Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Phillies 9, Astros 4
PHILADELPHIA — Cliff Lee struck out 11 in seven impressive innings in his first game back with the Phillies, and five players had multiple hits to rough up Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez. Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino left the game with soreness in his left calf. There was no immediate word on the extent of the injury.
Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 2, 2011
SEMINOLE — Brett Phillips launched a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning. He glanced at it for a moment, watching the ball go back and back and....
"It thought it was gone," Phillips said.
It wasn't.
Instead of clearing the centerfield wall, the ball ricocheted off of it. Phillips settled for a triple. That appeared to be Seminole's best chance to break a 1-1 tie against IMG Pendleton Academy in the final of the Steve Georgiadis Tournament.
"I kind of watched the ball for a little bit before I started running," Phillips said. "I got a triple, but I thought I could have ended the game right there."
Three pitches later, Phillips did.
Capitalizing on a passed ball, Phillips came home for the winning run as the Warhawks rallied for a 2-1 victory.
"I was ready to go home and score," Phillips said. "The first almost was a passed ball. Then came the third pitch and I took off. It was a big win for us. We just have to keep it going."
In the second inning, tournament MVP Scott Withrow's solo home run gave Seminole (14-3) a 1-0 lead. Withrow finished the tournament 6-for-9 with three doubles and the homer.
The lead held until the top of the sixth inning when IMG scored once off of Warhawks starter Joey Krehbiel to tie it.
That set up Phillips. The win was the second time in the past two years Seminole has beaten IMG by a run.
"It's always a dogfight whenever we play IMG," Warhawks coach Greg Olsen said. "They're a talented team and we were able to come through in a tight game. I'm proud of these guys for pulling through and coming together the past two days when we play a lot of games because of the weather."
Times staff, wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
.fast facts
75th Masters
When/Where: Thursday- Sunday; Augusta, Ga.
Course: Augusta National Golf Club (Par 72, 7,435 yards)
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson, who won his third green jacket
Purse: $7,500,000 ($1,350,000 winner's share)
On TV
Wednesday — Par 3 tournament, 3 p.m., ESPN Thursday — 4-7:30 p.m., ESPN (Highlight show, 1:35-11:50 p.m., Ch. 10) Friday — 4-7:30 p.m., ESPN (Highlight show, 11:35-11:50 p.m., Ch. 10) Saturday — 3:30-7 p.m., Ch. 10 Sunday — 2-7 p.m., Ch. 10
On the Web: masters.org
By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON
Once, another basketball team, one from North Carolina State, shocked the University of Houston in a game that was something of a miracle.
Once.
Once, Buster Douglass beat Mike Tyson, and the United States hockey team beat the Soviet Union, and Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan, and a horse named Upset - imagine that -- beat Man O' War.
Once.
As for Butler University, well, the Bulldogs have miracled again.
They have reshocked the world. They have rediscovered the path to a magic journey. They have dittoed their way to the national championship. They are the re-amazings. They are the re-incredibles.
What could possibly be more impressive than the way the Butler Bulldogs, the heartbeats of the Horizon League, reached the NCAA championship game? Well, making it again, that's what. Think of it like winning the Lottery twice. Think of it like returning to Shangri-La. Think of it like Cinderella going to (italix) another (end italix) ball.
Butler pulled it off Saturday night, outmuscling a pesky VCU team, 70-62, in the semifinals of the Final Four. It was brutal, it was cold, and it left a lot of people wondering this.
Do you believe in them now?
After a last-second win against Old Dominion, after surviving a crazy finish against Pitt, after beating Wisconsin, after coming from behind to beat Florida, the Bulldogs are in their second straight title game. Even with the brand-name teams from the big-money conferences, that rarely happens. In the last 25 years, it has happened only five other times: Florida (06-07), Kentucky (97-98), Arkansas (94-95), Michigan (92-93) and Duke (91-92).
You probably noticed this, but none of those other guys came from the Horizon League.
They are a motley looking crew, these Bulldogs, and sometimes they don't look as pretty as the teams they are beating. But they are willing to lean and shove and scrape on every trip down the court, and by the end of the night, the other team usually looks more awkward than they do.
You know, like last year.
Maybe this says something about college basketball, which has reached parity by having mid-majors who keep their players through their senior seasons while the big guys play rent-a-player with freshman who fast-break their way to the NBA. Maybe it says something about dreamers and one-and-done tournaments. Mostly, it says something about Butler, a team that is now 11-1 in the tournament the last two seasons.
They are a big-moment basketball team, the Bulldogs. They are comfortable in big moments, and they live for last shots. Because of it, they exceed their abilities, the way special teams do. Often, they leave perfectly good teams teams wondering how defeat happened.
For instance, can you imagine being Florida's Billy Donovan today? Can you imagine him wondering what happened to that 11-point deficit? Can you count how many times he must replay those final shots of regulation and overtime? It is the same with Pitt's Jamie Dixon, and all the other cosaches who were shown out of the tournament by the Butler.
Against VCU, there was no question as to what happened. The Bulldogs were simply too physical to handle. For most of the season, rebounding had been VCU's biggest weakness. Out of 336 teams, the Rams were ranked 298th in rebound margin. But when they were hot, the Rams were able to shoot themselves past their problems on the board.
Not against Butler, which was quick enough to defend the perimeter against the Rams, strong enough to outrebound VCU by 16 and determined enough to pull away down the stretch.
Perhaps, just perhaps, there is a difference to this Butler than from the one that lost to Duke 61-59. Maybe this time, the Bulldogs can find a way to the nets with a scissore. "We just need to be one basket better," is the way Butler coach Brad Stevens puts it.
If nothing else, what these Bulldogs have done is establish that last year's Bulldogs were no fluke. Butler really is this good. After all, fairy tales all start with "once upon a time." The reason is that none of them won their way back the next year.
Butler has.
Just a hunch, but don't be surprised if they leave one more team wondering what happened to victory.
By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON
Once, another basketball team, one from North Carolina State, shocked the University of Houston in a game that was something of a miracle.
Once.
Once, Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson, and the United States hockey team beat the Soviet Union, and Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan, and a horse named Upset — imagine that — beat Man o' War.
Once.
As for Butler University, well, the Bulldogs have miracled again.
They have reshocked the world. They have rediscovered the path to a magic journey. They have dittoed their way to the national championship game. They are the re-amazings. They are the re-incredibles.
What could possibly be more impressive than the way the Butler Bulldogs, the heartbeats of the Horizon League, have reached the NCAA championship game? Well, making it for the second straight year, that's what. Think of it like winning the lottery twice. Think of it like returning to Shangri-La. Think of it like Cinderella going to another ball.
Butler pulled off its return trip Saturday night, outmuscling a pesky VCU team 70-62 in the semifinals of the Final Four. It was brutal, it was cold, and it left a lot of people wondering this:
Do you believe in the Bulldogs now?
After a last-second tournament win against Old Dominion, after surviving a crazy finish against Pitt, after beating Wisconsin, after coming from behind to beat Florida in overtime, the Bulldogs are in the title game for the second straight year.
Even for the brand-name teams from the big-money conferences, that rarely happens. In the past 25 years, it has happened only five other times: Florida (2006-07), Kentucky (1997-98), Arkansas (1994-95), Michigan (1992-93) and Duke (1991-92).
You probably noticed this, but none of those guys came from the Horizon League.
They are a motley-looking crew, these Bulldogs, and sometimes they don't look as pretty as the teams they are beating. But they are willing to lean and shove and scrape on every trip down the court, and by the end of the night, the other team usually looks more awkward than they do.
You know, like last year.
Maybe this says something about college basketball, which has reached parity by having mid-major conferences that keep their players through their senior seasons while the big guys play rent-a-player with freshmen who then fastbreak their way to the NBA. Maybe it says something about dreamers and one-and-done tournaments. Mostly it says something about Butler, which is 11-1 in the tournament the past two seasons.
They are a big-moment basketball team, the Bulldogs. They are comfortable in big moments, and they live for last shots. Because of it, they exceed their abilities, the way special teams do. Often, they leave perfectly good teams wondering how defeat happened.
For instance, can you imagine being Florida's Billy Donovan today? Can you imagine him wondering what happened to that 11-point lead he had in the Southeast Region final? Can you count how many times he must replay those final shots of regulation and overtime? It is the same with Pitt's Jamie Dixon and all the other coaches who were shown out of the tournament by Butler this year.
Against VCU, there was no question as to what happened. The Bulldogs were simply too physical for VCU to handle. For most of the season, rebounding had been VCU's biggest weakness. Out of 336 teams in the nation, the Rams were ranked 298th in rebound margin. But when they were hot, they were able to shoot themselves past their problems.
Not against Butler, which was quick enough to defend the perimeter, strong enough to outrebound VCU by 16 and determined enough to pull away down the stretch.
Perhaps, just perhaps, there is a difference to this Butler team from the one that lost to Duke 61-59 in last year's title game. Maybe this time, the Bulldogs can find a way to the nets with scissors. "We just need to be one basket better," is the way coach Brad Stevens puts it.
If nothing else, what these Bulldogs have done is establish that last year's Bulldogs were no fluke. Butler really is this good. After all, fairy tales all start with "once upon a time." The reason is that none of them won their way back the next year.
Butler has.
Just a hunch, but don't be surprised if it leaves one more team wondering what happened to victory.
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Stacy Lewis' three-shot lead dwindled to one after four holes, and it vanished after the turn. Nearly every time Lewis missed an opportunity, Yani Tseng jumped all over her, to the delight of Tseng's sizable cheering section.
Lewis learned just how tough it will be to get between the world's top-ranked player and a rare repeat victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Tseng roared into the lead with a third-round 66 Saturday, moving two shots ahead of Lewis at 12-under 204 in the LPGA Tour's first major of the year. "I just want to keep smiling all day (today) and have a lot of fun," Tseng said. "I (won) it before, so I just want to do it again."
Tseng showed a defending champion's confidence with her aggressive, powerful play at Mission Hills, shooting the round's low score. She erased the three-shot lead of playing partner Lewis (71) in the first seven holes before going ahead on the 11th.
"I hit it in the rough all day, just struggling to make pars," Lewis said. "I'm just really glad for it to be over."
Morgan Pressel (69) was four shots off the lead in third. Michelle Wie (69) was six back in fourth, staying in the hunt for her first major title. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome shot 2-over 74 and was in a group at 4 under.
Tseng, from Taiwan, had the backing of about 300 boisterous fans from nearby Beaumont, Calif., where she and her mother lived for about three years while she practiced and attempted to qualify for the tour.
PGA: Phil Mickelson shot his lowest round in two years, tying the course record with 9-under 63 to join Scott Verplank atop the Houston Open leaderboard through three rounds on the Tournament Course at Redstone in Humble, Texas. Verplank shot his second straight 65 to catch Mickelson at 13-under 203. Aaron Baddeley (66) and second-round leader Chris Kirk (69) were one stroke back. "I feel like the momentum that you can gain by playing well at the Houston Open can be a real plus heading to Augusta," Mickelson said, referring to the Masters, which begins Thursday.
Champions: Tom Lehman broke the course record with 8-under 64, taking a one stroke lead over Jeff Sluman after the second round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak in Saucier, Miss. He was at 13-under 131. Sluman shot a bogey-free 66 for the second straight day.
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Mets 6, Marlins 4
10 innings
MIAMI — David Wright's third hit brought Jose Reyes home with the go-ahead run in the 10th, Willie Harris added a two-run single and the Mets held on to give Terry Collins his first victory as manager.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The dish
Rays vs. Orioles
When/where: 1:40 today; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Starting pitchers
Rays: RHP Wade Davis (12-10, 4.07 in 2010)
Orioles: LHP Zach Britton (MLB debut)
Tickets: $12-$255 at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team store in Tampa, $3 surcharge within five hours of game
Promotions: AL East championship banner for first 10,000 kids 14 and under
Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)
Watch for …
Wading in: Davis is hoping to build off his strong finish last season, when he went 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA in his final 12 starts. Davis is 3-1 with a 2.29 ERA in five career starts against Baltimore.
Stepping in: Britton, 23, the Orioles' top pitching prospect, got called up to make his debut after LHP Brian Matusz, right, went on the disabled list. Britton, a power pitcher, had a staff-leading 1.35 ERA in the spring and was the organization's minor league pitcher of the year in 2010.
Key matchups
Orioles vs. Davis
Nick Markakis 2-for-16
Brian Roberts 3-for-14
Luke Scott 3-for-14
Rays vs. Britton
None have faced
On deck
Monday: Off
Tuesday: vs. Angels, 6:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (12-8, 4.39); Angels — Jered Weaver (13-12, 3.01)
Wednesday: vs. Angels, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-0, 3.47); Angels — Dan Haren (12-12, 3.91)
Joe Smith, Times staff writer
Award of the day
Utilityman Elliot Johnson won the Al Lopez Award, honoring the top rookie in spring training, which gives him the distinction of being the club's only two-time winner (he also won in 2008). It was presented before Saturday's game. "I'm honored," said Johnson, who hit .341 with a major-league-leading 12 steals. "I feel that I played really well, and I'm appreciative."
Guests of the day
LF Johnny Damon is a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services for severely injured servicemen and women and their families. On Saturday, Damon got to visit with several members of the organization, including Mark Lalli, who were guests on the field during batting practice.
Flashback of the day
LHP Zach Britton, the Orioles' top pitching prospect who makes his debut today, told the Baltimore media the only other time he has been to Tropicana Field was Aug. 6, 1999, the day before Wade Boggs picked up his 3,000th hit. On Saturday, Britton made a trip to the leftfield seats. "I went up to where I was sitting to just kind of remember the moment," Britton told the Baltimore Sun. "It's great to be here."
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON — Maybe this time, that last shot will go in. Maybe this time, Butler won't need it.
The Bulldogs are back in the final — after beating Virginia Commonwealth 70-62 on Saturday — not as lovable underdogs but intent on making up for last year's heartbreak of watching a last-second halfcourt shot carom off the rim in a 61-59 loss to Duke.
"We've just got to be one shot better than last year," said Brad Stevens, coach of the No. 8 seed.
As the Bulldogs walked down the hallway to the locker room, one shouted, "We're not done yet! Unfinished business, baby!"
"Last year, we didn't get it done," said Shelvin Mack, who made 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored a team-high 24. "So that's in the back of my mind."
VCU (28-12) won five games to get to Saturday, including a first-round game. But Butler's defense was too much for the third No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four.
"It was a phenomenal run," coach Shaka Smart said. "It's a historic run. These guys are never going to be forgotten. Make no mistake about it, this one stings."
Bradford Burgess made three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes for VCU but one the rest of the night. Brandon Rozzell, who made six in the second round against Georgetown, was 0-for-3. Overall, VCU made 8 of 22.
"Some of our shots didn't fall; open shots, shots we'd been making," said Joey Rodriguez, who made 1 of 5 3-pointers. "Almost felt like it wasn't supposed to happen or something."
Down 34-28 at halftime, the Rams got a 3-pointer by Jamie Skeen (team-high 27 points) to go up 38-36. Then Butler's Zach Hahn scored all eight of his points in a 90-second span. First came a 3-pointer.
Skeen responded with a three-point play, but Hahn made another 3. Rozzell made a driving layup, but Hahn made a reverse layup that put Butler (28-9) up 44-43 with 12:22 left.
VCU did not make a field goal for 3:31. Meanwhile, Mack made consecutive 3-pointers and a layup to give Butler a 52-45 lead with 9:41 left.
The game was all but over.
"He was a killer," Smart said of Mack. "He stepped up and made some huge, huge shots."
Mack's performance helped make up for a lackluster one by Matt Howard, the Bulldogs' leading scorer who made 3 of 10 shots from the field while scoring 17. (He did draw 10 fouls and made 11 free throws, three more than VCU made as a team.)
Now a year older and wiser, Butler won't be a wide-eyed kid in the title game.
"It's a focused locker room, and we realize there's still a game to play," Howard said.
"And hopefully another game to be won."
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON — When it's win or go home, nobody's better than Connecticut.
Kemba Walker scored 18 on Saturday to lift Connecticut to its 10th consecutive victory since the regular season ended, 56-55 over Kentucky.
The No. 3-seeded Huskies are a victory away from their third, and most improbable, NCAA title.
Walker added seven assists and six rebounds to help UConn (31-9) extend a win streak that started with five wins in five nights at the Big East tournament and now includes five at the NCAA Tournament.
"It's an amazing feeling," Walker said. "It's a little surreal right now."
This one was not pretty.
No. 4 Kentucky (29-9) shot 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field, 33 percent (9-of-27) on 3-pointers and 33 percent (4-of-12) from the free-throw line and went 5:39 without a point late.
"I just think we missed a bunch of open shots," Kentucky senior forward Josh Harrellson said. "We had good looks, and we just weren't knocking anything down. We just couldn't make anything."
UConn wasn't much better. It made 1 of 12 3-pointers and went the final 2:29 without a field goal.
But Walker, Alex Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier made baskets to turn a 48-48 tie into a 54-48 lead.
DeAndre Liggins made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three, and Kentucky had its chances. Brandon Knight barely drew iron on a 3-pointer. After Kentucky got the rebound, Liggins drew a foul but hit only one of two free throws.
Kentucky, which trailed 31-21 at halftime after making 9 of 32 shots, forced one more turnover — Napier dribbling the ball off his foot — and went for the win. But this time, it was Liggins whose 3 was short. Napier made two free throws to make it 56-52, and Knight ended the game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"We had our chance to win the game, and as a coach, that's all you can ask of these young people," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Give us a chance, and we had an opportunity."
The Huskies, a freshman-filled team that lived down to expectations by going 9-9 in the Big East, haven't lost since 70-67 to Notre Dame to close the regular season on March 5.
UConn wasn't nearly as dominating as in its 84-67 victory over Kentucky in November's Maui Invitational final. But a win's a win. In all, the Huskies are 13-0 in tournament games.
Now they have one more.
"We've got a heck of a challenge," coach Jim Calhoun said. "But the fact that we're playing Monday night, that's beautiful."
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 2, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said his left oblique muscle first started to bother him in the batting cage early Saturday afternoon.
Longoria, who had gone 0-for-4 in Friday night's opener, wanted to get some extra work in, but the more swings he took, "the more sore I got." He said he probably shouldn't have even played Saturday night but wanted to test it during the game and be there for his teammates.
But now the Rays will be without Longoria indefinitely with a sore left oblique. Longoria, who pulled himself out of Saturday's 3-1 loss to Baltimore after the fifth inning, said he expects to be gone no more than a week, but manager Joe Maddon didn't rule out a stint on the 15-day disabled list, saying the team will be cautious and re-evaluate Longoria today.
"It just (stinks)," Longoria said. "You prepare for a whole season and the second game something like this happens."
On the first swing of his first at-bat, he knew something was wrong. "You can't really simulate a game speed swing in batting practice," he said. "It was just sore."
Longoria walked in the first inning and raced to his left to help turn a double play in the fourth. He flied out in the bottom half and played defense in the fifth before telling Maddon he needed to come out.
"I was aware of it early and I saw him stretching and moving and turning and thought, 'Well, maybe he might be okay,' " Maddon said. "But finally, when a player tells you that he knows he needs to be taken out of the game, especially him, we're just going to be cautious with it."
Said Longoria: "I just didn't want to come out. I like to be in the game. It's one of those things where it was probably a selfish play on my part not to come out in the third or whatever after my first at-bat. But I just hate leaving my teammates out there on the field."
Longoria has never had an oblique injury but believes it occurred due to the accumulation of the hitting he has been doing. "I like to hit a lot, and so probably fatigued it enough to where it just says, 'I've had enough,' " he said.
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rangers 12, Red Sox 5
ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Kinsler had a second straight leadoff homer and Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam against his former team for the Rangers. The Red Sox got another terrible performance from a starting pitcher as fading veteran John Lackey gave up nine runs in 32/3 innings.
Andy Villamarzo, Times Correspondent
Saturday, April 2, 2011
DUNEDIN — Clearwater Central Catholic senior catcher Seth Paitsel remembers the thrill of the Marauders claiming the Dunedin Invitational in 2008 when he was a freshman.
Three years later he got to feel the thrill one last time, as his unsung Marauders came back from down two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday night and pulled out a 7-6 victory over Countryside in the tournament final at the Englebert Complex.
"I was with the 2008 team who won it when I was a freshman, so it just feels good to win it again as a senior," Paitsel said.
"The beginning of the season we started off really slow but we're now coming together as a team. Were pitching lights out and hitting the ball, so I'm not worried about the rest of the season."
Paitsel did his part for the Marauders, as he blasted a towering three-run shot over the leftfield fence to put CCC ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the third inning.
Countryside's Dominic Monda pitched well throughout, striking out nine batters through 62/3 innings. But CCC got to Monda in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases and scoring two crucial runs off an error for a 7-6 lead. CCC's Jeff Campbell pitched a perfect seventh to seal the win.
"They've been real resilient," Marauders coach Todd Vaughan said. "They've been like that the last three weeks. You can't teach that. You either have it or you don't. We came here to play four good games vs. four good teams and that's what we saw. That's the ultimate goal for me is for us to show we can put four good games together and do that in a tournament."
Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rockies 3, D'backs 1
DENVER — Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa allowed three singles and drove in a run before leaving in the sixth with a blister on his left middle finger for the Rockies. After Kelly Johnson grounded out leading off the sixth, manager Jim Tracy and head athletic trainer Keith Dugger rushed to the mound, took a quick look at De La Rosa and ended his night. De La Rosa is day to day.
Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Mariners 5, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. — Ichiro Suzuki had two infield hits to become the Mariners' career leader, including a bouncer in the ninth that drove in the go-ahead run. Suzuki reached on an infield hit in the third, then did it again with his record hit off Brian Fuentes that drove in Jack Wilson and made it 3-2. Suzuki has 2,248 hits, one better than Edgar Martinez.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — The injury that has sidelined Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, an oblique strain, is common in baseball and can feel like a pain in your side.
But to those who have suffered, and treated, the injury, it's also a big pain in the rear.
"Some of them can be nasty," Rays head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield said. "We hate them."
The recovery process can be slow and frustrating because the oblique muscles, located on the side and front of the abdomen, are involved in many baseball-related activities. Obliques are responsible for flexing and rotating the trunk, helping transfer the power generated by the hips to the arms to produce a swing.
Longoria was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a left oblique strain, with the team expecting the All-Star to be out at least three weeks. Longoria, who pulled himself out of Saturday's game, said an MRI exam revealed a "moderate" strain, and he hopes three weeks is the maximum.
"I felt pretty good going home, so I didn't expect it to be as much swelling in there as it was," Longoria said. "But modern medicine showed different."
Longoria, 25, likely will stay away from baseball activities for a few days as rehab usually starts with plenty of rest and a test of patience. At least three other Rays have had oblique strains, and all said it was difficult to deal with.
"It's really, really tough for anybody," veteran reliever Juan Cruz said. "Everything that you do, even if you cough, it hurts. It's a pain in the you-know-what."
Longoria said his injury came from hitting in the batting cage, an accumulation of swings, which is common. Porterfield said the types of strains he worries about more are the "one-event" injuries, when a player feels significant pain after one swing or pitch. That's what happened to leftfielder Johnny Damon on Sept. 14, 1999, when he swung and heard a snap that "sounded like a gun." The injury snapped his games-played streak at 305, and he returned Oct. 2 as a pinch-runner.
"When it's on your front side, it's something bad," Damon said. "It ended my season. All I could do was pinch-run. But it was months into the offseason until I felt better. … A lot of guys who have it, it is tough. You don't see too many people coming back (quickly). Hopefully, (Longoria) caught it in time."
Ben Zobrist missed about six weeks with a right oblique strain in 2007, but he doesn't feel Longoria's is as serious. "I felt like somebody shot me when I swung the bat," Zobrist said. "I think his is more mild."
Porterfield said oblique strains are treated similarly to other muscle strains, like hamstrings. They apply hot and cold, use anti-inflammatory medication, but "most of all it's time."
"It's not a miracle thing," Porterfield said. "You try to create a good environment to heal the best you can and hope it cuts off some days, but you're not going to cut off some weeks."
After time away from baseball activities, a player will start with rotations in the pool and progress slowly before hitting off a tee then moving into regular hitting.
Said Cruz: "You just wait."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced single-game playoff tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum box office, Ticketmaster locations and online at tampabaylightning.com and ticketmaster.com.
It appears Tampa Bay will face the Penguins in the first round, though dates and times have not been announced.
The team announced it will not raise ticket prices from the regular season with seats as low as $22 for terrace level corners and end zone, and up to $100 for plaza level center. Other taxes and fees also apply.
By Doug Hemmer, Times Correspondent
Sunday, April 3, 2011
First location: At sunup, when the tide is low, we have been working the drop-off on the edge of the flats. For rigs, we use a float-and-jig combination. The trick is to work the float and don't worry about the jig. When you pop the cork hard, trout and ladyfish will move toward the sound. What they find is a jig jumping under the surface. This lets them feel safe to strike it. When the jig is close to the surface, most fish are hesitant to strike.
Most trout are in areas where the bottom is a mixture of grass and sand. The ladies hang over areas that have mostly sand. We want to keep three or four ladies to use as bait for the redfish.
Next location: When the tide starts to cover the oyster bars, we'll move to the flats and look for the flash of redfish. Moving slowly with the trolling motor on low, I look for surface movement, copper color and flashes with a bronze hue. When we locate reds, we drop the power pole and cast free-line chunks of ladyfish on the edge of the school. Done properly, they will smell the cut bait and feed without spooking the rest of the school.
Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 347-1389.
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011
College GameDay: 6 p.m. on ESPN2. The GameDay crew hunkers down in Houston for three hours to set up tonight's NCAA men's basketball title game.
NCAA Pregame: 8 p.m. on truTV. The CBS gang will have its one-hour preview show on truTV with the broadcast switching to CBS (Ch. 10) at 9 p.m.
Sports Connection: 11 p.m. on BHSN (Ch. 47). A feature on Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, who will be shaving his head this week in support of cancer research.
Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Indians 7, White Sox 1
CLEVELAND — Justin Masterson pitched seven solid innings and yelled instructions during the majors' first triple play of the season, helping the Indians to their first win. "I was thinking double play in that situation, but I'll take three outs on one pitch," he said. "I thought for a moment and yelled, 'Two, two, two,' meaning to throw it to second base, too." Orlando Cabrera assisted on the play in the fourth and hit a two-run homer.
