Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Mariners 3, Tigers 2

DETROIT — Carlos Peguero, replacing the slumping Ichiro Suzuki, homered and tripled for the Mariners. The rookie led off the fifth with a triple and scored on Chris Gimenez's one-out single. In the seventh, he hit a towering fly ball down the rightfield line that stayed fair by a few feet. In the ninth, Peguero came up with a man on second and one out, but the Tigers intentionally walked him.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 1

TORONTO — Clay Buchholz ended a career-long streak of four no-decisions as the Red Sox matched a season high with their seventh consecutive victory. AL RBI leader Adrian Gonzalez hit a fifth-inning single that gave him RBIs in seven consecutive games. He drove in another with a ground-rule double in the ninth. The Blue Jays' Jo-Jo Reyes had won two in a row since going record-tying 28 starts without a win.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Brewers 8, Cardinals 0

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun and Corey Hart homered for the Brewers. Chris Narveson, drafted by the Cardinals, was sharp throughout after going 0-1 with a 10.66 ERA in his previous three starts. He had more than one baserunner only in the eighth. Kyle Lohse, meanwhile, has lost five straight to Milwaukee and hasn't won at Miller Park in six years.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Roy Halladay tossed seven masterful innings to become the majors' first nine-game winner and Placido Polanco hit a grand slam as the Phillies beat the Cubs 7-5 on Friday.

Halladay earned his first win against the Cubs, leaving the Phillies and Giants as the only teams he hasn't beaten.

In his first start since criticizing his team and second-guessing closer Carlos Marmol, Carlos Zambrano got rocked. Zambrano apologized a day after Sunday's rant, saying his comments were made out of frustration. The only person he was frustrated with this time was himself.

He angrily snatched the throw back to the mound with his bare hand, walked several feet behind the mound and stared into space after a home run by former Pasco High star Domonic Brown.

After Polanco's slam, Zambrano casually caught the new ball with his glove and calmly waited as manager Mike Quade came out to pull him.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

NEW YORK — Even without a Triple Crown on the line, the 143rd Belmont Stakes may indeed be the "Test of the Champion."

The final leg of the Triple Crown today features not only the rubber match between Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford, but the top seven finishers from the Derby for the first time as well.

"Why did everyone pick this year to come back?" wondered a smiling Graham Motion, who trains Animal Kingdom.

After watching his Derby winner gallop around the 1½-mile main track at Belmont Park on Friday morning, Motion declared his colt in "great form" and up to the challenge of taking on a slew of rivals for the third time in five weeks.

"To have seven horses come back from the Derby, and to have the winner of the Preakness and Derby, what more can you want?" Motion said. "Everyone wants to see a Triple Crown winner, but ultimately this is the test of champions and I think this really is going to be that test."

Animal Kingdom is the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 3-year-olds as he attempts to become the 12th horse to complete a Derby-Belmont double. The last to succeed was Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Derby runnerup Nehro is the second choice at 4-1, with Shackleford next at 9-2 as he tries to become the 19th horse to take the Preakness and Belmont.

Ahmed Zayat, who owns Nehro, can't wait to see what happens. Of course, he's hoping his colt will shed his bridesmaid reputation after second-place finishes in the Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky derbies.

"This race will be something special," he said. "It's another Derby at the test of champions."

The matchup of a Derby winner against a Preakness winner in the 1½-mile Belmont doesn't occur often. This will be the 22nd time it happens and first since 2005, when Preakness winner Afleet Alex defeated Derby winner Giacomo. Preakness winners have won 10 times, Derby winners five times.

Short of a Triple Crown bid, "this is going to be one of the most exciting Belmonts I can remember," Shackleford's trainer Dale Romans said.

Mucho Macho Man joins Animal Kingdom and Shackleford as the only horses to run in all three Triple Crown races this year.

Belmont Stakes

PP Horse jockey trainerOdds

1. Master of Hounds Garrett Gomez Aidan O'Brien 10-1

2. Stay Thirsty Javier Castellano Todd Pletcher 20-1

3. Ruler On Ice Jose Valdivia Kelly Breen 20-1

4. Santiva Shaun Bridgmohan Eddie Kenneally 15-1

5. Brilliant Speed Joel Rosario Tom Albertrani 15-1

6. Nehro Corey Nakatani Steven Asmussen 4-1

7. Monzon Jose Lezcano Ignacio Correas 30-1

8. Prime Cut Edgar Prado Neil Howard 15-1

9. Animal Kingdom John Velazquez Graham Motion 2-1

10. Mucho Macho Man Ramon Dominguez Kathy Ritvo 10-1

11. Isn't He Perfect Rajiv Maragh Doodnauth 30-1

Shivmangal

12. Shackleford Jesus Castanon Dale Romans 9-2

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Yankees 11, Indians 7

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit a 450-foot homer to help lead the Yankees. Managers Joe Girardi and Manny Acta got into a face-to-face screaming match after Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch in the second. Both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 10, 2011

BALTIMORE — For all the talk about the Rays' tired faces and quiet bats, Jeremy Hellickson felt Friday's 7-0 loss to the Orioles came down to "one really bad pitch."

The rookie right-hander and reigning American League pitcher of the month had been one of the league's hottest hurlers, winning six of his past seven starts coming in. Hellickson wasn't as sharp Friday but battled through a 52/3-inning outing that could have looked much different had he not hung a first-pitch curveball to Nick Markakis in the second inning, which turned into a game-changing two-out grand slam.

"It was really the only pitch I was upset with," Hellickson said. "And it was the biggest pitch of the game."

Manager Joe Maddon could see in his players' faces they were dragging a little bit, one day after an overnight, cross-country flight from Anaheim, their "sleep deprivation trip."

The Rays (33-30) fell four games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East and dropped to 4-4 on their 11-game, four-city trek.

They had to sit through a rain delay of 1 hour, 8 minutes on a sweltering 90-degree night and were no-hit by Orioles starter Jake Arrieta through five innings.

But the game's tipping point came in the second with Hellickson nearly getting out of a jam before walking hot-hitting J.J. Hardy to load the bases. Maddon was fine with the walk to Hardy, who led off the first with a homer, and pitching coach Jim Hickey told Hellickson as much on the subsequent visit to the mound.

"He said, 'Make a good pitch here,' " Hellickson said. "Which obviously, I didn't. That was about it."

Maddon said he liked the way Hellickson fought through it, throwing 32/3 scoreless innings, believing it was a "definite learning moment."

"One pitch away from having one run in seven innings pitched," catcher John Jaso said.

It wouldn't have mattered much with Arrieta on the mound as he allowed just two walks through five innings. It wasn't until Sam Fuld led off the sixth with an opposite-field double that the Rays got their first of three hits.

"You pound the strike zone and good things happen," Jaso said. "I think it was kind of his day."

Justin Ruggiano, who was playing for Matt Joyce (post-injection soreness in his left shoulder), followed by reaching on an infield single. But after Reid Brignac popped out, Johnny Damon hit into an inning-ending double play, second baseman Robert Andino making a spectacular play to his right by snagging the grounder off Arrieta's glove to set it up.

"That was the big moment where we had a chance to flip it," Maddon said. "And it went away because they made a good play."

The Orioles added two runs in the eighth off Andy Sonnanstine thanks to a two-out, two-run double by Markakis (who had a career-high six RBIs). Tampa Bay loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth with two walks and Evan Longoria (who returned after missing three starts with strep throat) reaching on an error. But pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez struck out looking to thwart the threat, a fitting end to a frustrating night.

Said Jaso: "It was one of those days."

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

VANCOUVER — With a fortunate bounce and a flawless goalie, the Canucks are heading back to Boston with the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Maxim Lapierre scored on a carom off the back boards with 15:25 to play, Roberto Luongo stopped 31 shots in a stirring shutout after getting pulled from his last game, and the Canucks moved to the brink of their first NHL championship with a 1-0 victory over Boston in Game 5 on Friday night.

Luongo helped Vancouver take a 3-2 series lead, posting his fourth shutout of the playoffs and second of the Stanley Cup final after giving up 12 goals in less than four periods during two blowout losses in Boston.

"There was something about him before the game," said Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who set up the only goal. "He just seemed so comfortable, so confident. He was vocal, and usually he's not a vocal guy. We thought it would be something special."

Game 6 is Monday in Boston, and the Stanley Cup will be there.

The Canucks have just six goals in five Stanley Cup final games against brilliant Boston goalie Tim Thomas, yet they're one victory away from winning it all.

"We've been through this, I don't know how many times," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We're not a team that's done anything the easy way, so in a way, it's not a surprise we're here."

Neither team found an offensive flow in a Game 5 nail-biter, but Luongo kept Vancouver in it until Lapierre and Bieksa teamed up on a goal that set off a crazy celebration among tens of thousands of fans thronging downtown Vancouver.

Luongo was pulled from Game 4, but coach Alain Vigneault stuck with him for Game 5. The Olympic champion was only occasionally spectacular but still narrowly outplayed Thomas, who has received just two goals of support in three games in Vancouver.

"(Luongo) knows that we believe in him," Vancouver forward Alex Burrows said. "He's unreal. We have so much confidence in him, and he doesn't listen to what people outside this locker room say. We know he's the best goalie in the league."

Thomas made 24 saves in Game 5 but lost his shutout streak of 110 minutes, 42 seconds dating to Game 3. With injured forward Nathan Horton's jersey hanging in the visitors' locker room, the Bruins' power play regressed to its previous postseason struggles, going 0-for-4.

After two scoreless periods of stellar goaltending in which Boston went scoreless on four power plays, the Canucks finally connected with a supremely heady play by the veteran Bieksa, who used Thomas' aggressive style against him.

Bieksa deliberately put a long shot wide of the goal, and when Thomas instinctively moved to his glove side to play it, the puck ricocheted off the back boards straight to Lapierre, who put it behind Thomas for just his second goal of the postseason.

"I hope I was trying to miss the net, because I missed it by about 8 feet," Bieksa said. "I didn't have a real good angle to the net, so I just put it up there and got a good bounce."

Lapierre was a late-season acquisition who largely serves as an agitator for the Canucks, not a scorer. He has never managed more than 15 goals in a season, and he had just six this season while playing for Montreal, Anaheim and Vancouver.

"Those are usually the kind of goals that go in when no one is scoring," Thomas said. "A lot of times it's going to be that fluke one off the boards, and Lapierre didn't even get the shot off clean. If he got the shot off clean, I would have been able to read it better and would have had a better chance at it."

In the previous 21 times the final was tied going to Game 5, the winner went on to claim the Cup 15 times. But six of the exceptions have come in the past decade including the Lightning, which did it in 2004 against Calgary. Colorado (2001) and Pittsburgh (2009) also erased 3-2 series deficits after losing Game 5.

First Period—None. Penalties—Torres, Van (tripping), 1:39; H.Sedin, Van (interference), 6:54; Alberts, Van (roughing), 14:13; Lucic, Bos (tripping), 19:27; Burrows, Van (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:27.

Second Period—None. Penalties—Kesler, Van (goaltender interference), 4:18; McQuaid, Bos (holding), 7:22; Bergeron, Bos (holding), 15:56.

Third Period—1, Vancouver, Lapierre 2 (Bieksa, Torres), 4:35. Penalties—Peverley, Bos (tripping), 12:09. Shots on Goal—Boston 12-9-10—31. Vancouver 6-12-7—25. Power-play opportunities—Boston 0 of 4; Vancouver 0 of 3. Goalies—Boston, Thomas 14-9-0 (25 shots-24 saves). Vancouver, Luongo 15-8-0 (31-31). A—18,860 (18,810). T—2:33. Referees—Stephen Walkom, Dan O'Rourke. Linesmen—Pierre Racicot, Steve Miller.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 10, 2011

Rays at Orioles

When/where: 7:05 tonight; Camden Yards, Baltimore

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

Probable starting pitchers

Rays

LHP David Price (6-5, 3.52)

Orioles

RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-8, 3.71)

Watch for ...

Price check: Price is coming off a strong outing in Anaheim, allowing one run, striking out seven and walking none over seven innings. He is 4-1, 2.52 in six starts against Baltimore. His only loss came on this year's opening day, when he allowed four runs over seven innings.

Bounce back: Guthrie has lost his past two starts and gave up six runs over five innings his last time out against Toronto. He is 6-9, 4.17 in 18 outings against Tampa Bay.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Guthrie

Matt Joyce 8-for-20, HR

Casey Kotchman 8-for-20, HR

B.J. Upton 11-for-36, 2 HRs

Orioles vs. Price

Adam Jones 2-for-14

Nick Markakis 6-for-17

Luke Scott 2-for-13

On deck

Sunday: at Orioles, 1:35. Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (4-5, 4.71); Orioles — Brian Matusz (1-0, 2.45)

Monday: at Tigers (makeup game), 7:05. Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (1-0, 4.24); Tigers — Phil Coke (1-6, 4.11)

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Onesie no one-time wonder

Manager Joe Maddon labeled the pajama party-themed dress for the overnight flight from Anaheim to Baltimore a "huge success." And LHP David Price said that won't be the last time he wears his new onesie. "I'll be wearing those, especially in the offseason," Price said. "I'll be wearing those quite a bit."

New role of the day

Bullpen coach Bobby Ramos, below, served as bench coach Friday as Davey Martinez attended the high school graduation of his son, Jagger Lee. "We went out (Thursday) night, had some dinner, talked over strategy for today," manager Joe Maddon said of Ramos. "He had his game face on since about 6 o'clock (Thursday) night."

Quote of the day

"He has a sixth sense."

— 3B Evan Longoria on C John Jaso, who made a dash to steal third during the 10th inning of Wednesday's win over Anaheim

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Braves 11, Astros 4

HOUSTON — Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez homered on consecutive pitches in the third for Atlanta. Houston's Hunter Pence singled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 21 but left soon after with a tight back.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Rangers 9, Twins 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Young, 4-for-39 in June going into the game, had three hits and three RBIs for the Rangers. Texas won for the first time at Target Field, which opened last year. In its first seven games there, Texas was outscored 43-23. Young had a two-run single during a seven-run second, during which the Rangers sent 11 to the plate and the Twins committed two errors.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

A's 7, White Sox 5

CHICAGO — Scott Sizemore's three-run double in the ninth helped end Oakland's 10-game skid. The White Sox were one strike away from a win (with no one on base) before Josh Willing­ham walked. A single, walk and hit batter brought home a run and loaded the bases. Sizemore then hit a shot to the left-center gap.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Rockies 6, Dodgers 5

DENVER — Jhoulys Chacin allowed just three singles for the Rockies. Chacin ran into trouble just once, in the fourth, when the Dodgers put runners on second and third with a single, walk and wild pitch. He struck out Juan Uribe to end the inning. The 13 hits allowed by Chad Billingsley over 42/3 innings were a career high.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Nationals 2, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO — Jason Marquis pitched six solid innings and Michael Morse hit a two-run homer to lift the Nationals. Marquis held the Padres without a hit until Ryan Ludwick's leadoff double in the fifth, and he allowed one run and three hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Morse staked Marquis to a lead with a two-run homer off Mat Latos in the second inning.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Royals 4, Angels 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jeff Francis survived a shaky sixth inning to get his first road win of the season and leftfielder Alex Gordon threw out a runner at home to lead the Royals. Melky Cabrera and Billy Butler each hit solo homers, and Southern California native Mike Moustakas, the second overall pick in 2007, went 1-for-3 in his big-league debut for the Royals. Francis pitched 61/3 innings, allowing two runs and eight hits after being staked to a 4-0 lead.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Outside the Lines: 9 a.m. on ESPN. The show reports even more allegations about former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Mavs at Heat, Game 6: 8 p.m. on Ch. 28. The Mavs can close out the Finals with a victory.

Prime 9: 10 p.m. on MLB Network. A look at the nine greatest pinch-hitters in major-league history.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

The poll

What area do you think the Rays are in most need of an upgrade?

473 votes Catcher Bullpen

Shortstop

71%

16%

6%

Rotation

First base Leftfield

3%

3%

1%

Another poll

Should the Lightning pursue 2004 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards in free agency?

693 votes Yes, but only for the right price.

Yes at all costs.

No

81%

10%

9%

This week's question

Will top draft pick Taylor Guerrieri sign with the Rays or attend South Carolina?

Vote at rays.tampabay.com

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, June 11, 2011

More dirty deeds.

Terrelle Pryor has a new tattoo.

Pryor, the former Ohio State quarterback, may also have a new car. And a new job. Certainly, he has a new reputation. Perhaps you have heard about it.

More good works.

What you probably have not heard about is the story of Ricky McClain, a defensive lineman from State University of New York Maritime College.

He has helped feed the hungry. He has worked with autistic children. Also, McClain has spent time working to help a soldier readapt to sports after losing both legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq.

You may also be aware of the trouble of USC running back Marc Tyler, who admits he spat on one female student but denies charges that he abused another. If you follow college football closely enough, perhaps you knew about that one, too.

What you may not know is the story of Colby Rohde, a tight end from Morningside (Iowa). Rohde has visited Haiti to help with recovery from an earthquake. He has gone to Mexico to help build a house for a grandmother and her two grandchildren. He has gone to Guatemala to lay the floor of a new orphanage.

Yes, it is a messy time in college football. There is too much scandal, too much controversy.

Ohio State has been exposed, and former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart urged reporters to dig up dirt on his coach-in-waiting, and Reggie Bush still hasn't given back his Heisman Trophy. Damien McIntosh of Toledo has been dismissed after being charged with punching his girlfriend repeatedly in the face, USC has had a national championship stripped away, and North Carolina is still waiting to be punished for its academic misconduct.

On the other hand, Matt Greenhalgh of Rhode Island gave the marrow out of his own bones to a stranger.

And thank goodness for it.

Given the unpleasantness of college football these days, you probably need to hear a few of these faith-restoring stories. Yes, there are good guys out there. Yes, there are players who are making things better. Not everyone is getting a handout. A great many players are giving them.

For instance, there is Al Netter, an offensive lineman at Northwestern who traveled to Guatemala to help. One of Netter's jobs was to travel to fields and collect (by hand) cow manure to transport so it could be used as fertilizer.

There is Aron White, a tight end at Georgia who works with children who have Type 1 diabetes. He also helps at a food bank. And with Habitat for Humanity. At Georgia, White is so admired, he gave the commencement speech for his graduating class last fall.

There is Kellen Cox, a wide receiver at Missouri Southern who has traveled to Nicaragua, Mexico and Tanzania to volunteer.

There is Byron Bell, a defensive end from Carson-Newman (Tennessee) who went to South Africa to work in an orphanage.

Now ask yourself: Who is your favorite player in college football?

Those are a few of the 40 nominees (down from more than 130) for the Good Works Team, a 20-year-old program sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association to honor college football players for their community service. Later this summer, two 11-man teams (one for Division I-A, one for the four smaller divisions) are selected from the 40 finalists.

Peyton Manning was on the Good Works team. And his brother Eli. And Tim Tebow. And Christian Ponder. And Trent Dilfer. And Daunte Culpepper. And current Bucs quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt (now a judge). Most of the team members, however, are not familiar names. They're just people helping people.

A bit of disclosure here. For the second straight year, I helped judge the Good Works team, so I'm a little biased when I suggest the good deeds of the nominated players should get a lot more publicity. You cannot read the stories of these athletes and not feel better about college football.

We see so much of how bad people act that we forget how good they can be, too. Ask 1st Lt. Mark Little, who lost his legs in Iraq. He was helped by McClain to learn how to snowboard all over again. Little referred to McClain as a "humanitarian'' and a "jewel.''

You can say the same about others. Texas linebacker Emmanual Achos, for instance, who has helped bring medical supplies to Nigeria, Peru, Egypt and Honduras. Or Boise State receiver Chris Potter, who helped build sports facilities for orphans in the Dominican Republic. Or USC quarterback Matt Barkley. With USC banned from a bowl game, he went to Nigeria to do construction work.

Bowling Green defensive end Ronnie Goble works in a soup kitchen. Kentucky defensive end Jacob Lewellen helps flood victims. Purdue quarterback Rob Henry went to South Africa to work with the children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

Central (Iowa) tight end Cory Nikkel has hauled stones out of fields in the mountains of Peru. Wisconsin-Whitewater punter Kris Rosholt collects shoes to send to Africa. Florida running back Jeff Demps distributed food at Thanksgiving to the underprivileged.

And on and on. Others read to children or visit hospitals or feed the homeless or welcome vets or speak to teenagers.

In a better world, these would be the players the sportscasters highlight on ESPN. (Just spitballing here, but a one-hour special each year would be nice.) It would be nice to hear more about good works than dirty deeds.

Still, this is better than recognition. This is better than touchdowns, better than a bowl trip and better than making an All-America team.

This is making a difference. This is making college football a better place.

Also, the world.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Carl Crawford — remember him? — returns to the Trop this week for the first time as a visitor. Fairly or not, he's sure to be called a lot of different things, especially given his decision to sign with archrival Red Sox and some of the awkwardness in terms of what he said, and didn't say, immediately afterward. But the one label he clearly deserves is that of the best-ever Rays player. There have been better players who wore Rays (or Devil Rays) uniforms, such as Hall-of-Famer Wade Boggs. But no one — longevity, performance, contributions and excitement — who played better as a Ray. Here's one look at a top 5 list:

1. Carl Crawford, LF (2002-10)

A tremendous athlete who learned the nuances of the game on the fly, he battled to overcome the anonymity and embarrassment of playing for the Devil Rays to become the franchise's first true star. Watching him on a nightly basis during his nine seasons was a treat given the excitement he could create, and four All-Star Game selections, three team MVP awards, a Silver Slugger and a much-deserved Gold Glove provide proof of how good he was. So does the $142 million, seven-year deal he got on the open market.

Rays stats: .296 avg., 104 HRs, 592 RBIs, 105 SBs, 409 SBs in 1,235 games. WAR: 26.9

2. Evan Longoria, 3B (2008-present)

Longoria is certainly on his way to challenging Crawford, with the ability to be a true game-changer on both sides of the ball, though he's only in his fourth big-league season (which hasn't been going too well). The biggest difference is timing: He came up as the Rays started to get good, and with national star power no Ray had ever had. Three All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and a rookie of the year award help, too. Longevity will be the key issue — he's signed through 2013, with the Rays holding options through 2016.

Rays stats: .281 avg., 86 HRs, 315 RBIs, 130 2Bs in 465 games. WAR: 19.5

3. James Shields, RHP (2006-present)

Shields has never been an All-Star, hasn't had more than 14 wins in a season and has finished with a winning record only twice. Yet he has been the best starting pitcher the Rays have had in terms of overall contributions, specifically durability and reliability. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of his four full seasons and provided a model for success the young starters have followed. Plus, he has won a few big games.

Rays stats: 61-55, 4.13 in 165 games, 1.263 WHIP (walks+hits per inning). WAR: 13.4.

4. Carlos Peña, 1b (2007-10)

Peña had only four seasons with the Rays, but his contributions were enormous, averaging 36 HRs and 102 RBIs, playing spectacular defense that made the whole infield better and providing tremendous leadership. (A .238 average was his biggest flaw). Peña won a Silver Slugger award and a Gold Glove and made an All-Star team. And he is the only Rays player to finish in the top 10 of the AL MVP voting twice.

Rays stats: .238 avg., 144 HRs, 407 RBIs, 629 Ks, .884 OPS in 566 games. WAR: 11.0

5. Scott Kazmir, LHP (2004-09)

Kazmir was never as successful as he could have been, but he established himself as a front-of-the-rotation starter in a bad situation, going 33-26, 3.52 on 2005-07 teams that were a combined 98 games under .500. He was a two-time All-Star and was the franchise leader in wins, strikeouts and innings until being surpassed by Shields.

Rays stats: 47-37, 3.61 ERA in 125 games, 783 Ks, 332 BBs in 723 IP. WAR: 16.7

ALSO CONSIDERED: LHP David Price, 1B/OF Aubrey Huff, 1B/DH Fred McGriff

Note: WAR is a sabermetric estimate of how many wins a player is worth to his team.

Welcome back?

Carl Crawford figures the media will make a bigger deal out of his first trip back to the Trop this week than he will but says he understands. What he doesn't know is what kind of reception he'll get from fans that cheered him for nine years.

"I'm wondering what kind of reaction I'm going to get," he said Saturday in Toronto. "I'll just go through it and see what happens."

His expectation? "I don't know. In spring training I thought things would be cool and it wasn't (with some boos), so I don't know."

His former teammates are curious, too.

"The things that man did for this organization, the excitement he brought and his accomplishments over the years; he should definitely get a warm welcome,'' CF B.J. Upton said.

"I think the fans in Tampa Bay should be very supportive of him,'' said SS Reid Brignac, one of Crawford's closest friends. "What he did here, he was always a shining star. … I just don't feel like they should boo him or say anything bad. No one here has hard feelings for him going to Boston.''

Got a minute? Adam Russell

Must-see TV? Wipeout (an obstacle-course game show), it makes me laugh every time.

Big-night-out meal? The biggest steak possible. I'm a meat-and-potatoes kinda guy.

Singer/band you'd most like to be on stage with? The Boss, Bruce Spring­steen. No one's cooler than the Boss.

Worst job? First day working at a farm market, I had to move 6 tons of pumpkins … thousands of them. I've never been so tired in my life.

Dream date? Sara Jean Underwood (model, actress, 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year), "I just think she's so gorgeous."

Rays rumblings

Expect RHP Alex Cobb to be sent back to Triple A when he's no longer needed in the rotation rather than moved to the bullpen. … LHP David Price is one of the best and most popular big-leaguers on Twitter yet, somehow, was fined for violating MLB guidelines for doing so within 30 minutes of game time. Wouldn't a warning Tweet have sufficed? … In an interview with 620-AM's Dan Sileo, former Rays managing general partner Vince Naimoli said he wouldn't have done anything different during his tenure but acknowledged "we could've done a little better" in trades. … Angels manager Mike Scioscia, on whether managing against former coach Joe Maddon is like managing against himself: "Just a smarter version." … Top draft pick RHP Taylor Guerrieri hasn't made a good impression, but it may be a matter of getting bad advice from his "advisers" at Greg Genske's Legacy agency, which also reps Carl Crawford. … 2B Cory Spangenberg, taken No. 10 by San Diego, was one of the players the Rays were eyeing in the draft. … Ex-Rays C Toby Hall is hitting .272 for Camden in the independent Atlantic League with no issues from his previously sore shoulder. … Looks like the Angels will end up releasing ex-Rays LHP Scott Kazmir, who is 0-4, 15.15 on a Triple-A "rehab" with 17 hits, 17 walks and 13 Ks in 132/3 IP, and eating his $12 million salary (and $2.5 million buyout).

Times staff, wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

VANCOUVER — Tim Thomas is giving a masterful performance in his net during the Stanley Cup final. He's also doing an excellent job masking the frustration that must be coursing through him.

The Bruins goalie has allowed just six goals by the Canucks in five games, yet Boston is heading home facing elimination in Game 6 on Monday.

Vancouver moved to the brink of its first NHL title with a 1-0 victory Friday — the Canucks' second 1-0 home win in a series dominated by the home teams. Unless they hold off the Canucks at TD Garden, the Bruins won't get one last chance to figure it out.

"The plan was for us to score more than them, which I guess we have, but … " Thomas said, his voice trailing off.

Indeed, the Bruins have outscored Vancouver 14-6 in the series, but 12 of those goals were in two blowout wins in Boston. The West Coast hasn't been nearly as kind to the Bruins in a series that has been dominated by stellar goaltending from Thomas and Roberto Luongo.

"It's very close," Luongo said Saturday. "It's at our fingertips right now. The next two days are going to be very important to stay focused."

The Bruins realize they're in a tight spot, but they've been in multiple jams already in the postseason, which started with two home losses to Montreal. Boston has won Game 7 twice already, beating the Canadiens and the Lightning — but both of those were at home.

"We've been through this, I don't know how many times, so it's not something that's new to us," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We've had to regroup all year. I don't think we're a team that's done anything the easy way, so in certain ways, it's not a surprising that we're here in this situation where we've got to bring our team back home and create a Game 7."

Lightning signs top pick: The Lightning signed Brett Connolly, its 2010 top draft pick, to an entry-level contract. There was no confirmation from the team, and Connolly could not immediately be reached, but Connolly's father, Pat, confirmed the signing.

An official announcement is expected in early July after the paperwork is filed.

Connolly, 19, selected sixth overall, had 46 goals, 73 points and 26 penalty minutes in 59 games last season for Prince George of the junior Western league.

Connolly is in Toronto working with a personal trainer. He is expected to participate next month at the Lightning's prospects camp.

Times staff writer Damian Cristodero contributed to this report.