CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Brian Vickers is ready to go racing again. Vickers said Thursday he is off blood thinners and plans to run the entire Sprint Cup schedule this season, beginning with next months Daytona 500. Vickers still must be medically cleared by NASCAR before the race. The 30-year-old Vickers missed the final five races last season after doctors discovered a blood clot in his right calf in October. He also missed the final 25 races of 2010 because of blood clots and heart surgery. Aarons will be his full-time sponsor for the No. 55 Toyota car for the season. "Im ready," Vickers said. "Ive never been more excited to get back in a car." Vickers has run 22 races with Michael Waltrip Racing and has 10 top-10 finishes. He won last July at New Hampshire, snapping a 75-race winless streak. "Its been tough, but I look back at the whole experience and Im thankful for it," Vickers said. "Certainly there were a lot of moments when I wasnt sure if there was going to be a next time for anything. Once that was behind us it was, Will I ever be back in a Sprint Cup car again?" Vickers credits the support of his family and friends for helping him get back to where he is today. Vickers said the entire experience has taught him patience, something he said hes lacked. "Ive learned a lot that you just cant force things," he said. "As much as you want things to happen faster, you just cant force that. You have to be patient and wait." Vickers knows there is always a chance the clots could return. If thats the case, he will go back on blood thinners. "There is risk that you can get clot, or I can get another clot," Vickers said. "But its a very low percentage if unprovoked. There is a big distinction between provoked and unprovoked when it comes to clotting." Vickers said the most recent clotting incident came after he had his foot immobilized for a month in a protective boot. "If I were to break my leg and go into a cast, my odds would increase a lot," he said. Vickers is focused on Daytona, where he hasnt raced since 2011. In 14 Sprint Cup races at Daytona, Vickers best career finish is seventh. "Its been a long time," Vickers said. "To get back down there is always special. Im curious to see if that energy and excitement and that love is going to feel the same this year as it did the first time I went to Daytona. I have a feeling it will, especially having gone through as much as I did to get back there." Wei-Yin Chen Jersey . Obasi chested the ball past one defender, prodded it past another and then rounded the keeper before scoring from a tight angle in the 16th minute. Seconds after the restart, Obasi set up Klaas Jan Huntelaar for the Dutchmans 11th goal from 13 games this season. Caleb Smith Jersey . Dumont, a fifth round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2009, has four assists and 20 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Bulldogs this season. The 23-year-old split last season between Hamilton and Montreal, recording 16 goals and 15 assists in 55 regular season games with the Bulldogs. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/891r-...rlins.html . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. Bob Natal Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Robb Nen Jersey . -- Jonas Hiller is cautiously confident he has kicked his vertigo.Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Carle will have surgery to repair torn adductor muscles and is expected to miss between 6-to-8 weeks, the team said Monday. The surgery will be performed Tuesday in Philadellphia, the Lightning said.dddddddddddd Carle, 30, missed Saturdays game against Colorado. The 10-year NHL veteran has four goals and 10 assists in 46 games this season for the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning. ' ' '
Jose Mourinho is prepared to find a place for Ryan Giggs on his Manchester United coaching staff, but not in the role of assistant manager, according to Sky sources. Mourinhos agent Jorge Mendes will arrive in England on Tuesday for talks with Uniteds executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at an undisclosed central London location.Whilst an agreement is expected to be reached quickly due to Mourinhos strong desire to become United manager, and the fact initial talks took place earlier in the year, one detail still to be concluded is the length of his contract. Jose Mourinho has been inseparable from assistant Rui Faria since 2001 Mourinho will take his trusted deputy Rui Faria to Old Trafford as assistant manager though, meaning an effective demotion for Giggs if he agrees to stay at the club.However, Mourinho holds the former wingers achievements at United in high regard and is keen to find a role for him to extend his 29-year association with the Red Devils.Giggs, Uniteds most decorated player, previously worked under David Moyes as player-coach, before taking charge of the final four games of the 2013-14 season in the role of interim manager when Moyes was sacked. Giggs was Van Gaals assistant during his two years at Manchester United He was then named assistant manager when Louis van Gaal took charge the following summer. Giggs has been seen by some influential figures at the club as a future United manager, although this is the second time he has been overlooked for the top job.Woodward briefed Giggs on the latest developments at the clubs Carrington training ground on Monday, before the confirmation of Van Gaals sacking was made public later in the day. It is expected Giggs will speak with Mourinho in person before making a decision on his future. However, that conversation will not take place before Mourinhos own contract with the club is signed.Mourinho has worked with Faria since 2001, when the former was appointed manager of Uniao de Leiria, and hired Faria as fitness coach and assistant manager. Jose Mourinho signed Asmir Begovic for Chelsea and the Bosnian keeper is backing Mourinho to turn Manchester United into title challengers again They have been inseparable since, with Faria following Mourinho to Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, before returning to Chelsea for their second spell. The pair met at Mourinos London home on Monday afternoon, spending around 90 minutes discussing their next move.The future of highly-rated Under-21 team boss Warren Joyce is also uncertain. Blackburn Rovers approached United for permission to speak to Joyce last week.Joyce is keen to make the step up to manage at a higher level, although he wishes to know where he fits in to Mourinhos plans before making a final decision. It is thought United will not stand in Joyces way if he wishes to leave, but will defer the final decision to Mourinho. The length of Jose Mourinhos contract is still to be decided Win a trip to Kansas City, USA! Ivy Investments are offering Sky Sports MLS fans the chance to win a trip to Kansas City, USA Also See: Van Gaal sacked by United Mourinho to United LIVE! Where it all went wrong Van Gaals reign in quotes NMD Outlet . Mark Teahen scored the go-ahead run in the home seventh on an error by Scott Sizemore, who had knotted the game with a solo homer in the previous half- inning. Paul Konerko then hit an RBI single which proved to be the winning run. NMD Store .C. United have acquired midfielder Alex Caskey from the Seattle Sounders for a third-round pick in the 2016 MLS draft. https://www.cheapnmdoutlet.com/ . In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2 victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games. NMD Clearance . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. NMD On Sale . I wondered how NHL coaches would feel about a playoff schedule that allowed them to open a best-of-seven series on the road, which many claim to favour, yet still gave them the precious home-ice edge for a seventh game.DENVER - Paul Stastny didnt get the welcome home he hoped for but he got the win.T.J. Oshie scored from the slot at 1:03 of overtime and the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night.Kevin Shattenkirk had a goal and an assist and defenceman Alex Pietrangelo also scored for the Blues, who have won four straight and gave Stastny a win in his return to Denver.It was good to get that first game (back in Colorado) out of the way, Stastny said.Stastny was back for the first time since signing a four-year deal with St. Louis in the off-season. He spent his first eight seasons in Colorado and left ranked eighth in franchise history with 458 points.Despite suffering through lean years with the Avalanche, Stastny didnt receive a warm welcome from the fans. He was booed when he stepped on the ice for his first shift and the first few times he touched the puck. He didnt register a point.I heard Blues, Stastny said with a laugh. You know how it is. I think if you know me you wouldnt do it. I think its just an emotional Saturday night, so it wasnt surprising. A part of you always expects the worst. It was just different. I think after that first period I kind of settled in.Blues goalie Jake Allen finished with 23 saves.St. Louis dominated for most of the game but couldnt get the winner until overtime. Goalie Calvin Pickard stopped Alexander Steen on several chances in the second and third periods.When we were up 2-1 we really had opportunities to salt it away and it kind of came back to haunt us, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. We had five or six great chances to really build a big lead.They got the winner when Barret Jackman fed Oshie in the slot, and the big centre beat Pickard with a shot over the goalies glove.dddddddddddd.Its something Ive worked on in practice. Just catching it and try to catch that far side, Oshie said. It didnt get there quick but it ended up getting there eventually for the game-winner. It was a great pass by Jacks. He looked across and waited until I jumped in the hole and it was perfect timing.Erik Johnson had both Colorado goals and Gabriel Landeskog had two assists for the slumping Avalanche, who have lost five of six. Pickard finished with 39 saves.It was fun, Johnson said. Any time you can contribute its even more fun. Id trade those two goals to get a win tonight.It was Johnsons first career two-goal game, and it came against his former team. His first one, on a power play, came on a slap shot from the point and gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with 5:59 left in the opening period.His second one, with 1:24 left in the second period, tied the game at 2-all.I got a nice pass from (Nate Guenin) on the 3-on-2 rush and picked my spot on the blocker side, Johnson said.In between, the Blues scored twice. Shattenkirk, who was part of the trade that sent Johnson to Colorado, tied it with a power-play goal just 1:22 after Colorado scored.Pietrangelo gave the Blues a 2-1 lead at 8:16 of the second period with a high shot from the point.NOTES: The Avalanche reassigned C Paul Carey and D Karl Stollery to Lake Erie of the AHL. ... Shattenkirk leads the NHL with 16 power-play points. ... Colorado centre Marc-Andre Cliche returned to the lineup after missing five games with an oblique injury. ' ' '
Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Fehr and Marcus Johansson each registered a pair of goals, as Washington spoiled the head coaching debut of Peter Horachek by picking up a 6-2 victory in Toronto on Wednesday. Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich also lit the lamp for the Capitals, who have won three in a row and recorded points in each of their last five (4-0-1). John Carlson and Troy Brouwer each chipped in a pair of assists to back a 31- save effort by Braden Holtby. Daniel Winnik and Trevor Smith supplied offense for the Maple Leafs, who fired Randy Carlyle on Tuesday and have lost eight of 10 overall. Jonathan Bernier allowed five goals on 25 shots in the setback. Kurt Abbott Jersey . DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1:00 PM (ET) Detroit - G Rodney Austin, WR Ryan Broyles, DT Nick Fairley, QB Kellen Moore, DT Caraun Reid, CB Mohammed Seisay, DE Larry Webster Chicago - S Chris Conte, DT Brandon Dunn, QB David Fales, K Robbie Gould, CB Terrance Mitchell, OT Michael Ola, DE Trevor Scott GREEN BAY PACKERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Green Bay - LB Carl Bradford, DT Bruce Gaston, C Garth Gerhart, CB Davon House, WR Jeff Janis, TE Justin Perillo, QB Scott Tolzien Tampa Bay - OT Anthony Collins, CB Isaiah Frey, WR Robert Herron, RB Mike James, WR Solomon Patton, FB/TE Evan Rodriguez, LB Lawrence Sidbury KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Kansas City - WR Donnie Avery, CB Marcus Cooper, OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL Eric Kush, QB Aaron Murray, RB Charcandrick West, DT Nick Williams Pittsburgh - WR Justin Brown, DE Clifton Geathers, G Chris Hubbard, QB Landry Jones, S Troy Polamalu, TE Matt Spaeth, CB Ike Taylor MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1:00 PM (ET) Minnesota - LB Anthony Barr, OT Carter Bykowski, DB Ahmad Dixon, OT Charlie Johnson, FB Zach Line, CB Shaun Prater, TE Kyle Rudolph Miami - G Nate Garner, WR Matt Hazel, S Don Jones, WR Rishard Matthews, LB Chris McCain, G Dallas Thomas, RB Daniel Thomas NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT NEW YORK JETS, 1:00 PM (ET) New England - CB Kyle Arrington, RB LeGarrette Blount, OL Dan Connolly, CB Alfonzo Dennard, OT Jordan Devey, WR Julian Edelman, RB James White NY Jets - DT T. Russ Morman Jersey . -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/701r-...rlins.html . Thats when the eight-time champion revealed that a painful back is slowing his serves -- and, all in all, giving him more trouble than his opponents so far. Jeff Conine Jersey . "Hes over there," the first baseman said. "You dont need to talk to anybody else." Indeed, Peralta did it all as the majors top team won again. Jorge Guzman Jersey . The former world No. 1 Djokovic, who is the top seed here despite being ranked No. 2, snuck past 35-year-old Czech showman Radek Stepanek in four high- quality sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), on Centre Court. Djokovic appeared relieved when he converted on his first match point by swatting a cross-court forehand winner that just caught the line to end an affair that featured only two service breaks. CALGARY -- A tie-breaker game between the Red Deer Rebels and the Prince Albert Raiders will be played in Red Deer, Alta., on Tuesday to determine the final playoff position in the Western Hockey Leagues Eastern Conference. The Raiders and Rebels finished the regular season in a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 75 points each. The WHL used points bettween the clubs in head-to-head competition to determine the host site for the tie-breaker game.dddddddddddd Red Deer won three of four games against Prince Albert this season by a margin of six points to three. The winner of the tie-breaker game will meet the first place Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round of the WHL playoffs in Edmonton on Saturday. ' ' '
SAN ANTONIO -- Brandon Kozun scored two power-play goals -- including the winner 34 seconds into the overtime period -- and assisted on another to lead the Toronto Marlies over the San Antonio Rampage 4-3 in American Hockey League action on Friday night. Jerry DAmigo tied the game with less than a minute to go in the third period to force the extra frame, and Tyler Biggs also scored for the North division-leading Marlies (26-14-4). T.J. Brennan and Spencer Abbott each contributed with two assists. Bobby Butler scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season, which included a short-handed goal in the first period, and Captain Greg Rallo added the other for San Antonio (17-22-7) at 4:38 of the third period. Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks made 26 saves for the win, while San Antonios Jacob Markstrom stopped 22 shots in the losing effort. Toronto was 2 for 9 on the power play while the Rampage failed to score on seven opportunities with the man advantage. Both teams showed a lack of discipline throughout the game as the Marlies racked up 45 penalty minutes on 14 infractions, and San Antonio took 16 penalties totalling 38 minutes. Torontos Jerred Smithson was dealt a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding at 16:15 of the second period. Pacers Jerseys 2021 . Brooks replaces right-hander Yordano Ventura, who left his last outing with a sore elbow. Ventura is expected to miss one start. Brooks has made one relief appearance for the Royals this season, allowing six runs in two innings in a May 3 loss to Detroit. Indiana Pacers Shirts . Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also listen to all the action live on TSN 1050 at 7pm et. The Knicks are two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference race. https://www.cheappacers.com/ . Hes just beginning to get similar results. The right-hander struggled after winning the honour in 2008 and 2009, but a retooling of his game has begun to pay off and has the San Francisco Giants thinking about the Lincecum of old. Pacers Jerseys China . - IndyCar racing officials expressed confidence on Monday that the NOLA Motorsports Park will be able to complete more $4. Cheap Pacers Jerseys . - Rookie Kyle Larson will start from the pole position Saturday night in the NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway after a thunderstorm arrived just in time to wash out qualifying.California Chrome is the 3-5 morning line favorite to become the 12th Triple Crown winner in racing history. However, the last seven odds-on Belmont Stakes favorites have failed to win and complete the magnificent feat. You can watch the Belmont Stakes on TSN this Saturday, with coverage beginning at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt. One has to go all the way back to 1978 when Affirmed held off Alydar at 3-5 to find the last odds-on betting choice to grab hold of the final leg of horse racings Triple Crown. In fact, Affirmed was the fourth straight odds-on winner following the footsteps of Seattle Slew (2-5), Bold Forbes (4-5) and Secretariat (1-9). Between the years 1958 and 1971, only one of eight odds-on betting favorites in the Belmont came home on top - Damascus (4-5) in 1967. Finally, half of the first 14 odds-on choices crossed the wire first. Overall, this type of favorite holds just 12 victories in 33 overall starts. It must be mentioned that there were two odds-on choices in 1957. Gallant Man (19-20) crossed the wire first while Bold Ruler (17-20) finished third. The bottom line is there have been only 12 winners out of 32 races since mutuels began in New York in 1940. Thats a 37.5 percent winning percentage. Moreover, of the 19 horses in line for the Triple Crown sweep, just six came home victorious. That amounts to a 33 percent winning percentage. Five of the Kentucky Derby-Preakness winners ran second in the Belmont Stakes with Real Quiet (4-5 in 1998) coming the closest, losing by a nose to Victory Gallop. The four others were Pensive (1-2 in 1944), Tim Tam (3-20 in 1958), Sunday Silence (4-5 in 1989) and Smarty Jones (2-5 in 2004). Three more finished third - Northern Dancer (4-5 in 1964), Spectacular Bid (1-5 in 1979) and Pleasant Colony (4-5 in 1981). Five finished off the board, including Big Brown (2008) - the last horse vying for the Triple Crown that ran in the Belmont (Ill Have Another in 2012 was injured and did not race in the final leg). There also is another key factor that plays against California Chrome and that is field size. The six Triple Crown winners between 1941 and 1978 won the Belmont Stakes against a combined 27 other horses, which amounts to an average of 3.5 horses per race. The 13 horses that failed to win the Triple Crown had 110 challengers, which means those colts ran against an average of 8.5 horses per race. This year, the Belmont Stakes has a field of 11, which ties for the second- most entrants behind the 1971 edition when Canonero II finished fourth at 3-5. The 1966, 1981 and 1998 renewals also had 10 other horses competing against odds-on Derby-Preakness winners Kauai King, Pleasant Colony and Real Quiet, respectively. All three of those horses lost the Belmont Stakes. California Chrome is by far the most talented member of this 3-year-old crop. He owns tremendous tactical speed, which should place him on or just off the early lead. Only Samraat and Tonalist, and to a less extent, General a Rod, have decent gate speed, so jockey Victor Espinoza will not have much of a crowd in front of him. We will see if the colt is good enough to overcome what so many have failed to accomplish over the last 36 years. THE PRETENDERS There are two horses that have no business being in the race - Matterhorn and Matuszak. The former has not won since last November while the latter hasnt won since September. Three other colts have better bodies of work than that pair but should still finish off the board. They are General a Rod, Commissioner and Samraat. General a Rod has the pedigree to be successful at the 1 1/2-mile distance, but he sure does not run like it. It is true he had a terrible trip in the Preakness, but dont look for any improvement from a horse that might not have been entered in the Belmont if his stablemate, Intense Holiday, did not come down with an injury. Commissioner showed more speed in the Peter Pan than he ever had before, but that may have occurred due to the sloppy Belmont surface that day. An argument could be made that a horse not expected to vie for the early lead could jump up and do so and this colt might be the onee.dddddddddddd Either on the pace or off, dont expect the Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old to be around when the true running begins. Samraat ran a very good fifth in the Kentucky Derby - his second straight loss after opening with five wins in his first five outings. His breeding does not suggest he will appreciate the added distance, so it is best to side with others. INTRIGUING POSSIBILITIES Commanding Curve comes into the Belmont Stakes off a second-place finish to California Chrome in the Kentucky Derby. He is one of four horses in the field to have run in the Derby and pass the Preakness. Commanding Curve also had the easiest of trips in the first leg of the Triple Crown, unlike a few others entered in the Belmont. The son of Master Command has been training well and certainly is a horse to use in the exotics. However, he is doubtful to cross the wire first. Ride On Curlin represents the closest finisher to California Chrome considering the latter has strung together six consecutive victories. Nevertheless, the Belmont Stakes will be Ride On Curlins fourth race in the last eight weeks and that might be too much, especially on the heels of a 1 1/2-mile event. THE FINAL FOUR Filling out the final spot in the superfecta will be Tonalist. The Peter Pan winner has done nothing wrong as a 3-year-old, winning two of three starts with a second to Florida Derby winner Constitution in his only other race - an allowance event on a speed-favoring Gulfstream Park track. Three main reasons why he wont hit the board are: 1. his lack of experience (four career races), 2. he will be on the pace and will use too much energy trying to square off with California Chrome, and 3. breaking from the No. 11 post position will make for a longer trip into the first turn. Medal Count ran a very good eighth in the Kentucky Derby considering Danza cut him off approaching the eighth-pole. His momentum was completely stopped and he still finished less than two lengths from finishing fourth. The Dale Romans-trained son of Dynaformer not only should love the 12 furlongs, but he also has been working well at Churchill Downs. Finally, he has had five weeks off after racing three times in a month. That leaves California Chrome and Wicked Strong as the two most probable winners. Not surprisingly, they are the top two choices on the morning line. Wicked Strong has been working out on the Belmont training track, but he is one of only three horses in the field with a win over the main track (Samraat and Tonalist are the other two). The fourth-place Derby finisher broke poorly from the far outside post position on the first Saturday in May and was caught very wide going into the first turn. He eventually closed from 14th to a fourth-place finish at the wire. A better trip is expected on Saturday. Its been 36 years since Affirmed last won the last Triple Crown. Among the horses that have failed have been speed types (Smarty Jones, War Emblem and Sunday Silence), stalkers (Big Brown, Funny Cide, Silver Charm and Spectacular Bid), middle movers (Real Quiet and Charismatic) and closers (Pleasant Colony and Alysheba). California Chrome falls into the first category. If the pace is slow, he might be on the lead. If not, look for him to sit a couple lengths off, as he did in the first two Triple Crown races. A victory on Saturday will put to rest all the talk of having to alter either the distances or the span of time in between the three races. A loss and the discussions will ignite once again. Will he win? That is the million dollar question. Is he a good bet to cross the wire first at odds-on? History says no. THE BELMONT WAGER This will be a winning season regardless of what happens since the $50 wager on the California Chrome-Ride On Curlin exacta came through for a cool $455 return. With a mythical $100 Belmont Stakes wager, bet $35 on a Wicked Strong- California Chrome exacta and $30 the other way. In addition, bet $15 on a California Chrome-Medal Count exacta and $10 the other way. And just in case the favorite fails to fire, use Wicked Strong and Medal Count in a $5 exacta box. ' ' '
TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers several questions each week. This weeks topics include the Blue Jays struggles at Yankee Stadium, what the Tampa Bay Rays should do with David Price, remembering Tony Gwynn and his pick for the best team in baseball. 1) What is it about the Blue Jays and Yankee Stadium that dont go together (15 straight losses through Wednesday)? You would think an offensive team would do well in a hitters park. In your experience, what was the toughest park to play in and why? There isnt anything wrong with the Blue Jays. They just cant seem to beat the Yankees. The Yankees have the Jays number. Baseball is such a mental game. What you think or feel impacts how you play. When one team dominates another like this it gets in the mind of the losing team. It also empowers the winning team. As each subsequent game unfolds, the losing team feels that a loss is inevitable. When something goes wrong in the game it feels like that will be the reason the team loses on that day. In contrast the winning team has a feeling of inevitability as well. They just know someone will make a play or get a big hit to win the game. The Jays have a defeatist attitude against the Yankees. Im sure they start out each game telling themselves that this will be the day they end the losing streak. But at some point a lost scoring opportunity, an error, a bloop base hit, etc causes the voices of doubt start to scream in their psyche. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I lived this nightmare when I was Mets general manager. We could not beat the Atlanta Braves, especially at Turner Field in Atlanta. It didnt matter what we did, we lost. We could get good starting pitching but their starters pitched better. We could score a bunch of runs but they would find a way to outscore us. We lost every way imaginable. We lost some games with bad first innings and some with bad ninth innings. We lost on home runs, errors, wild pitches and squeeze bunts. We would rally and look like we were coming back and then hit in to a double play to end the game. We even walked in a game-winning run in the NLCS in 1999. What makes matters worse is when the team that has your number is in your division. With the unbalanced schedule we played division rivals nineteen times each. We always finished second to the Braves mainly because we couldnt beat them head-to-head. I told Braves GM John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox that if I ever had to pick them out of a police line-up I would have to have them turn around because I chased them for six years and only saw their backside and never saw their faces. In fact I am convinced that the only reason we advanced to the World Series in 2000 against the Yankees was because the Braves lost in the NLDS that year to the Cardinals. Our struggles ran from one season into another season. Not even an off-season flushed out the demons. In fact, several years after I was general manager I returned to Turner Field as a baseball analyst to broadcast a game. I remember walking in the visiting clubhouse and the awful feelings of past losses at Turner Field flooded me. It was still in my head. Every team has that other team. Unfortunately for the Jays that team is the Yankees. 2) There are a lot of suggestions that the Rays should be trading David Price now. Would you do it, and what would be your expected return in a deal for Price? What team has assets that fit that wish list? The Rays must trade David Price. Small market teams have to do all they can to maximize their assets. Price is the Rays most substantial asset. They cant afford to keep him and they cant afford not to trade him. In order to continuously reinvent themselves, small market teams have to recycle their roster. It seems highly unlikely that the Rays would trade David Price withinthe AL East. It is already a very difficult division so why make it that much tougher. Certainly the Jays, Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox would all have interest in Price. But so do the Tigers, Athletics, Angels, Braves, Cardinals, Reds Giants, and Dodgers. The Rays have had success being an organization built around deep pitching and just enough offense. Unfortunately for them, this year they dont have anywhere close to enough offence. The challenge for small market teams is finding the right balance between their pitching and offence. The timing between the two is critical since they cant spend significant dollars in the free agent market to fill deficiencies. The Rays want to compete again as soon as possible so finding young major league talent instead of a bevy prospects is preferred. The team that can make the best deal with the Rays is the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rays should ask for 1B Matt Adams and RHS Michael Wacha. This would replace Prices role in the rotation and give them a big power bat for the middle of their lineup. I would expect the Cardinals to say no to including Wacha in the deal. So the Rays should then ask for RHS Shelby Miller and RHP Carlos Martinez in the deal with Adams. The Cardinals would have a rotation that would include Adam Wainwright, Wacha, Price, Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia. Alan Craig can play first base in the absence of Adams and Oscar Tavares can play right field. The Rays would get a quality young starter in Miller, a potential impact starter/closer in Martinez and a big bat for their lineup. It will be very interesting to see where Price goes and what the deal will be. One thing for certain he will not finish the season with the Rays. 3) We lost one of the great hitters and great personalities in baseball last week. What is your fondest memory of Tony Gwynn and where does he rank among the hitters you saw play? Tony Gwynn is one of the best pure hitters that baseball has ever known. He was a student and a teacher of the game. Gwynn is one of the rare players who played for one team his entire career. He is known as Mr. Padre. He never had a contract dispute. He didnt play for the money. He could have taken advantage of the free agent market and squeezed every last dollar out of his ability. But he wasnt about money. He played for the love of the game. Interestingly Gwynn got more attention in his death than he did as a Hall of Famer. People in some ways diminished his accomplishments because he was a singles hitter. The most home runs he ever hit in a season were seventeen. He could have hit more but he chose to stay within himself and do what he did best. He punched the ball the other way. He was a contact hitter. He hit for average. Gwynn had a .338 career batting average. He led the league in hitting eight times. He was a 15-time All Star and a five-time Gold Glover. His .393 batting average in the strike-shortened 1994 season, was the closest that anyone has gotten to .400 since Ted Williams did it in 1941. The hole between the shortstop and third baseman became know as the "5.5" hole because of Gwynn. He had an uncanny knack of being able to hit any pitch anywhere in the zone through that hole. I remember an afternoon when I was GM for the Mets that I was sitting in my office and heard the crack of the bat coming from the field at 1pm. We had a 7pm game that night so I wondered who could possibly be hitting that early. I went out on the concourse and saw Tony Gwyn taking early batting practice with one of the Padres coaches. I couldnt believe it. The game was six hours away. Then after regular batting practice I saw Gwynn walking with a bucket of balls down to the batting age under the stadium. He was going to practice some more. The best pure hitter of his era was also the hardest worker. That told me all I needed to know. The other remarkable thing about Gwynn was his smile. He was the least Hall of Fame acting Hall of Famer I have ever met. He was genuine, sincere, compassionate, kind and friendly. He greeted fans and opponents and ground crew workers in exactly the same way. He wasnt too big for anyone and no one was too small for him. Baseball lost the best pure hitter of this era and one of the best ever in the game. But the bigger loss was that of the man that was Tony Gwynn. 4) Baseball is such a great sport. Everyday gives you some different feeling about your team and its chances. It is made for sports talk radio. Or maybe it made sports talk radio. Either way our team can excite us one day and disappoint us the next. One week we feel like we are going all the way and the next week our team is a bunch of bums. The season is a marathon-long roller coaster ride. It can be exhilarating or exhausting depending upon the end result. Statistics allow us to continuously grade the progress of our team and how it is performing. The numbers can be made to tell just about any story and often times suit our bias. I love the weekly power rankings that come out and show which team is ranked ahead of its competition. Each week the teams are moved up and down based upon how they performed over a seven-day time frame. Seven days in a baseball season is only a snapshot of a team and who they are. There is a saying in baseball that no team is as good as they are when playing its best or as bad as they are when they play their worst. Yet each week we come up with an ordering of the teams according to some arbitrary evaluation. This year is no different. So far in one ranking the Giants, Cardinals, As, Brewers and Tigers have all been atop the rankings at one point or another this season. This is bizarre to me because there is one team that is the best and no one else is even close. The best team in baseball by far is the Oakland As. Why? The As have outscored the opposition by 134 runs. The next closest team is the San Francisco Giants who are a +47. Isnt the idea to outscore your opponent? The As have scored the most runs in baseball. "Well isnt pitching more important?" you ask. The As have given up the least number of runs as well. Back when Billy Beane co-wrote "Moneyball" everyone focused on the need for hitters to have a good OBP. Yet, Beanes teams back then had much better pitching than they did offence. They didnt win because their hitters had a great plan at the plate, they won because their pitchers didnt give up OBP. This As team is a true "Moneyball" team through and through. They are baseballs best offensive team while also having the best pitching. Beane has been criticized because his teams never won anything. That means championships. His clubs won a ton of games and got more bang for the buck than anyone else but that doesnt seem to matter. This is their year. Here are my power rankings: Its the Oakland As and then everybody else. Basket Nike En Solde . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Basket Yeezy 700 Pas Cher . "Youre next." Hardly. Iguodala tormented his former team with a game better than any he ever played in eight seasons with the 76ers. http://www.pascherbasketnike.fr/france-a...solde.html . The Philadelphia left fielder clubbed a tiebreaking, solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Phillies edged the Red Sox, 2-1, in the middle test of a three-game interleague series at Citizens Bank Park. Balenciaga Pas Cher Femme . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process. Basket Air Max 95 Pas Cher .J. - Trying to learn and absorb the new West Coast offence being installed by new offensive co-ordinator Ben McAdoo, the New York Giants wrapped their final organized team activity Thursday before a three-day mini-camp next week.COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tim Tebow will continue chasing his goal to be a NFL quarterback, even after signing on to help ESPN launch the SEC Network this fall. The former Florida Gator said Tuesday he trains five days a week for a return to the league. "I feel like Im the best that Ive ever been as a quarterback right now. I hope I get the opportunity to show that," he said. "But Im also looking forward to being part of SEC Nation and part of ESPN." The 26-year-old Heisman Trophy winner signed on Monday to be on the SEC Networks pregame show starting in August. Hell be part of the crew that will travel to Southeastern Conference schools in advance of SEC games on the fledgling network. Tebows first "SEC Nation" show will be on Aug. 28 before Texas A&M opens the season at South Carolina, a game that will be shown exclusively on the SEC Network. Tebow and the show then head to Auburn on Aug. 30 where the Tigers will take on Arkansas. That is, of course, if Tebow doesnt get a call from the NFL that has him tied up that weekend. "Im not sure whats ahead of me," Tebow said. "Im very excited to have this opportunity at ESPN, but who knows what the next few months will hold." Tebow has bounced around the NFL since leaving Florida as part of two national champions. He was a first-round selection by Denver and then head coach Josh McDaniels in 2010. He took over as starting quarterback mid-season in 2011 became one of the NFLs biggest stories as he went 7-1 in his first eight starts in 2011 then threw an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to give the Broncos a 29-23 playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But there werre still doubts about his passing ability, and Denver traded him that off-season to the New York Jets after acquiring Peyton Manning.dddddddddddd He languished on the bench while coach Rex Ryan ignored fans calls for Tebow to replace a struggling Mark Sanchez. Tebow threw just eight passes, ran only 32 times and was cut last April 29. For six weeks no team wanted him until the Patriots signed him to a low-risk, two-year contract with no guaranteed money. "I dont have any regrets" about the NFL, Tebow said. "Ive just tried to focus on being a better quarterback, being a better athlete and being ready whenever a team gave me a call." Tebow said hes spoken with several friends who are analysts, including his former coach at Florida in Urban Meyer, who worked for ESPN between his time with the Gators and his current position as Ohio State head coach. Justin Connolly, ESPN senior vice-president for college networks programming, said Tebow was important enough to ESPN that the network accepted he might not be finished with the NFL. "In terms of specific situations, I dont want to get ahead of ourselves and comment on any particular eventuality or scenario that you could put together," Connolly said. "But thats a key piece of this relationship and were going to honour that and respect it." Connolly was asked on Tuesdays conference call if Tebows faith -- hes a noted speaker whos gained followers and critics for sharing his religious beliefs -- might enter into his analysis. Connolly stressed Tebow was hired for his inside knowledge of football and the SEC. "Thats what the audience expects from him," Connolly said. ' ' '
Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Life without Kevin Durant was fine for the Oklahoma City Thunder through three quarters. Then the Portland Trail Blazers got red hot in the fourth. LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and the Blazers pulled away for a 106-89 win over the Thunder in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night. The Thunder led 77-75 after three quarters, but Portland outscored them 31-12 in the final frame. Russell Westbrook, who had 36 points through three, netted just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the fourth. Wesley Matthews nailed five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points, while Damian Lillard netted seven of his 10 points in the fourth for Portland, which went 54-28 a year ago and fell to eventual-champion San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals of the playoffs. I was pleased the way we did it in the second half with defense, Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said. Defense led to some good offense at the end. Nicolas Batum tallied 16 points, six assists and five rebounds in the triumph. Westbrook posted 26 of his 36 points in the first half, ended 11-of-26 from the field and sunk 15-of-16 foul shots for the Thunder, who lost to San Antonio in the West Finals last season. I thought our guys played their hearts out. We just made too many mistakes in the fourth quarter, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. The reigning NBA MVP Durant, who led the league in scoring for a fourth time in the last five seasons, will miss the start of the year after undergoing surgery Oct. 16 to fix a bone fracture in his right foot. Portland led 85-81 with 8:13 left before putting the game away with an 18-4 run. Matthews knocked down back-to-back triples to highlight the surge, which was capped on a Thomas Robinson pull-up right elbow jumper for a 103-85 advantage with 1:31 to play. Portland shot 54.5 percent (12-of-22) and limited the Thunder to just a 26.3 percent clip (5-of-19) in the final stanza. Earlier, OKC led 34-29 following a quarter of play. Lance Thomas hit all five of his shots for a 10-point opening frame, while Westbrook added 11. Right after Batum found Matthews for a dunk with 2.8 seconds left in the half, Westbrook received Darren Collisons ensuing inbounds pass near midcourt and raced the rest of the way before finishing with an emphating one-handed dunk right just prior to the horn for a 54-49 OKC lead going into the locker room. Game Notes Westbrook was 7-of-13 in the first half and sunk 12-of-13 from the charity stripe ... Portland put in 20 points off 15 OKC turnovers ... The Thunder were just 2-of-16 from beyond the arc. Zack Short Jersey Cubs . However, Jim Popp isnt sure how long hell be able to admire wide receiver Duron Carter. Darwinzon Hernandez Jersey Red Sox . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/ch...ed-sox-779 .Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the Bulls beat the winless Orlando Magic 98-90 on Tuesday night.Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 21 points and Taj Gibson added 16 for Chicago, which finally pulled away in the final minutes of a game that was tied after three quarters. Brandon Workman Jersey Red Sox . The 19-year-old from Westmount, Que., was edged 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-3 by third-seeded Alize Cornet of France. Cornet broke Bouchard twice in the last set and saved six break points in the three-hour match. Bobby Dalbec Jersey Red Sox . The 23-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., defeated Germanys Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the fourth round of the Sony Open in just 89 minutes.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. You can catch all of the action on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto beginning at 10pm. The Raptors have won two of three on their western trip and four of five overall. Toronto won at Denver, lost in Portland, then toppled the Utah Jazz on Monday. Newly minted All-Star DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points to lead the Raptors to a 94-79 win over the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Jonas Valanciunas netted 18 points with nine rebounds and Amir Johnson recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double for Toronto, which has won four of five on the road. Kyle Lowry injured his knee in the third quarter and never returned, scoring only two points. Then it was DeRozans turn as the All-Star scored nine in the final quarter and the Raptors netted 13 of the games final 16. "I just pick and choose. I try and be aggressive. Try and rebound, try to pass to my teammates. I dont just try and go out there to score every time down," DeRozan said. Lowry is listed as questionable for Wednesday. The Kings have won the last three meetings with the Raptors and five of the last six. Saacramento has taken three straight as the host in this series.dddddddddddd The Kings ended a seven-game losing streak last time out and will try to build a winning streak Wednesday night. The Kings hadnt won since Jan. 21 at New Orleans until Monday night when they walloped the Chicago Bulls, 99-70. It was Sacramentos second-largest margin of victory this season after a 44-point demolishing of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 12. DeMarcus Cousins returned from a six-game absence because of a sprained ankle and had 25 points and 16 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas netted 19 points and Rudy Gay added 14 points and six rebounds and Jimmer Fredette chipped in 11 points for the Kings, who snapped a three-game home losing streak. "The key was rebounding and making them make tough shots," Gay said. The Kings squashed the Bulls on the glass to the tune of 53-30 and dominated the shooting statistics. Sacramento shot 52.2 percent from the floor and held Chicago to 28 percent field-goal shooting and just 20 percent from beyond the 3-point line. The Kings will begin a four-game eastern trip after Wednesdays game with stops against the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. ' ' '
CLEVELAND -- Moments before introducing their three newest players, the Browns sacked two disappointing quarterbacks. Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell got dumped 33 minutes apart. Clevelands QB carousel has never spun faster. Weeden, a former minor league baseball player who couldnt build on a promising rookie season, was let go Wednesday less than two years after the Browns selected him in the first round with the idea he would solve a position that has haunted the franchise since its expansion return 15 years ago. Weedens run was brief and forgettable. Campbells was even shorter. Shortly after the Browns sent out a release about Weeden, they emailed a nearly identical one concerning Campbell, who went 1-7 as a starter last season. Though expected, the moves were somewhat stunning since they trumped the introductions of safety Donte Whitner, linebacker Karlos Dansby and cornerback Isaiah Trufant, free agents who passed physicals and signed free agent contracts as blizzard-like conditions battered the teams facility in Berea. Theres always a storm brewing for the Browns, who have started 20 QBs since 1999. Weeden never panned out, and it wasnt entirely the first-round draft picks fault. He played under two coaches and in two systems in two seasons. After throwing for 3,385 yards as a rookie, he lost his job early last season after he got hurt and Brian Hoyer came off the bench and led the Browns to two victories. Weeden was re-inserted as the starter when Hoyer suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the 30-year-old lost his job again, this time to Campbell. Weeden passed for 5,116 yards and went 5-15 as a starter. He also became a target for Cleveland fan abuse, and his release will allow him to start fresh somewhere else. "First and foremost, the Browns would like to thank Brandon and his agent for being true professionals," new general manager Ray Farmer said. "The circumstances in which he found himself were not easy for him or the team. After discussions with Brandon and his agent, wed like to give him the ability to pursue other opportunities." Weedens release was quickly followed by the Browns cutting ties with Campbell, who was due a $250,000 roster bonus on Thursday. Campbell had some positive moments but not enough of them for the Browns, who signed the 32-year-old veteran as a free agent last March. "We appreciate Jasons contributions to the Browns in 2013," Farmer said. "Hes a respected veteran player in this league. We felt like at this time, early in the free-agency period, we would give him a better opportunity to move forward. We wish Jason the best in his future endeavours." As for their future, the Browns are expected to draft a quarterback in Mays draft. They own the No. 4 overall pick and its possible Texas A&Ms Johnny Manziel, Central Floridas Blake Bortles or Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater could be available when the Browns are on the clock. However, they may want to wait and take a quarterback later in the draft to groom behind Hoyer. Soon after dumping Weeden and Campbell, the Browns welcomed Whitner, Dansby and Trufant, who beamed smiles as they posed for photos with new Browns coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer. The Browns entered free agency $49 million under the salary cap, but bit off a chunk by giving Whitner a four-year, $28 million deal and Dansby one worth $24 million over four years. Its a homecoming for Whitner, who grew up in Cleveland played at Ohio State. "Its not often you can play high school, college and in the NFL in the same state," said Whitner, who spent the past three years in San Francisco and is excited for a chance to spend more time with two young children who live in Cleveland. "I know the history of this city; I know the history of this football team. I know it recently hasnt been good, but I know with a lot of hard work, a lot of good leadership and a lot of good football, physical football, we can change this thing around." Farmer excused himself after introducing the players, saying "theres more work to be done." The Browns were interested in signing lock-down cornerback Darrelle Revis, but after he reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with New England, Farmer may turn his focus to the offence in the coming days. He signed Cincinnati slot receiver Andrew Hawkins to an offer sheet on Tuesday, and the Bengals have five days to match it or lose the speedy wideout. Also, the Browns still dont know what will happen with Pro Bowl centre Alex Mack. The team placed its transition tag on Mack last week, and now must wait to see if hes offered a contract by other teams. The Browns also are reportedly interested in running back Ben Tate, who rushed for 771 yards and four touchdowns with Houston last season. Cleveland has been in the market for a feature back since trading Trent Richardson to Indianapolis. Livan Hernandez Jersey . The Wizards gave up two seldom-used players — forward Jan Vesely and point guard Eric Maynor. Vesely goes to the Nuggets, while Maynor gets shipped to the 76ers. Philadelphia receives two second-round draft picks, one from the Wizards in 2015 and one from the Nuggets in 2016. Stitched Marlins Jerseys . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/1131r...rlins.html .com) - Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo were named the NHLs players of the week on Monday. Harold Ramirez Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Miami Marlins Gear . The 90-plus minutes of play are about trends and approach.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Jim Schwartz doesnt expect continuity to be an issue in his new job with the Buffalo Bills. Despite taking over as the teams fourth defensive co-ordinator in four years, Schwartz stressed he has no intention of making drastic changes to his predecessors aggressive approach that made the Bills one of the NFLs most feared pass-rushing teams last season. "Were an attack scheme. Its a scheme built on the guys up front getting after the quarterback," Schwartz said during his introductory news conference on Monday. "Well be fast. Well be physical. We want to attack. ... Theres going to be a lot of defensive lineman that are real happy to play in a system like that." That should make Mario Williams, one of Buffalos three returning Pro Bowl defensive linemen, breathe a little easier. Schwartz is happy, too. A month after being fired as the Detroit Lions head coach, Schwartzs decision to bide his time before making his next move paid off in landing a job he considers to be an ideal fit. "You want to be very careful about your next opportunity, and I didnt step into this lightly," he said. "Theres a tremendous opportunity with the players that are in place." Schwartz replaces Mike Pettine, who left Buffalo after only one season to take over as the Cleveland Browns head coach. Pettines departure last week was unexpected and had the potential of undercutting whatever carry-over the Bills were seeking to build on following a 6-10 finish. Though the Bills struggled against the run, their defence finished 10th in the NFL in yards allowed — Buffalos best ranking since a second-place finish in 2004. And Buffalo finished second in the league with a franchise-record 57 sacks. Once Pettine indicated he was accepting the Browns position, Bills coach Doug Marrone wasted little time targeting Schwartz. At the same time Pettine completing his deal in Cleveland on Thursday, Marrone and members of the Bills front office travelleed to interview Schwartz for the job before reaching a deal a day later.dddddddddddd "When youre looking to hire defensive co-ordinators, you want to look at people that you dont like going against their defence," Marrone said. "Jims defences have always been very tough, very difficult to run on, very difficult to score on." Schwartz has 20 years of coaching experience including an eight-year stint as the Tennessee Titans defensive co-ordinator from 2001-08. The Titans defence three times finished among the NFLs top 10 in fewest yards allowed. Tennessee was particularly stingy in stopping the run, finishing sixth or better in yards rushing allowed, including a first-place ranking in 2003. Schwartz was inconsistent during five seasons in Detroit. He went 29-51, including a 10-6 finish in 2011 in which the Lions snapped a 12-year playoff drought. In Buffalo, Schwartzs immediate priority will be filling out his defensive staff. Marrone said four Bills defensive assistants are expected to join Pettine in Cleveland. The group includes linebackers coach Jim ONeil, who is expected to take over as Browns defensive co-ordinator, and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. Marrone also expected to lose defensive quality control coach Brian Fleury and newly hired assistant Jeff Hafley. Veteran defensive backs coach Donnie Henderson is staying in Buffalo. Schwartzs defensive approach is rooted in a 4-3 system with some similarities to Pettines philosophy particularly when it comes to generating pressure off the edges. Schwartz intends to spend the next few months adapting his defence to the strengths of his personnel. "Theres going to be some carry-over. Theres going to be some things that well wind up changing because we think its in our best long-term benefit," Schwartz said. "Were not going to be so complicated that they cant pick things up. Whatever we keep, whatever we decide to change, there will be a reason behind it." ' ' '
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies got some major production out of the middle of their order on the way to an easy win. Chase Utley hit a three-run homer, and Ben Revere had four hits, including a triple, to lead the Phillies to a 10-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Ryan Howard had two hits and two RBIs with a double for Philadelphia, which had scored just two runs in 35 2-3 innings entering Wednesday. The Phillies topped the Astros 2-1 in 15 innings on Tuesday night. Utley, Howard and Marlon Byrd -- the Phillies Nos. 3-5 hitters -- had five hits and six RBIs. "It makes a big difference all the way around," Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said. "That becomes contagious." David Buchanan (6-5) was called up again to replace Cliff Lee, who is on the disabled list for a second time because of a left elbow strain sustained last Thursday. Buchanan, whose strategy was to get ahead of hitters, gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He filled in for Lee during the left-handers previous two-month stint on the DL, but made his last three starts in the minor leagues. "Steady, gave us a chance to win," Sandberg said. "He doesnt get rattled out there. He hangs in there." Brad Peacock (3-8) struggled in his first big-league start since being sent to the minors to work on his fastball command. He allowed eight runs and seven hits in five innings, and lost his third straight start. The right-hander had an 18.00 ERA in his previous two starts with the Astros, which landed him in Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Phillies jumped on Peacock in the first inning for five runs and four hits, highlighted by Howards two-run double. Buchanan drove in the final run of the frame with his first major-league hit in his 18th at-bat. "I couldnt get into a groove," Peacock said. "I was probably working a little too quick. I was a little amped up." Utleys homer in the fourth gave Philadelphia an 8-2 lead. "It was a bad pitch to Utley, but after that I felt great," Peacock said. "But the numbers are the numbers." Houston scored in the first inning on Jon Singletons RBI groundout, in the fourth on Jake Marisnicks sacrifice fly, and in the seventh on Jose Altuves groundout. Altuve had two hits with an RBI, giving him his major league-leading 48th multi-hit game. UP NEXT Astros right-hander Colin McHugh (4-9, 3.32) faces Phillies right-hander Roberto Hernandez (6-8, 3.87) as the teams wrap up their three-game set on Thursday night. Hernandez will be trying for his third straight win after allowing just two earned runs in 15 innings over his last two starts. McHugh, who will be making his first career start against the Phillies, entered Wednesday ranked fifth in the AL in opponents batting average (.203) and second in strikeouts per nine innings (10.14). TRAINERS ROOM Phillies: Lees season appears to be over. Although no announcement on his status has been made, Lees locker in the clubhouse has been cleaned out. Lee was making his second start last Thursday after a two-month stint on the DL when he was hurt again. Astros: Rookie outfielder George Springer, on the DL since July 20 with a strained quad, played in his third rehab game with Quad Cities on Wednesday night. Springer doubled but was lifted after feeling a pull, Houston manager Bo Porter said. The AL Rookie of the Month in May is batting .231 with 20 homers and 51 RBIs in 78 games with Houston. Before Wednesdays game, Springer was on pace for a possible return on Thursday although Fridays home game against Texas is more likely. OUT FROM HIS KNEES Second-base umpire Jeff Nelson made an out call from his knees in the first inning after falling while trying to get in position when Buchanan slid into second. Sandberg challenged Nelsons decision but the call stood after a 3-minute, 12-second replay delay. Buchanan thought he was safe but said, "I think for now Im going to stay on first base." DANCING WITH THE PHANATIC Third-base umpire Laz Diaz showed off his dancing skills during a skit with the Phillie Phanatic following the fifth inning. Dressed in a red and black costume with Spanish music blaring, the Phanatic danced Salsa style in front of Diaz. Diaz at first made no expression and twice turned away from the Philadelphia mascot before getting in on the dance toward the end of what seemed to be an unscripted act. FOLTYNEWICZ WORKS OUT OF JAM Astros reliever Mike Foltynewicz worked out of a jam in the seventh inning in his second major league appearance. The right-hander allowed three straight hits to start the frame, capped by Byrds RBI single, before getting Grady Sizemore to ground into a double play and Wil Nieves to strike out swinging. It was the first career run allowed for Foltynewicz, who pitched 2-3 scoreless innings in his big-league debut on Saturday. Foltynewicz came back out for the eighth and gave up another run when Revere tripled and scored on a wild pitch. BULLPEN ON A ROLL Philadelphia relievers Jake Diekman, Justin De Fratus and Cesar Jimenez combined to allow one hit in 2 2-3 scoreless innings in a strong performance from the Phillies bullpen for the second straight night. In Tuesdays win, the Philadelphia relievers allowed one hit in eight scoreless innings and struck out 14. Yeezy Shoes . -- Two out of three aint bad. Yeezy 700 Outlet .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. https://www.wholesaleyeezyauthentic.com/ . - After three days of light, make that very light, workouts, Team Irvin and Team Carter are ready for tonights Pro Bowl. Wholesale Yeezy . -- Kansas City Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar will have Tommy John surgery that will sideline the pitcher for the season. Yeezy For Sale . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins (5) – He was locked in all night, made huge stops on Benoit Pouliot, Raphael Diaz, Ryan Mcdonagh, Carl Hagelin, Rick Nash (twice) but none better than the three saves on Mats Zuccarello. EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltender Richard Bachman on a one-year contract. Bachman, 26, appeared in 52 games for the Oklahoma City Barons last season, posting a record of 26-19-6. He also recorded a .908 save percentage, a 2.99 goals-against average and two shutouts. The five-foot-10, 176 pound goaltender played in three games with the Oilers last season, registering a .916 save percentage and 3.dddddddddddd02 goals against average. Bachman made 47 saves in his Edmonton Oilers debut on October 27, 2013 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Salt Lake City, Utah native has accumulated a 14-12-2 record in 35 career NHL games, including a .903 save percentage, a 2.95 goals against average and one shutout. Bachman was selected by Dallas in the fourth round, 120th overall, in the 2006 draft. ' ' '
MADRID - Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal breezed into the Madrid Open third round with their title defences facing little strain on Wednesday, while Andy Murray made a successful return to clay after nearly a years absence. Williams broke Shuai Peng three times in a 6-2, 6-3 win that was her 14th straight on the clay of the Magic Box tennis centre, where the top-seeded American dominated her Chinese opponent on serve by firing 11 aces. Williams, who moves on to face Spanish player Carla Suarez Navarro, looked fresh and focused while dismissing any injury fears despite a heavily wrapped left leg. "I just had some issues and went preventive to make sure I didnt make anything worse," said Williams. "Im literally taking it one day, one match at a time, and not putting any pressure on myself." Nadal, meanwhile, certainly fed his confidence with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Juan Monaco of Argentina, just what the top-seeded Spaniard needed after coming to the Spanish capital on his worst clay run in a decade. Nadal, the greatest ever player on the red surface, failed to advance past the quarterfinals of his last two clay tournaments. But after Monaco broke to get to within 2-1, Nadal did not relent as he didnt drop another game at Manolo Santana centre court. "Each victory helps to raise your confidence," Nadal said. "I started a little nervously in my movement. I think I moved better and played well, better than I normally play on the clay. I was dominating over the points and playing very well. "I think Ive done positive things." Nadals hopes of winning a second clay event after his triumph in Rio de Janeiro this year were bolstered on Tuesday when Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka lost and Roger Federer withdrew for the birth of his second set of twins. Second-ranked Novak Djokovic was absent to injury. "I didnt even get to the necessary round to face them at the last tournaments," said Nadal, dismissing his chances despite the marquee absentees. "Every rival is difficult." Nadal, who faces Jarrko Nieminen of Finland next, could be on course to meet Murray in the semifinals after the Scot overcame Nicolas Almagro in a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory. Murray, who won the event in 2008 when it was held on hardcourt, hadnt played on clay since Rome last year but looked at ease in taking the first set. But Almagro rallied to force a deciding set, which Murray won when his Spanish opponent slapped a backhand wide down the line for a 39th unforced error. Also, Tomas Berdych moved to a perfect 11-0 against Kevin Anderson following his 6-1, 6-4 win over the South African, while American John Isner was also victorious in his second round match. Eleventh-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Colombian player Santiago Giraldo, who was coming off his appearance in the Barcelona final. In other womens results, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and No. 4 Simona Halep of Romania both advanced, while Roberta Vinci of Italy knocked out Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3. Andy Murray returns to the clay for the first time in nearly one year later Wednesday against Nicolas Almagro. David Ferrer, the next highest remaining seed after Nadal at No. 5, faces John Isner. Scarpe Nike Outlet . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win. Yeezy 350 Saldi . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. http://www.scontatescarpenikeoutlet.it/i...ferte.html . Burkes Flames are one of several teams involved in heavy trade speculation going into next Wednesdays 3pm et deadline, with the most prominent name in play being forward Michael Cammalleri. Air Max 270 Saldi . Pironkova, who was ranked outside the top 100 despite reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2010, beat three top 10 players in Sydney, 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani, 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Kerber. Scarpe Nike Offerta Online . In the Brewers six games this season, no starter has allowed more than three runs. "We see the guy in front of us do a great job and we want to do even better," Gallardo said after the Brewers beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Sunday, his second straight scoreless start.PHILADELPHIA -- The Chicago Cubs have activated outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the disabled list and placed Emilio Bonifacio on it. Sweeney started in centre field and batted second against the Phillies on Friday night. He was on tthe DL since May 3 because of a right hamstring strain.dddddddddddd Sweeney was batting .200 with six RBIs coming into the game. Bonifacio has right rib cage inflammation. Hes batting .266 with 13 stolen bases this season. ' ' '
BALTIMORE -- BALTIMORE (AP) -- Carlos Santana doubled in two runs with two outs in the 13th inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Thursday night for their fourth straight victory. Ryan Rayburn and Lonnie Chisenhall homered for the Indians, whose winning streak ties a season high. Three of Clevelands last four games have gone extra innings, including a 13-inning win over Detroit on Wednesday night. The Indians became the first team since the 2010 Angels to play two straight games of at least 13 innings, and it was the first time since 2003 that Cleveland played two consecutive 13-inning games. After two hits and a walk loaded the bases in the 13th, Santana came to plate against Troy Patton (0-1) with a .148 batting average. He pulled a sharp grounder inside the third-base line, only his third hit in 32 at-bats with two outs and runners on. Josh Outman (4-0) pitched two scoreless innings and Scott Atchison got three outs for his first save, despite giving up a solo home run to Nick Markakis. Ryan Flaherty also homered for Baltimore and Adam Jones had three hits. Orioles third baseman Manny Machado left after 11 innings with right groin stiffness. He didnt begin play this season until May 1 after undergoing off-season knee surgery. Baltimore used a five-run sixth inning to erase a 3-0 deficit, and after the Indians pulled even in the seventh the Orioles scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half without benefit of a hit. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera fumbled Machados sharp grounder and Jones followed with a bouncer to third. Santana threw wildly to second base trying to start a double play, leaving runners on second and third with one out. After Mark Lowe issued an intentional walk to Chris Davis, Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5. Chisenhall answered in the eighth with a pinch-hit homer off Darren ODay to make it 6-all. It was Chisenhalls second home run of the season, both in the last two games. Much earlier, Indians starter Justin Masterson induced three double plays over the first five innings while being pressed into action on three days rest. In the Baltimore sixth, after Steve Clevenger and J.J. Hardy delivered two-out RBI singles, Flaherty hit a 2-1 pitch over the 25-foot scoreboard in right field to make it 5-3. The advantage vanished in the seventh. With one out, Flaherty fumbled a potential double-play grounder to second base, getting an out at first that resulted in an RBI for David Murphy. Mike Aviles then chased Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen with a game-tying single. Baltimore regained the lead in the bottom half, but it would not last in this back-and-forth duel. Raburn put the Indians up 1-0 with a solo shot in the second inning, his first home run in 51 at-bats this season. Cleveland made it 3-0 in the third when Michael Brantley tripled in a run and scored on Chens first wild pitch of the year. NOTES: Baltimore has 12 or more hits in four straight games for the first time since April 2007. ... The Indians placed starter Zach McAllister (lower back strain) on the 15-day DL and recalled rookie T.J. House from Triple-A Columbus. House will make his first major league start Friday night against the Orioles, who will send Bud Norris to the mound. ... Cleveland also purchased Lowes contract from Columbus and optioned LHP Kyle Crockett to the same club. ... Baltimore placed RHP Tommy Hunter (groin strain) on the 15-day DL and recalled RHP Preston Guilmet. ... Chris Davis will likely be out Sunday and Monday on paternity leave while doctors induce labour on the first basemans wife, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ... Jones has reached safely in 16 straight games. ... Baltimores Zach Britton blanked Cleveland in the 9th and 10th innings, his 10th consecutive scoreless outing. Yeezy 350 Online . Hughes, 30, is a former Major Leaguer with the Baltimore Orioles, having played in 14 games with the Os in 2010. He played with Class AA Binghamton of the Eastern League in the New York Mets system last season. Yeezy 350 Clearance . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. https://www.cheapyeezy350outlet.com/ . The 18-time champions, who havent won the title since 1990, moved two points behind Arsenal after the leaders were stunned 6-3 at Manchester City on Saturday. Defending champion Manchester United trails Arsenal by 10 points after winning 3-0 at Aston Villa to avoid a third successive league loss. Yeezy 350 Store . -- The anointed starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is strengthening his hold on the position this training camp instead of losing it. Yeezy 350 Sale . Hamels threw seven sharp innings to earn his 100th career victory, Domonic Brown had a career-best five RBIs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-1 on Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak.The NHL Play of the Year showdowns second round resumes today with two young guns already displaying elite-level skill. Todays Round of 16 match-up features San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl and the Detroit Red Wings Gustav Nyquist. Hertl – in just his third career game – had a historic night, scoring four goals at just 19 years old. The fourth goal, however, was something to behold. Streaking in from the left boards, Hertl barrels in on Martin Biron looking to cap an already impressive night. He pulls Biron to his right, bringing the puck back through his legs. Reaching between with his stick, he gets under the shot for a wrister that goes top left corner. The young Czechs effort produces a goal brimming with confidence beyond his teenage years. Hertl destroyed the Blackhawks Andrew Shaw in their opening-round tilt, taking thrree-quarters of the vote.dddddddddddd Nyquist, meanwhile, shakes off a near-mugging to pot a beauty. The young Swede breaks in one-on-one against Matt Carle and the Lightning defender appears initially to do enough to prevent a goal, drawing a penalty in the process. However, Nyquist shakes Carles grip and pounces on the puck he just lost. From behind the goal line, he still has the presence of mind to corral the puck and toss it under a recovering Ben Bishop. Nyquist also decisively took his first-round match-up, earning 70 per cent of the vote in his showdown with another Blackhawk, Patrick Kane. You can watch the highlights and make your decision here . Every vote counts, so watch all the plays and take part in the TSN.ca Play of the Year Showdown. Let us know who you voted for via Twitter by using the hashtag #tsnklondikepoy. ' ' '