Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Marlins 3, Nationals 1
MIAMI — Anibal Sanchez allowed only an unearned run in seven innings to remain unbeaten in 19 starts against the Nationals, and the Marlins set the franchise record for victories in a month (20-8). Miami is six games above .500 for the first time since June 4. Greg Dobbs drove in the go-ahead run, a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Braves 5, Cardinals 4
ATLANTA — Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer, Michael Bourn also went deep and the Braves snapped an eight-game losing streak, their longest in more than two years. The Cardinals closed within a run in the seventh on Yadier Molina's third RBI on a single. Molina went 4-for-4, including a solo homer. But Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 14th save in 15 chances.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
NHL general managers at today's meeting in New York could debate a proposal to continue penalties during the playoffs from one game to the next. The idea is to eliminate some of the shenanigans and cheap shots that can occur late in games, especially blowouts.
"It would clean a lot of that stuff up," NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan told Yahoo Sports, "but you'd need to clean up every detail."
The only certain detail is penalties that have not run out by game's end would continue at the start of the next.
"For certain penalties I think it's worthy of discussion," Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said, especially those for "unnecessary violence" such as roughing and slashing.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Devils defenseman Henrik Tallinder, out for four months with a blood clot in his lower left leg, was cleared to play in the Stanley Cup final, which starts tonight. … The Blackhawks agreed to a three-year contract extension with defenseman Johnny Oduya and a one-year extension for forward Jamal Mayers.
Information from Times wires was used in this report.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Rays vs. White Sox
When/where: 1:10 today, Tropicana Field
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH Alex Cobb (2-0, 2.25)
White Sox:
LH Jose Quintana (1-0, 1.54)
On Cobb: He's won his first two starts since getting called up last week, allowing one earned run over five innings at Boston on Friday. He's allowed just three homers in 11 career major-league starts, and faces the White Sox for the first time.
On Quintana: The 23-year-old will make his second big-league start, having beaten the Indians last week by giving up two runs over six innings. He spent six seasons in the minors, going 19-11 with a 2.76 ERA
On deck
Thursday: Off
Friday: vs. Orioles, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays —David Price (6-3, 2.71); Orioles — TBA
Saturday: vs. Orioles, 4:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 2.83); Orioles —TBA
Sunday: vs. Orioles 1:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (1-5, 4.76): Orioles — TBA.
Rays disabled list
(with eligible-to-return date)
1B/OF Brandon Allen, right quad strain, May 25
C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5
RHP Kyle Farnsworth, right elbow strain, 60-day, June 5
OF Sam Fuld, right wrist surgery, 60-day, June 5
OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder strain, 60-day, July 13
OF Desmond Jennings, left knee sprain, 15-day, Sunday
INF Jeff Keppinger, right toe fracture, 15-day, June 3
3B Evan Longoria, left hamstring tear, 15-day, May 16
RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14
Joe Smith, Times staff writer
Matsui Mania I
With DH/OF Hideki Matsui's arrival, NHK in Japan will televise a handful of Tampa Bay's games live this summer, including today's, giving the Rays some new fans. "It's pretty cool," CF B.J. Upton said. "I think we all know it's a pretty small market and our fan base isn't that big. You've started to see it grow a lot since '08. I'm pretty sure you're going to see it grow significantly with him being on our team now."
Matsui Mania II
Manager Joe Maddon quipped that he might try to "dabble" in speaking Japanese, but "I don't think I'm pressed for the Rosetta Stone version yet," he said. "It seems to be a difficult language to learn, and at (age) 58 … God, I've always wanted to learn how to play the trumpet, haven't even done that yet, so now I'm going to learn Japanese?"
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
cycling
2010 yellow jersey goes to schleck
MONDORF-LES-BAINS, Luxembourg — Almost two years later, Andy Schleck has his yellow jersey for winning the 2010 Tour de France. The Luxembourg rider finished second in the race, but Alberto Contador was stripped of the title for failing a doping test.
"It is not the same as to take the jersey on a podium in the tour," Schleck said Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Tour de France organizers. "You don't have the podium girls, everything around is different."
Contador, who also won the Tour in 2007 and '09, tested positive for clenbuterol during a Tour rest day in July 2010.
golf
Price returns to Presidents Cup
The last time Nick Price took part in the Presidents Cup, he snapped a putter over his knee walking off the 18th green after losing a critical singles match in South Africa. He will return 10 years later as captain of an International team that has only one victory in nine tries.
Price, a three-time major champion, was selected to be International captain for the 2013 matches. The PGA Tour asked Fred Couples to return as U.S. captain for the third straight time.
"This has been a moment that I've been waiting for an awful long time," Price said. "It's probably the most excited I've been about anything in the last five or six years. This is a huge honor, and I'm very, very excited about it."
et cetera
Autos: Early television ratings are showing this year's Indianapolis 500 had more viewers than any time since 2008. Based on the numbers provided by Nielsen Media Research and ESPN, Sunday's race attracted nearly 6.9 million viewers and drew a 4.34 rating. The 2011 race, won by the late Dan Wheldon, drew a 4.03. That was also Danica Patrick's final Indy 500 appearance before jumping to NASCAR.
soccer: The U.S. men's national team will play a friendly tonight against Brazil at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected for Brazil's first area visit since defeating Ecuador in a 1998 friendly at RFK Stadium. "They love to dictate their own game; they are used to setting the tone," U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann said of the Brazilians. "They have wonderful players, but for us, the situation is how much we can take to them. How can we go eye-to-eye and cause them some trouble? It's an exciting benchmark we face. It will tell us a lot about where we are in the process."
Media: Radio host Tom Krasniqi and Genesis Communications have parted ways. Krasniqi, who hosted an afternoon show on ESPN 1040-AM, and the company were unable to come to terms on a new employment agreement.
Times wires
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Who won the season series?
The Devils won both meetings in typical Devils fashion: 2-1 in a shootout in New Jersey and 3-0 in Los Angeles, but pay no attention to those results. The games were played way back in October. They were different teams back then. New Jersey was 12-12-1 through Dec. 3, then went 36-16-5 the rest of the way. The Kings were 15-14-4 when coach Darryl Sutter took over and stormed back into the playoff race with a 25-13-11 record.
Also, Johan Hedberg was New Jersey's goalie of record in both games. Unless something goes drastically wrong for the Devils, Hedberg will not play in this series.
How did the teams get here?
The Kings were the eighth seed in the West, yet plowed through the top three seeds — Canucks, Blues and Coyotes — with just two losses. They haven't been threatened at all, taking 3-0 leads in all three series.
On the other hand, the Devils came this close to getting knocked out in the first round. They had to go to overtime to win both Games 6 and 7 to escape the opening round against the Panthers. Since then, they have pretty much cruised, dispatching the Flyers in five games and the top-seeded Rangers in six.
A history lesson
Okay, so Barry Melrose wasn't always a goof. Before he stumbled through 16 games as the alleged coach of the Lightning, he led the Kings to their only Stanley Cup final back in 1993 — the Lightning's inaugural season. Wayne Gretzky was the star of that team that lost to Jacques Demers' Canadiens.
Meantime, the Devils have been a model franchise pretty much since goalie Martin Brodeur started playing full time in 1993-94. They've qualified for the playoffs 16 times in 18 seasons. They've won three Cups (1995, 2000, 2003) in that span and reached the final another time (2001).
But this might surprise you: despite all that history, the Kings have four players who have won a Cup, while the Devils have only three.
Captain Americas
For the first time in Stanley Cup final history, both teams have captains born in the United States. New Jersey's captain is Zach Parise, a native of Minneapolis. Dustin Brown, raised in Ithaca, N.Y., wears the "C" for the Kings.
Brown leads the Kings in playoff scoring with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists), which is third overall. His plus-13 rating is tied for tops in the postseason with teammate Anze Kopitar. Meantime, Parise is tied for the team lead with seven goals and his 14 points are second on the team to Ilya Kovalchuk's 18.
Whoever wins will be the second American captain to lift the Cup. Michigan native Derian Hatcher won the 1999 Cup with the Stars.
The road warriors
The Kings are 8-0 on the road in the playoffs, outscoring their opponents 30-13. Since the league went to the conference-based playoff format in 1993-94, the Kings are the first team to be unbeaten on the road headed into the final. Two more road victories and they'll tie an NHL record.
Who has the better goalie?
Hard as this is wrap your brain around, you might have to take Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick over New Jersey's Martin Brodeur at the moment. Crazy, right? Brodeur is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup champ. He has played in 24 Cup final games, winning 15, with a 1.91 goals-against average. He will become the fifth goalie ever and the first since Jacques Plante in 1970 to appear in a Cup final game after his 40th birthday. But he isn't showing his age: He's 12-5 this postseason with a 2.04 GAA.
Quick, a finalist for this season's Vezina, is 26, just eight years older than one of Brodeur's kids. But he has been the story of these playoffs, leading the postseason in goals-against average (1.54) and save percentage (.946). Quick has allowed as many as three goals only twice in 14 playoff games.
Who might be an under-the-radar star?
Dwight King (fitting name, right?) could be the Kings' secret weapon. The rookie has five postseason goals, including two winners in the Western Conference final. Meantime, keep an eye on New Jersey's Bryce Salvador. He is second among defensemen in scoring with 11 points (three goals, eight assists). His 11 points are the most ever by a player who scored fewer than 10 points in at least 70 regular-season games. He had just nine points (with no goals) in 82 games this regular season.
Who will win the series?
Neither team is a juggernaut on paper. The Devils are the first sixth seed to reach the final since the 2004 Flames. The Kings join the 2006 Oilers as the only No. 8 seeds in the final. But you don't want to play either team right now.
Flip a coin. We'll go with the Kings in six.
Tom Jones can be reached at tjones@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8544 and can be heard from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on WDAE-620.
tom jones' two cents
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Mets 6, Phillies 3
NEW YORK — Jeremy Hefner earned his first victory in the majors and homered for his first big-league hit as the Mets improved to 6-2 against the Phillies. Hefner, 26, is the first pitcher to hit his first homer in his first win since 2002, when Dennis Tankersley did it with the Padres. Newcomer Omar Quintanilla doubled twice and singled for New York.
Bryan Burns, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — Any thoughts Tampa Bay would be intimidated facing Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids on Tuesday night were erased when the Rowdies hit the crossbar twice within the first six minutes.
Had either shot — both of which beat Rapids goalkeeper Steward Ceus — dropped a few inches lower, the third-round match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup might have had a different outcome.
Instead, the Rowdies were forced to wonder what could have been after their 3-1 loss to Colorado in front of 3,086 spectators at Al Lang Field.
The Rapids advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup; the loss eliminates the Rowdies from the competition.
"All in all I think they put a good shift in as a team," Rowdies coach Ricky Hill said. "We're very disappointed to have conceded three and to have been knocked out, of course we are. But I think most of the fans who came here should have been quite happy with the level of performance from the players."
The Rowdies nearly caught the Rapids off guard in the first minute when Mike Ambersley's running, glancing header clanged off the crossbar. Luke Mulholland hit the crossbar in the sixth minute on a free kick from 25 yards.
"I honestly thought it was going in," Mulholland said. "… I was devastated when it hit (the crossbar)."
Colorado made the Rowdies pay for their missed opportunities. The Rapids were awarded a penalty kick when the Rowdies' Draymond Washington slid to deflect a shot headed for the open goal and the side referee ruled the ball hit Washington's hand.
Edu converted the penalty kick in the 17th minute. The goal was the first conceded in the first half by the Rowdies all season.
"For the linesman to give it, I think, is very difficult for me personally because he hasn't got a great angle, he's a long way away," Hill said. "… Apparently the ball hit Draymond and rolled up his leg and then hit his arm. So as far as I'm concerned, there's no intention. I always believed that handball was intention to handle it."
Andre Akpan sent a well-struck, left-footed shot past Tampa Bay goalkeeper Jeff Attinella in the 33rd minute for a 2-0 lead.
Ambersley and Daniel Antoniuk forced diving stops from Ceus (six saves) within the first five minutes of the second half. Colorado's Kamani Hill scored on a feed from Akpan in stoppage time to put Colorado ahead 3-0. The Rowdies' Matt Clare scored moments before the full-time whistle.
"We're very happy with the result," Colorado coach Oscar Pareja said. "I think we played against a very good team. I think Ricky's doing a great job with that team playing the way they play. It was a very difficult opponent."
Note: Team captain Frankie Sanfilippo was named North American Soccer League Defensive Player of the Week. He helped Tampa Bay to its second shutout Friday in a 0-0 tie against Minnesota.
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Red Sox 6, Tigers 3
BOSTON — David Ortiz homered and hit two doubles, and the Red Sox moved above .500 for the first time this season, tagging Justin Verlander for 10 hits. Verlander lost his second straight start since taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Pittsburgh on May 18. The reigning American League MVP and Cy Young winner allowed five runs on 10 hits.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — Rays right-hander James Shields felt he had the White Sox "on the ropes" Tuesday night, beginning his start with five strong innings.
"I felt really dominant," Shields said, "All up until that last inning."
That was the sixth, when Shields said the White Sox made some adjustments, turning the tables with five straight hits in a five-run rally to help hand the Rays a 7-2 loss in front of 13,735 at Tropicana Field.
Shields wasn't exactly hit hard in the sixth, but a leadoff walk, a wild pitch and some well-placed singles helped the White Sox come from behind to grab their 11th win in the last 12 games.
"They're kind of hot right now," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "And that's how the baseball cookie crumbles once in a while."
The Rays (29-21, still tied for first in the AL East after the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays), who have lost three of their last four, appeared off to a promising start, with veteran Hideki Matsui ripping a two-run homer in the second at-bat of his debut, giving the Rays a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
"You think right there you might roll from that particular moment on," Maddon said. "New guy in town comes in, hits homer, top starting pitcher going. But it just didn't work out."
Maddon said Shields had his "typical good stuff," evidenced by his eight strikeouts, but a leadoff walk to Adam Dunn in the sixth helped switch the momentum.
"If I don't walk him right there, I think it's a whole different ballgame," Shields said.
Shields struck out Paul Konerko before giving up a single to Alex Rios. Shields got ahead 0-and-2 on A.J. Pierzynski, who sliced the next pitch to right-center for an RBI single.
"That was probably the biggest hit of the night," Maddon said.
Shields said he made some good pitches, like the low-and-away changeup to Pierzynski, but "it didn't go my way." After a wild pitch, the Rays brought their infield in, and White Sox leftfielder Dayan Viciedo slapped a single in the hole between short and third to score another run. Maddon said the White Sox were moving the ball deep into counts on Shields, which is atypical.
"It seems like a lot of their hits were balls just getting through," Shields said. "Obviously, I've got to bear down in that inning."
The five earned runs allowed by Shields (6-3) were the most he's given up since opening day against the Yankees (six).
"They made some adjustments, they're good hitters over there, you've got to give them credit," Shields said. "But I'm not going to change my approach."
Maddon gave credit to White Sox right-hander Philip Humber, who picked up his first win since his April 21 perfect game against the Mariners, holding the Rays to five hits through seven innings. Humber had been 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA in his previous six starts.
"I know his numbers had been bad this year, but he's pitched well against us in the past and he did again today," Maddon said. "We just weren't at the top of our game."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
TORONTO — For the first time this season, the Orioles have dropped three straight series. Outfielder Adam Jones doesn't want this latest defeat to end in a sweep.
Brett Lawrie had three hits and three RBIs, Ricky Romero won for the seventh time in nine starts against Baltimore and the Blue Jays beat the slumping Orioles 8-6 Tuesday night.
Jones hit two homers, extending his hitting streak to 20 games, and Chris Davis added a two-run drive in the ninth but Baltimore has lost four straight and seven of nine, remaining tied with the Rays atop the AL East.
"We need this salvage win," Jones said of today's series finale, which pits Baltimore's Jason Hammel against Toronto's Brandon Morrow. "We need a win big."
Jones hit a leadoff home run to right in the second and a two-run shot to left in the ninth, his 15th and 16th homers. It was his first multihomer game this season.
Catcher Matt Wieters, who picked up his first career ejection, acknowledged that Baltimore has hit a rough patch.
"It's definitely been a frustrating couple of games," said Wieters, who was tossed for arguing with home plate umpire Doug Eddings.
Toronto's bottom three hitters —, Lawrie, David Cooper and Rajai Davis — went a combined 8-for-12 with six RBIs and scored four runs.
Lawrie made a sliding catch in foul territory for the second out of the ninth inning, helping the Blue Jays out of a late jam.
Romero (6-1) improved to 7-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his past nine starts against the Orioles. The left-hander allowed four runs and six hits in six innings to win for the second time in five starts.
After walking a career-high seven in his last outing, a May 23 game at Tampa Bay, Romero walked just one against Baltimore, while striking out seven.
"I don't care what I've heard about his last start or his previous 40 starts," Jones said. "The guy is nasty every time he takes the mound."
Times wires
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Tony Parker had 34 points, Manu Ginobili added 20 and the Spurs stayed perfect in the playoffs with a 120-111 win Tuesday night over the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference final.
The Spurs set an NBA record with their 20th consecutive victory bridging the regular season and the playoffs. They had shared the longest such streak with the 2000-01 Lakers, who won 19 straight before losing to Philadelphia in the first game of the NBA Finals.
After three quarters the Spurs shot 60 percent from the field and led by 22.
Oklahoma City started the fourth quarter on a 20-11 run to cut its deficit to 103-96 but Ginobli hit two free throws and Parker sank a 14-foot jumper as the Spurs hung on at home, halfway to an NBA Finals spot.
Kevin Durant scored 31 and Russell Westbrook 27 for the Thunder.
OKLAHOMA CITY (111): Durant 10-17 8-8 31, Ibaka 3-11 2-4 8, Perkins 1-5 1-2 3, Westbrook 10-24 4-5 27, Sefolosha 1-4 0-0 2, Harden 10-13 10-13 30, Collison 0-2 0-0 0, Fisher 2-11 4-4 10, Mohammed 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-88 29-36 111.
SAN ANTONIO (120): Leonard 7-12 1-1 18, Duncan 2-11 7-10 11, Diaw 4-5 0-0 9, Parker 16-21 1-2 34, Green 4-10 0-0 10, Ginobili 6-11 7-8 20, Bonner 1-2 1-2 4, Splitter 1-1 6-12 8, Neal 1-1 0-0 3, S.Jackson 1-4 0-0 3, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 43-78 23-35 120.
Oklahoma City 22 22 32 35— 111
San Antonio 28 27 37 28— 120
3-Point Goals—Oklahoma City 8-17 (Durant 3-4, Westbrook 3-7, Fisher 2-5, Harden 0-1), San Antonio 11-26 (Leonard 3-6, Green 2-7, Diaw 1-1, Neal 1-1, Parker 1-2, S.Jackson 1-2, Bonner 1-2, Ginobili 1-5). Fouled Out—Harden. Rebounds—Oklahoma City 48 (Ibaka 10), San Antonio 57 (Duncan 12). Assists—Oklahoma City 19 (Westbrook 8), San Antonio 27 (Parker 8). Total Fouls—Oklahoma City 28, San Antonio 26. Technicals—Oklahoma City Coach Brooks, Ibaka, S.Jackson. A—18,581 (18,797).
EAST FINAL: Now comes the inevitable pushback from the team that is behind. It is practically a playoff formality.
So a day after Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said, "they've got to hit the deck, too," Heat players treated the comment as routine postseason fodder.
"I mean, I don't really prepare for something I already think that's going to happen every game, so I don't have to prepare for it," Miami forward LeBron James said.
Rondo's comment came after the Celtics fell 93-79 in Monday night's Game 1 of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference final, with Game 2 at 8:30 tonight at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Rondo somewhat backtracked, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra declined to be drawn into the conversation.
"That's all part of the playoffs," he said of the rhetoric. "Nope, we're not even going to get into it."
MAGIC WAIVES WAFER: The Magic made its first roster move of the offseason, waiving guard Von Wafer. The former Florida State standout appeared in 33 games this season, averaging 5.9 points in 14.2 minutes.
CLIPPERS: Vinny Del Negro will be back as coach after guiding the team to its best winning percentage ever (40-26, .606) and the second round of the playoffs.
Times wires
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Twins 3, Athletics 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Josh Willingham hit a three-run homer in the ninth to lift the Twins. Justin Morneau added two doubles for Minnesota, which had been shut down by A's right-hander Jarrod Parker. Jamey Carroll led off the ninth with a single against Brian Fuentes, who then walked Denard Span. With two out, Willingham hit a 1-and-0 pitch into the bullpen.
Times wires
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Reds 8, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH — Todd Frazier drove in two runs hours after saving a man in a Pittsburgh restaurant from choking on a piece of steak by giving him the Heimlich maneuver, and the Reds cruised. Homer Bailey pitched his second career complete game, and Frazier doubled and tripled in his first two at-bats. The Reds have scored at least six runs in five of their past 11 games.
Times wires
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Mariners 10, Rangers 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Former Rays catcher John Jaso drove in three runs, Jason Vargas pitched into the seventh and the Mariners snapped a five-game skid. Seattle scored twice with two outs in the fifth for a 4-1 lead after third baseman Adrian Beltre's throwing error, and went on to match its highest run total this year.
Times wires
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Angels 5, Yankees 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo homered, Dan Haren pitched into the eighth, and the Angels extended their longest winning streak in nearly three years to eight. Mike Trout hit a run-scoring triple for the Angels, who have won 11 of 15 and are over .500 for the first time since opening day. Haren had a strong start after the bullpen pitched nine innings in relief of injured Jered Weaver in Monday's 9-8 victory.
Times wires
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Brewers 2, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES — Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer, getting back at Dodgers fans who booed his every move for beating out Matt Kemp for NL MVP last season. Mike Fiers allowed a run and five hits in seven innings, walking none in his first major-league start and third appearance after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville. The Dodgers' Andre Ethier doubled home Ivan De Jesus in the sixth for his NL-leading 43rd RBI.
By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Eric Stokes has been an NFL player, scout and front office executive, all with the Seattle Seahawks.
Now he is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' director of college scouting, the team announced Wednesday.
Stokes essentially replaces Dennis Hickey, who was promoted last year to director of player personnel overseeing both pro and college scouting departments.
Stokes worked as the Seahawks' assistant director of college scouting (2010-11) and is credited with helping to add defensive standouts such as safety Earl Thomas (first-round, 2010), safety Kam Chancellor (fifth-round, 2010), linebacker K.J. Wright (fourth-round, 2011) and cornerback Richard Sherman (fifth-round, 2011). Stokes also worked as an area scout and assistant in the Seahawks pro personnel department.
Stokes was selected in the fifth round (121st overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 expansion draft before an injury cut his career short.
By Capt. Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tarpon time. The big draw this month will have to be tarpon. They are showing up in good numbers and can be caught anywhere from the beaches and passes to the port of Tampa and all the way up into Safety Harbor. The bait of choice will be crabs or big threadfins. If fishing them off the beach, just look for a pod of cruising fish and set up way in front of them. You will have the most success this way. Chasing the fish almost never works.
Changing snook. Snook are moving into their spawning mode. Look for schooling fish on the beach and on deep shorelines with good tidal flow. They will be eating almost everything in sight. If you are looking for a trophy fish, then try putting big dead bait like a ladyfish or mullet on the bottom. Make sure to take care of these big fish and release them right away since they are in the middle of their spawn.
Trout throughout. Big trout continue to be caught throughout Tampa Bay. They are mixed in with the redfish in the big mullet schools. The best tactic for catching these gator trout has been fishing with a scaled sardine. Cast them in the mullet schools and over grass flats. You will want to use as slow of a retrieve as possible, just enough to keep the bait out of the grass.
If looking for constant action, then move out into the middle of the bay. Start around the shipping channel and markers. Spanish mackerel and sharks can be caught on almost every cast once you get them chummed up. Make sure to use heavier leader with a long shank hook.
Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — This is how bad it was for the Rays offense Wednesday afternoon: Through eight innings, the White Sox had nearly as many hit batsmen (two) as the Tampa Bay did hits (three).
Though there were early fireworks — a fourth-inning ejection and warnings issued to both benches — and late life in the ninth inning, the Rays left quietly with a 4-3 loss in front of 13,369 at Tropicana Field as Chicago completed a three-game sweep.
It marked the first time Tampa Bay (29-22) has been swept in a three-game series since July 25-27, and the first time at home since the opening series in 2011.
"It hurts, there's no doubt about it," first baseman Carlos Peña said.
Though the injury-plagued Rays head into June battling the Orioles atop the AL East, manager Joe Maddon acknowledged the Rays are "not playing a real high level of baseball right now."
"Regardless if we're missing people or not, we expect more out of ourselves than that," Maddon said. "It's not about people that are missing, the people that are here, we have to figure out different ways to be more creative, more resourceful and get these runs."
The issue isn't just the offense, which scored six runs combined in the three losses to the red-hot White Sox (29-22), who have won 12 of their last 13. It was defense that cost the Rays a run, and starter Alex Cobb pitches, early on.
Utility infielder Drew Sutton, filling in for injured Evan Longoria at third, said he should have made a diving play on Paul Konerko's two-out single through the hole in the first inning. The next hitter, Alex Rios, ripped a hard grounder through Sutton for an RBI single. In the eighth, Gordon Beckham's pop-up bunt went under Peña's glove.
"There are plays we normally do make, either one guy or the other," Maddon said. "We're making a lot of mistakes defensively."
Cobb felt good in his abbreviated start but allowed four runs over five innings as well as two hit batsmen. He plunked Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski in the shoulder with a pitch in the third, though he said it wasn't on purpose. One inning later, White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana was ejected by plate umpire Mark Wegner for throwing behind Ben Zobrist, who apparently had an issue with Pierzynski over a slide into second base Tuesday night.
Said Maddon: "I thought (Wegner) did a great job and that really stopped it in its tracks."
The Rays, who had just a Luke Scott solo homer against Quintana, didn't fare much better against the White Sox bullpen, which allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Rays reliever Joel Peralta gave Tampa Bay a chance, getting out of a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth, retiring Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko and Rios in order.
Tampa Bay, which had zero runners left in scoring position until the ninth, mounted a rally. Peña, who had hit a two-run homer in the sixth, led off with a walk and Matt Joyce hit a one-out single. But Zobrist and Scott popped out to end it, Scott slamming his bat on the ground in frustration.
"Losing three in a row at home, obviously it's a big blow to us," Peña said. "The key is, how do we rebound from that. Guys are not just folding their tents."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.
