CLEVELAND -- The Houston Astros journey through the land of American League playoff contenders has been a success so far.
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Air Force 1 Mid Black . Jon Singletons homer capped a four-run ninth
inning and the Astros took advantage of Clevelands sloppy defence to defeat the
Indians 5-1 on Friday night. Houston, beginning the final leg of a 10-game road
trip, took two of three at Yankee Stadium before coming to Cleveland, and has
won four of five overall. The Astros have been the team taking advantage of
mistakes against teams trying to reach the post-season. "Its huge, thats what
winning ballclubs do," Singleton said. "When teams are making small mistakes
like that, other teams capitalize and come out with the win." The Astros had
lost six straight against Cleveland, getting outscored 41-15. Singleton hit a
three-run drive off Cody Allen (4-3) after a pair of throwing errors by the
worst defensive team in the majors. Catcher Roberto Perezs wild throw let the
go-ahead run score. A throwing error by first baseman Carlos Santana set up
Houstons big inning. "I felt like our guys did a good job of being aggressive
and took advantage of some mistakes in which the other team made," Astros
manager Bo Porter said. Tony Sipp (4-2) pitched the eighth. The Indians helped
him by getting two runners thrown out on the bases. Astros starter Brad Peacock
gave up one run and was pulled after five innings because of discomfort in his
right forearm. Marwin Gonzalez homered for Houston and Zach Walters connected
for Cleveland in the fifth. Walters homered for the third straight day. After
Allen issued a one-out walk to Chris Carter, Santana threw wildly to second
after fielding Dexter Fowlers groundball. The error moved Carter to third. Then
when Fowler tried to steal second, Perezs high throw glanced off shortstop
Jose Ramirezs glove and rolled into the outfield, allowing Carter to score.
Singleton then put the game away. "Every time I go up there I try and hit a ball
hard," he said. "Sometimes you dont do that and you still got to go up there and
do your job. Its definitely nice to know all the hard work is not wasted." The
Indians lead the majors with 99 errors after committing 98 when they made the
playoffs last season. Their poor play, however, wasnt limited to defence Friday.
Cleveland had runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth before
shoddy baserunning ended the threat. Mike Aviles, who led off with a single, was
caught off second on Perezs bunt attempt. Tyler Holt, who advanced to second
while Aviles was tagged in a rundown, was later thrown out trying to steal
third. Cleveland manager Terry Francona was understandably displeased with the
mistakes. "Obviously, we need to do better," he said. "We cant play like that
and expect to win." Carlos Carrasco allowed one run in six innings for
Cleveland. BO KNOWS FOOTBALL Porter played football at the University of Iowa
and follows the sport closely. He has taken special interest in the Cleveland
Browns since they drafted Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in May. "Id
like to be on the sideline giving Johnny Football advice before he goes in,"
Porter joked. POWER SURGE Carter has hit 17 homers since July 1, which is five
more than any other player in the majors. He also leads the league during that
span with 42 RBIs and a .665 slugging percentage. TRAINERS ROOM Astros: Porter
said he didnt want to take any chances with Peacock when his forearm tightened
up. ... RHP Chad Qualls, who had been out with a sore back, pitched the ninth
inning, his first appearance since Tuesday. Indians: C Yan Gomes (concussion)
did some light pregame activity Friday. He was hit in the mask when a pitch
deflected off Minnesotas Kurt Suzuki on Thursday. Theres no timetable for when
Gomes will return. UP NEXT Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (6-9) is seeking his first
career three-game winning streak Saturday. Hell be facing the Indians for the
first time. Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (4-6) goes against the Astros for the
first time in his career. Hes 4-1 when he throws at least five innings this
season.
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Australia .Do you have to be that close? Federer snapped at a TV cameraman
hovering nearby as he received medical advice after losing a set on
Wednesday.For Nadal and Sharapova, the nuisance was coming from the lowly-ranked
qualifiers across the net.
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Force 1 Australia . The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists
detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been
harassed and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the
abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues.
http://www.airmaxonlineshopau.com/nike-air-max-2017-australia/air-max-2017-womens.html . "I have had no discussions with Chad Johnson or his representation," Popp said
Friday in an email. However, he appeared to confirm a report on Twitter from TSN
this week that Johnson was on Montreals negotiation list.TAMPA – The Maple Leafs
best player ambled out of the Tampa Times Forum sorting through a gamut of
emotions, mostly embarrassment and disappointment for the events of another epic
spring of failure. There will be no playoff hockey in the city of Toronto for
the eighth time in the past nine seasons. This 18-wheeler veered off the road
once and for all on a cloudy and cool night in Tampa, another stunning
late-season collapse destroying what seemed all but certain less than one month
earlier. "Obviously, Im disappointed – disappointed for Leafs Nation," said
Phil Kessel, thick red stubble dotting his face after the teams 10th loss in the
past 12 games. "Obviously its not good enough. I havent been good enough for the
last 15 games. I need to be better." Boasting 37 goals and 80 points on the
year, the 26-year-old carried the Leafs for the better part of two months in
early 2014 – along with Jonathan Bernier – helping to mask the troubles of a
flawed club en route to 15 wins in 22 games. He had a mesmerizing 35 points in
that stretch – not to mention a dominant Olympics. But when he cooled (which
was inevitable given the scorching run he was on) so too did the Leafs. Without
Kessel and first-line amigos James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak piling up points
on the regular and Bernier no longer performing like a superhero (James Reimers
struggles notwithstanding), cracks that lingered beneath the surface suddenly
became too glaring to ignore amid a losing streak that hit eight sour games.
Worrying defensive issues were unmasked for all to see, an endless parade of
breakaways and odd-man rushes highlighting the troubles. A dominant power-play
fizzled – one big factor in the top lines slowdown – coupling with a bad penalty
kill for unsavoury special teams. Support staff behind Kessel, van Riemsdyk and
Bozak failed to emerge. And a team that promised to be harder to play against at
seasons open remained mostly the opposite. "Obviously we didnt play well
enough," Kessel said. "I think both ends of the rink we didnt play well enough.
We obviously didnt get it done." Back in mid-March, after a triumphant victory
over the Kings – their second on the daunting California triangle – Toronto sat
ahead of every team in the East but Boston and Pittsburgh, icing a three-point
lead for that matter on Tampa (who is now 11 points up after Tuesdays game).
There was talk of home-ice in the first round of the playoffs and a
confrontation with either the Lightning or Canadiens. And then another
disturbing swoon, from which they could not escape happened. "After that we
never got our groove back," Kessel said. "The last 15 games we didnt get it done
and thats why Im really disappointed. We just need to be better. Obviously Im
not happy the way this has ended here. I dont think anyone is." Kessel has just
three goals and seven points in the past 13 games – just four of those coming
during the eight-game slide. Perhaps worn down by heavy minutes in an Olympic
year, he could no longer shoulder the kind of burden his club required for
survival or maybe the bounces, as he always describes them, simply went the
other way. The Leafs are just 7-23-3 when their leading scorer fails to record a
point. And yet Kessel still sits sixth in league scoring and fifth in goals,
boasting the kind of sterling numbers one would expect of a top flight offensive
player. There he was though after the sting of another looming spring without
playoffs, bearing more than his fair share of the brunt for the second late
season collapse in the past three years. It was the kind of accountability
required for growth from this kind of wreckage and a sign of leadership from a
player not known for anything of the kind. "Obviously Im really disappointed and
I feel like Ive let a lot of people down," he said with some emotion. "(The
fans) expect a lot from us. They love us. We need to be better these last 15
games. I think everyones pretty disappointed." Five Points 1. Cloud of Emotions
A rarity for the Leafs head coach, Randy Carlyle didnt say a word to his team
after the 3-0 loss to Tampa, which sealed their playoff fate in conjunction with
a Columbus victory. "Numb and shock" were among the emotions Carlyle was
experiencing afterward along with extreme disappointment and embarrassment. Why
embarrassment? "Because I think we have more than what we were able to
accomplish and thats the most troubling issue here is we just didnt find a way
to compete to a level that was necessary and execute to a level [that was
necessary]," Carlyle said, looking defeated. "We felt that this group coming
into the start of the season would be a better hockey club than we had last year
and I dont think we proved that." Carlyle, whose future remains cloudy at best,
said plenty of time would be taken in the days ahead to analyze what exactly
happened and why. "Theres going to be lots of questions and lots of prodding
going on on the answers to that," he said. "We dont have the answers right now
as to why it happened, but were all responsible. We win and lose as a team and
thats basically the way we have to approach it now." 2. PP Demise One of the
more prominent factors in the cooling off of the Leafs top line was their
inability to score on the power-play after the Olympic break.
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Max 95 Australia. Kessel has just one power-play point in the past 23
games and hasnt scored there since Feb. 1. van Riemsdyk, who leads the Leafs
with nine power-play markers himself, hasnt scored with the man advantage since
Jan. 30 and has gone 24 consecutive games there without even a single point.
Torontos power-play went 0-3 against the Lightning and is 8-57 after the
Olympics (14 per cent). The unit still ranks fifth overall this season. 3. Not
100% Limited and still dealing with pain in the left ankle which sidelined him
for 56 games earlier this season, Dave Bolland did not play Tuesday against the
Lightning and may be done for the year. "Whats happened is hes aggravated it and
its bothered him," Carlyle said. Carlyle had hoped to employ Bolland more
regularly after his return from the injury last month, but the 27-year-old is
simply not at 100 per cent. He garnered between 9-13 minutes most nights upon
return, even rolling the ankle in some situations according to Carlyle and
requiring up to 10 minutes to get back for another shift. Bollands arduous
recovery from the severed tendon took longer than was expected, but it appears
that even a near five-month absence may not have been enough. The Mimico native
is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Its worth wondering whether hell play
again for the Leafs with only two meaningless games remaining. 4. Carter Ashton
It was more than two years ago that Carter Ashton was shipped from the Lightning
organization to Toronto in exchange for towering defender Keith Aulie. And while
the 23-year-old has dipped his toes into the NHL waters here and there hes yet
to establish himself in any firm capacity. "Its been one of those that when hes
come here and played with us his confidence level seems to erode whereas when he
goes back to the Marlies hes the best player," Carlyle said of Ashton, a first
round pick of Tampa in 2009. Ashton has scored 16 goals and totaled 23 points
in 24 games with the Marlies this season, but has yet to score with the Leafs in
47 games, adding just three assists. Part of the disconnect would seem to lie in
the opportunity hes been granted under Carlyle. Playing mostly on unskilled
fourth lines, Ashton has averaged six minutes per game this season, held under
four minutes in nine of 32 games. "We think that we have to bridge some of the
opportunity for him and maybe play him a little higher in the lineup versus
playing him in the fourth line position," Carlyle said. "Let him play with some
skilled players and give him more of an opportunity with minutes in the hockey
game." Recalled on emergency status with Joffrey Lupul sidelined for the
remainder of the regular season and Bolland sore, Ashton played Tuesday
alongside Nazem Kadri and David Clarkson and totaled 12 minutes. "I dont think
its a question of my confidence in my abilities," he said. "Its just translating
it to the NHL." 5. Check the IR One question rose above all when the Maple Leafs
signed Lupul to a five-year extension in Jan. 2013: could the now 30-year-old
stay healthy? More than one year later and the answer would be well, sort of.
Though hell miss the final the three games of the regular season with a knee
injury, Lupul did manage 69 games this season – totaling 22 goals and 44 points
– the most hes played in one campaign since 2008-09 when he dressed in 79 games
for the Flyers. But over the past three seasons, Lupul will have missed 59 games
with a variety of injuries, which include a dislocated shoulder, fractured
forearm, concussion, bruised foot, groin tear, and now an injury to the knee.
And while well attuned to the maintenance of his body – a transformation that
took place as he aged – its worth wondering whether Lupul can stay healthy as he
enters his 30s considering the challenge it became in his mid to late 20s.
Saturdays game against Winnipeg, which he left because of the knee injury, was
the 600th in his career. He underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on
Tuesday. Stats-Pack 8 – Times in the past nine seasons that the Leafs have
missed the playoffs. 2-10-0 – Leafs record in the past 12 games. 47 – Career NHL
games for Carter Ashton, who still has yet to record a goal. 24 – Consecutive
games without a power-play point for James van Riemsdyk. 1 – Power-play point
for Phil Kessel since Feb. 1. 0 – Victories in a start for James Reimer since
Jan. 21. 8-57 – Toronto power-play after the Olympic break. 3 – Times this
season that the Leafs have been shutout. 7-23-3 – Leafs record this season when
Kessel fails to record a point. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3Season: 20.3% (5th)
PK: 0-1Season: 78.2% (28th) Quote of the Night "Obviously Im really disappointed
and I feel like Ive let a lot of people down." -Phil Kessel, on the
disappointment of playoff elimination. Quote of the Night II "Because I think we
have more than what we were able to accomplish and thats the most troubling
issue here is we just didnt find a way to compete to a level that was necessary
and execute to a level [that was necessary]." -Randy Carlyle, on why he was
embarrassed by the Leafs late season meltdown. Up Next The Leafs conclude their
swing through Florida with a Thursday clash against the Panthers.
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