Photo by Associated Press Cincinnati’s Joey Votto (19) hits a solo home run off Nationals starter Edwin Jackson in the first inning on Sunday. Advertisement CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto gave the Washington Nationals one more heartache in a week already full of them.

Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game on Sunday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory that knocked the Nationals out of first place in the NL East.

Washington headed home after a week that included two more players going on the disabled list with significant injuries and a 19-year-old rookie figuring in games in unusual ways.

Nothing was more unusual than how they let their chance to complete a sweep slip away.

“It was a tough night in the conditions and everything, but we gave them some cheap runs and you can’t do that,” manager Davey Johnson said.

They couldn’t contain Votto, either.

The 2010 NL MVP hit solo homers in his first two at-bats off Edwin Jackson, then flied out to the warning track and doubled. Given one more chance by struggling closer Henry Rodriguez, he thrilled a crowd that sat through a long delay and then more rain.

Washington came into the game with only 15 homers allowed all season, fewest in the majors. Votto hadn’t hit a homer since April 30.

He got the chance for last-swing drama when Rodriguez (1-3) got into the game and couldn’t get comfortable on the wet mound. Rodriguez walked two batters with two outs to load the bases, including Chris Heisey after getting ahead in the count 0-2.

Johnson came out to visit Rodriguez, who repeatedly scraped at the wet mound with his cleats.

“Rodriguez didn’t have command and he was kicking at the mound,” Johnson said. “Rodriguez has done such a great job. you just can’t walk guys like that. you don’t want Votto up there ever. He walked the guys he should have gotten out.”

Rodriguez left a 2-2 pitch up and over the plate for Votto, who hit it over the wall in center. He finished with a career-high six RBIs and the second three-homer game of his career.

The Reds said it was the first time in major league history that a player hit a game-ending grand slam for his third home run, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

It was Votto’s best day since he signed a new deal before opening day that added 10 years and $225 million.

“He did today what he’s been known to do,” Jackson said. “That’s what he got paid a lot of money to do.”

The last player to hit a game-ending home run in a three-homer game was Albert Pujols for St. Louis against Cincinnati on April 16, 2006, according to STATS LLC.

Giancarlo Stanton also hit a game-ending slam Sunday for Miami against the New York Mets, making it the first time in 14 years that there were two walk-off slams on one day, STATS said. Mo Vaughn connected for Boston and Steve Finley for San Diego on April 10, 1998.

A few thousand fans were left to cheer Cincinnati’s first game-ending grand slam since Adam Dunn connected off Cleveland’s Bob Wickman on June 30, 2006.

Sean Marshall (1-2) got the win at the end of the long day. The start was delayed 3 hours, 36 minutes by rain, which continued to fall throughout the 3-hour, 45-minute game.

Ahead 6-3, the Nationals couldn’t close out what would have been their first three-game sweep of the season. The Reds got two runs in the eighth when rookie right fielder Bryce Harper lost Jay Bruce’s two-out fly ball in the twilight sky, letting it fall way behind him for a double.

“Once the ball got above the stands, I lost it,” Harper said. “It was hazy. I had no clue. I didn’t think he hit it that deep.”

Then, their closer let it slip away, concluding a painful one-week trip.

Right fielder Jayson Werth had surgery on his broken left wrist Monday, and Harper needed 10 stitches for a self-inflicted gash above his left eye on Friday after he hurt himself slamming a bat against a wall near the dugout. Catcher Wilson Ramos tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while chasing a passed ball Saturday night.

Despite sending 11 players to the disabled list already this season, the Nationals had managed to stay atop the NL East because of their pitching staff, which leads the majors. For one of the few times, it let them down, and Washington dropped into second place behind Atlanta.

NOTES: The Nationals headed out for a seven-game homestand, including two games each against San Diego and Pittsburgh and three against Baltimore. The Reds left for an unusual seven-game trip: Atlanta for two games, then on to New York for two against the Mets and three against the Yankees. … The Nationals called up C Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg. … Harper wore a bandage over his left eye for the second straight game and had a pair of singles, ending his 0-for-9 slump in Cincinnati. … Reds 3B Mike Costanzo, called up to replace injured Scott Rolen, made his big league debut as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly on the first pitch.

Votto hits 3 HRs, slams Nats – The Frederick News-Post Online

The Boston Celtics are in the midst of another playoff run, as the C’s try to win their 18th banner in the esteemed history of the franchise.

The Celtics are trying to win their second title with the same core group of players that won them No. 17. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo lead a Celtics team that defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in 2008. Four seasons later, the big Four are still looking for another championship before likely going their separate ways.

But of the four major Celtics, who is the most indispensable to the team?

Currently, the Celtics are without Allen, who has not played since April 10 due to ankle injuries. The Celtics could definitely use Allen’s three-point expertise, as the C’s have only shot 3-for-25 from downtown in the first two games of their opening-round series. Allen has wowed Celtics fans for years with numerous big time shots and has always been a big time performer.

The Celtics played without Rondo during their Game 2 victory over the Hawks on Tuesday. despite their win against Atlanta, Rondo is still a vital cog in the Celtics’ machine. The All-Star point guard is the Celtics’ biggest playmaker, and always elevates his game when the big lights come on (Seriously, he gets a triple-double almost every time the C’s are on national television). Rondo’s injury last year severely hurt the Celtics in their series against the Miami Heat, and Boston will need him going forward.

Of course, no Celtics injury was as devastating as Garnett’s during the 2009 season. The Celtics were cruising until the big Ticket went down with a right knee sprain that crippled the C’s chances of repeating. Garnett is an invaluable defender and the team’s leading rebounder. He has also seen a resurgence since becoming the team’s starting center, as the Celtics got red hot after the All-Star break. and if you’ve ever seen him in action, you know how intense Garnett is once he steps onto the court.

The face of the Celtics for the past 14 years has been that of Paul Pierce. Tuesday night’s victory against the Hawks was another example of how dominant the Truth can be, even at the age of 34.

Pierce made up for the absence of Rondo and Allen by dropping 36 points and taking over the game in the second half when it seemed that the Hawks were about to take over the game and the series. No. 34 was the Celtics’ leading scoring this season, and like Allen, also has a penchant to hit clutch shots when the game is on the line.

 Photo via Facebook/The big 4

Who Is the Most Indispensable Member of the Boston Celtics? – Boston Celtics – NESN.com

Many people all around the world have heard the names Michael Jordan (Air Jordan), Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq), Vince Carter and Magic Johnson. Their names are synonymous with basketball. in fact, it is often you will hear someone talking about basketball mention and their names. have you heard of any friends who can watch NBA games online? How can your friends do this?

Enter in a new technology that can appease many people who would generally miss out on the live action. It is called satellite TV for PCs. this is great for those people who are always rush, rush, rushing about. Open your laptop, get onto the Internet and site and watch any of the NBA games you want. It’s all quite easy. There is no need for a satellite dish or receivers. You won’t have to be bothered by the technical stuff that comes with regular television.

The best part about satellite TV on PC is there are over 3,000 channels to choose from. Many of these are sports channels. this means if you want to watch more than one game, you can. If you have access to a computer at work or access to a laptop with an Internet connection, then you can watch your favorite teams or other television programs.

Every basketball fan fantasizes the day they meet their NBA star in person. If they are lucky enough, they will get tickets to many of the home games. but for others, they go above and beyond, and seek out those precious season tickets so they never miss a play-by-play out on the open court. what more could they want? for many other people though, they have to be satisfied to watch the games by television.

Even more distressing is if you are a basketball fanatic and cannot watch those games when they come on because of work, school or even the home life. The VCR becomes both your friend and your enemy. why is it like this? You are able to record it so you can watch it later; but a friend calls and gives you the play by play and ruins it as to who wins. what is the point of watching that tape now?

If it looks like you will miss out on your favorite NBA players, get satellite TV on PC [http://www.topproductsreview.com/Satellite/Watch-TV-On-PC.html]. There will be no need to worry because you can watch all the games you want without having to tape and having someone ruin the game for you. There is no need to watch your games anywhere else.

Watch NBA Games Online – Watch Live NBA Playoffs Online

DETROIT — former Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman confirmed on Wednesday that he underwent Tommy John surgery this week, in hopes of making a comeback next spring.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com first reported the news. Bonderman confirmed his plans in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon with MLB.com, explaining his decision to give it one more try after disappearing from the game following the 2010 season.

“I just got the itch to give it another shot,” Bonderman said. “I’m going to work out, try to get a team to give me a chance. hopefully I can get a team to give me a shot.”

Bonderman last pitched in 2010 with the Tigers, posting an 8-10 record and a 5.53 ERA in 30 games, 29 of them starts. He gave up 187 hits over 171 innings, with 60 walks and 112 strikeouts.

Bonderman said Wednesday that he blew out his elbow that offseason while working out. He said his elbow was fine when he was pitching in 2010, having come off surgery and shoulder problems that limited him the previous two years.

Bonderman said he didn’t know the full extent of his elbow problems until he underwent a physical for the Cleveland Indians, who were interested in signing him. that deal obviously fell through once the results came back. a follow-up exam with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum confirmed the damage.

After a year at home, he said, the itch came back. Once he’s recovered enough, he hopes to work out with a trainer this summer, find a team willing to sign him to a Minor League contract, then give it another shot in the spring, when he’ll be 30 years old.

DETROIT — while the Tigers echoed their goal of winning a World Series championship before a record gathering for their annual luncheon at the Detroit Economic Club, manager Jim Leyland told the crowd that his team might need a “mean streak” to do it.

Leyland made the remark while praising his team for being so easy for him and the coaches to work with.

“We just have a wonderful group of guys. In fact, to be honest with you, if we’re going to win this thing, we’ve got to find that little mean streak that’s in all of us,” Leyland said. “We need that, and we’re going to have to have that. we are going to need that little mean streak, I can assure you, that little swagger, because we’re the hunted. but I’ll take my chances with this group. We’ve got a lot of characters, a lot of wonderful guys with great, great personalities.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s similar to what he said about his first Tigers team back in 2006. during Spring Training that year, he had a lengthy talk with reporters about how that team needed a swagger, something that was hard to find from a franchise that hadn’t finished with a winning record in a decade.

This team, obviously, has a lot more star power, but they also have a lot more teams targeting them, something Leyland also referenced in his speech.

“We have our stars that are nationally recognized, but I think the most important, the best part about our team, when our stars speak, we’re a team of 25 guys,” he said. “We work hard together, we have tremendous talent.

Leyland later added to that in his pregame remarks to reporters, saying it was “just a message to the fans and to the team.”

As Leyland put it, “I’ve never really seen many good players or good teams that didn’t have a little mean streak, a little selfishness in them, to be honest with you. I mean that in a good way. … In our case, I think it’s particularly important because a lot of people have talked about our club, blah blah blah. There’s time to be a real nice guy and a gentleman, but it’s not when the game starts. You have to have a little bit of [jerk] in you, if you want to know the truth.”

DETROIT — Finally, there are signs of progress again in Doug Fister’s injury situation. The Tigers right-hander, sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle, played catch on Wednesday, and is now scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning.

It’ll be the first time Fister has thrown off a mound since last week in Kansas City, where he felt pain again in that left side while throwing on back-to-back days. Since then, the Tigers have been relatively cautious about his progress to avoid a more severe setback, though manager Jim Leyland sounded upbeat after Fister underwent treatment on Monday.

Thursday’s mound session won’t put him on a timetable to return to game action by the end of the month, but it at least puts a return in sight. Adam Wilk made his third start in Fister’s place on Wednesday night against the Mariners.

“It’s kind of a wait-and-see thing,” manager Jim Leyland said Wednesday afternoon.

DETROIT — Tigers manager Jim Leyland didn’t get a chance to use Andy Dirks’ return to give Austin Jackaon a day out of the lineup on Wednesday like he had hoped. but he won’t have to wait any longer on Dirks.

“Dirks is ready to go,” Leyland said after Wednesday’s loss. “He’ll probably play [Thursday].”

If he does, it’ll be his first game action in a week and a half, since he strained his left hamstring rounding third base against Kansas City. His absence is far from the main reason for the Tigers’ struggles lately, but it sure hasn’t helped. They’ve struggled to manufacture offense without him.

Leyland likely won’t shake up the lineup with Dirks back, but he’ll get another left-handed bat, one that had been swinging well before he was hurt.

• Miguel Cabrera’s home run on Tuesday was his 76th career home run at Comerica Park, moving him into a tie with Brandon Inge for the ballpark record. Cabrera has amassed his total in just 333 games there, including 75 homers in 330 games as a Tiger. Inge’s home runs have come over 719 games.

• Tigers top prospect Jacob Turner will make a second rehab start at Class a Lakeland on Saturday. Turner was a candidate for the Tigers’ fifth starter job before shoulder tendinitis sidelined him in mid-March. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo later in the month, but stayed back in Lakeland when the Mud Hens broke camp.

• Brad Eldred continues to slug the ball at Triple-A Toledo. The Minor League free-agent signing from the winter hit his 13th home run in his 20th game this season Wednesday, helping power the Mud Hens past Columbus. The 31-year-old is batting .388 with 35 RBIs.

Bonderman has Tommy John surgery

The inability to defend the pass is what cost the Dallas Cowboys dearly in 2011. Big D allowed an average of 244 passing yards per game and ranked No. 23, but did get 42 sacks.

Well, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Cowboys moved up to the No. 6 spot from No. 14:

Dallas trades to 6 and St. Louis. Wow.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2012

Then, we all saw the Cowboys take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at the No. 6 position, which is a perfect move by Dallas. Let’s take a look at why and how Claiborne fits Big D so well.

Playmaker

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Between 2010 and 2011, Morris Claiborne collected 11 interceptions and returned them for 274 yards. That’s an average of almost 25 yards per interception return. In addition, Claiborne defended 23 total passes.

He’s a cornerback who simply knows how to react, when to react and what to do with the ball after making a turnover. considering how potentially explosive the Dallas offense can be, having roughly 25 less yards to gain after a sudden change is a major advantage.

Not to mention, Claiborne also served as a kick returner. there, Morris compiled 552 yards on 22 returns and one touchdown. Expect him to expand that special teams role for the Cowboys and make a lot of big plays for Big D.

Quick Development

Butch Dill/Getty Images

After not contributing much as a freshman in 2009, Morris Claiborne was challenged quite often as a sophomore in 2010. there, he defended 11 passes, got five picks and made 37 tackles. Certainly not a bad season as a first-year contributor, but in 2011 he took it to another level with six picks, 12 defended passes and 51 tackles.

Claiborne in Dallas will be paired opposite of Brandon Carr, and the pass-rushing skill set of DeMarcus Ware will allow him to get acclimated to NFL speed. He’s already a strong man-coverage defender and has the instincts to feel the routes when in zone.

The NFC East receiving corps will surely test his overall talent early on, but since Claiborne developed fast in the SEC, he’ll manage quite well through training camp and thereafter.

Area of Need

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

As previously mentioned, the Cowboys were horrendous against the pass in 2011, and it ruined their season.

Dallas got swept by the Giants and Eagles, and allowed an average of almost 28 points per game in those losses. So, getting a more consistent coverage was needed to shutdown explosive offenses like new York, Philadelphia and now Washington.

The Redskins have an upgraded receiving corps and increased expectations for 2012 as well. Claiborne has the immediate ability to takeaway half the field, and with Carr locking down opposite, the Cowboys can blitz their linebackers a lot more.

This then obviously creates more pressure and forces an offense to become one-dimensional. Anticipate a big season from safety Gerald Sensabaugh, because he’ll be freed up to make more plays over the top and/or rolling down to fill a zone for a blitzing ‘backer.

John Rozum on Twitter.

NFL Draft 2012 Results: Morris Claiborne Is Perfect Fit for Dallas Cowboys

Denver —

- Manager Bruce Bochy is acutely aware that fans are upset when Brandon Belt does not play. Bochy sat Belt on Monday in the wake of a 1-for-10, five-strikeout series in Arizona. Aubrey Huff started at first base and Gregor Blanco replaced him in the outfield.

When reporters kept peppering Bochy with questions about the Belt decision, he pushed back slightly.

“I think we’re overstating this a little bit. He’s getting a day,” Bochy said. “We wanted to get a little more speed in the outfield, and Huff is swinging it a little better. We haven’t won a game. We want to put our best lineup out there. I think we’re getting a little caught up here. It’s not like there’s any panic.”

Bochy has expressed his commitment to playing Belt, but the second-year player admitted in a meeting with Bochy that he might have pressed in the season-opening series. Bochy decided to give Belt two days to step back and regroup. The Giants are off Tuesday.

Bochy said Belt would return to the lineup Wednesday night.

“When a hitter tells me he’s pressing, it’s time to give him a day to relax a little bit,” Bochy said. “It’s natural for young players early in the season. they want to get off to a good start. they lose sight that there are a lot of games in the season and the first week is not going to determine what your season is going to be like.”

The offense: Lost in the Barry Zito shutout was another nice effort by the offense, which has scored 21 runs in four games.

Pablo Sandoval, who has started hot, hit a two-run homer in the first against Jhoulys Chacin. Chacin walked the bases loaded in a two-run third that featured an RBI single by Hector Sanchez. Brandon Crawford hit a three-run double in the fifth.

Briefly: Zito won for the first time since July 7. … The Giants averted their first 0-4 start since 1950. … The Giants were 0-for-19 against left-handed pitchers before Sanchez singled in the fifth against Matt Reynolds.

Tuesday

Off

Wednesday

at Rockies

5:40 p.m. CSNBA

Lincecum (0-1) vs. Guthrie (1-0)

Thursday

at Rockies

12:10 p.m. CSNBA

Bumgarner (0-1) vs. Moyer (0-1)

Playing Nate: Nate Schierholtz largely has been missing in action, but manager Bruce Bochy hopes to get him a start in this series, partly because he hits well at Coors Field, where last year he hit a 467-foot homer.

This article appeared on page B – 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Brandon Belt returns to Giants lineup Wednesday

tom jones’ two centsTry following this. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he knows the team’s star center, Dwight Howard, wanted him fired. Howard said that isn’t true. But now Howard says he can’t play for Van Gundy because Van Gundy said Howard wanted him fired. Confused?

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? who cares? The Magic should fire Van Gundy and trade Howard. Blow the whole thing up and start over, seeing as how neither Van Gundy nor Howard has led a championship parade down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom.

The whole Howard-Van Gundy feud got us thinking about other great coach-player feuds. here are some of our favorites.Magic Johnson vs. Paul Westhead

Johnson, top right, was a rookie when the Westhead-coached Lakers won the NBA title in 1980, but this partnership did not have a happy Holly­wood ending. by the 1981-82 season, Johnson was bored by the Lakers’ methodical offense and demanded a trade. a day later, while the Lakers were riding a five-game win streak, Westhead, below, was fired and replaced by Pat Riley.

Who was right? Johnson ran off Westhead, but history shows the Lakers made the right move. they won four championships and reached the Finals two other times over the next seven years. Westhead, meantime, had marginal success at the college level but never again had a big impact at the NBA level.

Jay Cutler vs. Josh McDaniels

McDaniels, top, took over as Broncos coach in 2009 and immediately tried to trade Cutler, the starting quarterback, so he could bring in Matt Cassel from New England. neither trade went through. Uh, awkward. Cutler, naturally, was ticked and said he no longer wanted to play for a guy who tried to trade him. Cutler soon was traded to Chicago.

Who was right? Well, the next season, Cutler’s Bears and McDaniels’ Broncos both missed the playoffs. McDaniels lasted two seasons in Denver before being fired. Cutler hasn’t done anything super special with the Bears, but at least he’s still a starting quarterback. McDaniels is back with the Patriots again as an assistant.

Latrell Sprewell vs. P.J. Carlesimo

Carlesimo, below, was a superb college coach at Seton Hall. But apparently, his college way didn’t sit well with NBA star Latrell Sprewell while the two were with Golden State in 1997. That’s when Sprewell choked Carlesimo for more than 10 seconds during a practice. Carlesimo was left with bruises around his throat while Sprewell was suspended for the rest of the season and never played again for the Warriors.

Who was right? Forget Carlesimo’s abrasive coaching style. No one can possibly condone putting your hands on someone the way Sprewell did. besides, we would never side with a guy who once turned down a three-year, $21 million contract offer by saying, “I’ve got a family to feed.”

Ron Heller vs. Ray Perkins

Heller, top, a former Bucs offensive lineman, and Perkins didn’t, technically, have a feud. But they did have one well-known dustup. in 1987, while the Bucs were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, they trailed the Saints 28-10 at halftime. trying to inspire his teammates, Heller told everyone not to quit. All Perkins heard was “quit” and went after Heller. Reportedly, Perkins threw punches while Heller did not.

Who was right? It’s always best to turn the other cheek, especially if you’re wearing a helmet. Perkins ended up busting his thumb on Heller’s helmet in the brouhaha.

Reggie Jackson vs. Billy Martin

One of the more entertaining player-manager feuds ever. they are best known for their 1977 showdown during NBC’s Saturday Game of the Week. in a game at Fenway Park, Martin, right, the Yankees skipper, believed Jackson loafed after a ball in rightfield and pulled him out of the game in the middle of an inning. The two then squared off in the dugout, although no punches were thrown because Martin was held back by coaches. Lucky for him. Jackson might have knocked him out.

Who was right? neither, really. both had egos the size of Manhattan. Martin remained the manager for the rest of the season, and the Yankees won the World Series thanks, in part, to Jackson’s legendary three-homer game in the clinching Game 6.

Lenny Randle vs. Frank Lucchesi

Older baseball fans will remember in 1977 when Randle lost his starting second base job with the Rangers to Bump Wills, then whined about it to the media. Lucchesi, above, an old-school manager, said, “I’m tired of these punks saying, ‘Play me or trade me.’ ” That didn’t go over well with Randle, who punched out Lucchesi, giving him a broken jaw and a concussion.

Who was right? We can’t side with anyone who resorts to violence. Randle was suspended 30 days then traded. Lucchesi eventually was fired and even sued Randle, claiming the mess led to his firing. The case was settled out of court.

John Elway vs. Dan Reeves

Elway, top, and Reeves combined to lead the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances in four seasons, 1986-89, but they never won the whole shebang. Their relationship began to deteriorate when Reeves fired offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, who was close with Elway, after the 1991 season. a few months later, the Broncos used their first-round pick to take quarterback Tommy Maddox.

Who was right? Ultimately, Elway got the last word. Reeves was fired by the Broncos. later, Shanahan returned to take over the Broncos. and he and Elway won two Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XXXIII against the Falcons and coach … Dan Reeves.tom jones’ two cents

The best coach-player feuds – Tampa Bay Times

UCLA wasn’t as good as Arizona on Friday night and that was obvious from the opening pitch. Kurt Heyer was on his game from the start, proving early on why he is the front-runner for Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, and while Adam Plutko was strong, the Wildcats offense always looked like they were close to breaking through. Even so, UCLA was first on the board and played Arizona tight all night. It even looked like they might be able to improbably pull the game out, but in the end, they made one error and the Wildcats made them pay. It led to the winning run of the game in the eighth as Arizona topped UCLA, 4-3, to stretch their lead over the Bruins to two games in the Pac-12.

Going up against the top offense in the country, which boasts the top four hitters in the Pac-12, Plutko was in for a tough one and while the Wildcats made him work, he battled right back. The right-hander did allow 11 hits and did not strike out anyone, but he kept Arizona to just three runs and exited the game with the Bruins tied against the Pac-12′s top team and offense. David Berg worked two innings of relief of Plutko, allowing just one hit, but he picked up the tough-luck loss thanks to one unearned run.

Once again, it was the top of the UCLA lineup doing the damage. six of the Bruins’ eight hits came from the first three men in the order, with Tyler Heineman picking up three hits to lead the way. Cody Keefer had two hits and scored a run, while Beau Amaral singled and scored to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Jeff Gelalich scored a run for the Bruins, while Trevor Brown had their lone RBI on his one hit.

Arizona started picking up hits right from the start. they picked up two first inning hits, although they could not cash them in. A second inning double gave them another chance with a man in scoring position, but they couldn’t do anything with that either. Two more singles in the third put men on the corners, but a fake to third, throw to first pick off got Plutko out of the inning with Arizona still scoreless.

While the Wildcats were racking up hits in the first three innings, the Bruins were doing nothing. they had just one hit in the first three frames and that was followed by a double play so through three innings, Heyer faced the minimum nine batters.

It looked like the fourth inning would be more of the same for the UCLA offense when the first two men were retired, but they put together a two-out rally. Keefer doubled and that was followed by a Gelalich walk to put two on. Brown followed that up with his team-leading 28th RBI on a single to center and the Bruins were in front. Gelalich also took third on the single and that paid off when Heyer balked, allowing him to score for a 2-0 UCLA lead.

As quickly as the Bruins went in front, the Wildcats erased their lead. A single in the bottom of the fourth got them going then a one-out single moved the runner to third with the throw allowing the batter to take second. A sacrifice fly then scored Arizona’s first run and a double followed, scoring another run to tie the game up at two apiece.

The fifth inning saw the Wildcats go in front as a lead off walk came back to bite Plutko. while he did get the next two batters, consecutive two-out singles scored a run and Arizona had their first lead of the game at 3-2.

Just like Arizona came right back when UCLA went in front, the Bruins came right back when the Wildcats went in front. A bunt single by Amaral started the sixth and a bunt single by Heineman put two men on. Keefer dented the Bruin hopes when he popped up his sacrifice bunt attempt, but Amaral was able to take third when Gelalich followed by hitting into a fielder’s choice. That’s when a Heyer pitch skipped off the catcher’s glove and got away, allowing Amaral to race home from third and tie the game at 3-3.

After surrendering a single to leadoff the seventh, Plutko got the hook and the first man to face Berg got a sacrifice bunt down to put the go-ahead run at second. An error by Cody Regis then allowed the next man to reach base, but Berg got the next two batters to ground back to him and the game was still even.

Two two-out singles gave UCLA a chance to go in front in the top of the eighth, but they couldn’t make anything of them and that would hurt them a half inning later.

After a ground out to start the inning, Berg got a ground ball to shortstop from the second batter. Valaika fielded it, but he had to rush his throw a bit to get the man at first and ended up throwing it away for an error that allowed the batter to go all the way to second. That proved to be the difference in the game because one batter later, Arizona got a base hit to right that scored the man from second for a 4-3 lead.

Heyer went back out for the ninth inning and looked just as good as he did all game. He got the first two men out and while Chris Keck did pick up a pinch-hit single, he was thrown out trying to take second on the base hit to end the game as the Wildcats prevailed in the series opener.

UCLA Stumbles Late As Kurt Heyer Leads Arizona To 4-3 Win

DENVER (AP) — for Tim Lincecum, the shortest outing of his career felt like forever.

“a lot of pitches thrown in 2 1-3,” Lincecum said after his laborious 76-pitch effort in San Francisco’s 17-8 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

“just sloppy baseball for me,” Lincecum said. “not really executing pitches, missing a lot, and it’s going to hurt you, especially in this park.”

Lincecum was tagged for six earned runs on eight hits and two walks in just 2 1-3 innings and he left trailing 6-0. about the only thing he had going for him on this night was that he didn’t also get tagged with the loss thanks to the Giants’ seven-run rally in the fourth inning off Rockies starter Jeremy Guthrie.

Other than that, it was all Rockies. They pounded 22 hits, half of them for extra bases as they broke out of their offensive funk in a big way and sent the Giants to their fourth loss in five game so far.

Looking to bounce back from a poor performance at Arizona in the season opener, Lincecum instead was knocked around, his ERA ballooning to 12.91.

“I actually thought his stuff was a little crisper, he was just up,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He left a lot of pitches up, a lot of mistakes when he was up in the count. Tough time putting hitters away, really across the board with the staff. Rough night for the staff.”

Bochy said he wasn’t worried about the former Cy Young award winner.

“He’ll find a way to come out of this,” Bochy said. “overall, his stuff was better.”

Lincecum said he’s not overly concerned either about his two bad outings.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of finding the answers, per se, I think it’s a matter of grinding through it and knowing that at some point during the season we go through these,” he said. “It’s just a matter of trying to get them out of the way now.”

After watching teammate Barry Zito throw the first shutout by a Giants pitcher at Coors Field 48 hours earlier, Lincecum never saw this coming.

He was hit especially hard by Carlos Gonzalez, who tagged him for a triple to left and one to right.

“Bad location on both of them, a 1-2 fastball up and allowed him to get his arms extended. On the changeup it just sat in the middle of the zone,” Lincecum said.

What the Rockies did best was lay off Lincecum’s tantalizing pitches out of the zone that they’ve chased so many times before.

“we made him throw strikes,” said Gonzalez, who drove in four runs and scored three times, leading the Rockies’ offensive outburst that recalled the pre-humidor days at cavernous Coors Field.

“That’s a pretty good way to break out offensively,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “That put a smile on a lot of peoples’ faces tonight.”

Matt Reynolds (1-0) got the win with 1 2-3 innings in relief of Guthrie, who failed to hold a 6-0 lead, and Tyler Chatwood picked up his first career save with a nice three-inning stint.

“That’s the first save of my life,” Chatwood said. “And I had a nine-run lead in the ninth!”

Guillermo Mota (0-1) took the loss in relief of an ineffective Lincecum.

Guthrie gave up nine hits, walked two and allowed two homers in 3 1-3 innings. He’s allowed back-to-back homers in each of his two starts for the Rockies. This time, Nate Schierholtz and Brandon Crawford went deep to spark the Giants’ seven-run fourth inning outburst.

The Rockies responded with a seven-run rally of their own, in the fifth.

Against Lincecum, Gonzalez hit a high, outside pitch for an RBI triple to left-center and scored on Troy Tulowitzki’s groundout in the first. in the second, he pulled a changeup to right for his second triple. He scored when Lincecum’s second wild pitch bounced away from rookie catcher Hector Sanchez, whose throw to the pitcher covering the plate was wide.

Sanchez was starting in place of Buster Posey, who has shingles.

Ramon Hernandez’s RBI single made it 6-0, and after Lincecum walked Chris Nelson to load the bases with one out and the pitcher coming up, Bochy brought in right-hander Daniel Otero, who got Guthrie to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Guthrie returned to the mound and suddenly couldn’t locate his pitches properly, retiring just one of the next seven hitters.

After Melky Cabrera’s RBI single and Pablo Sandoval’s run-scoring double made it 6-4, Reynolds replaced Guthrie, walked his first hitter to load the bases and then surrendered a two-run single to Sanchez and a sacrifice fly to Schierholtz that gave the Giants the lead.

Gonzalez said the Rockies weren’t worried.

“we got to Lincecum, who’s a really good pitcher and when you see all those guys coming from the bullpen early in the game, you have a lot of opportunity there,” Gonzalez said.

Sure enough, the Rockies regained the lead in the bottom half of the fourth on Gonzalez’s run-scoring groundout, Tulowitzki’s RBI single and Michael Cuddyer’s RBI double off Mota that made it 9-7.

The Rockies scored seven times in the fifth to put this one out of reach as Matt Belisle threw a scoreless inning and Chatwood gave up one run on two hits in the final three lock-down innings. His only mistake was a fastball that Schierholtz hit for his second homer, leading off the seventh.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)

Lincecum struggles in Giants’ 17-8 loss to Rockies

Copyright ©2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Bowing to the inevitable after an improbably resilient run for the White House, Rick Santorum quit the presidential race on Tuesday, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination.

“We made a decision over the weekend, that while this presidential race for us is over, for me, and we will suspend our campaign today, we are not done fighting,” he said.

Santorum, appearing with his family, told supporters that the battle to defeat President Barack Obama would go on but pointedly made no mention or endorsement of Romney, whom he had derided as an unworthy standard-bearer for the GOP.

The former Pennsylvania senator stressed that he’d taken his presidential bid farther than anyone expected, calling his campaign “as improbable as any race that you will ever see for president.”

“Against all odds,” he said, “we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes.”

Santorum signaled his intent to maintain a voice in the campaign to come, saying: “This game is a long, long, long way from over. we will continue to go out and fight and defeat President Barack Obama.”

Santorum spoke with Romney before the announcement, a Republican source close to the campaign said, and Romney asked to meet him sometime in the future

The delegate totals told the tale of Santorum’s demise. Romney has more than twice as many delegates as Santorum and is on pace to reach the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination by early June. still in the race, but not considered a factor: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Santorum had hoped to keep his campaign going through the Pennsylvania primary on April 24, but decided to fold after his severely ill 3-year-old daughter, Bella, spent the weekend in the hospital.

Santorum, a feisty campaigner who took everyone by surprise with his win in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, ran on his conservative credentials and his experience in Congress — he was a House member for four years and senator for 12 — but was hobbled by a lack of money and organization.

He said that while Romney was accumulating more delegates, “we were winning in a very different way. we were touching hearts” with a conservative message.

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Rick Santorum suspends GOP presidential campaign