrates a er making a 3-pointer in front of Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph during a playoff series Sunday in Oakland. By night, the Calabrian im- migrant family served up piping-hot pizza. A er hours, Italian and U.S. authorities say, the restaurant in the New York borough of Queens was busy filling other orders. COCAINE US-Italydrugring broken up by police FULL STORY ON PAGE B8 Lincoln Street School fourth- through eighth-grade stu- dents got hands-on learning during their recent CSU, Chico field trip that allowed parents to accompany their children to visit a local university. LINCOLN STREET SCHOOL Students get hands-on learning at Chico State FULL STORY ON PAGE B4 Staff Reports ETNA Brushton Minton of Wit- ter Springs and Shasta Banchio of Taylorsville took home all-around cowboy and cowgirl honors, re- spectively, at the District 1 Cal- ifornia High School Rodeo held May 1 and 2 in Etna. In barrel racing, Hayden Morsa of Grants Pass, Oregon placed first with a time of 34.526. Local product Bailey Bean of Gerber placed third with a time of 35.765. Ashtin Lopeman of Red Bluff was eighth with a time of 36.751. Jayden Byrne of Cottonwood was ninth with a time of 36.789, and Sabrina Cantu was 10th with a time of 36.906. In pole bending, Morsa was first with a 42.909 run. Michell Woolbert of Gerber was second with a run of 44.404, Erin Clen- denen was sixth after notching a 46.374, and Gianna Esteve of Corning was ninth with a time of 47.659. In breakaway roping, Helena DeCasas of Grants Pass notched a 9.61 for first place. Kristen Lov- erin of Cottonwood was third with a 16.85, and Cara Hencratt of Red Bluff was ninth. In goat tying, Banchio was first with a 20.26. Scottie Murphy of Cottonwood was sixth with a 30.85. In girls cutting, Hencratt was first after notching a 141. Bean was second at 137. Brody Gill of Millville placed first in boys cutting with a 139. In tie-down roping, Rial Engel- hart of Lakeview, Oregon was first with a 21.80. Kolton King of Red Bluff was sixth with a 16.25/1, Wyatt Spencer of Corning was seventh with a 16.97/1, and Ca- leb Heitman of Cottonwood was ninth with a 20.37/1. In team roping, Dalton Cash of Grenada and Larry Lampert HIGH SCHOOL RODEO Minton, Banchio take home top honors Local athletes place high as Hencratt wins cutting By Howard Ulman The Associated Press SALEM, MASS. New England Pa- triots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday night the scandal surrounding his use of deflated footballs during the NFL play- offs last season hasn't detracted in any way from his Super Bowl title. "Absolutely not," Brady told a friendly university crowd in his first public appearance since an NFL investigation concluded Brady likely knew Patriots em- ployees were cheating. "We earned everything we got and achieved as a team, and I am proud of that and so are our fans," he said. Brady declined to discuss his thoughts about the 243-page re- port that said that he was likely at least aware two team employ- ees were breaking rules by deflat- ing footballs for him. "I don't really have any reac- tion. It has only been 30 hours, I've not had much time to digest it," Brady said. "When I do I will be sure to let you know how I feel about it. And everybody else." Brady said he will address things more once things play out and he is more comfortable. DEFLATED FOOTBALLS Brady says scandal has not detracted from title Corning High School's varsity so ball team (19-9-3, 8-3 Northern Athletic League) is scheduled to visit the Lassen Grizzlies at 4p.m. today. The Cards have lost their last three games. SOFTBALL Corning visits Lassen looking to break skid Corning High School's track and field team is scheduled to host the Gary Burton Invita- tional at noon today. Schools invited include Los Molinos, Sutter, Chico, Durham, Pierce, Williams and Willows. TRACK AND FIELD Corning Cards host invitational today RODEO PAGE 2 PLAYOFFS PAGE 2 BRADY PAGE 2 A'S PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, May 8, 2015 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1