By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

The NHL fined Bruins forward Nathan Horton what is believed $2,500 for a water-bottle incident that occurred after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final with the Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Horton sprayed fans with water from a bottle and then flung the bottle into the stands after Tampa Bay's 5-4 victory Wednesday.

Tensions were high right after the game as players from both teams came together and fans threw rally drums — noisemakers given away at the game — onto the ice. Boston's David Krejci was beaned by one of the drums.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly originally said Horton would not face league discipline, but in an e-mail Saturday he said the league was able to establish "additional facts." He did not elaborate.

The maximum fine for a player under the collective bargaining agreement is $2,500.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Athletics 4, Orioles 2

OAKLAND, Calif. — Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run for the A's, who have won four of their last five after a six-game skid. Mark Ellis homered, and Josh Willingham and Kevin Kouzmanoff also drove in runs for the A's. Josh Outman, in his second start since returning to the majors for the first time in two years, allowed two runs and six hits over six innings. The Orioles have lost 11 of their last 12 games in Oakland.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Pop singer Avril Lavigne might not be asked to do another postgame concert series for the Rays — at least unless she promises to clean up her language.

After experiencing a dead microphone to begin her performance Saturday night, Lavigne reacted to a chorus of boos by peppering the crowd with an expletive, multiple times, reminding her audience technical glitches happen during a live concert "at a baseball stadium."

After the concert, Rays public address announcer Rusty Kath apologized to the Tropicana Field crowd of 24,717 — many of them families with children — that remained for the show for the foul language.

"That's not what the Tampa Bay Rays are about,'' Kath said.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Brewers 6, Giants 0

MILWAUKEE — Yovani Gallardo pitched eight strong innings to win his fifth straight start, and the Brewers wrapped up an 8-1 homestand. "For me, the most important (thing) was rhythm," Gallardo said. "When I was struggling, I just couldn't find that rhythm and comfort zone. There were a couple of games I was too slow. I just kept working on it and got comfortable." Milwaukee is an NL-best and franchise-record 21-7 at home.

By Brent Gaskill, Times Correspondent
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Holiday weekend: Memorial Day typically catapults us from spring into summer. Soon schools will be out for summer break and the kids will be eager to get outside and have some fun. Fishing is usually at the top of kids' list of things to do. The good news is that owning a boat is not necessary to have a great day fishing.

Hot spot: Piers offer an easy and economical way to take the family fishing. Most piers offer a variety of fish for all age groups and skill levels. Paul Bristow of the Skyway fishing piers suggests that parents who are not sure how to fish can still bring children. Just stop by the bait house and ask for help. Friendly pier staffers will help with tackle, baits, rigging and advice on the best spots on the pier.

Getting started: Younger children can stay busy with a standard Sabiki rig, catching all kinds of bait fish. This activity also keeps a steady flow of fresh bait for the more serious anglers in the group. The next step is a bigger Sabiki tipped with squid strips that will entice a variety of larger fish. Older children will enjoy casting and retrieving heavier tandem jigs and begin catching fish for the family meal.

Brent Gaskill runs Summer Vacation Charters out of the St. Petersburg area and can be reached at captbrent@summervacationcharters.com or (727) 510-1009.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

D'backs 4, Astros 2

HOUSTON — Xavier Nady hit a two-run double in the eighth inning, helping the Diamondbacks rally for a series sweep. Arizona has won six straight road games and 14 of 16 games overall. Nady's go-ahead double off Jeff Fulchino gave the Diamondbacks their first lead, and Juan Miranda followed with an RBI single for a two-run cushion.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Padres 5, Nationals 4

WASHINGTON — Ryan Ludwick drove in former Ray Jorge Cantu with an infield hit in the ninth for the Padres. Pinch-hitter Cantu broke an 0-for-13 slump with a double off Drew Storen. With two outs, Ludwick's grounder up the middle bounced off shortstop Ian Desmond's glove.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Mets 9, Phillies 5

NEW YORK — Jose Reyes tripled twice for the third time this season for the Mets, who tied their season high for runs and prevented a three-game sweep. New York had scored three or fewer in nine of its previous 11 games. Reyes tied a career high with his sixth straight multihit game, baseball's longest active streak.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Red Sox 4, Tigers 3

Game 1

DETROIT — David Ortiz hit his first pinch-hit home run since his first homer with the Red Sox eight years ago, a solo blast in the ninth off Tigers closer Jose Valverde in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. Ortiz, hitting for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, worked a full count then hit a line drive over the scoreboard in right-center.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Angels 6, Twins 5

MINNEAPOLIS — Erick Aybar had three hits and three RBIs, and Dan Haren breezed through six innings before getting bailed out in the seventh to pick up his first win since April 17 for the Angels. Reliever Scott Downs got out of Haren's two-on, no-out jam to help Los Angeles take two of three in the series. Mark Trumbo hit a 436-foot homer in the ninth. The Twins dropped to a major league-worst 17-34.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

This Week in Baseball: Noon on MLB Network. Fitting to watch TV's best baseball show on Memorial Day?

NCAA Baseball Selection Show: 12:30 p.m. on ESPN. Setting up the brackets for the road to the College World Series.

Indianapolis 500 replay: 10 p.m. on ESPN Classic. A replay of Sunday's Indy 500, which had one of the wildest finishes in the 100-year history of the race.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Rangers 7, Royals 6

ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Napoli slid under catcher Brayan Pena's tag on Elvis Andrus' two-out single in the ninth, giving the Rangers a come-from-behind victory. Nelson Cruz led off the ninth with a tying home run off closer Joakim Soria, who had his fourth blown save in 11 chances.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Blue Jays 13, White Sox 4

TORONTO — Aaron Hill hit his first career grand slam and Corey Patterson had a two-run shot for the Blue Jays. Struggling White Sox starter John Danks and Jose Bautista had a testy exchange after the Toronto slugger popped out in the fourth then ran slowly to first, slamming down his bat. "I just told him to run the bases," Danks said. "He was out there acting like a clown."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Rays vs. Rangers

What/when: 6:40 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

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

Starting pitchers

RAYS:

RH Wade Davis (4-4, 3.71)

RANGERS:

LH Derek Holland (3-1, 4.68)

Watch for …

Davis getting stronger: Davis is coming off arguably his best start of the season, yielding three runs in a no-decision against the Tigers, all coming on a home run by Miguel Cabrera after it appeared he had him struck out. Davis' fastball command and velocity have improved, and he was consistently in the 92-93 mph range. But his 28 walks to 30 strikeouts still is the third-worst walk-to-strikeout ratio in the majors.

Holland no-decision king: Remarkably, Holland has not had a decision in his past six starts, in which he has carried a 4.91 ERA. At least record-wise, the Rangers lefty has had some success against the Rays, with a 2-1 record but 7.04 ERA.

Key matchups

Rangers vs. Davis

Josh Hamilton 2-for-2, HR

Michael Young 1-for-3

Adrian Beltre 2-for-5

Rays vs. Holland

Johnny Damon 0-for-4

Evan Longoria 5-for-9, HR

B.J. Upton 3-for-6, HR

On deck

Tuesday: vs. Rangers, 6:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (0-0, 8.37); Rangers — C.J. Wilson (5-3, 3.25)

Wednesday: vs. Rangers, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (6-4, 3.54); Rangers — Colby Lewis (4-5, 3.90)

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

Condemnation of the day

Singer Avril Lavigne drew a sharp rebuke from the Rays for her foul language Saturday night. Lavigne's microphone did not work during her first song, and she responded to boos with a profane explanation. "The Rays demand profanity-free performances from all of our concert performers and we are extremely disappointed by the language used in last night's show," spokesman Rick Vaughn said in a statement. "It is not consistent with the family-friendly atmosphere that Tropicana Field is known for."

Caped crusader of the day

Taking the lineup card to home plate, Rays DH Johnny Damon extended both arms in front of him and flew out of the dugout wearing a Super Sam Fuld cape that was distributed Sunday to the first 10,000 fans ages 14 and under.

Stat of the day

Matt Joyce's .374 average was the third-highest in the AL on May 29 in the past 10 years. Only the Orioles' Melvin Mora (.385 in 2004) and the Red Sox's Bill Mueller (.382 in '03) were higher.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Cardinals 4, Rockies 3

DENVER — Kyle Lohse pitched six solid innings to tie the majors lead with his seventh win and Jon Jay hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals. Colby Rasmus added a solo shot and Yadier Molina had an RBI single as St. Louis finished a 6-3 road trip. Lohse totaled 10 victories over the past two seasons while hampered by a forearm injury that required surgery last year.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Dodgers 8, Marlins 0

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw pitched a two-hitter for his second shutout and complete game in the majors, and Rafael Furcal hit his first home run of the season and drove in three runs for the Dodgers, who had a season-high 17 hits. Kershaw allowed only Omar Infante's leadoff single in the second and Logan Morrison's wind-blown double leading off the seventh. His other shutout was on Sept. 14, 2010, a four-hitter at San Francisco.

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Athletics 6, Orioles 4

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Willingham hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth, Daric Barton added insurance with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and the Athletics completed their first three-game sweep this season. Kevin Kouzmanoff had two hits for Oakland, which extended its longest winning streak to four. The A's also beat the Orioles at home for the 12th time in 13 games.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

The disappointment was obvious Friday, when the Lightning was eliminated from the Eastern Conference final in seven games by the Bruins. But after missing the playoffs the previous three years, the season, which included a 20 percent increase in attendance, was a success and set the groundwork for the future; quite a debut for new owner Jeff Vinik, new CEO Tod Leiweke and new general manager Steve Yzerman. "There is hope on all levels of this organization," said Guy Boucher, a first-year coach. "From the inside, I see what's going on. We always want more. It was a motto the whole year long."

MVP

Marty St. Louis again proved he is the Lightning's motor. From Feb. 8, when Steven Stamkos began his regular season-ending swoon of five goals in 28 games, St. Louis had 11 goals and 35 points to help pick up the slack. St. Louis finished second in the league with 99 points, a personal-best 68 assists and 41 power-play points. He led with 37 power-play assists and tied Stamkos with a league-best 52 home points. And his 64 blocked shots made him the league's only forward with at least 90 points and 60 blocks. His average 20:58 of ice time was fourth among wings, and his 472 consecutive games played is the league's fourth-longest active streak. Not bad for a 35-year-old who currently is tied for the playoff lead with 10 goals and second with 20 points. Said Lightning coach Guy Boucher: "He is a machine."

The Stamkos file

Despite scoring five goals over his final 28 regular-season games, Steven Stamkos, 21, finished fifth in the league with 91 points, second with 45 goals, second with 17 power-play goals and fourth with 36 power-play points. The center also tied Marty St. Louis atop the league with 52 home points.

G A PTS

First 54 games 40 33 73

Last 28 games 5 13 18

Totals 45 46 91

Game to remember

Lightning 8, Flyers 7: The Nov. 18 game in Philadelphia featured nine first-period goals (Flyers 5-4), the Lightning scoring the game's final three and overcoming three two-goal deficits. Fourteen Lightning players had points, including Steven Stamkos (a hat trick and five points) and Marty St. Louis (five assists).

Game to forget

Islanders 5, Lightning 2: Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said after the March 22 home game the team suffered from a "total lack of structure." New York, statistically the second-worst team in the East, scored four unanswered goals after the Lightning took an early lead, and Tampa Bay allowed two short-handed goals.

Notable

• Sean Bergenheim's nine playoff goals were one off R.J. Umberger's record for players with 15 or fewer goals in the regular season (set in 2008 with the Flyers).

• Tampa Bay became the first team in league history to snap opposing eight-game win streaks in consecutive games, beating the Coyotes 8-3 on Feb. 23 and the Devils 2-1 on Feb. 25.

• Dwayne Roloson tied the legen­dary Jacques Plante as the only goalies 40 or older to win eight straight playoff games.

• The Lightning became the 24th team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit when it beat the Penguins in the East quarterfinal.

• Defenseman Victor Hedman currently leads the playoffs with 13 takeaways.

Follow the money

Unrestricted free agents

Forwards — Sean Bergenheim, Simon Gagne, Adam Hall. Defensemen — Marc-Andre Bergeron, Eric Brewer, Randy Jones. Goalies — Dwayne Roloson, Mike Smith.

Restricted free agents (offers can be matched)

Forwards — Teddy Purcell, Steven Stamkos. Defensemen — Mike Lundin, Matt Smaby.

Signed for 2011-12

Forwards — Steve Downie, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Dominic Moore, Marty St. Louis, Nate Thompson, Dana Tyrell. Defensemen — Brett Clark, Victor Hedman, Pavel Kubina, Mattias Ohlund.

Salary committed: $38.37 million, including buyouts to Vinny Prospal and Todd Fedoruk. (The cap is expected to be between $60.5 million and $63.5 million.)

Numbers

69 Lightning goals for Pavel Kubina (four this season), a franchise record for defensemen

7 Victories in a 12-game February homestand; most by a team on a homestand of 10 or more games

46 Victories, tied a franchise record

25 Home victories, tied a franchise record

55 Home points, tied a franchise record

96 Steven Stamkos goals over the past two season, most in the league

18 Dominic Moore goals, a career best

17, 34, 51 Career-high goals, assists and points for Teddy Purcell

Rejuvenated

Mike Smith: The goaltender believed he might be out of the NHL for good after his demotion to AHL Norfolk during the regular season. But he handled his time with the Admirals like a professional. And upon his return, he was a key contributor, especially in the postseason, when he twice filled in for yanked teammate Dwayne Roloson and had a solid start against the Bruins. In 10 games beginning Dec. 15, Smith was 6-2-1 with a 1.53 goals-against average, one shutout and .947 save percentage.

Mattias Ohlund: The defenseman is the first to admit he has lost at least a step, and though he won't say it, injuries to knees and ankles have taken a toll. But Ohlund, 34, still a devastating hitter, found his game in the playoffs. He had a goal and three points in 18 games and was plus-5 while averaging 20:12 of ice time, about 90 seconds more than the regular season.

Best comebacks

Vinny Lecavalier: After two seasons of underachievement, the captain found his game. After modifying his playing style to be more consistent defensively and get to the net offensively, the center had 17 goals and 33 points in his final 32 games to end an injury-shortened season with 25 and 54.

Adam Hall: The right wing returned to Tampa Bay after being banished to the minors in 2009-10 and had seven goals and 18 points in 82 games as a third- and fourth-line grinder and reliable penalty killer. He was nominated for the league's Masterton Trophy, given for perseverance and dedication to the game, though he is not a finalist.

Nicest surprise

Nate Thompson was tagged with the nickname "Textbook" because he adapted so well to coach Guy Boucher's system.

His 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points and 79 games were career highs. It was a season that would have been difficult to predict given the center's one goal and four points in 32 games after being picked up off waivers from the Islanders last season.

Net presence

How goalie Dwayne Roloson fared in the regular season and playoffs after his Jan. 1 acquisition from the Islanders:

REGULAR SEASON (34 games)

Wins Losses OT lossesShutoutsGAA Save %

18 12 4 4 2.56 .912

PLAYOFFS (17 games)

Wins Losses Shutouts GAA Save %

10 6 1 2.51 .924

Times wires
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Yankees 7, Mariners 1

SEATTLE — CC Sabathia pitched eight strong innings, Andruw Jones lined a bases-clearing double to highlight a five-run third and the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep. New York knocked around Mariners starter Jason Vargas and salvaged one game in the first stop of a three-city, nine-game West Coast trip. Sabathia won for the third time in four tries when pitching after a loss, allowing two hits before giving up Justin Smoak's homer in the sixth.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 29, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — After watching Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson complete seven shutout innings in a 7-0 win over the Indians on Sunday, manager Joe Maddon made a not-so-wild pitch for his 23-year-old control artist.

"He's definitely a rookie of the year candidate," Maddon said of Hellickson, who scattered three hits and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. "His numbers are fantastic. I really believe as he gains more experience, you're going to see him get even better. He has not been as sharp with his fastball command as he can be, so once that arrives, look out."

Hellickson walked two and had six strikeouts to improve to 6-3 while extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings at Tropicana Field.

Meanwhile, Rays hitters pounded out their most runs this season in their domed home on 10 hits, including two more in the leadoff spot by suddenly sizzling Evan Longoria, who reached base four more times Sunday.

It was the second shutout performance by the Rays (28-24) in three games over the Indians (31-19), who were blanked by lefty ace David Price and company Friday after entering the weekend series with the best record in baseball.

"That's two shutouts in a three-game series against a very good baseball team," Maddon said. "We did everything well (Sunday). We pitched well, made some good plays on defense, very clutch hitting and ran the bases well."

Hellickson has benefited from a major-league best 7.98 run support average — not that he has needed it. In going 5-1 during his past six starts, he has a 1.83 ERA.

But every silver lining has its cloud, and if there is one thing that has sometimes eluded Hellickson early in games, it's his fastball command. He worked in and out of trouble in the first two innings against the Indians, coaxing a double play grounder from Travis Buck to escape a two-on, one-out jam in the first. Hellickson also struck out DH Grady Sizemore with two on and two out in the fourth.

"When he punched out Sizemore, he really came off the mound and yelled something into his glove, which I don't think I've ever seen him do," Maddon said. "It might have been, 'Darn. Dang it. What's wrong with you, Jeremy.' Something like that. But he came off and he was upset and I kind of like it."

In fact, there wasn't much not to like about Sunday's game for the Rays, other than a right ankle injury that forced first baseman Casey Kotchman to leave the game. Kotchman is day to day.

To say the Rays expected this kind of performance from Hellickson this season would not be a stretch. After he went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 261/3 innings as a starter following his callup in August, the Rays felt comfortable enough to trade pitcher Matt Garza to the Cubs.

On Sunday, in front of 23,898, Hellickson's devastating changeup, which he throws on any count, had Indians batters muttering to themselves on the way to the dugout and the Rays singing his praises.

"The fastball command was a little shaky early but the curveball and changeup kept me in the ballgame until the fastball came around the last few innings," Hellickson said.

So how good can Hellickson be?

"Oh, man," said catcher John Jaso, whose two-run homer in the fourth dropped Indians starter Justin Masterson to 1-6 against the Rays, "he can be as good as any pitcher in the big leagues, I think."