MINNEAPOLIS -- The Oakland Athletics brought Jim Johnson into their bullpen when they lost All-Star closer Grant Balfour in free agency. Pelicans Gears . Two weeks into the season, Johnson is 0-2 with an 18.90 ERA and one blown save in five appearances for the Athletics. Manager Bob Melvin couldnt afford to wait while the former Orioles closer got into a groove, removing him from that role on Thursday. Melvin will proceed with a closer-by-committee approach. "Theres no timetable," Melvin told As beat writers before the team played their series finale against the Minnesota Twins. "Lets just get him straightened out. And we have plenty of options. Thats the good thing about our team, our versatility. Well play it by ear based on how the games going, whos available on that particular day." Hes allowed at least two runs in three of his five appearances, his seven total runs allowed is tied for the most in the AL among relievers. Hes allowed more walks and hits than any other reliever in the league. Its a far cry from the dominant reliever who saved 50 games for the Orioles last season, tied with Atlantas Craig Kimbrel for the most in the majors. The As were in the market when Balfour, who had 38 saves last year to help Oakland win its second straight AL West title, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays over the winter. Johnson is making $10 million and will be a free agent at the end of this season, but the As can take heart that he has recovered from similar funks before to post solid seasons. Last year, he was charged with three losses and four of his nine total blown saves during a tough six-game stretch in the middle of May. He allowed 12 runs over five innings in that stretch, but posted a 1.52 ERA in his other 69 appearances. Oakland will use Dan Otero, Ryan Cook, Luke Gregorson and Sean Doolittle in save situations, depending on the matchup. Custom Pelicans Jerseys . -- Hal Steinbrenner says Alex Rodriguez is "a great player" and "obviously an asset," but the New York Yankees managing general partner wouldnt discuss the third basemans possible return to the team following a season-long suspension. Jrue Holiday Pelicans Jersey . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. http://www.pelicansbasketballpro.com/ . Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3. CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Montreals Eugenie Bouchard couldnt finish off German Andrea Petkovic on Saturday at the Family Circle Cup womens tennis tournament. Bouchard was two games away from recording the win and advancing to her second WTA Tour final. But the ninth-ranked Petkovic rallied for the 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory and hand the 20-year-old Bouchard her third loss in as many head-to-head meetings between the two. Playing her third straight three-set match, Bouchard was just one point away from going ahead 5-2 in the third. But Petkovic broke Bouchard twice down the stretch to advance to her first championship since Washington, D.C., last August where she fell to Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets. "I think I just hesitated on a few balls and on my chances. Thats not the way I want to play," Bouchard said. "I really want to go for my shots, and when I hesitate, it doesnt end up well for me." Petkovic will face Jana Cepelova, who came back from 4-1 down in a third-set tiebreaker to oust 17-year-old Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7). Petkovic broke down and cried with a towel over her head after the match, happy and relieved that she was again in this position after the past three years dealing with injuries to her ankle, knee and back that caused her to miss nine months on tour. "I was just so relieved and I was proud that I came back from all these injuries, and I never thought that I would play finals in the big tournaments again," said Petkovic, who hadnt gotten past the quarter-finals in her six previous tournaments this season. Petkovic, ranked 40th in the world, calmly analyzed her first-set shortcomings and understood that with a few changes, she could get back in the match. Anthony Davis Pelicans Jersey. . "I wasnt that upset because I felt Genie was playing incredible tennis," she said. "I just lacked that 10 per cent." So Petkovic moved a step closer to the baseline so she could hit deeper forehands and put Bouchard on her heels. Things finally clicked midway through the second set as Petkovic fought off three break points to hold serve and begin her comeback. "I said, Even if I miss more, Im going to have to get the length or shes going to kill me," Petkovic said. Bouchard wasnt done, taking a 4-2 lead in the final set and having a chance to break serve for a bigger lead. But Petkovic hit a pair of crisp serves to win that game and followed by breaking Bouchards serve to tie the set at four games. Petkovic broke Bouchards serve a final time to close out the match on four consecutive points. Bouchard trailed in the third set in her two previous matches before eliminating No. 11 seed Venus Williams in the third round and No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals. Against Petkovic, Bouchard says she didnt play as aggressively down the stretch as she had hoped. Petkovics father, Zoran, played college tennis at South Carolina and was among the Gamecocks top players with an 18-8 singles record in 1982. She hopes to give her family more reason to celebrate their connections to the Palmetto State. Andrea Petkovic, whos won two WTA titles at Strasbourg in 2011 and Bad Gastein in 2009, understands shell be expected to easily defeat her untested opponent. "They are super young, so they will come out and play great tennis," she said. "I am 100 per cent sure of that, so I will have it very tough and I will have to fight hard." Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Bucks Jerseys Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Spurs Jerseys Cheap Raptors Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Cheap Wizards Jerseys ' ' '