PITTSBURGH -- Tyson Ross gave up a leadoff single to Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco followed with a two-run home run.
Alex Killorn Jersey . Three batters later, Jordy Mercer singled. All three of Pittsburghs early hits came at the expense of Ross slider. Even without his best pitch, Ross figured it out. Ross recovered from a two-run first to pitch six strong innings, and Seth Smith hit a bases-loaded triple, leading the San Diego Padres to an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. "I just didnt have a good feel for my slider pretty much all day," Ross said. "I gave up three hits in the first inning, all on sliders that were up in the strike zone, and its kind of out of the norm for me." San Diegos win clinched a 14th-consecutive series victory at PNC Park. Ross (11-10) allowed Gregory Polancos two-run shot in the first then shut down the Pirates. He yielded six hits and walked two. "I thought he battled without his best stuff and his best command," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "Hanging slider to Marte to lead off the game and then a hanging slider to Polanco, I think that kind of woke him up a bit." Charlie Morton retired the first 10 batters he faced before Yangervis Solarte walked with one out in the fourth and scored Yonder Alonsos single. "In the fourth inning, the sinker away to left-handers starting elevating," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "A couple left-handers were able to get balls out over the plate and hit them to left field." That happened when Morton left a 2-0 fastball over the plate and Smith tripled to left for three RBIs and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 lead. Morton (5-11) was lifted after the fifth, responsible for five runs, five hits, a walk and five strikeouts. "It was almost like two outings for him," Hurdle said. "One through three and then four and five, its just two different sides of it." Alonso added an RBI with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Jedd Gyorko singled in two more runs after Jeanmar Gomez walked three to load the bases in the ninth. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: First baseman Tommy Medica was out after a pitch hit him in the head Saturday night. ... Shortstop Everth Cabrera was scratched shortly before first pitch with a left hamstring cramp. Pirates: Second baseman Neil Walker (back spasm) was scratched from the lineup. He pinch-hit Saturday night and was slated to start Sunday. ... Center fielder Andrew McCutchen (rib) was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game. ... RHP Gerrit Cole gave up one hit in six shutout innings Sunday as he made his third rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis. ON DECK Padres: San Diego returns to Petco Park to open a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies. RHP Jesse Hahn (7-3, 2.28 ERA) starts for the Padres against Colorado RHP Jordan Lyles (6-1, 3.72 ERA). Pirates: Pittsburgh continues its eight-game homestand with a two-game interleague series against the Detroit Tigers. LHP Jeff Locke (3-3, 3.78 ERA) opposes Detroit RHP Justin Verlander (10-10, 4.57 ERA). FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS Since PNC Park opened in 2001, the San Diego Padres have never lost a series in Pittsburgh. Their 14-series winning streak at PNC Park is the longest active streak against a single opponent in a single location in the league. Overall, the Padres are 33-12 in Pittsburgh since 2001. "Were just playing good baseball," Black said. "Maybe the times of the year we come in here, were playing well and were pitching well."
Tyler Johnson Jersey .com) - The Oakland Athletics needed to rely on a lot of young pitchers to win an American League West title this season.
Victor Hedman Lightning Jersey . -- New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no concerns about the health of shortstop Derek Jeter, who was limited to 17 games last season due to leg injuries.TORONTO - By Monday morning - hours after an increasingly perilous skid hit five - more than a few members of the wobbling Maple Leafs were on the third floor of the Air Canada Centre, playing some basketball on the practice court of the neighbouring Toronto Raptors. "I think some guys just wanted to go shoot some hoops and loosen up," said captain Dion Phaneuf on a rest day for most of his teammates. The Leafs are doing what they can to loosen up and shake the ills of a losing streak that has them tumbling closer and closer to another late season collapse and early spring exit. In fine position as recently as two weeks ago - second in the Atlantic following a statement win in L.A. - they are now simply clinging to the final wild card position in the East with a grueling test against St. Louis ahead on Tuesday night. "No ones happy with whats gone on," said Phaneuf, "but its reality. We have got to come [Tuesday] prepared and ready to go." Just as the highs of a win streak are exaggerated so too are the lows of a losing slide. Toronto has lost five straight, all close games and all with a series of consistent and untimely trends. First has been the sluggish starts and inability to score the games first goal. The Leafs have a .714 winning percentage this season when they score first, a .289 mark when they dont. Theyve given up that valued first goal in seven straight games, falling behind by two or more in five of the seven (six losses). And while theyve improbably rallied to tie or pull within one in each of the five losses - even leading briefly against Tampa - the uphill climb has ultimately proven too steep to overcome. "The one issue for us, more than anything, is that we seem to have been putting ourselves in the position of clawing back into games," head coach Randy Carlyle observed. "And you wont have success if you continually have to do that." "Weve played from behind too often," Phaneuf concurred. "When we have been coming from behind thats when weve been attacking more than from the start. When you do get down you play with more desperation. We have to find a way to play with that desperation right from the get-go." Not helping matters, though certainly not the singular point of blame, has been the goaltending. His confidence simply sunk at this point, James Reimer has not provided anywhere near the top-tier caliber of goaltending that Jonathan Bernier delivered before his injury, the kind of elite nightly theatrics the defensively-inept Leafs require to win. Consider Berniers 8-2-2 record and .947 save percentage this season when facing 40 shots as reminders of that ability to perform under heavy strain. Reimer, meanwhile, has a disastrous .871 save percentage in five starts in place of Bernier. Nursing the first groin injury of his career, Bernier was on the ice again Monday afternoon, but wasnt sure if hed be available to return against the Blues. "It hurts to see your team lose," he said, "but at the same time its one of those injuries [wwhere] youve got to take time.
Martin St. Louis Lightning Jersey. Dont want to rush and then youre out for another four or five games after." Bernier said his readiness would be determined by the teams medical staff, but said hed know for himself when he was able to make "a split save or that I can make that stretch save and not think about it I guess." Update: Bernier was the projected starter on Tuesday morning. Without him, Carlyle would be faced with difficult question in goal for a tough tilt against the best team in the West. Start Reimer for the sixth consecutive game despite his struggles or hand the net to Drew MacIntyre, the 30-year-old who has yet to start an NHL game. While perhaps difficult to envision Carlyle turning back to Reimer yet again, consider that under similarly challenging circumstance - two sets of back-to-backs in the past week - he went with the struggling former no. 1 each and every time. The tried and tested product, however unstable at the moment, may be more appealing than the unknown. Reimer was pulled for MacIntyre in the teams fifth straight loss on Sunday night. "What happened last game, surely you take that into consideration, but the most important thing is that the individual we choose to represent us at that position tomorrow night we feel confident he can get the job done," said Carlyle. Beyond goaltending are the series of game-changing mistakes and breakdowns that have often left Reimer on an island all his own, left to sink or swim in an unforgiving crease. Bernier bailed out those mistakes more often than not. Reimer has not. There was Troy Brouwer left all by his lonesome in the slot during the first loss in Washington. There were two Gustav Nyquist breakaway goals in Detroit. It was three times open for Steven Stamkos in Toronto. There was the Phil Kessel neutral zone giveaway which sprung Max Pacioretty against Montreal, a Rene Bourque breakaway coming shortly after. And most recently, a bad line change and pinch that sparked an odd-man rush goal from Damien Brunner and then later another breakaway, this time from Patrik Elias. "What we have to do is we have to limit our mistakes," said Carlyle. "Were making too many of them that are costing us in the hockey games." Additionally, the Leafs have been unable to find much offence beyond their top line. Without the likes of Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Bozak scoring two or three a night, theyve simply not produced enough to overshadow other faults as was often the case in victories earlier this season. "Theres still lots of hockey to be played," Phaneuf said. "Theres lots of points that are available for us. We obviously are not happy about what has happened, but whats happened has happened. Theres no going back to yesterday or three days ago or a week ago. Right now our focus is on St. Louis and coming out and playing the way that we can. "Weve slid far enough. Weve got to grab some traction here and regroup with a big win."
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