MINNEAPOLIS -- Jim Johnson struggled again. The Oakland Athletics picked up their new closer with a strong finish. Derek Norris hit a three-run homer in the 11th inning, and the As bounced back from another blown save by Johnson to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4 on Wednesday. "When someone doesnt come through the next guy comes up and fills in for him. ... Its a nice chemistry we have here for that to happen," Norris said. Jared Burton (0-1) gave up the one-out drive by the backup catcher Norris, who went deep on Tuesday night, too. Dan Otero (1-0) got the last eight outs for the victory in relief of Johnson, who has given up seven runs, nine hits and six walks in five appearances with the As. Hes simply been falling behind in too many counts. "Whatever hes got to do to change that he will," Norris said, adding: "Hes going to go on a roll, and this isnt going to be a matter any longer I dont think." Minnesota trailed 4-0 after a rocky first inning by Phil Hughes, who needed 40 pitches to get his first out. Jason Kubel homered in the second and Brian Dozier went deep in the eighth. Johnson, who had 50 saves for Baltimore last season, gave up the third of four hits by Kubel to start the ninth. With the bases loaded and one out, Johnson nearly had Eduardo Escobar struck out, but a foul tip was ruled on his two-strike swing. Escobar then poked a single into to left field to cut Oaklands lead to 4-3. A one-hop throw to third baseman Josh Donaldson nearly forced out Kurt Suzuki, who was ruled safe, and a video review ruled the call stood -- meaning there was not "clear and convincing" evidence to overturn it. Donaldson said he closed his glove on the ball before Suzukis foot hit. But As manager Bob Melvin didnt waste time arguing, instead replacing Johnson with Otero. "I just had to go get him. I didnt feel great about it, but I had to do it. Keep working to get him right," Melvin said, declining to speculate on whether Johnsons closer job was in jeopardy. Dozier hit a sacrifice fly to right field, just deep enough for Suzuki to race home and sneak a hand onto the plate in front of the tag by Norris. Another umpire-initiated review confirmed the safe call, and the crowd of 22,973 cheered loudly when the video board provided the proof. There was more drama before Norris came up again. Glen Perkins struck out Donaldson to end the 10th inning, and the Twins closer shouted some obscenities and pointed at Donaldson, who gestured and "started to red line," as Donaldson put it afterward. Donaldsons path to Perkins was cut off by the Twins, and after the dugouts mostly emptied the tension de-escalated. Donaldson nearly homered during that at-bat, but the ball drifted foul. Perkins said he thought Donaldson was admiring his drive too long. "I dont feel like I disrespected him at all. Im up there trying to win a game for our team, and hes trying to win a game for his team. Juices are flowing," Donaldson said. Said Perkins: "There were things that happened in that at-bat that we both could have done differently. So well leave it at that." Donaldson hit an RBI double after Hughes walked the first two batters of the game. Brandon Moss tacked on a two-run single, and Alberto Callaspo added an RBI single. None of the hits were particularly hard, but the damage was done. Hughes walked three and struck out three in five innings, with five hits surrendered. Twins starters have one win in eight turns, with a collective 6.43 ERA. Oakland starter Jesse Chavez pitched seven smooth innings with no walks and nine strikeouts. As starters have allowed three runs or fewer in each of their first eight games, for a 2.02 ERA. NOTES: The As held CF Coco Crisp out again following a cortisone shot he had in his left wrist and likely will do so again on Thursday. ... The Twins honoured Gardenhire before the game for his 1,000th career victory by giving him a hand-crafted humidor filled with, yep, 1,000 cigars. ... Oakland has eight straight wins over Minnesota, all with at least seven runs. ... The As will send RHP Dan Straily (0-1, 4.50 ERA) to the mound for the series finale, and RHP Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 5.06 ERA) is set to pitch for the Twins. Cheap Jerseys From China . Hicham Khalouas late goal improved Almerias chances of avoiding relegation in a match dominated by contentious calls, including three penalties. One day after Barcelonas 4-3 win at Real Madrid featured three penalties, referees again dominated a wide-open game that saw Almeria ultimately move out of the relegation zone and one point ahead of Getafe which took its place. Wholesale Nike Jerseys . CSKA received the heavier punishment of playing its next European home game behind closed doors, after its supporters displayed racist and far-right symbols in the Czech Republic during a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen on Dec. http://www.discountjerseysnfl.com/. - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Discount Nike NFL Jerseys . -- Brandon Hope stopped 46 shots and Kurtis MacDermid scored with 27 seconds remaining in overtime as the Owen Sound Attack edged the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-4 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. China NFL Jerseys . The veteran NFL receiver received his work permit and is in Montreal for the start of the Alouettes rookie camp. Johnson even took in the Montreal Canadiens Game 5 win over the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre Tuesday night.LONDON -- Arsenal reached the Champions League group stage for the 17th straight year, Swedish champion Malmo joined Ludogorets as newcomers. Malmo, which reached the European Cup second round in 1990 in the pre-Champions League era, will be Swedens first group stage representative in 14 years after beating Salzburg 3-0 to advance 4-2 on aggregate. Arsenal relied on Alexis Sanchez scoring his first goal since joining from Barcelona last month to squeeze past Besiktas 1-0 and held on with 10 men for the last 15 minutes. Arsenal, which drew the first leg 0-0, has been in the group stage every season since 1998-99, and Athletic Bilbao is back for the first time since then after beating Napoli 3-1 to go through 4-2 on aggregate. There was no shock in Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen routing FC Copenhagen 4-0 after winning 3-2 away. Bulgarian club Ludogorets reached the Champions League group stage for the first time Wednesday when a defender saved two penalties in a shootout after the teams goalkeeper was sent off late in extra time. On a night when Arsenal, Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen all qualified for Europes top competition, Ludogorets centre back Cosmin Moti upstaged everyone with his heroics in Sofia. Facing 1986 European champion Steaua Bucharest, Ludogorets had used all three substitutes when goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov was sent off for a last-man foul with a minute to go with the match locked at 1-1 on aggregate in extra time. That meant Moti, a Romanian who used to play for Steauas main rival Dinamo Bucharest, was forced into goal. Wearing the shirt of the teams backup goalkeeper, Moti scored Ludogorets first penalty in the shootout before returning to the goal-line to make crucial saves to deny Paul Pirvulescu and Cornel Rapa. Steaua Bucharest, which reached the round of 16 in 2013, lost the shootout 6-5. Steaua led 1-0 after the first leg and Ludogrets only levelled the aggregate score when Wanderson netted a long-range strike in injury time. At the Emirates Stadium in London, Sanchezs goal came on the stroke of halftime. The Chile striker sllotted into the net after a one-two between Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil.dddddddddddd. But just like in the first leg when Aaron Ramsey was sent off, Arsenal finished the game with 10 men. Mathieu Debuchy was shown a second yellow card in the 75th for a sliding tackle on Mustafa Pektemek, having already been booked in the first half for fouling Olcay Sahan. Arsenal responded by replacing the ineffective Ozil with defender Calum Chambers, who was immediately booked for coming onto the pitch too early. "It is a weight off our shoulders now because we can focus on the Premier League, wait for the draw," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "We feel we have done the job and we have a clear conscience." While appearing in the group stage is nothing new for Arsenal, the London club will be in Thursdays draw with Malmo for the first time. After losing 2-1 away at Salzburg, Malmo took just 10 minutes to score at home through Markus Rosenberg from the penalty spot after Peter Gulacsi fouled Magnus Eriksson. Eriksson was on target himself in the 19th, sublimely volleying the ball into the net from long range. Malmo fans were already celebrating when Rosenberg scored his second in the 84th after completing a counterattack. In Spain, Marek Hamsik put Napoli in front two minutes into the second half with a low strike but host Bilbao struck back in the second half with three goals in 13 minutes. Aritz Arduiz scored twice and Ibai Gomez drilled in the third to stun Napoli coach Rafa Benitez, who won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool. In Germany, Son Heung-min, who scored in Leverkusens 3-2 first-leg win, took just two minutes on home soil to exploit poor Copenhagen defending to net again. Hakan Calhanoglu added another inside five minutes, with a free kick that Danny Amankwaa inadvertently deflected into his own net. Stefan Kiessling added a third from the penalty spot in the 31st minute after Amankwaa fouled Tin Jedvaj, and he slid the ball into the net again in the 65th as Leverkusen qualified for the group stage for a ninth time. ' ' '