Spurs Cruising The fans will be wearing “True Blue” shirts, cheering at the right times and groaning when officials make calls against their team, all the things that have helped the Utah Jazz win every home game this postseason. But can the crowd fix a leaky defense? Or get struggling shooters to find their touch? If not, this may be the final weekend of cheering for several months.
Author: Shah
Griffey on Tear Ken Griffey Jr. continues to move up on the all-time home run list, but the Cincinnati Reds continue to fall in the standings. With Griffey on a May tear, the Reds (18-31) look to avoid a season-high fifth loss in a row as they continue a four-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates (20-27) on Saturday night.
Yankees Feeling Good After taking two of three from their biggest rival, the New York Yankees look to keep their momentum going Friday when they face a team they have struggled against in the first-place Los Angeles Angels. New York (21-24) defeated Boston 8-3 on Wednesday to take the set after dropping their previous three series.
Cubs Head Out West Derrek Lee’s season unraveled the last time the Chicago Cubs first baseman visited Dodger Stadium. Lee hopes for a better day there Friday when the Cubs open a three-game road series with the NL West-leading Dodgers. Lee fractured his right wrist in a collision with Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal on April 19 last season, landing him on the disabled list for more than two months.
Bonds Slumping Even though the San Francisco Giants haven’t received much production from Barry Bonds, their dominant starting pitching has enabled them to embark on a winning streak. The Giants hope Bonds can shake his struggles after an extended rest and Matt Cain can continue their run of strong pitching when they host the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series Friday.
Young Could Return Scoring hasn’t been easy for both Arizona and Houston lately. At least the Diamondbacks might be getting some help. Arizona is expected to have Chris Young back in the lineup when it opens a four-game series with the Astros on Thursday night.
Pistons Look for 2 The Detroit Pistons usually need contributions from every starter and a couple of reserves to win. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Detroit beat the Cleveland Cavaliers with only Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace consistently producing.
Pirates Could Get Swept Behind a sluggish offense, the St. Louis Cardinals’ title defense has been a struggle. After getting some power their last time out, the Cardinals look to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second time this season when they conclude their three-game series on Thursday. In April, St. Louis (18-25) took a three-game series from Pittsburgh – its only sweep after recording eight last year en route to its first World Series championship since 1982.
Perez On Mound The New York Mets’ success at Turner Field last season appears to have been short-lived. The Mets will look to turn their fortunes around at Atlanta’s home park when they continue a three-game series with the Braves on Wednesday. New York (28-16) went 6-3 last season at Turner Field after entering 2006 with a 20-51 all-time mark at the ballpark, which opened in 1997.
Jazz Lose Another Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are making the Western Conference finals look way too easy. Duncan had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Parker lived up to his pledge of giving the Utah Jazz “no hope” by sinking all six of his first-half shots, helping the San Antonio Spurs build a big halftime lead that turned into a 105-96 victory in Game 2 of the series Tuesday night..