WASHINGTON — Joyous, bouncing teammates waiting to greet him at home, the red-clad crowd raucous as can be, Jayson Werth yanked off his red batting helmet with two hands and thrust it four meters overhead.A little less than two years ago, the Washington Nationals showered Werth with millions, persuading him to come show them how to win. On Thursday night, with one swing of his black bat, Werth delivered a game-ending homer to extend his club's surprising season and wipe away whatever disappointments marred his days in D.C.Werth led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a 13-pitch at-bat against reliever Lance Lynn that ended with the ball landing beyond the wall in left field, giving the Nationals a tense 2-1 victory over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and forcing a deciding Game 5 in their NL Division Series."That's the way that game should have ended: Jayson Werth hitting a home run," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "He has not hit that many this year. . . . Unbelievable. Great effort on his part."The best-of-five series will end Friday night in Washington, with the winner advancing to face the San Francisco Giants in the NL Championship Series. The starters will provide a rematch of Game 1, which Washington won, with Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the NL East champion Nationals, and Adam Wainwright for the wild-card Cardinals."It's what you play all season for, and what you work out all winter for, and what you get to spring training early for," Werth said. "We have a chance tomorrow to take that next step. I know my teammates will be ready. And the city will, too."The homer was Werth's first of the series, the 14th of his postseason career. He won the 2008 World Series and a string of division titles with the Philadelphia Phillies, then moved to Washington before last season as a free agent on a $126 million, seven-year contract that stunned much of baseball.He managed to hit only five homers and 31 RBIs in 2012, missing 75 games because of a broken left wrist. Last year, his first in Washington, Werth hit only .232 with 58 RBIs, and there was grumbling about his worth.That vanished at dusk Thursday, when Werth circled the bases, raising his right index finger in a "No. 1" gesture, while the announced crowd of 44,392 roared, and the other Nationals raced out of their dugout to greet him."I'm just happy that these fans got to see it, because obviously he had a rough year last year, and he got hurt this year, and I don't think the fans realize how good of a player Jason is," Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "For him to have a moment like this in front of the home fans, and in front of this atmosphere, I couldn't be happier for him. He deserves it."Werth's arrival certainly coincided with a quick turnaround: The Nationals lost 100 games in 2008 and 2009, but led the majors with 98 wins this year.Werth's shot provided a sudden end to a classic postseason contest filled with tremendous pitching. Each team managed only three hits.Lynn, usually a starter for St. Louis but a reliever in these playoffs, was making his third appearance of this series.Drew Storen, who threw the top of the ninth, got the win. Jordan Zimmermann made the first relief appearance of his career in the seventh.Starters Kyle Lohse, who won the wild-card playoff game for St. Louis against Atlanta last week, and Ross Detwiler were both superb. Lohse lasted seven innings, allowing one run and two hits. Detwiler went six, with one unearned run and three hits.
Showing posts with label forces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forces. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Late rally carries Grizzlies past Clippers, forces Game 7
LOS ANGELES — This time, the fourth quarter belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wrapped up: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin is enveloped by Memphis' Marreese Speights during Game 6 on Friday night. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers 90-88 to even the series 3-3. APLong the domain of the Clippers' Chris Paul, it was the Grizzlies who rallied in the closing minutes to beat Los Angeles 90-88 and force a decisive seventh game in their playoff series.Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph worked their inside-out game to perfection on a night when Paul and Blake Griffin were limited by injuries and the Clippers' bench couldn't quite put them over the top."This one has to hurt," Paul said. "If it doesn't hurt, it means you don't care."Gasol scored 23 points, Randolph had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley added 13 points each to help the Grizzlies win for the first time in the Western Conference series at Staples Center and stave off elimination."We were very focused on our task defensively and that's a big reason we won," said Gasol, whose brother Pau will play a Game 7 with the Los Angeles Lakers against Denver at Staples on Saturday night. "We were way more disciplined. The whole team is doing a better job of finding me in the post."Griffin scored 17 points despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability, and Eric Bledoe added 14 off the bench to lead the Clippers, who blew an eight-point lead in the fourth along with a second consecutive chance to close out what would have been a landmark playoff victory for the beleaguered franchise."Right now is not the time to start pointing the finger," Griffin said.Paul scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger."I didn't know he was hurt," Randolph said. "Everybody's hurting. My knee is hurting. I ain't looking for no excuse. You got to put that in the back and keep playing."The Clippers are seeking just the third playoff series win in franchise history. Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis."It's uncharted territory for us as a team," Clippers second-year coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We got to stay together, battle through it and give our best effort of the season."Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. Top-seeded San Antonio awaits the winner in the conference semifinals."All of this means nothing because it's a one-game series," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everyone has a chance to win."Tied 66-66 starting the fourth, Los Angeles scored 10 straight to take its first lead since the game's opening minutes, led by Bledsoe's six points."It was looking bleak at that time," Hollins said.But the Grizzlies weren't done.They went on a 17-4 run, including 10 straight points, to take an 85-80 lead. Gay scored five in a row as the Clippers missed and Randolph came up with a big block. Conley hit a 3-pointer and Randolph tipped in the ball to close out the spurt."We stuck together and finished the game," Randolph said. "That's what coach has been preaching."Griffin made two free throws before Randolph scored for an 87-82 lead. Conley fouled Paul, and he missed the first and made the second to leave Los Angeles trailing 87-83 with 56 seconds left.The Clippers were forced to keep fouling, and the Grizzlies made 3 of 8 to stay alive. Los Angeles' Caron Butler missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to go as red-clad fans headed for the exits before Randy Foye hit a 3 with 3 seconds left.Paul blamed himself for two fourth-quarter turnovers that led to Grizzlies baskets."I got to do better," he said. "We didn't want to go back to Memphis, not 'til sometime next season."The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 12-8 run to extend its lead to 54-46, with Randolph having six points and Gasol four. Los Angeles answered with Paul bookending a 14-6 spurt that tied the game 60-60.Griffin and DeAndre Jordan got in two huge dunks before Paul's jumper from the right corner brought the Clippers all the way back from an eight-point deficit earlier in the quarter.
Wrapped up: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin is enveloped by Memphis' Marreese Speights during Game 6 on Friday night. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers 90-88 to even the series 3-3. APLong the domain of the Clippers' Chris Paul, it was the Grizzlies who rallied in the closing minutes to beat Los Angeles 90-88 and force a decisive seventh game in their playoff series.Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph worked their inside-out game to perfection on a night when Paul and Blake Griffin were limited by injuries and the Clippers' bench couldn't quite put them over the top."This one has to hurt," Paul said. "If it doesn't hurt, it means you don't care."Gasol scored 23 points, Randolph had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley added 13 points each to help the Grizzlies win for the first time in the Western Conference series at Staples Center and stave off elimination."We were very focused on our task defensively and that's a big reason we won," said Gasol, whose brother Pau will play a Game 7 with the Los Angeles Lakers against Denver at Staples on Saturday night. "We were way more disciplined. The whole team is doing a better job of finding me in the post."Griffin scored 17 points despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability, and Eric Bledoe added 14 off the bench to lead the Clippers, who blew an eight-point lead in the fourth along with a second consecutive chance to close out what would have been a landmark playoff victory for the beleaguered franchise."Right now is not the time to start pointing the finger," Griffin said.Paul scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger."I didn't know he was hurt," Randolph said. "Everybody's hurting. My knee is hurting. I ain't looking for no excuse. You got to put that in the back and keep playing."The Clippers are seeking just the third playoff series win in franchise history. Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis."It's uncharted territory for us as a team," Clippers second-year coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We got to stay together, battle through it and give our best effort of the season."Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. Top-seeded San Antonio awaits the winner in the conference semifinals."All of this means nothing because it's a one-game series," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everyone has a chance to win."Tied 66-66 starting the fourth, Los Angeles scored 10 straight to take its first lead since the game's opening minutes, led by Bledsoe's six points."It was looking bleak at that time," Hollins said.But the Grizzlies weren't done.They went on a 17-4 run, including 10 straight points, to take an 85-80 lead. Gay scored five in a row as the Clippers missed and Randolph came up with a big block. Conley hit a 3-pointer and Randolph tipped in the ball to close out the spurt."We stuck together and finished the game," Randolph said. "That's what coach has been preaching."Griffin made two free throws before Randolph scored for an 87-82 lead. Conley fouled Paul, and he missed the first and made the second to leave Los Angeles trailing 87-83 with 56 seconds left.The Clippers were forced to keep fouling, and the Grizzlies made 3 of 8 to stay alive. Los Angeles' Caron Butler missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to go as red-clad fans headed for the exits before Randy Foye hit a 3 with 3 seconds left.Paul blamed himself for two fourth-quarter turnovers that led to Grizzlies baskets."I got to do better," he said. "We didn't want to go back to Memphis, not 'til sometime next season."The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 12-8 run to extend its lead to 54-46, with Randolph having six points and Gasol four. Los Angeles answered with Paul bookending a 14-6 spurt that tied the game 60-60.Griffin and DeAndre Jordan got in two huge dunks before Paul's jumper from the right corner brought the Clippers all the way back from an eight-point deficit earlier in the quarter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)