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OAKLAND, Calif. -- After the way Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta finished last season en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award and started this season, he was overdue for a rough streak.Arrieta went 11-0 with a 0.57 ERA over his final 13 regular-season starts last year, and the Cubs went 13-0 during that stretch. This year, he went 9-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first 10 starts as the Cubs won all 10.But over his past five starts, Arrieta has gone 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA, and the Cubs have lost all five games. Hell try to end that skid Saturday afternoon against the Oakland As in the second game of a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.I just think we all (have) high highs and lows, catcher David Ross said Friday before the Cubs 7-2 victory against Oakland. Its going to be hard to sustain what he was doing. I dont think anythings wrong.I think we all went through a little stretch there where we were kind of fatigued. I think the All-Star break helped him recover and hes pitched well since then. It could be fatigue, it could be rhythm, it could be any number of things. But for how long he sustained just being completely unhittable, I think everybody said, Whats wrong? when he gives up a couple runs.Arrieta (12-5) certainly isnt sweating his mini-slump. In his previous start, he gave up two runs on two hits over seven innings in a 4-1 loss to Seattle. Two starts before that, he held the Mets to one run on five hits over seven innings and got a no-decision in a 2-1 loss.Yeah, two hits, Arrieta said of his start against the Mariners. Two walks in the 8th or it could have easily been a different story. A couple close calls led to a couple base runners. They ended up getting a couple.Sometimes this game does weird things to you. But trying to get locked in and be at our best individually down the stretch is the most important thing for us. Thats kind of what were striving to do.Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said the As are expecting nothing but the best from Arrieta.I faced him a lot in the minor leagues, Vogt said. You cant say enough about what hes done over the last couple years. Its pretty special. Im looking forward to the challenge. Hes got some of the best numbers in baseball and hes had some of the best success over the last couple years. It will be a good challenge for us. Im looking forward to it.As right-hander Sonny Gray will be looking again to recapture the command he had last year when he finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting. Gray is 5-10 with a 5.84 ERA and 15 wild pitches.Obviously hes frustrated and obviously hes working to get better every day, Vogt said. Its just been kind of when he hasnt been good, they take advantage of him, and when he has been good, bounces havent gone his way.So its kind of been an up-and-down season for him. But hes handling it well. I think hes learning. Obviously its not easy, but hes doing a good job, hes keeping a good level head and hes putting his work in every week, like he has all year.In his previous start, Gray gave up seven runs over 3 1/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Cleveland.Were always looking and expecting him to go out and be the guy that weve seen in the past, As manager Bob Melvin said. So is he. Its just about going out there and stringing a few performances together that get him going in the right direction again. Penny Hardaway Jersey Large . PETERSBURG, Fla. Magic Jerseys China . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. http://www.custommagicjersey.com/ . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Custom Penny Hardaway Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Custom Magic Jersey China . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. (STATS) -- There wasnt much Wofford and The Citadel, two Southern Conference rivals that run the triple option on offense, werent going to know about each other on Saturday.Wofford true freshman Joe Newman was somewhat of the exception.He came off the bench when starting quarterback Brandon Goodson was injured in the second half, scoring on a 36-yard keeper in the fourth quarter to provide the winning margin of Woffords 17-3 victory at No. 6 seed The Citadel in the second round of the FCS playoffs.The Citadel (10-2) had gone unbeaten in the SoCon, but Wofford (10-3) avenged a regular-season loss while advancing to play at Youngstown State (10-3) in the quarterfinals next Saturday.I truly believe that we have a team that for whatever reason believes so strongly in themselves, said Woffords 29th-year coach Mike Ayers.I love this group of kids. Some of them are real goofy, but they are young. The one thig they are not goofy about is when they go on that field and play. I cant say enough about our coaches and our preparation.The Terriers have 28 seniors on their roster, but Newman played a key role in the first important action of his career. He appeared in only three regular-season games.When Goodson was injured on the Terriers second possession of the third quarter, Newman entered the game.It was tied 3-3 in tthe fourth quarter when he raced around left end for a go-ahead touchdown with 10:28 left to play.ddddddddddddThe Citadel ground its way to the Wofford 8 on its next possession, but the drive stalled and Cody Clark missed his third field goal of the game from 32 yards out. He entered 12 of 16 on the season.A Lorenzo Long 43-yard run put Wofford in field-goal range, but David Marvins 46-yard attempt was partially blocked with 4:23 left, giving The Citadel one more possession.The Bulldogs got into Wofford territory, but Terriers defensive back Devin Watson intercepted Dominique Allen at his teams 38 and raced untouched for a 62-yard pick-six to seal the upset.Neither team found the end zone until the fourth quarter. Clark converted a 23-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Marvin kicked a 46-yarder in the third quarter to even the game.The two rushing attacks -- The Citadel entered the game ranked first in the FCS and Wofford was fifth -- finished below their season averages. Wofford finished with 223 yards, led by Longs 90. The Citadel had 236 yards, led by Tyler Renews 76 and Allens 60.Wofford trails The Citadel in the all-time series, closing its deficit to 41-28-1. ' ' '