MINNEAPOLIS -- The Cleveland Indians kept their edge in the AL wild-card race. Brandon Mebane Jersey . They mightve lost their struggling closer. Reliever Joe Smith struck out pinch-hitter Oswaldo Arcia to stop a ninth-inning rally by Minnesota, and the Indians won their seventh straight game, holding off the Twins 6-5 on Thursday night after Chris Perez gave up four runs in the final frame. "It didnt go as planned, but the good news is we won, and thats what we set out to do," a rattled manager Terry Francona said. "That got a little closer than we wanted." Cleveland leads Texas by one game for the second wild-card spot. Each team has three games left in the regular season. Tampa Bay is on top in the chase, one game ahead of the Indians. Bryan Shaw (7-3) picked up the victory in relief of Zach McAllister by getting five key outs over the fifth and sixth innings. Yan Gomes hit a towering two-run homer off Twins starter Andrew Albers (2-5), and Michael Brantley added three hits and two RBIs from the leadoff spot. The Indians were cruising again until Perez came in for what looked like mop-up duty in the ninth. But Alex Presley hit an RBI triple, Brian Dozier drove in another run with a groundout, Josmil Pinto hit a two-run homer and suddenly the Twins were within one. Smith entered and gave up an infield single and a walk before fanning Arcia on three pitches for his third save. Perez has walked a tightrope on and off the field this season, and most of the time hes been in the news its been negative. The most glaring this year was his arrest for a marijuana delivery to his house. Francona measured his words carefully after the game when asked about Perezs status as the closer, but he hinted at a change. "You know what? I think well always figure out a way to win. Thats kind of the way I always view it," Francona said. Smith, Shaw and Justin Masterton are other options for the ninth-inning role. The manager said Perez poked his head in the office and apologized for his performance. "Well see. He felt bad. He was actually very team-oriented. Thats what youre looking for," Francona said. "Hes having a tough time, and hes owning up to it, and he doesnt want to cost us wins." Francona added: "Were not a team made of one person. Well figure it out." Perez has a 7.52 ERA in August and September, with 30 hits and seven homers allowed in 20 1-3 innings. "Anytime your closer is struggling a little bit, its tough," McAllister said. "Hes a great pitcher. Hes been great for his whole career. You dont become All-Stars for no reason. He knows how to pitch, and hell be ready." McAllister had a shutout intact despite allowing runners on in every inning. After a walk and a single with one out in the fifth, Shaw was summoned and got Ryan Doumit on a double-play grounder. McAllister gave up six hits and two walks. This was the right-handers shortest start in September, and the 68 pitches were his second-lowest total of 24 starts this season. "You definitely want to have that chance to get the win out there and stay in the game as long as you can, but its September now," McAllister said. "We have a lot of guys in the bullpen, and every games an important one. So you cant question anything." Shaw is 5-0 in 13 appearances this month, and hasnt permitted a run in 15 1-3 innings. Francona said he wanted to leave McAllister in but couldnt. "I just thought it was time. If Id have been managing with my heart, I wouldve left him in," Francona said. The Indians caught quite a break with their September schedule, facing the teams with the three worst records in the league in 14 of their final 17 games: the Twins, White Sox and Astros. The Twins have won a mere four of their last 21 home games since mid-August. Theyve lost 17 of 22 overall. The Twins had to watch their opponents celebrate division-clinching wins in each of the last two series, in Oakland and then Detroit here in their own ballpark. Theyll have to win a couple of games this weekend to prevent another party at Target Field. "Like the way they finished and got after it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just needed one more hit." NOTES: The Indians will start RHP Corey Kluber (10-5, 3.61 ERA) on Friday night against LHP Pedro Hernandez (3-2, 6.05 ERA). Kluber has won a career-best four straight decisions. ... The Indians kept CF Michael Bourn out again with a sprained right wrist. He was available to run but not hit. Kyle Emanuel Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Thursday nights Bruins-Blackhawks game had a goal by Patrice Bergeron initially waved off by the referee, but video review clarified it was a good goal. Denzel Perryman Jersey . -- A 25-year-old freelance journalist from British Columbia was formally charged on Thursday with a felony, five days after she was arrested in the United States over allegations she threatened to kill her hockey player boyfriend.The Baltimore Ravens followed up their 2012 Super Bowl winning campaign with an 8-8 record, 29th-ranked offence, and of course an early start to the off-season. Last year looked like an aberration, a blip on the screen for the defending Super Bowl champions, a well-run organization that had made the playoffs past five seasons and just locked up their franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco. The truth may lie somewhere in between; if last year was an aberration, so too was that Super Bowl win two years ago. Perhaps the Ravens underachieved last year, but they also overachieved two seasons ago, and a lot of the players that helped them on that surprising run in 2012 are no longer with the team. That impact was felt most on the defensive side of the ball, where the Ravens lost six key players, headlined by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and were left scrambling to replace their influence on a game. "Not good enough," Elvis Dumervil, one of the new additions on defence, told reporters about his units performance last year. "I think we did some good things but we left a lot on the field. I think injuries and other things maybe contribute to that, but either you get it done or you dont. So, were looking forward to that and were looking forward to taking care of business this year." "I dont know that we had that last year at times," defensive coordinator Dean Pees echoed to reporters. "Times we did, times we didnt. But weve got to have it all the time. Thats what were trying to develop, and thats what were trying to get done." Whats left is still a very good team – maybe even a playoff team – but one that cant compete with the heavyweights in the AFC, not without a huge defensive lapse by an opposing safety at least. On offence, the team almost had to award quarterback Flacco with the big contract he signed one off-season ago (six years, $120 million with $51 million guaranteed), but hes not on the level of a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Six starters in the AFC alone have better career quarterback ratings (an admitttedly flawed stat) and that number increases to seven if you only count Kansas Citys Alex Smiths numbers after his resurrection three seasons ago. Virgil Green Jersey. In the Ravens favour is theres no runaway favourite in the AFC North this year, rather them and two other teams in similar predicaments (Cincinnati and Pittsburgh), teams certainly capable of making a playoff run, but far from a threat once they get there. Cleveland of course takes up the caboose in a division that may look stronger than it actually is. Notes The biggest story of the Ravens off-season was Ray Rice and the actions that will cost him the first two games of the season. The fallout from the incident was as much against the league as it was Rice, which was criticized for levying a fairly lenient punishment on the running back after he allegedly assaulted his fiancé. The most intriguing free agent signing for the Ravens this off-season was veteran receiver and longtime Carolina Panther Steve Smith. Still looking to replace Anquan Boldin a year after he left for San Francisco, Baltimore added Smith, the entertaining five-time Pro Bowler, to their young and intriguing receiving corps. Outside of Smith, the Ravens were typically quiet in free agency. Re-signing left tackle Eugene Monroe, whom they traded for from Jacksonville midway through last year, was an important keep in the teams effort to rebuild their offensive line. The Ravens offence should get a boost from their new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Kubiak was a respected head coach with the Houston Texans and maybe deserved a second chance after the teams disastrous season last year. The former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator is a strong offensive mind. The Ravens love having a stout and feared front seven on the defensive side of the ball. They hope theyve added two more long-term pieces to their defences storied history. Linebacker CJ Mosley was perhaps a bit of a reach at 16th overall in the first round but grabbing defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan midway through the second round counts as a steal. Cheap Hoodies From China Discount NFL Shirts Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Fast Shipping China Jerseys Stitched Jerseys ' ' '
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Cleveland Indians kept their edge in the AL wild-card race. Brandon Mebane Jersey . They mightve lost their struggling closer. Reliever Joe Smith struck out pinch-hitter Oswaldo Arcia to stop a ninth-inning rally by Minnesota, and the Indians won their seventh straight game, holding off the Twins 6-5 on Thursday night after Chris Perez gave up four runs in the final frame. "It didnt go as planned, but the good news is we won, and thats what we set out to do," a rattled manager Terry Francona said. "That got a little closer than we wanted." Cleveland leads Texas by one game for the second wild-card spot. Each team has three games left in the regular season. Tampa Bay is on top in the chase, one game ahead of the Indians. Bryan Shaw (7-3) picked up the victory in relief of Zach McAllister by getting five key outs over the fifth and sixth innings. Yan Gomes hit a towering two-run homer off Twins starter Andrew Albers (2-5), and Michael Brantley added three hits and two RBIs from the leadoff spot. The Indians were cruising again until Perez came in for what looked like mop-up duty in the ninth. But Alex Presley hit an RBI triple, Brian Dozier drove in another run with a groundout, Josmil Pinto hit a two-run homer and suddenly the Twins were within one. Smith entered and gave up an infield single and a walk before fanning Arcia on three pitches for his third save. Perez has walked a tightrope on and off the field this season, and most of the time hes been in the news its been negative. The most glaring this year was his arrest for a marijuana delivery to his house. Francona measured his words carefully after the game when asked about Perezs status as the closer, but he hinted at a change. "You know what? I think well always figure out a way to win. Thats kind of the way I always view it," Francona said. Smith, Shaw and Justin Masterton are other options for the ninth-inning role. The manager said Perez poked his head in the office and apologized for his performance. "Well see. He felt bad. He was actually very team-oriented. Thats what youre looking for," Francona said. "Hes having a tough time, and hes owning up to it, and he doesnt want to cost us wins." Francona added: "Were not a team made of one person. Well figure it out." Perez has a 7.52 ERA in August and September, with 30 hits and seven homers allowed in 20 1-3 innings. "Anytime your closer is struggling a little bit, its tough," McAllister said. "Hes a great pitcher. Hes been great for his whole career. You dont become All-Stars for no reason. He knows how to pitch, and hell be ready." McAllister had a shutout intact despite allowing runners on in every inning. After a walk and a single with one out in the fifth, Shaw was summoned and got Ryan Doumit on a double-play grounder. McAllister gave up six hits and two walks. This was the right-handers shortest start in September, and the 68 pitches were his second-lowest total of 24 starts this season. "You definitely want to have that chance to get the win out there and stay in the game as long as you can, but its September now," McAllister said. "We have a lot of guys in the bullpen, and every games an important one. So you cant question anything." Shaw is 5-0 in 13 appearances this month, and hasnt permitted a run in 15 1-3 innings. Francona said he wanted to leave McAllister in but couldnt. "I just thought it was time. If Id have been managing with my heart, I wouldve left him in," Francona said. The Indians caught quite a break with their September schedule, facing the teams with the three worst records in the league in 14 of their final 17 games: the Twins, White Sox and Astros. The Twins have won a mere four of their last 21 home games since mid-August. Theyve lost 17 of 22 overall. The Twins had to watch their opponents celebrate division-clinching wins in each of the last two series, in Oakland and then Detroit here in their own ballpark. Theyll have to win a couple of games this weekend to prevent another party at Target Field. "Like the way they finished and got after it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just needed one more hit." NOTES: The Indians will start RHP Corey Kluber (10-5, 3.61 ERA) on Friday night against LHP Pedro Hernandez (3-2, 6.05 ERA). Kluber has won a career-best four straight decisions. ... The Indians kept CF Michael Bourn out again with a sprained right wrist. He was available to run but not hit. Kyle Emanuel Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Thursday nights Bruins-Blackhawks game had a goal by Patrice Bergeron initially waved off by the referee, but video review clarified it was a good goal. Denzel Perryman Jersey . -- A 25-year-old freelance journalist from British Columbia was formally charged on Thursday with a felony, five days after she was arrested in the United States over allegations she threatened to kill her hockey player boyfriend.The Baltimore Ravens followed up their 2012 Super Bowl winning campaign with an 8-8 record, 29th-ranked offence, and of course an early start to the off-season. Last year looked like an aberration, a blip on the screen for the defending Super Bowl champions, a well-run organization that had made the playoffs past five seasons and just locked up their franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco. The truth may lie somewhere in between; if last year was an aberration, so too was that Super Bowl win two years ago. Perhaps the Ravens underachieved last year, but they also overachieved two seasons ago, and a lot of the players that helped them on that surprising run in 2012 are no longer with the team. That impact was felt most on the defensive side of the ball, where the Ravens lost six key players, headlined by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and were left scrambling to replace their influence on a game. "Not good enough," Elvis Dumervil, one of the new additions on defence, told reporters about his units performance last year. "I think we did some good things but we left a lot on the field. I think injuries and other things maybe contribute to that, but either you get it done or you dont. So, were looking forward to that and were looking forward to taking care of business this year." "I dont know that we had that last year at times," defensive coordinator Dean Pees echoed to reporters. "Times we did, times we didnt. But weve got to have it all the time. Thats what were trying to develop, and thats what were trying to get done." Whats left is still a very good team – maybe even a playoff team – but one that cant compete with the heavyweights in the AFC, not without a huge defensive lapse by an opposing safety at least. On offence, the team almost had to award quarterback Flacco with the big contract he signed one off-season ago (six years, $120 million with $51 million guaranteed), but hes not on the level of a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Six starters in the AFC alone have better career quarterback ratings (an admitttedly flawed stat) and that number increases to seven if you only count Kansas Citys Alex Smiths numbers after his resurrection three seasons ago. Virgil Green Jersey. In the Ravens favour is theres no runaway favourite in the AFC North this year, rather them and two other teams in similar predicaments (Cincinnati and Pittsburgh), teams certainly capable of making a playoff run, but far from a threat once they get there. Cleveland of course takes up the caboose in a division that may look stronger than it actually is. Notes The biggest story of the Ravens off-season was Ray Rice and the actions that will cost him the first two games of the season. The fallout from the incident was as much against the league as it was Rice, which was criticized for levying a fairly lenient punishment on the running back after he allegedly assaulted his fiancé. The most intriguing free agent signing for the Ravens this off-season was veteran receiver and longtime Carolina Panther Steve Smith. Still looking to replace Anquan Boldin a year after he left for San Francisco, Baltimore added Smith, the entertaining five-time Pro Bowler, to their young and intriguing receiving corps. Outside of Smith, the Ravens were typically quiet in free agency. Re-signing left tackle Eugene Monroe, whom they traded for from Jacksonville midway through last year, was an important keep in the teams effort to rebuild their offensive line. The Ravens offence should get a boost from their new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Kubiak was a respected head coach with the Houston Texans and maybe deserved a second chance after the teams disastrous season last year. The former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator is a strong offensive mind. The Ravens love having a stout and feared front seven on the defensive side of the ball. They hope theyve added two more long-term pieces to their defences storied history. Linebacker CJ Mosley was perhaps a bit of a reach at 16th overall in the first round but grabbing defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan midway through the second round counts as a steal. Cheap Hoodies From China Discount NFL Shirts Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Fast Shipping China Jerseys Stitched Jerseys ' ' '
