onzalez homered before leaving wit
onzalez homered before leaving wit
DENVER -- Juan Nicasio bounced back nicely from his first loss of the season. Carlos Gonzalez homered before leaving with a finger injury, Nicasio pitched seven scoreless innings and drove in three runs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the New York Mets 7-4 on Thursday night. "All my breaking balls worked today and I had good command of my fastball, too," said Nicasio, who was dinged for a couple of home runs by the Los Angeles Dodgers while struggling with his location last time out during a 4 1-3 inning outing. "Thats why I was good today," Nicasio said. "I threw a lot of sliders for strikes, my fastball was down in the zone. When Im pitching good, I have command of my fastball, and keeping the ball down. I lost my command (last time out)." New York manager Terry Collins said Nicasio kept Mets batters guessing. "He moved the ball in and out," Collins said. "He threw strikes." Corey Dickerson added three hits, including an RBI triple and Nolan Arenado singled leading off the third to extend the majors longest active streak to 21 games. Hes tied for the fourth-longest hitting streak in Rockies team history. Gonzalez connected for his sixth home run of the season in the first inning, driving a 3-2 offering from Bartolo Colon (2-4) off the right-centre field facing just below the second deck. He was lifted in the fourth inning, replaced by pinch hitter Brandon Barnes, because of a bruised left index finger. His playing status was listed as day to day. "I dont think hes going to miss a lot of time," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It was encouraging that the swelling was going down already." Colon allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. He walked one and struck out three. "Bartolo left pitches over the plate. And we ran into a hot team," said Travis dArnaud, who homered in the ninth off reliever Chad Bettis. But Nicasio (3-1) was effective at the plate and on the mound. After allowing a one-out single in the second to Chris Young, Nicasio retired 12 batters in a row before issuing his lone walk in the sixth inning. The only extra base hit he allowed was a double leading off the game to Juan Lagares. He was activated prior to the game after spending the previous two weeks on the disabled list because of a strained right hamstring. "Its a good step for him," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Weve seen Juan real good in the past, saw him good early and hopefully he gets on a roll." Nicasio also was a central figure in the Rockies offence. "We preach a lot to our pitchers if they can execute the game offensively theres probably a few Ws in there for them," Weiss said. Dickerson and Charlie Culberson hit successive two-out singles in the second and, running on the pitch, they both scored when Nicasio followed with a single that rolled to the right field corner. He added a sacrifice fly in the Rockies three-run fourth. Arenado also had a sacrifice fly and Charlie Blackmon an RBI single in the inning. Dickersons two-out triple in the fifth scored Justin Morneau, who was aboard with a single. The Mets avoided their third shutout of the season when Lagares, doubling for the second time in the game, hit a drive off Bettis in the eighth to the right centerfield gap to score pinch hitter Bobby Abreu from first. Bettis surrendered a two-out, three-run homer to dArnaud in the ninth before retiring Ruben Tejada on a fly ball to right. NOTES: Four of the seven home runs Colon has given up this season have come in the first inning. ... Colons four-pitch walk to Wilin Rosario leading off the fourth represented his first walk in 14 innings. ... Arenados 21-game hitting streak is the longest in the majors this season. ... Nicasios last multi-RBI game was June 14 against Philadelphia. ... The Mets Daniel Murphy went 0 for 4, snapping a 10-game hitting streak. ... Rockies catcher Rosario was back in the lineup after missing the previous four games with a left hand injury. Mark Grace Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Steve Cishek Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. http://www.authenticcubsteamproshop.com ... ersey/.com) - The Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors are back in the great white north for a brief moment and will host the Dallas Mavericks Friday night from Air Canada Centre. Ernie Banks Jersey .Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end. Justin Grimm Jersey . Fielder ended 4-for-5 with a solo homer, while Avila was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for the Tigers, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and rebounded from a loss in Mondays opener. Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson both contributed two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit maintained its healthy lead atop the AL Central.TORONTO - Almost gone but not forgotten. Thanks to a suspension to goalkeeper Joe Bendik, veteran Stefan Frei is in line this week to make his first MLS appearance for Toronto FC in more than two years. Frei, reduced to a backup by both Bendik and injury, is a likely starter Saturday in Chicago against the Fire in Torontos penultimate game of the season. It will like be a bittersweet swansong for the clubs longest-serving active player. "Itll be good to be finally get out there in a game," the six-foot-three, 195-pounder said succinctly The 27-year-old Frei has appeared in 81 league games — all starts — for TFC but none since a 3-0 defeat to Chivas USA on Sept. 24, 2011. Toronto has played 69 MLS games since then. Frei prides himself on being positive but acknowledges that it has been a rough road of late. "There were some tough moments, mentally," Frei said. Freis fine play and loyalty to the club have earned him much respect from Toronto FC fans. The team itself speaks of his professional attitude in the face of adversity. And Frei talks of working hard in practice to be ready when needed. But behind the facade of diplomacy, there is a clear disconnect between the franchise and goalie. Frei has taken the high road, mostly in silence this season. While Frei wont speak an ill word publicly, it seems clear he feels betrayed by the way he has been treated by the club after losing his job through injury and not getting a chance to win it back. In a rare interview ahead of the Chicago game, he chose his words carefully. Asked if it was fair how he lost his job, Frei replied: "Thats a question youre going to have to ask the head coach. He was the one that made that decision. "I tried to stay professional, tried to work my butt off in training. That was pretty much all I could do. And thats all Im going to say to that." Asked if he remains the clubs vice-captain, he said: "I have no idea, youll have to ask the coach for that. Obviously theres been so much change." His contract, hefty by MLS standards at US$200,000 this year, expires at the end of the season. Toronto is committed to Bendik as starter and recently traded for a backup in the form of six-foot-five Chris Konopka. It is unlikely Frei will see more action for the Reds, leaving him tantalizingly close to former captain and current assistant coach Jim Brennan for the team record in league appearances (84) and starts (83). Manager Ryan Nelsen has spoken glowingly in public about Freis attitude. But Nelsen has proved to be ruthless in remaking the team, shedding players to rework the salary cap. Fullback Richard Eckersley is currently out in the cold, the victim of a contract listed at $310,000. Had Konopka been fully healthy — he is getting over a knee injury he had prior to joining the squad — he might have got the nod over Frei this week. Nelsen plays his cards close to his chest. But it is clear Frei has been an expensive spare part ever since the 24-year-old Bendik took over. As Nelsen likes to say, possession is nine-tenths of the law. A supreme pragmatist, Nelsen has no time for sentimentality when it comes to soccer. Frei, essentially, has been in his rear-view mirror for months. Freis slide from starter to reserve started after a 2011 season that saw backup Milos Kocic make the most of a late run in goal after Frei injured a knee. Frei began the 2012 season in goal in a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final in March against the Los Angeles Galaxy but gave way the next two games to Kocic. Days later, his season was derailed when he injured his leg and ankle in a freak training injury. He broke his leg and required surgery to repair ankle damage. Frei worked tirelessly to rehab the ankle and leg, often on his own with the teams trainers. He remade his body, with muscles rippling from hours spent in the gym. Come pre-season in 2013, he was raring to go. He got the start in the first game at training camp, only to break his nose when he ran intto Columbus Crew striker Ryan Finleys boot while heroically going after the ball Feb.dddddddddddd 9. He had surgery in Orlando two days later. Bendik made the lost of his absence, winning the starting job with his play. All the hard work of his rehab seemed for naught. "That made it mentally very tough for me to not be able to reap those rewards of that hard work I had put in for over a year," Frei said. Frei has been restricted to the occasional Canadian Championship and friendly game ever since. He has tried to see the positives. "it was a good learning experience. No only physically but mentally, to grow from this whole experience. Im more of a positive guy. I tried to stay positive, keep working hard and Im sure at some point things will turn for me." That will likely have to happen in another uniform. "I have my ideas of where I will be but as of right now Im focusing on working hard here with TFC until the seasons over and then well cross that bridge when we get there," Frei said. Could that bridge lead outside MLS? "Possibly," he said, without offering anything more. Born in Switzerland, Frei moved to the U.S. in 2001 with his family when he was 15. After a stellar collegiate career at Cal, he was drafted 13th overall in 2009 and took over as Toronto starter early that season. In recent weeks he has trained alongside Bendik, Konopka and 19-year-old Quillan Roberts. He says he gets on with all of them, carrying on what he learned from veteran keeper Jon Conway. "His attitude that he brought to working with his teammates was youre going to have to work with them on a daily basis, you might as well make it a good working environment for everybody." Frei has seen plenty of comings and goings at Toronto FC. Nelsen is the seventh TFC manager he has played under. And of other 17 players in the matchday squad for his last league start, only four remain with the club — Eckersley, Doneil Henry, Danny Koevermans and Ashtone Morgan. Like Frei and Eckersley, the oft-injured Koevermans seems destined for the door as soon as the season ends. "(Things) have changed again and again and again," Frei said of his time in Toronto. Its going to take some time for the new regime and players to settle on, he added. "I hope that theres going to be a little bit more consistency. But the guys that we have now in charge, from the top all the way down, are good people and are going to get this team in the right direction." His fondest memory in a Toronto FC shirt was the 2009 Canadian Championship when Toronto, needing a miraculous comeback, defeated Montreal 6-1 on the road to win the Cup. He says that day was "just pure joy." "You kind of get addicted to it and youre longing for that feeling." While Frei has had a rough time on the pitch recently, his personal life has taken a turn for the good this year. He got engaged to Jennier Childs and is due to get married later this year. "We also bought our first house together, an apartment, so well always have a bit of a base here wherever our journey will take us. We got a dog as well. "So from a personal level its been the best year of my life. Soccer its been a bit challenging but Ive been trying to earn from all these situations that were thrown my way. I cant complain." A keen artist himself, Frei has been his own canvas recently with extensive tattoo work done on his left arm. Still under construction, the three-quarter sleeve dovetails around an earlier tattoo of the Swiss flag. Having studied classical civilizations at the University of California, he says hes always had a "connection" with ancient Egypt. His sleeve, by tattoo artist Glen Hartless, depicts King Tut, Anubis and Osiris. Frei has put in 18-19 hours in so far, with another 10 left over. "I think Im going to take a break after this. Its been quite an adventure," he said of his tattoo. You could say the same of his time in Toronto. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '