erous supporters helped make the fest
erous supporters helped make the fest
MIAMI - Henderson Alvarez was a bit rusty. That didnt last long. Alvarez made a successful return to the mound after missing two starts and pitched seven innings for the Miami Marlins who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Saturday. "He did a great job today and hes a unique player for sure," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "This guy competes and the beauty of Hendu is that, and I hope and think this is true, hes realized how good he is this year. This guy has great stuff and you saw that tonight." Alvarez (9-5) allowed one run and five hits while striking out six after being reinstated from the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He lowered his home ERA to a National League-best 1.46 among qualifiers. "Im just thankful that everything went well today and I was able to go out there and help my team," Alvarez said. "Were in the middle of the (playoff) hunt so this is an important stretch for us." Alvarez threw 58 of 89 pitches for strikes. Two offerings were his Eephus pitch — one registered 58 mph on the radar gun — before he was pulled after the seventh inning. "Chuck (Hernandez) and I sat there and, believe me, we fought the urge to throw him back out there for the eighth, but decided that he did his job and knowing that was his first start back after being a little bit sore was the right thing to do," Redmond said. Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his 31st save in 34 opportunities. The Diamondbacks made five errors, their most since recording six on July 3, 2010, against the Dodgers. "Through all the mistakes we battled and we only gave up two runs, one unearned and one earned," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. Wade Miley (7-9) struck out nine in seven innings for Arizona. He allowed two runs — one earned — and four hits. "Its a little frustrating, but thats baseball," Miley said. "Alvarez threw a great game." The Marlins scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on the Diamondbacks fifth error. Shortstop Cliff Penningtons throw home on a grounder went wide of catcher Miguel Montero, allowing Marcell Ozuna to score from third base. Ozuna moved into scoring position after a dropped pick-off attempt by first baseman Mark Trumbo. Trumbos sacrifice fly gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead in the first, but Alvarez was able to escape further damage after the first three batters singled. Ozuna, the centre fielder, threw out Ender Inciarte at home to help. Arizona racked up three errors in the second inning, but the Marlins were unable to take advantage of the miscues. It was the first time in nearly four years a team (Oakland on Aug. 24, 2010) committed three errors in an inning without allowing a run. Jeff Baker hit an RBI triple in the fourth for the Marlins. TRAINERS ROOM Diamondbacks: SS Chris Owings (left shoulder strain) will begin a rehab assignment with the Arizona League (rookie) Diamondbacks on Sunday and the plan is for him to play for Triple-A Reno on Friday. ... CF A.J. Pollock (right hand surgery) will begin hitting on Monday. ON DECK Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (8-9, 3.86) takes the hill in Sundays series finale against Diamondbacks RHP Josh Collmenter (8-6, 4.09). Koehler has allowed eight runs in nine innings over two starts, both losses, against the Diamondbacks. Collmenter is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA over his last three starts. ROTATION SHUFFLE Redmond has decided to start RHP Jarred Cosart on Tuesday and RHP Nathan Eovaldi on Wednesday in a two-game set with the Texas Rangers. With two off days next week, the Marlins will not need a fifth starter until Aug. 24 and a decision has not been made whether LHP Brad Hand or RHP Brad Penny will assume that role. STREAKS CONTINUE Inciartes career-long 16-game hitting streak is the longest active streak in the National League. He is hitting .314 (22 for 70) during that stretch. ... Trumbo also continued his streak of reaching base safely in 15 consecutive games, which is the second-longest streak of his career. Cheap Nike Air Max 95 Online .ca. Kerry, In the closing minutes of the second period of Game 4 between Pittsburgh and Columbus there were the remnants of two broken sticks behind the Pittsburgh net. Air Max 95 Clearance Sale . -- Kevin Stadler might be playing in the Masters for the first time, but hes already showing his old man a thing or two. http://www.discountairmax95.com/. He was 90. The team announced Monday that Adams had died, saying he "passed away peacefully from natural causes." The son of a prominent oil executive, Adams built his own energy fortune and founded the Houston Oilers. Discount Air Max 95 . Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. Cheap Air Max 95 China . Off-Season Game Plan examines a team facing some challenging times as GM Bryan Murray tries to put together a roster for next season. Perhaps the first challenge facing Murray is that its expected he will be moving out Jason Spezza, a premier point producer who is about to enter the final year of his contract.Toronto and Major League Soccer are still a buzz. Toronto FC unveiled prized acquisitions forward Jermain Defoe and US Mens National team midfielder Michael Bradley Monday in front of hundreds of supporters, the whos who of MLSE and a throng of media usually reserved for Toronto Maple Leafs duty. Monday was a big deal. Weve done the song and dance to a lesser scale with this team before, but the track played this time was from another album altogether: a compilation likely produced by Drake. It sounded really good. The new, positive direction of Toronto FC doesnt cast aside hard feelings of seven years of disappointment. There will be many who remain cynical; believing this will crumble like previous renditions. These moves are a good start; a giant, very expensive step in the right direction. The new story has just begun. After all, Tim Leiweke only took over control of MLSE in June. Much has revealed itself in recent weeks. There is still much we dont know. Heres where we stand at present time. What we know... Money Talks Defoe and Bradley said all the rights things. They are coming to the right place and are excited about the opportunity. The famous line from Jerry Maguire is more appropriate: "SHOW ME THE MONEY". Dollars. Bucks. Cash. Quiche. Toronto FC flexed their financial muscle and their targets obliged. Quadrupling or getting paid six times your salary makes it an offer not to be refused. Leiweke called having three designated players (Gilberto the third) on significant dollars as "financial suicide." A line that catches the ear and shows any previous financial restraint has been thrown out the window. Soccer-wise in North America, these salaries make no sense, but for an organization whose profits from their cash cow the Toronto Maple Leafs are protected by a salary cap, the investment into MLSEs suddenly important side project is mitigated. Throwing money at players was the easiest way to try to make a seven-year problem go away. Toronto FC joins the likes of the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls with the ability to spend out the nose on the best-designated players possible. Show them the money and top players will come. Leiweke: Ambition and Network The MLSE President/CEO sat on the stage like a proud father. There was a rightful "I told you so" vibe about it. Leiweke promised significant changes. He has delivered. Leiweke has put an end to any notion that MLSE wont spend. The Bell/Rogers MLSE ownership is a different bunch than the Teachers Pension. It begs to question whether the Raptors would have spent into the luxury tax long ago if Leiweke were around sooner. Leiwekes global sporting connections are Teflon. Its not name dropping if you can actually call upon the biggest names in the world to help. David Beckham. Player agents. Owners. Celebrity. Leiweke has access to all these channels and has used them to foster personal and professional relationships. This goes beyond players to business and developmental partnerships. The motivation here is all in the name of winning. Leiweke acknowledges hell spend whatever it takes to reach that goal. Monday is only the beginning. He dropped the term super club. Maple Leafs and Raptors fans should take notice. Reputations are changing. Belief is real. The Power of Drake Drake as Global Ambassador seemed nothing more than a flashy marketing move when announced. It must be said, the cache of Drake seems to be widely underrated, at least by this onlooker. His influence is tangible. Defoe glowed when describing his adoration for Drake. If Leiweke is the right hook in laying the body blow of recruitment, Drake is the left. "I was out in London one night having dinner when this number came up. I answered it and it was Drake. It was surreal, to be honest. I felt special. He said it was a fantastic city and IId enjoy it," described Defoe.dddddddddddd He was glowing. Every good team needs a finisher in front of goal. Drake can be just that in player recruitment. Weird, isnt it? A Happy Manager As with all previous regime/coaching changes at TFC, the talent cupboard was bare when Ryan Nelsen took over a season ago. He was hired late, and a slow moving conveyer belt of roster moves followed. By the end of the season, Nelsen seemed worn out, absolutely knackered by the process and growing frustration. This is no longer the case. Nelsen has the players. Theyve been locked up early. Its up to him to manage his team accordingly. And the manager is ecstatic. Its clear speaking to him over the last month, there is a newfound energy about him, almost giddiness at the potential of whats at his disposal. What system the team will play and how his new assets will be used are up in the air. This will be a big test for the second year coach. No pressure. What we dont know... Will TFC Finally Win? Its the most popular question asked: is this team now a winner? Its too soon to know. We can say with confidence the club will be more competitive. Defoe and Bradley immediately become the best players to wear TFC red. The jury will be out on Gilberto. General manager Tim Bezbatchenko seems to have a vast understanding of the salary cap and league rules. The ability of the front office to properly evaluate talent will be critical. Other factors will obviously play a determining role. Injuries, form, further transactions, managerial decisions and how soon the new players can gel will be decisive. Big spending doesnt guarantee anything in MLS. That being said, anything short of a competitive team and playoffs would be a disappointment. Matias Laba designated player contract needs to be dealt with. And the team needs more defensive/midfield depth. How Does MLS Feel About These Moves? Leiweke was asked how others around MLS reacted to the big money spent. "Id say some of our partners would say weve lost our minds." So much for the fiscal restraint the league predicates itself on. Beckhams move to Los Angeles was self-explanatory and helped grow the league. Many will believe Toronto over-spent, making Defoe and Bradley the leagues most expensive players (along with Clint Dempsey). It takes MLS to another level, whether they are ready, like it or not. The moves wont be looked upon fondly in some circles. Toronto FC did what they could and felt they had to do. There will be those at MLS who would prefer Bradley, a top American player, to play in an American market. Toronto FC isnt scheduled to feature in any nationally televised game south of the border. This will change. But the draw of Toronto in the US pales in comparison to other American markets in television numbers. And its television ratings where the league needs to grow. Die-Hards Remain Loyal. What About The Masses? Boisterous supporters helped make the festive environment at Real Sports Bar & Grill Monday. While attendance has dwindled at BMO Field, a hardened, resilient contingent has remained true. Its been a tough go for these supporters, spending more than just dollars, but emotional collateral on a team that hasnt delivered. Nothing will sway the devout. But will the masses follow suit and come back on board? Expect calculated efforts by the club and media owners to keep pushing Defoe/Bradley to the spotlight. They are more than just players - they are marketing tools. Leiweke is expecting sellouts all season. At an average of $28 per ticket, he may get his wish. Long-term loyalty and interest from more than the die-hards is the goal. Ticket prices will surely rise as winning football comes to BMO. Stadium expansion and makeover is also in the works. It all costs money. What will it cost the fans? And what are they willing to pay? ' ' '