Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Colleges

Buckeyes: tressel must pay legal bills

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State will not have to pay for Jim Tressel's legal team as the football coach defends himself against NCAA charges that the knew his players received improper benefits but didn't report it.

Athletic director Gene Smith, attending Big Ten meetings in Chicago with Tressel on Wednesday, confirmed that the coach is responsible for his lawyers.

Tressel, in his 11th year at Ohio State where he makes about $3.5 million per season, has hired Gene Marsh to represent him before the NCAA's committee on infractions Aug. 12 in Indianapolis. Marsh has said the media is "piling on'' Tressel.

The NCAA charged that Tressel "failed to (comport) himself in accordance with … honesty and integrity." Tressel violated NCAA bylaws — and his contract's stipulations — that require he immediately report all knowledge of any NCAA violations to his superiors, the NCAA or the university's compliance department.

Tressel, who is scheduled to attend the NCAA compliance seminar in Tampa in June, still appears to have the backing of Smith.

"Oh, definitely, no question," Smith said when asked at the Big Ten meetings if he supported Tressel. "I haven't changed. But I'm not talking about the case beyond that."

more colleges

Eckerd's Cuda named SSC pitcher of year

Eckerd junior right-hander Joey Cuda was named Sunshine State Conference pitcher of the year. The former Canterbury High standout led the league in innings (1082/3), ranked second in ERA (1.66) and third in strikeouts (110).

Joining Cuda on the All-SSC first team: Tampa's Patrick Donahue (senior, shortstop), Andrew Jones (junior, outfielder) and Damon Elder (junior, utility player); and Saint Leo's Ryan Brnovich (sophomore, second base).

Playoff inquiry: NCAA president Mark Emmert told the Justice Department that its questions about the lack of a Division I football playoff system are best directed to another group — the Bowl Championship Series. Other than licensing the postseason bowls, "the NCAA has no role to play in the BCS or the BCS system," Emmert wrote to the department's antitrust chief, Christine Varney. He said that short of member universities discontinuing the BCS and proposing an NCAA championship, "there is no directive … to establish a playoff."

Auburn: Four former Tiger football players were indicted on felony robbery and burglary charges by a Lee County grand jury. Court documents show that Michael McNeil, Antonio Goodwin, Shaun Kitchens and Dakota Mosley were indicted on five counts of first-degree robbery, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of misdemeanor third-degree theft of property. Arraignment is set for May 26.

Signings: Shooting guard Trevor Lacey, Alabama's two-time Mr. Basketball, signed with the Tide over Kansas, Kentucky and Auburn. … Jamari Traylor, a forward who played last season for IMG Academy in Bradenton, signed with Kansas over Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Indiana and St. John's.

Connecticut: Basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who was honored with a Winged Foot Award from the New York Athletic Club, said he doesn't expect to decide on retirement until at least next month.

Kansas state: Dalonte Hill, the Wildcats' highest-paid assistant basketball coach and top recruiter, resigned to take a similar position at Maryland.

Et cetera

NFL: The state of Minnesota and Ramsey County agreed it will cost $131 million to fix roads near the proposed Vikings suburban stadium site, clearing an obstacle to getting a $1.1 billion plan approved.

Soccer: Porto revived its status as a European power by beating Braga 1-0 in an all-Portuguese Europa League final in Dublin, the club's biggest title in seven years. Andre Villas-Boas, 33, became the youngest coach to win a European title.

Tennis: Tampa tandem Mardy Fish and John Isner gave the United States a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan at the World Team Cup, defeating Andrey Golubev and Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6 (12-10) in doubles in Duesseldorf, Germany. The United States plays Argentina, which defeated Sweden 2-1, to decide the Red Group and the right to play in Saturday's final against the Blue Group winner. … Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic continues to struggle on clay, falling to Sofia Arvidsson 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Brussels Open.

Cycling: Chris Horner of the RadioShack team powered to a solo uphill win in Stage 4 and assumed the overall lead at the Tour of California.

Times wires

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

TAMPA

What they are doing is remarkable. And insane.

What they have accomplished is impressive. And unrealistic.

Essentially, what they're achieving is a fascinating contradiction of numbers.

Lightning players have committed more penalties — by a fairly hefty margin — than any team still alive in the NHL playoffs. And until now, they've gotten away with it.

That's largely because Tampa Bay's penalty kill has been historically good through its first 13 games of the postseason. More than 90 percent of the time, the Lightning has survived being shorthanded, which is fairly uncommon this deep in the playoffs.

So maybe you shrug off Boston's two power-play goals in Game 2 as part of a statistical oddity that had to eventually even out. Or, just maybe, you worry more evening out is still to come.

For committing this many penalties is a little bit like juggling chain saws. Eventually there is going to be blood.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher suggested Tampa Bay's early trouble with penalties helped Boston set the game's tempo Tuesday night, which was the biggest difference from a 5-2 victory in Game 1.

It's fair to say Boucher is not real comfortable with the lived-in feel of Tampa Bay's penalty box, but he very subtly suggested several calls in Tuesday night's game may have had more to do with the interpretation of referees than the conduct of players.

"I always look at the penalties between periods and after the game and see what we can control with that," Boucher said. "Sometimes I'll blame our players, but sometimes I won't. And obviously in (Tuesday's) game, there were a few penalties we could avoid, but there were some that were not within our control."

Second-guessing officials is natural. Sometimes it's even justified. But this is not a one-game or a one-series issue. This is now a monthlong trend that needs to be considered.

The Lightning is getting roughly the same number of power plays in the playoffs (average 4.15 per game) as it did in the regular season (4.09), but shorthanded situations have soared.

After averaging 3.68 penalties in the regular season, Tampa Bay is averaging 4.92 in the postseason. That's basically one more penalty per game than San Jose (4.00), Boston (3.84) and Vancouver (3.64) among the conference finalists.

Is it poor officiating? Is it Tampa Bay's style of play? Is it coincidence?

Realistically, it could be a little of all three and maybe other factors, too. The Lightning has held a lead often in the past nine games, and that means it has faced increased pressure in its zone.

But the bottom line is the Lightning is essentially giving up a 5-on-4 situation an extra two minutes a game. Every game.

"When you give a team an opportunity every night, they're eventually going to score on you," defenseman Brett Clark said. "(Tuesday) night we got ourselves in trouble. We took too many penalties in a row. They made us pay.

"That's something we have to look forward to, is cutting down on the penalties. You can't rely on the penalty kill every night to do what it's been doing."

You can still win when you're on the wrong end of the power-play tally. You can even win a bunch of games in a row, as the Lightning already has proven.

It's just that the odds don't favor you, particularly the longer you play and the better competition you see.

"Obviously you want to kill the least possible (penalties), but at the same time, you don't want to lose your aggressiveness," Boucher said. "So if it's a penalty because of aggressiveness during the play, that's different. If they're stick penalties, they're penalties we certainly want to take out.

"And if they are penalties that we feel we don't deserve, we don't spend much time on it, and we don't blame the players for it."

Even after Boston's two power-play scores Tuesday, the Lightning has been successful 92.2 percent of the time in shorthanded situations.

The last time a team in a conference final finished with a higher kill percentage was when New Jersey won the Cup in 2000 with a 92.5 percent penalty kill.

But even that comes with a caveat: The Devils averaged 2.91 penalties per game. The Lightning is trying to kill almost twice as many penalties every night.

"You never want to be in the penalty box no matter how many times it happens," said wing Adam Hall. "But it's something you have to be prepared for, and our coaching staff has done a great job giving us the best tools and the best chance to do that."

In the past month, the Lightning's penalty kill has gone from good to great. Its power play has gone from good to even better. And maybe that will be enough.

Maybe the Lightning can survive five penalties a game because the special teams are now a cut above the rest of the league's.

Maybe the Lightning can continue to win with the formula that has worked a majority of the time in the past 13 games.

Maybe it's possible.

But this time of the year, it's a hard way to survive.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Lightning, for those of you who like to keep count, went 27 days without losing a game.

Its eight-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday at TD Garden in Boston, where the Bruins' 6-5 victory tied the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final at one game apiece.

And just like that, Game 3 tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa became about more than wins and losses. It is, captain Vinny Lecavalier said, about heart.

"It's how you bounce back that shows what kind of team you are and the character you have," he said. "We realize this is a series. You're not going to win all your games. But you have to make sure that you bounce back and play solid in your next game."

To do that, center Steven Stamkos said, "we have to realize what we did wrong."

We heard a lot about how the Lightning lost its "structure" in Game 2. For Stamkos, that meant lapses in defensive zone coverages, getting sticks on pucks and managing the puck. Lecavalier mentioned turnovers.

Coach Guy Boucher said defensemen jumping into the offensive flow at the wrong times was a big reason the Bruins had so many odd-man rushes.

And, yes, he added, perhaps the team was a bit overconfident from its long winning streak.

The good news for Tampa Bay, Boucher said, is "these are things we can correct quite easily."

Also working in the Lightning's favor is experience. This isn't the same team that began the postseason with 11 players making their NHL playoff debuts.

It is a team that overcame a three games to one deficit to the Penguins in the East quarterfinal and swept the top-seeded Capitals in the semis.

"We've learned a lot and matured a lot as a team," Stamkos said. "For guys who hadn't been in the playoffs, we know what it's all about now. We realize what it takes to win a series."

Still, it must have been weird for Lightning players to wake up Wednesday morning and deal with some negative emotions for the first time in a month.

"It's part of the game," goaltender Dwayne Roloson said. "It was nice having the string we did, but we have to focus on the next game. We've never been a team that looked in the past. We looked in the future and tried to control the things we could control, and that's what we're going to try to do (today)."

The Bruins will have some say as well, especially if they continue an aggressive forecheck that helped give them a huge advantage in puck possession and offensive zone time.

Boston also did a great job getting traffic in front of Roloson, especially on the power play that scored twice.

"We were moving the puck better. We shot it more," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We just seemed to be more determined as a group."

Safe to say the Lightning will be, too, in Game 3.

"We reloaded emotionally in the first series and the second series, so I don't see this one being any different," Boucher said. "It doesn't mean we're going to win games but we're for sure going to be more aware of weaknesses we presented in the last game and are going to make sure we don't kill ourselves in the next game. They're already a good team. We don't need to give them more chances than they deserve."

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

Bruins at Lightning

Text goes here and here and here and here and here and here and here.

1A stuff here

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Noteook

Text goes here and here and here and here and here and

Poster

Text goes here and here and here and here and here and

Tickets

Games 3 and 4 and a potential Game 6 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa are sold out, though unused team tickets might be released on game days. Check with the box office at (813) 301-6600 and Ticketmaster (outlets, ticketmaster.com, toll-free 1-800-745-3000).

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Lightning, for those of you who like to keep count, went 27 days without losing a game.

Its eight-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday at TD Garden in Boston, where the Bruins' 6-5 victory tied the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final at one game apiece.

And just like that, Game 3 tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa became about more than wins and losses. It is, captain Vinny Lecavalier said, about heart.

"It's how you bounce back that shows what kind of team you are and the character you have," he said. "We realize this is a series. You're not going to win all your games. But you have to make sure that you bounce back and play solid in your next game."

To do that, center Steven Stamkos said, "we have to realize what we did wrong."

We heard a lot about how the Lightning lost its "structure" in Game 2. For Stamkos, that meant lapses in defensive zone coverages, getting sticks on pucks and managing the puck. Lecavalier mentioned turnovers.

Coach Guy Boucher said defensemen jumping into the offensive flow at the wrong times was a big reason the Bruins had so many odd-man rushes.

And yes, he added, perhaps the team was a bit overconfident from its long winning streak.

The good news for Tampa Bay, Boucher said, is "these are things we can correct quite easily."

Also working in the Lightning's favor is experience. This isn't the same team that began the postseason with 11 players making their playoff debuts.

It is a team that overcame a three-games-to-one deficit to the Penguins in the East quarter­finals and swept the top-seeded Capitals in the semis.

"We've learned a lot and matured a lot as a team," Stamkos said. "For guys who hadn't been in the playoffs, we know what it's all about now. We realize what it takes to win a series."

Still, it must have been weird for Lightning players to wake up Wednesday morning and deal with some negative emotions for the first time in a month.

"It's part of the game," goaltender Dwayne Roloson said. "It was nice having the string we did, but we have to focus on the next game. We've never been a team that looked in the past. We looked in the future and tried to control the things we could control, and that's what we're going to try to do (today)."

The Bruins will have some say as well, especially if they continue an aggressive forecheck that helped give them a huge advantage in puck possession and offensive-zone time in Game 2. Boston also did a great job getting traffic in front of Roloson, especially on the power play, which scored twice.

"We were moving the puck better. We shot it more," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We just seemed to be more determined as a group."

Safe to say the Lightning will be, too, in Game 3.

"We reloaded emotionally in the first series and the second series, so I don't see this one being any different," Boucher said. "It doesn't mean we're going to win games, but we're for sure going to be more aware of weaknesses we presented in the last game and are going to make sure we don't kill ourselves in the next game. (The Bruins are) already a good team. We don't need to give them more chances than they deserve."

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

Tonight

Game 3, Lightning vs. Bruins, 8, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa TV/radio: Versus; 970-AM

Tickets

Tonight's Game 3 is sold out. Unused team tickets might be released today. Information, 6C

Sign shots

Lightning fans respond to signs erected by the Bruins disparaging all things Tampa Bay. 1A

Bruin back?

Center Patrice Bergeron, out with a concussion, could play tonight. 7C

Playoff poster

Part 1 of a three-piece poster of goalie Dwayne Roloson. 10B

Canucks up 2-0

A wild third period leads Vancouver to a 7-3 win over the Sharks in Game 2 of the West final and a 2-0 series lead. 7C

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels threw eight impressive innings, Jimmy Rollins drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and the Phillies beat the Rockies 2-1 Wednesday night to end a four-game skid.

Hamels allowed one run and five hits, striking out eight for his first career win against the Rockies. He entered 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three career starts vs. Colorado, including two in the postseason.

The NL East-leading Phillies had just seven runs and 17 hits in the previous four games. They got just enough this time.

Wilson Valdez led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left. Pinch-hitter Shane Victorino sacrificed him to second and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Rollins followed with a liner to right, and Valdez slid in safely ahead of Ryan Spilborghs' throw.

Ryan Madson finished for his seventh save in as many tries. He allowed a leadoff double to Seth Smith, but worked around it. Madson struck out Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki swinging at offspeed pitches. He walked Todd Helton then struck out pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to end it.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Phillies 2, Rockies 1

PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels threw eight impressive innings, Jimmy Rollins drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and the Phillies snapped a four-game losing streak. Hamels got his first career win against the Rockies. He entered 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three career starts against Colorado, including two in the postseason. The Phillies had just seven runs and 17 hits in the previous four games. They got just enough this time. Loser Jorge De La Rosa recorded his first career complete game.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mets 3, Nationals 0

NEW YORK — Jonathon Niese pitched seven sharp innings, some of them in heavy rain, and Justin Turner added to his surprising tear with a two-run double for the Mets. Playing before only a few thousand on another wet night at Citi Field and without injured regulars David Wright, Ike Davis and Angel Pagan, New York won for the eighth time in 12 games and helped Niese win his second consecutive start.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cubs 7, Marlins 5

MIAMI — Marlon Byrd hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth, and the Cubs ended a three-game skid. Reed Johnson hit his third career pinch-hit homer for the Cubs to tie it at 5 in the sixth. They took the lead on Byrd's second homer against Edward Mujica leading off the eighth.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pirates 5, Reds 0

CINCINNATI — Charlie Morton threw a five-hitter for his second career shutout, and Pedro Alvarez hit a three-run homer as the Pirates ended their six-game skid. Morton also threw a five-hitter for a 6-1 win April 15 at the Reds' Great American Ball Park, coming within one out of a shutout. Alvarez ended his streak of 15 games without driving in a run when he connected in the fourth off former Hernando standout Bronson Arroyo, who has given up 10 homers, accounting for 16 of the 29 runs he has allowed this year.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

DALLAS — Over his 14 seasons in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki says he has seen pretty much every defense possible.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks is tempted to try the ultimate gamble — the invisible defender.

That's right, nothing. Maybe just shouting, "Boo!" or "Don't miss!" whenever Nowitzki sets to shoot in Game 2 of the Western Conference final tonight.

Brooks surely was joking Wednesday when he suggested not guarding Nowitzki. Brooks wasn't laughing, though, because he was still awed and frustrated by what happened in the opener, when Nowitzki made 12 of 15 field goals and set a playoff record by hitting all 24 of his free throws on his way to 48 points, the most by anyone this postseason.

"There were nine shots that he made, no matter what you did, you couldn't have guarded him any better," Brooks said. "We put smalls (on him), we put medium-sized guys on him, we put big guys on him, we put everybody on him. We tried to take it out of his hands. The only thing we didn't do was not guard him.

"Maybe, if we want to do something different, we don't challenge him. We play a zone and let him go free."

Nowitzki's efficiency was phenomenal: 48 points on 15 shots, not attempting a 3-pointer.

He figures the Thunder will try something different in Game 2. Rather than trying to guess along, he said Wednesday, "Whatever comes, comes."

"I'm going to try to attack like I always do," he said. "We've got a lot of options out there. We have a deep bench. So I don't feel the pressure to force shots."

The Thunder has not lost consecutive games this postseason.

"That's one thing about this team, we're resilient, we bounce back," Thunder star Kevin Durant said. "Hopefully it's another case of that in Game 2."

bulls-heat: Dennis Rodman still sported numerous piercings and tattoos as he walked into the United Center. That much hadn't changed since he helped the Bulls win their final three championships in the late 1990s. What is different is this: Rodman, the seven-time rebounding champion and two-time defensive player of the year, is now 50. "It's incredible man, the fact that people still love you, still like what you're doing," Rodman said Wednesday before presenting the first ball for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final. His favorite player? A Bull who rebounds, plays defense and has a noticeable hairstyle — former Gator Joakim Noah. "I love Noah," Rodman said. "He's more like me, but a little taller."

pistons: Owner Karen Davidson says she'll retain part ownership of the franchise, its arena and Palace Sports & Entertainment after the sale to Beverly Hills, Calif., billionaire Tom Gores is complete.

timberwolves: President David Kahn says his comments about the NBA draft lottery were intended as a tongue-in-cheek resignation that fate gave Cleveland the first pick. After the Cavaliers beat out the Timberwolves for the top spot Tuesday, Kahn said with a smirk, "This league has a habit — and I am just going to say habit — of producing some pretty incredible story lines."

rafer alston to coach: Former Rockets guard Rafer Alston will coach at a Houston-area high school. Christian Life Center Academy in Humble hired Alston to be head basketball coach and athletic director. Alston, whose NBA career began in 1999 with Milwaukee, spent four seasons with the Rockets. He played for New Jersey and Miami during the 2009-10 season.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

CHICAGO — LeBron James came up big down the stretch and scored a game-high 29, Dwyane Wade added 24 and the Heat beat the Bulls 85-75 Wednesday to tie the Eastern Conference final at one game apiece.

Coming off a lopsided loss in Game 1, the Heat recovered down the stretch after blowing an 11-point lead to gain homecourt advantage.

James shook off a brutal opener and scored nine over the final 4:27, starting with a 3-pointer that put Miami ahead for good, 76-73. Miami outrebounded the Bulls 45-41 after getting pounded 45-33 in the opener.

It was big turnaround after he scored 15 on 5-for-15 shooting while being harassed by Luol Deng in Game 1.

"I put it all on the line and did whatever it took for our team to win," said James, who played with a head cold.

Udonis Haslem provided a spark off the bench with 13 points and five rebounds, and the Heat beat the Bulls for the first time this season even though Miami's Chris Bosh scored just 10 after hitting 30 in the opener.

"It was a grind,'' Bosh said of the defensive game. "We just have to stick with it. We're really looking forward to going home.''

Haslem had played just seven minutes since mid November because of a foot injury.

"I ran out of gas," the former Gator said. "For the first time in my life, I was happy to come out of a game."

Derrick Rose led Chicago with 21 points, two in the fourth.

The Bulls missed layups and got outshot 47.1 percent to 34.1 percent. They were 3-of-20 on 3-pointers and 16-of-26 at the line.

"We played low-energy offense, we played low-energy defense and the result was not great," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They have so many weapons.''

Before the game, former Bull Dennis Rodman, 50, presenting the ceremonial first ball. The seven-time rebounding champion and two-time defensive player of the year says his favorite player is a Bull who rebounds, plays defense and has a noticeable hairstyle — former Gator Joakim Noah. "I love Noah," Rodman said. "He's more like me, but a little taller."

Heat 85, Bulls 75

MIAMI (85): James 12-21 3-7 29, Bosh 4-8 2-2 10, Anthony 0-1 0-0 0, Bibby 1-6 2-2 5, Wade 8-16 8-10 24, Magloire 1-2 0-0 2, Haslem 5-10 3-3 13, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Chalmers 0-1 0-0 0, Howard 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-68 18-24 85.

CHICAGO (75): Deng 5-15 2-2 13, Boozer 3-10 1-2 7, Noah 4-9 1-2 9, Rose 7-23 7-10 21, Bogans 2-5 0-2 5, Brewer 2-4 3-4 7, Watson 0-2 2-2 2, Asik 0-0 0-1 0, Gibson 4-7 0-1 8, Korver 1-7 0-0 3. Totals 28-82 16-26 75.

Miami 19 29 23 14— 85

Chicago 26 20 19 10— 75

3-Point Goals—Miami 3-13 (James 2-6, Bibby 1-5, Chalmers 0-1, Miller 0-1), Chicago 3-20 (Bogans 1-4, Korver 1-5, Deng 1-7, Watson 0-1, Rose 0-3). Rebounds—Miami 55 (James 10), Chicago 51 (Noah, Boozer 8). Assists—Miami 18 (James 5), Chicago 15 (Rose 8). Total Fouls—Miami 26, Chicago 25. A—23,007 (20,917).

how to stop nowitzki? Thunder coach Scott Brooks jokingly suggested not guarding Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki after the West final opener, when Nowitzki made 12 of 15 field goals and set a playoff record by hitting all 24 free throws on his way to 48 points.

"There were nine shots that he made, no matter what you did, you couldn't have guarded him any better," Brooks said. "We put smalls (on him), we put medium-sized guys on him, we put big guys on him, we put everybody on him. The only thing we didn't do was not guard him. … Maybe we don't challenge him. We play a zone and let him go free."

Nowitzki expects something different in Game 2 tonight: "Whatever comes, comes."

Pistons: Owner Karen Davidson says she'll retain part ownership of the franchise, its arena and Palace Sports & Entertainment after the sale to Beverly Hills, Calif., billionaire Tom Gores is complete.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

White Sox 1, Indians 0

CHICAGO — Jake Peavy pitched a three-hitter in his home debut for the White Sox this season, outdueling Justin Masterson and making Adam Dunn's sacrifice fly in the first inning stand up. Peavy struck out eight to cool off a Cleveland lineup that scored 31 runs in its three previous games. The 29-year-old right-hander had his fifth career shutout and ninth complete game. He only allowed one runner past first base, had no walks and threw 111 pitches. Masterson pitched his third career complete game. He allowed one run on five hits. He struck out eight with two walks.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

ATLANTA — Thrashers fans are planning to take advantage of possibly their last opportunity to demonstrate support for the team to remain in Atlanta.

They are planning a rally before the team's annual select-a-seat event for season-ticket holders at Philips Arena on Saturday. Team fan club president Lisa Lewis said Wednesday she expects a "pretty big turnout" in the rally she said is being organized by fan Jimmy Parks.

According to reports in Atlanta and Winnipeg, Thrashers owners are negotiating with a Winnipeg company that would relocate the team to the Canadian city.

Former Braves pitcher Tom Glavine is a high-profile Thrashers fan and former season-ticket holder who last month said he would like to be part of an ownership group that keeps the team in Atlanta.

Glavine said Wednesday he feared time is running out on the effort to save the team, especially after the financially troubled Coyotes last week won a one-year reprieve to remain in Arizona. That development shifted Winnipeg's focus to Atlanta.

"Based on the conversations I've had, off and on, I think there was always some sense that we had a little bit of time as long as Phoenix was still in the picture," Glavine said. "Now that Phoenix is out of the picture, that time has kind of gone away, and everything is on an accelerated path now. There seems to be a consensus there is going to be a team in Winnipeg. The question is who, and unfortunately the bulls-eye seems to be on the Thrashers' back."

The Thrashers' average attendance this season was 13,469 to rank 28th out of 30 teams. Attendance has declined as the Thrashers, who debuted as an expansion franchise in 1999, have made one playoff appearance and some fans have become impatient with team management.

Bruce Levenson, who leads the Atlanta ownership group, Levenson has said he has been unable to find a buyer to keep the team in Atlanta.

Canadiens: Outgoing team president Pierre Boivin said fans' demand for bilingual French-Canadian representatives on the roster and in the front office creates a competitive disadvantage for the team. "If it's a star (francophone player) … that's all they need to feel the cultural and linguistic connection," he told the Montreal Gazette. "If they don't have the star, they want a whole bunch (of francophones) because one day they hate them, the other day they love them." Boivin said the pool of bilingual front-office and coaching candidates is so small, "that's a huge disadvantage when human capital is your most important asset."

Islanders: Goalie Al Montoya had surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee sustained while playing for the United States at the world championships in Slovakia this month. The team said he should be ready for training camp in September.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

VANCOUVER — Daniel Sedin scored his second power-play goal of the game, and Chris Higgins and Mason Raymond added man-advantage goals in the third period for the Canucks, who routed the Sharks 7-3 on Wednesday night and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference final.

Defenseman Aaron Rome scored his first playoff goal with 5:30 left as the Canucks scored four times in the third.

The Canucks scored five unanswered goals starting with 7:55 left in the second when Kevin Bieksa scored on a breakaway to break a 2-2 tie.

Sedin leads the playoffs with five power-play goals. His eight goals overall are tied for the playoff lead with the Lightning's Sean Bergenheim.

Logan Couture, Ben Eager and Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks.

The intensity level was cranked up for Game 2. There were several scrums after the whistle and some thundering collisions. The game ended with several shoving matches and punches thrown.

A hit by Eager on Sedin late in the second period infuriated the crowd and had the Canucks seeing red.

Eager ran into Sedin from behind, sending him crashing into the boards. The forward lay on the ice a few seconds before skating to the bench. Eager was called for boarding. Sedin returned to score one of his power-play goals later in the third.

Shark defenseman Douglas Murray set the tone early, flattening Rome with a bruising hit. Bieksa returned the favor, running over former teammate Kyle Wellwood.

Eager was off for tripping when Higgins made it 4-2. He took a pass from Mason Raymond and fired the puck behind Niemi. The Canucks are 4-0 in playoff games when Higgins, who was picked up at the trade deadline, scores.

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo kept his team in the game when he weathered a second-period storm in which the Sharks pelted him with shots. He managed to get a glove on a Joe Thornton blast.

A wild first period ended 2-2 after the teams combined for three power-play goals. The Canucks scored goals 39 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead, and a video replay was needed to determine the second Sharks goal, by Marleau, was good.

Canadiens: Outgoing team president Pierre Boivin said fans' demand for bilingual French-Canadian representatives on the roster and in the front office creates a competitive disadvantage for the team. "If it's a star (francophone player) … that's all they need to feel the cultural and linguistic connection," he told the Montreal Gazette. Boivin said the pool of bilingual front-office and coaching candidates is so small, "that's a huge disadvantage when human capital is your most important asset."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Rays at Blue Jays

When/where: 7:07 tonight, Rogers Centre, Toronto

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Starting pitchers

Rays

RH Wade Davis (4-3, 3.47)

Jays

LH Ricky Romero (3-4, 3.35)

Watch for ...

Wading in: Davis is eager to pitch after making adjustments during his bullpen session. Though his stats aren't bad, he has been inconsistent with command and velocity. Facing the Jays could help, he is 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA in four starts.

Mr. Ricky: Romero has been a bit inconsistent and also has been tougher on right-handed hitters (.206 average) than lefties (.258). He was scratched from his last start against the Rays, and overall is 2-3, 4.12 in six outings.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Romero

Johnny Damon 6-for-10, HR

B.J. Upton 1-for-14

Ben Zobrist 7-for-15, HR

Jays. vs. Davis

Jose Bautista 1-for-9

Aaron Hill 5-for-10, HR

Corey Patterson 3-for-6, HR

On deck

Friday: at Marlins, 7:10. Sun Sports. Rays — Andy Sonnanstine (0-1, 3.92); Marlins — Anibal Sanchez (3-1, 2.90)

Saturday: at Marlins, 4:10. Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (5-3, 3.59); Marlins — Javier Vazquez (2-4. 7-55)

Sunday: at Marlins, 1:10: Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (4-2, 2.26); Marlins — Josh Johnson (3-1, 1.64)



Stat of the day

43 Games by the Rays without making multiple errors, trailing only the 2010 Twins (who went 48) as the only teams in the last 65 years to get that deep into a season.

Mr. Everything

RHP James Shields, right, planned for extra duty in Toronto. First, with the bullpens so far away, he said in the event of any brawls he'd be "the enforcer" until Kyle Farnsworth could join in. With RHP Andy Sonnanstine skipping the trip, Shields volunteered to be first in "in case we run out of position players." With LHP David Price also staying home, he has to be "the extra loud cheerleader" in the dugout. "That's going to be the toughest task," Shields said. "We thought of hooking up a Skype call so Price could be in the dugout and yell, but I don't think we're allowed."

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Red Sox 1, Tigers 0

BOSTON — Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled off the leftfield wall in the eighth, scoring Carl Crawford from first and giving the Red Sox their fifth straight win. Boston's Clay Buchholz and Detroit's Phil Coke each pitched seven shutout innings before a rain delay. Tigers manager Jim Leyland brought in lefty Daniel Schlereth to face lefty Crawford. The move backfired when Crawford walked. Leyland visited Schlereth but left him in, and Saltalamacchia got his go-ahead hit.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

TORONTO — Rays manager Joe Maddon never has been a fan of interleague play, and with the 15th season set to open Friday, he has joined the chorus of those saying its time may be past.

"I think in the beginning it was an idea that fans kind of got into and it was kind of interesting," Maddon said. "I don't know that it's interesting any more."

His biggest issues:

• The impact it has on the schedule — in terms of greater imbalance competitively and travel inconveniences: "I'd rather have a balanced schedule within the American League and have us play in a more balanced way."

• The lack of appeal of most of the matchups. "There's some (Cubs-White Sox, Angels-Dodgers, Yankees-Mets), but to say that we're rivals with the Marlins, that's not true."

Also, Maddon said it creates advantages for the NL teams and dilutes the World Series pairing.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday that he felt the idea "has runs its course" and also cited the lack of rivalries.

SHORT STORY: Maddon spoke Wednesday with slumping Reid Brignac to further explain the plan to give Elliot Johnson more playing time at shortstop.

While there are no set parameters, Maddon told Brignac he would seek the best matchups, suggesting that occasional usage was the reason Brignac did better last season as the backup to Jason Bartlett.

"Reid's a young man, and he's going to be an everyday shortstop, and he's probably going to be that in the very near future," Maddon said. "But for right now, what's best for us is that I think we back off him a little bit, give Elliot a little more playing time and see how that all works out."

Johnson, hitting .260, started at short Wednesday for the third time in the past four games, though Brignac, hitting .179, will be back out there tonight against Jays LHP Ricky Romero.

TRAVEL TALES: The Rays got to their Toronto hotel around 4 Wednesday morning and are hoping, after playing the Jays again tonight, to get to their Fort Lauderdale-area hotel by around 5 Friday morning. … To minimize travel wear and tear, RHP Andy Sonnanstine and LHP David Price, the starters for the first two games against the Marlins, didn't accompany the team to Toronto.

J.P. DUTY: Maddon is already formulating plans on how he will use LHP J.P. Howell, who is set to rejoin the team Friday (taking the place of either Rob Delaney or Adam Russell).

Howell, who completed his rehab from May 2010 shoulder surgery, will join RHPs Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth to form a high-leverage trio that Maddon will deploy based on matchups.

"It's really going to be good to get him back," Maddon said. "It opens up more possibilities among those three guys over the last three innings."

Maddon did caution that Howell will have to be handled a bit with care.

READY TO ROLL: RHP Wade Davis made several adjustments with pitching coach Jim Hickey during his between-starts bullpen session and is looking forward to getting on the mound tonight after a pair of unimpressive outings.

Davis maintains that the inconsistencies in is velocity are an expected byproduct of his usual program of building arm strength into the season, though one he accelerated last season to prove he was worthy of a spot in the rotation.

"It's been like that every year," he said. "I don't know if everything just gets looser and gets stronger as the year goes on, but it's something I'll continue to get better at."

MISCELLANY: Dan Johnson tonight will make his first start at first base since the Rays last faced a lefty starter, on May 6. … Rays starters have gone seven or more innings 21 times, tying Oakland for most in the majors.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cardinals 5, Astros 1

ST. LOUIS — Kyle Lohse threw eight dominant innings to beat the Astros for the second time in less than a month. Jon Jay had two RBIs in a four-run third and started a double play in the seventh with a diving catch in center. Pinch-hitter Pete Kozma, hitting for the injured Lance Berkman, had an RBI double in his first at-bat for the Cardinals, who have won three in a row while limiting foes to only three runs.

Times wires
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

FRISCO, Texas — Reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton homered and had an infield single Wednesday in the first game of his minor-league rehab assignment that could lead him to rejoining the Rangers next week.

Hamilton didn't have a homer in his 11 games this season with the Rangers before breaking a bone in his upper right arm. He hit an opposite-field, two-run shot to left as the DH for Double-A Frisco in the third of an 8-7 win over Midland.

A team physician cleared the slugger to play in rehab games after an exam and a CT scan showed "significant healing" in his bone.

The plan is for Hamilton to play in Frisco again tonight, then go to Triple-A Round Rock for three games this weekend. He could be back in the Rangers' lineup after they open a six-game homestand Monday night.

Hamilton finished 2-for-4 Wednesday, with a groundout and a flyball in his other at-bats. Also, RF Nelson Cruz (strained right quadriceps) went 0-for-4 in his third game at Frisco.

Before the game, Hamilton said he planned to be careful during his rehab assignment. He has been out since April 12 at Detroit when he tried to score with a headfirst slide into home.

"For the next five games, yes, I want to be careful before I get back," he said. "If I get on first, I'm not going to get much of a lead. I'm not going to be diving back, and I'm not doing any stolen bases."

Nationals' Strasburg advances to mound

NEW YORK — Nationals strikeout ace Stephen Strasburg is ready to start throwing off a mound, the next step in his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery.

GM Mike Rizzo said an exam by the team's orthopedic surgeon went well, and Strasburg, 22, will throw "any day now." He had ligament-replacement surgery on his right elbow Sept. 3, and it is expected to take 12-18 months for him to return to the majors.

More Nationals: Rizzo also said OF Bryce Harper, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick who is hitting .366 with nine homers and 31 RBIs at Class A Hagerstown, won't reach the majors in 2011, not even when rosters expand in September. "We feel that his development is not ready to play in the big leagues," Rizzo said.

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday was removed after two innings, complaining of tightness in his left quadriceps after making a running catch against the Astros. OF Lance Berkman was taken out as a precaution with discomfort in his right wrist in the sixth shortly after making a diving catch in right. … INF Nick Punto was put on the disabled list with a right forearm flexor strain. INF Pete Kozma, the franchise's first-round pick in 2007, was recalled from Triple A.

Diamondbacks: The team reinstated INF Willie Bloomquist (hamstring) from the 15-day DL and called up INF Sean Burroughs from Triple-A Reno. Burroughs has not been in the majors since the Rays designated him for assignment in 2006.

Indians: OF Austin Kearns is fighting a drunken-driving charge in Kentucky, claiming the off-duty officer who stopped him was out of his jurisdiction.

Mariners: OF Franklin Gutierrez was activated from the DL and was to start in center after missing the season to date with stomach problems.

Red Sox: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka could miss a month with a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow, marking the third straight season he will be out for a significant time. Manager Terry Francona said it will be two weeks before Matsuzaka, 30, is examined again.

Yankees: 3B Alex Rodriguez might have his right hip examined this week, although he insists he's not feeling pain and doesn't want to miss any playing time. He said batting coach Kevin Long suggested he have the hip checked. Rodriguez had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip before the 2009 season.