• Padres at Phillies, 7:05 p.m. ET: Greg Maddux (2-1, 3.66 ERA) will get the start for the Padres. He's one win shy of 350 in his career. He'll face Cole Hamels (2-3, 2.75 ERA), who has a .177 batting average against in three starts at home.
• Blue Jays at Red Sox, 7:05 p.m. ET: Roy Halladay (2-3, 3.73 ERA) will make the start for the Blue Jays. He's winless in his last two starts, during which time he's allowed a combined 20 hits in 17 innings pitched. He'll be opposed by Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-0, 3.14 ERA), who was scratched from his last start because of the flu.
• Brewers at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET: Ben Sheets (3-0, 0.96 ERA) will take the mound for the Brewers after missing his last start because of soreness in his right triceps. In four starts (28 innings pitched), he's allowed a combined three runs. He'll face Jason Marquis (1-0, 3.47 ERA), who has given up a combined five runs in his last three starts.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Zito sent to bullpen
Barry Zito hasn't been able to solve whatever has ailed him since signing that huge seven-year, $126 million contract with the Giants, and San Francisco's management took action, deciding Monday to send their ace to the bullpen.
Zito, who is in only the second year of the deal with the Giants, will be baseball's second-highest paid relief pitcher, since he's slated to make $14.5 million this season (Yankees closer Mariano Rivera makes $15 million) and it will be up to the Giants to find a way to get value out of that salary.
Since Zito joined the Giants, he's failed to live up to expectations. One possible consolation: In 2005 while pitching for the A's, he was 0-4 with a 6.60 ERA in April. He regrouped and went 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA the rest of the season, and then went 30-23 over the next two seasons. The Giants can only hope that history repeats itself with Zito.
Zito, who is in only the second year of the deal with the Giants, will be baseball's second-highest paid relief pitcher, since he's slated to make $14.5 million this season (Yankees closer Mariano Rivera makes $15 million) and it will be up to the Giants to find a way to get value out of that salary.
Since Zito joined the Giants, he's failed to live up to expectations. One possible consolation: In 2005 while pitching for the A's, he was 0-4 with a 6.60 ERA in April. He regrouped and went 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA the rest of the season, and then went 30-23 over the next two seasons. The Giants can only hope that history repeats itself with Zito.
Notes and quotes
MONDAY'S BEST Kobe Bryant, Lakers guard: He had 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Lakers held off the Nuggets to wrap up the series 4-0. The Lakers made NBA history by becoming the first club to sweep a 50-win team in the first round.
MONDAY'S BEST, PART 2Joe Johnson, Hawks guard: In the most clutch performance of the postseason, he fired in 20 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and also gave out six assists.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT"That's disappointing. I don't know what else to say about that. All you got to do is try to come back next year and try to start all over again."
-- All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony on the Nuggets being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the fifth straight season.
MONDAY'S BEST, PART 2Joe Johnson, Hawks guard: In the most clutch performance of the postseason, he fired in 20 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and also gave out six assists.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT"That's disappointing. I don't know what else to say about that. All you got to do is try to come back next year and try to start all over again."
-- All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony on the Nuggets being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the fifth straight season.
Riley Retired
Stan Van Gundy was once the coach tabbed to run the Miami Heat when Pat Riley stepped away from the sidelines and into retirement. So, he maybe more than anyone else in the NBA, knows both the joy and pressure that Erik Spoelstra is feeling today.
"It's a tough day, even though Pat is looking forward to retirement, it's sort of the end of an unbelievable career and his success there,'' Van Gundy said after his Magic defeated the Toronto Raptors 102-92 Monday night to win the first-round series. "But the Miami Heat hired a great basketball coach. From my selfish perspective here, I wish they would have hired somebody not so good. From a personal perspective, I like Erik very much and he's one of my best friends. I have as much respect for him as anyone in the business. I'm really happy that his hard work got rewarded."
Van Gundy was an assistant coach under Riley for 10 seasons and he worked closely with Spoelstra on the Heat's staff. It didn't take him long to see that Spoelstra would someday become a great NBA coach.
"I've spent my entire life around coaches. My dad coached 41 years and I was always around coaches," Van Gundy said. "I've been around a lot of great coaches in college and the NBA and I knew Erik Spoelstra three months and I told my wife, father and brother that this guy is going to be a helluva coach."
Van Gundy, who sometimes see negativity in even the brightest of circumstances, said he started to worry about his team's fate Monday when he heard that Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu won the league's Most Improved award and Spoelstra got the job in Miami.
"I'm sort of a negative guy,"' Van Gundy said with a smirk. "Turk gets the Most Improved award, which I thought was extremely deserved. And then I was ecstatic about Erik Spoelstra and I was starting to think that this was too much good in one day. I was thinking that [the Magic-Raptors game] could be a struggle. I can't get all of this [good] in one day.
"But I'm so happy for Erik.
"It's a tough day, even though Pat is looking forward to retirement, it's sort of the end of an unbelievable career and his success there,'' Van Gundy said after his Magic defeated the Toronto Raptors 102-92 Monday night to win the first-round series. "But the Miami Heat hired a great basketball coach. From my selfish perspective here, I wish they would have hired somebody not so good. From a personal perspective, I like Erik very much and he's one of my best friends. I have as much respect for him as anyone in the business. I'm really happy that his hard work got rewarded."
Van Gundy was an assistant coach under Riley for 10 seasons and he worked closely with Spoelstra on the Heat's staff. It didn't take him long to see that Spoelstra would someday become a great NBA coach.
"I've spent my entire life around coaches. My dad coached 41 years and I was always around coaches," Van Gundy said. "I've been around a lot of great coaches in college and the NBA and I knew Erik Spoelstra three months and I told my wife, father and brother that this guy is going to be a helluva coach."
Van Gundy, who sometimes see negativity in even the brightest of circumstances, said he started to worry about his team's fate Monday when he heard that Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu won the league's Most Improved award and Spoelstra got the job in Miami.
"I'm sort of a negative guy,"' Van Gundy said with a smirk. "Turk gets the Most Improved award, which I thought was extremely deserved. And then I was ecstatic about Erik Spoelstra and I was starting to think that this was too much good in one day. I was thinking that [the Magic-Raptors game] could be a struggle. I can't get all of this [good] in one day.
"But I'm so happy for Erik.
Coming back from 3-0 can be done
Just gonna throw this out there ...
All 83 times that a team has taken a 3-0 lead in an NBA best-of-seven playoff series, it has gone on to win the series.
But somebody is going to be the first to buck the trend. It happened for the first time in baseball with the Red Sox a few years ago, and inevitably it will happen in basketball, too.
And when would it happen? Most likely with a team that's basically as good as its opponent. That's a rarity in most of the series that started 3-0 -- but not in the Suns-Spurs series. The two teams finished only a game apart in the regular season, the Suns finished ahead in my power rankings, the scoring margin after four games is only five points, and the series would be even if not for the aforementioned Phoenix blunder at the end of Game 1.
I don't want to make too much out of this -- even if you presume the teams are dead-even and give the home team a three-point advantage each night, the fact that the Spurs have two home games in the final three and need to prevail only once adds up to a 94 percent chance they'll win the series. Most likely, San Antonio will be in the conference semifinals.
But this is one of the rare cases in which the team down 3-0 does still have a genuine chance of winning the series.
And if it happened, that would provide the ultimate surprise of this first round
All 83 times that a team has taken a 3-0 lead in an NBA best-of-seven playoff series, it has gone on to win the series.
But somebody is going to be the first to buck the trend. It happened for the first time in baseball with the Red Sox a few years ago, and inevitably it will happen in basketball, too.
And when would it happen? Most likely with a team that's basically as good as its opponent. That's a rarity in most of the series that started 3-0 -- but not in the Suns-Spurs series. The two teams finished only a game apart in the regular season, the Suns finished ahead in my power rankings, the scoring margin after four games is only five points, and the series would be even if not for the aforementioned Phoenix blunder at the end of Game 1.
I don't want to make too much out of this -- even if you presume the teams are dead-even and give the home team a three-point advantage each night, the fact that the Spurs have two home games in the final three and need to prevail only once adds up to a 94 percent chance they'll win the series. Most likely, San Antonio will be in the conference semifinals.
But this is one of the rare cases in which the team down 3-0 does still have a genuine chance of winning the series.
And if it happened, that would provide the ultimate surprise of this first round
Magic and Lakers finish off series and advance
This, as far as the Orlando Magic are concerned, was about so much more than just simply winning a first-round playoff series.
This was about a Magic franchise finally getting rid of 12 long years of misery in the postseason. This was about putting to rest the memories of Tracy McGrady gagging away a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in 2003. And maybe, most important of all, this was about the dawning of the Dwight Howard era and the exorcising of the Shaquille O'Neal curse over the franchise.
When the Magic defeated Toronto 102-92 Monday night it allowed them to defeat the Raptors 4-1 in the series and end the franchise's 12-year run without a victory in the playoffs.
Before Monday, the Magic hadn't won a playoff series since 1996. That, of course, was the same year that O'Neal badly jilted the franchise and bolted to the Los Angeles Lakers.
What followed was seven consecutive defeats in the playoffs and a wobbly, staggered franchise that seemingly couldn't get past the hangover of losing O'Neal.
But Howard changed all of that Monday when he became the first player to record three 20-point, 20-rebound games in a playoff series since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1972 against the New York Knicks.
Howard demolished good friend Chris Bosh on both ends of the court in Monday's Game 5, scoring 21 points, grabbing 21 rebounds (10 of them offensive) and swatting three shots. Bosh was no match against the strapping 6-foot-11, 268-pound Howard, missing 12 of 19 shots. And his frustration of getting beaten up in the series was summed up when he was whistled for a technical foul after taking a crushing Howard shoulder directly to the chest.
Howard was aglow as Monday's final seconds ticked off the clock and the sellout crowd inside of Amway Arena throbbed with raw emotion. For four years, Howard has had to hear about the franchise's misfortune in the playoffs. And in this series he was more determined than ever to finally end the suffering.
"I was just very happy. We put in a lot of work in the offseason to get where we're standing today," Howard gushed, smiling once again. "Coach [Stan Van Gundy] had been on us from the first day about finishing and playing as hard as you can every possession. It hasn't hit me yet that we're moving past the first round, but it's such an unbelievable feeling. It's really hard to explain how I feel because we've done something that hasn't been done around here in a while."
And in Game 5 at least, they did it as a group. Jameer Nelson, who was said to be inferior to Toronto's tandem of T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon going into the series, had 19 points and a huge 3-pointer that put the Magic up 10 late in the fourth. Keith Bogans, who was benched throughout last spring's playoff loss to Detroit, had two more game-sealing 3-pointers down the stretch.
Rashard Lewis (18 points, 13 rebounds) and newly minted Most Improved award winner Hedo Turkoglu (12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds) played well in support of Howard and helped the Magic finally rid themselves of their playoff demons.
"I've only been here a few months so I haven't been through the pain that so many people in this organization have felt through the years," said Van Gundy, who sought out owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide for congratulatory hugs in the locker room after the clincher. "Twelve years is a long, long time. I just loved seeing some of the looks on the faces that I haven't seen in a long time.
"People who don't believe because they've been disappointed so much through the years should get on board with this team," Van Gundy continued. "If you can't enjoy this and enjoy this team then you really don't like basketball."
Finally, the Magic can enjoy the taste of some playoff success again.
If you told me before these playoffs that one No. 1 seed would roll to four easy wins, while the other would be tied at 2-2 thanks to two road losses in a raucous environment, I would have found that very believable.
But if you would have told me the Los Angeles Lakers would be the ones sweeping while the Boston Celtics were knotted up ... not so much.
Yet it's the Lakers who advanced to the second round with surprising ease Monday night. They used a dominating closing stretch from Kobe Bryant to hold off a Denver Nuggets team that, it must be said, didn't quit, winning Game 4 107-101 to complete the sweep.
While Bryant made most of the big plays, he was in that position because the revamped Laker team has become a lot more than just the Kobe Show. That was evident throughout Monday's contest, as Bryant was at something less than his best for the first 42 minutes but the Lakers still held a lead thanks to strong efforts from Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and the gang.
In particular, L.A.'s exquisite ball movement was a dominant theme throughout the series. This was a pretty good passing team even on opening day, but with Kobe fully bought in and the midseason trade for Gasol putting another deft passer in the mix, they've taken it to another level.
This was about a Magic franchise finally getting rid of 12 long years of misery in the postseason. This was about putting to rest the memories of Tracy McGrady gagging away a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in 2003. And maybe, most important of all, this was about the dawning of the Dwight Howard era and the exorcising of the Shaquille O'Neal curse over the franchise.
When the Magic defeated Toronto 102-92 Monday night it allowed them to defeat the Raptors 4-1 in the series and end the franchise's 12-year run without a victory in the playoffs.
Before Monday, the Magic hadn't won a playoff series since 1996. That, of course, was the same year that O'Neal badly jilted the franchise and bolted to the Los Angeles Lakers.
What followed was seven consecutive defeats in the playoffs and a wobbly, staggered franchise that seemingly couldn't get past the hangover of losing O'Neal.
But Howard changed all of that Monday when he became the first player to record three 20-point, 20-rebound games in a playoff series since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1972 against the New York Knicks.
Howard demolished good friend Chris Bosh on both ends of the court in Monday's Game 5, scoring 21 points, grabbing 21 rebounds (10 of them offensive) and swatting three shots. Bosh was no match against the strapping 6-foot-11, 268-pound Howard, missing 12 of 19 shots. And his frustration of getting beaten up in the series was summed up when he was whistled for a technical foul after taking a crushing Howard shoulder directly to the chest.
Howard was aglow as Monday's final seconds ticked off the clock and the sellout crowd inside of Amway Arena throbbed with raw emotion. For four years, Howard has had to hear about the franchise's misfortune in the playoffs. And in this series he was more determined than ever to finally end the suffering.
"I was just very happy. We put in a lot of work in the offseason to get where we're standing today," Howard gushed, smiling once again. "Coach [Stan Van Gundy] had been on us from the first day about finishing and playing as hard as you can every possession. It hasn't hit me yet that we're moving past the first round, but it's such an unbelievable feeling. It's really hard to explain how I feel because we've done something that hasn't been done around here in a while."
And in Game 5 at least, they did it as a group. Jameer Nelson, who was said to be inferior to Toronto's tandem of T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon going into the series, had 19 points and a huge 3-pointer that put the Magic up 10 late in the fourth. Keith Bogans, who was benched throughout last spring's playoff loss to Detroit, had two more game-sealing 3-pointers down the stretch.
Rashard Lewis (18 points, 13 rebounds) and newly minted Most Improved award winner Hedo Turkoglu (12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds) played well in support of Howard and helped the Magic finally rid themselves of their playoff demons.
"I've only been here a few months so I haven't been through the pain that so many people in this organization have felt through the years," said Van Gundy, who sought out owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide for congratulatory hugs in the locker room after the clincher. "Twelve years is a long, long time. I just loved seeing some of the looks on the faces that I haven't seen in a long time.
"People who don't believe because they've been disappointed so much through the years should get on board with this team," Van Gundy continued. "If you can't enjoy this and enjoy this team then you really don't like basketball."
Finally, the Magic can enjoy the taste of some playoff success again.
If you told me before these playoffs that one No. 1 seed would roll to four easy wins, while the other would be tied at 2-2 thanks to two road losses in a raucous environment, I would have found that very believable.
But if you would have told me the Los Angeles Lakers would be the ones sweeping while the Boston Celtics were knotted up ... not so much.
Yet it's the Lakers who advanced to the second round with surprising ease Monday night. They used a dominating closing stretch from Kobe Bryant to hold off a Denver Nuggets team that, it must be said, didn't quit, winning Game 4 107-101 to complete the sweep.
While Bryant made most of the big plays, he was in that position because the revamped Laker team has become a lot more than just the Kobe Show. That was evident throughout Monday's contest, as Bryant was at something less than his best for the first 42 minutes but the Lakers still held a lead thanks to strong efforts from Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and the gang.
In particular, L.A.'s exquisite ball movement was a dominant theme throughout the series. This was a pretty good passing team even on opening day, but with Kobe fully bought in and the midseason trade for Gasol putting another deft passer in the mix, they've taken it to another level.
Atlanta pulls out another one, Series tied 2-2
It seemed like a weird dream.
Ted Turner was sitting courtside cheering. Philips Arena was sold-out and turned into an intimidating venue, seriously. The Atlanta Hawks scored at will as Joe Johnson was the best player on the floor, not Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. And the top-seeded Boston Celtics were left stunned and couldn't wait to get back home.
But this wasn't a dream. Actually, it was a stunning nightmare reality for the Celtics, who in a matter of days went from championship dreams to just hoping for survival against the cocky eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks after being upset 97-92 in Game 4 Monday.
The Celtics and Hawks are now tied at two in this best-of-seven series with Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.
"The Hawks have confidence and they think they can beat us," Celtics veteran guard Sam Cassell said. "They've beaten us the past two (games), so we're going to have to step it up in Boston."
The Hawks said before the series that they would shake up the world and that they match up well against the Celtics. But few others guessed that they would have the mighty Celtics on the ropes.
You would have thought the Hawks would have been happy with one victory, right? Wasn't winning Game 3 good enough?
But the youngest NBA team in the playoffs is too young to know they weren't supposed to win any more. The words "Don't Be Satisfied" were written on a board in their locker room. When Garnett threw an elbow, little-known Atlanta center Zaza Pachulia swung his mammoth Georgia dome back at Garnett to get the last laugh. And even though they were down 10 points entering the fourth quarter, Johnson and budding star Josh Smith outscored the Celtics 32-17 in the final frame to gain one of the biggest wins in franchise history.
"We have been done before and we know that," Johnson said. "We started the game slow and they hit us in the mouth, but we withstood and made a run. We knew we had a chance to come back and we jumped on it in the fourth quarter. And that gave us momentum and we knew we could play against the Celtics."
Said Garnett: "Joe Johnson is the most underrated player in our league besides [Detroit's] Rasheed Wallace. He's underrated ... I'll give it to him. He played his [butt] off."
To make matters worse for the Celtics, Garnett's and Kendrick Perkins' Game 5 status is up in the air for their involvement in a second quarter skirmish. Garnett instigated the incident and even reentered the fray, while Perkins stepped on the floor from the bench. Atlanta forward Marvin Williams could be sitting, too, for stepping on the floor from the bench.
But with no Garnett and no Perkins, a bad situation would instantly become worse for Boston.
"I'm sure if there is some relevance then we're going to have to deal with it," Celtics guard Ray Allen said.
Bostonians will never forget the New England Patriots losing to the New York Giants in the last Super Bowl. New Englanders will never forget the ball going through Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner's legs in the World Series. And if the Celtics lose to the Hawks, they would never forget one of the greatest falls from grace in not only Boston or NBA history but sports history, period.
The No. 1 seed has lost to the No. 8 seed only three times in NBA history, most recently last year, when the Dallas Mavericks were stunned by the Golden State Warriors. But an Atlanta upset over Boston would be far more shocking.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, this isn't a weird dream. This is real. This is stunning. And with nothing to lose and everything to gain, don't expect the Hawks to fly away quietly now.
"It's really win or go home now," Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said. "We don't want what happened to Dallas last year."
Ted Turner was sitting courtside cheering. Philips Arena was sold-out and turned into an intimidating venue, seriously. The Atlanta Hawks scored at will as Joe Johnson was the best player on the floor, not Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. And the top-seeded Boston Celtics were left stunned and couldn't wait to get back home.
But this wasn't a dream. Actually, it was a stunning nightmare reality for the Celtics, who in a matter of days went from championship dreams to just hoping for survival against the cocky eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks after being upset 97-92 in Game 4 Monday.
The Celtics and Hawks are now tied at two in this best-of-seven series with Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.
"The Hawks have confidence and they think they can beat us," Celtics veteran guard Sam Cassell said. "They've beaten us the past two (games), so we're going to have to step it up in Boston."
The Hawks said before the series that they would shake up the world and that they match up well against the Celtics. But few others guessed that they would have the mighty Celtics on the ropes.
You would have thought the Hawks would have been happy with one victory, right? Wasn't winning Game 3 good enough?
But the youngest NBA team in the playoffs is too young to know they weren't supposed to win any more. The words "Don't Be Satisfied" were written on a board in their locker room. When Garnett threw an elbow, little-known Atlanta center Zaza Pachulia swung his mammoth Georgia dome back at Garnett to get the last laugh. And even though they were down 10 points entering the fourth quarter, Johnson and budding star Josh Smith outscored the Celtics 32-17 in the final frame to gain one of the biggest wins in franchise history.
"We have been done before and we know that," Johnson said. "We started the game slow and they hit us in the mouth, but we withstood and made a run. We knew we had a chance to come back and we jumped on it in the fourth quarter. And that gave us momentum and we knew we could play against the Celtics."
Said Garnett: "Joe Johnson is the most underrated player in our league besides [Detroit's] Rasheed Wallace. He's underrated ... I'll give it to him. He played his [butt] off."
To make matters worse for the Celtics, Garnett's and Kendrick Perkins' Game 5 status is up in the air for their involvement in a second quarter skirmish. Garnett instigated the incident and even reentered the fray, while Perkins stepped on the floor from the bench. Atlanta forward Marvin Williams could be sitting, too, for stepping on the floor from the bench.
But with no Garnett and no Perkins, a bad situation would instantly become worse for Boston.
"I'm sure if there is some relevance then we're going to have to deal with it," Celtics guard Ray Allen said.
Bostonians will never forget the New England Patriots losing to the New York Giants in the last Super Bowl. New Englanders will never forget the ball going through Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner's legs in the World Series. And if the Celtics lose to the Hawks, they would never forget one of the greatest falls from grace in not only Boston or NBA history but sports history, period.
The No. 1 seed has lost to the No. 8 seed only three times in NBA history, most recently last year, when the Dallas Mavericks were stunned by the Golden State Warriors. But an Atlanta upset over Boston would be far more shocking.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, this isn't a weird dream. This is real. This is stunning. And with nothing to lose and everything to gain, don't expect the Hawks to fly away quietly now.
"It's really win or go home now," Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said. "We don't want what happened to Dallas last year."
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Spurs still killing even while they are "old"
Those sneaky Spurs are still here. Even after the Air Force retired the F-117 Night Hawk, the NBA's version of the stealth fighter keeps flying on, never picked up by the radar until it's too late.
Not even the third-best record in the tough Western Conference was enough for the Spurs to cast a large shadow on the NBA landscape. The hype had already started for a Lakers-Celtics Finals, and Phoenix was the trendy pick to win the marquee first-round matchup against San Antonio.
The Spurs are jamming up all of those plans, grabbing a 3-0 lead over the Suns and looking serious about defending their championship. Even if nobody else saw it coming.
"I know everybody was saying that Phoenix was going to win, but it's OK with us," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "San Antonio, they always forget about us. I got used to it now. We just play, and then when we arrive to the Finals it's like, 'Oh, San Antonio.'"
These guys? Again? It's like one of those old Droopy cartoons, where that damn dog keeps showing up no matter how many times you thought he'd been disposed.
It's time to recognize the Spurs for what they are: not only the most dangerous team in the league, but the most dangerous team to the league. They kill ratings when they show up in the Finals. And they keep diminishing the value of the regular season. And they do it through the hardest task in the sport: winning playoff games.
During this run as the NBA's best and most consistent team since 1999, they never had the best record in the league during a single year. They've won 60 games only twice.
This season's squad did little to distinguish itself. Normally teams announce their presence with impressive road victories. But this season the Spurs were only 3-9 at Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Utah, the Lakers, Phoenix, Boston, Detroit and Orlando combined. In March they went through a stretch in which they lost six of seven games (all against teams that made the playoffs).
But in the first game of the playoffs they battled back and made all the biggest plays to beat Phoenix in double overtime. Then they applied a second-half lockdown in Game 2. Friday they put together their best performance of the season, led by Parker's 41 points and 12 assists.
"You don't ever want to say that, 'Oh we're just waiting for the playoffs to start,'" Bruce Bowen said. "That's not our motto here. We weren't playing good basketball at [the end of the regular season]. We would have liked to have been playing good basketball. But we understand, more than any other time, now it's more important you're focused on what you have to do."
Not even the third-best record in the tough Western Conference was enough for the Spurs to cast a large shadow on the NBA landscape. The hype had already started for a Lakers-Celtics Finals, and Phoenix was the trendy pick to win the marquee first-round matchup against San Antonio.
The Spurs are jamming up all of those plans, grabbing a 3-0 lead over the Suns and looking serious about defending their championship. Even if nobody else saw it coming.
"I know everybody was saying that Phoenix was going to win, but it's OK with us," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "San Antonio, they always forget about us. I got used to it now. We just play, and then when we arrive to the Finals it's like, 'Oh, San Antonio.'"
These guys? Again? It's like one of those old Droopy cartoons, where that damn dog keeps showing up no matter how many times you thought he'd been disposed.
It's time to recognize the Spurs for what they are: not only the most dangerous team in the league, but the most dangerous team to the league. They kill ratings when they show up in the Finals. And they keep diminishing the value of the regular season. And they do it through the hardest task in the sport: winning playoff games.
During this run as the NBA's best and most consistent team since 1999, they never had the best record in the league during a single year. They've won 60 games only twice.
This season's squad did little to distinguish itself. Normally teams announce their presence with impressive road victories. But this season the Spurs were only 3-9 at Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Utah, the Lakers, Phoenix, Boston, Detroit and Orlando combined. In March they went through a stretch in which they lost six of seven games (all against teams that made the playoffs).
But in the first game of the playoffs they battled back and made all the biggest plays to beat Phoenix in double overtime. Then they applied a second-half lockdown in Game 2. Friday they put together their best performance of the season, led by Parker's 41 points and 12 assists.
"You don't ever want to say that, 'Oh we're just waiting for the playoffs to start,'" Bruce Bowen said. "That's not our motto here. We weren't playing good basketball at [the end of the regular season]. We would have liked to have been playing good basketball. But we understand, more than any other time, now it's more important you're focused on what you have to do."
Williams leads Jazz to 4 Point win,3-1 lead
After 11 postseason games between Utah and Houston the past two years, Tracy McGrady apparently still does not know how to correctly say "Deron Williams.''
"It doesn't matter, man,'' Williams said when asked about just that after the Jazz's 86-82 Game 4 victory over the Rockets on Saturday. "There's a lot of people who don't know how to pronounce my first name.''
It's DARE-in, not Da-RON -- and folks might want to learn.
Williams, after all, is the motor that makes the Jazz go -- and his Game 4 play is a huge reason Utah, now up 3-1, is one victory away from wrapping up the first-round series.
He did miss two critical free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining.
But Williams, who shot 6-of-11 from the field, was chiefly responsible for negating a second straight fourth-quarter Jazz collapse.
"He stayed with what we were doing,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said of two key final-quarter buckets by Williams.
"[Assistant] Coach [Phil] Johnson suggested we let him have the ball in the middle of the floor,'' Sloan added, "and he made a couple of great plays that kind of revved us up.''
Though pained by an assortment of bumps and bruises, including a sprained sacroiliac joint that limited his mobility when Utah took Games 1 and 2, the Jazz point guard had nine assists and a team-high 17 points Saturday.
That includes eight points during a fourth quarter in which Houston trimmed what had been a 16-point Utah lead in the third quarter to as little as one, and to two with 15.2 seconds to go.
The back-to-back baskets by Williams with about two-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth provided Utah a much-needed cushion, and both -- a driving dunk and a layup -- exemplified the multifaceted nature of Williams' game.
He may not be able to break out of Chris Paul's shadow when it comes to MVP talk or head-to-head comparison debate, but the built-like-a-bull Williams can dish, drive or stop and pop at the drop of a dime.
"Coach made a great adjustment at the time -- coach Sloan, and coach Johnson,'' he said of a break preceding the two aforementioned baskets. "They were doubling me pretty hard on the pick-and-roll, and it made it hard for me to get a shot off or get it back to [Carlos Boozer].
"So we kind of faked the screen and just let me take (Rockets point Rafer Alston) 1-on-1,'' Williams added, "and I was able to get by him two straight possessions.''
Even if not sure of the first name, then, McGrady and the Rockets were bound to see "Williams'' blur by on the back.
"It doesn't matter, man,'' Williams said when asked about just that after the Jazz's 86-82 Game 4 victory over the Rockets on Saturday. "There's a lot of people who don't know how to pronounce my first name.''
It's DARE-in, not Da-RON -- and folks might want to learn.
Williams, after all, is the motor that makes the Jazz go -- and his Game 4 play is a huge reason Utah, now up 3-1, is one victory away from wrapping up the first-round series.
He did miss two critical free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining.
But Williams, who shot 6-of-11 from the field, was chiefly responsible for negating a second straight fourth-quarter Jazz collapse.
"He stayed with what we were doing,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said of two key final-quarter buckets by Williams.
"[Assistant] Coach [Phil] Johnson suggested we let him have the ball in the middle of the floor,'' Sloan added, "and he made a couple of great plays that kind of revved us up.''
Though pained by an assortment of bumps and bruises, including a sprained sacroiliac joint that limited his mobility when Utah took Games 1 and 2, the Jazz point guard had nine assists and a team-high 17 points Saturday.
That includes eight points during a fourth quarter in which Houston trimmed what had been a 16-point Utah lead in the third quarter to as little as one, and to two with 15.2 seconds to go.
The back-to-back baskets by Williams with about two-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth provided Utah a much-needed cushion, and both -- a driving dunk and a layup -- exemplified the multifaceted nature of Williams' game.
He may not be able to break out of Chris Paul's shadow when it comes to MVP talk or head-to-head comparison debate, but the built-like-a-bull Williams can dish, drive or stop and pop at the drop of a dime.
"Coach made a great adjustment at the time -- coach Sloan, and coach Johnson,'' he said of a break preceding the two aforementioned baskets. "They were doubling me pretty hard on the pick-and-roll, and it made it hard for me to get a shot off or get it back to [Carlos Boozer].
"So we kind of faked the screen and just let me take (Rockets point Rafer Alston) 1-on-1,'' Williams added, "and I was able to get by him two straight possessions.''
Even if not sure of the first name, then, McGrady and the Rockets were bound to see "Williams'' blur by on the back.
Rashard's got the number
The staggering figures always seem to come, win or lose, just after the mention of his name, Rashard Lewis has noticed.
Usually, it goes something like this: Rashard Lewis, $118 million. These days, it's as if that's his name Rashard Lewis, $118 million -- the Orlando Magic's quiet star said.
While there are certainly about 118 million worse things to have attached to your name, the details of the enormous contract that Lewis signed last summer with the Magic can at times be a burden.
For months, Lewis has had to read the message-board posters and listen to the rantings on talk radio who have ripped him for being so grossly overpaid. He's quietly kept his cool, refusing to respond to those who doubt his worth to a Magic team that's on the rise.
Lewis might have finally quieted some of those claims Saturday night with his finest performance in a Magic uniform. Not only did he guard all-star power forward Chris Bosh, 3-point shooting champ Jason Kapono and 7-footer Andrea Bargnani at various times, he also poured in 27 points and 13 rebounds in Orlando's 106-94 Game 4 defeat of the Toronto Raptors. And Lewis made one of the biggest shots of the night when he buried a 3-pointer with 91 seconds to play to give Orlando a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
"He posted up, he drove the ball, he worked hard defensively and he had an unbelievable rebounding game,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of Lewis. "You have to understand what we've asked this guy to do: He's a career small forward who plays power forward for us. He got 13 rebounds and scored in the 20s, and the question is, 'Is he overpaid?' Well, by NBA standards you can't do much more than what he did. If he's overpaid, then a lot of people must be overpaid.''
Lewis said he hasn't regretted joining the Magic one day since committing to Orlando on July 3 last summer. After playing with a host of journeymen centers in his eight seasons in Seattle, Lewis wanted to feel what it was like to share the spotlight with blossoming center Dwight Howard.
He spent most of the season playing mostly in the shadows of Howard and the improved Hedo Turkoglu, but Lewis knows the playoffs are the time to step up his play and earn his money. He responded accordingly on Saturday, driving to the rim for five baskets, converting a tough putback and hitting five free throws.
"I know my salary is going to come up every time somebody mentions my points and rebounds," said Lewis, who is making $17 million this season. "That's just part of life. It doesn't affect how I play."
Usually, it goes something like this: Rashard Lewis, $118 million. These days, it's as if that's his name Rashard Lewis, $118 million -- the Orlando Magic's quiet star said.
While there are certainly about 118 million worse things to have attached to your name, the details of the enormous contract that Lewis signed last summer with the Magic can at times be a burden.
For months, Lewis has had to read the message-board posters and listen to the rantings on talk radio who have ripped him for being so grossly overpaid. He's quietly kept his cool, refusing to respond to those who doubt his worth to a Magic team that's on the rise.
Lewis might have finally quieted some of those claims Saturday night with his finest performance in a Magic uniform. Not only did he guard all-star power forward Chris Bosh, 3-point shooting champ Jason Kapono and 7-footer Andrea Bargnani at various times, he also poured in 27 points and 13 rebounds in Orlando's 106-94 Game 4 defeat of the Toronto Raptors. And Lewis made one of the biggest shots of the night when he buried a 3-pointer with 91 seconds to play to give Orlando a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
"He posted up, he drove the ball, he worked hard defensively and he had an unbelievable rebounding game,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of Lewis. "You have to understand what we've asked this guy to do: He's a career small forward who plays power forward for us. He got 13 rebounds and scored in the 20s, and the question is, 'Is he overpaid?' Well, by NBA standards you can't do much more than what he did. If he's overpaid, then a lot of people must be overpaid.''
Lewis said he hasn't regretted joining the Magic one day since committing to Orlando on July 3 last summer. After playing with a host of journeymen centers in his eight seasons in Seattle, Lewis wanted to feel what it was like to share the spotlight with blossoming center Dwight Howard.
He spent most of the season playing mostly in the shadows of Howard and the improved Hedo Turkoglu, but Lewis knows the playoffs are the time to step up his play and earn his money. He responded accordingly on Saturday, driving to the rim for five baskets, converting a tough putback and hitting five free throws.
"I know my salary is going to come up every time somebody mentions my points and rebounds," said Lewis, who is making $17 million this season. "That's just part of life. It doesn't affect how I play."
Nuggets can't get it done
If L.A. completes the sweep on Monday, it would cement the Nuggets' status in the second tier of the NBA -- good enough to win 50 games, but not nearly good enough to hang with the league's elite in a best-of-seven series. With the team nearly $9 million over the luxury tax and two key players getting long in the tooth, it's an uncomfortable place to be.
Since pairing Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony at midseason last year, the Nuggets have twice been outclassed in the first round by one of the league's heavyweights; the Spurs did the honors last year. Thus, it seems probable that Denver -- much like Dallas and Phoenix -- will be among the Western teams contemplating major changes if they can't get out of the first round.
But for those of you who are wondering, a coaching change isn't on the menu. "We could lose both these games by a hundred and George [Karl] would still be the coach," a team source told me before Game 3.
Indeed, Karl has managed to keep everyone on board through a challenging season. For all their volatility, you don't hear these guys complaining about shots -- even with two big-time scorers to keep happy. Karl also helped J.R. Smith turn around his season, and possibly his career, while other young players have also shown positive development.
You also might wonder if attention-shy owner Stanley Kroenke has soured on having such a high payroll if it doesn't produce some postseason results. If so, the shedding of contracts would have painful results in the win column.
Since pairing Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony at midseason last year, the Nuggets have twice been outclassed in the first round by one of the league's heavyweights; the Spurs did the honors last year. Thus, it seems probable that Denver -- much like Dallas and Phoenix -- will be among the Western teams contemplating major changes if they can't get out of the first round.
But for those of you who are wondering, a coaching change isn't on the menu. "We could lose both these games by a hundred and George [Karl] would still be the coach," a team source told me before Game 3.
Indeed, Karl has managed to keep everyone on board through a challenging season. For all their volatility, you don't hear these guys complaining about shots -- even with two big-time scorers to keep happy. Karl also helped J.R. Smith turn around his season, and possibly his career, while other young players have also shown positive development.
You also might wonder if attention-shy owner Stanley Kroenke has soured on having such a high payroll if it doesn't produce some postseason results. If so, the shedding of contracts would have painful results in the win column.
Jags make huge move up
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a huge move up from No. 26 to No. 8, after working out a deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Jacksonville took Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey with the pick.
Perhaps Baltimore was disappointed that it lost out on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 3.
Perhaps Baltimore was disappointed that it lost out on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, who went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 3.
Bengals pick up Rivers
The Cincinnati Bengals selected USC linebacker Keith Rivers. This is a great selection for the Bengals, who landed a player many think is one of the safest choices in the draft.
Rivers has very few holes in his game and has no character concerns, which is something the Bengals need. Cincinnati also was interested in defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 7.
Rivers has very few holes in his game and has no character concerns, which is something the Bengals need. Cincinnati also was interested in defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 7.
Dolphins get Henne, Bucs get Jackson
Michigan quarterback Chad Henne was there guy from the start, and they're ecstatic about getting him at No. 57.
Peter King had Chad Henne going No. 20 to the Ravens in a trade. Turns out the Ravens preferred Joe Flacco from Delaware State. The Dolphins have a starting left tackle, a starting defensive end and a potential starting quarterback, and we're only to 57. And they landed a starting linebacker and tight end in a trade with the Cowboys on Friday.
I really think this has been a fantastic draft for the Dolphins. I'm sure fans in South Florida are thrilled. Tampa Bay almost passed on its pick. The fans were doing a countdown, as the Tampa Bay selector rushed toward the main stage. The Buccaneers just took Dexter Jackson out of Appalachian State. He's small, but his speed is unbelievable. With an aging Joey Galloway, Jackson will give the Bucs another deep threat.
Peter King had Chad Henne going No. 20 to the Ravens in a trade. Turns out the Ravens preferred Joe Flacco from Delaware State. The Dolphins have a starting left tackle, a starting defensive end and a potential starting quarterback, and we're only to 57. And they landed a starting linebacker and tight end in a trade with the Cowboys on Friday.
I really think this has been a fantastic draft for the Dolphins. I'm sure fans in South Florida are thrilled. Tampa Bay almost passed on its pick. The fans were doing a countdown, as the Tampa Bay selector rushed toward the main stage. The Buccaneers just took Dexter Jackson out of Appalachian State. He's small, but his speed is unbelievable. With an aging Joey Galloway, Jackson will give the Bucs another deep threat.
Ravens tried moving up
The Baltimore Ravens had conversations with the St. Louis Rams today in an attempt to move up to the No. 2 pick to land Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.
Baltimore failed to land the pick because the Rams' asking price was too high.
"To make the statement that we had conversations with the team ahead of the (Atlanta) Falcons would be a true statement," Newsome admitted during his press conference in Baltimore.
St. Louis wound up taking Virginia defensive end Chris Long with the second pick. Baltimore made two trades, before settling at No. 18 to select Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. The Ravens gained an additional third- and fourth-round pick in the process.
Baltimore failed to land the pick because the Rams' asking price was too high.
"To make the statement that we had conversations with the team ahead of the (Atlanta) Falcons would be a true statement," Newsome admitted during his press conference in Baltimore.
St. Louis wound up taking Virginia defensive end Chris Long with the second pick. Baltimore made two trades, before settling at No. 18 to select Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. The Ravens gained an additional third- and fourth-round pick in the process.
Avery 1st reciever off Board
The Rams went defense early, as expected, but still wound up with the first receiver taken in the draft -- Donnie Avery, not Devin Thomas. And they got him in the second round.
Tim Ruskell, the Seahawks' general manager, said before the draft that he expected teams to take no more than two receivers in the first round this year. Teams took two among the top 34 picks, but none in the first round. As for Avery: He's a speedy prospect from Houston, and a fisherman.
"During last season, I went fishing every Monday to just sit back and think and relax," he told reporters in St. Louis Saturday. "I have a little girl, so I sit back with her and go to the zoo or just sit down and watch "Barney" all day."
Barney? "I'm growing to like it," he said. "I watch "Barney," "SpongeBob," "Wiggles," all of those little-kids shows. I guess you can say I'm hard on the outside, but soft on the inside."
That hard outer shell might serve him well.
Tim Ruskell, the Seahawks' general manager, said before the draft that he expected teams to take no more than two receivers in the first round this year. Teams took two among the top 34 picks, but none in the first round. As for Avery: He's a speedy prospect from Houston, and a fisherman.
"During last season, I went fishing every Monday to just sit back and think and relax," he told reporters in St. Louis Saturday. "I have a little girl, so I sit back with her and go to the zoo or just sit down and watch "Barney" all day."
Barney? "I'm growing to like it," he said. "I watch "Barney," "SpongeBob," "Wiggles," all of those little-kids shows. I guess you can say I'm hard on the outside, but soft on the inside."
That hard outer shell might serve him well.
Gruden confident in Jackson as Returner
Just finished listening to Bucs coach Jon Gruden talk about second-round pick Dexter Jackson. Gruden definitely sounds like he believes the Appalachian State wide receiver can be a starter someday. Gruden spent some time talking about how Jackson can learn from veteran Joey Galloway and that's an indication that the Bucs might want to bring the rookie along slowly.
But it's also obvious the Bucs plan to get immediate results from Jackson in another area. Gruden repeatedly mentioned Jackson's ability as a punt and kickoff returner and its possible he could open the season handling both roles
But it's also obvious the Bucs plan to get immediate results from Jackson in another area. Gruden repeatedly mentioned Jackson's ability as a punt and kickoff returner and its possible he could open the season handling both roles
2 DBs and a TE
You had to know the Cowboys were going tight end with this pick. They've watched Martellus Bennett a ton since he's a local kid and played at Texas A&M. This restores some dignity in Aggieland after the school went without anyone drafted last year.
The Patriots went with Colorado cornerback Terrence Wheatley out of Colorado. I watched Wheatley play quite a bit in high school at Plano East. He'll end up being a decent third corner.
USC cornerback Terrell Thomas went to the Giants at No. 63. Thomas has freakishly long arms and makes quick reads. The problem is that he's not a great athlete. He used to play safety. He'll be fine if Steve Spagnuolo can come up with ways to cover him up.
The Patriots went with Colorado cornerback Terrence Wheatley out of Colorado. I watched Wheatley play quite a bit in high school at Plano East. He'll end up being a decent third corner.
USC cornerback Terrell Thomas went to the Giants at No. 63. Thomas has freakishly long arms and makes quick reads. The problem is that he's not a great athlete. He used to play safety. He'll be fine if Steve Spagnuolo can come up with ways to cover him up.
Steelers are Stealing
Is anybody watching the Pittsburgh Steelers?
While so many teams are trading back and forth, the Steelers quietly laid in the weeds today and landed Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall and Texas receiver Limas Sweed.
Uh oh.
Running back and receiver weren't necessarily needs for the Steelers, but the talent of these two players were too good to resist. Both received first-round grades in most projections, and Pittsburgh landed them with the No. 23 and No. 53 overall picks.
The Steelers still need offensive linemen, particularly at tackle. They continued their trend of skipping linemen in the first and second rounds for the sixth straight year. Look for them to make a run at linemen tomorrow.
But Pittsburgh's offense should be even more dangerous next season with this pair. Mendenhall will back up tailback Willie Parker and both will have opportunities to wear down the defense, while Sweed is the big-body third receiver the Steelers are looking for.
While so many teams are trading back and forth, the Steelers quietly laid in the weeds today and landed Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall and Texas receiver Limas Sweed.
Uh oh.
Running back and receiver weren't necessarily needs for the Steelers, but the talent of these two players were too good to resist. Both received first-round grades in most projections, and Pittsburgh landed them with the No. 23 and No. 53 overall picks.
The Steelers still need offensive linemen, particularly at tackle. They continued their trend of skipping linemen in the first and second rounds for the sixth straight year. Look for them to make a run at linemen tomorrow.
But Pittsburgh's offense should be even more dangerous next season with this pair. Mendenhall will back up tailback Willie Parker and both will have opportunities to wear down the defense, while Sweed is the big-body third receiver the Steelers are looking for.
Possible distractions for Rodgers out of Brohm
As if Aaron Rodgers wasn't already looking over his shoulder.
If Brett Favre continuously dropping hints that he may return to the Packers didn't put enough pressure on Rodgers, he will feel a little more heat after the Packers took Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round.
Rodgers, who has less than one game of NFL seasoning, doesn't deserve the competition and unneeded pressure. He deserves to get his chance to be the Packers' quarterback with no shadows. If Rodgers struggles early this season, the Packers can only blame themselves for creating unneeded distractions for their new quarterback.
If Brett Favre continuously dropping hints that he may return to the Packers didn't put enough pressure on Rodgers, he will feel a little more heat after the Packers took Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round.
Rodgers, who has less than one game of NFL seasoning, doesn't deserve the competition and unneeded pressure. He deserves to get his chance to be the Packers' quarterback with no shadows. If Rodgers struggles early this season, the Packers can only blame themselves for creating unneeded distractions for their new quarterback.
Bears get offensive
They get a new left tackle in Vanderbilt's Chris Williams, the 14th overall pick, and in the second round they snared Tulane running back Matt Forte. The Bears were zoning in on both of these players and both are expected to make an immediate impact.
For a team that has been depleted of offensive talent in recent years, getting this left tackle and running back is a good start.
For a team that has been depleted of offensive talent in recent years, getting this left tackle and running back is a good start.
Chiefs start off great
Because of their load of picks, it was taken for granted that the Chiefs would have a good draft. After three picks they are off to a flying start.
Kansas City got LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey with the fifth pick -- a huge steal -- and also got a draft value pick in Virginia offensive lineman Branden Albert at No. 15. In the second round, Kansas City took Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers. Many teams had Flowers on their boards in the first round.
Essentially, the Chiefs took three first-rounders. Plus, they have nine more picks today. This is an important draft for the rebuilding Chiefs. They must get quality, and so far, they are well on their way.
Kansas City got LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey with the fifth pick -- a huge steal -- and also got a draft value pick in Virginia offensive lineman Branden Albert at No. 15. In the second round, Kansas City took Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers. Many teams had Flowers on their boards in the first round.
Essentially, the Chiefs took three first-rounders. Plus, they have nine more picks today. This is an important draft for the rebuilding Chiefs. They must get quality, and so far, they are well on their way.
Pats Mayo fits as new young LB
The Patriots' affinity for older linebackers is really an affinity for players who make the right decisions and can play their scheme properly. That generally comes with experience. The team invested the 10th overall choice in a linebacker because Jerod Mayo apparently fits the mold.
"He's a very intelligent player," coach Bill Belichick told reporters today. "He's a good football player, he's smart, he understands schemes and concepts, he runs the defense, makes the calls, makes adjustments and all those things."
Mayo was known to be on the Patriots radar for some time, but quite a few teams showed interest in him, and the assumption was that Mayo might last until later in the first round.
With the right approach, Mayo should benefit from a group of veteran inside linebackers featuring Tedy Bruschi. The Patriots won't need him to start right away. They were a decent team without him last season, as I recall. But when a team takes a player 10th overall, the idea is to turn him into a starter before long. New England has enough flexibility at the position to move people around if necessary when Mayo is ready to contribute.
"He's a very intelligent player," coach Bill Belichick told reporters today. "He's a good football player, he's smart, he understands schemes and concepts, he runs the defense, makes the calls, makes adjustments and all those things."
Mayo was known to be on the Patriots radar for some time, but quite a few teams showed interest in him, and the assumption was that Mayo might last until later in the first round.
With the right approach, Mayo should benefit from a group of veteran inside linebackers featuring Tedy Bruschi. The Patriots won't need him to start right away. They were a decent team without him last season, as I recall. But when a team takes a player 10th overall, the idea is to turn him into a starter before long. New England has enough flexibility at the position to move people around if necessary when Mayo is ready to contribute.
San Diego gets great CB tandem with Cason
Really like what the Chargers did in the first round by taking Arizona star cornerback Antoine Cason. Cason is a good football player. He was a playmaker in college. But some teams were turned off by mediocre combine numbers. But give Chargers general manager A.J. Smith credit. He looks for good football players and he got one in Cason.
Pair Cason with interception machine Antonio Cromartie and the Chargers have the makings of one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL
Pair Cason with interception machine Antonio Cromartie and the Chargers have the makings of one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL
AFC North gets tougher
Here is some of the talent that just entered the AFC North today:
+Linebacker Keith Rivers (Cincinnati)
+Running back Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh)
+Quarterback Joe Flacco (Baltimore)
+Receiver Limas Sweed (Pittsburgh)
+Running back Ray Rice (Baltimore)
Not a bad first day for an already rugged division. Today the Cleveland Browns get to join in the fun.
+Linebacker Keith Rivers (Cincinnati)
+Running back Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh)
+Quarterback Joe Flacco (Baltimore)
+Receiver Limas Sweed (Pittsburgh)
+Running back Ray Rice (Baltimore)
Not a bad first day for an already rugged division. Today the Cleveland Browns get to join in the fun.
Broncos get returner
The Broncos have long been trying to find an impact return man. They were trying to draft Devin Hester two years ago but were beaten to the punch by Chicago. Denver was pleased with the progress of cornerback Darrent Williams as a punt returner, but he was tragically killed on Jan. 1, 2007.
The Broncos believe they got their man Saturday, in the form of Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal. Denver was primed on taking Royal at No. 42 and jumped on him when he was available. The Broncos were looking hard at California's DeSean Jackson earlier in the offseason and Jackson was available at No. 42. But in the end, Denver thought Royal was a better fit. Denver coach Mike Shanahan told reporters that he believes Royal can fit into the passing game as a receiver but his primary job initially will be as a returner.
The Broncos believe they got their man Saturday, in the form of Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal. Denver was primed on taking Royal at No. 42 and jumped on him when he was available. The Broncos were looking hard at California's DeSean Jackson earlier in the offseason and Jackson was available at No. 42. But in the end, Denver thought Royal was a better fit. Denver coach Mike Shanahan told reporters that he believes Royal can fit into the passing game as a receiver but his primary job initially will be as a returner.
Ryan is the Man for Atlanta
It doesn't really matter if Matt Ryan turns out to be the next Peyton Manning or the second coming of David Carr. He's already done a lot for the Atlanta Falcons.
In the seconds after commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Boston College quarterback as the No. 3 overall pick, Ryan put on an Atlanta hat, held up a jersey and smiled.
When's the last time you saw an Atlanta quarterback smile? When's the last time you saw anybody with the Falcons smile?
"It's exciting to be a Falcon,'' Ryan said. "I was pumped up when I received the phone call and I just can't wait to get to Atlanta.''
It's hard to find precise records, but it's believed those exact words have been uttered only once before in history -- by Steve Bartkowski, 33 years ago.
This franchise never has had a lot of good days, but the past year has been particularly brutal. Franchise quarterback Michael Vick went to prison on dogfighting charges. Coach Bobby Petrino jumped to Arkansas in the middle of the night without telling his players. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall talked his way out of town, and running back Warrick Dunn and tight end Alge Crumpler -- about the only two remaining Falcons who would be recognized in an Atlanta mall -- were part of an offseason salary purge.
Having a potential franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan should help Atlanta put the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino sagas in the rearview mirror.
For the past few months, the Falcons were a franchise without a heart, a soul or a face. Now, they've got all three. Now, the healing can begin.
That's what this pick was all about. From a pure football standpoint, there might have been better short-term alternatives. Maybe defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey could have stepped right into new coach Mike Smith's defense and made a more immediate impact. Or maybe just about any of the offensive tackles in this draft could have opened holes for new running back Michael Turner and been a Pro Bowler for the next decade.
And maybe the Falcons could have stayed mediocre for another decade while Atlanta continued to ignore them and focus on the Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. Yeah, it still could play out that way, even with Ryan. But that worst-case scenario is a lot of interceptions and a few years down the road.
For the moment, Ryan brings hope to what was a hopeless situation. No other player in this draft could create as much optimism as Ryan. He is, after all, a quarterback, and quarterbacks are the first players people think of when they think of a football team.
"The Falcons absolutely have to take Ryan,'' a general manager for another NFC team said the day before the draft.
Ryan has more ability than any quarterback in this year's draft. He's got prototypical size (6-foot-5, 220 pounds), a strong arm and all the apparent intangibles. The Falcons, who also traded back into the first round to draft Southern California offensive tackle Sam Baker to protect Ryan's blind side, no longer have to try to convince their fans (and probably some of their own players) that Chris Redman or Joey Harrington can be starters in the NFL.
But this choice wasn't just about taking a passer who broke some of Doug Flutie's records and won a bunch of games.
This was also about erasing the bitter memories of Vick and Petrino. Anyone who thought Vick might return to the Falcons after he's released from a federal penitentiary now can forget it. As a highly drafted quarterback, Ryan's going to face big expectations, although he's probably going to get a pretty significant grace period.
But most importantly, Ryan's going to start with a clean slate. So are the Falcons.
Within minutes after the selection, the Falcons were selling Ryan jerseys on their Web site (No. 8 for $78.50). They'll sell some tickets down the road, too, and that had to factor heavily into that decision.
"To get a quarterback and a left tackle, I'm sure they're excited in Atlanta,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said. "They should be.''
This spring, excitement -- instead of indictment -- is the buzzword suddenly surrounding the Falcons. You've got to believe that's what Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted, and needed, more than anything.
Throughout the hiring of Smith and new general manager Thomas Dimitroff, it repeatedly was made clear the new tandem would have final say over football decisions, and that's a wonderful thing. It never came close to reaching the Daniel Snyder or Jerry Jones level, but Blank had been accused of getting too involved in football matters in the past.
Drafting Ryan was a decision Smith, who has a defensive background, and Dimitroff, who was part of a New England front office that got franchise quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round, had a huge say in.
Smith and Dimitroff knew what they were getting into when they took their jobs. They knew they had to get better football players. They knew they'd have to win some games and they knew they'd have to win back their fans.
They knew football and business decisions would go hand in hand. Forget about final say for a second. The first big decision Smith and Dimitroff made really was the only one that made sense.
In the seconds after commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Boston College quarterback as the No. 3 overall pick, Ryan put on an Atlanta hat, held up a jersey and smiled.
When's the last time you saw an Atlanta quarterback smile? When's the last time you saw anybody with the Falcons smile?
"It's exciting to be a Falcon,'' Ryan said. "I was pumped up when I received the phone call and I just can't wait to get to Atlanta.''
It's hard to find precise records, but it's believed those exact words have been uttered only once before in history -- by Steve Bartkowski, 33 years ago.
This franchise never has had a lot of good days, but the past year has been particularly brutal. Franchise quarterback Michael Vick went to prison on dogfighting charges. Coach Bobby Petrino jumped to Arkansas in the middle of the night without telling his players. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall talked his way out of town, and running back Warrick Dunn and tight end Alge Crumpler -- about the only two remaining Falcons who would be recognized in an Atlanta mall -- were part of an offseason salary purge.
Having a potential franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan should help Atlanta put the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino sagas in the rearview mirror.
For the past few months, the Falcons were a franchise without a heart, a soul or a face. Now, they've got all three. Now, the healing can begin.
That's what this pick was all about. From a pure football standpoint, there might have been better short-term alternatives. Maybe defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey could have stepped right into new coach Mike Smith's defense and made a more immediate impact. Or maybe just about any of the offensive tackles in this draft could have opened holes for new running back Michael Turner and been a Pro Bowler for the next decade.
And maybe the Falcons could have stayed mediocre for another decade while Atlanta continued to ignore them and focus on the Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. Yeah, it still could play out that way, even with Ryan. But that worst-case scenario is a lot of interceptions and a few years down the road.
For the moment, Ryan brings hope to what was a hopeless situation. No other player in this draft could create as much optimism as Ryan. He is, after all, a quarterback, and quarterbacks are the first players people think of when they think of a football team.
"The Falcons absolutely have to take Ryan,'' a general manager for another NFC team said the day before the draft.
Ryan has more ability than any quarterback in this year's draft. He's got prototypical size (6-foot-5, 220 pounds), a strong arm and all the apparent intangibles. The Falcons, who also traded back into the first round to draft Southern California offensive tackle Sam Baker to protect Ryan's blind side, no longer have to try to convince their fans (and probably some of their own players) that Chris Redman or Joey Harrington can be starters in the NFL.
But this choice wasn't just about taking a passer who broke some of Doug Flutie's records and won a bunch of games.
This was also about erasing the bitter memories of Vick and Petrino. Anyone who thought Vick might return to the Falcons after he's released from a federal penitentiary now can forget it. As a highly drafted quarterback, Ryan's going to face big expectations, although he's probably going to get a pretty significant grace period.
But most importantly, Ryan's going to start with a clean slate. So are the Falcons.
Within minutes after the selection, the Falcons were selling Ryan jerseys on their Web site (No. 8 for $78.50). They'll sell some tickets down the road, too, and that had to factor heavily into that decision.
"To get a quarterback and a left tackle, I'm sure they're excited in Atlanta,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said. "They should be.''
This spring, excitement -- instead of indictment -- is the buzzword suddenly surrounding the Falcons. You've got to believe that's what Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted, and needed, more than anything.
Throughout the hiring of Smith and new general manager Thomas Dimitroff, it repeatedly was made clear the new tandem would have final say over football decisions, and that's a wonderful thing. It never came close to reaching the Daniel Snyder or Jerry Jones level, but Blank had been accused of getting too involved in football matters in the past.
Drafting Ryan was a decision Smith, who has a defensive background, and Dimitroff, who was part of a New England front office that got franchise quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round, had a huge say in.
Smith and Dimitroff knew what they were getting into when they took their jobs. They knew they had to get better football players. They knew they'd have to win some games and they knew they'd have to win back their fans.
They knew football and business decisions would go hand in hand. Forget about final say for a second. The first big decision Smith and Dimitroff made really was the only one that made sense.
Mcfadden too hard to resist
On Thursday, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin reiterated what he had said earlier this month: Darren McFadden wasn't needed in Oakland because the Raiders are loaded at the position.
This week, McFadden's mother, Mini Muhammad, was quoted as saying she thought the Bay Area was too big for her Little Rock, Ark., bred son -- thus she didn't want him to be drafted by the Raiders.
What Kiffin and McFadden's mother failed to realize is that Al Davis runs the Oakland Raiders. Davis wanted McFadden and there was no way Davis wasn't going to get him, regardless of the concerns expressed by Kiffin and Muhammad.
Oakland made the University of Arkansas halfback the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft Saturday. McFadden is a Raider because Davis couldn't pass up on the speedy game-breaker who many in the NFL project will have the same immediate impact as Adrian Peterson did last season as a rookie in Minnesota.
Davis just couldn't resist. And you know what? The boss finally might have nailed a draft pick.
The Raiders, who have failed miserably in the draft for the past five years, need an identity. They need a face of the franchise. They need a superstar player who can help turn around the fortunes of perhaps the worst professional sports franchise. In the past five seasons, the Raiders have won 19 games combined -- just three more victories than the New England Patriots captured in the 2007 regular season.
There is no fast fix here, but McFadden gives instant hope to one of the worst offenses in NFL history. Adding one spectacular player who can be a building block is a smart move. McFadden is the right choice.
Sure, Oakland passed on LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who was taken one spot later by AFC West rival Kansas City. Oakland needs a defensive lineman. Dorsey is likely going to be a longtime stalwart who will make multiple Pro Bowl trips.
But Dorsey wouldn't make Oakland relevant. McFadden can. The Vikings are being chatted up as an NFC contender this year because of Peterson's presence. Star running backs bring that type of cachet to a team. McFadden has a chance to be that guy for Oakland. And do the Raiders ever need him to step up and be that guy.
Kiffin has made the point that the Raiders have plenty of running backs.
Between Justin Fargas (who just re-signed with the Raiders this offseason), Dominic Rhodes, LaMont Jordan and Michael Bush, who still is recovering from a serious college leg injury, the Raiders didn't seem to have room for McFadden.
With all due respect to Fargas, Rhodes, Jordan and Bush, the Raiders do have room for McFadden. This is a player who can rush for 1,500 yards and be a threat to score every time he touches the ball. The other Raiders running backs are serviceable. And now they are serviceable reserves. Any team that can throw fresh backs at an opponent in the second half is going to be a team that wins a lot of games.
Darren McFadden (right) took his first NFL handoff Saturday, courtesy of commissioner Roger Goodell.
Plus, McFadden is versatile. Kiffin said Saturday that there might be some instances in which McFadden is spread out as a receiver.
"I think I can fit in that offense well," McFadden said Saturday. "I'm a downhill runner who likes to run."
Kiffin might have wanted to go in another direction, but he is an offensive coach, and he said McFadden gives his team options. He also might improve Kiffin's job security, which is in a permanently fluid situation in Oakland.
McFadden is Oakland's best chance of getting out of its black hole offensively. McFadden's impact on Raiders second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, can't be underestimated. Russell fell way behind last year because of a contract holdout that lasted until September. The presence of McFadden will give Russell security and help him ease into his role.
Even though the Raiders signed receivers Javon Walker and Drew Carter this offseason, they are not receiver-rich. They need a centerpiece, and McFadden can be that player.
If the Raiders are going to break out of their losing rut, it will be because the top picks of the 2007 and 2008 drafts become stars. Russell's life just got easier because of McFadden. Going into this season, the Raiders' offense may no longer be an opposing defensive coordinator's dream. The Raiders, who Kiffin said may have traded down if McFadden wasn't on the board at No. 4, now offer a challenge to defenses.
Oakland is due to hit on a top pick after years of swinging and missing. Tackle/guard Robert Gallery was a gigantic miss in 2004 at No. 2 overall. Safety Michael Huff, the No. 7 pick in 2006, has been nondescript. He was picked ahead of quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler.
And there is no guarantee Russell will be worth his No. 1 pick. With McFadden, though, the Raiders have a real chance for success.
Davis' moves can be maddening. But give him credit on this one. The Raiders need a savior, and McFadden might be it.
This week, McFadden's mother, Mini Muhammad, was quoted as saying she thought the Bay Area was too big for her Little Rock, Ark., bred son -- thus she didn't want him to be drafted by the Raiders.
What Kiffin and McFadden's mother failed to realize is that Al Davis runs the Oakland Raiders. Davis wanted McFadden and there was no way Davis wasn't going to get him, regardless of the concerns expressed by Kiffin and Muhammad.
Oakland made the University of Arkansas halfback the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft Saturday. McFadden is a Raider because Davis couldn't pass up on the speedy game-breaker who many in the NFL project will have the same immediate impact as Adrian Peterson did last season as a rookie in Minnesota.
Davis just couldn't resist. And you know what? The boss finally might have nailed a draft pick.
The Raiders, who have failed miserably in the draft for the past five years, need an identity. They need a face of the franchise. They need a superstar player who can help turn around the fortunes of perhaps the worst professional sports franchise. In the past five seasons, the Raiders have won 19 games combined -- just three more victories than the New England Patriots captured in the 2007 regular season.
There is no fast fix here, but McFadden gives instant hope to one of the worst offenses in NFL history. Adding one spectacular player who can be a building block is a smart move. McFadden is the right choice.
Sure, Oakland passed on LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who was taken one spot later by AFC West rival Kansas City. Oakland needs a defensive lineman. Dorsey is likely going to be a longtime stalwart who will make multiple Pro Bowl trips.
But Dorsey wouldn't make Oakland relevant. McFadden can. The Vikings are being chatted up as an NFC contender this year because of Peterson's presence. Star running backs bring that type of cachet to a team. McFadden has a chance to be that guy for Oakland. And do the Raiders ever need him to step up and be that guy.
Kiffin has made the point that the Raiders have plenty of running backs.
Between Justin Fargas (who just re-signed with the Raiders this offseason), Dominic Rhodes, LaMont Jordan and Michael Bush, who still is recovering from a serious college leg injury, the Raiders didn't seem to have room for McFadden.
With all due respect to Fargas, Rhodes, Jordan and Bush, the Raiders do have room for McFadden. This is a player who can rush for 1,500 yards and be a threat to score every time he touches the ball. The other Raiders running backs are serviceable. And now they are serviceable reserves. Any team that can throw fresh backs at an opponent in the second half is going to be a team that wins a lot of games.
Darren McFadden (right) took his first NFL handoff Saturday, courtesy of commissioner Roger Goodell.
Plus, McFadden is versatile. Kiffin said Saturday that there might be some instances in which McFadden is spread out as a receiver.
"I think I can fit in that offense well," McFadden said Saturday. "I'm a downhill runner who likes to run."
Kiffin might have wanted to go in another direction, but he is an offensive coach, and he said McFadden gives his team options. He also might improve Kiffin's job security, which is in a permanently fluid situation in Oakland.
McFadden is Oakland's best chance of getting out of its black hole offensively. McFadden's impact on Raiders second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, can't be underestimated. Russell fell way behind last year because of a contract holdout that lasted until September. The presence of McFadden will give Russell security and help him ease into his role.
Even though the Raiders signed receivers Javon Walker and Drew Carter this offseason, they are not receiver-rich. They need a centerpiece, and McFadden can be that player.
If the Raiders are going to break out of their losing rut, it will be because the top picks of the 2007 and 2008 drafts become stars. Russell's life just got easier because of McFadden. Going into this season, the Raiders' offense may no longer be an opposing defensive coordinator's dream. The Raiders, who Kiffin said may have traded down if McFadden wasn't on the board at No. 4, now offer a challenge to defenses.
Oakland is due to hit on a top pick after years of swinging and missing. Tackle/guard Robert Gallery was a gigantic miss in 2004 at No. 2 overall. Safety Michael Huff, the No. 7 pick in 2006, has been nondescript. He was picked ahead of quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler.
And there is no guarantee Russell will be worth his No. 1 pick. With McFadden, though, the Raiders have a real chance for success.
Davis' moves can be maddening. But give him credit on this one. The Raiders need a savior, and McFadden might be it.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Dodgers win in 13
The game that started on Friday ended on Saturday and like many tough marathon battles, even in victory there were casualties.
So while the Dodgers took satisfaction in a gutsy 8-7 victory in 13 innings over the Rockies, there was the disappointing reality of yet another serious injury to Nomar Garciaparra.
Only nine days after returning from a broken hand, he pulled the same left calf muscle that put him on the disabled list last year and it will put him there again, as Blake DeWitt will be recalled for Saturday's game after a one-day trip to Las Vegas.
Center fielder Andruw Jones also came out of this game with an injured left calf after fouling a pitch off of it, but he is day-to-day. Matt Kemp took over for Jones and eventually scored the winning run.
There was no DeWitt to take over for Garciaparra when he pulled up lame one step after trying to flag down Scott Podsednik's ninth-inning double down the line. Chin-lung Hu was already in the game as a defensive replacement for second baseman Jeff Kent, Delwyn Young was spent earlier as a pinch-hitter.
All-Star catcher Russell Martin saw the look on manager Joe Torre's face when it became clear that Garciaparra could not continue.
"I knew I was going somewhere," said Martin. "He asked where. I said third. I should have said shortstop, just to mess with Furkey [Rafael Furcal], but he would have laughed and said, no way."
Making his Major League debut at his former Minor League position was only a footnote to a remarkable game for the Dodgers' remarkable Martin, who capped a night of four hits and two walks with the game-winning sacrifice fly.
The rest of the game was just as wild. It included the second blown save of the year by closer Takashi Saito, which occurred when backup catcher Gary Bennett simply missed Saito's first pitch for a game-tying passed ball after Bennett replaced Martin behind the plate.
"I just missed it," said Bennett. "It was a good pitch, down and in, and I just missed it."
But Bennett enjoyed redemption with a key single off loser Taylor Buchholz to fuel the winning rally. Kemp opened the inning with a sharp grounder that shortstop Troy Tulowitzki couldn't backhand for an error. With Kemp stealing second, Bennett singled to right-center and Kemp continued to third.
"It wasn't exactly scalded," said Bennett, "but you just want to make contact there and I did."
Reliever Chan Ho Park batted for himself and grounded out, moving Bennett to second. James Loney was walked intentionally to load the bases which brought up Martin, who lined deep enough to right fielder Brad Hawpe that Kemp could score easily.
"We've been losing a lot of tough games. A win like this one can propel you," said Martin, 9-for-15 in the last five games to raise his average to .276. "I was just looking for something up in the zone to drive and I got a fastball belt-high, out over the plate, and that's exactly what I was looking for."
Aside from Saito, who paid for the cardinal sin of walking the first batter he faced on four pitches, the Dodgers bullpen did what starter Hiroki Kuroda couldn't -- contain the Colorado offense. Kuroda, lacking command of the splitter that made him nasty in his debut against the Padres, allowed five runs in six innings and eventually abandoned his windup.
Rookie Corey Wade and Jonathan Broxton pitched single innings prior to Saito, but the real pitching hero was Park. He threw three scoreless innings of relief to secure his first Dodgers win since 2001 and first Major League win since 2006.
"I am very excited tonight," said Park. "I haven't won a game since before my [stomach] surgery. It's been almost two years and with the kind of year I had last year [released twice], it's hard to believe I'd win another Major League game. I just kept dreaming, and never gave up, and I came back to the Major Leagues and it makes me so happy, for me, and my family, and the fans back in Korea."
Along with Martin's perfect night, the Dodgers had a season-high 16 hits. The game lasted four hours and 38 minutes.
So while the Dodgers took satisfaction in a gutsy 8-7 victory in 13 innings over the Rockies, there was the disappointing reality of yet another serious injury to Nomar Garciaparra.
Only nine days after returning from a broken hand, he pulled the same left calf muscle that put him on the disabled list last year and it will put him there again, as Blake DeWitt will be recalled for Saturday's game after a one-day trip to Las Vegas.
Center fielder Andruw Jones also came out of this game with an injured left calf after fouling a pitch off of it, but he is day-to-day. Matt Kemp took over for Jones and eventually scored the winning run.
There was no DeWitt to take over for Garciaparra when he pulled up lame one step after trying to flag down Scott Podsednik's ninth-inning double down the line. Chin-lung Hu was already in the game as a defensive replacement for second baseman Jeff Kent, Delwyn Young was spent earlier as a pinch-hitter.
All-Star catcher Russell Martin saw the look on manager Joe Torre's face when it became clear that Garciaparra could not continue.
"I knew I was going somewhere," said Martin. "He asked where. I said third. I should have said shortstop, just to mess with Furkey [Rafael Furcal], but he would have laughed and said, no way."
Making his Major League debut at his former Minor League position was only a footnote to a remarkable game for the Dodgers' remarkable Martin, who capped a night of four hits and two walks with the game-winning sacrifice fly.
The rest of the game was just as wild. It included the second blown save of the year by closer Takashi Saito, which occurred when backup catcher Gary Bennett simply missed Saito's first pitch for a game-tying passed ball after Bennett replaced Martin behind the plate.
"I just missed it," said Bennett. "It was a good pitch, down and in, and I just missed it."
But Bennett enjoyed redemption with a key single off loser Taylor Buchholz to fuel the winning rally. Kemp opened the inning with a sharp grounder that shortstop Troy Tulowitzki couldn't backhand for an error. With Kemp stealing second, Bennett singled to right-center and Kemp continued to third.
"It wasn't exactly scalded," said Bennett, "but you just want to make contact there and I did."
Reliever Chan Ho Park batted for himself and grounded out, moving Bennett to second. James Loney was walked intentionally to load the bases which brought up Martin, who lined deep enough to right fielder Brad Hawpe that Kemp could score easily.
"We've been losing a lot of tough games. A win like this one can propel you," said Martin, 9-for-15 in the last five games to raise his average to .276. "I was just looking for something up in the zone to drive and I got a fastball belt-high, out over the plate, and that's exactly what I was looking for."
Aside from Saito, who paid for the cardinal sin of walking the first batter he faced on four pitches, the Dodgers bullpen did what starter Hiroki Kuroda couldn't -- contain the Colorado offense. Kuroda, lacking command of the splitter that made him nasty in his debut against the Padres, allowed five runs in six innings and eventually abandoned his windup.
Rookie Corey Wade and Jonathan Broxton pitched single innings prior to Saito, but the real pitching hero was Park. He threw three scoreless innings of relief to secure his first Dodgers win since 2001 and first Major League win since 2006.
"I am very excited tonight," said Park. "I haven't won a game since before my [stomach] surgery. It's been almost two years and with the kind of year I had last year [released twice], it's hard to believe I'd win another Major League game. I just kept dreaming, and never gave up, and I came back to the Major Leagues and it makes me so happy, for me, and my family, and the fans back in Korea."
Along with Martin's perfect night, the Dodgers had a season-high 16 hits. The game lasted four hours and 38 minutes.
Astros 9th inning comeback gives 6th straight win
The Astros could do nothing against Braden Looper on Friday night at Busch Stadium, but they made up for it in the ninth when Jason Isringhausen took over. The Astros scored three times off the Cardinals closer and were rewarded with a 3-2 win, reaching .500 for the first time this year while extending their winning streak to six.
"That was big for us tonight," manager Cecil Cooper said. "Probably the biggest one this year."
After spending seven innings scratching out two meaningless hits off Looper, the bats came to life in the ninth, and, within minutes, the Astros reversed a 2-0 deficit.
Darin Erstad knocked a one-out base hit to left field off Isringhausen, and he scored when Miguel Tejada sent a triple to the gap in right-center. After unsuccessfully trying to convince home-plate umpire Adrian Johnson that Isringhausen grazed him with a pitch, Lance Berkman lifted a fly ball to left that was deep enough to drive in the tying run.
Carlos Lee wasted no time during his at-bat, taking the first offering from Isringhausen and sending it to the seats in left-center.
The game ended after midnight CT thanks to a two-hour rain delay, but Astros players showed no sign of fatigue as they rehashed their come-from-behind win over their most fierce division rival.
"When you get a performance like that from your pitcher, there's nothing you can do," Lee said of Looper. "He pitched pretty much close to perfect -- never left the ball over the plate, always hitting the corners. He was on tonight. I guess we got lucky he didn't go the distance."
The luck set in when they faced Isringhausen, who took the loss for the second time in three outings.
"I was trying to somewhat pitch around Berkman, not give him anything good to hit, but I left a fastball enough to where he could get the bat on it," Isringhausen said. "And then, with Lee, it was just a pitch over the middle of the plate. Location.
"I kept a pitch away from Miguel and I thought he might roll over, but he stayed on it real well. What are you going to do? And then it was a terrible pitch to Lee. He's done the same thing before to me."
Berkman, who has three hits in 16 career at-bats against Isringhausen, said the St. Louis closer didn't look any different to him.
"He's always tough on me," Berkman said. "I hate facing that guy. He's very good. I know his velocity's down from the past, because he used to be able to throw like 96 [mph]. Heck, maybe he can still throw 96. I don't know. It seems like he goes to the cutter a lot more than he used to. For me, he's probably as tough as any pitcher in the league on me, so I have a tremendous respect for him."
The comeback win erased what would have been an undeserved loss for Shawn Chacon. The right-hander wasn't his sharpest on Friday, but he pitched well enough to win. This has been a recurring theme all month for the right-hander, who held the Cardinals to two runs over seven innings and walked away with a no-decision. He has produced five quality starts, but is winless in '08.
The Cardinals produced eight baserunners in the first two innings, but Chacon managed to keep the damage to a minimum.
"The first inning, I think he just couldn't settle in, couldn't get comfortable," Cooper said. "It looked like he was really kind of scuffling. The ball was running all over the place. He showed me a lot tonight. He stranded seven or eight guys. He really battled. He kept us in it."
Chacon admitted he didn't feel comfortable in the early innings and that he didn't loosen up until at least the third.
"I'm just happy with the way it turned out," he said. "The first inning, you might have thought the game might have been real ugly. For us to come back in the ninth and score three off of Isringhausen was awesome. That just goes to show you that, if you keep the game close as a starter, this team has the potential to score in bunches and to do it in one inning, too."
Reaching the .500 mark for the first time when a season is only 24-games-old might not seem like a big accomplishment, but the meaning was not lost on the Astros.
"We're playing better as a team, we're getting big hits and good pitching," Cooper said. "I guess I can say we're still playing good defense. We're just trying to have a good road trip. I thought if we could win five, six games on the trip it would be great for us."
"It means a lot," Lee said of the .500 mark. "It means we get to start over again."
"That was big for us tonight," manager Cecil Cooper said. "Probably the biggest one this year."
After spending seven innings scratching out two meaningless hits off Looper, the bats came to life in the ninth, and, within minutes, the Astros reversed a 2-0 deficit.
Darin Erstad knocked a one-out base hit to left field off Isringhausen, and he scored when Miguel Tejada sent a triple to the gap in right-center. After unsuccessfully trying to convince home-plate umpire Adrian Johnson that Isringhausen grazed him with a pitch, Lance Berkman lifted a fly ball to left that was deep enough to drive in the tying run.
Carlos Lee wasted no time during his at-bat, taking the first offering from Isringhausen and sending it to the seats in left-center.
The game ended after midnight CT thanks to a two-hour rain delay, but Astros players showed no sign of fatigue as they rehashed their come-from-behind win over their most fierce division rival.
"When you get a performance like that from your pitcher, there's nothing you can do," Lee said of Looper. "He pitched pretty much close to perfect -- never left the ball over the plate, always hitting the corners. He was on tonight. I guess we got lucky he didn't go the distance."
The luck set in when they faced Isringhausen, who took the loss for the second time in three outings.
"I was trying to somewhat pitch around Berkman, not give him anything good to hit, but I left a fastball enough to where he could get the bat on it," Isringhausen said. "And then, with Lee, it was just a pitch over the middle of the plate. Location.
"I kept a pitch away from Miguel and I thought he might roll over, but he stayed on it real well. What are you going to do? And then it was a terrible pitch to Lee. He's done the same thing before to me."
Berkman, who has three hits in 16 career at-bats against Isringhausen, said the St. Louis closer didn't look any different to him.
"He's always tough on me," Berkman said. "I hate facing that guy. He's very good. I know his velocity's down from the past, because he used to be able to throw like 96 [mph]. Heck, maybe he can still throw 96. I don't know. It seems like he goes to the cutter a lot more than he used to. For me, he's probably as tough as any pitcher in the league on me, so I have a tremendous respect for him."
The comeback win erased what would have been an undeserved loss for Shawn Chacon. The right-hander wasn't his sharpest on Friday, but he pitched well enough to win. This has been a recurring theme all month for the right-hander, who held the Cardinals to two runs over seven innings and walked away with a no-decision. He has produced five quality starts, but is winless in '08.
The Cardinals produced eight baserunners in the first two innings, but Chacon managed to keep the damage to a minimum.
"The first inning, I think he just couldn't settle in, couldn't get comfortable," Cooper said. "It looked like he was really kind of scuffling. The ball was running all over the place. He showed me a lot tonight. He stranded seven or eight guys. He really battled. He kept us in it."
Chacon admitted he didn't feel comfortable in the early innings and that he didn't loosen up until at least the third.
"I'm just happy with the way it turned out," he said. "The first inning, you might have thought the game might have been real ugly. For us to come back in the ninth and score three off of Isringhausen was awesome. That just goes to show you that, if you keep the game close as a starter, this team has the potential to score in bunches and to do it in one inning, too."
Reaching the .500 mark for the first time when a season is only 24-games-old might not seem like a big accomplishment, but the meaning was not lost on the Astros.
"We're playing better as a team, we're getting big hits and good pitching," Cooper said. "I guess I can say we're still playing good defense. We're just trying to have a good road trip. I thought if we could win five, six games on the trip it would be great for us."
"It means a lot," Lee said of the .500 mark. "It means we get to start over again."
Big Unit mows down Padres
He loves the challenge.
That's why at age 44, Randy Johnson endured a second back surgery in less than a year last August.
It's why, with his ticket to the Hall of Fame long since punched, he was on the mound at PETCO Park on Friday night.
Against a team that beat him less than a week earlier at Chase Field, Johnson allowed just one run in six innings to pick up his first win since June 10, as the D-backs beat the Padres, 5-1.
It was Johnson's third start of the year and by far his best as he allowed three hits and walked two while striking out seven. He threw 94 pitches, 56 for strikes.
"I'm getting to where I want to be," said Johnson, who notched career win No. 285. "My body felt good today."
The Arizona offense gave Johnson an early lead as the D-backs scored five runs in the third inning off San Diego starter Randy Wolf.
Mark Reynolds' three-run homer over the wall in center to cap the inning will be what people remember most, but Reynolds wouldn't have come to the plate if it hadn't been for Conor Jackson.
The Padres played Jackson to pull so when he hit a grounder the opposite way, Padres second baseman Callix Crabbe had to range far to his left before fielding the ball in shallow right. Crabbe whirled and tried to get Jackson at first, but his throw sailed high and Jackson was safe and Orlando Hudson moved to third.
Reynolds followed and worked the count to 2-1 before hitting his seventh homer of the year.
"Great offense by our hitters," Johnson said. "Good defense. Every facet of our game was solid today."
The Padres looked like they were going to get right back into the game in the fourth, when they loaded the bases with one out. Johnson, though, got Josh Bard looking on a backdoor breaking ball.
Crabbe then singled to drive in one run and with the bases still juiced, former D-back Tony Clark strolled to the plate.
It was the kind of matchup that Johnson relished and knows he will someday miss when he retires.
"I know what Tony's strength is and I know what my strength is," Johnson said. "And if you execute a pitch, there's a good chance you can get him out."
Johnson did just that with a 1-2 slider that Clark swung through to end the inning.
"That could have been a big inning, so to just give up the one run and still have a four-run lead was huge," Johnson said.
It was also quite a bit different from Johnson's last outing against the Padres, when he faced a similar situation and couldn't get out of it as Justin Huber hit a three-run homer and San Diego scored five times in the sixth.
After that game, Johnson replayed over in his mind the pitches he made to Huber as well as Adrian Gonzalez, who had an RBI double. "What were my mistakes there?" he asked himself. His answers helped him formulate his game plan for Friday.
"I actually analyze more of my games and my pitches now because I have to realize where my mistakes are made," Johnson said. "Whereas in the past, when I was younger and throwing 98 [mph], I was young and dumb and threw hard."
Nowadays, Johnson is wiser from experience and while he can still touch 96 mph, which he did once Friday, his fastball usually registers in the low 90s and that leaves less of a margin for error.
Though he's had limited work with the bat in deference to trying to not reinjure his back, Johnson was able to get down a sacrifice bunt and also lined a single to center.
"This is the reason why I'm playing, because I feel I can do these kind of games when I'm healthy," he said. "That's why I'm still playing. Because I still enjoy being competitive. I still enjoy going out and doing that. I'm 44 years old and still enjoy grabbing a bat and trying to put the ball in play.
"I enjoy all that. I just feel like I can still pitch and have a couple of good games left in me."
That's why at age 44, Randy Johnson endured a second back surgery in less than a year last August.
It's why, with his ticket to the Hall of Fame long since punched, he was on the mound at PETCO Park on Friday night.
Against a team that beat him less than a week earlier at Chase Field, Johnson allowed just one run in six innings to pick up his first win since June 10, as the D-backs beat the Padres, 5-1.
It was Johnson's third start of the year and by far his best as he allowed three hits and walked two while striking out seven. He threw 94 pitches, 56 for strikes.
"I'm getting to where I want to be," said Johnson, who notched career win No. 285. "My body felt good today."
The Arizona offense gave Johnson an early lead as the D-backs scored five runs in the third inning off San Diego starter Randy Wolf.
Mark Reynolds' three-run homer over the wall in center to cap the inning will be what people remember most, but Reynolds wouldn't have come to the plate if it hadn't been for Conor Jackson.
The Padres played Jackson to pull so when he hit a grounder the opposite way, Padres second baseman Callix Crabbe had to range far to his left before fielding the ball in shallow right. Crabbe whirled and tried to get Jackson at first, but his throw sailed high and Jackson was safe and Orlando Hudson moved to third.
Reynolds followed and worked the count to 2-1 before hitting his seventh homer of the year.
"Great offense by our hitters," Johnson said. "Good defense. Every facet of our game was solid today."
The Padres looked like they were going to get right back into the game in the fourth, when they loaded the bases with one out. Johnson, though, got Josh Bard looking on a backdoor breaking ball.
Crabbe then singled to drive in one run and with the bases still juiced, former D-back Tony Clark strolled to the plate.
It was the kind of matchup that Johnson relished and knows he will someday miss when he retires.
"I know what Tony's strength is and I know what my strength is," Johnson said. "And if you execute a pitch, there's a good chance you can get him out."
Johnson did just that with a 1-2 slider that Clark swung through to end the inning.
"That could have been a big inning, so to just give up the one run and still have a four-run lead was huge," Johnson said.
It was also quite a bit different from Johnson's last outing against the Padres, when he faced a similar situation and couldn't get out of it as Justin Huber hit a three-run homer and San Diego scored five times in the sixth.
After that game, Johnson replayed over in his mind the pitches he made to Huber as well as Adrian Gonzalez, who had an RBI double. "What were my mistakes there?" he asked himself. His answers helped him formulate his game plan for Friday.
"I actually analyze more of my games and my pitches now because I have to realize where my mistakes are made," Johnson said. "Whereas in the past, when I was younger and throwing 98 [mph], I was young and dumb and threw hard."
Nowadays, Johnson is wiser from experience and while he can still touch 96 mph, which he did once Friday, his fastball usually registers in the low 90s and that leaves less of a margin for error.
Though he's had limited work with the bat in deference to trying to not reinjure his back, Johnson was able to get down a sacrifice bunt and also lined a single to center.
"This is the reason why I'm playing, because I feel I can do these kind of games when I'm healthy," he said. "That's why I'm still playing. Because I still enjoy being competitive. I still enjoy going out and doing that. I'm 44 years old and still enjoy grabbing a bat and trying to put the ball in play.
"I enjoy all that. I just feel like I can still pitch and have a couple of good games left in me."
Hockey,yes I watch Hockey and I'm a fan
I'm a Pittsburg Penguins hockey fan, yes I admit it i watch Hockey i just never write about it because it doesn't appeal to the general audience, but here after a 5-4 comeback victory last night in the Eastern Conference semi-finals I'm going to write about it. A memorable Pittsburgh comeback left the Penguins laughing at each other, an improbable victory accomplished. And left the New York Rangers, with their decided edge in experience, wondering how they possibly could lose such a big lead in such a big game.
Evgeni Malkin deflected Sidney Crosby's one-timer from the right point on a Pittsburgh power play with 1:41 remaining to finish a frantic comeback, and the Penguins rallied from a three-goal deficit against the Rangers for a 5-4 victory in their second-round playoff series opener Friday night.
Fast Facts
• Penguins center Sidney Crosby had two assists in the game and has 10 points in five playoff games this season.
• This is the first time the Penguins have overcome a three-goal deficit in the playoffs since Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup finals against Chicago.
• The Rangers drop to 93-2 all-time in playoff games during which they held a three-goal lead. Their other loss came on April 6, 1967 against the Canadiens. They led 4-1 before falling 6-4.
-- ESPN Research
Petr Sykora and Marian Hossa scored 20 seconds apart early in the third period during Pittsburgh's second such flurry of their rally, and the Penguins shook off Scott Gomez's tying goal midway through the period to win it.
"A game is never finished for us," Sykora said, referring to the Penguins' wealth of scorers. "We have the power to score a lot of goals here. It doesn't matter if we're down one, two, three goals."
The Rangers lost for the first time in four road games in these playoffs, an unexpected ending after they seized the momentum and, it seemed, control of the game with a 3-0 lead. But they couldn't have guessed the Penguins would twice score two goals in 20 seconds or less against a team known for its defensive commitment and patience.
"Pittsburgh isn't where they're at because they're a poor team and they don't know how to bounce back," coach Tom Renney said. "We were certainly aware of that -- almost to a fault."
Just when it appeared the two Atlantic Division rivals were headed to overtime, one of the many former Penguins who played a key role in the game, Martin Straka, was called for interference with 3:20 remaining.
Crosby took Ryan Whitney's pass and, shooting beyond his normal range from beyond the right circle, put a slap shot on net that deflected off Malkin's shin guard for the Penguins' only power-play goal. The play was briefly reviewed to make sure Malkin didn't kick the puck into the net.
"I saw it was going wide and I reached for it and it hit Malkin's leg and went in," goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. "We just have to forget this. I don't want to think about it, I just want to move on."
Crosby doesn't own the best slap shot, so Malkin marveled at how he could take such a good one at such a key time.
"His slap shot is, uhh, not that good," Malkin said through an interpreter. "That shot he just put everything in it, all the motion, all the power and he shot that puck that hard."
So hard, they probably felt it in New York.
"[Ahead] 3-0 in the playoffs, you'd like to think it's over, but what are you going to do?" Gomez said. "We can't get in a track meet with those guys. It's over, there's nothing you can do about it."
Game 2 is Sunday in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have won their last 11.
"That one hurts. I thought we had it," Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr said. "The second one is going to be even tougher, but we have to do it somehow."
The Rangers had tied it at 4 after Jagr -- who won the Stanley Cup in his first two NHL seasons with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 -- carried the puck behind the net, then threw it in front, missing Straka but finding Gomez for a one-timer.
Long before that, Jarkko Ruutu and Pascal Dupuis scored in a span of 14 seconds midway through the second period to get the Penguins back in it after the crafty, patient Rangers appeared to be in control.
"They maybe thought we were going to close the book right there, but we came back hard," Dupuis said.
In a game filled with fortuitous bounces and deflections on a poor ice surface in which nearly every goal ticked off a skate or took a lucky hop, the Rangers took their big lead on goals by Straka, Chris Drury and Sean Avery against Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Drury and Avery, the super pest who riled up the New Jersey Devils during the Rangers' five-game opening round series, scored 1:45 apart early in the second.
Former Penguins defenseman Michal Rozsival had three assists, and defenseman Marc Staal, brother of the Penguins' Jordan Staal, set up two goals. Jordan Staal also had an assist.
But as secure as that 3-0 lead must have looked to Rangers fans with Vezina Trophy finalist Lundqvist in net, the Penguins have the speed and the skill to get back in a game in a hurry. And they did.
"We don't want to behind like that, but we didn't quit and got some bounces and stayed with it," Crosby said. "A lot of goals went off guys. It was one of those weird games where pucks were bouncing everywhere."
Ruutu scored 8:13 into the second to give the white-wearing Penguins crowd its first bit of life since an early surge in which the Penguins had the first eight shots. It became a game again only 14 seconds later when Crosby stole the puck from Christian Backman and set up Dupuis for a one-timer from the left circle.
Hossa tied it early in the third on a goal that may have deflected off Gomez's skate, and Sykora got his fourth of the playoffs only 20 seconds later on a 3-on-2 break with Malkin and Ryan Malone.
Game notesThe Penguins are 3-0 in playoff series against the Rangers, winning in 1989, 1992 and 1996. ... Pittsburgh won the first game in each of those series. ... Lundqvist is 12-7-3 against Pittsburgh in his career.
Evgeni Malkin deflected Sidney Crosby's one-timer from the right point on a Pittsburgh power play with 1:41 remaining to finish a frantic comeback, and the Penguins rallied from a three-goal deficit against the Rangers for a 5-4 victory in their second-round playoff series opener Friday night.
Fast Facts
• Penguins center Sidney Crosby had two assists in the game and has 10 points in five playoff games this season.
• This is the first time the Penguins have overcome a three-goal deficit in the playoffs since Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup finals against Chicago.
• The Rangers drop to 93-2 all-time in playoff games during which they held a three-goal lead. Their other loss came on April 6, 1967 against the Canadiens. They led 4-1 before falling 6-4.
-- ESPN Research
Petr Sykora and Marian Hossa scored 20 seconds apart early in the third period during Pittsburgh's second such flurry of their rally, and the Penguins shook off Scott Gomez's tying goal midway through the period to win it.
"A game is never finished for us," Sykora said, referring to the Penguins' wealth of scorers. "We have the power to score a lot of goals here. It doesn't matter if we're down one, two, three goals."
The Rangers lost for the first time in four road games in these playoffs, an unexpected ending after they seized the momentum and, it seemed, control of the game with a 3-0 lead. But they couldn't have guessed the Penguins would twice score two goals in 20 seconds or less against a team known for its defensive commitment and patience.
"Pittsburgh isn't where they're at because they're a poor team and they don't know how to bounce back," coach Tom Renney said. "We were certainly aware of that -- almost to a fault."
Just when it appeared the two Atlantic Division rivals were headed to overtime, one of the many former Penguins who played a key role in the game, Martin Straka, was called for interference with 3:20 remaining.
Crosby took Ryan Whitney's pass and, shooting beyond his normal range from beyond the right circle, put a slap shot on net that deflected off Malkin's shin guard for the Penguins' only power-play goal. The play was briefly reviewed to make sure Malkin didn't kick the puck into the net.
"I saw it was going wide and I reached for it and it hit Malkin's leg and went in," goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. "We just have to forget this. I don't want to think about it, I just want to move on."
Crosby doesn't own the best slap shot, so Malkin marveled at how he could take such a good one at such a key time.
"His slap shot is, uhh, not that good," Malkin said through an interpreter. "That shot he just put everything in it, all the motion, all the power and he shot that puck that hard."
So hard, they probably felt it in New York.
"[Ahead] 3-0 in the playoffs, you'd like to think it's over, but what are you going to do?" Gomez said. "We can't get in a track meet with those guys. It's over, there's nothing you can do about it."
Game 2 is Sunday in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have won their last 11.
"That one hurts. I thought we had it," Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr said. "The second one is going to be even tougher, but we have to do it somehow."
The Rangers had tied it at 4 after Jagr -- who won the Stanley Cup in his first two NHL seasons with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 -- carried the puck behind the net, then threw it in front, missing Straka but finding Gomez for a one-timer.
Long before that, Jarkko Ruutu and Pascal Dupuis scored in a span of 14 seconds midway through the second period to get the Penguins back in it after the crafty, patient Rangers appeared to be in control.
"They maybe thought we were going to close the book right there, but we came back hard," Dupuis said.
In a game filled with fortuitous bounces and deflections on a poor ice surface in which nearly every goal ticked off a skate or took a lucky hop, the Rangers took their big lead on goals by Straka, Chris Drury and Sean Avery against Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Drury and Avery, the super pest who riled up the New Jersey Devils during the Rangers' five-game opening round series, scored 1:45 apart early in the second.
Former Penguins defenseman Michal Rozsival had three assists, and defenseman Marc Staal, brother of the Penguins' Jordan Staal, set up two goals. Jordan Staal also had an assist.
But as secure as that 3-0 lead must have looked to Rangers fans with Vezina Trophy finalist Lundqvist in net, the Penguins have the speed and the skill to get back in a game in a hurry. And they did.
"We don't want to behind like that, but we didn't quit and got some bounces and stayed with it," Crosby said. "A lot of goals went off guys. It was one of those weird games where pucks were bouncing everywhere."
Ruutu scored 8:13 into the second to give the white-wearing Penguins crowd its first bit of life since an early surge in which the Penguins had the first eight shots. It became a game again only 14 seconds later when Crosby stole the puck from Christian Backman and set up Dupuis for a one-timer from the left circle.
Hossa tied it early in the third on a goal that may have deflected off Gomez's skate, and Sykora got his fourth of the playoffs only 20 seconds later on a 3-on-2 break with Malkin and Ryan Malone.
Game notesThe Penguins are 3-0 in playoff series against the Rangers, winning in 1989, 1992 and 1996. ... Pittsburgh won the first game in each of those series. ... Lundqvist is 12-7-3 against Pittsburgh in his career.
Instant offense off bench
Jose Calderon came off the bench to score 18 points and his fellow sub Jason Kapono scored 15 points in the Raptors' 108-94 Game 3 win over the Magic. Calderon, Kapono, and Carlos Delfino all scored at least 15 points off the bench in Game 2 - something no three teammates had done in an NBA playoff game since 1990. The last trio to do so was Todd Lichti, Blair Rasmussen, and Walter Davis of the Nuggets.
Notes and quotes
FRIDAY'S BEST Dirk Nowitzki, forward: With a 3-0 series deficit staring them in the face, the Mavericks turned to the reigning league MVP to get them going. He didn't disappoint, scoring 32 points, grabbing 19 boards and handing out six assists.
FRIDAY'S WORSTShaquille O'Neal, center: Phoenix traded for Shaq in an attempt to move one step closer to reaching the NBA Finals. After Friday's home loss to the Spurs in Game 3, the Suns are on the verge of being swept -- something that has happened to O'Neal six times in his career (see below).
Take Out the Brooms
Year
Matchup
Playoff Result
1994
Magic-Pacers
First round
1995
Magic-Rockets
NBA Finals
1996
Magic-Bulls
Conf. finals
1998
Lakers-Jazz
Conf. finals
1999
Lakers-Spurs
Conf. semifinals
2007
Heat-Bulls
First round
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT"They're not supposed to be where they're at. They're up 2-1 against a team nobody thought they could beat. I could understand why they're happy." -- Chauncey Billups on the Sixers who have taken the home-court advantage from the Pistons.
FRIDAY'S WORSTShaquille O'Neal, center: Phoenix traded for Shaq in an attempt to move one step closer to reaching the NBA Finals. After Friday's home loss to the Spurs in Game 3, the Suns are on the verge of being swept -- something that has happened to O'Neal six times in his career (see below).
Take Out the Brooms
Year
Matchup
Playoff Result
1994
Magic-Pacers
First round
1995
Magic-Rockets
NBA Finals
1996
Magic-Bulls
Conf. finals
1998
Lakers-Jazz
Conf. finals
1999
Lakers-Spurs
Conf. semifinals
2007
Heat-Bulls
First round
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT"They're not supposed to be where they're at. They're up 2-1 against a team nobody thought they could beat. I could understand why they're happy." -- Chauncey Billups on the Sixers who have taken the home-court advantage from the Pistons.
Phoenix falls,3-0 Spurs
The Phoenix Suns had their chance to take a stand, to defend their home court, to justify their bold mid-season trade for Shaquille O'Neal, to show why this group and this system should continue.
Instead they fell, fast and hard, looking less like a cohesive unit and more like a mismatched collection of parts that the San Antonio Spurs easily dismantled, 115-99, in Game 3. They never found something to stand by or stand on, and thus moved a step closer to extinction.
The most anticipated first-round matchup ever is turning into a dud, headed to sweepsville in a series that's getting less competitive by the game. That double-overtime thriller in the opener seems like it was two months ago, and it's getting harder to believe the Suns were the superior team most of that night.
Now, after all of the battles and adjustments, the Suns still haven't found a player or pattern they can count on for a full 48 minutes against the Spurs.
The Spurs, meanwhile, showed the difference between searching and choosing. While the Suns have sought something, anything, to rely on in the second half, the Spurs merely selected a different star to accent each night. In Game 1 it was Tim Duncan scoring 40 points. In Game 2 Manu Ginobili took over in the fourth quarter. And in Game 3 Tony Parker set the tone for a dominant Spurs night, when he got the bucket or the assist on 12 of San Antonio's first 13 field goals.
The Suns never figured Parker out. He hit them for 41 points and 12 assists.
"We tried to take out their king," Stoudemire said, referring to Duncan. "But when you're playing the game of chess, there's always that queen that steps up and hits you from the blind side."
Stoudemire was just making an analogy, not questioning Parker's masculinity. There was nothing but respect from the Suns for the way the Spurs played. And if you read between the lines, there wasn't much confidence in the way the Suns coaches countered it, or the approach they've taken.
Only three of Parker's baskets came in the paint, meaning the Suns at least accomplished their objective of keeping him from getting to the basket.
"That was, sort of, the game plan," Suns guard Steve Nash said. "But when he starts making all the shots we've probably got to adjust."
The Suns never found a way to get the ball out of his hands early, before he could become a playmaker.
"We tried to double, not double, switch, not switch," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They were almost perfect."
The Suns also went to a zone for a while, but the first time they unveiled it Parker sliced right through it. That's the problem when a team that isn't known for its defense tries to win a game by making defensive adjustments on the fly in the playoffs. "It's not really about offense," O'Neal said. "It's about defense. Defense wins games."
After Parker hit a 3-pointer to make the score 101-85, a frustrated Suns owner Robert Sarver slammed his foam No.1 finger to the ground. Maybe it dawned on him that he could only have two of the money-making home playoff games to show for his $70 million roster.
They brought in O'Neal -- who still has another two years and $40 million left on his contract -- to make them bigger and tougher. But it's hard to change a mindset on the fly.
Popovich made the most relevant comment of the night.
"Both teams pretty much have to do what they do," he said. "After 100 games that we've played you're not going to change your system. You might adjust a bit, but you're not going to do anything drastic."
The playoffs are a time of revelation, not transformation. Who you are, what you're about, gets exposed. You don't get to reinvent yourself.
The Spurs, for example, have always made a point to limit the Suns' transition baskets, even if it makes forsaking offensive rebounds to get back on defense. They also emphasize denying 3-point shots; the Suns tried only three in each half for a total that was 15 below their nightly average during the season. (Parker was one of the Spurs' defenders closing out on the Suns' 3-point shooters, another thing he did well Friday).
As an added wrinkle this series, Popovich has been fouling O'Neal away from the ball and sending him to the free-throw line. Nash said the constant stops affected his rhythm on a night he took only eight shots and made three (plus a technical free throw) for seven points.
"I felt like an outsider," Nash said.
The Spurs were right at home, beating the Suns for the 15th time in their past 20 playoff meetings, holding the Suns below 100 points for the fifth time in their seven meetings in 2007-08.
Instead they fell, fast and hard, looking less like a cohesive unit and more like a mismatched collection of parts that the San Antonio Spurs easily dismantled, 115-99, in Game 3. They never found something to stand by or stand on, and thus moved a step closer to extinction.
The most anticipated first-round matchup ever is turning into a dud, headed to sweepsville in a series that's getting less competitive by the game. That double-overtime thriller in the opener seems like it was two months ago, and it's getting harder to believe the Suns were the superior team most of that night.
Now, after all of the battles and adjustments, the Suns still haven't found a player or pattern they can count on for a full 48 minutes against the Spurs.
The Spurs, meanwhile, showed the difference between searching and choosing. While the Suns have sought something, anything, to rely on in the second half, the Spurs merely selected a different star to accent each night. In Game 1 it was Tim Duncan scoring 40 points. In Game 2 Manu Ginobili took over in the fourth quarter. And in Game 3 Tony Parker set the tone for a dominant Spurs night, when he got the bucket or the assist on 12 of San Antonio's first 13 field goals.
The Suns never figured Parker out. He hit them for 41 points and 12 assists.
"We tried to take out their king," Stoudemire said, referring to Duncan. "But when you're playing the game of chess, there's always that queen that steps up and hits you from the blind side."
Stoudemire was just making an analogy, not questioning Parker's masculinity. There was nothing but respect from the Suns for the way the Spurs played. And if you read between the lines, there wasn't much confidence in the way the Suns coaches countered it, or the approach they've taken.
Only three of Parker's baskets came in the paint, meaning the Suns at least accomplished their objective of keeping him from getting to the basket.
"That was, sort of, the game plan," Suns guard Steve Nash said. "But when he starts making all the shots we've probably got to adjust."
The Suns never found a way to get the ball out of his hands early, before he could become a playmaker.
"We tried to double, not double, switch, not switch," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They were almost perfect."
The Suns also went to a zone for a while, but the first time they unveiled it Parker sliced right through it. That's the problem when a team that isn't known for its defense tries to win a game by making defensive adjustments on the fly in the playoffs. "It's not really about offense," O'Neal said. "It's about defense. Defense wins games."
After Parker hit a 3-pointer to make the score 101-85, a frustrated Suns owner Robert Sarver slammed his foam No.1 finger to the ground. Maybe it dawned on him that he could only have two of the money-making home playoff games to show for his $70 million roster.
They brought in O'Neal -- who still has another two years and $40 million left on his contract -- to make them bigger and tougher. But it's hard to change a mindset on the fly.
Popovich made the most relevant comment of the night.
"Both teams pretty much have to do what they do," he said. "After 100 games that we've played you're not going to change your system. You might adjust a bit, but you're not going to do anything drastic."
The playoffs are a time of revelation, not transformation. Who you are, what you're about, gets exposed. You don't get to reinvent yourself.
The Spurs, for example, have always made a point to limit the Suns' transition baskets, even if it makes forsaking offensive rebounds to get back on defense. They also emphasize denying 3-point shots; the Suns tried only three in each half for a total that was 15 below their nightly average during the season. (Parker was one of the Spurs' defenders closing out on the Suns' 3-point shooters, another thing he did well Friday).
As an added wrinkle this series, Popovich has been fouling O'Neal away from the ball and sending him to the free-throw line. Nash said the constant stops affected his rhythm on a night he took only eight shots and made three (plus a technical free throw) for seven points.
"I felt like an outsider," Nash said.
The Spurs were right at home, beating the Suns for the 15th time in their past 20 playoff meetings, holding the Suns below 100 points for the fifth time in their seven meetings in 2007-08.
76ers win huge
It wasn't until the middle part of the third quarter that the sellout crowd began to get a true fix on what was happening before their very eyes.
They had been watching it, of course, but there seemed to be some sort of collective disbelief in the building, a sense of "This can't really be happening, can it?"
Suddenly, though, that collective skepticism morphed into a sustained roar at the moment Samuel Dalembert outworked Rasheed Wallace to grab one of Philadelphia's 11 offensive rebounds, one of an endless number of hustle plays that the Sixers pulled off throughout the night in a 95-75 stunner of a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.
They had been watching it, of course, but there seemed to be some sort of collective disbelief in the building, a sense of "This can't really be happening, can it?"
Suddenly, though, that collective skepticism morphed into a sustained roar at the moment Samuel Dalembert outworked Rasheed Wallace to grab one of Philadelphia's 11 offensive rebounds, one of an endless number of hustle plays that the Sixers pulled off throughout the night in a 95-75 stunner of a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.
Dallas pulls off win
They are purportedly tuning out the coach. They are definitely generating unsavory, ill-timed headlines. They are also undoubtedly wondering just how they let Jannero Pargo shake loose for 30 points in the biggest game of the season.
Yet you have to give this much to the teetering Dallas Mavericks: They've never let Chris Paul win a game in their building.
Never, ever.
The smallest MVP candidate in circulation hasn't been denied much in this storybook season, but he's still waiting for his first W as a pro in Big D. Reasonable as it seemed to expect that breakthrough to finally come Friday night -- with all the various dramas weighing down Avery Johnson, Josh Howard and the rest of the Mavericks -- Paul surprised us all by responding to some desperate hounding from the Mavs by submitting a couple of 2-for-9 shooting halves.
Combined with an MVP game from Dirk Nowitzki and high emotion from the home team that the other Hornets couldn't match, either, Dallas had just enough to secure a 97-87 triumph in Game 3 that realistically saved its season.
Avery's job? There's a growing expectation within the organization and around the league that not even Dallas coming back to win this series would be enough to save that, given the depth of the Mavs' slide since they came within two wins of the championship under Johnson in 2006. In his last 13 playoff games, Johnson is just 3-10.
It'll certainly take more than one victory, furthermore, to shield Howard from the unwanted glare he has guaranteed himself after stunningly choosing the afternoon before such a crucial game to spend nearly a half-hour discussing his offseason marijuana use on ESPN Radio's local affiliate.
The Mavs have, however, succeeded in giving us a series by slicing their deficit to 2-1 ... and they've managed to give Paul something to ponder between now and Sunday night's Game 4. Although it's difficult to imagine Paul shooting 4-for-18 again, it's reasonable to assume that the Hornets A) are well aware that the franchise doesn't have a win in this city since (no misprint) 1998 and B) know well that their little dynamo is 0-6 here, 0-3 this season and 0-2 in the last 10 days.
Not that you should expect Dallas to do any crowing about that. Johnson made the right (some would say overdue) call by moving Jason Terry into the starting lineup ahead of Jerry Stackhouse -- and Terry duly supplied the energy at both ends to make Paul work far harder than he did in his two New Orleans masterpieces -- but numerous Mavs were careful to say that Paul merely missed shots he usually makes.
Yet you have to give this much to the teetering Dallas Mavericks: They've never let Chris Paul win a game in their building.
Never, ever.
The smallest MVP candidate in circulation hasn't been denied much in this storybook season, but he's still waiting for his first W as a pro in Big D. Reasonable as it seemed to expect that breakthrough to finally come Friday night -- with all the various dramas weighing down Avery Johnson, Josh Howard and the rest of the Mavericks -- Paul surprised us all by responding to some desperate hounding from the Mavs by submitting a couple of 2-for-9 shooting halves.
Combined with an MVP game from Dirk Nowitzki and high emotion from the home team that the other Hornets couldn't match, either, Dallas had just enough to secure a 97-87 triumph in Game 3 that realistically saved its season.
Avery's job? There's a growing expectation within the organization and around the league that not even Dallas coming back to win this series would be enough to save that, given the depth of the Mavs' slide since they came within two wins of the championship under Johnson in 2006. In his last 13 playoff games, Johnson is just 3-10.
It'll certainly take more than one victory, furthermore, to shield Howard from the unwanted glare he has guaranteed himself after stunningly choosing the afternoon before such a crucial game to spend nearly a half-hour discussing his offseason marijuana use on ESPN Radio's local affiliate.
The Mavs have, however, succeeded in giving us a series by slicing their deficit to 2-1 ... and they've managed to give Paul something to ponder between now and Sunday night's Game 4. Although it's difficult to imagine Paul shooting 4-for-18 again, it's reasonable to assume that the Hornets A) are well aware that the franchise doesn't have a win in this city since (no misprint) 1998 and B) know well that their little dynamo is 0-6 here, 0-3 this season and 0-2 in the last 10 days.
Not that you should expect Dallas to do any crowing about that. Johnson made the right (some would say overdue) call by moving Jason Terry into the starting lineup ahead of Jerry Stackhouse -- and Terry duly supplied the energy at both ends to make Paul work far harder than he did in his two New Orleans masterpieces -- but numerous Mavs were careful to say that Paul merely missed shots he usually makes.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Giants Needs because we can't go through everyone
Linebacker is perhaps the greatest area of need for the Giants after they lost both of their starting outside linebackers to free agency, and the defection of S Gibril Wilson to the Raiders created a hole at the safety position, as well. With starting WRs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer in their 30s and having been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, the Giants need to start developing a future wideout. The starters on the offensive line are solid and established, but the team could use some depth here, as well.
Broncos Needs
The Broncos spent the majority of their picks on the defensive line last year, and that still is a concern for the team. The team ranked 30th against the run last year. The offensive line could use a boost, particularly at left tackle. Receiver concerns became a bigger priority after Brandon Marshall suffered a freak injury. They could also draft a running back
Bills Draft Needs
Having lost two players in free agency to a unit that was already somewhat supsect, the Bills have a major need at the tight end position. They did add backup Courtney Anderson, but could still use a young pass-catching tight end to give second-year QB Trent Edwards a reliable target in the middle of the field. The Bills also could use a talented possession receiver to go along with speedster Lee Evans and a backup RB to compliment Marshawn Lynch. Defensively, the Bills are still looking for a suitable replacement for Nate Clements who they lost last year in free agency.
Saints
The Saints finished a disappointing 30th in pass defense last year. They added Patriots backup Randall Gay in free agency, but still need to find a top-flight shutdown corner. Elsewhere on the defense, the Saints also have needs at LB and DL. The addition of Jonathan Vilma should strengthen a pedestrian LB unit, but they could still use another playmaker. Charles Grant's offseason ankle surgery is a concern and the Saints would be well served to grab another DE. Offensively, the team would like to develop a young TE to go along with re-signed veterans Billy Miller and Eric Johnson.
Bengals Needs
The Bengals have not ranked higher than 19th defensively in the last five seasons and have many gaping holes on that side of the ball. Perhaps most pressing is defensive line. The team lost DE Justin Smith in free agency and need to find a young pass-rusher on the edge to replace him. They also need a stud DT up the middle to help with the 21st ranked rush defense. The team also has to find a LB to boost a unit that was devastated by injuries last year. Rounding out the defensive concerns are a safety to replace Madieu Williams who was lost in free agency. Offensively, the team could use a pass-catching tight end.
Ravens needs
The looming retirement of Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden has created a major void along the offensive line. The other major offensive need for the Ravens is at quarterback where they have struggled for years. Defensively, the team could use an infusion of youth at the DE, LB and CB positions to reenergize an aging unit
Patriots Needs
The loss of Pro Bowler Asante Samuel and veteran Randall Gay has created a need at the cornerback position for the Patriots. They signed a trio of lesser known corners in free agency, but still need an impact player to replace Samuel. Safety is also an area of concern for the Patriots with Rodney Harrison aging and Eugene Wilson having signed with the Buccaneers. Linebacker is another position of need with all four starters over 30 and showing signs of slowing down. Offensively, the Patriots would like to add some depth along the offensive line.
Jets Needs
With Thomas Jones entering his 10th season and coming off a year that saw him average fewer yards per carry than he had since his second season, RB is one of the Jets' biggest needs. They would like to find an explosive young rusher who can spell Jones and eventually supplant the veteran. Wide receiver is also an area of need with veteran Laveranues Coles having endured a slew of injuries last year. Defensively, the team is in dire need of a hybrid linebacker/defensive end to give coach Eric Mangini the versatility he seeks in his complex 3-4 scheme
Chiefs Needs
The Chiefs have never really overcome the retirement of two Hall of Fame offensive linemen in consecutive years. The team nearly ignored the offensive line in last year's draft. The Chiefs could get younger at cornerback with Ty Law and Patrick Surtain each in their 30s, and would like to find a replacement for the departed Jared Allen as well. Dwayne Bowe was nice for the Chiefs as a rookie, but the team could still use another receiver. The Chiefs say Brodie Croyle is their future QB, but don't be surprised if they take a quarterback in the first two rounds.
Falcons needs
The Falcons have a lot of needs, but finding a quarterback of the future is among the biggest. Although the team re-signed veterans Joey Harrington and Chris Redman, neither figures to be the long-term solution. The Falcons also have significant concerns along both lines. The defensive line has underacheived and needs an impact playmaker, while the offensive line has been a patchwork unit. The release of Alge Crumpler created a void at tight end and the fact the team was one of only 10 last season not to record a special teams return touchdown signals a need for a dynamic returner.
Raiders draft needs
The Raiders drafted their quarterback last season, now they must find a No. 1 receiver (despite acquiring Javon Walker). The team has long had a need at offensive line and should address that early. The team spent some money on the defensive line in free agency, but could still use some youth at defensive end and defensive tackle. The Raiders have two stellar cornerbacks but could use an upgrade at safety to play opposite of the excellent Michael Huff. They also might target Darren Mcfadden despite already having Justin Fargas and LaMont Jordan.
Rams looking for new team
St. Louis had its season unravel as the injuries began to mount on the offensive line. This must be the top priority for the club. St. Louis could use some fresh blood at receiver to play opposite of veteran, Torry Holt. The team also needs a complete overhaul at nearly every position on defense and could benefit from trading down from the No. 2 spot.
Phillies still recovering from losing Rollins
The overly optimistic view of Jimmy Rollins' recovery officially took a turn for the worse on Sunday, when the 2007 National League MVP was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The Phillies had hoped on almost a daily basis since Rollins sprained an ankle on April 8 that their shortstop and offensive catalyst would return to the lineup. Rollins was out of the starting lineup for 10 games since then, but he did make four pinch-hit appearances. And that, apparently, was part of the problem.
Rollins felt that he was making progress from the injury, that his lateral movement had improved, but he aggravated the sprain pinch-hitting against the Mets on Saturday.
"I had a chance to pinch-hit, then I take the first swing and I'm a one-legged hitter after that," Rollins said on Sunday.
Rollins had been optimistic about his recovery, but by Sunday that optimism had given way to realism and resignation.
"My game is speed and I don't have much of that now," Rollins said.
In a situation such as this, there is a natural inclination to try to find somebody, anybody to blame. But this is not a situation that lends itself to identifying an all-purpose villain.
With Rollins, for instance, expressing optimism about his recovery and assuring manager Charlie Manuel that he was fine to pinch-hit, Manuel didn't do anything out of the ordinary by sending Rollins to the plate. When Manuel was asked on Sunday if he "regretted" pinch-hitting Rollins, the manager bristled a bit.
"I never 'regret' nothing I do," Manuel said. "How can I go back? What I did is what I did. I want Jimmy Rollins to play. If he's hurt, I want to get him well. Do I regret something? What does that mean? Hey, I was trying to win a ballgame, that's all.
"If Jimmy being hurt is my fault then, believe me, put it on Big Chuck, he'll take the blame," Manuel added with a small smile. "Believe me, I'm big enough to take it. I can handle it. If him getting hurt is my fault, I'll be glad to take the blame. That's fine. Blame me, whatever you want to do, no problem."
Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Manuel clearly was not at fault.
"[Rollins] was not going to go up there and pinch-hit had he not felt good enough to pinch-hit," Amaro said. "Charlie can only go on what the player tells him. If the player tells him he was able to pinch-hit, that's what I would do."
The notion that the Phillies should have put Rollins on the DL very soon after the injury occurred is easily arrived at, in hindsight.
"In retrospect, of course it was a mistake," Amaro said, but he added that all the initial medical information on the injury indicated that the recovery time would not be that significant.
"Make no mistake, the guy was progressing, it just got to the point where he was not going to get over the hump," Amaro said.
The Phillies don't have a history of dealing with injuries with Rollins because he has no injury history with this club. Not only is this his first trip to the disabled list in his eight seasons in the Majors, but he has averaged 157 games played over the last seven years.
With that history, and with Rollins believing that the ankle was improving, hoping for the best may have seemed like a reasonable approach. But now the Phillies will be without Rollins for another two weeks, at a minimum.
There is no overstating his importance to this club, not only for the tangible qualities that made him the National League Most Valuable Player last season, but for the intangible qualities that his leadership and his presence give to this club.
"It's going to hurt us, but at the same time, we've still got to play," Manuel said.
Amaro found a more optimistic frame of reference for Rollins' injury, noting: "We lost the MVP for a couple of weeks last year, and we ended up winning the division, as I recall," Amaro said in a reference to 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard.
Life hasn't been easy for the Phillies this April and it just became even more difficult. The starting pitching has actually been better than expected, but the offense has not met expectations. Plus it appears that the Phillies' ability to beat the Mets in something like every game that matters, no longer exists, or at least has taken a spring break.
Now, the Phillies lose the 2007 NL MVP. The only possible bright side of this lies in the potential clarity: With Rollins' ankle sprain, the time of wishing and hoping is over, and the time of healing has officially begun.
Life looked a little better for the Phillies on Sunday night, after they salvaged the final game of a three-game series with a heartening 5-4 victory over the Mets. If the idea was that somebody had to "step up," to compensate for Rollins' absence, two players took giant strides in that direction.
Second baseman Chase Utley continued to crush the ball, hitting two home runs, giving him five over the last four games. And Eric Bruntlett, Rollins' replacement at short, made a game-saving and game-ending play, diving to his left to field a shot by Carlos Beltran with two on in the ninth.
"I'm not going to fill Jimmy's shoes," Bruntlett said. "No one is. I'm just going to go out there and do what I can do."
That's the only attitude to take when a player of Rollins' stature is out of the lineup. Neither his skills nor his contributions can be duplicated. The Phillies must have two hopes: that the performances of other players can compensate for his absence, and that Rollins returns to full heath as quickly and as completely as possible.
The Phillies had hoped on almost a daily basis since Rollins sprained an ankle on April 8 that their shortstop and offensive catalyst would return to the lineup. Rollins was out of the starting lineup for 10 games since then, but he did make four pinch-hit appearances. And that, apparently, was part of the problem.
Rollins felt that he was making progress from the injury, that his lateral movement had improved, but he aggravated the sprain pinch-hitting against the Mets on Saturday.
"I had a chance to pinch-hit, then I take the first swing and I'm a one-legged hitter after that," Rollins said on Sunday.
Rollins had been optimistic about his recovery, but by Sunday that optimism had given way to realism and resignation.
"My game is speed and I don't have much of that now," Rollins said.
In a situation such as this, there is a natural inclination to try to find somebody, anybody to blame. But this is not a situation that lends itself to identifying an all-purpose villain.
With Rollins, for instance, expressing optimism about his recovery and assuring manager Charlie Manuel that he was fine to pinch-hit, Manuel didn't do anything out of the ordinary by sending Rollins to the plate. When Manuel was asked on Sunday if he "regretted" pinch-hitting Rollins, the manager bristled a bit.
"I never 'regret' nothing I do," Manuel said. "How can I go back? What I did is what I did. I want Jimmy Rollins to play. If he's hurt, I want to get him well. Do I regret something? What does that mean? Hey, I was trying to win a ballgame, that's all.
"If Jimmy being hurt is my fault then, believe me, put it on Big Chuck, he'll take the blame," Manuel added with a small smile. "Believe me, I'm big enough to take it. I can handle it. If him getting hurt is my fault, I'll be glad to take the blame. That's fine. Blame me, whatever you want to do, no problem."
Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Manuel clearly was not at fault.
"[Rollins] was not going to go up there and pinch-hit had he not felt good enough to pinch-hit," Amaro said. "Charlie can only go on what the player tells him. If the player tells him he was able to pinch-hit, that's what I would do."
The notion that the Phillies should have put Rollins on the DL very soon after the injury occurred is easily arrived at, in hindsight.
"In retrospect, of course it was a mistake," Amaro said, but he added that all the initial medical information on the injury indicated that the recovery time would not be that significant.
"Make no mistake, the guy was progressing, it just got to the point where he was not going to get over the hump," Amaro said.
The Phillies don't have a history of dealing with injuries with Rollins because he has no injury history with this club. Not only is this his first trip to the disabled list in his eight seasons in the Majors, but he has averaged 157 games played over the last seven years.
With that history, and with Rollins believing that the ankle was improving, hoping for the best may have seemed like a reasonable approach. But now the Phillies will be without Rollins for another two weeks, at a minimum.
There is no overstating his importance to this club, not only for the tangible qualities that made him the National League Most Valuable Player last season, but for the intangible qualities that his leadership and his presence give to this club.
"It's going to hurt us, but at the same time, we've still got to play," Manuel said.
Amaro found a more optimistic frame of reference for Rollins' injury, noting: "We lost the MVP for a couple of weeks last year, and we ended up winning the division, as I recall," Amaro said in a reference to 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard.
Life hasn't been easy for the Phillies this April and it just became even more difficult. The starting pitching has actually been better than expected, but the offense has not met expectations. Plus it appears that the Phillies' ability to beat the Mets in something like every game that matters, no longer exists, or at least has taken a spring break.
Now, the Phillies lose the 2007 NL MVP. The only possible bright side of this lies in the potential clarity: With Rollins' ankle sprain, the time of wishing and hoping is over, and the time of healing has officially begun.
Life looked a little better for the Phillies on Sunday night, after they salvaged the final game of a three-game series with a heartening 5-4 victory over the Mets. If the idea was that somebody had to "step up," to compensate for Rollins' absence, two players took giant strides in that direction.
Second baseman Chase Utley continued to crush the ball, hitting two home runs, giving him five over the last four games. And Eric Bruntlett, Rollins' replacement at short, made a game-saving and game-ending play, diving to his left to field a shot by Carlos Beltran with two on in the ninth.
"I'm not going to fill Jimmy's shoes," Bruntlett said. "No one is. I'm just going to go out there and do what I can do."
That's the only attitude to take when a player of Rollins' stature is out of the lineup. Neither his skills nor his contributions can be duplicated. The Phillies must have two hopes: that the performances of other players can compensate for his absence, and that Rollins returns to full heath as quickly and as completely as possible.
Angels get it done
Known for their aggression, not their selectivity, the Angels ripped a page from the Boston playbook and reversed the roles, showing the ailing Red Sox how it feels to be taken for a long walk on a short plank.
Already battling a team-wide flu bug, the Sox had to watch the Angels work counts, wait for the right pitch in the right spot and carve out a 7-5 decision at Fenway Park to take the series, two games to one.
Rare is the occasion an opponent out-walks Boston, nine to three, but that's what 37,848 witnesses observed on a flawless Thursday afternoon.
The same, maddening formula the reigning World Series champions have used to drive opponents to distraction was distilled into one 52-pitch inning, the seventh. It must have seemed endless to Red Sox Nation as it watched three Boston relievers trudge to the mound on the heels of young Justin Masterson.
Two walks around Maicer Izturis' single loaded the bases. Erick Aybar's infield single scored one run. Chone Figgins' single against Hideki Okajima delivered another. Gary Matthews Jr. -- wrapping up a highly productive series -- slashed a two-run single to center to complete the scoring before Okajima escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam.
"It kind of gives you a little taste of what we're like and how we compete when we're healthy," Matthews said, having driven in five runs with two homers, a double and two singles in the two wins that came after the Red Sox claimed the series opener. "Stay healthy over 162 games, and it gives people a different look than last year."
After three walks and four singles had turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead, the back end of the Angels' bullpen -- Justin Speier, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez -- delivered once again in preserving Joe Saunders' win, his fourth without a loss.
"We were being patient, fouling pitches off, getting pitches to put in play," said Figgins, who went the other way for his RBI single after falling behind 0-2 in the count to Okajima. "You can't get up there and look for walks; you're looking to get a pitch to drive. I think we're getting better at being patient."
Walks by Figgins after an Aybar bunt single and Casey Kotchman -- his third free pass of the day, following a single and steal by Garret Anderson -- paid off in runs when Matthews ended a long duel with a double in the eighth and Izturis lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Those runs proved essential when David Ortiz slammed a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth against Shields, bringing Rodriguez out to retire Manny Ramirez on a drive to Torii Hunter in center to finish the job. The save was K-Rod's ninth and second in two nights.
"Those guys have a deep offensive club," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the Sox. "You're not going to be able to grind it out with one-run leads.
"I really feel when we have our team together, we're seeing some things come together. We're swinging the bats much closer to what we expected than the playoffs -- and even our first trip in here last year."
Swept in three games in April in a debilitated condition in 2007, the Angels ended the season with another sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, in the American League Division Series.
That club was ravaged by injuries and illnesses to half the lineup. This time, it was Boston feeling the effects of subpar health, a virus sweeping through the clubhouse to bring disorder to the pitching plans.
Pressed into service after Josh Beckett (stiff neck) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (flu symptoms) both pulled out of starts in the series, Masterson made an impressive Major League debut, holding the Angels to one run in six innings.
Masterson had given up only one hit, a two-out single in the third by Matthews, when Mike Napoli launched a solo homer to right center leading off the fifth. Napoli's fifth homer of the season was the sixth in the series by the Angels, who have out-homered Boston, 26-23, this season.
Masterson walked four men, but effectively used his sinker for 11 outs on the ground. Reaching his limit at 95 pitches, the big right-hander turned it over to southpaw Javier Lopez to open the lucky seventh -- and that's when the Angels stole the Boston formula.
A walk and single later, Lopez gave way to Manny Delcarmen, who also surrendered a walk and single before taking a hike. Delcarmen (0-1) would absorb the loss after the normally reliable Okajima also struggled finding the strike zone.
"It got away in a hurry," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We were trying to piece together the seventh so we can go to Okie [Okajima] and Pap [Jonathan Papelbon], and it didn't work from the very beginning."
Saunders yielded a run in the second on two singles, a walk and an infield out by Coco Crisp. A leadoff walk to Kevin Youkilis cost the lefty in the fourth when Crisp and Kevin Cash lifted back-to-back, two-out, RBI doubles to center, both bounding into the stands.
"I got through the sixth and gave us another chance to come back and score runs," Saunders said. "The seventh was awesome.
"It was a battle from the get-go, a struggle for me to get strike one. They're the best hitting team in the league. I was just trying to minimize the damage, give us a chance to win."
Nine walks, nine hits and seven runs -- an offensive chowder, Boston-style -- got it done.
Already battling a team-wide flu bug, the Sox had to watch the Angels work counts, wait for the right pitch in the right spot and carve out a 7-5 decision at Fenway Park to take the series, two games to one.
Rare is the occasion an opponent out-walks Boston, nine to three, but that's what 37,848 witnesses observed on a flawless Thursday afternoon.
The same, maddening formula the reigning World Series champions have used to drive opponents to distraction was distilled into one 52-pitch inning, the seventh. It must have seemed endless to Red Sox Nation as it watched three Boston relievers trudge to the mound on the heels of young Justin Masterson.
Two walks around Maicer Izturis' single loaded the bases. Erick Aybar's infield single scored one run. Chone Figgins' single against Hideki Okajima delivered another. Gary Matthews Jr. -- wrapping up a highly productive series -- slashed a two-run single to center to complete the scoring before Okajima escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam.
"It kind of gives you a little taste of what we're like and how we compete when we're healthy," Matthews said, having driven in five runs with two homers, a double and two singles in the two wins that came after the Red Sox claimed the series opener. "Stay healthy over 162 games, and it gives people a different look than last year."
After three walks and four singles had turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead, the back end of the Angels' bullpen -- Justin Speier, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez -- delivered once again in preserving Joe Saunders' win, his fourth without a loss.
"We were being patient, fouling pitches off, getting pitches to put in play," said Figgins, who went the other way for his RBI single after falling behind 0-2 in the count to Okajima. "You can't get up there and look for walks; you're looking to get a pitch to drive. I think we're getting better at being patient."
Walks by Figgins after an Aybar bunt single and Casey Kotchman -- his third free pass of the day, following a single and steal by Garret Anderson -- paid off in runs when Matthews ended a long duel with a double in the eighth and Izturis lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Those runs proved essential when David Ortiz slammed a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth against Shields, bringing Rodriguez out to retire Manny Ramirez on a drive to Torii Hunter in center to finish the job. The save was K-Rod's ninth and second in two nights.
"Those guys have a deep offensive club," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the Sox. "You're not going to be able to grind it out with one-run leads.
"I really feel when we have our team together, we're seeing some things come together. We're swinging the bats much closer to what we expected than the playoffs -- and even our first trip in here last year."
Swept in three games in April in a debilitated condition in 2007, the Angels ended the season with another sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, in the American League Division Series.
That club was ravaged by injuries and illnesses to half the lineup. This time, it was Boston feeling the effects of subpar health, a virus sweeping through the clubhouse to bring disorder to the pitching plans.
Pressed into service after Josh Beckett (stiff neck) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (flu symptoms) both pulled out of starts in the series, Masterson made an impressive Major League debut, holding the Angels to one run in six innings.
Masterson had given up only one hit, a two-out single in the third by Matthews, when Mike Napoli launched a solo homer to right center leading off the fifth. Napoli's fifth homer of the season was the sixth in the series by the Angels, who have out-homered Boston, 26-23, this season.
Masterson walked four men, but effectively used his sinker for 11 outs on the ground. Reaching his limit at 95 pitches, the big right-hander turned it over to southpaw Javier Lopez to open the lucky seventh -- and that's when the Angels stole the Boston formula.
A walk and single later, Lopez gave way to Manny Delcarmen, who also surrendered a walk and single before taking a hike. Delcarmen (0-1) would absorb the loss after the normally reliable Okajima also struggled finding the strike zone.
"It got away in a hurry," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We were trying to piece together the seventh so we can go to Okie [Okajima] and Pap [Jonathan Papelbon], and it didn't work from the very beginning."
Saunders yielded a run in the second on two singles, a walk and an infield out by Coco Crisp. A leadoff walk to Kevin Youkilis cost the lefty in the fourth when Crisp and Kevin Cash lifted back-to-back, two-out, RBI doubles to center, both bounding into the stands.
"I got through the sixth and gave us another chance to come back and score runs," Saunders said. "The seventh was awesome.
"It was a battle from the get-go, a struggle for me to get strike one. They're the best hitting team in the league. I was just trying to minimize the damage, give us a chance to win."
Nine walks, nine hits and seven runs -- an offensive chowder, Boston-style -- got it done.
Chipper feeling good
When Braves third baseman Chipper Jones returns to Shea Stadium for a three-game series against the Mets this weekend, he'll be carrying the best batting average in the Majors and preparing to hear more of the insults that have only gotten louder since he made that now infamous comment during his 1999 MVP season.
Admittedly brash and cocky at the time, Jones was walking off the field at Shea Stadium late after a game in which the Braves had seemingly knocked the Mets out of the playoffs.
After viewing a fan wearing a hat and T-shirt that contained both the Mets and Yankees logos, Jones remembers walking into the clubhouse and telling reporters, "Now all of the Mets fans can go put their Yankees stuff on."
Less than two weeks later, when the Braves returned to Shea to play the Mets in the NL Championship Series, it's safe to say Mets fans hadn't reserved all of their venom for John Rocker. A lot of it was aimed toward the third baseman that they tauntingly know as "Lah-Ree"
"If there was one comment I could take back in my career, it would be that one," said Jones, whose first name is Larry. "That didn't go over very well. It wasn't me. I said it out of the frustration of the moment."
Although he has been routinely taunted in New York throughout his career, Jones appreciates the fervor shown by Mets fans and certainly the success he's had in their ballpark.
In fact, his 3-year-old son, Shea, is named after this stadium, within which he has hit .310 with 19 homers in 83 career games. Having celebrated his 36th birthday on Thursday, the Braves third baseman knows Mets fans might have a few surprises for him this weekend.
"Mets fans and I have a love-hate relationship unlike anything you're ever going to see," Jones said. "I go to Porta Bella's down there, the clothing store, every time I'm in New York and I pass a thousand people along the way. Everybody is just as nice and couldn't be any more complimentary.
"Then you put that uniform on and step out of the dugout and it's like a cloud of hatred just rains down upon you. But I'll always remember something Barry Bonds said: '50,000 people don't boo average players.'"
With his current production, Jones could be described as the game's top player. Following Thursday's series finale against the Marlins, he leads the Majors in batting average (.442), and ranks second in on-base percentage (.485) and third in slugging percentage (.733).
Jones' 1.217 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) has been bettered only by the Phillies duo of Chase Utley (1.288) and Pat Burrell (1.224).
"I have never seen Chipper start a season the way that he's starting," said Braves right-hander John Smoltz, who has been Jones' teammate since 1993. "He's certainly carrying us."
Jones' great start has prolonged a successful run that actually began midway through the 2006 season. Dating back to June 26 of that year, he has produced a Major League-best .357 batting average and .661 slugging percentage, heading into Thursday's action. His .436 on-base percentage during this span is also best among active players, with Bonds being the only player to achieve a higher mark.
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols ranks second during this span with a .335 batting average and the second-best slugging percentage (.621) is owned by Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.
"I'm just doing my job and trying to do it the way that I always have," Jones said. "I don't think there would be this much of a huff about the numbers that I've put up at this point if this were the middle of the season."
Fortunately for Braves manager Bobby Cox, the health woes that have hindered Jones each of the past four seasons have not been a problem yet this season. While he has had some discomfort in his right quadriceps muscle, the third baseman has started every game and still has a chance of realizing his goal of playing in at least 150 games.
These injury woes have limited the opportunities Mets fans have had to heckle Jones, who has played just 12 games at Shea Stadium since the start of the 2005 season.
"Chipper has always had a great swing," Cox said. "It's a lot of fun to watch when he's going like this."
Obviously Mets fans will be attempting to knock Jones out of this groove when he arrives this weekend. But he's coming prepared and with memories of a Mets fan telling him this offseason that he was "the bane of my existence."
"I know when the game is on the line, there is one guy they don't want up at the plate," Jones said. "If that happens to be me and I fail, then I've just made an entire city's day."
But as Jones has proven in the past, he has the potential to rise to the occasion when the lights are brightest in the Big Apple.
"If you can play in that environment and atmosphere, you can play anywhere," Jones said. "You know when you go up there, all eyes are on you, especially when it's us and the Mets."
Admittedly brash and cocky at the time, Jones was walking off the field at Shea Stadium late after a game in which the Braves had seemingly knocked the Mets out of the playoffs.
After viewing a fan wearing a hat and T-shirt that contained both the Mets and Yankees logos, Jones remembers walking into the clubhouse and telling reporters, "Now all of the Mets fans can go put their Yankees stuff on."
Less than two weeks later, when the Braves returned to Shea to play the Mets in the NL Championship Series, it's safe to say Mets fans hadn't reserved all of their venom for John Rocker. A lot of it was aimed toward the third baseman that they tauntingly know as "Lah-Ree"
"If there was one comment I could take back in my career, it would be that one," said Jones, whose first name is Larry. "That didn't go over very well. It wasn't me. I said it out of the frustration of the moment."
Although he has been routinely taunted in New York throughout his career, Jones appreciates the fervor shown by Mets fans and certainly the success he's had in their ballpark.
In fact, his 3-year-old son, Shea, is named after this stadium, within which he has hit .310 with 19 homers in 83 career games. Having celebrated his 36th birthday on Thursday, the Braves third baseman knows Mets fans might have a few surprises for him this weekend.
"Mets fans and I have a love-hate relationship unlike anything you're ever going to see," Jones said. "I go to Porta Bella's down there, the clothing store, every time I'm in New York and I pass a thousand people along the way. Everybody is just as nice and couldn't be any more complimentary.
"Then you put that uniform on and step out of the dugout and it's like a cloud of hatred just rains down upon you. But I'll always remember something Barry Bonds said: '50,000 people don't boo average players.'"
With his current production, Jones could be described as the game's top player. Following Thursday's series finale against the Marlins, he leads the Majors in batting average (.442), and ranks second in on-base percentage (.485) and third in slugging percentage (.733).
Jones' 1.217 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) has been bettered only by the Phillies duo of Chase Utley (1.288) and Pat Burrell (1.224).
"I have never seen Chipper start a season the way that he's starting," said Braves right-hander John Smoltz, who has been Jones' teammate since 1993. "He's certainly carrying us."
Jones' great start has prolonged a successful run that actually began midway through the 2006 season. Dating back to June 26 of that year, he has produced a Major League-best .357 batting average and .661 slugging percentage, heading into Thursday's action. His .436 on-base percentage during this span is also best among active players, with Bonds being the only player to achieve a higher mark.
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols ranks second during this span with a .335 batting average and the second-best slugging percentage (.621) is owned by Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.
"I'm just doing my job and trying to do it the way that I always have," Jones said. "I don't think there would be this much of a huff about the numbers that I've put up at this point if this were the middle of the season."
Fortunately for Braves manager Bobby Cox, the health woes that have hindered Jones each of the past four seasons have not been a problem yet this season. While he has had some discomfort in his right quadriceps muscle, the third baseman has started every game and still has a chance of realizing his goal of playing in at least 150 games.
These injury woes have limited the opportunities Mets fans have had to heckle Jones, who has played just 12 games at Shea Stadium since the start of the 2005 season.
"Chipper has always had a great swing," Cox said. "It's a lot of fun to watch when he's going like this."
Obviously Mets fans will be attempting to knock Jones out of this groove when he arrives this weekend. But he's coming prepared and with memories of a Mets fan telling him this offseason that he was "the bane of my existence."
"I know when the game is on the line, there is one guy they don't want up at the plate," Jones said. "If that happens to be me and I fail, then I've just made an entire city's day."
But as Jones has proven in the past, he has the potential to rise to the occasion when the lights are brightest in the Big Apple.
"If you can play in that environment and atmosphere, you can play anywhere," Jones said. "You know when you go up there, all eyes are on you, especially when it's us and the Mets."
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