BUG Community

(Sports Network) – After being unable to gain ground on first place in the AL
East, the Baltimore Orioles next have to worry about keeping a hold on their
wild card position. J.J. Watt Elite Jersey . For the Tampa Bay
Rays, they enter a week in which they can make up some serious ground in their
quest for a postseason spot. The Rays begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday
night with the first of three straight games with the Orioles in a pivotal
division matchup. The Os finish up their seven-game stay at home with this
series following a four-game split with the first-place New York Yankees. That
left Baltimore a game behind New York in the division and also just a game up on
Tampa Bay for the leagues second wild card position. The Rays are making a late
charge, having won six of eight. That includes series wins over the Yankees and
AL West-leading Texas Rangers on a recent homestand. Theyll now visit Baltimore
to begin this week before another big weekend series in the Bronx against the
Yankees. Tampa Bay earned the series win over Texas thanks to Sundays 6-0
victory that featured three home runs by B.J. Upton and a gem on the mound from
starter James Shields. Uptons first career three-homer game backed a two-hit
shutout by Shields, who also struck out eight and did not walk a batter. “You
kind of dream about doing things like that and they dont happen very often,”
said Upton, who is hitting .407 in eight September games with five homers.
Hoping to mimic Shields tonight will be left-hander Matt Moore, who has lost two
straight starts. Moore pitched well in a 2-0 setback to the Toronto Blue Jays on
Aug. 30, but was tagged for six runs—four earned—on eight hits and a walk
with nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 frames of a 6-4 loss to the Yankees on
Wednesday. That dropped the 23-year-old to 10-9 with a 3.66 earned run average
in 27 starts this season. Moore has given Baltimore all it can handle this
season, going 2-1 against the club in three starts while posting a 1.15 ERA. The
Orioles hope to solve Moore on Tuesday after a rough series finale versus the
Yankees on Sunday. After getting three runs in the fourth inning to cut their
deficit to two, the Os managed just a hit over 5 2/3 frames against New Yorks
bullpen in a 13-3 defeat. Zach Britton took the loss, allowing five runs on five
hits and five walks in just 3 1/3 innings. “Obviously we didnt want to split, we
wanted to win (the series),” Britton said. “But we have a lot of games left and
were in a good place.” Baltimores quest for a playoff spot took an additional
hit in the series when Nick Markakis suffered a fractured left thumb in
Saturdays win. He is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday and hopes to return in
four weeks. Jason Hammel recently returned from injury himself and he makes his
second start for Baltimore after missing nearly two months of action following
knee surgery. The 30-year-old righty made his first start since July 13 on
Thursday and did not factor into Baltimores series-opening 10-6 win over the
Yankees. He allowed a run on six hits and two walks over five-plus innings and
stayed in the game despite taking a liner off his right elbow. Hammel, who had
lost four straight starts before his injury and hasnt won since June 22, is 8-6
with a 3.46 ERA in 19 starts this season and faces the Rays for the first time.
The Rays and Orioles have split 12 meetings so far this season, including six
encounters in Baltimore. J.J. Watt Youth Jersey . Haslem will be in a
walking boot and on crutches before beginning rehabilitation, and the team
expects hell be able to resume basketball activity in about two months. Haslem,
a Miami native and the Heat captain, averaged 12 points and nine rebounds in 49
games this season. Arian Foster Youth Jersey . “Great job,
Manu,” Parker said, having heard hardly a word of Ginobilis five-minute,
question-and-answer session. After losing for the first time since mid-April, it
was time for the San Antonio Spurs to face an entirely different set of
questions Friday with their Western Conference finals lead over Oklahoma City
cut to 2-1. http://www.shopthetexans.com/j-j-watt-jersey
. —Former USAC champion and 1978 Indy 500 co-rookie of the year Larry Rice has
died of lung cancer. Whitney Mercilus Jersey . The hottest star
attractions in athletics continued to fulfil their post-London Olympics plan of
dividing the glamor sprints between them—and making fast times seem routine.
Ben
Tate Jersey . 7 University of Tennessee Volunteers past the
University of Alabama Crimson Tide, 93-86, in SEC action at Coleman
Coliseum.ONTARIO, Calif. —When Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant finally emerged
from the Los Angeles Lakers locker room late in the first quarter, they got a
standing ovation just for walking to their seats. The Lakers fans shouldnt
worry. Their big stars expect to be out of street clothes and back in uniform
very soon—and for much bigger games than an exhibition in the Inland Empire.
Damian Lillard had 14 points and seven assists in his first NBA action, and the
Portland Trail Blazers ran to a 93-75 victory over Los Angeles in a preseason
game Wednesday night. The Lakers visited their avid fans an hour east of Los
Angeles with just 60 per cent of their projected starting lineup in uniform.
Bryant sat out to rest a strained right shoulder, and Howard isnt playing during
his deliberate return from off-season back surgery—although he was healthy
enough to join in the “Kobe! Kobe!” chant that erupted in the first half. “I
feel pretty good, but I keep telling you guys, I want to be 110 per cent,”
Howard said. “I have to make sure Im in great shape, and my conditioning is
where it needs to be. Its a process, and well get there.” Steve Nash scored 13
points and Metta World Peace added 12 as the Lakers lost their second straight
preseason game by double digits. Pau Gasol had eight points on 3-of-12 shooting,
but Portland surged to a 13-point lead in the third quarter while the Lakers
three healthy starters were still playing. “Were finding out our strengths and
how to combine them,” Gasol said. “We have two main guys out, and they make a
big difference, so well have to see how we play when were full force.” Bryant
said he tweaked his shoulder while dunking on Antawn Jamison in practice
Tuesday, but it didnt start hurting until later that day. He wanted to play
againsst Portland, but the team overruled him with six preseason games still
left on its schedule. Kevin Walter Jersey. Howard has refused to
say when he might make his Lakers debut, but the six-time All-Star is
participating in every practice with no apparent limitations. Howard worked out
on the Ontario court with Lakers assistant coaches Chuck Person and Darvin Ham
about 30 minutes before the game, delighting hundreds of early arriving,
camera-wielding fans who didnt get to see Bryant in action. Lakers coach Mike
Brown has absolutely no interest in the Lakers preseason record, but World Peace
and Gasol acknowledged they would prefer to start winning a few games. The
players competing for jobs on Los Angeles bench again struggled to score
consistently, but Brown saw no particular importance in it. “Weve probably only
put in 35 or 40 per cent of (the offence) were going to put in,” Brown said.
“Its still going to take some time for these guys to understand.”
LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers in their
preseason opener under new coach Terry Stotts. Lillard, the sixth overall pick
in last Junes draft from Weber State, looked sharp in 24 minutes as Portlands
point guard, adding five rebounds and two 3-pointers. “We still have a lot of
work to do,” Stotts said. “I thought Damian had a good first outing. He showed
good signs, and the movement on our offence was pretty good. Defensively, we can
get a lot better.” Meyers Leonard, the 11th overall pick out of Illinois, had 10
points and five rebounds off the bench. Nicolas Batum had 12 points in his first
game since returning to Portland with a four-year deal worth more than $45
million when the Blazers matched an offer sheet from Minnesota after Batums
agent said his client wanted to join the Timberwolves. ’ ’ ’