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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jorge Soler hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat following a two-month absence, Jon Lester pitched seven strong innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Friday night.Dexter Fowler also homered while Javier Baez added a two-run double to help Chicago win its fifth straight. The Cubs also improved to a major league-best 67-41.Lester pitched for the As over the final two months of the 2014 season after getting traded from Boston. He returned to the Coliseum for the first time since then and faced a distinctly different Oakland team than the one he left.Lester (12-4) had eight strikeouts, allowed two runs and nine hits while winning for the third time in his last four starts.Soler, activated off the disabled list before the game after being out since June 6 with a hamstring injury, celebrating his return to the majors with his home run in the first inning off As starter Dillon Overton (1-3).That capped a four-run burst by the Cubs that included Fowlers fifth game-opening home run this season.Soler also reached on a fielders choice and scored on Baezs double in the third. Jason Heyward added an RBI single in the inning to help extend Chicagos lead to 7-0.Brett Eibner, called up from the minors earlier in the day, homered against Lester leading off the sixth for Oakland. Marcus Semien added an RBI single.Overton allowed seven runs in three innings. The rookie left-hander is winless since beating the Los Angeles Angels in his major league debut June 25.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Manager Joe Maddon said the plan is to ease Soler back in and get him some defensive work in the outfield before the team faces another NL team on Aug. 11. ... RHP Joe Nathan was designated for assignment. The 41-year-old was 1-0 in three appearances with the Chicago.Athletics: Jed Lowrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a bunion on his left foot. ... RHP Jesse Hahn also went on the DL with a strained right shoulder. ... RHP Andrew Triggs was called back up from Triple-A Nashville along with Eibner.UP NEXTCubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (12-5) pitches the middle game of the series at the Coliseum. The Chicago ace has lost three straight decisions.Athetics: RHP Sonny Gray (5-10) has won only twice in 11 starts since coming off the disabled list. Gray has a 5.57 ERA over that span. Dennis McKinnon Jersey Store . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Frank Nesser Jersey Store . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. https://www.chinacheapjerseys.net/geoff-schwartz-jersey-store/ . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. DeShawn Williams Jersey Store . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Bobo Wilson Jersey Store . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings glassy new stadium will be studied to see how deadly it is for migrating birds.The operators of the stadium, which opens this summer, said the National Audubon Society and Audubon Minnesota will join the University of Minnesota and Oklahoma State University to study bird deaths from collisions with the stadium. The work is to begin in spring 2017 and cover four migratory seasons, with reesults to be released in 2019.ddddddddddddThe Star Tribune, which first reported the study, said (http://strib.mn/29DSP9Z ) it would cost $300,000.Environmentalists had called for bird-safe glass to be used on the stadium, which lies along the Mississippi River flyway, but the idea was rejected. ' ' '