MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Matheny had quite the choice for the National Leagues All-Star starter.
John
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Cardinals ace with a 12-4 record and a 1.83 ERA. And there was the Los Angeles
Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, 11-2 with a 1.78 ERA and fresh off a 41-inning
scoreless streak that ended last week. He chose Wainwright, who will start
Tuesday night at Target Field against the Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez. "Its
going to be great catching them," said Milwaukees Jonathan Lucroy, the NL
starter behind the plate. "A lot more fun than facing them." When baseballs
elite met at Citi Field last year, NL batters managed just three hits in a 3-0
loss. A year earlier in Kansas City, the AL had just six hits in an 8-0 defeat.
Never before had consecutive All-Star games ended in shutouts. "Guys are
throwing harder. Guys have more pitches," said Philadelphia second baseman
Chase Utley, making his sixth All-Star appearance and first since 2010. The big
league batting average is at a 42-year low. Strikeouts are at an all-time high.
Wainwright and Kershaw are on track to become the first pair of qualifying
pitchers in one league with a sub-2.00 ERA since the Mets Dwight Gooden and the
Cardinals John Tudor in 1985 -- the last time Minnesota hosted the All-Stars.
"Aside from having the ability to win two World Series with the St. Louis
Cardinals, I think this has to be one of the highlights of my baseball career to
this point," Wainwright said. "One of the coolest things I can say I did is to
start a big league All-Star game." Kershaw understood Mathenys decision. "If Im
him, Im probably going to pick Adam, too. Its his guy and he had the best half,"
Kershaw said. Hernandez, the first Venezuela pitcher to start for the All-Stars,
also has sterling credentials: an 11-2 record with a 2.12 ERA. He described his
task pretty simply: "Just throw zeroes out there and get my team to win. Thats
all I got to do," he said. Back in the great pitching era of the 1960s, the game
was different. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal expected
to finish what they started. Now, flame-throwers come out of the bullpen in the
middle of games. "Youre not getting three, four at-bats off of the starter
unless youre in trouble and youre losing the game," said Baltimores
Matt Wieters, elected as a starting catcher but sidelined following elbow
surgery. "I think for a while it was trying to get the starter out of the game
so you can get to that fifth, sixth, seventh-inning guy. And now those fifth,
sixth, seventh-inning guys are throwing upper 90s with a good breaking ball." In
addition to pitchers, the spotlight will be on New York Yankees captain
Derek Jeter. The shortstop, who turned 40 last month, is playing his final
season and was selected for his 14th All-Star game. Yankees closer
Mariano Rivera got an emotional sendoff last year, the All-Stars giving him a
solo bow. When Rivera entered in the eighth inning all other players left him
the field to himself. Cal Ripken Jr. was given a tribute at the start of the
2001 game at Seattles Safeco Field when Alex Rodriguez told Ripken just before
the first pitch to switch positions and move from third base to shortstop, where
the Baltimore star spent most of his career. The 40-year-old Ripken then homered
in the third inning. And two years ago, Atlantas Chipper Jones was feted with a
standing ovation at Kauffman Stadium when he pinch hit in the sixth inning and
singled. What will Jeters All-Star finale be like? "I dont go into things with
expectations," he said. "Im looking forward to playing the game. Ive pretty much
stopped it right there." The game is being played in Minneapolis for the third
time, following the NLs 6-5 win at Metropolitan Stadium in 1965 and a dull 6-1
NL victory indoors at the Metrodome in 1985. Oakland, a big league-best 59-36 at
the break, has seven All-Stars for the first time since 1975. It got another win
on Monday night when Yoenis Cespedes beat Cincinnatis Todd Frazier 9-1 in the
final round to become the first repeat champion of the Home Run Derby since Ken
Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 99. The Athletics have some incentive for an AL victory
in the All-Star game; since 2003, the winners league gets to start the World
Series at home, and 23 of the last 28 titles were won by teams scheduled to host
four of a possible seven games. "I dont think you can ever underestimate the
home-field advantage in a post-season," said AL manager John Farrell, who led
Boston to a six-game win over St. Louis last year. "To have that final game
potentially in your home ballpark, that goes a long way to affecting the
outcome."
Gerald
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late in regulation, and the Houston Rockets scored eight of their 13 points in
overtime at the foul line to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-111 on Friday night.
Samson
Ebukam Rams 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.
http://www.authenticramsfansclub.com/Black-Friday-Josh-Reynolds-Jersey/ . -- Miguel Angel Jimenez quickly shifted his focus back to the Ryder Cup after
winning his first Champions Tour event.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kyle Larson, flashing
his new Rolex watch, was unfazed Thursday after learning Chase Elliott was going
to replace Jeff Gordon in the iconic No. 24.Many NASCAR fans have believed that
Larson was the heir apparent to the four-time champion, a notion Gordon fueled
with constant praise of the reigning Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year.Only
Larson drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, and says he is happy right where he is
behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet. Gordon announced last week that 2015
will be his last in the car, and Hendrick Motorsports has named 19-year-old
Elliott has his replacement.Thats cool for him, Larson said. Im happy where Im
at. Just flip-flop the number, Im good.Larson was part of Ganassis four-driver
lineup that won Sundays prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona, where the victors
receive special-edition timepieces. He also won a sprint car race this month in
Arizona, a midget race in Oklahoma, and hes riding a wave of momentum into next
months start of his second Cup season.Although he grew up a Gordon fan, he said
he never dreamed of driving Gordons car.When I was a kid, Jeff Gordon was
invincible and I probably thought he was going to race the rest of his life, the
22-year-old Larson said.He cheered for Gordon as he won his four titles and
climbed to third on the all-time victories list, and now believes hes got the
chance to make his own mark in NASCAR while driving for Ganassi.A lot of people
have told me that the 24 then was what the 42 is now where they werent the
biggest team in NASCAR and Jeff kind of took that and made it into what it is,
said Larson. I like that possibility to be the guy to make Chip Ganassi Racing a
championshhip team year in and year out.
Josh
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Chip and win a lot of races.Gordon has been one of the many drivers to laud
Larson as the next big thing in NASCAR, and said a year ago that he sat down
with Larson to discuss his future. Theres never been room in the Hendrick
Motorsports lineup for Larson to join the organization, and Elliott was ready to
be promoted in 2016 when Gordon steps out of the car.I think Chip did a great
job scooping him up and backing him the way they have and giving him
opportunities to go showcase his talent and now getting him into Cup, where he
truly belongs, Gordon said a year ago. I see a guy that gets more out that car
than anybody can get out of it. Hes just got a lot of talent and is creative and
searching around the racetrack. He just has what it takes. Bobby Bowden told us
its about the It. Hes got the It.Im disappointed that we werent able to put
something together, he added. But Im very happy for him and our sport is going
to benefit from it.Similar praise has come from three-time NASCAR champion Tony
Stewart, who has raced sprints and midgets against Larson. Stewart has boldly
said that Larson is better than he is: You can bet the farm on it. I guarantee
it. If not, you can take everything I own, because Im that confident, Stewart
said.Larson said he looks forward to developing a rivalry with Elliott and
seeing where he can go with Ganassi.When I think of a rivalry, I think of two
drivers who butt heads, Larson said. Me and Chase are friends and hes really,
really good. I hope we have a rivalry in a competitive way, that means were both
up front, competing for wins.
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