SAN MARTIN, California — Jonas Blixt is a frustrated hockey player turned golfer. He's also a winner in his first season on the PGA Tour."I was more interested in hockey. I wanted to be a hockey player," the Swede said Sunday after his breakthrough victory in the Frys.com Open. "I never really got big enough or good enough to play. Golf kind of suited me pretty well."Blixt was a defenseman and played hockey well into his teens."It's the greatest sport ever," he said. "The lockout just kills me."The third PGA Tour rookie to win this season, Blixt holed a 4-foot par putt on the final hole for a 3-under 68 and a one-stroke victory in the Fall Series event at CordeValle. He earned $900,000 and a tour exemption through the 2014 season."The weird part is I've been working on some stuff with my swing, and I wasn't feeling completely 100 percent about my swing," Blixt said. "I just told myself, 'Just give it a good hit every time and see what happens. Just focus. You can't do anything better than your best.' That's what I did on every shot."
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Aoki takes care of business to give Cinq Reves first win
FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. — Entering this season, six-time All-Star Cohey Aoki had made 1,255 baskets — plus 983 free throws, while converting an astonishing 89.2 percent of his shots at the foul line — in 8,642 minutes of playing time in the regular season since the league's inception in 2005. Many of his most important points have come when the shot clock is winding down or in the closing seconds of quarters or games, and he's often come through in the clutch.
Mr Reliable: Tokyo's Cohey Aoki passes the ball during the Cinq Reves' 84-82 win over the Chiba Jets on Sunday. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe numbers add up to one important fact: Aoki has earned a reputation as one of the league's most reliable scorers.So it was only appropriate that the former Tokyo Apache icon was entrusted with the ball in his hands in crunch time once again on Sunday, this time playing for his new team, the Tokyo Cinq Reves, at Funabashi Arena.With the score tied at 82-82 after Chiba Jets power forward Joe Werner's layup, Tokyo called a timeout with 4.2 seconds left to draw up a play for the final sequence. Coach Motofumi Aoki, who had seen his star guard's exploits on dozens of occasions around the league, instructed his players to get Cohey the ball.Smart move. The ball was inbounded to Aoki, he found space to operate and released a mid-range jumper that found nothing but net with 0.3 seconds left on the game clock. Chiba's desperation heave was off the mark. And the scoreboard posted these numbers a split-second later: Tokyo 84, Chiba 82.The first victory in Cinq Reves history came down to Aoki doing what he does best. Of course, to avid fans, that buzzer-beating shot will be remembered as a typical Aoki production.Wearing a baseball cap and smiling in his post-game interview, Aoki simply stated, "I have confidence in my shot."Aoki contributed 14 points, four assists and four steals in his first victory in a Tokyo uniform since March 2011. (After the Apache folded, the star guard played for the Osaka Evessa last season.)"I knew that he was a legend (in this league), Cinq Reves center Jonathan Jones said of Aoki. "And just being around him now these past two or three weeks I can see that he's a great player and a good leader."With the game on the line, "he just hit that shot like it was easy, like you do it in your sleep," Jones said, describing Aoki's antics."Coach was like, 'Just get the ball in Cohey's hands because he's our best decision maker,' and we knew that he was going to make a good decision with the ball down the stretch," Jones said."He just made a good step-back (move) and pulled up and made the jumper,"Before a lively crowd, the Sunday rematch — a day after Chiba defeated Tokyo 108-86 and got 27 points, including 6-for-6 on 3s, from Marquin Chandler — pitted Jets coach Shinji Tomiyama against one of his mentors. The younger bench boss had worked under Aoki on the Apache bench in 2009-10.In the first quarter, Chiba jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a Reina Itakura 3-pointer before Tokyo mounted an early comeback, with Rasheem Barrett's jumper igniting the effort.Tokyo fought back, and capitalized on how the referees were calling the game. The Cinq Reves attempted 18 free throws (17 were good) in the opening quarter alone, notably Jones, who was 5-for-6 in the period, and Aoki, who was 6-for-6. They led 26-22 entering the second quarter.The refs eased up on the whistle in the second period, and the Jets adjusted, too. After being whistled for 11 first-quarter fouls, Chiba had four in the next quarter.Chiba's D'Andre Bell took over offensively with a 12-point second quarter, and Tokyo trailed 46-44 at halftime.The second half exhibited fast-paced basketball featuring two teams putting the building blocks in place for a long, 52-game season.After his first win at the helm, Aoki described it as a "wonderful game" and appeared genuinely excited for the home fans. The veteran coach said effective man-to-man defense got the job done, but there's room for improvement in all areas."The Jets played a hard, disciplined game," he said of his foe.Tomiyama agreed the game was a well-played contest, saying it was a "super game" and a "constant challenge" for his players. He praised the effort given by the Cinq Reves for their inside play and energy.After the loss, Tomiyama said the focus now shifts to preparing his team to play the undefeated Iwate Big Bulls, who he coached last season, this coming weekend on the road.Jones delivered a strong effort in 38-plus minutes, finishing with a game-best 23 points, including 9-for-14 at the line, and seven rebounds. Fellow big man Jared Carter added 13 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, while former Osaka Evessa player Hiroshisa Takada scored 10 points and three 3s, none bigger than his go-ahead 3 that put Tokyo ahead 82-80 with 30.4 seconds remaining.Ilija Milutinovic, Barrett and Akihito Inoue all scored eight points apiece for Tokyo, which played aggressively on offense and got to the line repeatedly. The Cinq Reves shot 26-for-33 there; Chiba was 14-for-16.Bell was the Jets' top scorer with 21 points. The Georgia Tech alum also had eight rebounds and two steals. Serge Angounou poured in 20 points and blocked two shots, while Shota Isshiki had 11 points and Itakura scored nine. Chandler, not listed as injured in the boxscore, did not suit up on Sunday after a banner debut in a Jets uniform, though Bell said injuries were a factor for the team.For Tokyo, which travels to face the Niigata Albirex BB this weekend, a first win is something to build off and use as a confidence builder."I think as the season goes on we're going to develop better chemistry and with our size we're going to be tough to guard later down the season," said the 211-cm Jones.Five Arrows 69, Evessa 66In Osaka, Takamatsu has completed the improbable, matching its 2011-12 win total after two games.Paul Williams and Masaaki Suzuki scored 14 points apiece, Brandon Penn had 13 and Dexter Lyons added 11 for the Five Arrows, who went 2-50 last season.For the new-look Evessa, Nathan Walkup had a team-high 16 points and Masashi Obuchi scored 13.Osaka, which suited up only three import players for the series, parted ways with point guard Temi Soyebo, a University of North Carolina-Wilmington product, earlier in the week.Big Bulls 70, 89ers 68In Sendai, Iwate became the first team to win four games this season by completing a series sweep over the hosts at Xebio Arena.Guard Masato Tsukino, a 23-year-old who was a Miyazaki Shining Suns player the past two seasons, paced the Big Bulls (4-0) with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field, 4-for-4 at the line, with two steals. Lawrence Blackledge notched a double-double (11 points, 17 rebounds), while Carlos Dixon also had 11 points and Dillion Sneed scored 10 for Iwate.Forward Karron Clarke led the 89ers with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Kevin Coble scored 11. Captain Takehiko Shimura dished out seven assists.Sendai was 6-for-14 at the free-throw line, and fell to 1-3 on the season."Karron took the loss personally yesterday, and was one of many players who helped us build a 10-point lead at halftime," 89ers coach Bob Pierce told The Japan Times after Sunday's game. "But Iwate controlled the tempo in the second half."B-Corsairs 88, Broncos 71In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Yokohama routed the hosts for the second straight day to give coach Reggie Geary's club a feel-good start to its second season.Thomas Kennedy scored 22 points and Masayuki Kabaya was 5-for-10 on 3-point attempts in a 21-point outing for the B-Corsairs, who reached the Final Four as a first-year franchise in May. In the series opener, Kabaya canned 7 of 12 3s in a 24-point effort.Draelon Burns, meanwhile, made his presence felt in every aspect of the game and recorded a triple-double (12 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) along with three steals.Yokohama also got a double-double from Senegalese center Pape Faye Mour (10 points, 11 rebounds) and its offensive clicked at a high level, with 31 assists on 35 field goals.For Saitama, Randy Orr and Yuki Kitamuki scored 18 points apiece, with both going 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.Susanoo Magic 81, Rizing 64In Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Michael Parker and Brandon Freeman each scored 30 points and the hosts improved to 2-0 with a season-opening sweep of Western Conference rival Fukuoka.B.J. Puckett grabbed 14 rebounds for the Magic and Parker completed his double-double with 11 boards.For the Rizing, Akitomo Takeno was the leading scorer with 16 points and Julius Ashby and Josh Peppers chipped in with 13 apiece. Power forward Reggie Warren, a bj-league journeyman, supplied eight points and 10 rebounds for his new team.Brave Warriors 83, Crane Thunders 62In Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, the hosts fell to 0-4 after their second double-digit loss in as many days in the franchise's first-ever home series.Jermaine Green paced Shinshu with 18 points, big man Wayne Marshall had a 15-point, eight-rebound, three-block effort and Takanori Goya scored 13 points.For the expansion Crane Thunders, Shingo Okada and Lewis Witcher scored 11 points apiece.Northern Happinets 90, Grouses 58In Akita, coach Kazuo Nakamura's club erupted for 31 fourth-quarter points in a runaway victory over Toyama and earned a sweep to open the season.Dion Harris flushed 6 of 14 3-point shots and had a game-high 26 points, Yuki Kikuchi sank three 3s in a 13-point effort and Shigehiro Taguchi made four 4s and finished with 12 points. The Happinets were 14-for-30 from 3-point range.The Grouses' Masashi Joho was the team's top scorer with 14 points.Lakestars 75, Shining Suns 53In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Shiga used its inside muscle to control the boards and hauled in 24 offensive rebounds in a lopsided road win to bounce back from a two-point loss in the teams' season opener.Dionisio Gomez, in his second season with the Lakestars, scored 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, Ray Nixon added 15 points.Alfred Aboya, a former UCLA center, and Wayne Arnold each added 10 points.For Miyazaki, center Dominique Keller had a game-high 26 points.Phoenix 89, HeatDevils 72In Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Hamamatsu Highashimikawa played inspired, focused basketball after a 95-54 loss to Oita in the series opener.Kevin Galloway led the Phoenix (2-2) with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Elbert Fuqua contributed 21 points and 12 boards and former league MVP Jeffrey Parmer added 12 points and 10 rebounds.HeatDevils big man Taj Finger poured in 18 points and Taishiro Shimizu scored 15 points. Naoto Takushi dished out eight assists in the loss.
Mr Reliable: Tokyo's Cohey Aoki passes the ball during the Cinq Reves' 84-82 win over the Chiba Jets on Sunday. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe numbers add up to one important fact: Aoki has earned a reputation as one of the league's most reliable scorers.So it was only appropriate that the former Tokyo Apache icon was entrusted with the ball in his hands in crunch time once again on Sunday, this time playing for his new team, the Tokyo Cinq Reves, at Funabashi Arena.With the score tied at 82-82 after Chiba Jets power forward Joe Werner's layup, Tokyo called a timeout with 4.2 seconds left to draw up a play for the final sequence. Coach Motofumi Aoki, who had seen his star guard's exploits on dozens of occasions around the league, instructed his players to get Cohey the ball.Smart move. The ball was inbounded to Aoki, he found space to operate and released a mid-range jumper that found nothing but net with 0.3 seconds left on the game clock. Chiba's desperation heave was off the mark. And the scoreboard posted these numbers a split-second later: Tokyo 84, Chiba 82.The first victory in Cinq Reves history came down to Aoki doing what he does best. Of course, to avid fans, that buzzer-beating shot will be remembered as a typical Aoki production.Wearing a baseball cap and smiling in his post-game interview, Aoki simply stated, "I have confidence in my shot."Aoki contributed 14 points, four assists and four steals in his first victory in a Tokyo uniform since March 2011. (After the Apache folded, the star guard played for the Osaka Evessa last season.)"I knew that he was a legend (in this league), Cinq Reves center Jonathan Jones said of Aoki. "And just being around him now these past two or three weeks I can see that he's a great player and a good leader."With the game on the line, "he just hit that shot like it was easy, like you do it in your sleep," Jones said, describing Aoki's antics."Coach was like, 'Just get the ball in Cohey's hands because he's our best decision maker,' and we knew that he was going to make a good decision with the ball down the stretch," Jones said."He just made a good step-back (move) and pulled up and made the jumper,"Before a lively crowd, the Sunday rematch — a day after Chiba defeated Tokyo 108-86 and got 27 points, including 6-for-6 on 3s, from Marquin Chandler — pitted Jets coach Shinji Tomiyama against one of his mentors. The younger bench boss had worked under Aoki on the Apache bench in 2009-10.In the first quarter, Chiba jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a Reina Itakura 3-pointer before Tokyo mounted an early comeback, with Rasheem Barrett's jumper igniting the effort.Tokyo fought back, and capitalized on how the referees were calling the game. The Cinq Reves attempted 18 free throws (17 were good) in the opening quarter alone, notably Jones, who was 5-for-6 in the period, and Aoki, who was 6-for-6. They led 26-22 entering the second quarter.The refs eased up on the whistle in the second period, and the Jets adjusted, too. After being whistled for 11 first-quarter fouls, Chiba had four in the next quarter.Chiba's D'Andre Bell took over offensively with a 12-point second quarter, and Tokyo trailed 46-44 at halftime.The second half exhibited fast-paced basketball featuring two teams putting the building blocks in place for a long, 52-game season.After his first win at the helm, Aoki described it as a "wonderful game" and appeared genuinely excited for the home fans. The veteran coach said effective man-to-man defense got the job done, but there's room for improvement in all areas."The Jets played a hard, disciplined game," he said of his foe.Tomiyama agreed the game was a well-played contest, saying it was a "super game" and a "constant challenge" for his players. He praised the effort given by the Cinq Reves for their inside play and energy.After the loss, Tomiyama said the focus now shifts to preparing his team to play the undefeated Iwate Big Bulls, who he coached last season, this coming weekend on the road.Jones delivered a strong effort in 38-plus minutes, finishing with a game-best 23 points, including 9-for-14 at the line, and seven rebounds. Fellow big man Jared Carter added 13 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, while former Osaka Evessa player Hiroshisa Takada scored 10 points and three 3s, none bigger than his go-ahead 3 that put Tokyo ahead 82-80 with 30.4 seconds remaining.Ilija Milutinovic, Barrett and Akihito Inoue all scored eight points apiece for Tokyo, which played aggressively on offense and got to the line repeatedly. The Cinq Reves shot 26-for-33 there; Chiba was 14-for-16.Bell was the Jets' top scorer with 21 points. The Georgia Tech alum also had eight rebounds and two steals. Serge Angounou poured in 20 points and blocked two shots, while Shota Isshiki had 11 points and Itakura scored nine. Chandler, not listed as injured in the boxscore, did not suit up on Sunday after a banner debut in a Jets uniform, though Bell said injuries were a factor for the team.For Tokyo, which travels to face the Niigata Albirex BB this weekend, a first win is something to build off and use as a confidence builder."I think as the season goes on we're going to develop better chemistry and with our size we're going to be tough to guard later down the season," said the 211-cm Jones.Five Arrows 69, Evessa 66In Osaka, Takamatsu has completed the improbable, matching its 2011-12 win total after two games.Paul Williams and Masaaki Suzuki scored 14 points apiece, Brandon Penn had 13 and Dexter Lyons added 11 for the Five Arrows, who went 2-50 last season.For the new-look Evessa, Nathan Walkup had a team-high 16 points and Masashi Obuchi scored 13.Osaka, which suited up only three import players for the series, parted ways with point guard Temi Soyebo, a University of North Carolina-Wilmington product, earlier in the week.Big Bulls 70, 89ers 68In Sendai, Iwate became the first team to win four games this season by completing a series sweep over the hosts at Xebio Arena.Guard Masato Tsukino, a 23-year-old who was a Miyazaki Shining Suns player the past two seasons, paced the Big Bulls (4-0) with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field, 4-for-4 at the line, with two steals. Lawrence Blackledge notched a double-double (11 points, 17 rebounds), while Carlos Dixon also had 11 points and Dillion Sneed scored 10 for Iwate.Forward Karron Clarke led the 89ers with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Kevin Coble scored 11. Captain Takehiko Shimura dished out seven assists.Sendai was 6-for-14 at the free-throw line, and fell to 1-3 on the season."Karron took the loss personally yesterday, and was one of many players who helped us build a 10-point lead at halftime," 89ers coach Bob Pierce told The Japan Times after Sunday's game. "But Iwate controlled the tempo in the second half."B-Corsairs 88, Broncos 71In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Yokohama routed the hosts for the second straight day to give coach Reggie Geary's club a feel-good start to its second season.Thomas Kennedy scored 22 points and Masayuki Kabaya was 5-for-10 on 3-point attempts in a 21-point outing for the B-Corsairs, who reached the Final Four as a first-year franchise in May. In the series opener, Kabaya canned 7 of 12 3s in a 24-point effort.Draelon Burns, meanwhile, made his presence felt in every aspect of the game and recorded a triple-double (12 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) along with three steals.Yokohama also got a double-double from Senegalese center Pape Faye Mour (10 points, 11 rebounds) and its offensive clicked at a high level, with 31 assists on 35 field goals.For Saitama, Randy Orr and Yuki Kitamuki scored 18 points apiece, with both going 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.Susanoo Magic 81, Rizing 64In Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Michael Parker and Brandon Freeman each scored 30 points and the hosts improved to 2-0 with a season-opening sweep of Western Conference rival Fukuoka.B.J. Puckett grabbed 14 rebounds for the Magic and Parker completed his double-double with 11 boards.For the Rizing, Akitomo Takeno was the leading scorer with 16 points and Julius Ashby and Josh Peppers chipped in with 13 apiece. Power forward Reggie Warren, a bj-league journeyman, supplied eight points and 10 rebounds for his new team.Brave Warriors 83, Crane Thunders 62In Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, the hosts fell to 0-4 after their second double-digit loss in as many days in the franchise's first-ever home series.Jermaine Green paced Shinshu with 18 points, big man Wayne Marshall had a 15-point, eight-rebound, three-block effort and Takanori Goya scored 13 points.For the expansion Crane Thunders, Shingo Okada and Lewis Witcher scored 11 points apiece.Northern Happinets 90, Grouses 58In Akita, coach Kazuo Nakamura's club erupted for 31 fourth-quarter points in a runaway victory over Toyama and earned a sweep to open the season.Dion Harris flushed 6 of 14 3-point shots and had a game-high 26 points, Yuki Kikuchi sank three 3s in a 13-point effort and Shigehiro Taguchi made four 4s and finished with 12 points. The Happinets were 14-for-30 from 3-point range.The Grouses' Masashi Joho was the team's top scorer with 14 points.Lakestars 75, Shining Suns 53In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Shiga used its inside muscle to control the boards and hauled in 24 offensive rebounds in a lopsided road win to bounce back from a two-point loss in the teams' season opener.Dionisio Gomez, in his second season with the Lakestars, scored 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, Ray Nixon added 15 points.Alfred Aboya, a former UCLA center, and Wayne Arnold each added 10 points.For Miyazaki, center Dominique Keller had a game-high 26 points.Phoenix 89, HeatDevils 72In Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Hamamatsu Highashimikawa played inspired, focused basketball after a 95-54 loss to Oita in the series opener.Kevin Galloway led the Phoenix (2-2) with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Elbert Fuqua contributed 21 points and 12 boards and former league MVP Jeffrey Parmer added 12 points and 10 rebounds.HeatDevils big man Taj Finger poured in 18 points and Taishiro Shimizu scored 15 points. Naoto Takushi dished out eight assists in the loss.Brazil's Marcelo breaks right foot
SAO PAULO — Real Madrid left back Marcelo has broken his right foot in training with Brazil and will be sidelined until at least the end of the year.Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said the defender will be out for at least three months because of the injury sustained Sunday in Poland, where the team will play Japan in a friendly on Tuesday.Lasmar said Marcelo's injury may require surgery, but the player will return to Spain on Monday to be evaluated by Real Madrid doctors.Marcelo said he will "be back soon" and that he wants to fully recover "in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup" that Brazil will host.Marcelo has been Brazil's starter at left back under coach Mano Menezes, who will not replace him in the squad ahead of Tuesday's match.
Cardinals hold off Giants in Game 1
SAN FRANCISCO — This time, Carlos Beltran, David Freese and the St. Louis Cardinals took a six-run lead — and held onto it, barely.Beltran and Freese hit two-run homers and these wild, wild-card Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the NLCS.The defending World Series champions took an early 6-0 cushion and made it stand up. Only two nights earlier, the Cardinals came back from a 6-0 deficit, using a four-run rally in the ninth inning at Washington in the deciding Game 5 of the division series."The way we play the game, we have been in this type of situation before in the regular season," Beltran said. "These guys have this mentality of not panicking."The St. Louis bullpen delivered with 5? scoreless innings after starter Lance Lynn was chased early. Edward Mujica, the fifth St. Louis pitcher, struck out the side in order in the seventh for the win. Jason Motte finished for his second save of the postseason.The Cardinals gave first-year manager Mike Matheny a win against his former club.Matheny's crew hardly looked road-weary after a cross-country trip. The Giants dropped to 0-3 at home so far during these playoffs, outscored 20-6 at AT&T Park.Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night. Chris Carpenter pitches for the Cardinals against Ryan Vogelsong.This is the first time the previous two World Series winners are facing off in the postseason since the 1958 World Series between the Braves and Yankees.Beltran's fourth-inning drive into the seats in left-center chased San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner.It was Beltran's 14th career postseason homer and third this October."Right now I'm really enjoying myself," Beltran said. "Right now I'm seeing the ball well. I feel like I have a good approach at the plate, I feel like I'm not trying to do too much, and good things are happening."Both teams were well rested a day after a rough night of travel. The Giants barely beat the Cardinals to the Bay Area early Saturday after they were delayed three hours on the tarmac in Cincinnati on Friday night — to refuel and for a mechanical problem after waiting out the Cardinals-Nationals game to know where they were headed next.Matheny stuck with the same winning lineup that he sent out for Game 5, and some of the same faces came through again."They put together some better at-bats than us," Giants center fielder Angel Pagan said. "They hit some homers and were up 6-0. That's a pretty good lead in the playoffs. We tried to battle back. We did our best but it wasn't our night."
Pena comes good to send Hawks into next round
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — Wily Mo Pena said he couldn't remember the last time he was in an elimination game.
Give me some Mo: Fukuoka Softbank's Willy Mo Pena salutes the crowd after hitting a two-run double in the fourth inning on Monday. KYODOHe'll have a hard time forgetting this one.Pena hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, Seiichi Uchikawa added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League Climax Series first stage with a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 3 on Monday night at Seibu Dome."I was trying to help my team," Pena said. "In my first two games, I didn't get a hit. That's why I was trying to stay positive and just help our team."We've got to take the next step. We had to play these games first, and now we have to move on to the next stage and try to get back to the championship like we did last year."The defending Japan Series champions advanced to the final stage of the climax series with the win. They'll face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Sapporo for the right to represent the PL in the Japan Series."We played the way we played throughout the season," said Hawks infielder Yuichi Honda. "That will be the key for us, to play like that in Sapporo."Softbank will have to hit the ground running as the Fighters will have an automatic 1-0 advantage in the series as the league champions."We play one game at a time, and now we have advanced and can finally think of the next challenge," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "That's how you have to operate in this business."Pena had been hitless in the first two games and, after a flyout to center in the second inning was 0-for-9 in the series before ripping his two-run double to left."I will thank the manager for the rest of my life," Pena said. "I told him it was going to be different. He believed in me and that's what happens when you believe in somebody. It will pay off."The Hawks were sitting pretty after Uchikawa made the score 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth."I'm so exhausted," Uchikawa said. "We were desperate to get another run, so I put all of my pent-up energy from this year into that hit. It was a huge hit for us."The Hawks may have given themselves some breathing room, but the Lions weren't going to let them off the hook that easily.With runners on first and second with two outs, PL home run leader Takeya Nakamura pounced on a slider from reliever Masahiko Morifuku and hit a ball toward the spot where his solo homer in the fourth cleared the wall.For a moment it looked as if Nakamura had turned the tide of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run, but Ryuma Kidokoro made the catch a few steps in front of the center-field wall to end the inning.Lions infielder, and former Hawks player, Jose Ortiz hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima to lead off the ninth to cut the lead to one run. Okajima retired the next three batters to end the game."That one run really hurt us," Lions manager Hisanobu Watanabe said. "We wanted to prevent that. But our players went all out and played such a great game."In a short series, you can't give your opponent a run. We weren't good enough to come back from the deficit."Hiroyuki Nakajima finished 0-for-3 with a walk in what may have been his final game in a Lions uniform.Nakajima is expected to purse a career in the major leagues next season. The Lions shortstop was posted last year, but returned to Japan when contract negotiations with the New York Yankees fell apart. Nakajima, a career .302 hitter with 162 home runs and 738 RBIs in 11 professional seasons, is free to negotiate with any team of his choosing this time around.Hawks starter Kenji Otonari threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win."As a starter, I should have been on the mound longer, but I'm relieved that I left with our team ahead," Otonari said.Reliever Sho Iwaski worked two scoreless innings and Morifuku survived his close call to keep Seibu off the board in the eighth. Okajima earned the save despite allowing a run.It was a short outing for Lions starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who entered the game 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 career postseason appearances.Ishii was charged with a pair of runs over 3? innings. He struck out two and walked one.Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons' hopes of going to a third straight Japan Series remained alive Monday when they came from a run down in the eighth on a Tony Blanco grand slam to clinch the first stage of the Central League Climax Series.Trailing 1-0, Blanco slammed a 3-1 pitch from Tony Barnette with the bases loaded into the stands in left field and the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows 4-1 to win the best-of-three first stage 2-1 and advance to the Climax Series final stage against the league champion Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome starting Wednesday.Barnette, who earned a two-inning save when the Swallows squared the series at 1-1 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday, came in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he faced and threw three straight balls to Blanco.For the second time in the game, a 3-0 count with runners on was an invitation for the Dominican slugger to swing as hard as he could. He missed the first pitch from Barnette but got all of the second one."That was the best ball I've ever hit in my life," Blanco said in the on-field hero interview. "I went up with the intention of driving a pitch to the outfield to tie the game with a sacrifice fly."The Swallows took the lead in the second inning off 47-year-old Masahiro Yamamoto. Shinya Miyamoto singled to open the inning and stole second with one out on the first pitch to Ryoji Aikawa, who did the honors with a single to right. It was the fourth hit of the series for the Swallows catcher.The Swallows came within inches of a second score in the inning, but were denied by Dragons left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who snared a two-out sinking liner in the web of his glove that would have plated Aikawa.Yakult lefty Kyohei Muranaka repeatedly pitched out of jams with a combination of good pitches, good luck and good fielding and allowed no runs in 5? innings.The Swallows survived a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth — when Golden Glove third baseman Shinya Miyamoto robbed Blanco with a diving snag of a low-flying rocket headed for the left-field corner. Katsuki Akagawa worked a 1-2-3 seventh but surrendered Yohei Oshima's ninth hit of the series to lead off the eighth.With one out and the tying run on second, Tetsuya Yamamoto walked the only batter he faced and Barnette, whose 33 saves tied for the CL lead, walked Wada to load the bases before falling behind to Blanco.Yamamoto took the loss, while Takuya Asao, who worked the final two innings for the Dragons, collected the win.
Give me some Mo: Fukuoka Softbank's Willy Mo Pena salutes the crowd after hitting a two-run double in the fourth inning on Monday. KYODOHe'll have a hard time forgetting this one.Pena hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, Seiichi Uchikawa added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the Pacific League Climax Series first stage with a 3-2 victory over the Seibu Lions in Game 3 on Monday night at Seibu Dome."I was trying to help my team," Pena said. "In my first two games, I didn't get a hit. That's why I was trying to stay positive and just help our team."We've got to take the next step. We had to play these games first, and now we have to move on to the next stage and try to get back to the championship like we did last year."The defending Japan Series champions advanced to the final stage of the climax series with the win. They'll face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Sapporo for the right to represent the PL in the Japan Series."We played the way we played throughout the season," said Hawks infielder Yuichi Honda. "That will be the key for us, to play like that in Sapporo."Softbank will have to hit the ground running as the Fighters will have an automatic 1-0 advantage in the series as the league champions."We play one game at a time, and now we have advanced and can finally think of the next challenge," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "That's how you have to operate in this business."Pena had been hitless in the first two games and, after a flyout to center in the second inning was 0-for-9 in the series before ripping his two-run double to left."I will thank the manager for the rest of my life," Pena said. "I told him it was going to be different. He believed in me and that's what happens when you believe in somebody. It will pay off."The Hawks were sitting pretty after Uchikawa made the score 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth."I'm so exhausted," Uchikawa said. "We were desperate to get another run, so I put all of my pent-up energy from this year into that hit. It was a huge hit for us."The Hawks may have given themselves some breathing room, but the Lions weren't going to let them off the hook that easily.With runners on first and second with two outs, PL home run leader Takeya Nakamura pounced on a slider from reliever Masahiko Morifuku and hit a ball toward the spot where his solo homer in the fourth cleared the wall.For a moment it looked as if Nakamura had turned the tide of the game with a go-ahead three-run home run, but Ryuma Kidokoro made the catch a few steps in front of the center-field wall to end the inning.Lions infielder, and former Hawks player, Jose Ortiz hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima to lead off the ninth to cut the lead to one run. Okajima retired the next three batters to end the game."That one run really hurt us," Lions manager Hisanobu Watanabe said. "We wanted to prevent that. But our players went all out and played such a great game."In a short series, you can't give your opponent a run. We weren't good enough to come back from the deficit."Hiroyuki Nakajima finished 0-for-3 with a walk in what may have been his final game in a Lions uniform.Nakajima is expected to purse a career in the major leagues next season. The Lions shortstop was posted last year, but returned to Japan when contract negotiations with the New York Yankees fell apart. Nakajima, a career .302 hitter with 162 home runs and 738 RBIs in 11 professional seasons, is free to negotiate with any team of his choosing this time around.Hawks starter Kenji Otonari threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win."As a starter, I should have been on the mound longer, but I'm relieved that I left with our team ahead," Otonari said.Reliever Sho Iwaski worked two scoreless innings and Morifuku survived his close call to keep Seibu off the board in the eighth. Okajima earned the save despite allowing a run.It was a short outing for Lions starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who entered the game 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 career postseason appearances.Ishii was charged with a pair of runs over 3? innings. He struck out two and walked one.Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report.NAGOYA — The Chunichi Dragons' hopes of going to a third straight Japan Series remained alive Monday when they came from a run down in the eighth on a Tony Blanco grand slam to clinch the first stage of the Central League Climax Series.Trailing 1-0, Blanco slammed a 3-1 pitch from Tony Barnette with the bases loaded into the stands in left field and the Dragons beat the Yakult Swallows 4-1 to win the best-of-three first stage 2-1 and advance to the Climax Series final stage against the league champion Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome starting Wednesday.Barnette, who earned a two-inning save when the Swallows squared the series at 1-1 with a 1-0 victory on Sunday, came in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he faced and threw three straight balls to Blanco.For the second time in the game, a 3-0 count with runners on was an invitation for the Dominican slugger to swing as hard as he could. He missed the first pitch from Barnette but got all of the second one."That was the best ball I've ever hit in my life," Blanco said in the on-field hero interview. "I went up with the intention of driving a pitch to the outfield to tie the game with a sacrifice fly."The Swallows took the lead in the second inning off 47-year-old Masahiro Yamamoto. Shinya Miyamoto singled to open the inning and stole second with one out on the first pitch to Ryoji Aikawa, who did the honors with a single to right. It was the fourth hit of the series for the Swallows catcher.The Swallows came within inches of a second score in the inning, but were denied by Dragons left fielder Kazuhiro Wada, who snared a two-out sinking liner in the web of his glove that would have plated Aikawa.Yakult lefty Kyohei Muranaka repeatedly pitched out of jams with a combination of good pitches, good luck and good fielding and allowed no runs in 5? innings.The Swallows survived a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth — when Golden Glove third baseman Shinya Miyamoto robbed Blanco with a diving snag of a low-flying rocket headed for the left-field corner. Katsuki Akagawa worked a 1-2-3 seventh but surrendered Yohei Oshima's ninth hit of the series to lead off the eighth.With one out and the tying run on second, Tetsuya Yamamoto walked the only batter he faced and Barnette, whose 33 saves tied for the CL lead, walked Wada to load the bases before falling behind to Blanco.Yamamoto took the loss, while Takuya Asao, who worked the final two innings for the Dragons, collected the win.Tigers outlast Kuroda for 2-0 lead in ALCS
NEW YORK — Anibal Sanchez and the Detroit Tigers made the plays, benefited from an admitted missed call by an umpire and delivered during their few good opportunities at the plate.
Get it done: Detroit catcher Alex Avila attempts to catch a popup during the Tigers' 3-0 victory over the Yankees on Sunday in New York. The Tigers lead the ALCS 2-0. APThe reward: a commanding 2-0 lead in the AL championship series, and a trip home with their ace ready to start.Sanchez shut down a Yankees lineup minus injured Derek Jeter, and Detroit won without any drama this time, beating New York 3-0 Sunday.Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning. But the slumping New York hitters looked lost a day after their captain broke his ankle in the 12th inning of a 6-4 loss.Making his second postseason start, Sanchez threw three-hit ball deep into the game to make Tigers manager Jim Leyland's job much easier. A day after closer Jose Valverde gave up four runs in the ninth, Leyland said the righty wouldn't close Game 2."I thought we hung in there and took advantage of a couple of things," Leyland said. "And those are some of the things you need in postseason play. You never know how it's going to play out."The Tigers scored twice in the eighth after second base umpire Jeff Nelson missed a call on a two-out tag at second base. Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued, and was ejected on his 48th birthday."The hand did not get in before the tag," Nelson said after seeing a replay. "The call was incorrect."Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Detroit, with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers against Phil Hughes. Verlander went 2-0 in the division series versus Oakland, including a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the decisive Game 5.The Tigers led 1-0 in the eighth and had Omar Infante on first with two outs. Austin Jackson singled and when Infante took a wide turn at second, right fielder Nick Swisher threw behind him.Robinson Cano made a swipe tag as Infante made a head-first dive back to second. Cano missed Infante's arm but brushed his body, replays clearly showed. But Nelson called Infante safe.Cano and Girardi pleaded the call to no avail. Boone Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI single to pinch hitter Avisail Garcia to make it 2-0."It's frustrating. I don't have a problem with Jeff's effort, I don't, because he hustled to get to the play. But in this day and age when we have instant replay available to us, it's got to change," Girardi said."These guys are under tremendous amounts of pressure. It is a tough call for him because the tag is underneath and it's hard for him to see. And it takes more time to argue and get upset than you get the call right. Too much is at stake," he said.Girardi returned to lift Logan for Joba Chamberlain, and then he remained on the field to resume the argument. Red-faced with neck muscles bulging, Girardi could be seen shouting at Nelson, "You were right there. How could you miss it?" He was tossed by Nelson for his first postseason ejection.Miguel Cabrera added a run-scoring single in the inning.
Get it done: Detroit catcher Alex Avila attempts to catch a popup during the Tigers' 3-0 victory over the Yankees on Sunday in New York. The Tigers lead the ALCS 2-0. APThe reward: a commanding 2-0 lead in the AL championship series, and a trip home with their ace ready to start.Sanchez shut down a Yankees lineup minus injured Derek Jeter, and Detroit won without any drama this time, beating New York 3-0 Sunday.Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning. But the slumping New York hitters looked lost a day after their captain broke his ankle in the 12th inning of a 6-4 loss.Making his second postseason start, Sanchez threw three-hit ball deep into the game to make Tigers manager Jim Leyland's job much easier. A day after closer Jose Valverde gave up four runs in the ninth, Leyland said the righty wouldn't close Game 2."I thought we hung in there and took advantage of a couple of things," Leyland said. "And those are some of the things you need in postseason play. You never know how it's going to play out."The Tigers scored twice in the eighth after second base umpire Jeff Nelson missed a call on a two-out tag at second base. Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued, and was ejected on his 48th birthday."The hand did not get in before the tag," Nelson said after seeing a replay. "The call was incorrect."Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Detroit, with reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers against Phil Hughes. Verlander went 2-0 in the division series versus Oakland, including a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the decisive Game 5.The Tigers led 1-0 in the eighth and had Omar Infante on first with two outs. Austin Jackson singled and when Infante took a wide turn at second, right fielder Nick Swisher threw behind him.Robinson Cano made a swipe tag as Infante made a head-first dive back to second. Cano missed Infante's arm but brushed his body, replays clearly showed. But Nelson called Infante safe.Cano and Girardi pleaded the call to no avail. Boone Logan replaced Kuroda and gave up an RBI single to pinch hitter Avisail Garcia to make it 2-0."It's frustrating. I don't have a problem with Jeff's effort, I don't, because he hustled to get to the play. But in this day and age when we have instant replay available to us, it's got to change," Girardi said."These guys are under tremendous amounts of pressure. It is a tough call for him because the tag is underneath and it's hard for him to see. And it takes more time to argue and get upset than you get the call right. Too much is at stake," he said.Girardi returned to lift Logan for Joba Chamberlain, and then he remained on the field to resume the argument. Red-faced with neck muscles bulging, Girardi could be seen shouting at Nelson, "You were right there. How could you miss it?" He was tossed by Nelson for his first postseason ejection.Miguel Cabrera added a run-scoring single in the inning.Griffin puts health concerns to rest with electrifying victory
LANDOVER, Maryland — Robert Griffin's concussion was on everyone's mind as he dropped back on a third-and-6, with the Washington Redskins trying to put the game away."I took off running and got to the sideline, thought about running out of bounds — because everyone's been telling me that lately," he said with a big smile. "And I felt like I had the guy outflanked, and then I just took off running. And the rest is history."Not only did his 76-yard touchdown run put the game away, it also dismissed any thoughts that his first serious shot to the head as a pro was going to stop RG3 from being RG3.The longest scoring run by an NFL quarterback in 16 years was part of his 138-yard rushing performance in the Redskins' 38-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday."When Robert gets in top gear, it's like watching a track meet," receiver Santana Moss said. "And he ain't coming in second."The former college hurdler ran for two scores and threw for another as Washington (3-3) snapped its eight-game home losing streak.The perennial doormats of the NFC East are becoming relevant again because they finally have a quarterback — a No. 2 overall draft pick able to use his arm and legs to pick apart the Vikings (4-2), who had won three straight and hadn't allowed more than 23 points this season.Keep in mind that Griffin left the previous week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons when he was hit in the head while trying to get some extra yards on a scramble.He passed the NFL's post-concussion tests and was cleared to play Sunday, but coaches and teammates hoped that he had learned a lesson about when to keep running and when to slide — or get out of bounds.Accordingly, Griffin's second-by-second description of his teammates' reaction to his touchdown run is priceless."I could see guys telling me I got the first, so they were saying, 'Stay inbounds,' " Griffin said. "And then I was running like, 'I think I can get a little more.' And it all went from 'Stop, stay inbounds,' to 'Go! Go for the touchdown!' "Lions 26, Eagles 23: In Philadelphia, Jason Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime and the Lions rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.Seahawks 24, Patriots 23: In Seattle, Russell Wilson found Sidney Rice behind the secondary for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:18 remaining.Falcons 23, Raiders 20: In Atlanta, Matt Bryant kicked his second game-winning field goal in three weeks.Bills 19, Cardinals 16 (OT): In Glendale, Arizona, Jairus Byrd's second interception of the game set up Rian Lindell's 25-yard field goal 3:50 into overtime.Giants 26, 49ers 3: In San Francisco, Antrel Rolle intercepted two passes by Alex Smith, and Prince Amukamara picked off another in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game.Ravens 31, Cowboys 29: In Baltimore, Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return and the Ravens won their 14th straight regular-season home game.Buccaneers 38, Chiefs 10: In Tampa, Josh Freeman threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and Ronde Barber scored on a 78-yard interception return.Browns 34, Bengals 24: In Cleveland, rookie Brandon Weeden threw two touchdown passes and the Browns snapped an 11-game losing streak.Jets 35, Colts 9: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Shonn Greene ran for a career-high 161 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Sanchez was efficient and Tim Tebow made a few big plays.Dolphins 17, Rams 14: In Miami, Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes and the Dolphins withstood a late rally.Packers 42, Texans 24: In Houston, Aaron Rodgers set a career high and tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes, three to Jordy Nelson, and Green Bay routed the previously unbeaten Texans.
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