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Twins 4, Blue Jays 3

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Twins 4, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO — Danny Valencia and former Tampa Catholic standout Denard Span homered for the Twins, and Joe Nathan worked a shaky ninth for his first save since missing 2010 after elbow surgery. "An exciting win and exciting to see Nathan get back out there and make my heart skip a beat again," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.


Reds 12, Brewers 3

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Reds 12, Brewers 3

CINCINNATI — Ryan Hanigan hit two of the Reds' four homers as the NL Central champs capped a sweep. Cincinnati's 19 hits matched its high from last year. "We've got a lot of guys that can hurt you on this team," Hanigan said.

Phillies 7, Astros 3

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Phillies 7, Astros 3

PHILADELPHIA — Roy Oswalt pitched six strong innings against his ex-team and Ryan Howard homered to help the Phillies to a three-game sweep. Oswalt spent 10 years with the Astros before a trade last year. "It was a little bit different after being there so long. You know their strengths and weaknesses," he said.

Cardinals 2, Padres 0

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Cardinals 2, Padres 0

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa batted the pitcher eighth to boost his offense. Quickly shedding awful spring numbers, Jaime Garcia needed little help. The left-hander, 24, looked nothing like the kid saddled with a 6.26 spring ERA, pitching a four-hitter with a career-best nine strikeouts as St. Louis avoided a season-opening sweep. "I knew my arm felt good, physically I felt great and mentally felt like I was where I wanted it to be," Garcia said. "I wasn't concerned at all. I knew I had the stuff."

Tigers 10, Yankees 7

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Tigers 10, Yankees 7

NEW YORK — In a long-ball derby, Tigers manager Jim Leyland picked Brennan Boesch's sacrifice fly as the hit of the game. Boesch's fly was one of four RBIs for the DH, and Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs for Detroit. "I thought that was a great at-bat. Two strikes, hit the ball the other way," Leyland said of the fly to left in the sixth that made it 9-6. The teams combined for seven homers, five to right.

Braves 11, Nationals 2

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Braves 11, Nationals 2

WASHINGTON — Tim Hudson pitched seven solid innings and Brian McCann had four RBIs as the Braves won two of three. Hudson scored in the fifth, diving in while wearing a warmup jacket. "It gave me some padding for landing," he said.

Mets 9, Marlins 2

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Mets 9, Marlins 2

MIAMI — The Mets, who waited more than two months to win a road series last year, needed only a weekend as knuckleballer R.A. Dickey picked up where he left off. The Mets were 47-34 at home last season, 32-49 on the road.

Animal of the day

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Times staff
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Animal of the day

The animal of today is, of course, the dog. When the Butler Bulldogs meet the Connecticut Huskies tonight in the NCAA men's basketball championship, it will be the first time schools with dog mascots will meet for the title.

Idea of the day

Larry Scott, commissioner of the Pac-10, says his conference would consider moving conference football games to Sundays this season if there is an NFL work stoppage. Scott told Rivals.com, "We certainly are monitoring the situation. We have no plans in place at this time, but you want to be prepared and consider all options.'' It makes sense, and don't be surprised if the Pac-10 is the only conference that would consider a move to Sundays.

Disturbing quote of the week

Former ESPN analyst Steve Phillips said on satellite radio last week, "Thank God for steroids. It brought the game back from extinction." As New York Daily News columnist Bob Raissman pointed out, it makes you wonder what Phillips knew or thought about steroids while he was the Mets general manager from 1997-2003, when steroid use seemed to be the most prevalent.


Rangers 5, Red Sox 1

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas — Intentional or not, the Rangers sent a loud message this opening weekend.

They can still hit with the best of them. And, even without Cliff Lee, their pitching is good enough to make the reigning AL champs among the teams to beat this season.

Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz became the first set of teammates to homer in each of the first three games in a season, and Matt Harrison pitched Texas to a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday and a sweep of their season-opening series.

Coming off their first World Series trip, the Rangers thumped this year's AL favorites, hitting 11 homers and outscoring them 26-11.

"It just makes a statement that we're here to try to duplicate last year, that we can do it against anybody," said David Murphy, who had the winning hit on opening day and got the Rangers going Sunday with a solo homer in the second inning. "We did it against a great team."

Boston fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1996. "We got outplayed all the way around," manager Terry Francona said.

Butler's Matt Howard overlooked but never outworked

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, April 3, 2011

HOUSTON

Most of the pretty players are gone now. Jimmer and Jared and JaJuan and the rest.

One by one, the gifted ones have packed their sneakers, and they have said their goodbyes, and they have walked away from the gym. Nolan and Marcus and Kawhi and those guys.

They were the flashy ones, the ones who made the scouts drool. They were the ones who had the NBA scouts all atwitter, the ones who gathered as the All-America teams were announced. Brandon and Derrick and Tristan and the rest of the chosen ones.

Gone. All of them.

Instead, this guy remains.

He is goofy and geeky and gawky, and when he walks, he kind of clanks. They could line up every player from the NCAA Tournament around the court, and you might not glance twice at him. He didn't make first-team All-American, or second or third. A recent ESPN draft rating has him rated No. 50 … among power forwards. Overall, it suggests there are 157 better options in the upcoming NBA draft.

Poor Matt Howard.

All he is is the best by golly player in the NCAA Tournament. Just that.

Two years in the national spotlight, and still, Howard is the stealth weapon of college basketball. No one outside of Butler seems to acknowledge him, and no one seems to appreciate him. Before every game, writers keep asking Howard about the talent on the other team, and after every game, they keep asking him about the key play he made in victory. Funny how that keeps happening, isn't it?

"There is a reason why he's standing in all these tournaments, a reason why he's playing and continues to play," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "He wins everything in practice. He wins everything, you know? It's because of his motor. I mean, he just has a nonstop will to succeed for his team, and that is it. There is nothing else that matters to him. He's terrific."

Here's a question: What, exactly, is talent? Is it only speed and height and strength?

Isn't relentlessness a skill? Isn't competitiveness a gift? Isn't the willingness to do the little things, to hit the big shot, to lead a medium-sized team to a championship game an asset? Let everyone else rave about the shooters and the slashers and the guys who treat a year of college basketball as if it is the NBA's waiting room.

Tonight will be no different. The analysts will open up by talking about UConn's magnificent Kemba Walker. After that, they'll talk a bit about Butler's Shelvin Mack. Howard? He might not get mentioned until the final two minutes of the game.

Stevens tells a story about competing in this year's Diamond Head Classic. Before the tournament, someone handed him an article about the top 10 pro prospects who were playing in the tournament. Howard's name wasn't on it.

Three games later, and Howard was the MVP.

"I can't say it enough," Stevens said. "He's unbelievable. He only wins. His mind and his motor are different."

And yet, when the observers of the sport get together to mention the best players in the game, the ones who make the biggest impacts, it usually takes a long time to get to Howard's name. For crying out loud, Moe Howard got more All-America consideration than Matt.

All of which bothers Howard, well, not at all.

"That's not what drives me," Howard, 6 feet 8 and 230 pounds, said Sunday. "I'm more intrinsically motivated. It's more that you don't let your team down. It's more that you don't want to have any regrets. That's the worst thing in the world.

"That's how you have to play the game. I don't worry about what people say from the outside. I really don't."

On the inside, what teammates say about Howard includes a lot of punch lines. About the way his old, faded socks flop around his ankles. About the way the hair resembles a creature nesting on his head. About the old bicycle he rides around campus. About all the empty Gatorade bottles he keeps. About the fact he hasn't been in a movie theatre since high school, because he figures the movies will be on TV for free someday. About how much he resembles Saturday Night Live comedian Andy Samberg. About what year it happens to be back in Howard's small hometown of Connorsville, Ind.

"He's a little different," said grinning teammate Shawn Vanzant, the Wharton grad who has become one of Howard's best friends.

"I've been trying to figure out why he doesn't get mentioned (with great players) myself. Who wouldn't want Matt Howard, the way he hustles, the way he rebounds?"

More than anyone else, this tournament has belonged to Howard. He was the player who hit the winning field goal against Old Dominion. He was the player who hit the winning free throw against Pitt. Against VCU on Saturday night, it was a four-point game with a minute to go when Howard got a rebound, put the ball back in, made a defensive stop, got a second rebound and hit two free throws. In 14 seconds, the lead went from four to eight.

Yes, there are players who look better getting off the bus than Howard. There are faster players, and bigger players and better shooters. Soon, a lot of them will be richer than Howard, too.

Howard? He wins.

Funny, but at the moment, it seems like enough.

Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen must compete for ice time

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011

CHICAGO — Call it a late-season tryout.

With the Lightning, perhaps, getting D Randy Jones (ankle) back by the end of the week or the playoffs, Tampa Bay will have nine blue-liners on the roster. That means the regular season's final three games will be an audition for playing time.

"Absolutely, it's important to make an impression and play well this time of year," D Matt Smaby said. "At the same time, you're not going to show the coaches anything you haven't showed them so far. So I wouldn't say there is added pressure, but there definitely is pressure to play at a high level."

That is especially true for Smaby and Marc-Andre Ber­geron. Smaby has played only 31 games this season. Bergeron was a healthy scratch in two straight games entering Sunday.

Both played against the Blackhawks as Eric Brewer sat with what coach Guy Boucher described as a "very, very minor" lower-body injury sustained Saturday against the Wild.

Bergeron is in the most interesting and, perhaps, vulnerable position. Signed in January as a power-play specialist, he has one assist in his previous 13 games.

And there is this:

"I will respect the fact that some guys have been battling with us since Day 1," Boucher said, speaking generally. "So if we're going with six (defensemen in the lineup), it's tough. It's not a threat. It's a good problem to have. It means you have depth to play with."

Bottom line, he said, "I'm looking for consistency."

Bergeron is looking for a chance.

"At the same time, they probably already have their plan," he said. "I know what I can do. I've proved that over the years. It's a matter of doing what I do and playing a solid game, and they'll make the decisions they have to make."

BREWER SITS: Brewer could have played, Boucher said, but added, "We don't want to take a chance. We don't want to push it." Brewer is averaging 21:24 of ice time in 20 games since being acquired from the Blues.

TOKARSKI LUCKY: A scary scene Saturday as Dustin Tokarski, one of the Lightning's top goaltending prospects, was cut under his chin along the jaw line in the second period during AHL Norfolk's 5-4 loss to Hershey.

Tokarski needed 27 stitches to close the wound opened by the skate blade of fallen Hershey RW Andrew Gordon.

The good news: Lightning head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan called the wide but not deep gash "superficial," and the Admirals said Tokarski is with the team on its regular season-ending five-game road trip and could play later in the week.

He was "very lucky," Lightning goaltenders coach Frantz Jean said.

Despite also being without G Cedrick Desjardins (shoulder), Norfolk did not have to make a personnel move as Jaroslav Janus already was up from ECHL and Pat Nagle is there on an amateur tryout contract.

ODDS AND ENDS: As expected, W Ryan Malone, back two games after a groin injury, sat out as a precaution. … Jones missed his 13th straight game.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com

Athletics 7, Mariners 1

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Athletics 7, Mariners 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Hideki Matsui got his first hit with the Athletics and topped 2,500 between Japan and the majors as Oakland raised money for earthquake and tsunami victims in his homeland. "I feel relief just getting my first hit as a member of the A's and getting our first win," Matsui said. "I'm not really focused on my hits between Japan and the big leagues."

Royals 12, Angels 9, 13 innings

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Royals 12, Angels 9

13 innings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Treanor hit a three-run, two-out homer to lift the Royals.

Pirates 5, Cubs 4

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

CHICAGO — Matt Garza left with the lead in his Cubs debut despite giving up a career-high 12 hits, all singles.

The former Rays right-hander struck out a career-best 12 and didn't issue a walk, leaving after seven innings with a 4-3 lead.

But the victory eluded him and Chicago after the Pirates rallied for two runs in the ninth against closer Carlos Marmol for a 5-4 win Sunday.

"It just didn't fall our way. That's all it is," Garza said. "They found a hole, they found a way. It happens."

Garza was the Cubs' major offseason acquisition, coming over in a trade after winning 15 games and helping Tampa Bay win the AL East.

"Even though the 12 singles are annoying, I just kept telling myself to get to the next pitch and keep attacking," Garza said.

He wasn't fazed, he said, by his first game at venerable Wrigley Field.

"Nothing different. I've been pitching in the big leagues parts of five years, been pitching in baseball games since I was 8," said Garza, who set a Cubs record for strikeouts in a debut. "The dimensions don't change."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. so close to breaking skid, but Kevin Harvick prevails

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway became a battle among the unexpected.

First Kyle Busch, a master at seemingly every short track but this one, took the lead in the Goody's 500. Then, with a bump to get to the front, came Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had not won in 98 straight races.

But closing quickly was Kevin Harvick, with a Richard Childress Racing team that hadn't won at Martinsville since 1995.

The race went to Harvick for the second consecutive week when he passed NASCAR's most popular driver with four laps left.

"As I was catching him, I'm like, 'Man, I'm going to be the bad guy here,' " Harvick said. "I've got to do what I've got to do. I know the fans want to see him win. I want to see him win. … We all need him to win.

"But I'm not going to back down."

Earnhardt settled for second and still has not won since Michigan in June 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, but he moved up to eighth in points.

"I am frustrated. I got close," he said. "I ain't won in a long time. I was thinking at the end I was meant to win the damn race."

Busch was third.

Hamlin and Johnson combined to win the previous nine races at Martinsville but Sunday they missed the top 10.

Johnson was flagged for speeding on pit road late, finished 11th, and was irritated with NASCAR.

"I wasn't speeding," he insisted. " … There is just no way. It won't do me any good to have a conversation (with NASCAR). It isn't going to matter."

Hamlin, Busch's teammate, was 12th, furious about poor fuel mileage along with slow pit stops by Joe Gibbs Racing.

Harvick struggled early and was a race-low 27th on Lap 234 of 500. But a 25-minute red flag to fix a wall damaged in a violent hit by Martin Truex gave the No. 29 crew a chance to regroup.

"We were terrible, no other way to put it," crew chief Gil Martin said. "The red flag was actually a good thing for us because … we went to the bottom of the pit box, six or seven of us together, and we thought about what we could do."

Truex's throttle stuck open and his car hit Kasey Kahne's car and the wall. Both were uninjured.

Earnhardt pulled ahead of Busch with 20 laps to go with a bump-and-pass move that brought no complaints.

"I was holding him up, so it was good for him," Busch said. " … No harm, no foul."

The fans came to their feet with that move, until Harvick spoiled the party for Junior Nation with four laps left.

"I'll probably think about it a million times what I probably could have done differently," Earnhardt said. "If I know what's best for me, I should probably have a good attitude about what happened and probably go into the next race and use it as momentum and confidence, like any other good driver would do, instead of worrying about, you know, how close we came."

. fast facts

Gearhead stats

Winner's average speed: 74.195 mph

Time of race: 3 hours, 32 minutes, 41 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.727 seconds

Caution flags: 11 for 72 laps

Lead changes: 31 among 12 drivers

Lap leaders: McMurray 1-31; Kahne 32; Newman 33-34; Hamlin 35-54; Johnson 55-77; Ky.Busch 78-107; Hamlin 108; Johnson 109-123; Hamlin 124-133; Bowyer 134-176; Hamlin 177; Johnson 178-204; Hamlin 205; Bowyer 206-250; J.Gordon 251-256; Bowyer 257-259; Hamlin 260-314; Ky.Busch 315-320; J.Gordon 321-324; Newman 325; Allmendinger 326-331; Edwards 332-334; Harvick 335; Ky.Busch 336-352; Hamlin 353; Ky.Busch 354-364; J.Gordon 365-391; Ky.Busch 392-466; Harvick 467; Ky.Busch 468-479; Earnhardt Jr. 480-496; Harvick 497-500

Sprint Cup points

Through 6 of 36 races. The top 10 drivers plus two wild cards (based on wins) after 26 races make the Chase for the Championship.

Driver Pts. Back

Kyle Busch 219—

Carl Edwards 214 5

Jimmie Johnson 207 12

Kurt Busch 205 14

Kevin Harvick 204 15

Ryan Newman 203 16

Juan Montoya 201 18

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 199 20

Matt Kenseth 195 24

Mark Martin 181 38

Note: Points unofficial; NASCAR posts official points today


Tampa Bay Rays lose 5-1 to Baltimore Orioles to complete season-opening sweep

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The 0-3 record makes this officially the worst start in the Rays' 14-season history.

But the anecdotal evidence makes it worse.

They've already lost their biggest star, third baseman and No. 3 hitter Evan Longoria, for at least three weeks — and up to six — with an oblique strain, and they saw another key player, Johnny Damon, miss Sunday's game due to an injury caused by playing on the Trop turf.

Their supposedly potent offense has been abysmally absent, scoring three runs while posting 12 hits and a .132 average through the first 27 innings.

And their pitchers, albeit with a thin margin, have made major mistakes at pivotal points that proved costly, such as the seventh inning of Sunday's 5-1 sweep-clincher to the Orioles.

"It (stinks)," starter Wade Davis said.

"Definitely a tough start," centerfielder B.J. Upton said.

The Rays tried to mitigate the damage in several ways, pointing out that every team has a bad stretch and they are apparently just starting with theirs, and pointing to their 2008 World Series season, when they overcame extended injury absences by Longoria, Carl Crawford and then-All-Star Dioner Navarro.

But there is no debating the lost weekend has taken the edge off, and raised some doubts, about what they considered a season of intriguing possibilities.

"It's the beginning of the season," manager Joe Maddon said. "We lost three games. They played well. We didn't play poorly, they just outplayed us a little bit. Lot of games, lot of time to go, man. One hundred and sixty-two game schedule, a lot of things happen.

"I am not discouraged. I know it's going to be more difficult — I'm not delusional — but we can do this."

They'll have to do it for at least the next three weeks, and perhaps into mid May, without Longoria, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI exam showed a strain of his left oblique. Sean Rodriguez and Felipe Lopez, who was called up before leaving for Triple-A Durham, will take his place in the field; Ben Zobrist may move into the No. 3 spot in the order.

"I don't think there's any reason to be unhopeful at this point," Longoria said. "We're only three games into the season, so we still have a long road ahead. There's no reason for me to hang my head; the guys will pick me up, I'm sure of that."

Upton said the experience of 2008 will help, at least for the handful of players who remain. "We've been here before," he said. "I think we'll handle it well. Some guys will step up and pick up the slack a little bit. I'm definitely expecting myself to. … As a whole, we'll pick it up and we'll find a way."

The first thing they need to do is start hitting, having been shut down and all but shut out by the admittedly impressive Orioles pitchers, with just one run each game (and Sunday's on a squeeze bunt). The Rays haven't held a lead, are 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position and have gotten 23 of 102 batters on base.

"When you only score one run a night it makes it very difficult to win," Maddon said.

The lack of offense has increased the pressure on their relatively young pitching staff, and thus far that hasn't worked out too well, either.

Saturday, it was rookie reliever Jake McGee giving up a three-run homer in the eighth to Brian Roberts to snap a scoreless tie. Sunday, a 1-1 game quickly became 3-1 when Davis, he of the 35 previous career starts and new $35.1 million contract, allowed four hits (and got an out) in his first 14 pitches of the seventh, a two-run double by J.J. Hardy on a misplaced fastball the key blow.

"Just the wrong pitches to the wrong people at the wrong time," Davis said.

For the Rays, that's pretty much how the whole opening weekend went.

Wrong.

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

Djokovic outlasts Nadal for fourth straight title

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

KEY BISCAYNE — The target of Novak Djokovic's most vicious forehand Sunday was a wooden ball box, and the swing produced an angry thud.

He disposed of another uncooperative racket by flinging it to the concrete, drawing jeers from an otherwise supportive crowd.

After that Djokovic fared better, as did his equipment. He staged his second comeback victory over top-ranked Rafael Nadal in as many weeks, this time to win the Sony Ericsson Open, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

Djokovic remains ranked No. 2, but he heads into the clay-court season — Nadal is 9-0 against Djokovic on clay, his favorite surface — with a 26-match winning streak that includes four tournament titles. Djokovic's record of 24-0 in 2011 is the best to begin a year since Ivan Lendl started 25-0 in 1986.

Sunday's win in front of a record crowd of 14,625 ranked with the most impressive. On a sunny, 85-degree afternoon, Djokovic swapped shots with the sport's most physically punishing player for nearly 3½ hours.

Djokovic looked fresher at the finish.

"Such a close match," the Serb said. "To win against the No. 1 player of the world in a tiebreak in the third set, it's just incredible."

He whacked a cross-court winner on the final point then jumped with glee and signaled to encourage the roaring crowd. It's a familiar routine: His also won finals this year at the Australian Open, Dubai and Indian Wells.

"What he's doing is unbelievable," Nadal said. "First thing, he's very good; second thing, he's playing with big confidence. When you're winning, it's easier to keep winning."

Nadal hasn't won a tournament since Tokyo in October, but Djokovic is not ready to claim he deserves the No. 1 spot.

"It's the best four months in my life, but it's only the start of the season," he said. "It's a bit early to talk about getting that top spot in the rankings. Rafa is definitely the best player in the world now. If I want to have the No. 1 ranking, I need to play consistently well throughout the whole year."

Nadal fell to 0-3 in Key Biscayne finals.

Veteran Felipe Lopez thrilled to get call to join Tampa Bay Rays

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By Marc Topkin And Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers
Sunday, April 3, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Felipe Lopez was preparing to drive from Port Charlotte to his Orlando-area home Sunday then fly on to Durham, N.C., tonight to open his first season at Triple A in seven years.

But then Evan Longoria got hurt, and Lopez was instead headed to Tropicana Field, pulling in in time to pull on his new Rays uniform and pinch-hit in the ninth inning Sunday, with the potential for platoon duty replacing Longoria at third base.

"I'm definitely happy to be in the big leagues," Lopez said. "It's pretty awesome. This game is unbelievable. That's why you never give up."

A veteran of 10 big-league seasons, Lopez, 30, signed a minor-league deal with the Rays and, having lost out to Elliot Johnson for the utility infield job, was headed to Durham.

"I was going to be okay either way," he said. "I'm in a good place personally and mentally, so no matter what, wherever I went, it takes hard work and dedication."

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rays designated for assignment RHP Mike Ekstrom.

TURF TALK: Johnny Damon said the right calf tightness that forced him to be scratched from Sunday's lineup could be due to playing the first two games on the Tropicana Field AstroTurf.

"I woke up at 7 … and my right calf felt tight," he said. "I don't know what it was from. Maybe it's from the turf, I don't know."

Damon, 37, said he had no issues Friday or Saturday, when he played leftfield (and one inning at first). He was treated Sunday and though he was still sore, he expected to be ready to play Tuesday against the Angels.

Damon was signed to play leftfield, so he said there isn't much he can do if the soreness is related to the turf. "Right now I'm saying no, I hope it's not an issue ongoing," Damon said. "And it better not be an issue ongoing."

STEPPING IN: When Damon was scratched, Sam Fuld moved from rightfield to left, and he left quite an impression with several great defensive plays.

"He was pretty spectacular," Damon said.

In the first, Fuld raced into foul territory in chase of a Nick Markakis fly ball and tripped over the bullpen mound before making a sliding/falling catch. "I knew it was coming," Fuld said of the mound. "But it still didn't prevent me from face-planting." Fuld also threw out SS J.J. Hardy at home on a one-hopper to end the top of the seventh.

FOR FIRSTS: Johnson collected his first major-league RBI in a unique way, laying down a bunt single with one out in the third to score Matt Joyce from third base. Last season, the Rays had nine RBIs as a result of bunts, tops in the majors.

MINOR MATTERS: As expected, the Rays sent SS Tim Beckham to Double-A Montgomery, as well as RHPs Matt Bush and Chris Archer, LHP Matt Moore and C Nevin Ashley. In Triple-A Durham, there will be top position prospect OF Desmond Jennings, with OF Justin Ruggiano and 1B Casey Kotchman, as well as Robinson Chirinos and Jose Lobaton splitting time at catcher.

MISCELLANY: The Rays hadn't been swept by the Orioles at home since 2005. … CF B.J. Upton went 1-for-4 with a double, making him the only Rays player to collect a hit in all three games. … The Rays are off today, with no workouts scheduled.

Final few could have predicted

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Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

HOUSTON — Butler coach Brad Stevens loves an underdog, whether it's his team back in the Final Four or Connecticut making an unprecedented five-games-in-five-nights run through the Big East tournament.

A Big East team as an underdog? The coach at tiny Butler cheering for big, bad UConn?

Welcome to the bizarro world of college basketball in 2011 — a sport in which the story of a small school from a small conference making a run to a title is no more rare than that of the late-season magic conjured by a power program with one of the nation's best players.

Butler and UConn meet tonight in the national title game — the eighth-seeded Bulldogs trying to finish the deal after coming close last season and the third-seeded Huskies (31-9), led by Kemba Walker, talking about shocking the world with their 11th straight victory after a regular season that foreshadowed none of this.

"We were all rooting for UConn because it was a great story," Stevens said, "a lot of fun to follow."

As is Butler, the small school in Indianapolis that practices at Hinkle Fieldhouse, used as the backdrop for Hoosiers — the based-on-reality melodrama in which Hickory High stares down the biggest schools in Indiana and wins the state title. On its second try.

Last season, Butler (28-9) came one desperation heave from toppling Duke to become the first true mid-major to win the championship. This season, Butler wasn't even the biggest long shot at the Final Four. That was VCU, an 11th seed that fell to the Bulldogs on Saturday.

As recently as 2008, the NCAA Tournament landed all four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. This year, there wasn't a single 1 or 2 for the first time in the 33-year history of seeding.

"It's as close to parity as there can be," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "It certainly can occur in a tournament a lot more than it could playing a Saturday night, then Big Monday. It's just the nature of things."

Led by Walker, a junior guard, UConn won five games in five nights to win the Big East tournament. A remarkable accomplishment in any conference, but especially the Big East — the 16-team behemoth that placed a record 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament this year.

UConn is still standing, a testament to Walker's playmaking ability (he's averaging 25.5 points during this 10-game winning streak) and Calhoun's ability to adjust to the fatigue.

"Our code has been very simple: 'The hell with it, let's just go play basketball,' " Calhoun said.

Butler, meanwhile, needed only two wins in four nights to capture the tournament title in the less-heralded Horizon League. Still, the Bulldogs are on a 14-game winning streak.

One win away from the pinnacle once again, the Bulldogs will try to finish the deal this time.

"We never thought we'd have this opportunity to be here, but we never think about it," guard Shelvin Mack said.

Maybe one of those days, the little guy will win it all.

"I think it's good for college basketball," said Calhoun, trying to become only the fifth coach to win three NCAA titles. "I think if it starts around 2012, 2013, it would be a wonderful thing."

Tampa Bay Rays: On pace to score 162 runs this year; haircut of the day, Wade Davis; haircut of the day, part 2, Evan Longoria; Larry King's first pitch

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Haircut of the day

RHP Wade Davis, left, was a good sport after the loss, having his head shaved by some young pediatric cancer patients for "Cut for the Cure." Davis sat in a chair atop the Rays dugout, in front of a nice crowd of supporters, welcoming the kids to take turns with the clippers. Davis has raised about $8,000 for the event, which benefited the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vinny Lecavalier Foundation. Fans can still donate online until May 6 at pcfcutforacure.org. So how'd the cut look? "It looks like a bald head," Davis said, smiling. "But it was for a good cause."

Haircut of the day, part 2

After proudly sporting his bushy mullet, 3B Evan Longoria shaved his hair just about all off Sunday. That's what having yourself placed on the DL for at least three weeks, your car stolen, your spring house burglarized and your team getting swept opening weekend can do for you. "It's not been going good," he said. "I've always shaved my head before I came to spring (training), and something told me I should do it again, but I spent so long growing my hair, I was reluctant to do it. But after the start that we're off to right now, I just said it's about time that it goes. It's been a rough couple months."

Quote of the day

"We're on pace to score 162 runs this year; it might be a major-league record."

Manager Joe Maddon after the Rays scored three runs in their first three games, all losses

Number of the day

3-for-34 Rays' 2-3-4 hitters in the three-game series against the Orioles, with two RBIs.

First pitch of the day

Legendary CNN TV show host Larry King threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game. King had thrown the first pitch Saturday at the Nationals game in Washington.

The dish

Today: Off

On deck

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)

Thursday: at White Sox, 2:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (0-1, 5.14); White Sox — Edwin Jackson (1-0, 3.00)

Friday: at White Sox, 8:10, FSN. Rays — James Shields (0-1, 2.45); White Sox — John Danks (15-11, 3.72 in 2010)

Saturday: at White Sox, 4:10, FSN. Rays — Wade Davis (0-1, 5.68); White Sox — Phil Humber (2-1, 4.15 in 2010)

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