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a fumble by Tyler Clutts and an intercepti

UNIONDALE, N. Texas Rangers Yu Darvish Jersey .Y. – Randy Carlyle could handle and might even expect some rustiness for 20 minutes or so after an 18-day Olympic break, but not for the entirety of what proved a dud for the Maple Leafs on Thursday in Long Island. "We gave them three goals," said Carlyle, still steaming after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders. "You cant win in the NHL giving three goals. Gifts. Total gifts." This was not the way Carlyle imagined his team starting the final lap of a long race to the playoffs – a blistering stretch featuring 21 more games in a hectic 44 days – but thats what he got, a sloppy, uninspired performance opposite a team that had lost seven of its previous eight games and was without its best player, John Tavares. Lacking the zip of their pre-Olympic pace – which included wins in 11 of 14 games – the Leafs managed to give away two shorthanded goals in a span of 48 seconds on the same two-minute power play before dropping a pair of third period leads. They lost the undeserved extra point in overtime when James van Riemsdyk could not corral a bouncing puck in the slot, essentially handing it to incoming Islander defender Lubomir Visnovsky, who snuck one through Jonathan Bernier. "I think mentally we looked like we were going to out-skill the hockey club we played against and they had a different attitude. They tried to grind it with us," said Carlyle afterward. "We tried to out-skill a hockey club tonight." Rust was to be expected after the two-plus week Olympic break, but not to the degree that it lingered on this night against a vastly inferior opponent. Two times in the third period did the Leafs vault in front – on goals from Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul – only to be jilted twice for that lead by Anders Lee, who scored twice in his first NHL game. Lee tapped in his first on a New York power-play, evading Phaneuf and Bernier on the fourth and final game-tying goal late in regulation. "You can expect it for a period," Carlyle said of rust, "but I think when you get down to the third period and youre up in a hockey game youd expect to be able to grind it out, tighten it up and finish the team off. "We were lucky to get a point." Perhaps the effort will offer an early warning to a club itching for a second consecutive spring of playoff hockey. While still comfortable as the first wild card in the East with 71 points that comfort has the potential – however unlikely at this point – to disappear if the Leafs were to catch a fever of bad hockey down the stretch. And with rivals in Montreal and Tampa Bay still there to be caught and Detroit just a smidge behind, heavy incentive remains to lay the foot on the pedal with just over a month left to play. "We know that we left a point here," said Phaneuf. "Thats something we have to recognize and learn from." Five Points 1. Stretch Drive Mentality It was a race to the 2008-09 postseason and Tim Gleason and the Carolina Hurricanes were in a desperate hunt to claim one of the final spots in the East. Winning 13 of their final 18 games they snuck in, landed the sixth seed and proceeded to march all the way to the conference finals.   "Thinking back I think thats what it was," Gleason told the Leaf Report. "You play as hard as you can because you needed those two points every night." Though his current team sits firm in a playoff position at the moment, Gleason hopes they latch onto his former clubs sense of nightly desperation. Thursday was in no way, shape or form a good start. "Its like a new season, a new beginning and you know youve got to come and play and get the wins when you can," said the 31-year-old. "...youve got to push when everyone else is pushing and you have to push harder than everybody else." The Olympic break could not have come at more inopportune time for the Leafs, who entered the stoppage on a scorching run that saw them emerge with points in 12 of 14 games (11-2-1). Gleason too was settling into a groove in Toronto after eight seasons in Carolina. "Its interesting because everybody is anxious for the break because its good to have a break, but you think in the back of your mind you dont want it to end because it was going in the right direction," he said. "Now I think its just more of a mental thing, knowing where we left off and what we have to do to keep the pace and pick up points when we can." 2. Lacking Defence In winning 11 of those 14 games before the break, the Leafs scored and scored quite a bit – averaging 3.64 goals per game, a number that would easily lead the league if somehow sustained. And yet in that same stretch, Toronto also gave up nearly three goals per game itself and still ranks as one of the NHLs worst defensive clubs (all of this with terrific goaltending from Bernier). Team defence remains a sore spot for the Leafs and a worrying concern ahead of the playoffs when the hockey tends to tighten with goals ever the harder to come by. "Weve talked so much about defence and we havent really applied ourselves as a team in that area," said Carlyle on Thursday morning, "and thats one of the things that weve stated from the beginning of the season that we wanted to be stingier on the defensive side of it." No team allows more shots nightly than do the Leafs and only five teams have yielded more goals, none of them currently in a playoff position. The Islanders managed five on this night, playing without their top centre, Tavares, and their second-best centre, Frans Nielsen. "Weve talked about it so many times about our goaltenders having to be taxed in too many situations," Carlyle said. "Wed like to be able to say that its a new season for us, were starting over. The defensive aspect of it has to be part of it. But it takes goals to score in the league too. We just dont want to give up too many of the quality scoring chances..." 3. Bernier Workload Only one goaltender in the NHL has faced more shots this season than Bernier and thats Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, Smith has also started 10 more games than the 25-year-old, who made his 39th start of the season at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Bernier faced 35 shots and allowed five goals, ending a run of 12 consecutive starts yielding three or fewer. "I thought my rebound control wasnt great tonight and Ive got to make more saves," he said afterward. "Five goals, its not a good night, but at the same time we got a point and weve got to move on." Shining in his first go-around as an NHL no. 1, the stretch drive will prove an interesting testing ground for Bernier. He has not played this many games in a season since 2009-10 when he was still in the American League with Manchester. 4. No Olympic Letdown? Back in 2010 and then the bench boss in Anaheim, Carlyle had a slew of players return from the Olympics in Vancouver emotionally spent and missing the gas required to carry the Ducks as per usual. But on Thursday morning, Carlyle raised the belief that Sochi Olympians Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Nik Kulemin could actually have a leg up on their teammates having played the past few weeks. And he turned out to be fairly prescient, at least for a game. van Riemsdyk had a hand in three of the four Toronto goals, matching a career-high with three assists, while Kessel chipped in with his 32nd goal of the year, also adding a helper to what has been a scorching 2014. The 26-year-old is now tied for second in league scoring with 67 points, 30 of which have come in the New Year. "Its not too hard to get back into it," van Riemsdyk said prior to the game. "Obviously we know whats at stake. All my attention is here on the Maple Leafs. The Olympics is done and over with. Its all about the rest of the season here and what we have to accomplish here." 5. Olympic Experience An Olympian with the American squad for the first time, the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk said the experience was memorable despite a disappointing finish which saw the U.S. bounced by Canada in the semifinals and then trounced in the bronze medal game by Finland. "Obviously the ending wasnt necessarily how we wanted it go which is unfortunate, but in a tournament like that where its single elimination thats how it goes sometimes unfortunately. As far as the whole Olympic experience I thought it was pretty cool. It almost reminded me of being back in college again as far as just even the dorms and being at the cafeteria with all the other athletes." Stats-Pack 1479 – Shots faced by Jonathan Bernier this season, second most in the NHL. 67 – Points this season for Phil Kessel, now tied for second in league scoring. 29 – Points for Kessel in the past 16 games. 12 – Goals for Kessel in that same 16-game stretch. 2 – Shorthanded goals scored by the Islanders in 48 seconds of the same Toronto power-play on Thursday. 3.67 – Goals per game for the Leafs since Jan. 12. 3 – Goals against per game for the Leafs this season. 3 – Assists by James van Riemsdyk against New York, matching a career-high. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4Season: 21.8 per cent (4th) PK: 3-4Season: 77.9 per cent (29th) Quote of the Night "Gifts. Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." -Randy Carlyle, following the overtime loss to the Islanders. Up Next The Leafs head to Montreal for a Saturday showdown with the Canadiens. Washington Nationals Ben Revere Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Boston Red Sox Carlton Fisk Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. http://www.baseballgreet.com/Chicago-Cubs-Ron-Santo-Jersey/ . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91.LANDOVER, Md. - On fourth down, feeling the season was on the line, Tony Romo dropped back, scrambled forward and found the correct colour uniform. DeMarco Murray made the catch, his momentum taking him into the end zone for the winning score. For much of the second half, Romo and Dallas Cowboys had flirted with their usual December swoon. A recently signed fullback lost a fumble. The quarterback threw a bad interception. An eight-point lead became a nine-point deficit. Murray lost 9 yards on a third-and-goal at the 1. But there was one chance left to pull off a win. Romo-to-Murray converted the fourth-and-goal at the 10 with 1:08 remaining Sunday, giving the Cowboys a 24-23 victory over the Washington Redskins. "We just had to make a play," Dallas receiver Dez Bryant said. "Tony did a Houdini." Its a magic moment that matters only if the Cowboys can win one more. The victory ended a two-game skid — as well as a four-game December losing streak — and sets up a winner-take-all, regular-season finale for the NFC East title next week, when the Cowboys (8-7) host the Philadelphia Eagles. "Today we felt like we were playing for everything," Romo said. "Next week will be the same thing." The Cowboys, who beat Philadelphia 17-3 on Oct. 20, set themselves up to quash two years of 8-8, collapse-around-Christmas misery. "I know in some ways weve gotten hit with just the fact of losing the last couple of years in the final game," Romo said. "I think were the only team that keeps getting themselves in position to win the NFC East every year — thats a credit. Its also a negative in the fact that we didnt do it the last couple of years." The Cowboys melted down big-time last week against the Green Bay Packers, blowing a 23-point lead with Romo throwing two interceptions in the waning minutes. On Sunday, the Cowboys fell flat in the third quarter instead of the fourth, leaving just enough time for a comeback. "Coming back and playing well and working hard can help your character. Now, I dont recommend the way we came back today as a way to get there," Dallas owner Jerry Jones said with a smile. "I wouldve liked for it to be a little easier and confident." The Redskins (3-12) arent building much of anything. They lost their seventh straight, thee second in a row by one point, both with Kirk Cousins starting in place of shut-down franchise player Robert Griffin III. Baltimore Orioles Pedro Alvarez Jersey. Pierre Garcon (11 catches, 144 yards) provided the home team highlight by breaking Art Monks single-season franchise reception record, while veteran linebacker London Fletcher played in what is expected to be his final home game before retiring. Embattled coach Mike Shanahan clinched his worst record in his 20 seasons as a head coach. "Everybody on the team is fed up at this point," Washington linebacker Perry Riley said. "We should be winning. Need to be winning. Were not winning. And thats frustrating." Romo completed 17 of 27 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and played much of the game with back pain. He was limping noticeably after a couple of plays in the fourth quarter. "I took a hit that kind of triggered it a little bit. ... I felt it after that play, the rest of the game," Romo said. "You just play through it, just like anything in football." The Cowboys led 14-6 at halftime before committing turnovers on back-to-back drives — a fumble by Tyler Clutts and an interception by DeAngelo Hall. The Redskins scored on three straight possessions and took a 23-14 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. But Romo converted a fourth-and-6 at the Washington 40-yard line to set up a field goal that cut the lead to six with 6:09 to play. The Cowboys started the go-ahead drive at their 13 with 3:39 remaining. A 51-yard pass to Terrance Williams set up the winning score, with the Cowboys surviving the 9-yard loss by Murray when knocking on the door at the 1. "A couple of self-inflicted wounds in the second half hurt us," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "But you keep playing. Our guys scratched, clawed, and fought." Notes: Michael Spurlock, signed Wednesday because of an injury to Dwayne Harris, set up a TD with a 62-yard punt return in the first quarter. ... Murray ran for 96 yards, becoming the first Cowboys back to rush for 1,000 yards since Julius Jones in 2006. ... The Cowboys are 5-0 in the NFC East; the Redskins are 0-5. ... Injuries: Cowboys RB Phillip Tanner (head) and Redskins LBs Brian Orakpo (right groin) and Nick Barnett (sprained left knee). Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

ht Mike Smith with a shoulder cap t

HOUSTON -- Without his top assortment of pitches, Jered Weaver still wound up in a familiar spot -- the win column. Bottes Ugg Soldes . Weaver pitched six solid innings, Chris Iannetta homered and the Los Angeles Angels stopped Houstons four-game winning streak, beating the Astros 6-2 Saturday night. Weaver (10-8) joined Nolan Ryan as the only Angels pitchers to reach double-digits in wins for eight straight seasons. "It speaks volumes to the quality of pitcher that Weaver is. Hes one of the top pitchers in our league," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Even when he doesnt have his best stuff he gives us chances to win. He competes with anyone." Ryan won at least 10 games from 1972-79. Chuck Finley also reached 10 wins in eight seasons for the Angels, although not consecutively. "Im not really a guy who reflects on personal stuff. Im all for winning a championship as opposed to getting excited about getting eight consecutive seasons with 10 wins," Weaver said. "But its cool milestone." "Ive been pretty fortunate to play on some good teams throughout my career," he said. "A lot of guys had my back. When you are on some good teams and you throw the ball well, youre going to get some wins." Brett Wallace homered for Houston, which leads the majors with 97 losses. The Astros had their first four-game winning string since mid-June. The Astros, in their first season in the AL, set a league record for strikeouts at 1,393, surpassing Oaklands 1,387 last year. "Thats one of their better pitchers," Astros manager Bo Porter said of Weaver. "I know he spent some time on the DL and it just so happened that with all the times that weve faced them we hadnt seen him." Rookie Brett Oberholtzer (4-3) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. The 24-year-old lefty entered the game with a 1.91 ERA since July 31, best in the AL over that span. Weaver allowed two runs on six hits, including Wallaces 13th homer in the fourth. He struck out five and walked one. Weaver also moved into sole possession of fourth place on the Angels strikeout list, fanning Marc Krauss to end the sixth for his 1,234th strikeout, one more than Frank Tanana. He trails Ryan (2,416), Finley (2,151) and Mike Witt (1,283). Relievers Michael Kohn, Dane De La Rosa and Juan Gutierrez each pitched a scoreless inning for the Angels. Iannetta gave the Angels the lead in the third inning with his 11th home run. Howie Kendrick, Kole Calhoun and Iannetta each drove in a run in the fourth to give Los Angeles a 4-0 lead. Wallace hit a two-run homer in the fourth. The Astros loaded the bases in the fifth on consecutive two-out singles by Marwin Gonzalez, Jonathan Villar and Jose Altuve, but Weaver escaped the jam by striking out Trevor Crowe. Grant Green scored from third on a passed ball in the Angels seventh. He tripled in the ninth and scored on J.B. Shucks sacrifice fly. NOTES: Astros All-Star C Jason Castro (right knee) remained out of the lineup as doctors want to give him a few more days to see how responds to treatment, Porter said. Castro injured his knee Sept. 2. He has missed eight of 11 games since. ... The Astros showed the first half of the Alabama-Texas A&M college football showdown on the big screen during batting practice at the request of Porter. ... The Astros inducted columnist and former Dodgers, Colt .45s/Astros and Rangers broadcaster Rene Cardenas into its media wall of honour. Cardenas began his broadcasting career with the Dodgers in 1958, becoming one of the first members of a Spanish-language radio broadcast team in the majors and later was part of the first Spanish-language radio crew to call a World Series in 1959. Chausson Ugg Homme . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Bottes Ugg Pas Cher France .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. http://www.bottespaschersoldes.fr/chaussons-ugg-soldes-pas-cher.html . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hey Kerry! Im wondering if you could give us some insight as to why Nazem Kadri got away with only a two for running Niklas Backstrom in Wednesdays game between the Wild and Leafs. Every replay showed an elbow to the head of Backstrom, clear as day. Is the fact that a new Ref was in the game? It seems to me that the weak call was at least partly responsible for the chippy atmosphere afterwards. Any insight would be great! Mike in St Paul, MN --- Hi Kerry, During the Toronto-Minnesota game, Nazem Kadri was given five and a game for a hit to the head. While Kadri got the game misconduct, Phil Kessel served the five-minute major penalty. How do they determine what player serves the five-minute major? Do the coaches pick a player to serve the penalty, and if so does that player have to be on the ice at the time the penalty was called? Kyle Moore Mike and Kyle: Nazem Kadri made two very irresponsible decisions with separate hits to the head of Wild goalkeeper Niklas Backstrom at 7:07 of the first period and then to Mikael Granlund at 8:41 of the third. Both of these illegal hits to the head were worthy of a five-minute match penalty! The match penalty, plus any additional penalties, shall be served by any player (excluding a goalkeeper) to be designated by the Coach through the Captain. The player designated, in this case Phil Kessel, must take his place in the penalty box immediately. Kadri got a two minute free-pass on the Backstrom hit by a rookie referee. Things happen much more quickly in the NHL than in the minor leagues. I am confident the young referee will learn from the experience he gained in his very first NHL game. We shall also see if Nazem Kadri is taught a lesson from both of these experiences? The responsibility is place squarely upon every player to avoid contact with a goalkeeper wherever possible. When contact is unavoidable through a collision the player must do everything within his power to minimize the force generated. Beyond zero attempt by Nazem Kadri to avoid contact with Niklas Backstrom he generated what appears to have been excessive force with his elbow/forearm directly to the facemask of Backstrom causing the goalie to crash the back of his head onto the ice. Following the two minute power-play the Wild enjoyed, Backstrom was forced to leave the gamee. Ugg Homme Soldes. There is a provision for the referee to assess a major penalty under rule 69 for goalkeeper interference as well as major and game misconduct for charging and elbowing. However, given the fact that Nazem Kadri made a decision to accelerate his elbow/forearm with force directly to the face/head (main point of contact) of Niklas Backstrom elevates the call to a match penalty under rule 48 in my judgment.  I see this beyond just a player running out real estate and finding himself in an unavoidable collision with a goalkeeper. Nazem Kadri had other options and a much better decision to make; the very least of which was to plant and finish with an extended forceful elbow/forearm to the head of Niklas Backstrom. There is certainly some precedent set in the area of player contact with goalkeepers both inside and outside of the crease.  Classic examples of excessive illegal contact with a goalkeeper were demonstrated when Milan Lucic ran over/body checked Ryan Miller which resulted in a concussion to the Buffalo goalkeeper; then Jordan Tootoo crashed into Miller in the blue paint in the goalies very first game back after recovering from Lucic induced "concussion like symptoms"; in a play-off game Andrew Shaw of the Blackhawks caught Mike Smith with a shoulder cap to the facemask as the goalie played the puck behind the goal.  The bar of justice was raised after Milan Lucic escaped with only a minor penalty for charging and no suspension. You may recall my reaction the following day in CMon Ref where I stated that a major penalty and game misconduct plus a three-game suspension was warranted whenever a goalkeeper was run over in that fashion. Both Tootoo and Shaw were assessed a 5 minute major, game misconduct and three game suspensions. The head contact Kadri delivered on Mikael Granlund was totally unnecessary, senseless, irresponsible, wreckless, and dangerous for starters. I could apply a host of other adjectives given the one goal lead the Leafs were protecting in addition to the separation between the two players and as Nazem Kadri approached to make what should have been a legal body check through Granlunds center mass. I must repeat; whenever a player elevates his posture prior to and through a check the head of his opponent is highly susceptible to becoming the main point of contact. The results of Nazem Kadris hearing scheduled this afternoon for hitting the head of Niklas Backstrom are pending. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

ly his third of the season but the

On Wednesday night, the man who put the Toronto Raptors on the map returns to the Air Canada Centre for what could be the final time. Cheap Canada Goose . Vincent Lamar Carter is no longer the lean, athletic dynamo who dazzled Raptors fans with eye-popping dunks that posterized even the leagues best defenders. Carter is also no longer the petulant man-child who fans feel gave up on his team and his city and forced a move away from the franchise that he legitimized. At almost 37, Vince Carter is an NBA veteran, perhaps not grizzled, but a far cry from the two sides of the one man that Toronto Raptors fans remember with both fondness and disdain. In Torontos case, the latter greatly outweighs the former. Carter first returned to Toronto after his acrimonious exit as a member of the then-New Jersey Nets in April, 2005. To say that the reception he received was unwelcome would be kind. Few things stir up anger in sports fans like being jilted by a player they once idolized. The torrent of abuse directed Carters way didnt seem to faze him as he ended up dropping 39 on his former mates in a Nets win. When Carters Dallas Mavericks take on the Raptors on Wednesday night, Carter is likely to once again be met by vociferous boos as he always has been since the first time he came back to the ACC as a member of the enemy, but, of course, with each subsequent visit, the jeers have gotten quieter. The anger that once consumed Raptors fans just isnt there anymore for the most part. When Vince Carter is booed again tonight, it will be more out of habit than anything else. Much like the case with his cousin, the now-retired Tracy McGrady, the booing is just what you do. All of this, then, begs the question: Should time heal all wounds? In what might be the last time Toronto Raptors fans see Vince Carter at the Air Canada Centre, is it time for Raptors fans to let the good outweigh the bad and welcome the prodigal son back into the fold? Lets not kid ourselves. The break-up was bad and Carter had more than a big hand in it. On the morning of the biggest game in franchise history - Game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers - Carter decided to fly to Raleigh to collect his degree from the University of North Carolina. Its anybodys guess as to why he chose to go then and not in the summer, but unrelatedly or not, Carter missed the game-winning shot that evening with only two seconds left on the clock. And then there was the meddling with the front office. Obviously, most franchises try to jibe with their best players wishes, but many felt Carter overstepped his bounds. The impetus to bring in a broken-down Hakeem Olajuwon and offer him a pricey extension appeared to come from Carter. It was a spectacular failure. Carter was constantly in managements ear and attempting to mold the club in ways that he wanted. Outside of a brief stint in the Orlando Magic front office as vice-president, Julius Erving had no managerial experience, yet this was the man who Carter championed to almost the point of insistence for the Raptors general manager job in 2004. When the team went with Rob Babcock, Carter took this as an affront. When the situation became untenable that season, Babcocks hands were tied to the point that all he could fetch from the Nets in exchange for Carter were bench pieces Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, a past-his-prime Alonzo Mourning - who never played a game for the team and was almost immediately released, but not before receiving a $9 million buyout package – and a pair of first-round draft picks. The cruelest blow, though, came the month after he was traded when he sat down with legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, then working as an analyst for TNT, and told him that he had begun to coast in his last years in Toronto. "I was just fortunate enough to have the talent," Carter said. "You know, you get spoiled when youre able to do a lot of things and you see that, and you really dont have to work at it. But now, I think with all the injuries and the things that have gone on, I have to work a little harder and Im a little hungrier. Thats why getting the opportunity to have a fresh start with New Jersey has made me want to attack the basket for a lot of reasons." To hear your franchise player admit to dogging it is beyond the pale and probably reason enough alone for the idea of some sort of reconciliation to be out of the question. Recently, though, Carter has claimed that he never wanted to leave the Raptors and told as much to Babcock, but was informed that a deal had already been agreed upon with the Nets. Former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell corroborated Carters account, but considering this information became public almost 10 years after the fact, it came across as little more than damage control for what is seemingly an irreparable image in this city. Still, as the spectre of Carters exit still casts a shadow over what he did as a Raptor, is it time that the two arent mutually exclusive? It was Carter who led the team to its first ever playoff spot. It was Carter who led the team to its first ever series win. It was Carter who got the Raptors onto national American television broadcasts and into the larger basketball consciousness as something other than just that team that plays in Canada. To say nothing of the fact that Carter remains the franchise leader in points per game and second in total points. Is it time Raptors fans let Carters legacy outshine the acrimony of his exit? Or is the exit his legacy with the Toronto Raptors? As always, its Your! Call. Cheap Canada Goose Jackets . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. Canada Goose Foxe Bomber . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at .http://www.goosedowncoatcanada.biz/canada-goose-womens-canada-sale/chilliwack-bomber.html . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Salvador Perez was a bit miffed when he showed up to the park on Thursday. The Kansas City Royals big, affable catcher had worked nine innings the previous night in a game that was delayed nearly three hours by rain and a lighting outage, so manager Ned Yost thought he would give Perez the afternoon off from behind the plate against the Cleveland Indians. "There was no way he was going to play him today," Yost explained later, "but I told him to be ready, because you could have an impact on this game." That proved to be quite the prediction. Perez entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and delivered a bases-loaded double, sending the Royals to a 10-7 victory over the Indians on a sun-splashed afternoon. "I just felt a little sad coming into the clubhouse and seeing the lineup," Perez said, "but I just had to be ready for the sixth inning, the seventh inning, whatever the case." Lorenzo Cain hit his first career grand slam and George Kottaras followed with a solo shot in the sixth inning for the Royals, allowing them to rally from an early 5-0 deficit. The Indians regained the lead on Carlos Santanas two-run double in the seventh, but the Royals answered again in the bottom half when Eric Hosmer cracked a two-run homer. Indians reliever Bryan Shaw (0-2) walked Kottaras to lead off the eighth and then hit Johnny Giavotella. Shaw was lifted for Rich Hill, who promptly walked Jarrod Dyson to load the bases. "We knew Perez was sitting over there ready to hit," Indians manager Terry Francona said. He came through with the biggest hit of the day. "We didnt get the job done the last two nights," said Indians reliever Joe Smith, who served up Hosmers homer. "It leaves a sour taste in your mouth." Luke Hochevar (2-1) worked a scoreless eighth inning for the Royals, and Greg Holland worked around a single in the ninth for his second straight save and his 19th on the season. The Royals scored at least 10 runs for only the fourth time this year -- despite only six hits -- by taking advantage of eight walks and a costly hit batter by the Indians. "In the sixth, seventh and eighth, we walked the leadoff hitter every inning," Francona said. "We just put ourselves in a tough position even though we scored seven runs." Drew Stubbs homered and drove in four runs, and Michael Brantley had four hits and also drove in a run for Cleveland, which had won five straight and pulled into first place in the wide open AL Central before losing its last two games to the Royals in wild fashion. Hosmers go-ahead shot in the seventh on Weednesday night gave Kansas City a 6-5 victory. Canada Goose Jacket Sale Online. "The character of this offence is were not quitting," Hosmer said. "We told ourselves before, if were going to make a run at this, these are big games to make up ground, facing the teams ahead of you in the division. We didnt want to let this opportunity slip away." Things looked good for the Indians at the start on Thursday. They took a quick lead on Brantleys single in the first and then Stubbs made it 3-0 with his homer in the second. James Shields put the Indians leadoff batter on base for the fourth time before Santana singled in the sixth. Aviles added a one-out single and Lonnie Chisenhall walked to load the bases for Stubbs, who delivered a two-run single that made it 5-0 and knocked Shields from the game. The prize acquisition in a blockbuster trade with Tampa Bay, Shields went 29 consecutive starts of at least six innings before lasting five against the White Sox on June 23. His early ouster on Thursday made it fewer than six in two of his last three starts. Ubaldo Jimenez had allowed just two hits and kept the Royals in check until the sixth inning, when he led it off by walking his fourth and fifth batters of the game. An error on Jimenez while trying to cover first loaded the bases with nobody out. Cain came to the plate and hit a 3-2 pitch to centre for his first career grand slam, and the second of the series by the Royals. Alex Gordon hit one in Tuesday nights opener. Kottaras, getting the start at catcher for Perez, added his tying shot to right moments later. It was only his third of the season but the second time Kottaras has been involved in back-to-back home runs: He did it with Dyson on June 23 against the White Sox. Jason Kipnis, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 15 games, drew a leadoff walk and Brantley singled off Gutierrez in the seventh before Santanas double made it 7-5. Hosmer matched both runs in the bottom half with his seventh homer in his last 12 games. Thats how the game remained until Perez cleared the bases with his double in the eighth, the three RBI boosting the Royals to their seventh straight win in a game Shields has started. "Weve been doing a good job of coming back all year. Were real resilient," Shields said. "Im proud of these guys. Hopefully we can get a little string of wins together." NOTES: The Royals (24-19) began the day with the ALs second-best winning percentage on July 4. The Indians (88-73) had the fifth-best percentage. ... Royals RHP Wade Davis will start Friday against Oakland. Indians RHP Justin Masterson will take the mound against Detroit. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

LONDON -- Fulham has signed midfielder Scott Parker from Premier League rival Tottenham. Harold Baines White Sox Jersey . The 32-year-old Parker has spent the past two years at Tottenham, establishing himself as a key player for England at the 2012 European Championship. But the former Chelsea and West Ham player was troubled by injuries last season and has now moved to Fulham on a three-year contract. Fulham manager Martin Jol says Parker "works tirelessly for his team and is a fantastic player both on and off the ball. It is wonderful to see a player of his stature playing for Fulham." Fulham opened the season on Saturday by beating Sunderland 1-0. Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed. Brett Lawrie Jersey . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Jeff Keppinger White Sox Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. http://www.baseballwhitesoxonline.com/authentic-harold-baines-white-soxjersey/ . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.BOSTON -- Doc Rivers will be the next coach of the Los Angeles Clippers if the NBA approves the rare but not unprecedented trade of an active coach, a Boston Celtics official told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The deal would bring Boston a first-round draft pick in 2015, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is pending a trade call with the NBA office. Rivers, who had three years and $21 million left on his contract with the Celtics, must also reach an agreement on a new deal with the Clippers. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said the team had no announcement. The tentative agreement on Sunday wraps up weeks of haggling over the deal and frees Rivers from presiding over the dismantling of the team that won the franchises record 17th NBA title in 2008. The Celtics and Clippers have also discussed sending Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles in a package with Rivers for draft choices, centre DeAndre Jordan and point guard Eric Bledsoe. But NBA commissioner David Stern nixed those talks this week, saying teams arent allowed to trade active players for a coach. A deal for Garnett could still happen, but the teams would have to convince the league that it was a separate deal. The 37-year-old big man has a no-trade clause in the contract that will pay him 23.5 million over the next two years, but it is believed he would waive it to be reunited with Rivers on the West Coast. He has also discussed retiring. Boston could also cut ties with Paul Pierce, the longest-tenured member of the team, who is due to earn $15.3 million next season; he could be bought out for $5 million. Pierrce will be 36 by the 2013-14 opener and showed signs of slowing down this season, when he averaged the fewest minutes per game in his career. Bobby Jenks Jersey. Rivers took over the Celtics in 2004 in the midst of the longest title drought in franchise history and -- with thanks to the New Big Three of Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen -- guided them to the 2008 NBA title. They returned to the NBA Finals two years later, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. But the Celtics have regressed steadily since then, twice failing to get past the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This year they finished third in the Atlantic Division -- they had won it five straight times -- and lost to the New York Knicks in the first round. That convinced many that it was time to rebuild -- a process Rivers was reluctant to supervise. If the Celtics unload Garnett and Pierce, that would leave them with point guard Rajon Rondo as their only established star. Rivers had the second-longest tenure of any NBA coach to San Antonios Gregg Popovich, compiling a 416-305 record in Boston that was the third-most wins in franchise history behind Red Auerbach (795) and Tommy Heinsohn (427). He also spent four-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic and is 587-473 in all. Trades for coaches have occurred about a half-dozen times in NBA history, most recently in 2007 when the Heat received compensation for allowing Stan Van Gundy to go to the Orlando Magic. In 1983, the Chicago Bulls sent a second-round draft pick to Atlanta as compensation for coach Kevin Loughery. The Hawks used that pick to take Glenn "Doc" Rivers. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

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NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce has been fined $15,000 for his flagrant foul on George Hill of the Pacers. Yellow Josh Donaldson Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. But his arm ended up going around Hills neck for a clothesline tackle. Referees ruled it a flagrant 2 after review, an automatic ejection. The NBA said Tuesday that Pierce made "excessive and unnecessary contact." Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jersey .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Roger Clemens Blue Jays Jersey . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea.http://www.officialbluejaysonline.com/authentic-drew-hutchison-blue-jays-jersey/ . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR.SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame sent quite the message in its Atlantic Coast Conference debut. Eric Atkins scored 19 points, Pat Connaughton had 16 and the Fighting Irish upset No. 7 Duke 79-77 on Saturday. The victory comes in the wake of leading scorer Jerian Grants dismissal from school two weeks ago for an academic violation and provides a much-needed confidence boost as the Irish begin play in their new league. "Its really important for our group given the two weeks weve had to feel like, Hey, we may still have a shot at this thing. Because nobody else thought we had a shot," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. Atkins scored seven points during a decisive 20-4 run as Notre Dame rallied from a 10-point deficit and held on to win two weeks after squandering an eight-point lead in the final 50 seconds against No. 3 Ohio State at Madison Square Garden. "It definitely gives us a lot of life. Everybodys confidence is up now, winning such a big game," Atkins said. The Irish (10-4, 1-0) improved to 13-6 against top-10 teams at home under Brey. It was the first loss in an ACC opener for the Blue Devils (11-3, 0-1) in seven seasons. Rodney Hood, who led the Blue Devils with 27 points, said Duke played like an immature team, allowing the Irish to hold the ball for long periods and then score as the shot clock ticked down. "When we needed a stop, we didnt get a stop," Hood said. "We had some balls go in and out, but I can name at least 10 plays where it was a breaking point and we didnt pull it off." Duke used a 9-0 run to open a 49-40 lead early in the second half and stretched the lead to 60-50 when Andre Dawkins made a 3 from the top of the key with about 11 minutes left. But when Notre Dame went to a small lineup to try to guard the Blue Devils better from behind the arc, Demetrius Jackson hit a 3 to spark the 20-4 run. "I thought that was the biggest shot of the game," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "If we get a stop, we could have gone up by 12. Devon Travis Blue Jays Jersey. That was a huge shot." Atkins tied the game on a layup, and then followed with another basket inside on a pass from Connaughton. Steve Vasturia, who wasnt getting much playing time before Grant was dismissed, hit a 3-pointer to give the Irish a 68-64 lead after Duke freshman Jabari Parker, who struggled all game, badly missed a 3. "That was a huge shot to really make us believe," Brey said. The Blue Devils closed within one point twice in the final 2 minutes, but the Irish didnt wilt under the pressure. Atkins made a layup after Duke cut it to 72-71, and then Garrick Sherman hit a free throw with 16 seconds left after missing the first. Duke still had a chance to tie the game, but Hood dribbled too deep and had a pass stolen by Jackson. Each team finished with six turnovers. Krzyzewski blamed the loss on Dukes defence. "We just stopped playing the defence that we were playing," he said. Sherman had 14 points as the Irish outscored Duke 44-16 in the paint. Quinn Cook had 22 points for Duke, which was 12 of 28 from beyond the arc, one shy of its season high. Parker, who grew up 90 miles away in Chicago, failed to score in double figures for the first time this season. He missed his first four shots, including a 12-foot baseline air ball, and had a jumper blocked by Austin Burgett. Cook looked frustrated at the end of the first half when it appeared Parker ran the wrong play. Parker had seven points on 2-for-10 shooting and wasnt in the game at the end. "He just wasnt having a good game," Krzyzewski said. Brey said good team defence played a role in Parkers off day. "I think there was a great team awareness of him. I wish we could have used some of that on Hood," he said. Brey improved to 1-1 against his former boss. "Its a historic day for us, our first ACC game," Brey said. "To beat a program like Dukes will always be a great memory for us starting off in Atlantic Coast Conference play." Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

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(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees are making a push for the playoffs and are expected to have shortstop Derek Jeter back in the lineup on Monday for the opener of a three-game series versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Jonas Valanciunas Jersey . The Blue Jays will send R.A. Dickey to the hill for tonights opener and the right- handed knuckleballer has just one victory over his last nine starts. The Blue Jays return home following a 2-8 road trip, one that included getting swept in four games at New York. That extended Torontos season-long struggles in this series as it has lost 12 of 13 to the Yankees. The Jays have lost all 10 of the meetings in New York this year and their lone victory over the Yankees came in Toronto back on April 21. Toronto snapped a seven-game overall losing streak with Sundays 2-1 win over Houston, but needed a late surge to do so. Moises Sierra drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to tie the game and Ryan Goins brought home the winner with a groundout in the frame. Mark Buehrle worked the first eight innings, scattering seven hits and one run while fanning seven for the victory. Casey Janssen walked two and gave up a hit in the ninth, but held on for his 23rd save. "Wins like that have been hard to come by," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "We were in so many games, all except the first two here, but we came up short. But to win the final one, it always feel good." Gibbons will send R.A. Dickey to the hill for tonights opener and the right- handed knuckleballer has just one victory over his last nine starts. Dickey is coming off a 4-2 loss at the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out nine over eight innings. He was also part of history, giving up a first-inning single to Ichiro Suzuki that was the Yankee outfielders 4,000th professional hit. "What an incredible achievement," Dickey said of Suzuki. "And the manner in which hes done it is equally as impressive ... just the longevity, the endurance, the durability. It couldnt have happened to a more professional hitter." Dickey, who logged at least seven innings for a fourth straight start, fell to 9-12 with a 4.49 earned run average in 27 starts this year. The 38-year-old has lost both of his starts versus the Yankees in 2013 and is 3-3 against them lifetime with a 3.44 ERA in 12 games (6 starts). The 39-year-old Jeter has been limited to just five games this year due to various leg injuries. He began the campaign on the disabled list due to a left ankle injury, not making his season debut on July 11. Jeter played in one game before injuring his right quadriceps, which sidelined him until July 28. Following another four games, he returned to the DL due to a right calf ailment, but was able to wrap a three-game rehab assignment without issue on Saturday. The Yankees may have to be cautious with Jeter, but at seven games off the pace in the AL East and 3 1/2 behind the second AL wild card spot, they also may not have a lot of time. "He has played three days in a row (in the minors). From everything I understand, he felt pretty good," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "I dont know if we can afford to be apprehensive." The Yankees have won 11 of their last 15 contests, but needed extra innings to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Alfonso Soriano ripped a one-out double in the 11th inning and stole third base, leading to Curtis Grandersons sacrifice fly. Mariano Rivera then retired the Rays in order to secure the 3-2 win and his 38th save of the season. "We got a lot of big performances out of a lot of people today," said Girardi. "Thats a great team win." The Yankees counter with Phil Hughes, who stands just 4-12 with a 4.88 ERA in 24 starts on the season and has not won since July 2. He is 0-5 with a 5.63 ERA in eight starts since, but did turn in a quality outing last time out. The 27-year-old righty pitched one game of a doubleheader versus the Blue Jays last Tuesday and did not factor into a 3-2 win. Hughes, though, allowed just two runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings. Hughes is 5-5 with a save and 4.80 ERA in 25 career meetings with the Blue Jays, including 18 starts. Tracy Mcgrady Raptors Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Vince Carter Jersey . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Delon-Wright-Raptors-Jersey/ . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach.The Vancouver Canucks will be without forward Alexandre Burrows for a couple of weeks according to head coach John Tortorella. The coach would not get into specifics about the injury to Burrows, but it is believed to be a foot injury picked up blocking a shot in the season opening, 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Kyle Lowry Jersey. The 32-year-old forward played 18:34 for the Canucks in San Jose and finished with no points and a minus-1 rating. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates placed ace A. Cheap Ugg Boots Uk .J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf and filled his roster spot by activating right-hander Charlie Morton, who returns to the majors almost a year to the day after having Tommy John surgery. Morton, who underwent the elbow reconstruction procedure last June 14, will start Thursday night against the San Francisco Giants. Burnett was scheduled to start Friday against the Dodgers but the 36-year-old notified manager Clint Hurdle of the calf problem Wednesday. He is 4-5 with a 3.12 ERA and is second in the National League with 99 strikeouts. Jeff Locke will start Friday. The Pirates also released reliever Jose Contreras, who had been on the disabled list with lower back pain. Cheap Uggs Uk . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Ugg Bailey Button Sale Uk. The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. http://www.u-g-gforsaleonline.com/ugg-slippers-sale.html . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants.Anze Kopitar scored the third of three goals in a six-minute stretch of the third period Saturday to give Slovenia a surprising 3-1 victory over the usually steady Slovaks in its first Olympic hockey tournament. After two evenly played periods, the Slovenes were stronger and seemed more inspired in the third. Rok Ticar broke a scoreless tie 3:23 innto the final period. Cheap Real Ugg Boots Uk Sale. Tomaz Razingar scored midway through the third and Kopitar, the only NHL player on his team, scored 23 seconds later. Robert Kristan stopped the first 27 shots he faced before Tomas Jurco scored with 17.8 seconds left in the game. Slovakia and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

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MILAN, Italy -- Mario Balotelli has been banned for three matches following a confrontation with the referee after AC Milans loss to Napoli. Jeff Hornacek Jersey . Balotelli, who missed a penalty and scored in Sundays match, was shown a second yellow card after the final whistle for his protests. The Italy striker will miss the next three matches for making "insulting and intimidating comments" toward the referee. Balotelli will miss the games against Bologna, Sampdoria and Juventus. Milan will have its Curva Sud section shut for the next home game against Sampdoria as punishment for racist chanting during the loss to Napoli. AC Milan has announced it will appeal both sentences. Swingman Rudy Gobert Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Alec Burks Jazz Jersey . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at .http://www.officialjazzproauthentic.com/Authentic-Karl-Malone-Jazz-Jersey/ . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener.EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings released goalie Mathieu Garon and loaned right wing Tyler Toffoli to their AHL affiliate in Manchester on Sunday. The Kings also loaned centre Linden Vey and left wing Tanner Pearson to Manchester. Garon joined the Kings for a training camp tryout, but failed to beat out Ben Scrivens for the backup job behind Jonathan Quick. Garon played for Los Angeles from 2005-07 during an 11-year NHL career with six teams. The 21-year-old Toffoli played inn 10 regular-season games last season, scoring five points in his first career NHL action. Swingman Derrick Favors Jersey. He also appeared in 12 playoff contests, scoring six points while the Kings reached the Western Conference finals. Pearson appeared in one playoff game for the Kings last season, making his NHL debut. Vey also is among Los Angeles top prospects, but has yet to play in an NHL game. The moves leave the Kings with 13 forwards on their roster. Los Angeles opens the regular season Thursday at Minnesota. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

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HOUSTON -- Aurelien Collin scored in the 73rd minute to lift Sporting Kansas City to a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Sunday night. Swingman Mo Williams Jersey . The loss snapped Houstons record 36-game home unbeaten streak, including 30 straight in MLS play. Houston had not lost at home since a 2-0 defeat against Columbus on June 18, 2011. Collins goal gave Sporting Kansas City (6-4-2) its second win in five games. From eight yards out, Collin headed Seth Sinovics throw-in toward the goal and Houstons Corey Ashe headed the ball down over the goal line. Houston (6-3-2), which saw its five-game unbeaten streak end, nearly tied it in the 80th minute as Jason Johnson headed a bouncer inside the far post off a corner kick, but Paulo Nagamura cleared it off the end line. Ricardo Clark had an opportunity for the equalizer a minute later, but his header from inside the upper box was saved by diving KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. Houstons Andrew Driver saw a blast from inside the upper left box go wide of the near post in the 85th minute. Oriol Rosell had a shot from just outside the left box stopped by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall in the 10th minute. Brad Davis had a free kick from 25 yards out in the middle saved by Nielsen before it could creep inside the near post in the 25th minute.Cheap Kyrie Irving Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. LeBron James Cavaliers Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.procavaliersshop.com/jr-smith-cavaliers-jersey/ . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. HOUSTON -- Theres something about the sixth inning in the last week for Nelson Cruz. Hes hit game-tying home runs in the frame in three games in a week for the Texas Rangers. The latest one came on Saturday night when Cruz, Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman all homered to back up another solid outing by Yu Darvish, and the Rangers held on for an 8-7 win over the Houston Astros. His first one came Sunday in a win over Boston, and he also did it in a victory over Houston Friday. "I wish we could play the sixth inning to start every (game)," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "That was a big hit. That was a real big hit." Cruz struggled to quantify whats been different for him lately. "I guess I get more focused," said Cruz, who has nine homers this season. "Its something you cant explain; its baseball. Its something Ive been doing all my career, late in the innings making sure I get my focus." Darvish (6-1) yielded three hits and three runs, leaving after the seventh with an 8-3 lead. In his previous outing against the Astros, he came within one out of pitching a perfect game at Houston on April 2. Matt Dominguez homered twice off Darvish. Dominguez didnt play in the first game against the Japanese star this season. "I think the only thing he struggled with today was Dominguez," Washington said. "Other than that, I thought he did a good job. He handled the rest of the lineup. He just threw two pitches to Dominguez that he didnt miss." Darvish didnt think any player had ever taken him deep more than once in a game before Saturday, but then he realized that wasnt true. "Thats what I thought, but then I recalled in high school I think I gave up two home runs to the same hitter in a game," he said through a translator. Dominguez, who didnt have a homer before Saturday, was excited to face Darvish, since he missed him the first time around. "Thats kind of big for me," he said. "I was waiting for my first home run to come, and it took a while. But to go out and face him and be able to do it off him, such a great pitcher, its a big confidence boost." Houston led 3-1 before it was done in by its bullpen during a six-run sixth inning by the Rangers. Cruz, who also homered on Friday night, got things going with his two-run homer off reliever Philip Humber (0-8) that tied it. Pinch-hitter David Murphy put the Rangers on top with an RBI double. Humber, who was moved out of the rotation this week, was rocked for five hits and five runs while getting only two outs. "Obviously that one is on me," Humber said. "I didnt execute some pitches I needed to execute, and they made me pay for it." The Astros scored three times in the ninth to cut the lead to one run, but closer Joe Nathan settled down to retire pinch-hitter Chris Carter to end it and get his 11th save.J.R. Smith Jersey. Darvish fanned eight and leads the majors with 80 strikeouts. With 301 career strikeouts, he joined Dwight Gooden (319) as the only pitchers in major league history to reach at least 300 in their first 37 major league starts. Darvish improved to 3-0 with 33 strikeouts in three career starts against the Astros. The Houston bullpen trouble ruined a nice night for starter Erik Bedard, who allowed four hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings. Beltre put Texas up 1-0 with a solo homer to start the second. Darvish retired the first seven batters before Dominguez launched a solo drive in the third. Marwin Gonzalez, who singled to break up Darvishs perfect game with two outs in the ninth last month, followed with an infield hit. Dominguezs two-run homer in the fifth put Houston ahead 3-1. It was the first multihomer game of his career. Berkman extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to 17 games with a single to start the sixth inning that chased Bedard. Humber took over and struck out Beltre before the trouble began. Cruz tied it at 3 with a homer that landed in Houstons bullpen in right-centre field. Moreland followed with a soaring triple, which landed on Tals Hill just in front of the centre-field wall at the 436-foot mark. Murphys ground-rule double made it 4-3. Geovany Soto walked, pinch-hitter Leonys Martin hit a two-run triple and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single for a 7-3 lead, chasing Humber. Berkman hit a solo homer to left-centre field off Jose Cisnero to start the seventh inning. A sacrifice fly by Jose Altuve got Houston within 8-4 in the eighth inning. Carlos Corporan singled and Carlos Pena doubled to start Houstons ninth, and the Rangers replaced Michael Kirkman with Nathan. Trevor Crowe hit an RBI single to make it 8-6, Nathan threw a wild pitch that scored a run and Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly. Robbie Grossman walked before Carters fly ball ended the game. NOTES: Murphy was shaken up when he crashed into the wall in left field trying to catch a double by Grossman in the eighth inning, but he remained in the game and Washington said he was OK. ... Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux missed Saturdays game to attend daughter Makaylas graduation from TCU. Bullpen coach Andy Hawkins filled in for him, and minor league pitching co-ordinator Danny Clark joined the team as bullpen coach for the night. ... Houston OF Fernando Martinez cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... OF Rick Ankiel, who was released by Houston on Monday, has cleared unconditional release waivers and can sign with any club. ... The series wraps up on Sunday when Houstons Jordan Lyles opposes Nick Tepesch. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '

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Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Rafael Nadal continued his amazing success on hardcourts this year and cruised into the semifinals at the U. Troy Tulowitzki Jersey .S. Open with a rout of fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo. The second-seeded Nadal breezed to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 win Wednesday night over the No. 19 seed at Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Im playing a little bit better every day," Nadal said. Nadal moved to 20-0 on hardcourts this year and 7-0 all-time against Robredo, including winning 16 of 17 sets. The one-sided match saw the 12-time major champion belt 82 winners and commit just 15 unforced errors. Nadal, this years French Open champion, 2010 U.S. Open winner and 2011 Open finalist, won points on 31-of-36 of his first serves and lost a point just one time during his 16 net approaches. Nadal captured the first set in just 22 minutes and had a 24-5 advantage in points won. He took the first eight games of the match. Nadal has not lost serve in his five matches at this fortnight. He hasnt lost serve since the second set in the semifinals against Tomas Berdych at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati on Aug. 17. Next up for Nadal will be nifty Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who ousted French Open runner-up David Ferrer to secure a berth in the semifinals. The eighth-seeded Gasquet held off the fourth-seeded Ferrer 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 at Ashe Stadium to become the first Frenchman to reach a U.S. Open semi in 20 years. Nadal has owned Gasquet with a 10-0 record in professional matchups. Gasquet recalled the last time he beat Nadal was when they were 13 years old. Gasquet won in three sets at the Les Petits As in Tarbes, one of the biggest tournaments for juniors aged 12-14. "I think I lost 6-4 in the third. Yeah, I remember. I think in the quarterfinals," Nadal said. "It was a great match. Richard was amazing in that moment. It was a great battle for me." Since then, though, Nadal has owned the Frenchman and has won 15 straight sets versus Gasquet. The 27-year-old Gasquet will appear in only his second career Grand Slam semifinal and his first since landing in the final four at Wimbledon six years ago. After Gasquet shockingly swept the first two sets from Ferrer on Day 10, the gritty Spaniard fought back to take the next two stanzas and force a deciding fifth. In the final set, Gasquet held for a 3-2 edge and then got the biggest break of the match for a 4-2 lead. He promptly consolidated the break with a hold and held on from there. Gasquet converted on his first match point with a forehand winner after 3 hours, 23 minutes of compelling tennis on a sunny Wednesday in New York City. The Frenchman wound up with six service breaks, compared to four for his Spanish counterpart. The 6-foot-1 Gasquet, a two-time champion on the ATP World Tour this year, also captured his fourth-round match in five sets, topping Canadian slugger Milos Raonic. "I think I work a lot physically," Gasquet said." (I) was a little bit tired after Raonic. We played 4 hours 30 minutes, but I knew I could play another big match. I was feeling not so tired this morning. And I knew I had to be aggressive." Gasquet is now 2-8 lifetime against Ferrer, including 1-2 at the majors. Ferrer beat Gasquet in the round of 16 in New York a year ago. "I have a lot of experience, but I lost a little bit my focus in that moment," Ferrer said. "Next time I will try to be more focused." The 31-year-old Ferrer was a semifinalist at last years U.S. Open and lost to the great Nadal in an all-Spanish French Open final in June. Hes reached at least the quarters at the last eight Grand Slam events. Two other quarterfinals will be staged on Thursday, when top-seeded Novak Djokovic takes on 21st-seeded Mikhail Youzhny and third-seeded Andy Murray tangles with ninth seed Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic captured the U.S. Open in 2011 and was the runner-up in 2007, 2010 and last year when he gave way to Murray in the final. Murray is the reigning champ in New York, was a runner-up here in 2008, and is also the reigning Wimbledon titlist, having beaten Djokovic in Julys finale at the All England Club. Djokovic beat Murray in this years Australian Open final. Youzhny is a two-time U.S. Open semifinalist. Josh Donaldson All Star Jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Yellow Roger Clemens Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday.http://www.officialbluejaysonline.com/authentic-joe-carter-blue-jays-jersey/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler.AUBURN, Ala. -- Aaron Murray and the Georgia Bulldogs could only watch as their fabulous comeback fell apart with one painfully unpredictable play. Ricardo Louis scored on a deflected 73-yard pass from Nick Marshall on fourth and 18 with 25 seconds left to give No. 7 Auburn a 43-38 victory over the 25th-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday night. "Thats a freak play," Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray said. "Its like a nightmare. You try to wake up, and we are celebrating victory. Its tough. This is going to be a tough one to get over." The Tigers (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) had blown a 27-7 lead but pulled out one more huge play to continue the biggest turnaround in major college football. From 3-9 last year, they can win the SEC West with a victory in two weeks against No. 1 Alabama. Marshall heaved the ball downfield with two defenders around Louis. It bounced off safety Josh Harvey-Clemons hand and Louis reached out his left hand to corral it. Marshall said he stiff armed a defender before letting the ball fly. "I couldnt believe it," Louis said. "It just landed right into my hands. I saw it once it got over my shoulder. It got tipped, I lost track of it ... but when I looked over my shoulders, it was right there." Murray, who had engineered the comeback with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, could only stare helplessly from the bench. A win could have kept the Bulldogs alive in the SEC East. "We played a great team playing great in their house," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "It looked kind of bleak there for a minute and the boys just started fighting. We got ourselves in position to take the lead, obviously late in the game. We gave them a fourth and 18 and thats almost as good as it gets." Murray led Georgia (6-4, 4-3) all the way to Auburns 20 but his final two passes fell incomplete as time ran out. Dee Ford hit him on the last pass as Murray ran toward the line before trying to throw. Richt said he couldnt remember being on the sidelines for a similar loss since his Florida State days. "When you lose, you tend to think about the things you should have done," he said. "When you win, you just think about how great it is. "Lets face it, as good as Auburn is and has been playing, theyve got all the momeentum going. Kevin Pillar Blue Jays Jersey. " Some Auburn players climbed into the stands to celebrate with students, and most fans stayed put to celebrate the victory. It only came after Murray gave the Tigers a big scare. He had plowed into Ryan Smith at the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown with 1:49 left. Auburn challenged the final TD, but replay officials upheld the call on the field. That left the Tigers starting at their own 22 with 1:45 left. They managed one first down but Jordan Jenkins sacked Marshall to set up fourth and 18. Marshall then produced the biggest play of his career against the Bulldogs, where he played as a freshman defensive back. He was dismissed from the team in February 2012 for violating team rules and returned to the SEC after a season in junior college. He finished 15-of-26 passing for 229 yards after attempting only 15 passes combined in the past two games thanks to a steamrolling running game. Marshall also ran 19 times for 89 yards. He also threw a game-winning TD pass with 10 seconds left against Mississippi State, but there was much more on the line this time. The 2010 national champions are potential contenders again. "They find a way to win," said Gus Malzahn, Auburns first-year coach. "This team has the it factor. Thats just the bottom line." He had simple plans for celebration. "This is definitely a Waffle House night," Malzahn said. The Tigers deserve something for pulling this one out against Murray. The prolific Georgia passer completed 33 of 49 passes for 415 yards and two touchdowns in the final 9:35, with an earlier interception. Murray also ran for two scores and had 160 yards passing in the fourth quarter. Todd Gurley ran 15 times for 79 yards and a touchdown and caught 10 passes for 77 yards. Auburn gained 566 yards, Georgia 532. The Tigers ran for 323 yards against a defence that came in giving up 126 yards a game on the ground, 20th nationally. They had lost the last two meetings in the Deep Souths oldest rivalry by 38 points apiece. Now, the Tigers hold a razor-thin 55-54-8 edge. Auburn rode that punishing running game and Georgia mistakes to a 27-10 halftime lead, at one point outgaining the Bulldogs 170-4 before the comeback began. "It was just a whale of a game, I guess," Richt said. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '
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