OAKLAND, Calif. Bobby Hebert Jersey . -- Jeff Samardzija arrived at the ballpark nearly five hours before making his first start with his new ballclub. The right-hander left having secured a four-game sweep for Oakland with a performance that showed exactly why the Athletics were so eager to get him in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Samardzija pitched seven strong innings to win his Oakland debut and the As beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Sunday. "First impressions are always important," said Samardzija after lowering his overall ERA to 2.74. "Like I said yesterday, they didnt need me here. They were doing just fine without me. I dont want to come in and change anything and change the atmosphere. I just want to come in and add and do my part," he said. He did just that, giving up four hits and one run with five strikeouts and one walk while earning his first win since June 7. With the Cubs, Samardzija was 2-7 despite a 2.83 ERA. He was voted to the NL All-Star team but wont pitch and will spend the game in the AL dugout. "He was excited as you could be," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "It was great to get him off to a good start like that. Terrific performance." Samardzija, acquired a day earlier, received several standing ovations. He was cheered during pregame warmups and again after striking out the side in the seventh. The veteran pitcher was equally excited after receiving some early run support, something that was scarce in Chicago. The Cubs scored two runs or fewer in 11 of his 17 starts in the NL this season. Oakland had no such issue. Jed Lowrie had two hits and scored twice, and leadoff hitter John Jaso added a pair of hits and an RBI for the As, who won their fourth straight after getting swept in three games at Detroit. Stephen Vogt singled and tripled to help the As complete their first series sweep of the Blue Jays since taking a three-game series in 2000. Oakland hadnt swept a four-game series from Toronto since May 22-24, 1981. "It was beautiful, man, that was awesome," Samardzija said. "Just getting one early run as a pitcher is the best thing ever. You can go out and pound the zone and understand if a guy gets on base so be it. And the way (the As) take at-bats is outstanding." Nate Freiman and Craig Gentry also drove in runs for the As. Lowrie doubled and scored in the second, then Oakland added two more in the fourth to extend their majors-leading record to 55-33. Pinch-hitter Derek Norris added an RBI double in the eighth for Oakland. Steve Tolleson had a pinch-hit home run off As closer Sean Doolittle in the ninth for the Blue Jays, who have lost six straight on the road. Doolittle got his 13th save. Toronto got a stellar outing from starter Drew Hutchison but for the fourth straight game had little success offensively. The Blue Jays went 0 for 18 with runners in scoring position during the series. They didnt have many opportunities against Samardzija and two relievers. Toronto managed just four baserunners over the final eight innings and had only two get past first base. "We got shut down big time," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons after his club was outscored 14-4 in the four-game sweep. "Were just not very good right now. Were just not producing." Oakland general manager Billy Beane got Samardzija and pitcher Jason Hammel for a package of prospects that included the two most recent first-round draft picks by the As. Samardzija pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the first by getting cleanup hitter Jose Bautista to ground into an inning-ending double play. "That was probably one of the biggest pitches of the game for me," Samardzija said. "It allowed me to relax and then to come out and put a few on the board. I was able to relax and pound the zone." Samardzija retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced until Jose Reyes singled with one out in the sixth. Munenori Kawasaki followed with a double and Melky Cabreras groundout scored Reyes. Hutchison (6-7) struck out four and walked two in his first career start against the As. The punchless Blue Jays went into the game shorthanded. Edwin Encarnacion strained his right quad legging out an infield grounder on Saturday and was held out of the lineup. The Toronto slugger underwent an MRI before the game, though the results were not disclosed. NOTES: Cole Gillespie went hitless in three at-bats for Toronto after being claimed off waivers. ... Oakland OF Brandon Moss underwent an MRI on his injured left ankle. Results were not immediately known. ... Toronto OF Brad Glenn was designated for assignment. The Blue Jays also claimed OF/DH Nolan Reimould off waivers from Baltimore. ... As RHP Jesse Chavez will pitch the series opener against San Francisco on Monday. ... Blue Jays LHP JA Happ (7-4) takes the hill in the opener against the Angels. Krishawn Hogan Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Jermon Bushrod Jersey .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday.The NBA Finals will resume tonight in a presumably much more comfortable AT&T Center when the San Antonio Spurs welcome the Miami Heat. You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO or listen to the action on TSN Radio 1050 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Spurs grabbed a 1-0 series lead Thursday night in the sweltering heat of a late spring San Antonio night. Of course, it didnt help that the AT&T Centers air conditioner malfunctioned and didnt work through the course of the game. As temperatures soared into the mid-90s, the Spurs emerged with a 110-95 victory, but the busted AC unit played a major role. LeBron James was forced to leave the game midway through the fourth quarter due to cramping. James has faced cramping issues in the past and the four-time MVP was unable to move Thursday following a layup to get the game within two. "My body just shut down, basically my body said, okay, enough jumping for you for the night. Youve had enough," James said after practice on Friday. "Nothing I could do about it." That didnt stop social media from exploding, questioning James toughness. "I really dont care what people say about me," noted James. The two-time Finals MVP, the Heat, the Spurs and frankly anyone in attendance Sunday night should feel relieved. The AT&T Center staff fixed the problem and it should be very comfortable for Game 2. "It will be fine. Weve been assured of that," said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. The extreme conditions played a role in Game 1, but were the same for both squads. When James had to be carried back to the bench, the Spurs finished the game on a 31-9 run witth six minutes to go. Pierre Thomas Jersey. Danny Green, who set an NBA Finals record with 27 made 3-pointers last year, caught fire late in Game 1. He drained three long balls during the decisive run and finished with 13 points. Tim Duncan contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, Tony Parker poured in 19 points and handed out eight assists, and Manu Ginobili totaled 16 points and 11 assists for the Spurs, who shot a scorching 14-of-16 from the floor in the fourth, including a perfect 6-of-6 mark from long distance. Tiago Splitter added 14 points and Boris Diaw pulled down 10 rebounds. The Spurs shot 59 percent for the game and 52 percent from long range. "Were not as good as we used to be defensively. So if thats going to diminish, you need to do something at the other end of the floor to make up for it," explained coach Gregg Popovich. "We changed our pace, and the way we approach things at the other end of the floor to make up for what were going to lose defensively. Thats the bottom line." James paced the Heat with 25 points and six assists, while Wade and Bosh supplied 19 and 18 points, respectively, in the setback. "We have to finish the game better, no matter who is on the floor," Wade said, referring to the absence of James. Ray Allen provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, while another veteran, Rashard Lewis, scored 10. The Heat have won 12 straight following a loss in the postseason and theres no reason to panic. Miami lost the first game in each of the last two Finals and went on to win the series. The series shifts to South Beach for Game 3 Tuesday night. ' ' '