TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays homestand doesnt get any easier tonight with the arrival of the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers to begin a three-game weekend series. R.A. ***ey faces Anibal Sanchez in the opener. Toronto was looking to gain ground on AL East-leading Baltimore to kick off the week, but lost two of three to the Orioles. That left the Blue Jays five games out of first place heading into tonights action. The Jays were bested 2-1 in Thursdays rubber match, with Anthony Gose homering and J.A. Happ giving up a two-run blast to Caleb Joseph in the fourth inning that was the difference in the clubs fifth loss in six games. Happ yielded five hits and struck out a career-high 12 over eight innings. "Our lineup is what it is right now," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "Some nights youre going to get that big hit, some nights youre not." On the same day that Toronto placed third baseman Brett Lawrie on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique, designated hitter Melky Cabrera was hit on the right elbow by a pitch in the first inning on Thursday. He tried to remain in the game, but exited in the third and is day-to-day after x-rays came back negative. The Blue Jays swept a three-game series in Detroit from June 3-5 after losing five of seven to the Tigers a season ago. The Tiger are coming off losing three of four against the Yankees in New York, despite running out three former Cy Young Award winners -- including David Price in his Detroit debut -- and a 13-game winner in Rick Porcello. Porcello took the 1-0 loss in Thursdays finale despite scattering nine hits over seven innings of one-run ball. His offense did little to help, going 0- for-4 with runners in scoring position one game after an 0-for-7 showing in such situations in Wednesdays setback. "Our guys pitched great, but as well as we pitched and played defense, our offense didnt match up," Tigers catcher Alex Avila remarked. Detroit saw its lead atop the American League Central over the Kansas City Royals trimmed to 2 1/2 games and will pin its hopes tonight on Sanchez. The right-hander has split his last six starts, going 3-3 with a 4.93 earned run average, but is coming off a dominating 4-0 win over Colorado on Sunday. Sanchez hurled seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball while striking out a season-high 12 batters without issuing a walk. Sanchez became the first Tigers pitcher to fan 12 or more without a walk since Max Scherzer on June 17, 2012 against the Rockies. "He used his fastball perfectly," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He threw it in, he threw it out and as a result, all of his other pitches were much more effective." The 30-year-old Sanchez is 8-5 on the year with a 3.37 ERA and did not get a decision versus Toronto on June 3 despite seven scoreless innings. He also gave up just two hits in that one, striking out five to no walks. Sanchez is 2-2 in his career with a 4.20 ERA versus Toronto, which counters with its own former Cy Young winner in ***ey. However, the knuckleball specialist is just 9-11 with a 4.03 ERA this year after getting denied a third straight winning start on Saturday. ***ey instead lost an 8-2 decision in Houston, charged with five runs on nine hits over seven-plus innings. The 39-year-old righty is 6-2 with a save and 3.84 ERA in 16 previous meetings, including nine starts, versus Detroit. That includes a win on June 4 as he yielded two runs -- on solo homers to Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler -- seven hits and four walks over just five innings. Cheap Jerseys On Sale . Even though, the 2014 edition enjoyed three days of practice and four skates, in total, before the opener, Sidney Crosby and Co. Cheap Jerseys Authentic . LOUIS -- Cincinnati scratched pitcher Mat Latos from an injury rehabilitation start due to right elbow irritation and placed reliever Trevor Bell on the 15-day disabled list with an aching right elbow. http://www.cheapjerseysworld.us.com/ . Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter for San Francisco in 2009, struggled in five appearances with Pittsburgh last season, finishing with an 11.85 ERA with eight walks in 13 2-3 innings. Cheap Jerseys From China . After the buzzer sounded following the second period of Game 6 on Sunday night, Lundqvist casually skated behind Crosby and sprayed him with water while Crosby was down on the ice. No penalty was called. The league punished Lundqvist on Monday night for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cheap NFL Jerseys .com) - Kevin Love scored 27 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 91-87 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.VANCOUVER - Radim Vrbata has two goals for the Vancouver Canucks final pre-season game: do well and stay healthy.You want both. I think you want to play as close as you to can to how youre going to play the first game of the season, said the veteran winger. You want to be close to the top of your play as a team and as individuals.Everybodys gearing up to that first game.The Canucks wrap up their exhibition schedule Saturday night at home against the Edmonton Oilers before the regular season gets underway Wednesday in Calgary against the Flames.Players and coaches probably look at (the pre-season finale) a little different, Vancouver head coach Willie Desjardins said after Fridays practice at Rogers Arena. I want to see it as This is how were going to play. The players probably see it as I want to get out of this healthy.I want to push us and I want us to have a good game.Saturday will mark a final tuneup for some players, while for others it will be a last chance to make an impression with Vancouvers decision makers.Im looking to ramp it right up, said Canucks forward Zack Kassian, who has missed time with a lower-body injury. Its one more until the real deal starts, so theres no sitting back. Theres no feeling it out.Linden Vey has bounced between centre and the wing during pre-season a as well as playing on the first power-play unit a and looks to have cemented a job with the Canucks after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.Its the last one so you want to make sure to bring your best effort. This is what everybodys been gearing up for all summer, said Vey. Were looking forward to it. This is the time of year you want to be playing. This is the last chance to get everything ready to go for the start of the year.Canucks goalie Miller, who like Vrbata signed with the team in the off-season, said hes still getting comfortable in the crease and is learning the tendencies of his teammates a especially the defencemen.I think were moving in the right direction and I just want to keep doing my part, said Miller. Theres always more to do. Its never finished, so its always going to be a process but its feeling good a just getting things underway here has been exciting.Trying to have good intensity, good focus, get things movingg and get your mind right for the regular season.ddddddddddddn the other side is Nicklas Jensen, who is still with the big club but remains in a tenuous position. He and fellow forward Bo Horvat a who suffered a shoulder contusion on Thursday in Edmonton that isnt considered serious a are battling for a spot up front.And with Horvat on the shelf for a few days, Jensen has one more chance to impress.Im happy with how Ive played, said the 21-year-old Dane. Theres some stuff I know I could have done a little bit better and I wanted to change, but theres also some stuff Im very happy about. The fact that Ive been consistent over all the games has been good.Desjardins said he has been impressed with how all the youngsters have competed.(Jensen) has been pretty good all year. He skates well, hes opened up ice well, said the rookie coach. He hasnt looked out of place, but I think you could say the same with Bo Horvat. He hasnt looked out of place either.Our lineup should be hard to crack. It should be tough for guys to get in. The good thing is these guys are pushing hard and theyre making the choices harder.One of those choices was to send Hunter Shinkaruk down to the AHLs Utica Comets on Friday. A former first-round pick like both Jensen and Horvat, the Canucks felt the 19-year-old forward needed more time to develop.Hes got to get a more all-around game, said Desjardins. I thought he was good offensively. I thought there were times that he showed real well and thats what we want out of him. We want him to be a guy that loves to score, a guy thats quick on the attack, and I think he showed those things. But he needs more experience at the pro level.To get his game to the best it can be he needs a little more time.Like a lot of young players, Desjardins said the defensive side of the game is something Shinkaruk needs to work on, and that the demotion should be a positive for his development in the long run.What you want as a young player is when you get (to the NHL) you want to be able to stay, said Desjardins. You dont want to come up and then lose your confidence and then get sent down because that could really hurt your career. I think hell get more confidence the next time hes up by playing down in the American Hockey League. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
เข้าชม : 93
|
