OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics are opening up quite a cushion in the AL West. Josh Donaldson hit a two-run single in a four-run third inning against Oakland nemesis Jered Weaver and the As completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 6-3 victory on Sunday. "We played well this series," Donaldson said. "Got some timely hits and we pitched well. I definitely think its one of those series we walk away and feel good about ourselves." Jed Lowrie homered and drove in two runs and Coco Crisp added an RBI double against Weaver (6-4) to give the As their first home sweep of at least three games against the Angels since June 29-July 1, 2004. Oakland leads the AL West by 4 1/2 games over Los Angeles, its largest pre-All-Star break lead since being 5 1/2 up in 1990. "We stubbed our toe this weekend but were looking at the big picture," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Were a good team and our pitchers are a big part of that." The big inning was more than enough support for Sonny Gray (6-1), who allowed a pair of sacrifice flies and an RBI double by Erick Aybar in 6 2-3 innings to rebound from a rare rough start. Gray has 11 quality starts in 12 outings this season for a 2.45 ERA. "We all knew coming in it was tight and they were playing really good baseball and we needed to take care of business at home," Gray said. "The way we were able to put these three games together ... that was awesome." As good as Gray has been this season, Weaver has been even better against the As of late. He allowed just two runs in 44 1-3 innings over six starts the past two seasons against Oakland, proving to be the one Angels pitcher who befuddled the As on their way to back-to-back AL West titles. Oakland more than doubled that scoring output in the fourth inning with a rally that got started when Craig Gentry hustled to beat out a potential double play. Gentry went to third on Eric Sogards single and scored on Crisps double. Donaldson added his two-run single and Lowrie capped the inning with a two-out single that made it 4-0. "This is a totally different As club," Weaver said. "They have great pitching, guys who can get on base at the bottom of the order and who can do the little things. I had one inning that got away from me. I wish we played better this series, but it is not the end of the year. Well see them again." Grey escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Hank Conger to end the fourth inning before allowing the sacrifice flies to Aybar and Albert Pujols in the fifth. Lowrie, who entered the game in a 4-for-30 slump, hit his solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to put Oakland back up by three and the As added an unearned run in the sixth as Oakland matched its highest scoring output ever against Weaver in 27 career starts. "I think he just left some pitches up," Donaldson said. "He tries to execute up at times, but there are times when he left some off-speed pitches up and that gives us a chance to definitely hit the ball a little bit harder." Grey was replaced by Dan Otero after Aybars two-out double in the seventh made it 6-3. Otero struck out Pujols to end the inning. Luke Gregerson pitched a scoreless eighth and Sean Doolittle struck out the side in order in the ninth for his fifth save in six chances. NOTES: Weaver allowed six runs -- five earned -- and 11 hits in six innings. ... Angels OF Mike Trout missed a second straight game with a stiff back. ... C Stephen Vogt started after being called up from Triple-A Sacramento early in the day to give Oakland another bat with 1B Brandon Moss (right calf) and outfielder Josh Reddick (right knee) day to day with injuries. ... Both teams are off Monday. The Angels open a three-game series in Houston on Tuesday, while the As start a three-game series against the Yankees in New York. 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Demetris Nichols Jersey Signed .C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C.PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger is done talking about his future. Theres too much at stake in the present to give it any thought. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback reiterated Wednesday hes done talking about a report last weekend that he will ask the Steelers to explore trade options for him in the off-season. Hes always been a Steeler. He wants to always be a Steeler. And part of that job is finding a way to beat the Detroit Lions (6-3) on Sunday. "I am not even addressing it because it takes away from what we are trying to do and thats win this football game," Roethlisberger said. "Thats all that matters to me. To me to it makes me so mad I dont even want to address it anymore." Roethlisberger would rather focus on his team, which finds itself at a turning point in a season that seems to be full of them. The Steelers (3-6) are two games behind AFC North leader Cincinnati (6-4) in the loss column and two games in front of conference doormat Jacksonville. A loss on Sunday, and Pittsburgh is almost certainly out of it. Roethlisberger, who allows this season "isnt typical" isnt even thinking that far ahead. "For us it is a one-game season," Roethlisberger said. "This is the most important game of the year and we just have to come out and try to get to 1-0." While acknowledging he is frustrated by Pittsburghs worst start of his 10-year career, Roethlisberger remains all in. He stressed he wasnt quitting after the Steelers were whipped by New England on Nov. 3 and then backed it up with steady, if not spectacular, play in a 23-10 win over Buffalo. Roethlisberger battled back from an early interception to throw for 209 yards and a feathery 5-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery that gave Pittsburgh the lead. He did it despite absorbing another four sacks behind an offensive line that hardly looks like the one the Steelers threw out in the season opener. The reshuffled line could have its fifth different combination on Sunday if guard Ramon Foster sits out. Foster missed practice on Wednesday with a sprained ankle. Veteran Guy Whimper would fill in if Foster cant go. All the changes in front of him, however, havent exactly changedd the way Roethlisberger goes about his business.ddddddddddddHes absorbed 35 sacks this season, the second-highest total in the league. Some of it is due to protection breakdowns. Some of it has just been great effort by the defence. And some of it is Roethlisbergers own stubbornness. He has guided the Steelers to a pair of Super Bowl wins by holding onto the ball a second or two -- or three -- extra hoping a busted play becomes something more. "It is not in my mindset, my DNA to quit on a play," he said. "If its not there I have seen quarterbacks throw it away or go down and sometimes thats the smart thing, but for me, there is also some big plays to be had and the competitor in me just cant give up all the time." That perpetual optimism -- and a dash of arrogance-- is one of the reasons he believes the Steelers can find a way to be a factor down the stretch. Cotchery hasnt noticed a change in Roethlisberger even in the midst of arguably the most trying stretch of his career. "I came here to play here for a quarterback like Ben," said Cotchery, who has four touchdown receptions in his last two games. "Hes going to give his guys a chance to make plays. Its been a lot of fun playing with Ben, and Im cherishing every moment." Something thats been echoed throughout the locker room. Wide receiver Antonio Brown is on pace to smash Hines Wards team record for most receptions in a season. Roethlisberger is on pace to challenge a few of his single-season own marks, including most yards passing. Yet hes also in danger of posting the second-highest interception total of his career. Hes thrown 10 in nine games and fumbled seven times. He knows he needs to be better, and maybe less active, if Pittsburgh wants to get serious about chasing down the Bengals. He is averaging 209 yards passing in the Steelers three wins, 317 yards in Pittsburghs six losses. "Whatever it takes is fine by me," he said. NOTES: C Fernando Velasco (knee), LB LaMarr Woodley (calf) and DE Brett Keisel (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. ... T Kelvin Beachum (hip), G David DeCastro (ankle) and G Marcus Gilbert (ankle) were limited. ' ' '