Blue Jays Rolling The Toronto Blue Jays have been a much improved team lately. Most of that success has come at the expense of the struggling Baltimore Orioles. The Blue Jays seek their fifth straight win over the Orioles when the AL East rivals continue their three-game series on Wednesday night.
Author: Shah
Red Wings Toast Jiggy and the Anaheim Ducks held off the Detroit Red Wings to earn a second trip to the Stanley Cup finals. Jean-Sebastien Giguere shut out Detroit for the first two periods as Anaheim built a 3-0 lead, then withstood a three-goal outburst by the Red Wings in the closing period to take a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.
Padres Dominate Cubs The San Diego Padres look to Jake Peavy to help them continue their dominance of the Chicago Cubs when the teams meet at Petco Park in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday. San Diego (24-20) won all seven meetings with the Cubs last season and split two games at Wrigley Field in April to improve to 11-5 in its last 16 games against them.
Angels Look to Lackey John Lackey looks for another strong outing Tuesday as he tries to help the Los Angeles Angels extend their season-high winning streak to six games when they open a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers. Lackey (6-3, 2.43 ERA) won for the fourth time in five starts Wednesday by scattering four hits in six innings of a 5-0 victory at Seattle.
Trouble in Hockeytown Jiggy woke up after Game 3 of the Western Conference finals and knew he had to play better. The reminder was right outside his window. “The 5-0 game, I got toilet-papered at my home by Red Wings fans, so I thought, ‘I’ve got to raise my level here,”’ Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said.
Mr. Fundamental After seeing Utah’s Deron Williams open the Western Conference finals with a career-best 34 points, San Antonio point guard Tony Parker vowed never to be so generous to his counterpart again. Not on defense. At the dinner table. See, the night before the series began, Parker took Williams out for some fine French dining.
Phillies Go for .500 After a slow start, the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of a long homestand to get back to .500. Now, they turn to their ace as they try to move above the break-even mark for the first time this season. Cole Hamels takes the mound Tuesday as the Phillies open a three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium.
Lowry Gets Start San Francisco starter Noah Lowry thinks he’ll be better prepared for rookie phenom Hunter Pence this time around. Lowry will look to keep Houston’s young center fielder in check Monday when the Giants open a three-game home series with the Astros.
Thome Returns Jim Thome expects to make his first start for the Chicago White Sox in nearly a month Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics at U.S. Cellular Field. Thome was activated before the White Sox (21-19) salvaged the finale of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs with a 10-6 victory on Sunday. He made a plate appearance as a pinch hitter, walking and later scoring in the White Sox’s seven-run seventh inning.
Top East Seeds Meet When threatened, the Detroit Pistons are at their best. Too much cockiness usually doesn’t work for the Pistons because it lulls them into a false sense of security, leading to 1-on-1 moves and lackluster effort on defense and the glass. Detroit plays up to its vast potential by sharing the ball, defending with passion and rebounding aggressively.