Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Nationals 6, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH — Mike Morse had a three-run homer among his three hits, Adam LaRoche also homered and the Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak. Washington rightfielder Jayson Werth threw out Andrew McCutchen at home plate to end the game. McCutchen threw his helmet to the ground in disgust and manager Clint Hurdle argued with umpire Kerwin Danley.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Dodgers 7, Cubs 3

CHICAGO — Andre Ethier hit in his 21st straight game, an RBI single in a five-run first inning, helping the Dodgers to their fourth win in five games. Hiroki Kuroda gave up three hits and two runs in the first, then scattered six hits the rest of his 62/3 innings. Ethier drove in the game's first run with an infield hit.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Mets 8, D'backs 4

NEW YORK — David Wright homered twice and former Rays prospect Jason Pridie hit his first career home run to lift the Mets. New York's four-game winning streak is its first since Sept. 13-16. Jonathon Niese pitched seven innings for his first win of the season. Ike Davis had an RBI single in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Cheerleader of the day

Bianca La Russa, daughter of Cardinals manager and Tampa native Tony La Russa, was selected to be a member of the 2011 Raiders cheerleading squad. She wrote on her Twitter feed: "A goal and a dream come true — I'm a 2011 Raiderette! I'm so excited to rep an organization that does so much good." Of course, now the question is whether there will be an NFL season for her to cheer.

Regret of the day

Football coach Rich Rodriguez now says he made a mistake leaving West Virginia for Michigan, where he was fired after three seasons. Duh, you think? Rodriguez told CBSSports.com, "I think it's easy to go back now and say, 'Gee, made a mistake.' And you can say that now because of hindsight. But at the time, some of the things I was looking to do and the opportunity that was there, you kind of make the move."

Rumor of the day

College football analyst Beano Cook predicts former UF coach Urban Meyer will be coach at Ohio State soon. Cook told the Columbus Dispatch: "I think Ohio State has major problems and I think Jim Tressel has major problems. … Urban Meyer will be the coach at Ohio State in 2012. … Urban Meyer will be ready to coach somewhere."

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Tigers 3, White Sox 0

DETROIT — Max Scherzer pitched eight outstanding innings as the Tigers finished a three-game sweep with their second straight shutout of the White Sox. Chicago was outscored 21-3 in the series and looked overmatched against Detroit starters Justin Verlander, Brad Penny and Scherzer. "Justin was just absolutely overpowering. Brad had a great two-seamer going and located as well as anybody did," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. The White Sox have lost 10 of 11 and head to New York for a four-game series.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

MIAMI — Marlins fans booed slumping Hanley Ramirez when he struck out in the eighth. Two batters later, they demanded a curtain call from Mike Stanton.

The turnaround came quickly Sunday for Florida, which blew an eighth-inning lead before Stanton hit a three-run homer to beat the Rockies 6-3.

After Colorado scored twice in the eighth, Omar Infante singled in the bottom half against Matt Belisle. With two out, Gaby Sanchez walked, and Stanton pulled a hanging 1-and-0 slider into the leftfield seats.

"We threw a very bad pitch to Mike Stanton," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "It was a breaking ball that didn't do anything. He's going to hit those balls out of the ballpark, it's that simple."

By taking two of three in the series, Florida (13-7) matched its best 20-game start, achieved in 2004.

The Marlins won with just three hits, none by Ramirez. The All-Star shortstop drew jeers for the second game in a row and finished 0-for-4.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

TORONTO — The ritual started in Boston a couple of weeks ago, and they'd kept it pretty much within the clubhouse. But Sunday was worthy of going public.

James Shields had just finished off a stunning second straight complete game victory in the Rays' 2-0 win over the Blue Jays, and when David Price ran out on the field Shields greeted him with the now obligatory full-bore, full bear hug.

"It was a good one; he picked me up off the ground today," Price said. "I don't care. When you throw a complete game shutout, you can do whatever you want out there."

And why not, since for the second straight game, Shields pretty much did what he wanted on the mound.

He held the Jays to four hits and struck out seven, even retiring Jose Bautista twice (!) in a 95-pitch masterpiece. Five days earlier, he beat the White Sox, allowing one run on four hits, striking out nine, throwing 105 pitches. He'd thrown two complete games in a three-start span in 2008, but this clearly was even better.

"To be able to throw back-to-back complete games is something really special," Shields said. "I'm definitely keeping the balls and the lineup cards, that's for sure. Something to put up in the house, a little memorabilia."

The Rays, moving back to .500 at 11-11, needed Shields to be sharp. They got a two-run first-inning home run from Ben Zobrist — looking more like the 2009 Zorilla with his team-high fifth homer — then not much else against lefty Ricky Romero and two relievers, going 18 plate appearances without a hit and striking out 12 times, including four by not-so-Super Sam Fuld.

"I don't think when that happened anybody expected that would be the deciding factor in the game," Zobrist said. "But as the game went on you could tell Shields was on. … He was as good as he's ever been. I thought he looked good in his last start; this one he was filthier with all of his pitches."

Said catcher Kelly Shoppach: "He's as sharp as I've ever seen him, even as an opposing player."

Shields didn't allow a hit until Jose Molina's slow grounder up the middle to lead off the fifth, then another two outs later, but struck out Mike McCoy. He struck out Bautista, who'd reached his first 10 times up in the series, with a man on in the sixth. And he got some help, topped by a dazzling play by Sean Rodriguez at third to open the seventh.

Shields is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts, an impressive turnaround thus far from his career-worst 13-15, 5.18 last season. The key has been not turning so much at the start of his delivery, a slight change pitching coach Jim Hickey implemented this spring.

"He just stopped rotating so much with his upper body, and it's more on a direct line with the catcher, and with that he's able to throw the ball where he wants to," manager Joe Maddon said.

"I'm telling you, that's the difference. Sometimes people need a complicated answer, and a lot of times it's something pretty simple. Being able to throw the ball where he wants to … and getting his outs in a more relatively easy manner, where he's not working so hard for his outs, I think that's when he pitches his best."

Shields said the actual change was small, a matter of making his initial step back from the rubber more to the side. The difference has been huge, with better command of his fastball (which he's throwing with a few miles less velocity), a sharper curve and an even more effective changeup.

"I simplified things," he said. "I'm a lot quieter in my delivery, I'm not so violent and I think I'm more under control."

The hugging started in Boston April 12 when Price was upset about being taken out in the eighth. "He was kind of frustrated a little bit, so I just told him to hug it out," Shields said. "He squeezed me as hard as he could and then he started laughing afterward and he ended up getting the win, and we've actually been doing it with each other ever since.

"It's just kind of a superstition thing. … Whoever pitches has to do the squeezing. I guess we're a little closer than everyone thinks."

The way Shields is going, it's not like there's anything wrong with that.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Minor-league baseball: Noon on MLB Network. It's the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, going to Buffalo to take on the Bisons, Triple-A team of the Mets.

Lightning Live: 6:30 p.m. on Sun Sports. Preview of Lightning-Pens' Game 6, which starts at 7 p.m. on Sun Sports.

Sports Connection: 11 p.m. on BHSN (Ch. 47). Coming live from the St. Pete Times Forum, site of tonight's Game 6 of the Lightning-Penguins series.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Rangers 8, Royals 7

ARLINGTON, Texas — C.J. Wilson struck out 10 in seven innings, Adrian Beltre hit one of the Rangers' three home runs and Texas completed a three-game sweep. Wilson gave up his first two homers of the season but compensated with his third career double-digit strikeout game. Mike Aviles homered twice for the Royals, including a three-run shot with two outs in the ninth.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Brewers 4, Astros 1

MILWAUKEE — Randy Wolf pitched eight sharp innings, and Rickie Weeks homered in his return after missing a game with a sprained left pinkie for the Brewers. Wolf followed up on strong starts at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia by using a mix of fastballs in the high 80s and a breaking ball that dipped into the low 60s. "That's when he does good, that's what he does," catcher Wil Nieves said. "He played with the speed and kept the hitters off-balance."

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Yankees 6, Orioles 3

11 innings

BALTIMORE — Russell Martin singled in the tiebreaking run in the 11th after Mariano Rivera gave up the lead in the ninth, and the Yankees capped a two-game sweep. The Orioles rallied from 3-0 against Joba Chamberlain and Rivera.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Phillies 3, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO — Roy Halladay tied his career high with 14 strikeouts, and the Phillies came within one out of their third shutout during a four-game sweep. Halladay took a two-hitter into the ninth before allowing three singles, including Will Venable's two-out RBI hit. Antonio Bastardo got pinch-hitter Nick Hundley to fly out to left on his first pitch. Shane Victorino hit an inside-the-park homer leading off the seventh when his drive to right-center went off Venable's glove as his arm hit the ground while he dived.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Red Sox 7, Angels 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. — John Lackey improved to 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts against his ex-team, former Ray Carl Crawford hit his first homer in a Boston uniform and the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep. Lackey, who spent his first eight seasons with the Angels, became the third straight Boston starter to hold Los Angeles scoreless. Crawford, who has struggled badly since signing with the Red Sox as a free agent, went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .171.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

TAMPA — Few things draw Mark Dominik's wrath more than an early-morning phone call about an arrest of a member of the Buccaneers.

And lately, Dominik, the team's general manager, has been fielding such phone calls too often.

"It's disappointing anytime I wake up the next morning and hear about somebody either within the organization or on the roster who has gotten themselves in a situation like that," he said.

With the draft starting Thursday, Dominik knows preventing future incidents hinges largely on the Bucs picking dependable players. And that's something he vows they will do in every draft he presides over.

So, what are the Bucs doing to screen potential players? It's an arduous, multi-faceted effort, with character now as high as anything else on Dominik's checklist.

Lately, Tampa Bay has seen proof of the notion that players who enter the NFL with character concerns often live up to their reputations. Jerramy Stevens (drafted by Seattle), Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson each had pre-draft red flags because of past incidents. Since entering the NFL, each has run afoul of either the law or league rules.

But none of those players were drafted by the current regime led by Dominik and coach Raheem Morris, who want desperately to change perceptions.

"I sit here and I feel good about Cody Grimm and Josh Freeman and Roy Miller and Sammie Stroughter," Dominik said. "I think as you look back at the last two draft classes — 15 players — I think if you would come back to me in a one-on-one setting, I think you'd come back and say, 'I think you're doing a good job.' "

There is no foolproof method, but after meeting with the Bucs, prospects know character is being stressed. According to one prospect who recently visited One Buc Place, the team discussed character more extensively than other clubs. Team officials quizzed him about his past, his family and, in particular, his habits.

Aside from raw information, getting to know players through interviews and interaction with the Bucs' college scouts are among the best way to scrutinize players. Area scouts employed by the team and based in various regions of the country work at the grass roots level, getting to know players long before the predraft process begins.

"Your area scout does a very good job of obtaining information," said Gil Brandt, a former Cowboys executive and current Sirius NFL radio host. "He's used to going back to the same schools over and over. Take the Bucs' guy in Columbia, Mo. Seth Turner knows the players in that area that he covers better than they know themselves."

For example, an area scout spent more than an hour grilling Mike Williams' high school coach in a face-to-face interview before the 2010 draft. It was the only such interview the coach had, though he'd spoken to other teams by phone about Williams, the receiver out of Syracuse.

"I really felt the Bucs did their due diligence and their homework on Mike," said Anthony Trulizio, Williams' coach at Riverside High in Buffalo. "They asked how he was as a student, what his behavior was like. They even came right out and asked me if he used any drugs. They got into some pretty serious questions."

Some have argued the Bucs took chances in drafting Williams despite character concerns last year, or by acquiring LeGarrette Blount after his infamous postgame punch in college in 2009. Dominik says his staff's exhaustive research allowed it to grow confident that neither player was risky.

"We can't accurately say what everybody's going to do when they're home alone," Dominik said. "But I try to get as much information as I can. I can say that I'm so focused on character that maybe that took us to a point where maybe we got comfortable with Mike Williams instead of (being) so worried about character that I didn't want to (consider) Mike Williams."

All teams can take advantage of a network of law enforcement sources provided by the NFL that help clubs check players' backgrounds and criminal histories for even the slightest inconsistencies. This compels prospects to be more truthful in interviews.

"They're a bunch of ex-FBI guys and they've got more connections than a 100-car freight train," Brandt said. "So, they can tell you everything you need to know about those guys. The character thing is really, really well-documented."

Yet, sometimes answers still are not clear cut.

"That's as good as you can do," Dominik said. "And then, at the end of the day, it's on me. It's my gut decision on whether I think a guy can be a good member of this football team."

Good decisions now, the Bucs hope, will lead to fewer early-morning calls later.

By Tyson Wallerstein, Times Correspondent
Sunday, April 24, 2011

What's hot: Cobia fishing has been excellent. East winds have allowed beach waters to clear up and load up with bait. Schools of threadfin can be seen raining on the surface of the water, and predatory fish such as Spanish mackerel, kingfish, cobia and soon tarpon will key in on these bait pods.

Tactics: Anchor in the area holding bait and get a chum slick going. Frozen chum blocks containing menhaden oil are best; one step further would be to cut and toss fresh threadfin off the back of the boat at a steady pace. Cobia aren't picky and will usually eat any live bait thrown at them. Keep a couple of medium-heavy rods with a live threadfin or pinfish out off the back of the boat and have another one at the ready, in case a fish comes right up the chum slick. Most of the fish have been running around 15 pounds, but reports of bigger ones are numerous. Cobia must be 33 inches measured to the fork of the tail to keep, and you are allowed one per person per day or six per vessel per day, whichever is less.

Coming soon: The migration of tarpon along area beaches is much anticipated. Now would be a good time to put on fresh line — 40- or 50-pound braid has become standard. And you'll want to stock up on hooks, floats and fluorocarbon leader. It would be a good idea to check your drag washers and replace them if it looks like pocket lint underneath your drag cap.

Tyson Wallerstein runs Inshore Fishing Charters in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area and can be reached at (727) 692-5868 or via e-mail capt.tyson@hotmail.com.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, April 24, 2011

TAMPA

It starts as a thought, a nagging, pesky little thought. It slips in among the confidence, and it buzzes around like a mosquito on the wrong side of a man's skull.

From there, it grows into a question, an accursed, insulting question. No matter how much success an athlete has had, no matter how illogical the question may seem, it will not go away. You can deny it a thousand times, a million, and still, it hangs around.

Finally, it grows into a full-grown doubt, a nagging, festering doubt, and just like that, the other team is skating around in your noggin.

And so, as the psychodrama that is the Lightning vs. the Penguins turns to chapter six, it seems fair to ask this:

Is the Lightning inside the head of Marc-Andre Fleury?

And if it is not, might a quick goal tonight complete the journey?

In Pittsburgh, as has been established, the goaltender is Mr. Wonderful.

By now, everyone is aware that he spent the second half of the season saving the Penguins' season after the injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He was so good in the series opener, stopping 32 shots and looking like one of the Flying Wallendas while doing so, that he became the reason the Pens might skate for a while in these playoffs.

After that series opener, a 3-0 Pittsburgh victory, the question was whether it might be Fleury inside the heads of the Lightning. Since then, Fleury has looked a little wobbly.

In Saturday's game, for instance, the game was only 25 minutes old when Fleury was plucked like a wilted flower. In a sport where there are broken teeth on the mental side of things, too, that is hardly an endorsement for a goaltender.

To be blunt, that wasn't the first evidence of vulnerability for Fleury, either. Twice, he has given up two-goal leads in this series. Twice, he has given up four goals in defeat. Since that brilliant opening game, Fleury has stopped only 80 of 92 shots, a buy-extra-bulbs-for-the-lamp-looking .869 save percentage. In the NHL's regular season, that would be good enough for 86th place in the save stats.

So has the Lightning gotten to Fleury? Oh, probably not. NHL goalies are a resilient bunch, and Fleury is both admired and accomplished. He has won a Stanley Cup, and he has been an All-Star, and he has played in bigger series than this. He has come off bad performances before.

But veterans will tell you that even among elite athletes, professional sports is a constant search for self-confidence. Put it this way: If a hot goalie can get into the heads of opposing forwards, cannot the opposite be true? (Besides, if the Lightning is not in Fleury's head, if he's simply having a less-than-ordinary series, is that necessarily better? Just asking.)

Don't you wonder what Fleury sees when he closes his eyes? Does he see Steven Stamkos, alive again? Does he see Simon Gagne, alert again? Does he see Marty St. Louis, as much of a pest as ever? Does he see Vinny Lecavalier or Dominic Moore? Does he see a series slipping away?

Does he see, perhaps, flashbacks? Remember, in the previous playoff series for Pittsburgh, the Penguins also held a 3-2 lead (over Montreal). And Fleury lost two in a row, giving up four goals in each game.

As for the Lightning, it expects excellence out of Fleury. Why expect less?

"He's going to bounce back and be as good as he has been," said Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher. "I'd be surprised if he doesn't bounce back."

"He's a world-class goaltender," said St. Louis. "We expect him to be tough."

Let's be honest. The Lightning is still behind in this series, and the Penguins only have to split the next two games to advance. The road ahead remains uphill.

That said, the Lightning is coming off of its best game of the series, and it has the momentum, and it has what used to be a home-ice advantage. On Saturday, it had one of those "oh, he still plays here" sort of games. Stamkos was Stamkos, and Gagne was Gagne and Pavel Kubina was, well, Kubina was St. Louis.

This, too, was important. The Lightning found the net early. That's an important task for a team that is behind in the playoffs. Score early, and it suggests the night belongs to you. Score early, and you are in control. Consider the difference in the way Fleury has played when he has had the lead and when he has not.

And so the head games continue. And that's the point. As brutal as this game can be, much of it is still played inside the cranium. That's why the first goal has mattered so much. It's why home ice has mattered so little. Playoff hockey is so emotional that it becomes the ultimate stress test as far as approach, as far as injury, as far as mental sharpness.

Can the Lightning get inside of Fleury's head tonight?

It depends on how many pucks it can get into the net behind him.

Inside his head? No, Fleury says

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said Sunday he has put Saturday's 8-2 defeat behind him. Fleury allowed a combined eight goals in the series' first four games but four on 14 shots before being pulled Saturday.

"A good thing about the playoffs, whether it's 1-0 or it's like (Saturday), it's still just one loss and we still have a chance to finish it off," Fleury said. "I think everybody is going to forget about it as soon as possible."

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

The situation

The Bucs have had to invest little time in scouting top quarterbacks in this draft because they already have a pretty good one. Josh Freeman's 2010 sophomore season reinforced that Tampa Bay made the right call in drafting him. He threw 25 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and as the Bucs continue to add playmakers, they expect him to build on a very solid start. The Bucs have some decisions to make behind Freeman. Josh Johnson, bottom left, is the No. 2 quarterback. But Tampa Bay could field trade offers for Johnson, whom some believe is starting-caliber. If he is moved, it would likely create a void because No. 3 QB Rudy Carpenter has no experience and might not be considered a viable No. 2 option.

What they're looking for

The Bucs would seek someone capable of succeeding with relatively few snaps, given the current QB situation. So, that means the Bucs likely would want a player with some mobility and an ability to get the ball downfield as offensive coordinator Greg Olson hopes to do more. Freeman excels in those areas, so the Tampa Bay offense will be tailored to those strengths.

Fitting the bill

While he's no Joe Flacco, Delaware's Pat Devlin has an outside chance of becoming an NFL starter like Flacco did coming out of the same school. Devlin is a comfortable pocket passer who isn't as mobile as Freeman, but he converts first downs with his legs when necessary. Idaho's Nathan Enderle, left, also isn't the athlete Freeman is, but he has impressive size (6 feet 4, 238 pounds) and a big arm. He has minor flaws in his delivery, scouts say, but as a player who won't immediately see the field, he'll have an opportunity to be coached. As a junior two years ago, he had only nine interceptions in 312 attempts.

Top 10 prospects

Best guess

The Bucs will do their customary due diligence on every quarterback, but it's a low priority. Look for the Bucs to, at most, spend a late-round pick. It's more likely they pick up a quarterback as an undrafted free agent once the lockout ends and contract signings are permitted again. The only thing that would significantly impact this course of action is a deal to trade Johnson, and that appears remote.

Stephen F. Holder, Times staff writer

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 24, 2011

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Best announcers

It's said that NHL teams raise their level of play during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The same can be said for Sun Sports Lightning announcers Rick Peckham and Bobby "The Chief" Taylor, both of whom have brought their A-games for the postseason.

Peckham, top, always has been easy to listen to. He calls a clean game and never gets in the way of the action. During the Lightning-Penguins series, Peckham has saved emotional calls for the truly important moments of the game. He never yells just for the sake of yelling, as many announcers tend to do. When Peckham's voice rises, the viewer can trust that something critical is happening.

Taylor, meantime, continues to bring excellent X-and-O analysis and hasn't shied from being critical when the situation calls for it. He occasionally harps on the officiating a little too much for some viewers, but when he avoids that, he's superb because of his feel for the game. Take Saturday when the Lightning built a 7-0 lead early in the third period. Taylor then noticed the Lightning becoming sloppy and predicted something bad could happen.

Sure enough, the Penguins scored two goals, and Taylor adeptly pointed out that the Lightning's sloppiness would not cost it in Game 5, but it could carry into Game 6. It was spot-on commentary that many analysts would've excused or ignored in favor of celebrating a big victory. But that's what makes Taylor so good.

Best and worst replay

Saturday's Rays game on FSN featured something good and something not so good when it comes to replays.

Let's start with the not so good. In the top of the ninth, announcers Dwayne Staats and Brian Anderson spent more than a passing moment discussing how Rays shortstop Reid Brignac should have been given credit for a single on a bunt in an earlier at-bat. (The play was ruled a sacrifice and an error.) Staats, top, talked about how the bunt was put in a perfect spot and it took more than reasonable effort for the defense. Staats and Anderson, bottom, explained in detail how they saw the play, and it would have been nice if the production crew had dialed up a replay for the fans to see what the two were talking about. But the replay never came.

The crew made some amends in the bottom half of the inning when the Blue Jays cut the Rays' lead to 6-4 and then the Jays' Travis Snider bunted runners to second and third. It looked as if Snider might have beaten the throw to first, but he was called out. The FSN crew immediately showed four replays, each showing that Snider did beat the throw. Even Anderson said the umpire missed the call. It was a call that went against the Rays' opponent, yet the Rays TV crew did the right thing by showing the replays . That's not something every hometown TV crew would have done. Nice work.

Biggest apology

Last week, TNT's ever-controversial NBA analyst Charles Barkley was a little too controversial for even his own taste. After the Knicks lost Game 2 of their series against the Celtics, Barkley, right, ripped into Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and said, "That's why they'll have a new coach next season."

But two days later, Barkley went on the air and said: "I have a rule, I try to always be honest and fair on TV. I screwed up the other night when I said something about Mike D'Antoni that wasn't cool. I want to apologize to Mike D'Antoni and (Knicks president of basketball operations) Donnie Walsh. When you're on television you should never talk about someone getting hired and fired. That's inappropriate. I made that mistake. I want to apologize personally to Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh. I've got great respect for Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni. I want to apologize. That's all I can do."

If Barkley said something he didn't mean or didn't express his true feelings, then, yes, he should apologize. But if he believes D'Antoni should or will be fired, his job as an analyst is to say so. And for that, he doesn't need to apologize.

Worst praise

During Saturday's Fox baseball Game of the Week between the Giants and Braves, announcer Josh Lewin and Eric Karros spent a few moments praising the Braves for consistently starting rookies at the beginning of the season as opposed to waiting until after the season starts so as not to start the clock on the player's big-league service. Lewin and Karros also said the Braves are one of the few teams that place the players ahead of their own interests, suggesting that other teams don't care about their players like the Braves do.

Maybe. But it was irresponsible of Lewin and Karros to praise a team that is traditionally in the upper half of the league in payroll and doesn't have the financial concerns that small-market teams have. Small-market teams don't wait to call rookies up because they want to. They do it because they have to. Lewin and Karros should know that.

Three things that popped into my head

1. If the Lightning had lost quietly in Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Saturday, it really would've been a disappointing and bitter end to a surprisingly good season.

2. It's a shame that the New York Rangers and Knicks couldn't do more in the NHL and NBA postseasons. There isn't anything much cooler in sports than playoff games at Madison Square Garden. The good news is, it appears as if there could be plenty of postseason at MSG in the coming years.

3. Sports rule No. 1: No matter how late it is, no matter how early you have to get up in the morning, no matter how late you are running for an appointment and regardless of whether you team is playing or not, you must watch an overtime game in the Stanley Cup playoffs until someone scores.

Best coverage

NBC's hockey coverage was the highlight of the weekend, especially a moment during Saturday's broadcast of Game 5 of the Capitals-Rangers series. Washington's Mike Green blocked a slap shot near his shoulder-head area and did not get up. It was frightening, particularly because Green missed a good chunk of the season with head problems. But not only did NBC tell us that, it showed us. While Green was still being tended to on the ice, NBC showed replays of two incidents that happened this year — one of Green getting hit with a similar shot and another of him taking an elbow to the head. Then, in the most fascinating replay of the week, NBC showed a super-slow-motion shot of the screws coming out of Green's helmet as he blocked the shot against the Rangers. Excellent storytelling and television are what happens when the people in charge are prepared like NBC's hockey crew was Saturday. Meantime, Sunday, intermission analyst Mike Milbury absolutely carved Flyers goalie Michael Leighton for allowing two soft goals in Game 6 against the Sabres. He even compared him to a "pee-wee" goalie. Surely he didn't win many points with Leighton or Flyers fans, but he did with the rest of us for his frank commentary.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Athletics 5, Mariners 2

SEATTLE — Coco Crisp had three hits and three runs and Brett Anderson pitched seven strong innings as the Athletics split the series. Crisp has six hits in two games after batting .175 in his previous 15. With the score 1-1 in the seventh, Crisp reached on a fielder's choice and took third on pinch-hitter Conor Jackson's single. Josh Willingham hit a double down the leftfield line that Milton Bradley misplayed as Jackson scored from first.

Times wires
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Braves 9, Giants 6

10 innings

SAN FRANCISCO — Nate McLouth hit a two-run single off Brian Wilson with two outs in the 10th inning, and the Braves completed a three-game sweep, their first sweep of any kind in San Francisco since 1998.