OAKLAND, Calif. -- Less than eight months after finishing third in voting for the AL Cy Young award, Athletics ace Sonny Gray is mired in the longest slump of his career.There is little indication that things are going to get better any time soon, either.Gray lost his sixth consecutive decision after blowing an early three-run lead and the Athletics offense was held to one hit over the final seven innings of a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.This hasnt been his best year and hell figure it out and hell get better as the year goes on, As manager Bob Melvin said. Theres always going to be a year thats as not good as other years. So far this is the one for him. Hes been good for us.Gray was coming off two fairly decent starts before blowing up against Pittsburgh in the Pirates first trip to the Oakland Coliseum since June 27, 2010.Gray (3-7) gave up seven runs, hit a batter and threw two wild pitches in six innings while losing his sixth consecutive decision. The right-hander, third in the 2015 AL Cy Young voting, is winless since April 22.Once I got to two outs, I just wasnt able to get them out, Gray said. There were times, like in the sixth where I got two quick outs, I have to be able to shut that inning down and get back out there for the seventh . and not hit a guy and walk another. It just escalated from there.Jody Mercer homered and had an RBI single to help Pittsburgh rally from three runs down to beat. Matt Joyce added two hits, Josh Harrison drove in two runs while Andrew McCutcheon doubled and scored on a wild pitch to help the Pirates to their first win in their history at the Coliseum and just their second in 13 games between the two franchises.They did it by taking advantage of another shaky outing by Gray (3-7).We just stayed the course, Harrison said. We just put together some good at-bats as a team and it wasnt easy on him.Marcus Semien hit his 17th home run of the season for Oakland.Pirates starter Jeff Locke (8-5) also struggled early but retired the final nine batters he faced to win his third straight. He gave up three runs over five innings with three walks and three strikeouts.Three relievers combined to retire the final 12 batters and complete the four-hitter.Mercer homered in the third and added an RBI single as part of a two-run fifth.Harrisons two-out, two-run double in the sixth put the Pirates up 7-3.ALL-STAR PUSHSemiens home run was his fifth in nine games, padding his AL-leading total among shortstops. Melvin thinks Semiens offensive surge should be good enough to earn the young shortstop a trip to the All-Star game in San Diego later this month. Hopefully that merits some consideration going forward, Melvin said. You cant ignore the numbers. Not only is he doing it all offensively, he doing defensively too. He just maturing.LINEUP SHUFFLEJed Lowrie had decent results while batting leadoff for the first time this season. He drew a walk from Locke in the first before Semien homered on a 3-2 pitch. Oaklands second baseman added an RBI double in the second to make it 3-0.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: Infielder Tyler Ladendorf was recalled from Triple-A Nashville before the game. Left-hander Dillion Overton, the losing pitcher against San Francisco on Thursday, was optioned down. Overton went 1-1 with an 11.42 ERA in two starts.UP NEXTPirates: Right-hander Chad Kuhl (1-0) pitches against Oakland on Saturday in his second career start in the majors after beating Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in his debut.Athletics: Rich Hill is expected to come off the disabled list to start against Pittsburgh. The left-hander had been out since May 30 with a strained groin. Oshane Ximines Cheap Jersey . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Oshane Ximines Youth Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. http://www.giantsonlineteamshop.com/phil-simms-jersey-cheap.html . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Eli Manning Youth Jersey . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Daniel Jones Cheap Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. LAGOS DE COVADONGA, Spain -- Nairo Quintana retook the lead of the Spanish Vuelta after leaving his title rivals behind on the final grueling ascent to win Mondays mountainous 10th stage.Chris Froome fell back early on the special category climb to the Lagos de Covadonga summit, but the British rider recovered to finish third behind Robert Gesink.Quintana shook off a fall that tore his shirt early in the stage to win back the red jersey that he conceded to David de la Cruz on Sunday.The Colombian climbing expert won the 188.7-kilometer (117.2-mile) stage from Lugones to its finish in the northern mountains in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 31 seconds. Gesink, who had formed part of an early breakaway, crossed 24 seconds later, just ahead of Froome.Quintana opened up a 57-second advantage over Movistar teammate Alejandro Valverde, with Froome another second behind in third place overall.Lagos de Covadonga, with gradients up to 17 percent, is considered one of the classic and most demanding ascents of the three-week race.I had always dreamed of winning here, Quinttana said.dddddddddddd It fills me with pride to leave my name on this great mountain.Despite having built almost a minutes lead over Froome, Quintana said the three-time Tour de France winner was the man to beat with a time trial, which Froome excels at, still to come.(Froome) is still very close given what is ahead, Quintana said. We will have to keep doing what we are doing to build our lead because he is still the big favorite.While Valverde and Froome stayed within striking distance of Quintana, Alberto Contadors chances of winning a fourth Vuelta took another blow.Contador was the last rider able to stick with Quintana on the final climb, but he faded over the final 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) and finished over a minute behind.The Spaniard entered the day almost two minutes behind, and that deficit grew to almost three minutes. He is fifth, behind Esteban Chaves.Tuesday is the first of two rest days during the grand tour. ' ' '