The Brothers' Workshop forum

[yyys123]

PHILADELPHIA -- For once, Zack Wheeler was able to smile after a start. The rest of the Mets were pretty happy, too. Wheeler struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings and Chris Young hit a two-run homer to lead New York to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in the opener of a rare five-game series. Wheeler (2-5) looked nothing like the pitcher who entered with a 4.63 ERA and one win in 10 starts this season. Mixing a fastball that hit the high 90s and a slow, knee-buckling breaking ball, the right-hander retired eight of the first 10 batters via strikeout. Wheeler had sent down 14 straight batters until Marlon Byrd lofted the first pitch he saw with one out in the seventh over the wall in right for his seventh homer. That was the end of the evening for Wheeler, who matched his season high in innings while giving up the lone run and four hits with no walks. "It feels really good, obviously," Wheeler said. "I can actually smile after a start now. I knew I had it today. I could locate all my pitches. Its easy when you can locate all your pitches and everythings working." Mets manager Terry Collis said Wheeler "pretty much took control of the game. He really was throwing well. Tonight he dominated this game." The Mets, who opened an 11-game road trip, matched a season best with their third straight victory while beating the Phillies for the sixth straight time at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies set a season high with 15 strikeouts against four Mets pitchers. "Wheeler had real good stuff and we just couldnt pull the trigger on his fastball," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "We couldnt get anything going." The series originally was scheduled for four games, but the teams will make up their April 30 rainout on Monday, which originally was a day off for both teams. Jenrry Mejia struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances. Mejia hasnt allowed an earned run in nine relief outings since being moved to the bullpen on May 12 after making seven starts. "The entire pitching tonight. . Youre just sitting in the dugout saying, Wow!" Collins said. "Good stuff, good location, really a well-pitched game." David Buchanan (1-1), who was making his second career start in place of injured left-hander Cliff Lee (15-day DL, left elbow), left after giving up four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits with two strikeouts and walks. The righty earned the victory in his major league debut with a five-inning, two-run outing in Saturdays 5-3 win over the Dodgers. Young, who entered with three hits in his last 35 at-bats, put the Mets in front 3-0 with a drive to left in the fourth. Both Collins and Young hope its a sign of better things to come for the outfielder, who entered batting .220. "Hes got to get on track, and the home run was really big for him," Collins said. "Hes hit some balls hard with nothing to show for it, so I think tonights a big game." Said Young, "I felt like I was aggressive all night. I felt good about the pitches I did swing at, even the outs I had. Thats a good start. Today was probably the best day I felt, not going by the results but simply the pitch selection." New York added an unearned run in the fifth when Curtis Granderson walked with the bases loaded in an inning that was extended by third baseman Cesar Hernandezs throwing error. Ryan Howard, who hit a walkoff homer in Wednesdays win over the Rockies, went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. Howard entered with a hit in 12 straight games against New York, batting .417 with four homers and 13 RBIs over the stretch. NOTES: New York C Travis dArnaud went 0 for 4 in his first game since being activated from the 7-day DL due to a concussion he sustained May 13. ... Mets 3B David Wright went 1 for 5 with a single. His 19 career homers at Citizens Bank Park are the most of any visiting player. ... Granderson went 0 for 2, extending his hitless streak to 0 for 16. ... Mets RHP Rafael Montero (0-2, 4.96) opposes Philadelphia RHP A.J. Burnett (3-4, 3.51) on Friday. Jerry Rice Raiders Jersey .C. -- Cam Newton wasnt flawless on Sunday. Maxx Crosby Youth Jersey . The weekend at Oriole Park has been less kind, with three players suffering varying degrees of injury. The worst ailment of the three, at least optically, is the deep bone bruise suffered by Adam Lind when he fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot in the sixth inning of Saturdays game. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elite-Otis-Sistrunk-Raiders-Jersey/ . Then he got back at the team that released him five days before the start of last season, hitting a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning of the first game at Fenway Park since Boston won the World Series last October. Clelin Ferrell Womens Jersey . The top-ranked Williams carried her winning momentum from 2013 into the new season, beating No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to defend her title at the Brisbane International and set the tone for the Australian Open. Lyle Alzado Youth Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings take aim at an eighth straight victory on Monday night as they wrap up a road trip versus the Calgary Flames.TAMPA, Fla. -- Derek Jeter pulled into the parking lot of the New York Yankees minor league complex on Thursday, walked out of his grey Mercedes-Benz and waved a hand holding a bottle of mineral water as about 50 fans applauded his mere arrival. After taking batting practice in an indoor cage and throwing on a field, he drove out of the parking lot about 90 minutes later -- the car cleaned and polished, its silver hub caps shining. He stopped and rolled down the drivers side window to sign photographs, baseballs and other memorabilia for the first dozen people or so who had waited in line. Already the most adored player on the baseball team with the highest profile, the New York Yankees captain figures to be the recipient of an ever-heightened level of adulation during the next 7 1/2 months as he circumnavigates the major leagues in a farewell tour that could be called Pinstriped Parting 2 following Mariano Riveras emotional exit last year. Asked whether he felt good about the decision he announced Wednesday, Jeter responded: "I do." But he didnt want to get into an extended discussion. Jeter will hold a news conference at Steinbrenner Field next Wednesday, the reporting day for the teams position players. "Ill address it when we get over there the first day of spring. Its easier that way," he said. Jeter took the Yankees by surprise with his Wednesday morning telephone call to owner Hal Steinbrenner, and his Facebook announcement later in the day jolted fans accustomed for nearly two decades to the constants of his hot hitting and cool demeanour. Speculation began about a suitable replacement: Hanley Ramirez, Asdrubal Cabrera and J.J. Hardy are among the players eligible for free agency after the season. "I wish hed have quit in 05," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said, laughing, remembering Jeters many performances against his Boston Red Sox. "If youre a baseball fan, he is the walking example of whats good in baseball. You respect him so much, and yet you want him to have as little to do with the outcome of the game if youre his opponent -- and thats probably the biggest compliment you can give him. Hes going to find a way to beat you whether its on the bases, on defence or at the plate. "And again, because I was in that division, I saw it too much," Francona went on. "He ranks right up there with the most respected players. Im glad hes walking away on his own terms. Well probably get to see him seven, eight times. I hope he goes 0 for 28 and we give him a nice plaque or something, but I dont see that rreally happening.dddddddddddd" By Wednesday night the Yankees had sent out an email with links to Jeter gear and ticket information. They announced Thursday that general individual ticket sales will start Feb. 24 -- up from March 5 last year. Stubhubs lowest price for the Yankees regular-season home finale on Sept. 25 was $307.50 for a single upper-deck seat and its highest was a fanciful $66,432.90 for a pair in the bleachers. Asking amounts for game No. 162 at Boston three days later were similarly inflated. Mariano Riveras farewell season turned into a marketing opportunity, Already Steiner Sports is selling Jeter game-used equipment that includes jerseys ($15,000 and up), cleats ($1,049.99 and up), batting gloves ($599.99 and up) and even a sock ($525). "This was all sudden. Well sit with Derek and Casey and his people and come up with a plan," Yankees President Randy Levine said, referring to Jeters agent, Casey Close. Jeter had no desire to switch positions or change teams. He wanted to be a member of the Yankees and a shortstop, and nothing else. He was limited to 17 games last season after breaking an ankle in the 2012 playoffs, and he turns 40 in June. He could join Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Smith as the only one-position players with 2,500 or more major league games, according to STATS. If he is able to regain his place on a regular basis, he would be a superannuated shortstop. Only Honus Wagner (1914, 15), Luke Appling (47, 49) and Omar Vizquel (2007) have appeared in 100 or more games at the position in the year they turned 40 or later. "With the captain, its an experience Im going to tell all my kids and the people that I know," Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli said, "because I think hes the greatest player Ive ever seen in my life." NOTES: Masahiro Tanaka also was at the complex, wearing a Yankees T-shirt and shorts, and threw a bullpen session of about two dozen pitches. Jeter joked about having to learn more Japanese to communicate with Tanaka. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Tanaka threw two- and four-seam fastballs, splitters and sliders. "It was good. Hes still trying to catch up I think with the time change and everything. Just trying to ease him into things," he said. "Were going to go slow with it." ... The Yankees will play exhibition games against the Miami Marlins in Panama City on March 15-16 to honour Rivera, the first visit of Major League Baseball to the Central American nation since 1947. AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Goodyear, Ariz., contributed to this report. ' ' '