A Matt Faddes hat-trick eased the Highlanders to a comprehensive victory over the Southern Kings at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.The defending Super Rugby champions - who left five All Blacks at home after their 3-0 series win over Wales was wrapped up last weekend - only led 10-8 at half-time and 20-18 at the 65-minute mark before blowing away from their opponents.Dan Pryor, Jack Wilson, Patrick Osborne and Ali Seiuli all scored for the visitors as they claimed a bonus-point victory.Wandile Mjekevu and Steven Sykes touched down for the Kings, who lost their 11th match in 13 attempts this season. Oakland Athletics Shirts . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Oakland Athletics Store . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Chris Bassitt Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Stitched Athletics Jerseys . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. MINNEAPOLIS -- Sonny Gray had his good stuff on Wednesday at Target Field, finding ways to wiggle out of jams while pitching six solid innings for the Oakland Athletics.Even that wasnt enough to stop a personal losing streak that has stretched on for more than two months.Ervin Santana struck out eight and walked none in a two-hitter that led the Minnesota Twins over the Oakland Athletics 4-0.Gray (3-8) gave up one run, six hits and four walks in six innings, losing his seventh straight decision, the longest active skid in the American League. Billy Butlers two-out double in the fifth and Stephen Vogts leadoff single in the eighth Oaklands lone hits.Probably the best mix of pitches weve seen in a while, Athletics manager Bob Melvin said. He threw quite a few changeups, curveball, slider, moving fastballs, some cutters, really a good array of pitches. Unfortunately, they just fouled a lot of them off.And Santana was even better.Santana (3-7) pitched his eighth shutout and 15th complete game, helping the Twins take two of three from the As. Joe Mauer had three hits and an RBI.The bleary-eyed clubs were back at it on Wednesday less than 12 hours after finishing a rain-delayed game that started at 9:52 p.m.Both teams appeared to be swinging heavy bats, and Gray stranded 12 runners, holding the Twins to 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.He gave up an RBI-double to Mauer in the fifth, but held the Twins at bay for the rest of his start.Mentally, I was just trying to stay aggressive, said Gray, who has not won since April 22. There were times to challenge guys and times not to. The times he told me to go challenge guys I was able to do that a little bit more.Santana frustrated Oaklands hitters all afternoon. Josh Reddick slammed his bat in anger after popping out to the catcher in the fourth inning and Khris Davis did the same after a strikeout in the seventh.The As didnt record a hit until Butlers double in the fifth.We had some good at-bats off him at times and we had some non-competitive at-bats, Vogt said. When a pitcher has his stuff and you dontt have consistent at-bats against him its going to be hard to win.dddddddddddd He was very, very good today.While mired in the losing streak, Gray walked out of the ballpark on Wednesday in his final start before the All-Star break feeling a sense of momentum that the As hope can carry over into the second half of the season.Hes shown signs of it all year, Vogt said. Its not like hes been awful all year. Its been kind of a big inning has gotten him. I think that was kind of a turning point today for him, in my opinion.OAKLANDS SLIDEThe Athletics have lost six of their last seven games and are 23-37 since May 1, the worst record in baseball. And they were just outplayed in a series by a team that was has been jockeying with Atlanta for the worst record in the majors all season.This is a place we hit, Melvin said. I was surprised. I thought wed swing the bats well here. ... I was a little surprised we didnt do as well over the course of three games.As BULLPENOaklands bullpen entered with a 5.63 ERA in its 22 games. Opponents were hitting .312 off of As relievers, and they had another rough day on Wednesday.Marc Rzepczynski was charged with two runs on one hit and didnt record an out in the seventh inning. And John Axford didnt give him any help when he walked Max Kepler with the bases loaded and gave up a sacrifice fly to Eddie Rosario to give Santana some breathing room.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: RHP Fernando Rodriguez was played on the disabled list after an MRI revealed a strained rotator cuff. Manager Bob Melvin said there is no timetable for a return, but he would not need surgery.Twins: SS Eduardo Escobar was available after missing the last two games with a strained hamstring.UP NEXTAthletics: LHP Rich Hill (8-3, 2.31) will start the series opener at Houston on Thursday.Twins: Minnesota opens a four-game series in Texas on Thursday, sending RHP Tyler Duffey (4-6, 4.62) to the mound against RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-1, 9.53). ' ' '