MILWAUKEE -- When it comes to the "Biogenesis Bunch," theres Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and then everybody else.
[b]Wholesale NBA Jerseys[/b] . Fourteen players were suspended last summer by Major League Baseball as part of the Biogenesis drug scandal, ranging from All-Stars to also-rans. As a new season starts up, time to check on how theyre doing. Rodriguez is out for the year. So the A-Rod media circus will have to wait until 2015, assuming he returns. That leaves Braun as the next most notable name on the list. He said hes sorry for getting into the mess and eager to compile the kind of stats that made him the 2011 NL MVP. "I embrace the challenge that lies ahead," the Milwaukee slugger said upon reporting to spring training. "I know it wont be easy, but I intend to do everything in my power to continue to be the best person and player I can be." After apologizing several times in the off-season, Braun returned to a corner locker customary for a top player. He has the strong support of manager Ron Roenicke. Braun got off to a good start at the plate. He went into this week hitting .440 with two homers and five RBIs in 25 spring at-bats. Even had a homer in his first spring at-bat. "Not surprising. Hes one of those guys, just a special athlete," Roenicke said after the Feb. 27 shot. With Braun back to bolster a lineup that had Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura and Jonathan Lucroy emerge last season, the Brewers hope to contend again in the NL Central. St. Louis is the reigning division champ, and a 50-game suspension for shortstop Jhonny Peralta didnt prevent the team from signing him to a four-year, $53 million deal in the off-season. The discipline stemmed from an investigation into Biogenesis of America, a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing substances. A couple big leaguers were miffed. "It pays to cheat... Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use," Arizona pitcher Brad Ziegler tweeted after the deal was announced in November. Not a bad start in Cardinal red: Peralta was hitting over .300 with three homers this spring as of the beginning of the week. "I know a lot of fans, they are going to talk," Peralta said when he reported to camp last month. "They are going to say a lot of things. Its baseball. You need to forget about it and try to play baseball." Nelson Cruzs potent bat was enticing enough for the Orioles to bring the outfielder in as a free agent after his suspension while with Texas last year. Cruz is destined for the middle of Baltimores lineup after hitting 26 homers last year. In San Diego, shortstop Everth Cabrera has said his apologies to teammates. He was leading the National League with 37 stolen bases when his suspension started last August. "He knew that he let his teammates down," Padres manager Bud Black said. "I cant speak for everybody, but from what Ive heard from some players, that was enough." Back at short and hitting .264 this spring with three steals as of Tuesday, Cabrera is set lead off again for Black. Reliever Antonio Bastardo (Phillies) and backup catcher Francisco Cervelli (Yankees) are also back with their former teams, each signing one-year deals in the off-season. Seattles Jesus Montero isnt as lucky. Once a top catching prospect, he was moved to first, then demoted to minor league camp. He hit .310 but had reported to spring training overweight. Among less notable players, outfield prospect Cesar Puello had also been optioned to minor league camp by the Mets and ex-Met Jordany Valdespin had signed a minor league deal in December with the Marlins. At last check, lefty reliever Jordan Norberto had signed a minor league deal with the Rays. Once-promising outfield prospect Fernando Martinez, who was traded from Houston to the Yankees last year, and relievers Fautino De Los Santos and Sergio Escalona are still waiting. They apparently wont have a chance to immediately prove themselves, unlike Braun.
[b]Cheap Jerseys[/b] . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster.
[b]China Jerseys Cheap[/b] . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat.TORONTO -- Jose Bautista had a game to remember. The Toronto Blue Jays right-fielder had his 15th homer of the season, hit into a triple play, threw a runner out at home and was interfered with by a fan as he tried to catch a foul ball in the ninth that resulted in an out after a video review. To top it off, the Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 for their sixth win in a row on Friday. "I think its got to be the most eventful game Ive had in my career," said Bautista, who also extended his hit streak to 12 games. "Id like to see if anyone can find somebody else with that combination of plays." Right-hander Marcus Stroman pitched into the seventh inning in his second major-league start, both of them wins. He walked off to a standing ovation. "Its pretty special," Stroman said. "I tried to do my best tough guy impersonation and tried not to smile. But it was definitely pretty special walking off." Bautista lined into a triple play in the sixth inning, the seventh time a triple play had beeen turned by a Blue Jays opponent. It was the first triple play against Toronto since May 12, 2008, in the second game of a doubleheader at Cleveland. "Its the first time its happened to me," Bautista said. Stroman (3-0) held the Cardinals to one run on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter while striking out seven. He was lifted after a leadoff single in the seventh by Tony Cruz. Casey Janssen pitched the ninth inning for his 11th save of the season. Janssens second out came as a result of fan interference when Bautista tried to catch a foul ball hit by Cruz. The play was reviewed and Cruz was called out. "I just felt that somebody stuck a glove right in my face," Bautista said, "And I felt there was some contact there that prevented me from making the play. Obviously (the fan) was caught up in the emotion, just like everybody else. The ball is coming to him, he wants a ball hit by a major-leaguer at a major-league baseball game. Hes not thinking about the play the way I am so you cant blame him for it. But again it doesnt matter they reviewed it and made the right call." Right-hander Lance Lynn (6-4) took the loss, allowing six hits -- including two home runs -- and four walks while striking out six in five innings. The Cardinals (31-31) scored a run in the first. Matt Carpenter led off with a walk and took third on Matt Hollidays ground-rule double to right. Allen Craig singled to right to score Carpenter but Holliday was thrown out at home by Bautista. "I think its always a good play when you can throw anybody out and prevent a run." Bautista said. "Whether (Stroman) needed that at that moment in the game thats more for him to answer, not me. I think he still would have pitched a pretty good game. "The ball was hit to me at the right rate of speed. And I had a chance to throw him out. Dioner (Navarro) made a play terrific play, a fine play because my throw wasnt as good as it could have been and he still managed to catch the balll as it was going toward the runner and stay away from the running lane that they now have to give and still tag him out.
[b]Cheap NFL Jerseys China[/b]. So that was a pretty good play." Second baseman Brett Lawrie followed it up with a fine play on Yadier Molinas grounder to end the inning. "That is just huge momentum and puts you back into your groove and kind of lets you know your guys are behind you." Stroman said. "Right out of the gate he struggled a little bit but then he started using all his pitches," manager John Gibbons said. "He was primarily pumping the fastballs in there and when he started using his breaking ball, his change-up a little bit, it made all the difference in the world." St. Louis manager Mike Matheny acknowledged that Stroman kept the Cardinals hitters on their heels. "He kept us off balance," said Mike Matheny. "He had good life on his fastball. We saw a lot of swings and misses, probably more swings and misses than what we saw on any kind of video we had on him, with his breaking ball. I thought his breaking ball was more of a weapon today than what wed seen in the past." The Blue Jays (38-24) left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first and stranded two in the second. But they tied it 1-1 in the third when Bautista led off with a homer, a high drive to left on a 2-1 fastball. Lawrie lined his 11th homer of the season to centre on a 2-1 fastball with two out in the fifth to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. Bautista hit into a triple play in the sixth inning on a liner to second baseman Descalso. The Blue Jays loaded the bases against right-handed reliever Seth Maness with singles from Anthony Gose and Jose Reyes and Carpenters error on a grounder to third by Melky Cabrera. Bautista lined a 2-0 sinker to Descalso who threw to shortstop Jhonny Peralta who caught Reyes off second. Peralta then threw to Craig who stepped on first before Cabrera could return to the base. "I did everything I could," Bautista said. "I laid off two bad pitches, swung at the one in the zone, hit it hard and it went right at somebody." The Blue Jays scored a run in the eighth. Lawrie and Navarro singled against right-hander Jason Motte to put runners at first and third. Reyes singled to right to cash in Lawrie and send pinch-runner Kevin Pillar to third. NOTES: The 25th anniversary of the first baseball game at Rogers Centre, formerly SkyDome, was celebrated on Friday with former Toronto pitcher Jimmy Key throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to his one-time catcher Ernie Whitt. They formed the Blue Jays battery in the first at SkyDome on June 5, 1989, a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. a Cito Gaston, who managed the Blue Jays in that game, took the lineup card to the umpires before the game. a The interleague series continues Saturday with left-hander Mark Buehrle (10-1, 2.10 earned-run average) starting for Toronto against right-hander Shelby Miller (6-5, 4.06 ERA) going for the Cardinals. a Attendance was 33,528.
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