Post by jenny123 on Jan 23, 2014 22:01:02 GMT -5
NEW YORK -- Once they got 20-year-old Jose Fernandez out of the game, the New York Mets breathed a sigh of relief and went to work. Marlon Byrd grounded a two-run single just inside third base in the bottom of the ninth inning and New York rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday. Daniel Murphy homered and Anthony Recker had a run-scoring double for the Mets, who spoiled an impressive major league debut by the Marlins prized pitching prospect. "Hes going to be a good one," Byrd predicted, saying Fernandez reminded him of Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. "Hes one of those guys if hes on, it really doesnt matter if youve seen him or not. Hes going to be electric." Justin Ruggiano, Chris Valaika and Donovan Solano (three hits) each had an RBI double off substitute starter Aaron Laffey to give the Marlins an early 3-0 cushion. But closer Steve Cishek (0-1) was unable to hold a one-run lead in the ninth, and Miami dropped to 1-5 heading into its home opener Monday night against Atlanta. Fernandez, who had never been above Class A, gave up one run and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out eight, a record for a Marlins pitcher in his major league debut. "I was more nervous watching five through nine than when I was pitching," Fernandez said. "It didnt feel any different. It was more like a spring training game." Cishek retired his first batter in the ninth before Ruben Tejada was hit by a pitch. Pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled to left-centre and Tejada aggressively dashed to third against Juan Pierres weak arm. Nieuwenhuis moved up to second on the throw. Byrd, who entered in a fifth-inning double switch, pulled a grounder just beyond the reach of a diving Valaika and down the left-field line. Both runners scored easily and Byrd was mobbed by excited teammates between first and second after his fifth career game-ending hit and first since a grand slam for Texas against the New York Yankees on Aug. 4, 2008. "Its huge to show that we can win close games," said Byrd, who struck out his first two times up. Scott Rice (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth for his first big league win after 14 seasons in the minors. New York, outhit 13-6 in the game, took two of three from the Marlins and has won its first two series for only the second time in 11 years. "Its all on me," Cishek said. "Its my job to go in there and shut it all down." Five relievers combined to throw 4 2-3 scoreless innings for the Mets. Miami went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 overall. "We hung in there and we didnt let the game get away, which I thought was the biggest factor," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Recker had an RBI double in the fifth, his first hit for the Mets, but Fernandez fanned Byrd and retired Collin Cowgill on a popup to leave the game with a 3-1 lead after 80 pitches. Miami plans to keep Fernandez on a pitch count all season and limit him to 150-170 innings. Murphy greeted A.J. Ramos with a leadoff homer to centre in the sixth, his second of the series after hitting six last season. Fill-in first baseman Greg Dobbs made a sprawling play later in the inning to keep Miami ahead. Pitching with his parents in the stands, Fernandez flashed a mid-90s mph fastball and showed advanced command of his sharp breaking ball. He retired his first 10 batters, striking out five, before Murphy lined a single to centre. Murphy said the first time through the lineup against Fernandez was "a fact-finding mission for us as an offence." "That guys got good stuff," he said. "I thought we stayed patient. ... We were able to kind of get that pitch count up just a little bit to get into their bullpen in the sixth. You get in in the sixth, it gives you four shots at the bullpen and thats kind of what were looking for." Fernandez, the youngest pitcher in club history, came to the United States by boat as a Cuban refugee in 2008. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound right-hander was selected 14th overall out of his Tampa, Fla., high school in the 2011 amateur draft -- one pick after the Mets went for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who is with Class A Savannah in the South Atlantic League. Fernandez was 14-1 with a 1.75 ERA in the low minors last season. He went to spring training this year with the Marlins but got reassigned to minor league camp March 13 and was ticketed for Double-A Jacksonville before injuries to Henderson Alvarez and Nathan Eovaldi left two holes in the rotation. Just before the season opener, Fernandez became a surprise addition to the roster, making him the youngest pitcher on a major league squad on opening day, according to STATS. He left 15 tickets for family and friends to attend his anticipated debut. Laffey was touched up for 10 hits and three runs over 4 1-3 innings in his National League debut. The left-hander, a part-time starter for Toronto last season, signed a minor league contract with the Mets and was called up to start Sunday in place of Shaun Marcum (neck), likely to be sidelined for at least two or three turns through the rotation. NOTES: RHP Kevin Slowey gets the ball for Miamis home opener Monday night. ... To clear roster space for Laffey, the Mets optioned reliever Jeurys Familia to Triple-A Las Vegas and transferred LHP Johan Santana (shoulder surgery) to the 60-day DL. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey, coming off a dominant season debut against San Diego, starts Monday night in Philadelphia against RHP Roy Halladay. ... New York has homered in its first six games for the third time in team history (1962 and 1987). Britton Colquitt Jersey Super Bowl .Y. -- Bills coach Doug Marrone repeated the word "challenging" three times on Wednesday when addressing the possibility of losing yet another quarterback to injury. Tony Carter Jersey Super Bowl . The federation said Monday on its website that Bilyaletdinov, a former Olympic champion as a defenceman for the Soviet team in the 1970s and 80s, had accepted an offer through to the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Russian southern coastal resort of Sochi and would sign a contract soon. www.broncosgearsnflshop.com/Denver-Broncos_Trindon-Holliday-Jersey-Super-Bowl-Xlviii/ . Its the kind of break a team needs sometimes to win on the road. And just the latest blunder that has Philadelphia mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Manny Ramirez Jersey Super Bowl . Only, not on the mound, but with a bat in his hands in his one and only plate appearance. Andre Caldwell Jersey Super Bowl . "If anywhere in the country has a drought, just bring me in and Ill fix that," Verlander said after the Rangers beat him 3-2 Saturday night in Game 1 of the AL championship series opener. Before the game was interrupted twice by rain for a total of one hour 50 minutes in the top of the fifth inning, Nelson Cruz broke a post-season slump with a home run and the defending AL champions scored all of their runs off Verlander.SASKATOON -- Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba advancing to the playoffs at the Canadian mens curling championship was predictable. Yukon and Northwest Territories joining the perennial powers was not. Jamie Koes Yellowknife team snared the fourth and final playoff berth with an 8-3 win over B.C.s Jim Cotter to finish the preliminary round 7-4 on Thursday. Its the first time since playoff games were introduced to the Brier format in 1980 that a Territories team has made the playoffs. Don Twas Territories team finished tied for runner-up in 1975 when the event was a round-robin format. "Its unreal," Koe said. "Were from the north. We dont get to play that much, or we choose not to play that much because its so expensive, so its pretty special and we know everyone back home is going nuts right now. "Once I get to my phone, its going to be going off all night." Koe joins older brother and Alberta skip Kevin in the final four and will face him in a Page playoff between the third and fourth seeds Saturday. "Its guaranteed someone is going to be in the semifinal," Jamie Koe said. "Its my dads 65th birthday today so what a way to celebrate his birthday I think." Ontarios Glenn Howard (10-1) finished first and Manitobas Rob Fowler second at 8-3. Theyll meet in Fridays Page playoff between the top two seeds (TSN, 7:30 ET). A direct trip to Sundays final is on the line. The loser falls to Saturdays semifinal to meet the winner of Koe versus Koe. Kevin Koe needed a win over Howard on Thursday to finish first, but a 6-3 loss dropped his team to third at 8-3. Alberta thumped the Territories 11-3 in the preliminary round. They opened the round robin 6-0, but lost three of their last five. Alberta third Pat Simmons is suffering from a respiratory infection and taking antibiotics for it. Kevin Koe won the Canadian and world championships two years ago. While the Alberta skip understands what his brothers accomplishment means to him and to curling in Yukon and Northwest Territories, hes not willing to let Jamie make more history Saturday. "Im happy theyre in the playoffs for sure," Kevin Koe said. "Its huge for everyone back home and curling back home. "Its a good story and hopefully it ends Saturday. Its time for us to get our killer instinct out. Weve got to come out and beat up whoever were playing. Now that theyre in the playoffs, thats a good week for them and its time to end it." Jamie Koe skipped the Territories in five previous Briers, with his best record 6-5 in 2006 in Regina. "Weve been able to win games at the Brier and we have a lot of Brier experiencee on our team, so that definitely helps," he said.dddddddddddd"The ice is tricky and tricky ice may be a bit to our advantage. Were used to playing on tricky ice. We were able to put it together for a week." Howards Coldwater Curling Club foursome may have been the first to secure a playoff berth, but they drained some of the tank to do it. Not only is lead Craig Savill just recovering from a vicious stomach ailment that required daily intravenous treatments, but Ontario played five extra-end games in the round robin and won four of them. Their only loss was in an extra end to the Territories. "I dont recall a Brier where weve had to work that hard," said Howard, the oldest player in the field at 49. "Its worked out well so far, but its been a bit of a grind for us. "Its a good time to start peaking." Ontarios reward for finishing first is starting their playoff game against Manitoba with last-rock advantage. They also get first choice in rock selection. Howard has played in five of the last six finals, winning one in 2007. "Our first goal was to get the playoffs and we did that, second was to get to the one-two game with hammer and we did that," Howard said. "Now we want to win this game and get to the final and hopefully win the final. "You dont want to lose any games. If you lose you get that second chance. I do love this Page system, but the bottom is . . . we want to win this game and get ourselves back in this final. Cant win unless to you get to the final." Fowler expected his team to be where it is because of who they beat to get to the Brier. One of the curling giants he slayed was his mentor, last years Canadian and world champion Jeff Stoughton, in a playoff game at the Manitoba championships. Then it was Mike McEwen, the top-ranked team on the World Curling Tour, in the provincial final. Fowlers foursome won four games in a row to finish the preliminary round. Even when they were 4-3, Fowler still believed he had a championship team. "We had a clear goal coming here," Fowler said. "The goal was more than making the playoffs and were going to be working hard to achieve that goal here by the end of the weekend. "To be a champion, youve got to play your best when it means the most and thats going to be the focus here this weekend." Northern Ontarios Brad Jacobs, Brunswicks Terry Odishaw and Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador finished 5-6. B.C.s Cotter, Quebecs Robert Desjardins and Nova Scotias Jamie Murphy ended up 4-7. Saskatchewans Scott Manners and Prince Edward Islands Mike Gaudet were both 3-8. ' ' '