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As rally to nip Cardinals behind Josh Donaldson
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OAKLAND (AP) — Josh Donaldson is pushing for a spot on the American League All-Star team with his bat and glove.Donaldson homered, reached base safely four times and made a pair of stellar defensive plays, including a tumbling catch while crashing over a roll of infield tarp in foul territory, to help preserve Oakland’s 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.“If someone wants to say that I’m having an All-Star year so far, that’s fine,” said Donaldson, who also doubled. “I’ve said it a hundred times, if I just focus on helping our team win and try to do something productive for the team, the individual stuff is going to take care of itself.”Donaldson went into the day ranked in the top five among AL third basemen in batting average, home runs and RBIs but was fifth in the most recently released All-Star voting.That could change the more the A’s win and the more Donaldson flashes his defensive skills.His catch on Matt Carpenter’s foul in the fourth ended a two-on, two-out threat. Donaldson later made a diving stop on Allen Craig’s grounder to end the seventh with the tying run on second.Oakland needed it to overcome a rocky outing by starter Tommy Milone.Milone gave up three home runs and pitched with runners in scoring position in four of the six innings he worked, but got the win after the A’s rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 5-2.“Probably not his best command ... but he fought his way through,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.