Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Rangers 11, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO — Matt Harrison pitched eight strong innings, and Michael Young hit a three-run homer and a two-run double to lead Texas. "We really fed off of (Harrison)," Young said. "Usually when you have a good offensive performance you feed off the starting pitcher." Harrison (14-7) matched his career high for wins, set last season.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Royals 5, White Sox 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie took a no-hitter into the seventh before settling for a no-decision, and Kansas City completed a three-game series sweep. With two out in the seventh, shortstop Alcides Escobar fielded Paul Konerko's grounder on the outfield grass and his one-hop throw was dropped by first baseman Eric Hosmer. "That's an error," Royals rightfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "No disrespect to Pauly, but he's not the fastest guy in America."
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Reds 5, Cubs 4
CINCINNATI — Xavier Paul led off the ninth inning with a pinch-hit triple and Ryan Hanigan followed with a single as Cincinnati overcame three errors. Paul lined Shawn Camp's first pitch over first base into the rightfield corner. "I knew the ball was down the line and I had a chance for three," Paul said. Hanigan hit the next pitch to left-center over a drawn-in outfield.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As little as they did for so long, the offensive numbers the Rays suddenly have been putting up are staggering.
Sunday's 8-3 sweep-completing win over the Angels made it 37 runs for the four-game series (with 27 coming against L.A.'s pedigreed starters), 66 on the 10-game trip despite a perfect game and 80 for the 13 games since Evan Longoria came off the disabled list on Aug. 7.
Whichever way you divide it, the results say something.
The Rays say it's what they should have been doing all along.
"We've been waiting for it all year," centerfielder B.J. Upton said. "When you wrote it up in spring training, this is what we expected. We just haven't had everybody together at one time. I think now we're starting to see that. And we're starting to see it at the right time."
The four-game sweep of the Angels was certainly validation, as the Rays scored in bunches, batting around each game, and finished with seven or more four straight days.
"It's confidence," manager Joe Maddon said. "We're much more confident as a group up and down. Guys that hadn't been swinging well are swinging much better."
Add in a solid six-plus inning start from rookie Matt Moore, who picked up his 10th win, and the Rays wrapped up their trip to Minnesota, Seattle and Anaheim at 8-2, and, in their best stretch of the season, have won 11 of 13 and 16 of 20.
At 67-54 they are leading the wild-card field and are within five games of the division-leading Yankees, and feeling pretty darn good about it.
"There's a quiet confidence," Longoria said. "We really believe going out there from the first pitch that we're going to win the game. It's good to finally feel that."
Coming off Saturday's dramatic 10-8 win, when they overcame a team-record-tying eight-run deficit, the Rays on Sunday struck somewhat quietly for four runs in the second off Zack Greinke.
They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, then scored four, on a hit batter, a walk and a two-run single by Matt Joyce. They got two more in the fifth on a home run by Ryan Roberts, then another two in the ninth on a double by Carlos Peña. Just like that, eight total.
"I really believe that's what we're capable of doing on a regular basis," Peña said. "I know we haven't been able to get to that level the entire year, but that's what we're capable of doing. It's no surprise to me that we were able to score those runs."
One difference has been the return of Longoria. Not as much for what he has done — .244 with two homers and nine RBIs in 12 games — but for the impact on the rest of the lineup, tangibly making it longer and stronger, with other players in less pressurized spots, and more stable.
Intangibly, too.
"Confidence-wise, having Longo in the middle bolsters a lot among the rest of the group," Maddon said. "He's been the spark to ignite what's re-occurred here."
Another is the long-awaited "evening out" for a number of players, Upton, Desmond Jennings, Jose Molina among them, who had extended down stretches.
"We talked about that it was a matter of time," Maddon said. "A lot of our guys kind of underperformed a little bit to this point in the season, but they never caved in, they never quit, they never stopped believing."
The next test is to keep swinging well at home, where they have been somewhat impotent under the tilted roof, averaging 3.76 runs a game and hitting .224 (compared to 4.71, .247 on the road).
"I really believe we can maintain this. This is not a fluke. It's not an anomaly road trip," Maddon said. "If we're able to maintain this level of efficiency at home, I think we've got it nailed."
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Athletics 7, Indians 0
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jarrod Parker pitched eight sharp innings and Coco Crisp homered and drove in five runs as Oakland completed a three-game sweep. Brandon Moss also homered and Cliff Pennington scored three times for the Athletics, who won their fourth in a row and moved 10 games over .500, matching their season best. Parker, possibly pitching to keep his rotation spot after three straight losses, retired 16 of his final 18 batters. Cleveland has lost five straight on a nine-game trip.
By Seth Leto, Times Correspondent
Sunday, August 19, 2012
What's hot: Most fish become lethargic in water temperatures around 90 degrees. One species that seems unaffected by the heat is black drum. Big schools of monster black drum can be found around structure that has good moving water. Good places include bridge pilings, docks, seawalls, and jetties. The 20- to 70-pound fish will most likely be caught around larger structure in deeper water.
Bait and tackle: The best bait for the big ones is blue crab but black drum will eat crustaceans, muscles, barnacles, and other smaller baitfish. Around structure, stout tackle is necessary. Big spinning or conventional outfits lined with 50-pound braid should get the job done. Finish the setup with a piece of 80- to 100-pound leader, some weight, and a strong circle hook. Sometimes big schools can be found on the beaches or grass flats, which will enable an angler to use smaller tackle or even a fly rod.
Tactics: Anchor up to the structure so bait can be cast to the back side where the eddy is formed. This will keep bait close to the structure where black drum feed. Don't set the hook on every tap. Wait for the taps to subside, and a strong steady pull to ensue. Reel down on the fish and hold on.
Seth Leto charters out of Tarpon Springs and can be reached at capt.seth@yahoo.com and (727) 385-0382.
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Best profile
Solid piece by ESPN's John Barr on Saints coach Sean Payton for ESPN's Outside the Lines on Sunday. It showed how much Payton is loved by the folks of New Orleans.
But Barr did a good job of showing Payton can be vindictive, paranoid and downright mean when it comes to the media. Barr also showed how Payton, the Saints and the team's fans have an us-against-the-world, bunker mentality.
In the end, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that the Saints did something so disgusting as putting out a bounty to injure opposing players, got caught doing it and now, somehow, they are the victims.
tom jones' two cents
Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.
Best coverage
High marks to the Sun Sports crew for Wednesday's coverage of Felix Hernandez's perfect game against the Rays. What made the coverage so good was those in charge of the broadcast realized how special it was even if the Rays were on the wrong end.
Okay, so it doesn't seem so special because this was the third perfect game and fourth no-hitter against the Rays in four years. But Hernandez's perfect game was just the 23rd in history. There was a nice montage of all the outs just before the ninth inning and an excellent postgame show.
Sun Sports treated the perfect game with the respect it deserved.
Three things that popped into my head
1. The Red Sox-Yankees were Fox's game of the week on Saturday and ESPN's game of the week on Sunday. Normally, that's great. But it goes to show that automatically picking that matchup can backfire when one team — in this case the Bosox — is out of the playoff race.
2. Not only is Bobby Valentine not going to return next season as manager of the Red Sox, his stint in Boston has been so awful that you have to wonder if he'll ever get another managing offer again.
3. Can U.S. soccer star Hope Solo go a week without ripping into someone? That's not a criticism. I think she sounds a little whiny sometimes and a little self-important, too. But at least she has opinions and isn't afraid to express them.
Strangest reference
The NFL is using replacement officials because of a contract dispute with the regular ones. If you watched Channel 10's broadcast of the Bucs-Titans game over the weekend, did you notice announcer Chris Myers refer to them as "first-year officials?'' Maybe Myers didn't mean it to, but that phrase sounded like something the NFL directed announcers to say.
Best lines
The Nationals plan to shut down Stephen Strasburg soon even though he is one of the best pitchers in baseball and they appear to be on their way to the postseason. Strasburg had Tommy John surgery in August 2010, and the Nats are trying to ensure he remains healthy for years to come by limiting his innings.
You can see both sides of it. The Nats are trying to protect a highly valuable investment. Then again, how often do teams get a chance to win it all? What, exactly, are they saving Strasburg for?
New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, appearing on Sunday's Sports Reporters on ESPN, summed it up well: "This is one of the most well-intentioned, well-thought out, boneheaded decisions I've ever heard about.''
Oh, speaking of Lupica, he also had kind things to say about the Rays on Sports Reporters. He praised executive vice president Andrew Friedman, called Joe Maddon the best manager in baseball and even said the Yankees better not celebrate the American League East crown just yet.
"Don't you watch (the Rays) sometimes,'' Lupica said, "and want to go buy a Tampa Bay hat?''
Best analyst
Former Bucs great John Lynch keeps getting better and better as a broadcaster. And it's easy to see why: He does his homework.
Lynch, who has a regular gig for Fox and is calling Bucs preseason games on Channel 10, could rely just on his name and throw out a bunch of cliches. But during his two games so far, Lynch has spoken in detail about Bucs players, schemes and trends, showing he is studying tape, doing plenty of reading and talking to players, coaches and media.
By the way, last week on 620-AM, Lynch revealed he will be in town for the 10th anniversary reunion and celebration of the Bucs' Super Bowl team. The Bucs will honor that team on Dec. 9, when they play the Eagles. Lynch worked it out with Fox to call that game for the network.
Best debut
Softball great Michele Smith was in the booth Sunday for TBS's coverage of the Dodgers and Braves. Smith served as an analyst with John Smoltz and play-by-play announcer Ernie Johnson. It was the first time a woman was in the booth for a full nationally televised major-league broadcast.
Smith sounded fine. In fact, once you got used to hearing a woman's voice, it wasn't much different than any other broadcast. Johnson tried extra hard to make her a part of the broadcast, to the point it got in the way of a home run call.
Smith offered up a few too many obvious points but also lent interesting perspectives on topics such as pitch counts for young baseball and softball players. Mostly, she sounded at ease and proved she is fully capable of sitting in a booth on a regular basis.
Most forgotten team
During Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game on Fox, analyst Tim McCarver commented about the Nationals shutting down Stephen Strasburg and mentioned this is the first time the Nats have been a contender since 1933.
Well, that's right and not right. It is the first time a Washington team has contended in nearly 80 years, but this particular franchise has contended since then.
Remember the Montreal Expos? It was the Expos who moved to Washington in 2005. The 1981 Expos made the postseason, and the 1994 Expos had the best record in baseball when a strike wiped out the rest of the season.
Most interesting comments
It's not very often you hear a baseball analyst suggest a pitcher knock down or brush back a hitter. But that's what Sun Sports' Brian Anderson did Saturday during the Rays' 10-8, come-from-behind victory against the Angels.
With the Angels banging out a dozen hits and leading 8-0 in the third, Anderson suggested someone on the Rays needed to take a stand.
"We've seen Angels hitters with extremely aggressive swings; a lot of success. And nobody has been knocked down, had their feet moved. Nothing,'' Anderson said. "They're just standing there as comfortable as can be, swinging out of their shoes.''
It sounded strange — but extremely refreshing — to hear an analyst be that brutally honest. It also was a revealing look at how the game used to be played.
Anderson even pointed out why we never saw an Angels batter moved off the plate. For starters, the game isn't played that way anymore. Furthermore, Rays pitchers are so rarely pushed around, they didn't know what to do.
Great stuff, as usual, from Anderson.
Most interesting comments
It's not very often you hear a baseball analyst suggest a pitcher knock down or brush back a hitter. But that's what Sun Sports' Brian Anderson did Saturday during the Rays' 10-8, come-from-behind victory against the Angels.
With the Angels banging out a dozen hits and taking an 8-0 lead in the third inning, Anderson suggested someone on the Rays needed to take a stand.
"We've seen Angels hitters with extremely aggressive swings; a lot of success. And nobody has been knocked down, had their feet moved. Nothing,'' Anderson said. "They're just standing there as comfortable as can be, swinging out of their shoes.''
It sounded strange — but extremely refreshing — to hear an analyst be that brutally honest. It also was a revealing look at how the game used to be played.
Anderson even pointed out why we never saw an Angels batter moved off the plate. For starters, the game isn't played that way anymore. Furthermore, Rays pitchers are so rarely pushed around, they didn't know what to do.
Great stuff, as usual, from Anderson.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Nationals 5, Mets 2
WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper homered and tripled and Danny Espinosa also homered for Washington. Gio Gonzalez pitched into the sixth inning for the Nationals (75-46), who have the best record in the majors and a five-game lead in the NL East over the Braves. Washington hosts Atlanta in a three-game series starting tonight.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Padres 7, Giants 1
SAN DIEGO — Clayton Richard pitched eight sparkling innings, Cameron Maybin drove in three runs and San Diego snapped a five-game skid. San Francisco dropped out of first in the NL West and trails the Dodgers by a half-game heading into a three-game series in Los Angeles. Richard improved to 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in his past five starts.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Mariners 5, Twins 1
SEATTLE — Michael Saunders homered to back Blake Beavan, and Seattle won its fifth straight game. The Mariners completed a three-game sweep and have won 12 of their past 13 at Safeco Field. Minnesota lost its fifth in a row. Saunders' two-run shot was his career-high 11th homer. He connected in the seventh inning after Dustin Ackley doubled off reliever Jeff Gray, putting Seattle ahead 4-1.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
TAMPA — On his first day of reviewing video of recruits as USF's new offensive coordinator in 2010, Todd Fitch saw a junior offensive lineman from Orlando named Darrell Williams.
He needed only a few plays to see all he needed.
"Offer him," Fitch said, recalling the moment Sunday at Fan Fest at Raymond James Stadium. "He had great feet, great athleticism, but he was only 240-some pounds. If you had your choice of taking a big and heavy or a little lighter and agile, you take the agile guy. To his credit, he went from 247 to 290 … in about a year's span. Talent-wise, you can't go find a better one."
The 6-foot-5 Williams committed that fall and played as a freshman last season, seeing spot duty in nine games. Now the Bulls are taking another chance on him.
It's still an experiment, but USF moved its returning starter at left tackle, senior Mark Popek, to left guard and replaced him with Williams, giving it three sophomore line starters.
"I had a slight idea something could happen, but I was just trying to play as hard as I could," said Williams, who moved to Orlando from his native Jamaica in ninth grade. "I'm happy it happened. The first year I know is going to be tough with three young guys. But the future looks bright."
Fitch said major schools recruited Williams — he chose USF over Florida State and South Carolina — and the only hesitation was if he could quickly add the weight necessary to compete at a BCS program.
"When I talk on the road to guys that recruited him, they ask how he's doing," Fitch said. "I say, 'Well, he's 290,' and they go, 'Oh, my God.' You roll the dice a little bit, but he's been a good story. He's a very dependable kid, pretty good student, disciplined in his life all around.
"He's a quiet guy. But in high school, what I was impressed with the most when I watched him practice was he was kind of a nasty guy. That hasn't come out here yet because he's still feeling his way around, but that will come with confidence. That's the next phase of what he has."
Offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler remembers his initial excitement in getting Williams as part of a class that includes four linemen on the two-deep depth chart (tackle Max Lang, guard Brynjar Gudmundsson and center Thor Jozwiak). He saw plenty in Williams to overlook the size concerns.
"You have to look for a couple of things: how well does a kid bend, how well does he move his feet, can he weigh 290 pounds or more in the future and does he play his butt off?" Shankweiler said. "Darrell plays hard. The more he gets confidence, the harder he'll play."
Shankweiler considered keeping Popek at left tackle and going with senior Damien Edwards at left guard. But wanting to get his best five on the line, he decided to see what Williams could bring — even if it meant an inexperienced player at a key position.
"I've got all the confidence in the world in those sophomores," Shankweiler said of Williams, redshirt center Austin Reiter and redshirt right tackle Quinterrius Eatmon. "Austin's first game will be his first game. He's going to be a heck of a player.
"Eatmon's first start last year was against Notre Dame on national TV, and he played pretty well. I know experience is important, but I also know kids that are good players and good athletes. Let's go. Let's play."
Williams said playing last year, even as a reserve, will take away much of the nerves he would have if he starts.
"Last year, I wasn't very mentally tough on the field," Williams said. "I tightened up on the mental aspect of it. (A quarterback's) blindside, it's a tough challenge, but I think I'm up for it. I've prepared well. I go against some of the best pass rushers in the nation every day on our defense. Coach Shank is a great coach. He has confidence in me, so I have confidence in myself."
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
TAMPA — USF has added a burst of speed at receiver in David Aristil, a three-time All-American in the 400-meter hurdles.
Aristil, who reached the semifinals at the U.S. Olympic trials this summer, joined the Bulls in Vero Beach and has impressed coaches. The senior hasn't played football since high school, when he lettered twice at Boynton Beach Park Vista.
Aristil, 6 feet 2, 190 pounds, used up his track eligibility this spring but has one year of eligibility he can use for another sport.
"I wish I would have had him a little earlier; first year instead of fifth year," Bulls receivers coach Jerome Pathon said. "I think if we had him earlier, he'd have been able to pick up on the techniques.
"There's so much more that goes into football than just running with speed. But he's aggressive, gets involved. There's actually no one on the field who will outwork him."
Aristil's speed translates well to the football field — Pathon said his 40-yard time would be in the "low 4.3s" — so the challenge for coaches is finding ways to prepare him for a limited — but potentially dangerous — role.
"He's very explosive. When you watch him drive off the ball, he starts covering ground really quick. He's quite an addition to this team," Pathon said. "It's a matter of finding a role for him to play. He is athletic enough. He has the speed enough. It's how do we teach him in the next week to be ready?
"Learning plays, learning technique, there are guys I've been working with for eight months that still aren't quite where I need them to be. It's a lot to pick up. I think we're going to work with him. With his speed, he's a great asset for us."
INJURY UPDATE: Freshman LB Tashon Whitehurst, mentioned by coach Skip Holtz as a possibility to play this fall, was on crutches at Fan Fest on Sunday afternoon with a boot on his left foot. Holtz, who was awaiting X-rays, said he could be out as little as a week with a mild sprain or as long as six weeks with a break.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
TAMPA — Bucs nose tackle Roy Miller had a fitting way to describe last season.
"It was just a blur," he said.
Miller, 25, battled knee and back injuries throughout the year, while having to adjust to a read-and-react system that didn't suit his strengths. But Miller believes it's finally all coming together, as he's healthy, and now in a more aggressive scheme.
And teammates can see the dramatic difference.
"Roy is on another level right now," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "Something has clicked. He's like, unstoppable. He looks amazing on tape. I'm extremely excited."
Said defensive tackle Frank Okam: "He's been putting some highlight-tape kind of things on the field."
This is a big season for Miller in more than one way. In the final year of a four-year, $2.52 million deal, he still hopes to show the consistency the Bucs hoped for when drafting him in the third round out of Texas in 2009.
And Tampa Bay needs it now more than ever, as there's depleted depth behind Miller, thanks to injuries to Gary Gibson and Amobi Okoyi.
But Miller, under his third defensive line coach in four seasons, likes the position the Bucs have put him in, a tilted alignment that lets him get off the ball and use his quickness and strength.
"I just felt like Year 2 was similar to this and this is what I like, this is what I've done in college," Miller said. "I'm just excited to get back to it and the consistency of coaching is something I'm looking forward to.
"And I know Gerald and these guys, too, they've been in the same situation. I think that's going to be huge."
Okam, Miller's college teammate at Texas, could tell that playing through injuries during the team's 10-game losing streak was wearing on Miller last season.
"It was pretty hard, battling injuries the whole year, you're never really comfortable," Okam said. "You're always trying to work to protect the injury, so it's hard to get out there and put your best stuff out on tape. He's finally starting to get really healthy and we're finally seeing the full potential that he has.
"As long as he stays healthy and stays committed, which I know he will, the sky is the limit for him and this defense."
Coach Greg Schiano has liked what he's seen from Miller so far, noting how lining up in a tilted formation can work to the advantage of the 6-foot-2, 310-pound tackle.
"When you're tilted on a guy, you can suffocate him and when you're strong like Roy is — he's incredibly strong — you're not asked to do some of the things you're asked to do when you're straight up," Schiano said. "That leads better to using his strength."
Miller showed disruption in Friday's 30-7 preseason loss to the Titans, getting his hands on quarterback Jake Locker during an incompletion, and batting down another pass.
"I like what we're doing right now,' Miller said. "I'm excited."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS — Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo turned the Indianapolis Grand Prix, one of America's two biggest motorcycle races, into a two-man Spanish show on Sunday.
Turns out, it wasn't that close.
Pedrosa, the fastest rider all weekend, took the lead for good on Lap 4 of 28 and pulled away by a record margin of 10.823 seconds to become the first MotoGP rider to win twice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It was a good weekend," Pedrosa said after his second win this season. "…We were spinning all of practice, but we had a good feeling. So today for the race I was confident."
Pedrosa fended off an early challenge from Ben Spies. The American, who was racing with torn ligaments in his shoulder after a wreck Saturday in qualifying, dropped out on Lap 7 with a blown engine.
The only other challenge came from Lorenzo until he got caught up in traffic and started having trouble with his rear tire.
Andrea Dovizioso finished third and world champion Casey Stoner was fourth despite multiple chip fractures and four torn ligaments in his right ankle. He was injured in a hard crash in qualifying.
In a crash-filled weekend, American Nicky Hayden had to sit out with a concussion and two broken bones in his right hand. He also was injured Saturday.
NHRA: Ron Capps won in Funny Car at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., beating John Force in the final to take the points lead with one race left in the regular season. Erica Enders earned her second Pro Stock victory in a row. Morgan Lucas won Top Fuel and Eddie Krawiec topped Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
HOUSTON — Tony DeFrancesco helped Houston's Triple-A affiliate find success.
The Astros hope he can do the same for their young, struggling major-league club.
DeFrancesco was chosen interim manager Sunday, a day after Brad Mills was fired.
"There's going to be a commitment to excellence," DeFrancesco said. "Believe me, I want to be the guy that changes the environment around here. I grew up a winner, I had success in the minor leagues, and it's time for it to translate to the major league level. I'm sure I'm going to make mistakes, but that's part of baseball."
DeFrancesco, 49, managed Oklahoma City to a 67-60 record and has the RedHawks contending for a playoff spot this season. Houston has the worst record in the majors at 39-83.
He takes over an Astros club that is the youngest in the National League at 26.5 years, even younger than the Oklahoma City team, 27.3 years.
In his third season running the Astros, Mills was dismissed Saturday night.
Hitting coach Mike Barnett and first-base coach Bobby Meacham were also let go. Dan Radison will take over in the interim as first-base coach and Ty Van Burkleo will be the hitting coach.
General manager Jeff Luhnow said he made the decision not to bring Mills back for next season about a week ago.
"Once that decision was made, it made a lot of sense to make these decisions sooner rather than later," Luhnow said. "We didn't want to have a lame-duck administration and wanted to get some new blood in here."
He told Mills on Saturday that he was being let go in what was about an hour-long meeting.
"I have a great deal of respect for Brad, and he's a great baseball manager," Luhnow said. "He'll have a long career moving forward. To a certain extent, I sensed some relief, but I'm not going to speak for him. It's been tough."
CRAWFORD DECISION: Red Sox LF Carl Crawford is expected to have reconstructive elbow surgery Tuesday to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, ESPN reported.
Manager Bobby Valentine had previously said that the team would meet with Crawford and team doctors today to decide whether the former Rays All-Star would have the season-ending surgery. ESPN reported that Crawford was reluctant to tell the Red Sox he would like to shut it down because of how that would be perceived.
Crawford, in his second season with Boston, missed most of the season with wrist and elbow injuries and has been playing in pain since he returned.
DOME DELAY: The Brewers and Phillies were delayed seven minutes by rain in the first inning because the retractable roof at Milwaukee's Miller Park was open when it began to pour. The rain started in the top of the first inning and turned harder with the Brewers batting in the bottom half. Umpires stopped the game as the roof slid closed, but it takes about 10 minutes for the roof to fully shut.
MARLINS: OF Emilio Bonifacio, who missed 46 games with an injured left thumb, and INF Donnie Murphy, who missed 14 with a strained left hamstring, were activated from the 15-day disabled list.
PIRATES: Rookie OF Starling Marte went on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right oblique muscle. OF Jose Tabata was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
ROCKIES: OF Michael Cuddyer went on the 15-day disabled list because of a right oblique strain. … OF Eric Young left the game in the second inning with a strain in his left ribcage.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Jimmie Johnson looked as if he had already finished the hardest work on Sunday. After starting at the back of the pack, he had moved up quickly, and when he passed Brad Keselowski for the lead on Lap 191 of 200, his No. 48 Chevrolet seemed to be superior.
Then Johnson's engine faltered with six laps left at Michigan International Speedway. He lost the race — and the NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead — to Greg Biffle.
"I got it turned around and was catching him, and then his engine failed," Biffle said. "It was going to be a great race, no matter what. I felt like I could catch him, but we'll never know. Passing him might have been a different story."
Johnson started the Pure Michigan 400 from the back because of an engine change, led 23 laps but finished 27th.
After Johnson's mishap, there was a caution for oil on the track. Biffle held off Keselowski by 0.416 seconds in the green-white-checkered finish.
Johnson dropped from first to fourth in points, 28 behind Biffle. Matt Kenseth moved up a spot to second despite a 17th-place showing.
"I know that a lot of people don't expect us to win the championship, and don't expect us to compete for the title," Biffle said. "I don't care what they say or who they want to talk about, but we will be a factor when it comes down to (the finale at) Homestead. I promise you that."
Kasey Kahne finished third followed by June winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose.
It was Roush Fenway Racing's 12th victory at MIS, breaking a tie with the Wood Brothers for most at the track.
Pole-sitter Mark Martin led most of the first 65 laps before his race ended in a scary fashion. Bobby Labonte went into a spin as Martin came up from behind, and Martin slid off toward pit road. His car crashed frighteningly into the end of a short, narrow barrier on the interior side of pit road.
The side of Martin's car was essentially impaled by the end of the wall, in front of the left rear tire and dangerously close to the driver's seat, but Martin got out and walked away.
"I really feel that was a freak accident. I'm not sure you can ever completely fix something like that," he said. "That was a pretty freak angle that I got it."
Johnson started from the back, as did Hendrick Motorsports teammate Earnhardt, who used a backup car after a mishap in practice Saturday.
Johnson did not speak to reporters afterward. He was trying to become the first driver to reach four victories this season. Keselowski and Tony Stewart also have three, and drivers earn bonus points in the Chase for the Championship for "regular-season" victories in the first 26 races.
The 10-race Chase starts next month.
"The (No.) 48 has the most speed and the best history as far as the Chase is concerned," Keselowski said. "We caught a lucky break that was unfortunate for Jimmie. … He definitely deserved to win the race. Just didn't play out that way."
Tampa's Aric Almirola finished 20th, one spot ahead of Zephyrhills' David Reutimann.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
WASHINGTON — Robert Griffin III: three sacks, no touchdowns.
Kirk Cousins: three touchdowns, no sacks.
If preseason stats could be taken at face value, one could have fun cobbling together yet another Redskins quarterback controversy, this one involving a pair of rookies.
For one thing, fourth-rounder Cousins from Michigan State is naturally more comfortable in the pocket than No. 2 overall pick Griffin, who didn't get a chance to learn the nuances of a pro-style offense at Baylor.
Of course, there is no such QB competition.
Griffin played with and against starters in the first half of Saturday night's 33-31 loss to the Bears. Cousins was on the field in the second half with quite a few players who will soon be looking for work. Griffin would have to be inept or injured not to remain No. 1, and he has been neither.
But he did get his first taste of NFL pressure after a relatively smooth quarter of work in the preseason opener the week before. Griffin lost a fumble deep in Redskins territory on one of the sacks and completed 5 of 8 passes for 49 yards.
"We never really got into a rhythm," he said. "I think everyone on the (first-string) wanted to go back in the second half."
Growing pains aside, Griffin can't flourish if he's always on the run. The game reinforced an ongoing concern about an offensive line that was missing three projected starters — Kory Lichtensteiger, Chris Chester and Jammal Brown.
The Redskins hope Chester and Lichtensteiger will be healthy when the regular season starts Sept. 9.
Griffin also needs help from the starting defense, which gave up big plays and lost two starters — two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo and strong safety Brandon Meriweather — to injuries in the first quarter.
The Washington Post reported that Meriweather's left knee injury was not significant and that, according to Orakpo's agent, Ben Dogra, an MRI exam showed the linebacker's left shoulder issue was "nothing serious at all." Orakpo's left shoulder required surgery after he tore a pectoral muscle in the final game of last season.
In addition, linebacker London Fletcher added more intrigue to his recent spate of missed practice work by sitting out the game. Shanahan said Fletcher was "not feeling right" and declined to give any more details.
The Redskins can't afford to lose any of those players for long because the defense is expected to keep games competitive as Griffin deals with the inevitable ups and downs of his rookie year.
Not that Griffin appeared rattled by his uneven night. Shanahan's best compliment about the rookie's performance had nothing to do with a particular throw.
"I liked the way he handled himself," the coach said. "He is very poised. He is cool, calm, collected. He never seems to lose his composure."
About to take the field with the Redskins trailing 20-10 at halftime, Cousins said he told his fellow second-teamers: "Let's go down swinging." He went on to complete 18 of 23 passes for 264 yards and a 154.1 rating, leading a comeback that fell short.
Cousins could make a strong challenge to former Florida star Rex Grossman for the No. 2 job.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Rays vs. Royals
When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Tickets: $9-210, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH Jeremy Hellickson (7-8, 3.39)
Royals: LH Will Smith (4-4, 5.09)
On Hellickson: Hard-luck loser in Wednesday's perfect game, but did work seven innings for first time since May 27. Winless in last seven home starts (since May 16), with a 5.45 ERA. Beat Royals in one 2011 start.
On Smith: Has been better since mid-July recall from minors, 3-2, 3.69 in six starts, with four quality starts in last five. Was 4-4, 3.61 in 15 games at Triple-A Omaha. First start vs. Rays.
Key matchups
Rays vs. Smith
None have faced
Royals vs. Hellickson
Billy Butler 1-for-3
Alex Gordon 1-for-4
Eric Hosmer 1-for-3
On deck
Tuesday: vs. Royals, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (16-4, 2.39); Royals — Luke Hochevar (7-11, 5.24)
Wednesday: vs. Royals, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (11-7, 4.03); Royals — Luis Mendoza (7-8, 4.36)
Thursday: vs. A's, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (7-8, 4.74); A's — TBA
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Description of the day
"It's like the right tackle vs. maybe the outside linebacker."
Manager Joe Maddon, describing a collision between C Jose Molina and 1B Carlos Peña while chasing a pop-up.
Speculation of the day
"I know he's playing video games; he's online trying to beat up on an 8-year-old. Or he's trying to work on his tan."
LHP J.P. Howell on how RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who flew home ahead of the team, spent his free Sunday.
AL race for wild cards
Team W L Pct. GB
Tampa Bay 67 54 .554—
Baltimore 66 55 .545—
Oakland 65 55 .5421/2
Detroit 64 57 .529 2
Los Angeles 62 60 .508 41/2
Shocking stat of the day
3
Steals by C Jose Molina, one fewer than OF Matt Joyce.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
MADISON, Wis. — Danny O'Brien will start at quarterback when No. 12 Wisconsin opens its season Sept. 1 against Northern Iowa. Coach Bret Bielema announced the decision via Twitter on Sunday night.
O'Brien, a transfer from Maryland, came into camp as the favorite and beat out redshirt senior Curt Phillips and redshirt freshman Joel Stave.
O'Brien, a starter for most of the past two seasons for the Terps, is eligible to play right away because he already has graduated, the same rule Russell Wilson took advantage of to leave N.C. State and start for Wisconsin last season.
"Both Curt and Joel had great camps as well," Bielema tweeted. "We are very fortunate that we have 3 QB's that can play winning football for us."
Iowa: Freshman running back Barkley Hill, one of the Hawkeyes' touted recruits, is out indefinitely a day after sustaining a knee injury while scoring a touchdown in a scrimmage. The school said it is awaiting results of tests to determine his status.
Kansas St.: Defensive tackle Sam Harvill, who was missing since Wednesday, was found on the grounds of Fort Riley military base, which is located near the Manhattan campus. Riley County police said Harvill, a redshirt freshman who was listed on the roster until the end of spring practice, was in "good condition and required no immediate assistance." Police did not say why he was on the base.
Miss. St.: Receivers coach Angelo Mirando resigned because of "unforeseen personal issues." Details were not disclosed. There is no timetable to name a replacement.
women's Soccer: Despite leading 3-0 at Marquette, Florida State did not get credit for a win because lightning forced the game to be stopped early in the second half. FSU (1-0), No. 4 in the coaches' poll, got goals from Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Nora Kervroedan and Dria Hampton. … Sharla Passariello scored in the 50th minute as host USF beat Miami 1-0. Freshman Christiane Endler made six saves for USF (1-1). Miami (1-1) came off Friday's 4-1 win over Florida.
Times wires
Sunday, August 19, 2012
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The day after a game is normally when a coach goes over the video with his players. As the Giants gathered Sunday, though, Tom Coughlin's concern wasn't all about the footage from Saturday night's preseason win over the Jets.
Another video drew his attention, one that could be seen by anyone with a computer.
A video of Jason Pierre-Paul dunking Prince Amukamara in a cold tub was posted online by punter Steve Weatherford over the weekend. In the video, Pierre-Paul lets loose with a string of obscenities following the dunking, players chide Amukamara for not standing up for himself, and when he emerges from the tub, the second-year cornerback from Nebraska wipes his face and looks angered and unhappy.
Coughlin said he learned of the video Sunday afternoon.
"I'm going to look into it, I'm going to talk to the parties involved," he said. "As I'm understanding it, there were some parts that were inappropriate."
There is no context to the video to determine exactly what happened.
Pierre-Paul, a former USF star and Pro Bowl defensive end, seems miffed over something. "He ain't gonna do that … to me," he says near the end, cursing. Amukamara seems upset, though he barely resists as Pierre-Paul — listed at 278 pounds to Amukamara's 207 — carries the cornerback over his shoulder. And no Giant appears to do anything to stop the incident.
Michael Boley, Bruce Johnson, Terrell Thomas and Chris Canty are visible in the video, which closes with Canty asking the camera operator — who he calls Steve and is presumably Weatherford — to see footage.
Had it ended there, the incident likely would have gone unnoticed by Coughlin. But Weatherford put it on Twitter.
"No way anything that occurs within this family or within this group should be a part of any kind of social media aspect," Coughlin said, sounding more irked that the video was posted than he was at the incident. "I'm going to address that strongly because I've spent a little time on that this preseason and I'll look into it further."
Hazing rookies is common in training camps, and Amukamara, who reported late last year and was injured almost immediately, likely avoided initiations that normally meet a first-round pick. This could just be a way of catching up.
But could there be more to it? Other players often express a desire for the thoughtful, soft-spoken Amukamara to become tougher. He nearly got into a fight with receiver Domenik Hixon this summer in training camp but just took a shove and did not hit back. Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck encouraged Amukamara to stand up for himself in future altercations.
After Saturday's game, Amukamara told the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., that he's not sure why he's being targeted with pranks.
"I'm not a rookie anymore, so I don't know why I'm getting thrown in the tub," he said. "I know it's all love."
Chances are nothing will come from this other than a scolding from Coughlin and far less interesting future tweets from Weatherford: "I want to apologize to the fans," Weatherford wrote on his account.
The NFL has deemed it a "team matter" and will not pursue the incident.
