DENVER -- The Washington Nationals pitching staff is getting healthy, and with the way Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond are hitting, the defending NL East champions are hitting their stride just as summer heats up.
[b]Cheap NBA Jerseys[/b] . Zimmerman homered, doubled and drove in three runs, Desmond got four hits and the Nationals beat the depleted Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Thursday. Washington has been beset by injuries to its rotation, but with the return of starter Ross Detwiler on Thursday and Stephen Strasburg expected back Sunday, the Nationals feel confident heading into the last 97 games of the season. They trail Atlanta by 5 1/2 games in the division. "For us as a team right now, with the things that have gone on and the things that have happened, we just need to grind it out and stay where were at and stay within striking distance," Zimmerman said. "And then hopefully once we get going or maybe this is the start of that, where we can have a good 20-game span. Then all of a sudden were right back in it." The immediate future isnt as rosy for the Rockies, who lost four players and a coach, as well as the rubber match of the three-game series. Outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler were injured early and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left with a rib injury in the eighth inning. Reliever Wilton Lopez and pitching coach Jim Wright were ejected in the seventh. Tulowitzkis injury appears to be the most serious. He left Coors Field to have an MRI done on his ribs, which manager Walt Weiss said have been sore for "about a week." The Rockies hoped to get the results of the MRI later Thursday. "Just hope the MRI doesnt show any damage and hopefully hell be day to day also," Weiss said. " Craig Stammen (4-2) threw two scoreless innings and Rafael Soriano got his 17th save after giving up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Todd Helton with two outs. Zimmermans RBI double off reliever Matt Belisle (4-3) in the eighth broke a tie, and he later scored on Desmonds infield single to make it 5-3. Tulowitzki, who was injured trying to make a play on Desmonds single, was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth, straining an already short Rockies bench. Gonzalez was hit near the ankle by a foul ball while on deck in the first inning and exited with a bruised left foot. The Rockies said X-rays were negative and listed the All-Star left fielder as day to day. Fowler was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Detwiler after squaring to bunt in the third. A team trainer looked at Fowler, and the centre fielder stayed in for another inning. Weiss said X-rays on Fowlers hand were negative and he is also day to day. "It was numb, I felt it swelling up," Fowler said. "Obviously I couldnt grip the bat so I couldnt hit. I just know it was hurting and swelling up. I dont think I had a chance to grip the bat." Detwiler was activated from the 15-day DL and made his first start since May 15. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out two. He was in line for the loss until the seventh, when things got heated between the umpiring crew and the Rockies. Desmond led off with a single and stole second. With two outs, Lopez was called for two balks, scoring Desmond to tie it at 3. The first balk was called by home plate umpire James Hoye and second base ump Bob Davidson. Jim Reynolds at third base called the second one. Crew chief John Hirschbeck said both balks were because Lopez used a stop-start motion with the hands. "Actually, he did it three times. They only called it twice," Washington manager Davey Johnson said. "He kept going toward his glove, and then he would stop. They called two out of three. But you cant be moving toward your glove and stop. Its an automatic balk." Lopez shouted at Hirschbeck at first base as he left the field after the inning ended and was ejected. Wright was tossed by Reynolds when he was giving Reynolds "the crazy gesture from the dugout," Hirschbeck said. "If youre going to call it once, you got to call it twice," Desmond said. "You got to keep on calling it. Consistency. They did a good job. Thats what we expect." The Rockies were in control before then. Tyler Colvin, who replaced Gonzalez, had an RBI single in the first and Michael Cuddyer drove in a run with a double in the fourth and later scored on a groundout to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. Zimmerman had given the Nationals a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer in the third, his seventh of the season, the only blemish in an otherwise strong start for Jeff Francis. Francis entered Thursday with a tenuous hold on his spot in the Rockies rotation. He had a shaky start against San Diego on Saturday in his first outing since coming off the 15-day DL because of a groin strain. He needed 93 pitches to get through four innings against the Padres, and with veteran Roy Oswalt pitching well in the minors, Francis role with the Rockies was in question. Francis made his case with a solid outing against the Nationals. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight, his most since May 24, 2008. "Its hard to be really happy when dont win the game," Francis said. NOTES: Desmond extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. ... Strasburg (strained lat muscle) threw a successful bullpen session Thursday and is on track to start Sundays game at Cleveland. ... Cuddyer returned to the lineup after missing five games with a strained rib cage. ... To make room for Detwiler, the Nationals optioned RHP Erik Davis to Triple-A Syracuse.
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[b]Cheap Jazz Jerseys[/b] . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec.
[b]http://www.cheapjazzjerseys.com/[/b] . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --?Luke Del Rio threw two touchdown passes in his first career start, and the Gators did just enough to beat UMass 24-7 on Saturday night and extend the nations longest winning streak in season openers to 27.We have expectations every game, Del Rio said. We obviously want to score more points, but we got the win. Thats the most important thing.After having Florida Field named after him and then leading 90,000 rain-soaked fans in a pre-game cheer, Spurrier posed like Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. The 71-year-old Spurrier flashed Bolts To The World pose to all four sides of the newly renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It drew a raucous ovation from fans on hand for the opener.I just planned it myself, Spurrier said. I didnt tell anybody, either, `cause I thought theyd spill the beans. You know, its never been done before. Im a guy that likes to do a little different stuff, so I was the first to do the Usain in the middle of the field.Many inside the sold-out Swamp were there for Spurrier, who was honored in a number of ways. Not only was the field named after him, but Spurrier served as the honorary Mr. Two Bits. At halftime, he was recognized again for the 50th anniversary of his 1966 Heisman Trophy and honored along with the 1996 team.Spurrier said the best parts of the day were watching his name unveiled on the stadium and then seeing band members wearing visors to honor him.It was fun to get back after it and really get that taste of the last ballgame we played out of our mouth, McElwain said. Obviously, as you watched the game, weve got a long way to go.The Gators had trouble blocking the 36 1/2-point underdogs up front and creating holes in the running game. Del Rio ccompleted 29 of 44 passes for 256 yards, with TD passes to Antonio Callaway in the first quarter and Brandon Powell in the fourth.
[b]Cheap Swingman Jazz Jerseys[/b]. Floridas defense was solid except for one scoring drive in which it was flagged three times for 35 yards and allowed a fourth-and-14 conversion.Newcomer Eddy Pineiro kicked three field goals, including from 49 and 48 yards in the fourth that gave Florida a little extra breathing room and started chants of Eddy! Eddy!This is a dream come true, said Pineiro, who played soccer in high school and had never kicked in a meaningful game. Ive worked my butt off for two years, came in here as an early enrollee and worked very hard for this moment.THE TAKEAWAYUMASS: The schedule doesnt look so daunting now. UMass has two more Southeastern Conference teams on tap this fall, but after watching Mississippi State (lost to South Alabama) and South Carolina (edged Vanderbilt) in openers, theres reason to believe coach Mark Whipples team can be in, or maybe even win, both of those games.FLORIDA: Could be another trying season for Florida quarterbacks. The Gators clearly still have holes along their offensive line, a problem that plagued the offense last year and really stood out during the season-ending, three-game losing streak.UP NEXTUMASS: The Minutemen return home to play Boston College, which is coming off a loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland. UMass has dropped eight in a row in the series and 19 of 23 overall.FLORIDA: Opens SEC play at home against Kentucky. The Gators have won 29 straight in the series, the nations longest active streak between any two opponents.
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DENVER -- The Washington Nationals pitching staff is getting healthy, and with the way Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond are hitting, the defending NL East champions are hitting their stride just as summer heats up. [b]Cheap NBA Jerseys[/b] . Zimmerman homered, doubled and drove in three runs, Desmond got four hits and the Nationals beat the depleted Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Thursday. Washington has been beset by injuries to its rotation, but with the return of starter Ross Detwiler on Thursday and Stephen Strasburg expected back Sunday, the Nationals feel confident heading into the last 97 games of the season. They trail Atlanta by 5 1/2 games in the division. "For us as a team right now, with the things that have gone on and the things that have happened, we just need to grind it out and stay where were at and stay within striking distance," Zimmerman said. "And then hopefully once we get going or maybe this is the start of that, where we can have a good 20-game span. Then all of a sudden were right back in it." The immediate future isnt as rosy for the Rockies, who lost four players and a coach, as well as the rubber match of the three-game series. Outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler were injured early and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left with a rib injury in the eighth inning. Reliever Wilton Lopez and pitching coach Jim Wright were ejected in the seventh. Tulowitzkis injury appears to be the most serious. He left Coors Field to have an MRI done on his ribs, which manager Walt Weiss said have been sore for "about a week." The Rockies hoped to get the results of the MRI later Thursday. "Just hope the MRI doesnt show any damage and hopefully hell be day to day also," Weiss said. " Craig Stammen (4-2) threw two scoreless innings and Rafael Soriano got his 17th save after giving up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Todd Helton with two outs. Zimmermans RBI double off reliever Matt Belisle (4-3) in the eighth broke a tie, and he later scored on Desmonds infield single to make it 5-3. Tulowitzki, who was injured trying to make a play on Desmonds single, was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth, straining an already short Rockies bench. Gonzalez was hit near the ankle by a foul ball while on deck in the first inning and exited with a bruised left foot. The Rockies said X-rays were negative and listed the All-Star left fielder as day to day. Fowler was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Detwiler after squaring to bunt in the third. A team trainer looked at Fowler, and the centre fielder stayed in for another inning. Weiss said X-rays on Fowlers hand were negative and he is also day to day. "It was numb, I felt it swelling up," Fowler said. "Obviously I couldnt grip the bat so I couldnt hit. I just know it was hurting and swelling up. I dont think I had a chance to grip the bat." Detwiler was activated from the 15-day DL and made his first start since May 15. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out two. He was in line for the loss until the seventh, when things got heated between the umpiring crew and the Rockies. Desmond led off with a single and stole second. With two outs, Lopez was called for two balks, scoring Desmond to tie it at 3. The first balk was called by home plate umpire James Hoye and second base ump Bob Davidson. Jim Reynolds at third base called the second one. Crew chief John Hirschbeck said both balks were because Lopez used a stop-start motion with the hands. "Actually, he did it three times. They only called it twice," Washington manager Davey Johnson said. "He kept going toward his glove, and then he would stop. They called two out of three. But you cant be moving toward your glove and stop. Its an automatic balk." Lopez shouted at Hirschbeck at first base as he left the field after the inning ended and was ejected. Wright was tossed by Reynolds when he was giving Reynolds "the crazy gesture from the dugout," Hirschbeck said. "If youre going to call it once, you got to call it twice," Desmond said. "You got to keep on calling it. Consistency. They did a good job. Thats what we expect." The Rockies were in control before then. Tyler Colvin, who replaced Gonzalez, had an RBI single in the first and Michael Cuddyer drove in a run with a double in the fourth and later scored on a groundout to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. Zimmerman had given the Nationals a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer in the third, his seventh of the season, the only blemish in an otherwise strong start for Jeff Francis. Francis entered Thursday with a tenuous hold on his spot in the Rockies rotation. He had a shaky start against San Diego on Saturday in his first outing since coming off the 15-day DL because of a groin strain. He needed 93 pitches to get through four innings against the Padres, and with veteran Roy Oswalt pitching well in the minors, Francis role with the Rockies was in question. Francis made his case with a solid outing against the Nationals. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight, his most since May 24, 2008. "Its hard to be really happy when dont win the game," Francis said. NOTES: Desmond extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. ... Strasburg (strained lat muscle) threw a successful bullpen session Thursday and is on track to start Sundays game at Cleveland. ... Cuddyer returned to the lineup after missing five games with a strained rib cage. ... To make room for Detwiler, the Nationals optioned RHP Erik Davis to Triple-A Syracuse. [b]Mike Conley Jersey[/b] .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. [b]Cheap Jazz Jerseys[/b] . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. [b]http://www.cheapjazzjerseys.com/[/b] . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --?Luke Del Rio threw two touchdown passes in his first career start, and the Gators did just enough to beat UMass 24-7 on Saturday night and extend the nations longest winning streak in season openers to 27.We have expectations every game, Del Rio said. We obviously want to score more points, but we got the win. Thats the most important thing.After having Florida Field named after him and then leading 90,000 rain-soaked fans in a pre-game cheer, Spurrier posed like Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. The 71-year-old Spurrier flashed Bolts To The World pose to all four sides of the newly renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It drew a raucous ovation from fans on hand for the opener.I just planned it myself, Spurrier said. I didnt tell anybody, either, `cause I thought theyd spill the beans. You know, its never been done before. Im a guy that likes to do a little different stuff, so I was the first to do the Usain in the middle of the field.Many inside the sold-out Swamp were there for Spurrier, who was honored in a number of ways. Not only was the field named after him, but Spurrier served as the honorary Mr. Two Bits. At halftime, he was recognized again for the 50th anniversary of his 1966 Heisman Trophy and honored along with the 1996 team.Spurrier said the best parts of the day were watching his name unveiled on the stadium and then seeing band members wearing visors to honor him.It was fun to get back after it and really get that taste of the last ballgame we played out of our mouth, McElwain said. Obviously, as you watched the game, weve got a long way to go.The Gators had trouble blocking the 36 1/2-point underdogs up front and creating holes in the running game. Del Rio ccompleted 29 of 44 passes for 256 yards, with TD passes to Antonio Callaway in the first quarter and Brandon Powell in the fourth. [b]Cheap Swingman Jazz Jerseys[/b]. Floridas defense was solid except for one scoring drive in which it was flagged three times for 35 yards and allowed a fourth-and-14 conversion.Newcomer Eddy Pineiro kicked three field goals, including from 49 and 48 yards in the fourth that gave Florida a little extra breathing room and started chants of Eddy! Eddy!This is a dream come true, said Pineiro, who played soccer in high school and had never kicked in a meaningful game. Ive worked my butt off for two years, came in here as an early enrollee and worked very hard for this moment.THE TAKEAWAYUMASS: The schedule doesnt look so daunting now. UMass has two more Southeastern Conference teams on tap this fall, but after watching Mississippi State (lost to South Alabama) and South Carolina (edged Vanderbilt) in openers, theres reason to believe coach Mark Whipples team can be in, or maybe even win, both of those games.FLORIDA: Could be another trying season for Florida quarterbacks. The Gators clearly still have holes along their offensive line, a problem that plagued the offense last year and really stood out during the season-ending, three-game losing streak.UP NEXTUMASS: The Minutemen return home to play Boston College, which is coming off a loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland. UMass has dropped eight in a row in the series and 19 of 23 overall.FLORIDA: Opens SEC play at home against Kentucky. The Gators have won 29 straight in the series, the nations longest active streak between any two opponents. 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