Never give up: Oakland's Brandon Moss runs to first base after hitting an RBI single in the first inning on Wednesday. APThe Oakland Athletics won the division title with another improbable rally in a season full of them, coming back from four runs down and a 13-game division deficit to stun the two-time defending league champion Texas Rangers 12-5 on Wednesday."We knew this is a beast of a team we would have to beat, and to be able to beat them three games in a row and win the division on top of it, really it's a magical-type thing," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.Josh Hamilton dropped a fly ball in center field for a two-run error that put the A's (94-68) ahead 7-5 in a six-run fourth inning. Oakland only added to Texas' troubles the rest of the way.While Hamilton's Rangers (93-69) are headed to the new one-game, wild-card playoff at home against Baltimore on Friday, the A's get two days off before opening the division series at Detroit on Saturday in their first postseason appearance since being swept by the Tigers in the 2006 AL Championship Series."It's going to be a tough matchup," Melvin said. "They have a very powerful lineup that can certainly score some runs. They also have great starting pitching. We will have our work cut out for us."Yankees 14, Red Sox 2In New York, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson each hit a pair of homers, powering the Yankees past the Red Sox for their 13th AL East title in 17 years.Hiroki Kuroda (16-11) shut Boston down with an encouraging performance after struggling through much of September. He allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings.Granderson hit his career-best 42nd homer in the second, a three-run shot off Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-7), making his first start since Sept. 19. Cano then connected in the third for a 5-1 lead.One batter later Matsuzaka was finished, most likely ending his six-year career with Boston. The Red Sox paid $51.1 million to win the rights to the Japanese star and gave him a $52 million contract. Matsuzaka went 33-15 in his first two years, helping Boston win a World Series in 2007. But injuries, including elbow-reconstruction surgery June 2011, marred the last four years and he finished the deal 50-37."I didn't expect my six years to end the way it did," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "It has been really hard on me mentally for a while now."Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-5 with two runs for New York.Rays 4, Orioles 1In St. Petersburg, Florida, Evan Longoria homered three times.White Sox 9, Indians 0In Cleveland, Dan Johnson hit his first three homers of the season.Blue Jays 2, Twins 1In Toronto, Brandon Morrow struck out a season-high 11, and Omar Vizquel wrapped up his 24-year career.Mariners 12, Angels 0In Seattle, Casper Wells tied a career-high with five RBIs.NATIONAL LEAGUENationals 5, Phillies 1In Washington, the NL East champion Nationals secured home-field advantage throughout the postseason with their major league-high 98th victory.Braves 4, Pirates 0In Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward singled twice and scored two runs.Cubs 5, Astros 4In Chicago, Houston ended its National League tenure with a loss.Mets 4, Marlins 2In Miami, Ike Davis hit his 32nd homer.Rockies 2, Diamondbacks 1In Phoenix, Jeff Francis earned his first victory in more than a month.Dodgers 5, Giants 1In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw finished with a major league-leading 2.53 ERA.Padres 7, Brewers 6In Milwaukee, Chase Headley drove in two runs.Norichika Aoki finished 1-for-5 with a run for the Brewers.Cardinals 1, Reds 0In St. Louis, rookie Shelby Miller took a no-hitter into the sixth.
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Friday, October 5, 2012
Athletics sweep Rangers to claim unlikely title
OAKLAND, California — Same chaotic, champagne dance-party scene in the clubhouse just two days later. New T-shirt: AL West champions.Never give up: Oakland's Brandon Moss runs to first base after hitting an RBI single in the first inning on Wednesday. APThe Oakland Athletics won the division title with another improbable rally in a season full of them, coming back from four runs down and a 13-game division deficit to stun the two-time defending league champion Texas Rangers 12-5 on Wednesday."We knew this is a beast of a team we would have to beat, and to be able to beat them three games in a row and win the division on top of it, really it's a magical-type thing," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.Josh Hamilton dropped a fly ball in center field for a two-run error that put the A's (94-68) ahead 7-5 in a six-run fourth inning. Oakland only added to Texas' troubles the rest of the way.While Hamilton's Rangers (93-69) are headed to the new one-game, wild-card playoff at home against Baltimore on Friday, the A's get two days off before opening the division series at Detroit on Saturday in their first postseason appearance since being swept by the Tigers in the 2006 AL Championship Series."It's going to be a tough matchup," Melvin said. "They have a very powerful lineup that can certainly score some runs. They also have great starting pitching. We will have our work cut out for us."Yankees 14, Red Sox 2In New York, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson each hit a pair of homers, powering the Yankees past the Red Sox for their 13th AL East title in 17 years.Hiroki Kuroda (16-11) shut Boston down with an encouraging performance after struggling through much of September. He allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings.Granderson hit his career-best 42nd homer in the second, a three-run shot off Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-7), making his first start since Sept. 19. Cano then connected in the third for a 5-1 lead.One batter later Matsuzaka was finished, most likely ending his six-year career with Boston. The Red Sox paid $51.1 million to win the rights to the Japanese star and gave him a $52 million contract. Matsuzaka went 33-15 in his first two years, helping Boston win a World Series in 2007. But injuries, including elbow-reconstruction surgery June 2011, marred the last four years and he finished the deal 50-37."I didn't expect my six years to end the way it did," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "It has been really hard on me mentally for a while now."Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-5 with two runs for New York.Rays 4, Orioles 1In St. Petersburg, Florida, Evan Longoria homered three times.White Sox 9, Indians 0In Cleveland, Dan Johnson hit his first three homers of the season.Blue Jays 2, Twins 1In Toronto, Brandon Morrow struck out a season-high 11, and Omar Vizquel wrapped up his 24-year career.Mariners 12, Angels 0In Seattle, Casper Wells tied a career-high with five RBIs.NATIONAL LEAGUENationals 5, Phillies 1In Washington, the NL East champion Nationals secured home-field advantage throughout the postseason with their major league-high 98th victory.Braves 4, Pirates 0In Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward singled twice and scored two runs.Cubs 5, Astros 4In Chicago, Houston ended its National League tenure with a loss.Mets 4, Marlins 2In Miami, Ike Davis hit his 32nd homer.Rockies 2, Diamondbacks 1In Phoenix, Jeff Francis earned his first victory in more than a month.Dodgers 5, Giants 1In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw finished with a major league-leading 2.53 ERA.Padres 7, Brewers 6In Milwaukee, Chase Headley drove in two runs.Norichika Aoki finished 1-for-5 with a run for the Brewers.Cardinals 1, Reds 0In St. Louis, rookie Shelby Miller took a no-hitter into the sixth.
Never give up: Oakland's Brandon Moss runs to first base after hitting an RBI single in the first inning on Wednesday. APThe Oakland Athletics won the division title with another improbable rally in a season full of them, coming back from four runs down and a 13-game division deficit to stun the two-time defending league champion Texas Rangers 12-5 on Wednesday."We knew this is a beast of a team we would have to beat, and to be able to beat them three games in a row and win the division on top of it, really it's a magical-type thing," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.Josh Hamilton dropped a fly ball in center field for a two-run error that put the A's (94-68) ahead 7-5 in a six-run fourth inning. Oakland only added to Texas' troubles the rest of the way.While Hamilton's Rangers (93-69) are headed to the new one-game, wild-card playoff at home against Baltimore on Friday, the A's get two days off before opening the division series at Detroit on Saturday in their first postseason appearance since being swept by the Tigers in the 2006 AL Championship Series."It's going to be a tough matchup," Melvin said. "They have a very powerful lineup that can certainly score some runs. They also have great starting pitching. We will have our work cut out for us."Yankees 14, Red Sox 2In New York, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson each hit a pair of homers, powering the Yankees past the Red Sox for their 13th AL East title in 17 years.Hiroki Kuroda (16-11) shut Boston down with an encouraging performance after struggling through much of September. He allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings.Granderson hit his career-best 42nd homer in the second, a three-run shot off Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-7), making his first start since Sept. 19. Cano then connected in the third for a 5-1 lead.One batter later Matsuzaka was finished, most likely ending his six-year career with Boston. The Red Sox paid $51.1 million to win the rights to the Japanese star and gave him a $52 million contract. Matsuzaka went 33-15 in his first two years, helping Boston win a World Series in 2007. But injuries, including elbow-reconstruction surgery June 2011, marred the last four years and he finished the deal 50-37."I didn't expect my six years to end the way it did," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "It has been really hard on me mentally for a while now."Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-5 with two runs for New York.Rays 4, Orioles 1In St. Petersburg, Florida, Evan Longoria homered three times.White Sox 9, Indians 0In Cleveland, Dan Johnson hit his first three homers of the season.Blue Jays 2, Twins 1In Toronto, Brandon Morrow struck out a season-high 11, and Omar Vizquel wrapped up his 24-year career.Mariners 12, Angels 0In Seattle, Casper Wells tied a career-high with five RBIs.NATIONAL LEAGUENationals 5, Phillies 1In Washington, the NL East champion Nationals secured home-field advantage throughout the postseason with their major league-high 98th victory.Braves 4, Pirates 0In Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward singled twice and scored two runs.Cubs 5, Astros 4In Chicago, Houston ended its National League tenure with a loss.Mets 4, Marlins 2In Miami, Ike Davis hit his 32nd homer.Rockies 2, Diamondbacks 1In Phoenix, Jeff Francis earned his first victory in more than a month.Dodgers 5, Giants 1In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw finished with a major league-leading 2.53 ERA.Padres 7, Brewers 6In Milwaukee, Chase Headley drove in two runs.Norichika Aoki finished 1-for-5 with a run for the Brewers.Cardinals 1, Reds 0In St. Louis, rookie Shelby Miller took a no-hitter into the sixth.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Beltre home run lifts Rangers; Darvish earns 16th win
ANAHEIM, California — Although Adrian Beltre was nearly doubled over in abdominal pain before the game, he still demanded a spot in Texas manager Ron Washington's lineup.
Sweet 16: Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish prepares to field the ball against the Angels on Thursday. Texas won 3-1. KYODOAfter Beltre's ninth-inning homer, the Los Angeles Angels were the ones with a sick feeling in their stomachs.Beltre hit a tiebreaking two-run shot off closer Ernesto Frieri, and the Rangers dealt yet another blow to Los Angeles' fading playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory Thursday night.Texas (89-60) improved the AL's best record and stayed four games ahead of Oakland (85-64) in the AL West by taking two of three from the Angels (81-69), who dropped 4? games behind the Athletics and Baltimore in the AL wild-card standings.After a scintillating eight-inning duel between Yu Darvish and Zack Greinke, Beltre connected for his 34th homer against Frieri (3-2), who wasted a fine start by Greinke for the second time in six days."I was glad to be in there, and I'm just glad (Washington) allowed me to be in there," Beltre said. "This is the time of year you want to play. It's not the place or time to relax right now, especially against an opponent in our division."Beltre missed Wednesday's game and nearly sat out Thursday with abdominal troubles before talking his way into the lineup during batting practice. He went 0-for-3 against Greinke, but smashed a hanging slider from Frieri after Michael Young's leadoff single."That was the pitch that I wanted to throw," Frieri said. "He hit it. So what? Every pitch that I made is because I wanted to throw it. He's a good hitter, and that happens. Maybe I didn't put that pitch where I wanted to put it, but I wanted to throw that pitch."Darvish (16-9) held the Angels to four hits and struck out nine while matching Greinke, who gave up five hits and struck out eight. Neither team managed an extra-base hit in the first eight innings.Darvish was largely unhittable for the fifth consecutive start, repeatedly mixing 153-mph fastballs and 105-kph breaking balls while retiring 14 of the Angels' first 16 hitters. The rookie is actually getting better as he closes in on his first major league-playoff experience, leaving Young marveling at the right-hander's improvements."I'm learning about myself, especially before this (good) stretch, when I wasn't consistent and wasn't performing," Darvish said through a translator. "These outings are something the team expects. They acquired me to perform like this."Joe Nathan gave up a two-out double to Albert Pujols in the ninth, but got Kendrys Morales on a fly to finish his 34th save.The Rangers won their second straight game without slugger Josh Hamilton, who will return to Texas for further examination of a sinus condition.Yankees 10, Blue Jays 7In New York, streaking Ichiro Suzuki hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a seven-run fourth inning that was capped by Nick Swisher's grand slam, and the Yankees beat Toronto to open a one-game AL East lead over idle Baltimore.Ichiro, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, homered in the third, then doubled in the fourth. His ninth hit in 10 at-bats chased Aaron Laffey (3-6).Athletics 12, Tigers 4In Detroit, Seth Smith homered, doubled and drove in four runs, and Oakland roughed up Anibal Sanchez to avoid a three-game sweep.Royals 4, White Sox 3In Kansas City, Alex Rios was thrown out at the plate, Alexei Ramirez was picked off third base and AL Central-leading Chicago again failed to come up with a clutch hit.Rays 7, Red Sox 4In St. Petersburg, Florida, B.J. Upton hit a game-ending, three-run homer off Vicente Padilla, capping Tampa Bay's six-run ninth in a win over Boston.Indians 4, Twins 3 (10)In Cleveland, Casey Kotchman hit an RBI single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to lead the Indians to a win over Minnesota.NATIONAL LEAGUENationals 4, Dodgers 1In Washington, the Nationals brought postseason baseball back to the nation's capital for the first time since 1933, earning a playoff spot."Nats Clinch" flashed on the scoreboard as Washington ensured at least an NL wild-card spot behind Ross Detwiler's six strong innings and Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double.Reds 5, Cubs 3In Chicago, Cincinnati became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season.Phillies 16, Mets 1In New York, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley sparked an eight-run first inning, Ryan Howard added a late grand slam and the Phillies routed the inept Mets.Cardinals 5, Astros 4In St. Louis, pinch hitter Carlos Beltran snapped a sixth-inning tie with a two-run double and Allen Craig hit a three-run homer.Brewers 9, Pirates 7In Pittsburgh, Rickie Weeks hit a tying two-run triple and scored the go-ahead run on Aramis Ramirez's single.Norichika Aoki was 2-for-6 with an RBI for Milwaukee.Giants 9, Rockies 2In San Francisco, Pablo Sandoval homered from both sides of the plate and the NL West-leading Giants reduced their magic number to clinch the division to four.Padres 6, Diamondbacks 5In Phoenix, Jesus Guzman homered to help San Diego get the victory.
Sweet 16: Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish prepares to field the ball against the Angels on Thursday. Texas won 3-1. KYODOAfter Beltre's ninth-inning homer, the Los Angeles Angels were the ones with a sick feeling in their stomachs.Beltre hit a tiebreaking two-run shot off closer Ernesto Frieri, and the Rangers dealt yet another blow to Los Angeles' fading playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory Thursday night.Texas (89-60) improved the AL's best record and stayed four games ahead of Oakland (85-64) in the AL West by taking two of three from the Angels (81-69), who dropped 4? games behind the Athletics and Baltimore in the AL wild-card standings.After a scintillating eight-inning duel between Yu Darvish and Zack Greinke, Beltre connected for his 34th homer against Frieri (3-2), who wasted a fine start by Greinke for the second time in six days."I was glad to be in there, and I'm just glad (Washington) allowed me to be in there," Beltre said. "This is the time of year you want to play. It's not the place or time to relax right now, especially against an opponent in our division."Beltre missed Wednesday's game and nearly sat out Thursday with abdominal troubles before talking his way into the lineup during batting practice. He went 0-for-3 against Greinke, but smashed a hanging slider from Frieri after Michael Young's leadoff single."That was the pitch that I wanted to throw," Frieri said. "He hit it. So what? Every pitch that I made is because I wanted to throw it. He's a good hitter, and that happens. Maybe I didn't put that pitch where I wanted to put it, but I wanted to throw that pitch."Darvish (16-9) held the Angels to four hits and struck out nine while matching Greinke, who gave up five hits and struck out eight. Neither team managed an extra-base hit in the first eight innings.Darvish was largely unhittable for the fifth consecutive start, repeatedly mixing 153-mph fastballs and 105-kph breaking balls while retiring 14 of the Angels' first 16 hitters. The rookie is actually getting better as he closes in on his first major league-playoff experience, leaving Young marveling at the right-hander's improvements."I'm learning about myself, especially before this (good) stretch, when I wasn't consistent and wasn't performing," Darvish said through a translator. "These outings are something the team expects. They acquired me to perform like this."Joe Nathan gave up a two-out double to Albert Pujols in the ninth, but got Kendrys Morales on a fly to finish his 34th save.The Rangers won their second straight game without slugger Josh Hamilton, who will return to Texas for further examination of a sinus condition.Yankees 10, Blue Jays 7In New York, streaking Ichiro Suzuki hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a seven-run fourth inning that was capped by Nick Swisher's grand slam, and the Yankees beat Toronto to open a one-game AL East lead over idle Baltimore.Ichiro, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, homered in the third, then doubled in the fourth. His ninth hit in 10 at-bats chased Aaron Laffey (3-6).Athletics 12, Tigers 4In Detroit, Seth Smith homered, doubled and drove in four runs, and Oakland roughed up Anibal Sanchez to avoid a three-game sweep.Royals 4, White Sox 3In Kansas City, Alex Rios was thrown out at the plate, Alexei Ramirez was picked off third base and AL Central-leading Chicago again failed to come up with a clutch hit.Rays 7, Red Sox 4In St. Petersburg, Florida, B.J. Upton hit a game-ending, three-run homer off Vicente Padilla, capping Tampa Bay's six-run ninth in a win over Boston.Indians 4, Twins 3 (10)In Cleveland, Casey Kotchman hit an RBI single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to lead the Indians to a win over Minnesota.NATIONAL LEAGUENationals 4, Dodgers 1In Washington, the Nationals brought postseason baseball back to the nation's capital for the first time since 1933, earning a playoff spot."Nats Clinch" flashed on the scoreboard as Washington ensured at least an NL wild-card spot behind Ross Detwiler's six strong innings and Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double.Reds 5, Cubs 3In Chicago, Cincinnati became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season.Phillies 16, Mets 1In New York, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley sparked an eight-run first inning, Ryan Howard added a late grand slam and the Phillies routed the inept Mets.Cardinals 5, Astros 4In St. Louis, pinch hitter Carlos Beltran snapped a sixth-inning tie with a two-run double and Allen Craig hit a three-run homer.Brewers 9, Pirates 7In Pittsburgh, Rickie Weeks hit a tying two-run triple and scored the go-ahead run on Aramis Ramirez's single.Norichika Aoki was 2-for-6 with an RBI for Milwaukee.Giants 9, Rockies 2In San Francisco, Pablo Sandoval homered from both sides of the plate and the NL West-leading Giants reduced their magic number to clinch the division to four.Padres 6, Diamondbacks 5In Phoenix, Jesus Guzman homered to help San Diego get the victory.Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rangers, Oswalt reach agreement
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The Texas Rangers agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent pitcher Roy Oswalt, expecting the three-time All-Star to join their rotation within a few weeks.Assuming Oswalt passes a physical Thursday, he is expected to go to Triple-A Round Rock and make his first start Saturday."He's been throwing for quite a while now, he feels good about where he is," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said. "I think he's been away long enough that he's excited about coming to the Rangers and getting back to pitching on a regular basis."The deal, worth $4 million if he joins the team by July 1, was announced in the middle of the Rangers' game Tuesday night against Seattle. Oswalt would be able to earn as much as $1 million more based on the number of starts he makes.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Deflections help Devils rally to even series with Rangers
Gatekeeper: New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur defends against New York's Brandon Prust in the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Devils edged the Rangers 3-2 to even the series 1-1. APNEW YORK — The New Jersey Devils quickly changed the game plan: instead of letting the New York Rangers block their shots, they decided to deflect some themselves.It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique's shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night."It's a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "We're happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn't happen."We'll take 1-1."For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn't provide the necessary effort to get it done.New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again."You need to improve as a hockey team every game," said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter's deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2.Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round."Mr. Clutch? I don't know about that," Clarkson said. "I'm going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It's just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good."New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York."That team blocks so many shots," Clarkson said. "It's unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us."Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.New Jersey got even at 2-2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn't drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York's power play in the third.Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.The Devils kept the pressure on New York at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.Saturday, May 5, 2012
Rangers outlast Caps in 3OT thriller
WASHINGTON — Henrik Lundqvist had just spent the better part of 4? hours repelling pucks and shooing skaters from the crease in the pressure-packed situation known as the Stanley Cup playoffs.When it was all over, after the calendar moved from Wednesday to Thursday and the New York Rangers had defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 in three overtimes, Lundqvist was absolutely drained."I think my entire body is just tired right now," said Lundqvist, who stopped 45 shots to help New York take a 2-1 lead in the series. "I just want to lay down and relax and get a massage. My neck is hurting."Marian Gaborik scored at 14:41 of the third overtime to help the Eastern Conference's regular-season champs grab back home-ice advantage from seventh-seeded Washington.Brad Richards sent a pass from the backboards toward Gaborik, who ended the marathon by sliding the puck between the pads of rookie goaltender Braden Holtby."When you get into that many hours of playing, it becomes a mental game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "I felt if the game got longer and longer, our team was at an advantage. We have a mentally tough group. Just not giving in — that's the key."Early in the third overtime, the Capitals killed a New York power play to keep the suspense going.The game started at 7:40 p.m. and stretched into the next day, ending at 12:14 a.m. Thursday. There will be a two-day break before the teams meet for Game 4 on Saturday in Washington.John Carlson got a second-period goal for the Capitals, 2-3 in overtime this postseason. Ryan Callahan scored in the second period to make it 1-0 for the Rangers, who improved to 1-2 in overtime during these playoffs. Predators 2, Coyotes 0In Nashville, Pekka Rinne made 32 saves as he returned to his dominating form, Mike Fisher scored his first goal of these playoffs, and the Predators found their rhythm with a shutout win over Phoenix on in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Rangers hold off Sens in Game 7; Devils top Panthers in 2OT
Frontal shot: New York's Dan Girardi scores past Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson in the second period of Game 7 on Thursday night. The Rangers won 2-1 and took the series 4-3. APNEW YORK — The New York Rangers are likely more relieved than ecstatic now that they have outlasted the pesky Ottawa Senators.It wasn't easy, and after a home loss in Game 5, it almost wasn't likely. But the Eastern Conference's top-seeded team gutted out a big road win and then made it count Thursday night when the Rangers held off the Senators 2-1 in Game 7 to advance to the second round."You don't want to relax too much" said forward Derek Stepan, who had three points in the Rangers' Game 6 win and then helped set up the opening goal in the clincher. "We have a big round ahead of us and we have to make sure we stay focused and keep that emotion high."Defensemen Marc Staal and Dan Girardi scored 4:18 apart in the second period, Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves and the Rangers eliminated the eighth-seeded Senators — completing a rally from a 3-2 hole after losing Game 5."We were talking about it in Ottawa that if we could bring it back here, the fans would be behind us," Girardi said. "The way we play all year got us ready for games like this. We came with a great effort (in Ottawa) and another one tonight."Staal broke the scoreless deadlock, and Girardi gave New York a 2-0 lead with his first career NHL playoff goal. Lundqvist allowed Daniel Alfredsson's power-play goal in the second but stood tall the rest of the way to send the Rangers into a second-round matchup with the seventh-seeded Washington Capitals.New York hadn't hosted a Game 7 since their Stanley Cup victory over Vancouver in 1994, but it stayed perfect at home in deciding games — winning its fourth. The Rangers are 4-5 overall in Game 7, and the Senators dropped to 0-5."We knew they were going to come out strong," said Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, who made 27 saves. "I just wanted to make sure that I gave my team an opportunity to win the hockey game — make the next save for the guys"They had their fans. They had lots of energy."Lundqvist withstood tons of pressure from the Senators, who spent most of the closing 5 minutes in New York's end. The win wasn't secure until Sergei Gonchar tripped Carl Hagelin as he skated toward the empty net with 36.2 seconds remaining.SUNRISE, Florida — Adam Henrique scored his second goal of the game at 3:47 of the second overtime, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in Game 7 early Friday to advance to second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.The Devils wasted a 2-0 lead in the third period, then recovered and earned a matchup with Philadelphia in the East semifinals. Stephen Gionta also scored in regulation for New Jersey, which won a series for the first time since 2007.Martin Brodeur made 43 saves for the Devils in a game that ended on April 27 — the 20th anniversary of Brodeur's first playoff appearance for New Jersey.Stephen Weiss and Marcel Goc scored third-period goals for the Panthers, and Jose Theodore made 32 saves. Florida made a surprising run to the Southeast Division title this season, earning their first postseason berth in 12 years.Henrique picked up a loose puck in the right circle, skated toward the slot and beat Jose Theodore with a low shot. The Devils mobbed Henrique, as Theodore knelt on the ice in disbelief.An hour earlier, all the momentum was going the other way. Down 2-0 entering the third period, Florida had no choice but to attack.Rangers move Darvish up in rotation
ARLINGTON TEXAS — Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said Wednesday he decided to adjust the rotation to have sensation Yu Darvish start Monday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.The move will allow extra rest for Neftali Feliz, who was moved from the bullpen to the rotation this season, while Darvish's start has been pushed up by one day following his 2-0 victory against countryman Hiroki Kuroda and the New York Yankees Tuesday night.Darvish tossed 8? scoreless innings against the Yankees for his third win of his rookie season.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Rookie Ross lifts Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers rookie Robbie Ross makes his way to the bullpen before each game wearing a kiddie cowboy vest and hat while carrying a pink backpack and plush stuffed horse.
Crucial clout: Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes blasts a two-run homer against Chicago in the bottom of the 14th inning on Wednesday. The Athletics beat the White Sox 5-4. APThere's nothing kid-like about the way the 22-year-old left-hander is pitching.Ross worked 2? perfect innings in relief for his AL-best fourth victory and the Rangers beat the New York Yankees 7-3 on Wednesday night, winning their sixth consecutive series to start a season for the first time in franchise history."He's doing the job, he has no fear, he throws the ball over the plate," manager Ron Washington said.As for the two-time defending American League champion Rangers (15-4) having the best record in the majors, Washington said, "We're just playing complete baseball."Adrian Beltre hit one of the Rangers' three homers and a pair of RBI singles. Mile Napoli and Mitch Moreland also homered.After Scott Feldman gave up two runs in 3? innings of a spot start, Ross retired all eight batters he faced with two strikeouts.The Rangers said Ross (4-0) is the first pitcher in the majors since at least 1918 to earn four relief wins in his first six career appearances. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his eight innings, either."I didn't expect anything like this," said Ross, who wasn't even really in the team's plans for this season until an impressive spring.Ross is getting noticed for more than the cowboy get-up put together by veteran pitchers that he has to put on before each game to walk from the dugout to the bullpen."I'm totally fine with that as long as I can be here," he said. "I'm just enjoying it so far, soaking it all in and trying to remember what's going good right now."Red Sox 7, Twins 5In Minneapolis, Mike Aviles homered and the Boston bullpen just barely avoided another big collapse.The Red Sox led 7-1 after five innings, but their beleaguered bullpen was able to hang on with 3? scoreless innings of relief. Last Saturday, Boston blew a 9-0 lead against the Yankees.Minnesota's Liam Hendriks (0-1) gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks in four innings.Mariners 9, Tigers 1In Detroit, Felix Hernandez allowed only a run in seven innings and rookie Alex Liddi hit a two-run homer.Ichiro Suzuki finished 3-for-5 for Seattle.Rays 3, Angels 2In St. Petersberg, Florida, Jeremy Hellickson overcame early struggles to pitch six effective innings and Ben Zobrist homered.Royals 8, IndiansIn Cleveland, Billy Butler hit two of Kansas City's four home runs to help the Royals snap a 12-game losing streak.Orioles 3, Blue Jays 0In Baltimore, Jason Hammel pitched seven innings of four-hit ball and Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles.Athletics 5, White Sox 4 (14)In Oakland, Kila Ka'aihue blooped a winning single in the 14th inning soon after Yoenis Cespedes' tying two-run homer.Kosuke Fukudome finished 1-for-4 with an RBI for Chicago.NATIONAL LEAGUEMets 1, Marlins 1In New York, David Wright hit a two-run homer to become the Mets' career RBIs leader and R.A. Dickey outpitched Mark Buehrle in a crafty duel.Nationals 7 Padres 2In San Diego, Jordan Zimmermann helped Washington set a team record for the longest scoreless innings streak for starters before Orlando Hudson homered and the NL East-leading Nationals beat San Diego.Cardinals 5, Cubs 1In Chicago, David Freese homered and Lance Lynn threw eight strong innings.Phillies 7, Diamondbacks 2In Phoenix, Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings and also hit a two-run single as Philadelphia beat Arizona.Reds 4, Giants 2In Cincinnati, Scott Rolen's homer started a four-run rally in the seventh inning that swept the Reds to a win.Astros 7, Brewers 5In Milwaukee, Jose Altuve had a career-best four hits and J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs as Houston ended its 11-game losing streak to the Brewers.Norichika Aoki was a 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance.Rockies 2, Pirates 1 (1st)Pirates 5, Rockies 1 (2nd)In Pittsburgh, Pedro Alvarez hit his second home run of the day and Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings in the night cap for the Pirates.In the opener, Colorado broke up James McDonald's no-hit bid in the seventh. Matt Reynolds (2-0) won in relief and Rafael Betancourt worked the ninth for his sixth save.Chris Resop (0-2) lost after relieving McDonald in the eighth.Braves 4, Dodgers 2In Los Angeles, Chipper Jones singled home the go-ahead run in his final regular season at-bat at Dodger Stadium after Dan Uggla tied it with his second RBI single earlier in the ninth inning to lead Atlanta.
Crucial clout: Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes blasts a two-run homer against Chicago in the bottom of the 14th inning on Wednesday. The Athletics beat the White Sox 5-4. APThere's nothing kid-like about the way the 22-year-old left-hander is pitching.Ross worked 2? perfect innings in relief for his AL-best fourth victory and the Rangers beat the New York Yankees 7-3 on Wednesday night, winning their sixth consecutive series to start a season for the first time in franchise history."He's doing the job, he has no fear, he throws the ball over the plate," manager Ron Washington said.As for the two-time defending American League champion Rangers (15-4) having the best record in the majors, Washington said, "We're just playing complete baseball."Adrian Beltre hit one of the Rangers' three homers and a pair of RBI singles. Mile Napoli and Mitch Moreland also homered.After Scott Feldman gave up two runs in 3? innings of a spot start, Ross retired all eight batters he faced with two strikeouts.The Rangers said Ross (4-0) is the first pitcher in the majors since at least 1918 to earn four relief wins in his first six career appearances. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his eight innings, either."I didn't expect anything like this," said Ross, who wasn't even really in the team's plans for this season until an impressive spring.Ross is getting noticed for more than the cowboy get-up put together by veteran pitchers that he has to put on before each game to walk from the dugout to the bullpen."I'm totally fine with that as long as I can be here," he said. "I'm just enjoying it so far, soaking it all in and trying to remember what's going good right now."Red Sox 7, Twins 5In Minneapolis, Mike Aviles homered and the Boston bullpen just barely avoided another big collapse.The Red Sox led 7-1 after five innings, but their beleaguered bullpen was able to hang on with 3? scoreless innings of relief. Last Saturday, Boston blew a 9-0 lead against the Yankees.Minnesota's Liam Hendriks (0-1) gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks in four innings.Mariners 9, Tigers 1In Detroit, Felix Hernandez allowed only a run in seven innings and rookie Alex Liddi hit a two-run homer.Ichiro Suzuki finished 3-for-5 for Seattle.Rays 3, Angels 2In St. Petersberg, Florida, Jeremy Hellickson overcame early struggles to pitch six effective innings and Ben Zobrist homered.Royals 8, IndiansIn Cleveland, Billy Butler hit two of Kansas City's four home runs to help the Royals snap a 12-game losing streak.Orioles 3, Blue Jays 0In Baltimore, Jason Hammel pitched seven innings of four-hit ball and Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles.Athletics 5, White Sox 4 (14)In Oakland, Kila Ka'aihue blooped a winning single in the 14th inning soon after Yoenis Cespedes' tying two-run homer.Kosuke Fukudome finished 1-for-4 with an RBI for Chicago.NATIONAL LEAGUEMets 1, Marlins 1In New York, David Wright hit a two-run homer to become the Mets' career RBIs leader and R.A. Dickey outpitched Mark Buehrle in a crafty duel.Nationals 7 Padres 2In San Diego, Jordan Zimmermann helped Washington set a team record for the longest scoreless innings streak for starters before Orlando Hudson homered and the NL East-leading Nationals beat San Diego.Cardinals 5, Cubs 1In Chicago, David Freese homered and Lance Lynn threw eight strong innings.Phillies 7, Diamondbacks 2In Phoenix, Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings and also hit a two-run single as Philadelphia beat Arizona.Reds 4, Giants 2In Cincinnati, Scott Rolen's homer started a four-run rally in the seventh inning that swept the Reds to a win.Astros 7, Brewers 5In Milwaukee, Jose Altuve had a career-best four hits and J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs as Houston ended its 11-game losing streak to the Brewers.Norichika Aoki was a 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance.Rockies 2, Pirates 1 (1st)Pirates 5, Rockies 1 (2nd)In Pittsburgh, Pedro Alvarez hit his second home run of the day and Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings in the night cap for the Pirates.In the opener, Colorado broke up James McDonald's no-hit bid in the seventh. Matt Reynolds (2-0) won in relief and Rafael Betancourt worked the ninth for his sixth save.Chris Resop (0-2) lost after relieving McDonald in the eighth.Braves 4, Dodgers 2In Los Angeles, Chipper Jones singled home the go-ahead run in his final regular season at-bat at Dodger Stadium after Dan Uggla tied it with his second RBI single earlier in the ninth inning to lead Atlanta.Thursday, January 26, 2012
Rangers shut door on Jets
NEW YORK — Henrik Lundqvist took a ride up to the New York Rangers' practice rink on Tuesday morning, thinking he would have that night off when the Winnipeg Jets came to town.A bout with the flu for backup Martin Biron changed all that for New York's All-Star goalie. Instead of resting during the last game before the break, Lundqvist went out and put up the 40th shutout of his stellar NHL career.Lundqvist made 22 saves in his surprise start, and Ryan Callahan, John Mitchell and Brad Richards provided the offense in the Rangers' 3-0 victory over the Jets on Tuesday night. Lundqvist (22-10-4) made his fifth consecutive start for the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers, his busiest stretch since he played in New York's first six games."Four games in a row," said Lundqvist, who was surprised when told it was actually five.He sarcastically added that he is "pretty banged up" before giving a true assessment."I feel great," Lundqvist said. "When you're winning, you're more relaxed and you don't use as much energy between games."I had to change a little bit. In my head I was kind of relaxed. I was thinking a little bit about All-Star, I'm not going to lie. That's what you do when you don't play. You try to get away from the game."The Rangers won their second straight, following up on an overtime victory Saturday at Boston — the team that trails them by two points in the East. New York had alternated wins and losses the previous six games.Facing Winnipeg, a team the Rangers had already beaten twice this season, they wanted to make sure there was no letdown before the upcoming six-day rest period."It just shows the maturity of the team," captain Callahan said. "We concentrated on this game. These two points are just as important as they were against Boston. We came out, played the game we wanted to."Penguins 3, Blues 2 (SO)In St. Louis, Chris Kunitz scored the deciding goal on a backhander in the fourth round of a shootout and Pittsburgh beat the Blues to run its winning streak to seven.Canucks 3, Oilers 2 (SO)In Vancouver, Cody Hodgson scored the shootout winner and the Canucks beat Edmonton to send the Oilers to their sixth straight road loss.Capitals 5, Bruins 3In Washington, Mathieu Perreault got his first career hat trick, including the tie-breaking goal in the third period, to lead the Capitals over Boston.Sabres 2, Devils 1 (SO)In Newark, New Jersey, Jason Pominvile and Nathan Gerbe scored in the shootout, and Ryan Miller made 27 saves as Buffalo beat the Devils to snap a 12-game losing streak on the road.Stars 1, Ducks 0In Dallas, Kari Lehtonen made 27 saves for his 18th career shutout, and defenseman Alex Goligoski scored in the first period as the Stars ended Anaheim's five-game winning streak.Flyers 3, Panthers 2 (SO)In Sunrise, Florida, Claude Giroux scored the only goal in a shootout to lift Philadelphia over the Panthers.Coyotes 3, Senators 2In Glendale, Arizona, Radim Vrbata scored early in the third period and Phoenix withstood Ottawa's quick answer to beat the Senators.Predators 3, Blackhawks 1In Chicago, Pekka Rinne made 24 saves for his ninth straight win and surging Nashville beat the Blackhawks in the teams' final game before the All-Star break.Maple Leafs 4, Islanders 3 (OT)In Uniondale, New York, Clarke MacArthur's second goal of the game at 2:06 of overtime lifted Toronto to a sweep of a home-and-home series with the Islanders.Lightning 4, Blue Jackets 2In Tampa, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis both had a goal and an assist to lead the Lightning over Columbus.Wild 3, Avalanche 2In Denver, Carson McMillan broke a tie midway through the third period after stealing the puck at center ice and Niklas Backstrom stopped 24 shots as Minnesota beat Colorado.Sharks 1, Flames 0In Calgary, Benn Ferriero scored and Antti Niemi made 25 saves as San Jose beat the Flames to end its winless skid at three.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Gaborik scores twice to lead Rangers past Bruins in matchup of top teams
BOSTON — The New York Rangers finally broke their power-play drought with just 3.6 seconds to spare. Ryan McDonagh wasn't around to help them celebrate.After Andrew Ference was ejected for sending McDonagh crashing into the boards in overtime, Marian Gaborik scored a third-try goal and the Rangers beat Boston 3-2 on Saturday in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference."We don't care about first place, the division, the conference," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We are just trying to play the right way."The Rangers hadn't scored a power-play goal in seven games — a total of 15 opportunities after going 0 for 2 in regulation on Saturday — and had just one since Christmas. But they earned one during a 4-on-3 advantage after Ference pushed McDonagh into the boards, shoulders- and chest-first, with 3:10 left in overtime.Ference was given a five-minute major and game misconduct. Both teams said they expect the NHL to review the hit, and a suspension is possible."It was one of the most dangerous hits I've seen in a while," Tortorella said. "Nothing needs to be said about what has to be done."McDonagh remained on the ice for a few minutes before he skated off with a trainer. The Rangers wouldn't specify the injury except to say it was to his upper body.Red Wings 3, Blue Jackets 2 (SO)In Detroit, Valtteri Filppula scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Red Wings their 16th straight home victory,Blues 4, Sabres 2In St. Louis, David Backes had two goals and two assists, and Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves.Flyers 4, Devils 1In Newark, New Jersey, Scott Hartnell scored two power-play goals, and Wayne Simmonds had a goal and two assists.Flames 6, Oilers 2In Edmonton, Lee Stempniak had a hat trick and added an assist to help Calgary rout the Oilers.Ducks 2, Senators 1In Anaheim, Jonas Hiller made 31 saves, Corey Perry scored, and Lubomir Visnovsky was credited with a goal that Ottawa's Erik Karlsson knocked into his own net.Canucks 4, Sharks 3In Vancouver, Cody Hodgson scored his second goal of the game with 4:17 left.Islanders 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT)In Uniondale, New York, John Tavares scored his second goal of the game 3:58 into overtime.Panthers 4, Jets 3 (SO)In Winnipeg, Kris Versteeg scored two goals and added an assist for Florida, which snapped an eight-game, road-losing streak.Predators 5, Blackhawks 2In Nashville, Sergei Kostitsyn, Kevin Klein and Patric Hornqvist each had a goal and an assist.Avalanche 3, Kings 1In Los Angeles, Peter Mueller had the go-ahead goal in the fifth game of his inspirational comeback, Cody McLeod scored on a breakaway and Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 25 saves for Colorado.Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1In Toronto, Carey Price made 32 saves, and Rafael Diaz and Lars Eller scored third-period goals.Lightning 4, Coyotes 3In Glendale, Arizona, Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 32nd goal, and Martin St. Louis and Steve Downie each had a goal and an assist.Wild 5, Stars 2In St. Paul, Minnesota, Cal Clutterbuck, Chad Rau and Kyle Brodziak scored goals during a 59-second span of the second period.
Rangers introduce Darvish
ARLINGTON, Texas — Yu Darvish leaned over and looked at his name and the No. 11 on the back of his Texas Rangers jersey. Then he looked up and smiled.
New sheriff in town: Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish shows off his new uniform between manager Ron Washington (left) and general manager Jon Daniels at a news conference on Friday in Arlington, Texas. KYODO"Excited, that's all I feel right now," Darvish said through a translator. "Just excited going forward."Japan's best pitcher is now officially a member of the two-time defending American League champions, with his formal introduction Friday night in Texas coming two days after the right-hander agreed to a six-year contract that guarantees him $56 million.The 25-year-old Darvish, who exceled in the Pacific League the past seven seasons, said he wasn't prepared to go into specifics about the several different reasons why he decided to make the move to United States now.But he said he felt no pressure and planned to keep an open mind and be relaxed — with his new team and in a new country."I have no worries," he said. "What I'm looking forward to is a different environment, a different league and different hitters. I'm looking forward to it full of excitement."There is a lot of excitement in Texas, where fans are hoping Darvish is the missing piece that will help lift the Rangers to their first World Series title.The Rangers spent more than two years scouting Darvish and getting to know him personally before committing more than $107 million to get him. On top of his contract, they have to pay a record $51,703,411 posting bid to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.The Darvish news conference was held in a much bigger room that is part of the team's Hall of Fame area at Rangers Ballpark, instead of the usual interview room down the hall from the clubhouse.Among those sitting in the front row were Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, the oil-and-gas billionaires who are co-chairmen of the Rangers ownership group, and slugger Josh Hamilton. Simpson smiled when he walked in and saw the room full of international media."We've had a lot of big moments on the field the last couple of years, in October and the things we've accomplished," general manager Jon Daniels said while introducing Darvish. "There haven't been many bigger off-the-field moments than what brings us here."After the news conference, the 196-cm Darvish donned his new jersey and went on the field, where he stood on the mound and tossed a couple of balls toward the plate.Highlights of Darvish's career in Japan were being shown on the huge video board high above right field. The electronic ribbon boards around the stadium were lit up with Darvish's image with his number and name, switching back and forth between English and Japanese.Darvish's contract is worth up to $60 million including bonuses and incentives, but there was one thing he apparently didn't get in his deal after standing on the mound and looking out to the right-center field fence in his only other visit to Rangers Ballpark two weeks ago."It seemed a little close, I asked my GM if they could back that up a little bit, not sure where they are on that," he said.When asked about that, Daniels laughed and motioned toward Hamilton."I don't think Josh wants us to move them back," Daniels said. "We'll let them arm wrestle and figure it out."Darvish arrived about three hours earlier at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, where he was greeted by a large group of media cameras and a handful of Rangers fans.There was a bit of a stir created by the photos of the arrival, when Darvish wore a T-shirt with the phrase "I Will Survive" surrounding the image of a Japanese maple leaf, which looks similar to a marijuana leaf."In Japan, anything that's like a T-shirt with English words on it," he said. "We just tend to wear it, we don't really actually know what it means."SANTO DOMINGO — The Cleveland Indians pitcher known as Fausto Carmona issued a tearful apology Friday as he was released following his arrest for allegedly using a false identity to play baseball in the United States."I ask for the forgiveness of my fans, the government of the United States and the Cleveland Indians for this situation," he said upon leaving the court, where a judge released him on bail of about $13,000.Police arrested him Thursday outside the U.S. consulate in his native Dominican Republic when he arrived to get his visa renewed. Spokesman Maximo Baez Aybar said the athlete's real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia and that he is 31, three years older than he had claimed.
New sheriff in town: Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish shows off his new uniform between manager Ron Washington (left) and general manager Jon Daniels at a news conference on Friday in Arlington, Texas. KYODO"Excited, that's all I feel right now," Darvish said through a translator. "Just excited going forward."Japan's best pitcher is now officially a member of the two-time defending American League champions, with his formal introduction Friday night in Texas coming two days after the right-hander agreed to a six-year contract that guarantees him $56 million.The 25-year-old Darvish, who exceled in the Pacific League the past seven seasons, said he wasn't prepared to go into specifics about the several different reasons why he decided to make the move to United States now.But he said he felt no pressure and planned to keep an open mind and be relaxed — with his new team and in a new country."I have no worries," he said. "What I'm looking forward to is a different environment, a different league and different hitters. I'm looking forward to it full of excitement."There is a lot of excitement in Texas, where fans are hoping Darvish is the missing piece that will help lift the Rangers to their first World Series title.The Rangers spent more than two years scouting Darvish and getting to know him personally before committing more than $107 million to get him. On top of his contract, they have to pay a record $51,703,411 posting bid to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.The Darvish news conference was held in a much bigger room that is part of the team's Hall of Fame area at Rangers Ballpark, instead of the usual interview room down the hall from the clubhouse.Among those sitting in the front row were Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, the oil-and-gas billionaires who are co-chairmen of the Rangers ownership group, and slugger Josh Hamilton. Simpson smiled when he walked in and saw the room full of international media."We've had a lot of big moments on the field the last couple of years, in October and the things we've accomplished," general manager Jon Daniels said while introducing Darvish. "There haven't been many bigger off-the-field moments than what brings us here."After the news conference, the 196-cm Darvish donned his new jersey and went on the field, where he stood on the mound and tossed a couple of balls toward the plate.Highlights of Darvish's career in Japan were being shown on the huge video board high above right field. The electronic ribbon boards around the stadium were lit up with Darvish's image with his number and name, switching back and forth between English and Japanese.Darvish's contract is worth up to $60 million including bonuses and incentives, but there was one thing he apparently didn't get in his deal after standing on the mound and looking out to the right-center field fence in his only other visit to Rangers Ballpark two weeks ago."It seemed a little close, I asked my GM if they could back that up a little bit, not sure where they are on that," he said.When asked about that, Daniels laughed and motioned toward Hamilton."I don't think Josh wants us to move them back," Daniels said. "We'll let them arm wrestle and figure it out."Darvish arrived about three hours earlier at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, where he was greeted by a large group of media cameras and a handful of Rangers fans.There was a bit of a stir created by the photos of the arrival, when Darvish wore a T-shirt with the phrase "I Will Survive" surrounding the image of a Japanese maple leaf, which looks similar to a marijuana leaf."In Japan, anything that's like a T-shirt with English words on it," he said. "We just tend to wear it, we don't really actually know what it means."SANTO DOMINGO — The Cleveland Indians pitcher known as Fausto Carmona issued a tearful apology Friday as he was released following his arrest for allegedly using a false identity to play baseball in the United States."I ask for the forgiveness of my fans, the government of the United States and the Cleveland Indians for this situation," he said upon leaving the court, where a judge released him on bail of about $13,000.Police arrested him Thursday outside the U.S. consulate in his native Dominican Republic when he arrived to get his visa renewed. Spokesman Maximo Baez Aybar said the athlete's real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia and that he is 31, three years older than he had claimed.Thursday, January 12, 2012
Rangers beat Coyotes in SO
NEW YORK — Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was just about to skate off with New York down to its last shootout chance against the Phoenix Coyotes. Then he realized sharpshooter Marion Gaborik was poised at center ice.Gaborik didn't disappoint, scoring to keep the shootout going and leading to Derek Stepan's sixth-round game-winner to lift the Rangers past the Coyotes 2-1 for their fifth straight win and 10th in 11 games."The percentage when you have to score in the shootout isn't good but Gabby has come up with big goals for us all season," said Lundqvist, who won for the seventh straight time. "I felt like we deserved to win this game because we played really well."Stepan beat Phoenix goalie Mike Smith high to the glove side before Lundqvist stopped Coyotes captain Shane Doan to secure the win. The Rangers improved to 27-9-4 for a league-leading 58 points, the team's best start since 1993-94 when they won their last Stanley Cup.Smith made a spectacular stick save on Gaborik's penalty shot at 3:10 of overtime. Gaborik went to the forehand and seemingly had Smith beat but the goaltender somehow got the handle of his stick on the puck as he sprawled to his right.Lundqvist made key saves on Ray Whitney and former Ranger Lauri Korpikoski in the last minute of overtime."Being able to win a game like this is so important for our confidence," Lundqvist said. "We stayed focused and got it done."The Rangers continued their strong play at Madison Square Garden, improving to 13-3-2 at home."We had guys step up at key times and we found a way to win," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "Smitty (Mike Smith) played well but Henrik played really well. This was one of those games where we just had to stick with it."Bruins 5, Jets 3In Boston, Nathan Horton's second goal of the game keyed the Bruins' three-goal third period.After Horton scored 8 seconds into the final period, Tyler Seguin and Benoit Pouliot followed over the next 6:33 to lift Boston in a game that featured a penalty shot by both teams.Flyers 2, Hurricanes 1In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sean Couturier scored the tiebreaking goal 3:23 into the third period.Senators 5, Penguins 1In Pittsburgh, Milan Michalek scored twice, Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots and Ottawa made quick work of the slumping Penguins.Maple Leafs 2, Sabres 0In Toronto, Jonas Gustavsson had 32 saves for his second shutout in three starts.Islanders 5, Red Wings 1In Uniondale, New York, John Tavares had a goal and assist in the second period, shortly after being struck in the head with a puck, and Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves.Blues 3, Canadiens 0In Montreal, Jaroslav Halak earned a shutout in his first game back at the Bell Centre and St. Louis extended its winning streak to four.Canucks 5, Lightning 4 (SO)In Tampa, Mason Raymond scored the lone goal in the shootout on a spinning backhander.Wild 5, Sharks 4 (SO)In St. Paul, Matt Cullen scored in the third period and the first round of a shootout as skidding Minnesota recovered from a late stumble.Blackhawks 5, Blue Jackets 2In Chicago, Viktor Stalberg scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick and the Blackhawks beat Columbus to end a season-high four-game losing streak and spoil the debut of interim Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards.Predators 4, Avalanche 1In Denver, Pekka Rinne made 32 saves and Martin Erat and Ryan Ellis each had a goal and an assist.Flames 6, Devils 3In Calgary, Curtis Glencross had a goal and three assists, and Jarome Iginla added a goal and two assists.Ducks 5, Stars 2In Anaheim, Saku Koivu scored two of his three goals on slick setups by Teemu Selanne.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Darvish visits Texas; Rangers tight-lipped
ARLINGTON, Texas — Yu Darvish is visiting Texas for the first time during a 30-day window the AL champion Rangers have to negotiate a contract with the pitcher.Rangers general manager Jon Daniels confirmed reports from Japanese media that Darvish was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday. Daniels wouldn't discuss the state of negotiations with Darvish or any plans for meetings during the visit by the 25-year-old right-hander.The Rangers put out a statement later Tuesday that said Darvish was visiting Texas for the first time and was with his representatives. The team said it was releasing no details about the visit and not commenting during the negotiation process."He felt it was appropriate to make the trip at this time," the Rangers said.The Rangers, who have won consecutive AL pennants, put in a record bid of about $51.7 million for the right to negotiate with Japan's best pitcher. A 30-day negotiating window began when their bid was accepted Dec. 20 by the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. They only pay the fee if they sign the player.Darvish, the son of an Iranian father and a Japanese mother, went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA last season. He had 276 strikeouts to lead the Pacific League.Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a member of the Japanese team that won the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Darvish, who turned pro in 2005 at age 18, has superb control and throws seven effective pitches.Texas has lost its No. 1 pitcher in free agency after each of the last two World Series.Cliff Lee left after the 2010 season to return to Philadelphia, and left-hander C.J. Wilson agreed to a $77.5 million, five-year contract with the AL West rival Los Angeles Angels last month.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Celtic beats Rangers to move top
Celtic supplanted Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Wednesday, defeating its Glasgow rival 1-0 to complete a dramatic turnaround in fortunes in the battle for the title.Wales midfielder Joe Ledley grabbed the winner at Celtic Park, meeting a corner with an emphatic header at the far post in the 52nd minute to secure Celtic's ninth straight league victory.Less than two months ago, Neil Lennon's side was in third place in the standings and 15 points adrift of Rangers, who at that stage were unbeaten and looking unstoppable in their bid to retain the title.However, Celtic now has not only a two-point lead but also precious momentum as well following a deserved victory in the eighth match between the fierce rivals in 2011."It's a great feeling," Ledley said. "I thought we played well from the off and dominated the game."We didn't have the best start to the season but we have moved on from there. We have played some great football at times, as we did today."
Capitals snap Rangers' run
WASHINGTON — The Capitals finished checks, dived to block shots and clamped down defensively when they got the lead. Against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals improved their play and erased lingering murmurs that they were underachievers.Alexander Semin scored twice, Troy Brouwer tallied the tiebreaking goal midway through the second period, and Washington halted the New York Rangers' five-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday night."All through the lineup, guys were just playing tough," Brouwer said. "Not letting guys get free passes, even in front of our net, playing hard on the cycle, stuff like that. When you play tough, when you play hard, it makes it tough for the other team to create anything."That was the script that the Capitals the lead for good, when Brouwer atoned for misfiring at an empty net late in the first period on a man advantage.With the game tied 1-1, Brouwer got tangled with Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in front of the New York net. Brouwer not only screened goalie Martin Biron but redirected John Carlson's drive from the left point for his 10th goal of the season at 10:24."I'm put out on the power play to score goals, do a good job in front of the net," Brouwer said of his earlier miss. "For me, that's an unacceptable play. It's got to be in the back of the net."Marcus Johansson also scored for the Capitals, who snapped a two-game skid. Alex Ovechkin had two assists.Brandon Dubinsky scored for the Rangers, 7-3 in their last 10 games. Marian Gaborik, tied for the NHL lead with 22 goals, had his run of five straight games with a goal stopped.New York dropped one point behind Boston in the Eastern Conference race."Turnovers, not against their third or fourth lines, but against their top line — it killed us," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "That's what's frustrating. I thought we beat ourselves a little bit there in those situations. They're an opportunistic team (and) we didn't defend."Turnovers led to Semin's two goals, which turned a one-goal Washington lead into a comfortable margin."He's a sniper and he can score, but he played the right way," Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. "He was back-checking and he created opportunities because of defense. That whole line, that's what we needed from them."Tomas Vokoun, making his first start in six games, made 31 saves for the victory. Fifteen of those stops came in the third period, and Washington killed five New York power plays."We played with a lot of emotion, and guys battled hard, especially on penalty kill and all around," Vokoun said.Bruins 2, Coyotes 1 (OT)In Glendale, Arizona, defenseman Dennis Seidenberg scored 58 seconds into overtime to lift Boston over Phoenix.Devils 3, Sabres 1In Newark, New Jersey, Petr Sykora scored two goals to lead the Devils over Buffalo.Predators 2, Wild 1 (SO)In Nashville, Colin Wilson scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Predators sent Minnesota to its eighth straight loss.Jonathon Blum scored for the Predators, with an assist from Wilson, to give Nashville a 1-0 lead 7 minutes into the third period. Dany Heatley tied it for the Wild with 3:59 remaining in regulation.Kings 2, Blackhawks 0In Chicago, Jonathan Quick made 38 saves to earn his NHL-leading fifth shutout, and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored to lead Los Angeles past the Blackhawks.Canucks 3, Sharks 2 (OT)In San Jose, Andrew Ebbett redirected Kevin Bieksa's shot into the net at 3:23 of overtime to give Vancouver a victory over the Sharks.Roberto Luongo made 33 saves and improved to 9-1-1 in his last 11 games.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Lundqvist gives Rangers young guns platform to batter Isles
NEW YORK — So often, New York Rangers' winning streaks have been fueled by the stonewall goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist.He is still a big part of the equation, but suddenly he has an ever-improving, young supporting cast that is making this group of Rangers a legitimate threat in the NHL.Rookie forward Carl Hagelin scored twice for his second career multigoal game, and Lundqvist stopped all 28 shots he faced as the Rangers beat the New York Islanders 3-0 on Monday night for their fifth straight victory.The names of high-priced forwards Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards are quite familiar, and they have both played a key role in the Rangers' surge to the top of the standings. But suddenly, youngsters such as Hagelin and defenseman Stu Bickel have contributed to New York's recent success.Despite injuries to defensemen Marc Staal and Michael Sauer, the Rangers haven't missed a beat."There is great depth in this organization," said Hagelin, who also scored twice against Buffalo on Dec. 10. "There's a lot of guys out and it shows that the organization is doing a great job preparing guys for this. It's fun."Hagelin, in just his 16th NHL game, scored in the second and third periods for the Rangers (22-8-4) — the Atlantic Division leaders, who leapfrogged defending Stanley Cup champion Boston into first place in the Eastern Conference.The Rangers finished a 3-0 homestand that included a pair of victories over the Islanders in a five-day span. New York's past four victories have been against division rivals. The Rangers begin a three-game trip at Washington on Wednesday that will conclude with the outdoor Winter Classic in Philadelphia next Monday.Lundqvist improved to 23-11-5 against the Islanders with four shutouts. He has three shutouts overall this season and 38 in seven NHL seasons."I don't have too many this year, but hopefully I can change that," he said.Blackhawks 4, Blue Jackets 1In Chicago, Viktor Stalberg scored two goals and Corey Crawford made 37 saves.Avalanche 4, Wild 2In St. Paul, Minnesota, Jan Hejda scored the go-ahead goal at 10:20 of the third period and Colorado snapped a nine-game road losing skid.Canucks 5, Oilers 3In Vancouver, Andrew Ebbett scored twice to lead the Canucks over Edmonton.Sabres 4, Capitals 2In Buffalo, Brayden McNabb capped the Sabres' four-goal first period with his first NHL goal.Hurricanes 4, Devils 2In Raleigh, North Carolina, Cam Ward made 23 saves and was credited with a bizarre empty-net goal to lead the hosts.Kings 4, Coyotes 3In Los Angeles, Willie Mitchell scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Kings broke an offensive slump for their second victory under new coach Darryl Sutter.Blues 5, Stars 3In St. Louis, Adam Cracknell, recalled from the minors earlier in the day, put the Blues ahead for good in the second period.Ducks 3, Sharks 2In San Jose, Andrew Cogliano scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the second period and Jonas Hiller made 36 saves as Anaheim ended a 13-game winless skid on the road.Red Wings 4, Predators 1In Nashville, Valtteri Filppula scored a pair of goals to lead Detroit over the Predators.Pavel Datsyuk and Danny Cleary also scored for the Red Wings, who scored twice in a span of 13 seconds during the second period and stopped a two-game skid.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Red Wings sweep Coyotes; Capitals top Rangers in 2OT
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Danny Cleary shot from behind the post, squeezing the puck through a hole seemingly no wider than a skate blade. Todd Bertuzzi muscled an opponent and the puck to the front of the crease, getting a fortunate bounce to find the net.
Hanging on: Buffalo's Tyler Myers controls the puck as Philadelphia's Ville Leino tries to slow him down in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night. AP PHOTO
Two goals in 2 minutes and the Detroit Red Wings were headed into the next round, the Phoenix Coyotes toward an uncertain future.
Detroit counterpunched Phoenix's best shot through two periods and dominated with a flurry in the third, sweeping the Coyotes out of the playoffs and possibly out of the desert with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night.
"We knew they were going to come out and play with their best effort and I thought they did, but we really wanted to win tonight," Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said.
So did Phoenix. With the ownership situation still brewing at two years and counting, the Coyotes wanted to go out as winners in what could be their last game in the desert.
Detroit won Game 3 on four quick-hitting goals during a whiteout at Jobing.com Arena and used its depth to wear down Phoenix in a Game 4 that was more of a dusting of white, but just as juiced.
Tomas Holmstrom, Patrick Eaves and Niklas Kronwall scored in the goal-trading first two periods, then Cleary squeezed a deflating score between goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's skate and the post with 6:19 left in the game. Bertuzzi made it a two-goal lead by knocking a shot off Coyotes defenseman David Schlemko's skate 1:53 later, and Eaves sealed the sweep with his second goal on an empty net.
Capitals 4, Rangers 3 (2OT)
In New York, Jason Chimera scored in double overtime to complete Washington's three-goal comeback that pushed the Rangers to the brink of playoff elimination.
New York scored three times in the second period to take a 3-0 lead and seemed poised to head back to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday with the series squared. But the top-seeded Capitals fought back and moved within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Alexander Semin started Washington's rally, and Marcus Johansson scored twice in the third to make it 3-3.
The Rangers built their big lead on a goal by Artem Anisimov and tallies just 7 seconds apart by Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky.
Penguins 3, Lightning 2 (2OT)
In Tampa, James Neal scored the winner in double overtime as Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay to take a 3-1 series lead.
Neal gathered a loose puck along the boards and sent the winning shot past goalie Dwayne Roloson.
Sabres 1, Flyers 0
In Buffalo, the hosts beat Philadelphia to even their series 2-2, with Ryan Miller making 32 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs.
Jason Pominville scored at 9:38 of the first period.
Ducks 6, Predators 3
In Nashville, Anaheim's Corey Perry's netted a short-handed goal early in the third period put the Ducks ahead to stay.
Cam Fowler had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ryan Getzlaf, Brandon McMillan, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu added goals as the Ducks tied the series 2-2.
Hanging on: Buffalo's Tyler Myers controls the puck as Philadelphia's Ville Leino tries to slow him down in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night. AP PHOTO
Two goals in 2 minutes and the Detroit Red Wings were headed into the next round, the Phoenix Coyotes toward an uncertain future.
Detroit counterpunched Phoenix's best shot through two periods and dominated with a flurry in the third, sweeping the Coyotes out of the playoffs and possibly out of the desert with a 6-3 victory Wednesday night.
"We knew they were going to come out and play with their best effort and I thought they did, but we really wanted to win tonight," Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said.
So did Phoenix. With the ownership situation still brewing at two years and counting, the Coyotes wanted to go out as winners in what could be their last game in the desert.
Detroit won Game 3 on four quick-hitting goals during a whiteout at Jobing.com Arena and used its depth to wear down Phoenix in a Game 4 that was more of a dusting of white, but just as juiced.
Tomas Holmstrom, Patrick Eaves and Niklas Kronwall scored in the goal-trading first two periods, then Cleary squeezed a deflating score between goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's skate and the post with 6:19 left in the game. Bertuzzi made it a two-goal lead by knocking a shot off Coyotes defenseman David Schlemko's skate 1:53 later, and Eaves sealed the sweep with his second goal on an empty net.
Capitals 4, Rangers 3 (2OT)
In New York, Jason Chimera scored in double overtime to complete Washington's three-goal comeback that pushed the Rangers to the brink of playoff elimination.
New York scored three times in the second period to take a 3-0 lead and seemed poised to head back to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday with the series squared. But the top-seeded Capitals fought back and moved within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Alexander Semin started Washington's rally, and Marcus Johansson scored twice in the third to make it 3-3.
The Rangers built their big lead on a goal by Artem Anisimov and tallies just 7 seconds apart by Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky.
Penguins 3, Lightning 2 (2OT)
In Tampa, James Neal scored the winner in double overtime as Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay to take a 3-1 series lead.
Neal gathered a loose puck along the boards and sent the winning shot past goalie Dwayne Roloson.
Sabres 1, Flyers 0
In Buffalo, the hosts beat Philadelphia to even their series 2-2, with Ryan Miller making 32 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs.
Jason Pominville scored at 9:38 of the first period.
Ducks 6, Predators 3
In Nashville, Anaheim's Corey Perry's netted a short-handed goal early in the third period put the Ducks ahead to stay.
Cam Fowler had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ryan Getzlaf, Brandon McMillan, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu added goals as the Ducks tied the series 2-2.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)