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 Objavljeno: 30 Nov 2016 06:28 Naslov sporočila: ventually win the ultimate prize? "You always see it e |
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| BOSTON -- Nick Swisher finally has something to savour in a tough season -- a game-winning homer. Pete Maravich Jazz Jersey . He had spent 16 days on the disabled list before being activated Thursday. He was batting just .203 when he came to bat in the 11th inning on Sunday. Then he led off the inning with his fourth homer of the season, giving the Cleveland Indians their second straight 3-2 comeback win over the Boston Red Sox. "This years been kind of crazy for me, personally, just to come up with a hit like that to help this team win a ballgame," Swisher said. "I was so stoked, man. I wanted to smile all the way around the bases." Cleveland manager Terry Francona was pretty excited by the good view he had from the third base dugout of the homer just inside the right field foul pole. "At that point its not relief," he said, "its elation." The Red Sox wasted an excellent opportunity to win the game in the ninth when they loaded the bases with three walks by John Axford. Then Scott Atchison came in and got Brock Holt to end the threat with a groundout to second. "He throws strikes," Francona said. "Thats why hes out there." The Red Sox left eight runners on base. "We had opportunities," Boston manager John Farrell said. "We walked the bases loaded in the ninth and (were) a base hit away, or a swing away from ending it right there. Its been elusive." Cody Allen (3-1) ended the game with two perfect innings, striking out three. Junichi Tazawa (1-1) took the loss one day after walking in the winning run. Swisher had been 1 for 8 in two of the first three games of the series after recovering from a hyperextended right knee and was 0 for 4 Sunday before his homer. "He obviously has that (home run) capability, but were challenging him given his four previous at-bats on the day and maybe some of the inconsistencies hes had during the season," Farrell said, "and got beat on it." The win was the Indians second straight after four consecutive losses. Michael Brantley gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead in the first with his 11th homer. But in the next five innings, Brandon Workman allowed just three hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Boston tied the game in the first on a single by leadoff hitter Holt, a wild pitch and an RBI single by David Ortiz. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the fifth against Corey Kluber after a walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. and a single by Holt put runners at first and third with one out. Dustin Pedroia then grounded to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who threw to second baseman Jason Kipnis for the forceout. But Pedroia hustled to beat the throw to first, avoiding a double play and allowing Bradley to score. Just as they did in Saturday nights loss, the Red Sox took a 2-1 lead into the seventh and lost it. David Murphy walked and reached third on a single by Carlos Santana with no outs. Workman was replaced by Burke Badenhop, who allowed a tying sacrifice fly by Yan Gomes. "All we can do is keep going out there and keep getting guys on base and working," Bostons A.J. Pierzynski said. "Guys hit some balls hard. They made some good plays. Theres nothing you can do." Cleveland threatened in the 10th when Craig Breslow issued two-out walks to Brantley and Kipnis, but Lonnie Chisenhall grounded into a forceout. NOTES: Cleveland leadoff hitter Michael Bourn went 0 for 6 Sunday and 1 for 19 in the series. ... Red Sox 3B Xander Bogaerts was not in the starting lineup because of flu-like symptoms but pinch ran in the ninth . ... Stephen Drew started at shortstop for Boston after missing six games with a right side muscle injury. ... Workman is expected to learn this week the result of his appeal of a six-game suspension after he threw near the head of Tampa Bays Evan Longoria on May 30. . ... The Red Sox continue their seven-game homestand Monday night against the Minnesota Twins. Rubby De La Rosa (1-2) pitches for Boston against Kevin Correia (3-7). After going 5-5 on their road trip, the Indians return home Monday night to face the Los Angeles Angels. Trevor Bauer (1-3) pitches for Cleveland against Jered Weaver (7-5). Gordon Hayward Jersey . For the Miami Heat, that was outstanding news. LeBron James scored the last of his 32 points on a layup that put Miami up for good with 11. Karl Malone Jersey .The team had a meeting prior to facing Russia at the world junior hockey championship and got the effort theyve been looking for by defeating the Russians 4-1 to advance to the quarter-finals. http://www.officialjazzproauthentic.com/Authentic-Pete-Maravich-Jazz-Jersey/ . Third-place Madrid fell behind and settled for a 2-2 draw earlier at Osasuna in a match both sides finished with 10 men, and Barcelona didnt let the chance escape. Barcelona, still without the injured Lionel Messi, again turned to Neymar after his hat trick against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday to convert a penalty on the half-hour mark and restore the lead in the 68th after Villarreal levelled.MONTREAL – The question was posed to Jonathan Bernier, perhaps the busiest netminder in the National Hockey League this season and a man who has witnessed the strength of terrific defensive hockey in Los Angeles firsthand en route to a Cup in 2012: Can his Toronto Maple Leafs, currently the top wild card in the East, threaten a deep playoff run without raising their substandard level of defensive play? "Goalies got to be good," Bernier said with an almost uncomfortable laugh. "I personally dont think so," he continued frankly. "Because some games [the goalie] wont get those bounces and [the puck is] going to go in somehow. But we know weve got it in this room. Weve just got to pay the price to play better defensively and, if we do, Im pretty sure we can be one of the top teams in this league." Its an uncomfortable truth for a team that wrung up 11 wins in 14 games before the Olympic break and has designs on making noise in the playoffs after a long-awaited return last spring. This is a hockey club that struggles badly to defend and relies most nights on terrific goaltending and an incredibly potent offence to win. Its a formula that might yield success in the regular season, and it has for the Leafs thus far, but is unlikely to gain much steam when the hockey tightens in mid-April. Head coach Randy Carlyle has been beating the drum loudly on the topic all season, but doesnt have much to show for it. His group remains a work in progress. "Weve been trying and stressing that defensive hockey is whats going to give your team the best chance to qualify for the playoffs," said Carlyle after an instructive practice in Brossard, Quebec. "[But] were in the qualification mode. Were not in the playoff mode [yet]." Only five teams have been worse than the Leafs defensively this season and only one of those teams, the Ottawa Senators, has any hope of qualifying for the playoffs. Toronto has allowed a bloated three goals per game despite boasting some of the finest goaltending in the league with the 25-year-old Bernier. No team, in fact, puts more pressure on their goaltender to be great than do the Leafs. Only Mike Smith in Phoenix has faced more shots than Bernier thus far and hes started 10 more games than the native of Laval. "I think weve seen it," said Bernier of sturdy defensive play. "I think everyones seen it, but I dont think weve seen it consistently enough." Hurting the effort is a bad penalty kill, one thats allowed the most goals (tied) in the league this season, an unstable defence which includes young and growing parts like Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner and a high-end forward group that has shown only spotty attention to defence. A pile of goals and timely goaltending have been required most nights to win. That was true during an 11-2-1 run before the 18-day Olympic stoppage. Running, then, behind the all-world efforts of Phil Kessel, who has been the hottest player on the planet in 2014, the club scored 51 goals – 3.64 per game – but also allowed 41 on the other end. Theyve won despite being outshot in 36 of 48 games – they have a record of 21-10-5 in those games – and despite the ffact that theyve allowed a league-high of more than 36 shots per game. Swingman Alec Burks Jersey. Cody Franson, second on the back-end in minutes, believes the instability is tied to confusion in the defensive end, too much thinking rather quick instinctual reaction. "I think were still a little indecisive on things sometimes," he said. "We try and play a quite aggressive style of defence and sometimes when you think too much you end up being a half second slow compared to where you should be. That comfort level just isnt quite there with us yet. I think we still think about things too much." They allowed five in their most recent affair against the Islanders on Thursday night, an overtime loss to a struggling club that was without its best player and leading scorer, John Tavares, and their third leading point-getter in Frans Nielsen. Two of the goals came by way of short circuiting on the power-play with Michael Grabner scoring twice shorthanded in a span of 48 seconds on the same power-play. Another found the back of the net via the aforementioned penalty kill with two more coming on defensive breakdowns, including the overtime winner. "Gifts," said Carlyle after the 5-4 defeat. "Ive got no other word to describe the goals that we gave up." A drastic reversal at this late stage in the year seems unlikely, though Carlyle and the coaching staff continue to push and prod. They did so with any available ice during the Olympic break and continued at practice Friday, narrowing their sights on a tighter neutral zone and improved forecheck – efforts aimed at spending less time in the defensive zone. But with just 21 games to play, including a division clash with the Canadiens on Saturday, its probably safe to say that this is what these Maple Leafs are. The question now is whether they can, as currently constructed, make a little noise in the postseason (assuming they get in) or whether their defensive liabilities will prove too onerous to overcome. Last spring, they nearly toppled a Bruins giant, but required some lightning in a bottle and forgotten brilliance from James Reimer in Games 5 and 6. History points emphatically in the direction of those that can defend. In fact, the last three Stanley Cup winners finished the regular season as either the best or second-best team defensively. And though the Leafs are not yet in the Cup conversation, that remains the goal somewhere down the road. Dave Nonis and the Toronto management team have to be mindful of that fact as it relates to the larger construction of the roster, both now with the Mar. 5 trade deadline looming and over the longer term with the core thats being put into place. Are these the foundations of a club that can eventually win the ultimate prize? "You always see it every year, strong defensive teams win," said Jay McClement. "I think we have the make-up for it. But not without being strong defensively. Obviously, youre not going to win a lot of games 5-4 in the playoffs. We have the goaltending for it and have had it all year. Weve just got to cut down on these mistakes and well be fine. "Were not changing the way we do it, weve just got to do it better." NFL Jerseys China ' ' ' |
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