CHICAGO -- Once a highly touted prospect, left-hander Brian Matusz found himself out the big leagues -- and out of a job -- in mid-June after he was traded by Baltimore and released by Atlanta.Thats when the Chicago Cubs called to offer Matusz a minor-league deal. Six weeks later, the 29-year-old southpaw will make his Cubs debut on national television Sunday night in a rubber match against the Seattle Mariners.Another Oriole-turned-Cub, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, said he was eager to welcome his new teammate.Matusz and I played together for quite a while, said Arrieta, who spent parts of four seasons in Baltimore. Ive seen him pitch extremely well. ... Hes a smart guy. Hes got some really good pitches that he knows how to use effectively. I look forward to watching him pitch.Chicago (62-41) will look to bounce back from a rare late-inning meltdown. On Saturday, the Cubs led 1-0 in the eighth inning when closer Aroldis Chapman allowed a two-out, two-run double to Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin. Seattle (52-50) tacked on two more runs to improve to 11-5 in interleague play this season.The Cubs dropped to 56-2 this season when leading after eight innings.Seattle now turns to ace right-hander Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.45 ERA), who will make his 13th start of the season and his third start since coming off the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right calf. In two starts since his return, Hernandez has allowed nine runs in 12 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.Hernandez has faced the Cubs once in his career. On June 24, 2010, he limited Cubs hitters to two runs and five hits in nine innings. He walked one and struck out eight.This time, Hernandez will encounter a much tougher opponent. The Cubs team he shut down in 2010 included ordinary hitters such as Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Xavier Nady, Chad Tracy and Koyie Hill. This years lineup includes five National League All-Stars and has scored 510 runs -- fourth in the majors.Its another game, Hernandez told the Tacoma News-Tribune. Ive just got to go out there and do my job.The same could be said for Matusz, although his prime-time assignment at Wrigley Field hardly qualifies as just another game. A strong outing could earn Matusz additional starting opportunities as Cubs manager Joe Maddon looks to use a sixth starter at times during the second half of the season to keep the rest of his rotation fresh.Matusz was 27-41 with a 4.85 ERA in 279 career games (68 starts) with Baltimore. At Triple-A Iowa, he was 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts. He walked three and struck out 11 in 9 1/3 innings.We just think its prudent to be proactive with the moment, not to wait, Maddon said. Too many times, you push and push and push (the five starters), and eventually the rest is absolutely necessary. Prior to being absolutely necessary, its a hard sell sometimes to the rest of the group. ... You try to just lay out your best plan in advance. Ive done it in the past down south (in Tampa), and up here its no different.Arrieta said he and the rest of the Cubs rotation could benefit from an extra days rest on occasion. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks initially was slated to pitch Sunday, but instead will wait an extra day along with right-handers Arrieta, John Lackey and Jason Hammel and left-hander Jon Lester.Well find a way to use that day to get some work done and get better, Arrieta said. At this time of year, every one of us might need to refine something. That extra day might not be a bad idea.
Hydro Flask Straw Lid . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year.
Hydro Flask Sale . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle.
http://www.hydroflaskkorting.com/ . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U.
Hydro Flask Goedkoop . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Hydro Flask 32 OZ . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. AUSTIN, Texas -- Tevin Mack powered over two defenders for a tough layup, hit the floor and picked himself up to flex his muscles and smile.Mack was back and so was No. 23 Texas.The sophomore forward scored 14 points after returning from a one-game suspension, and the Longhorns used a big second half to roll over Louisiana-Monroe 80-59 on Monday night.Im just glad we came back with a win, Mack said. I had a little bit of nerves, but I fought through that real quick.The Longhorns were back to full strength with the return of Mack and guard Kerwin Roach Jr. from one-game suspensions for offseason rules violations, giving Texas (2-0) some of the muscle, speed and depth it lacked in a sloppy season-opening win over Incarnate Word . Neither started Monday night but both were on the court within minutes of the opening tip.Mack made four 3-pointers and Roach had 11 points and two assists.I was excited to be back on the court and not on the bench, Roach said. We want to get out and run.Louisiana-Monroe (1-1) cut Texas lead to 46-40 on a 3-pointer from Jordan Harris before the Longhorns responded with a 16-4 run. Kendal Yancy scored five straight points, made a 3-pointer and threw down a dunk in transition that made it 62-44 with just under 8 minutes left.Texas defense took over from there. Louisiana-Monroe struggled to penetrate and the Longhorns bigger players constantly pushed the Warhawks further out on the edge than they wanted to be.Texas guard Andrew Jones said coach Shaka Smart pushed the Longhorns on defense after their season opener.Coach really encouraged us to be aggressive. Be dogs, Jones said.Yancy finished with 12 points and Jones scored 12 and had a team-high four assists. Texas freshman forward Jarrett Allen followed a double-double in his debut with eight points and three rebounds.Marvin Jean-Pierre scored 13 for Louisiana-Monnroe, which shot just 30 percent.ddddddddddddBIG PICTURELouisiana-Monroe: The Warhawks tried to punch above their weight in the Big 12 but missed their chance at an upset. Early 3-point shooting built a short-lived lead, but Texas size and speed eventually took over.Our program has had length the last two years at our level, and after seeing the Longhorns tonight, I miss it, coach Keith Richard said. They forced us out just a step or two from where we needed to be.Texas: A much smoother performance after the struggle against Incarnate Word. Getting Roach and Mack back in the lineup gave Texas more options to attack both inside and out. Smart even used a four-guard, up-tempo attack that hell want to build on before the start of Big 12 play.POLL IMPLICATIONSTexas slid down two spots in the AP Top 25 after its opener. This one should give voters more confidence.INSIDE THE BOXSCORETexas was shaky from the free throw line (13 of 21) and got outrebounded (43-41). But the Longhorns shot 50 percent, blocked five shots and didnt give the ball away, committing just five turnovers.The addition of Mack and Roach also kept Texas fresh. Four Longhorns played 32 minutes or more in the season opener. No one got more than 24 minutes against Louisiana-Monroe.They were able to get a break. You can play harder that way, Smart said.HE SAID ITSmart on getting players to focus on defense: Its like my (5-year-old) daughter, I tell her its really important you take a bath tonight, and she doesnt think its important.UP NEXTLouisiana-Monroe: The Warhawks road trip takes them to the Pac-12 with Thursdays game at Colorado.Texas: The Longhorns host Eastern Washington on Thursday.---More AP college basketball:
www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '
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