NEW YORK -- The chants for Mariano Rivera began after Boone Logan allowed a leadoff single in the ninth inning and swelled while David Robertson warmed up one out later.
[b]Lamar Jackson Jersey[/b] . For at least one night, there would be no "Enter Sandman" and no career saves leader. Robertson wriggled out of a bases loaded jam, preserving Hiroki Kurodas gem and the New York Yankees 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. "Just a day," Rivera said. "Nothings wrong." The 43-year-old Rivera tossed 81 pitches the last five days in blowing three consecutive save chances, the roughest patch of his 19-year career. Rivera spoke with pitching coach Larry Rothschild before the game and said he could pitch but preferred a day off. "Mos never going to back out on a situation. Never," manager Joe Girardi said. "And thats where a pitching coach and a manager -- you have to manage a player. Sometimes they just need a day no matter if they want to go out there a lot." Fans chanted "We want Mo!" after Logan relieved to begin the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to J.B. Shuck that hit first base. After Logan struck out Kole Calhoun, Robertson entered and heard cries for Rivera while he threw his warm-up pitches. "A little different," Robertson said. "Its not easy to pitch when the crowds chanting We want Mo! when youre warming up." Robertson walked Mike Trout, and Josh Hamilton followed with a flare just beyond the reach of third baseman Alex Rodriguez for an RBI double. Erick Aybar was intentionally walked to load the bases. Robertson then struck out Mark Trumbo and ex-Yankee Chris Nelson on a high, full-count pitch to end it for his first save this season. "It was time for Robby to close, which he did good, too," Rivera said. Kuroda (11-7) tossed three-hit ball for eight shutout innings. The Yankees most dependable starter, Kuroda has not allowed a run in five of his last seven outings to lower his ERA to 2.33. An Angels lineup missing the injured Albert Pujols reached base only four times against the Japanese right-hander. Kuroda struck out seven and walked one. "I dont know if you can expect anyone to be that dominant in this day and age when theres a lot of ways teams can score runs, but hes just been brilliant," Girardi said of Kuroda. "He gave us those eight innings. We knew we needed a lot of distance out of him tonight." Curtis Granderson homered in the seventh inning and Brett Gardner had an RBI single in the third for New York, which has won three of four after losing four in a row. The Yankees have consecutive wins for the first time since winning three straight July 10-12. Granderson connected off Garrett Richards for his third homer of the season in his 59th at-bat of an injury-plagued season. "Im getting there," Granderson said. "Theres no way to mirror the four months I missed. The timing is not there right now." Richards (3-5) was impressive in his first start at Yankee Stadium since his big league debut in 2011. He allowed seven hits in eight innings and made several nice plays on comebackers. "Garrett was terrific," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I thought he had really good stuff: mixed in his breaking pitches with his fastball. That was a terrific game for Garrett." Rodriguez started at third base for the second straight day for the first time since returning from hip surgery last week. The fickle New York fans gave him a mixed reception when he came to the plate it in the first, and cheered when he singled. But the boos grew as he hit into two 6-4-3 double plays, one in the fourth and another in the sixth, the latter with runners on first and second and one out. Batting .221 in his first year with Los Angeles, Hamilton doubled to open the second, but grounded into a double play after Trout had an infield hit leading off the seventh for the Angels second hit. "He kept us off balance," Trout said of Kuroda. "A lot of fastball counts, he threw off-speed and, like I said, kept us off balance." Rodriguez got New Yorks first hit, a leadoff single in the second, but he was caught running on Lyle Overbays strikeout to end a 10-pitch at-bat. Eduardo Nunez singled with one out in the third, advanced on Chris Stewarts groundout and scored on Gardners single. NOTES: Trouts high school baseball field in New Jersey was dedicated in his honour earlier Monday in a ceremony at the Empire State Building. ... Angels LHP Jason Vargas (6-4) is set to come off the disabled list (blood clot) Tuesday and start against CC Sabathia (9-10). Scioscia would not say who will be coming out of the rotation. ... Yankees SS (right calf strain) Derek Jeter began "tee and toss" today in the indoor cage. ... Trout appeared on a New York sports radio station earlier Monday and said PED users "should be out of the game if you get caught." When asked about his comments later in the Angels clubhouse, he referred all questions to the teams player rep, C.J. Wilson.
[b]Marquise Brown Womens Jersey[/b] . The government says top golfers are expected to compete in the PGA Tour event at the Ashburn Golf Club in the suburb of Fall River from July 3-6 and again next year.
[b]Ray Lewis Ravens Jersey[/b] . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday.Watching the Montreal Canadiens lose goaltender Carey Price to injury this week reminded me of what I often think is the great weakness of North American sports. The reliance of individuals in team sports. Hockey is obsessed with goaltenders. A team loses and the first place people look at for blame is in between the pipes. Baseball? As they say, momentum is all about the next days starting pitcher. NFL? Find an elite quarterback if you want to win the Super Bowl and stop using Trent Dilfer as an example (unless you can find one of the greatest defences to go alongside him). Basketball? You wont find many NBA championship teams that doesnt feature a current or future hall of famer. The global game of soccer is often very different, as the achievements of Atletico Madrid this week have shown. A sport that is so reliant on teamwork rarely allows a figurehead to rise to such prominence to make a championship be about them. Sure, domestic leagues have outstanding players who take over games, weeks, even months of a campaign, but without their teammates they are just one man with a ball at their feet. Even the greatest players in the world today are surrounded by players close to their level that allows them to perform brilliantly so often. For some reason, however, every four years many forget the common sense around this belief and two words are the reason for it. World Cup. There have only been nineteen of these in history and, specifically for the last 16 of them, it has been considered as the ultimate thing in the sport to win. However, the World Cup is not without its failings. Many games produce predictable, sterile games dominated by defensive-minded teams, unable to replicate the teamwork earned by club teams over long periods of time, who, subsequently, know its far easier to stop than score. It is a tournament that lasts one month every four years. The best team plays seven games and does not even have to win them all. Yet, because it is so short in time and so infrequent on the games calendar, the World Cup cares little for reputations, instead choosing to make them. This allows the sport to be much more North American in terms of individuals stamping their authority on it. With this in mind, collectively, we owe it to future generations to be extremely careful with the evidence provided (and this is not always easy with the lack of video available to us once the tournament ends). First of all we must remember that players can have excellent tournaments without actually winning it. This rule is for all, not just for those you didnt expect to win it anyway. Take Lionel Messis 2010 World Cup. Many adjectives have been used to describe this including poor and disappointing. What nonsense. Messi was excellent in South Africa but because he didnt score a goal some thought he was disappointing. When his out-of-his-depth manager, Diego Maradona, decided to play without a central midfield, Argentina were sent home packing in the quarterfinals. They never had a chance of winning the World Cup and none of that fell on the shoulders of Messi. Since leaving South Africa, Messi, with Barcelona, has won everything there is to win in club football, and added three more Ballon DOr awards. He has consistently succeeded in the most competitive tournament, the Champions League, the sport has to offer. He is described by many as one of the greatest players to play the game but suddenly he is removed from such a camp, by some, the closer a World Cup gets to starting, when a new hurdle is put in his path to reach the pantheon of greatness; a hurdle he simply cannot jump himself.
[b]Jonathan Ogden Youth Jersey[/b]. Messis countryman, Ossie Ardiles, who won the World Cup in 1978, hit the headlines last week with this gem of a quote: "To be considered alongside the top, top guys like Pele and Diego Maradona and so on, Messi not only needs to be in the World Cup but to win it." Mr Ardiles isnt the only one who feels this way, of course, and in fact there is an alarming chance he is in the majority rather than the minority when it comes to this topic. What a pity. And while we are on this quote, who is so on exactly? When Pele played, the World Cup was everything. He changed the sport and is arguably the greatest player to play the game. The World Cup made him the global star that he simply couldnt reach himself at Santos. Maradona graced four World Cups and is forever remembered as the face of Mexico 1986. It is fitting for a man so talented that he had that event to catapult him towards the legends of the game but many who celebrate Maradonas greatness, because of those 30 days in Mexico, often, conveniently, forget his 1982 and 1994 World Cups ended in disgrace. 1990? Dont let their runner-up spot fool you. His team was even worse than Messis 2010 side and his performances werent even close to the ones shown by Barcelonas current star in South Africa. There is no disputing Maradonas greatness on the field but if the guardians of football history and, subsequently, the makers of reputations are going to base so much on what happens at World Cups then they need to be fair about it. In a sport that cares so often about who wins and loses this seems like an impossible task. Only one team can lift the trophy when it all finishes on July 11. Of course, Messi will be considered as one of the true greats if that team proves to be Argentina but why should we wait to find out what some of his flawed teammates can do for him before we give him such an honour? Just because Maradona, Pele and so on won the World Cup? The game is full of true, elite greats who never did. Pele and Maradona call Alfredo Di Stefano the most complete player ever and what of Johan Cruyff, who was magnificent in the 1974 World Cup and did everything but win the tournament? Rather than holding the World Cup to a higher standard that some cannot reach, those who lean on individual quality, should enjoy its beauty at producing other stars whose solo acts can carry their teams far. Garrincha, Eusebio, Cruyff, Paolo Rossi, Toto Schillaci, Roberto Baggio, Romario, Davor Sukur, Ronaldo, Oliver Kahn, Fabio Cannavaro, Diego Forlan and David Villa are just some examples of that. Some won, some didnt. Some are true greats, some arent. Their reputations were enhanced by their World Cup play but also because their team was able to get to the final week of the event. Neither Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo needs to win a World Cup to be graced amongst the greatest ever. It appears, before the tournament already starts, that Ronaldo doesnt have the team to get him to the trophy, and if the tournament proves the same for Argentina why should Messi be judged differently to Ronaldo? This special group, created by the likes of Ardiles, that features Maradona, Pele and so on is a hindrance to football history and an ignorance to the game itself.
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