MLB Baseball - The Unger Memorial Library - MyPlainview.com

Page 8B - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - Plainview Herald www.MyPlainview.com
Rangers hit three home
runs to blow out Royals
ARLINGTON —
Mitch Moreland, Mike
Napoli and Endy Chavez
hit consecutive homers
to match a club record
and back Matt Harrison’s
fi ve-hit shutout pitching
over six innings as the
Texas Rangers beat the
Kansas City Royals 10-1
on Saturday night.
Three straight Rangers
homered for the fi fth time
in club history. It hadn’t
happened since April 25,
2004, when Laynce Nix,
Rod Barajas and Adrian
Gonzalez went deep
against Seattle.
The last big league
team to go back-to-backto-back
was Boston at
Texas on Aug. 13, 2010.
Adrian Beltre added
his team-best 11th
homer, and Nelson Cruz
connected for his ninth
as the Rangers went deep
fi ve times against Sean
O’Sullivan (2-4).
O’Sullivan was
knocked around for 10
runs and 15 hits in 5
2-3 innings as his ERA
swelled from 5.60 to
6.75.
Harrison (5-4) struck
out one and walked one
in steamy 98-degree
conditions to help the
Rangers win for the
fourth time in six games.
He has pitched at least
six innings in eight of his
10 starts and has thrown
14 1-3 straight shutout
innings in his last two
outings.
Yoshinori Tateyama,
a 35-year-old rookie,
worked the fi nal three
innings for his fi rst big
league save.
Billy Butler had two
hits for the Royals,
who’ve dropped 11 of 14.
�Blue
Jays 9, White
Sox 8
In Toronto, Corey Patterson
hit a game-ending
homer in the 14th inning,
Jose Bautista connected
for his major league-leading
20th home run and
Toronto beat the Chicago
White Sox.
Patterson, who tied a
career high with fi ve hits,
led off the 14th with a
drive to right off Gavin
Floyd (5-5) for his third
of the season. It was the
fourth game-winning
homer of his career.
�Indians
7, Rays 3
In St. Petersburg, Fla.,
Shelley Duncan and
Orlando Cabrera each
had two RBIs, Carlos
Carrasco pitched six solid
innings and the Indians
beat the Rays.
Duncan, who was
pinch-hitting, and Cabrera
both had two-run
singles during the eighth
to put Cleveland ahead
7-2.
�Twins
1, Angels 0
In Minneapolis,
Danny Valencia hit a
bases-loaded single in
the bottom of the 10th
inning, lifting the Twins
to a victory over Los
Angeles after spot starter
Anthony Swarzak held
the Angels hitless into
the eighth.
Joyce Marshall/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT
Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison works against the Kansas
City Royals at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Saturday.
The Rangers routed the Royals, 10-1, as Harrison worked six
shutout innings for the win.
Astros routed by
Diamondbacks 11-3
HOUSTON (AP) In Washington, Tim
— Zach Duke allowed Stauffer pitched seven in-
three hits over seven innings for his fi rst win of
nings and hit a three-run the season, Blake Tekotte
homer in his fi rst game had the fi rst two hits of
of the season, leading the his major league career
Arizona Diamondbacks and the Padres beat the
to an 11-3 victory over Nationals.
the Houston Astros on Stauffer (1-3) limited
Saturday night.
the Nationals to four hits
Duke’s fi rst home run and a run — a seventh-
in seven major league inning homer by Laynce
seasons came in the Nix — to win for the
Diamondbacks’ four-run fi rst time in 11 starts.
fourth inning, a shot over He struck out four and
the left fi eld fence off walked four.
Bud Norris (2-4).
�Brewers
3, Giants 2
Duke (1-0) missed In Milwaukee, pinch-
Arizona’s fi rst 51 games hitter Jonathan Lucroy’s
while recovering from bases-loaded suicide
a broken hand suffered squeeze scored Ryan
in spring training. The Braun with one out in the
Astros didn’t get a hit ninth, lifting the Brewers
until Clint Barmes’ single over the Giants.
to left with one out in the Lucroy’s well-execut-
fourth.
ed bunt was out of the
Duke, activated off the reach of pitcher Guiller-
disabled list earlier Saturmo Mota. Braun easily
day, didn’t allow another scored and Lucroy began
runner until he walked pumping his fi sts halfway
Matt Downs in the sixth. down the line.
Carlos Lee and Brett �Phillies
5, Mets 2
Wallace each singled in In New York, Ryan
the seventh.
Howard hit a tiebreaking
�Pirates
10, Cubs 0 double in the eighth inning
In Chicago, Paul Ma- and Cole Hamels fi nally
holm pitched a three-hit- beat a familiar nemesis,
ter for his fi rst victory in pitching the Phillies past
a month, Ronny Cedeno, the slumping Mets.
Lyle Overbay, Chris Hamels (7-2) struck
Snyder and Andrew Mc- out a season-high 10 and
Cutchen each homered walked none over seven
and Pittsburgh routed innings to win his third
Chicago.
straight outing and im-
Maholm (2-7) got his prove to 3-9 in 15 career
third career shutout in a games against the Mets.
place he’s always pitched The left-hander had lost
well. Maholm is 8-2 in 15 fi ve consecutive starts
career starts against the against them.
Cubs, including 6-2 in 11 �Rockies
15, Cardistarts
at Wrigley Field. nals 4
In just his second start In Denver, Chris Ian-
of the season and fi rst netta homered twice and
since April 4, Chicago’s drove in a career-high six
Randy Wells (1-1) lasted runs and Juan Nicasio
four innings after being pitched seven solid in-
activated off the disabled nings in his major league
list (right forearm strain). debut as the Rockies
Wells gave up fi ve hits, routed the Cardinals.
including Cedeno’s The hard-throwing
second homer, and fi ve Nicasio (1-0) surrendered
runs with three walks just six hits and one
and seven strikeouts in a unearned run after being
92-pitch outing.
recalled from Double-A
�Padres
2, Nation- Tulsa to make a spot
als 1
start.
Wade’s whirlwind year ends with return to fi nals
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI — Only a year
ago, everything in Dwyane
Wade’s life was uncertain.
Former business partners
had brought a combination
of civil lawsuits, seeking
somewhere around $100
million in what they said
was the earnings potential
of some failed deals. His
yearslong divorce battle
was still unsettled. Another
courtroom fi ght was looming
for custody of his two sons.
And the free-agent period
was fast-approaching.
“Very long year,” Wade
said Saturday. “Very, very
long year.”
Alas, it comes with a very,
very sweet opportunity to
close this chapter.
Wade is heading back to
the NBA fi nals for the second
time. When his Miami
Heat open the series at home
against the Dallas Mavericks
— the franchise they beat in
2006 as well — on Tuesday
night, it’ll be exactly 52
weeks after the four civil
suits were settled in what
was an overwhelming victory
for his side.
With that, everything
started falling into place.
Wade got his divorce. He
stayed in Miami. He got Le-
Bron James and Chris Bosh
to join him. He got Udonis
Haslem to stay with him. He
got custody of his kids. The
Heat won 58 games, endured
some major bumps along
the way, needed only 10
games to get past Chicago
and Boston on the way to the
Eastern Conference title, and
now stand four wins from
the ring.
“This would be the capper,”
said Tragil Wade, the
Heat star’s sister. “My mom
has been saying this since
his 29th birthday in January:
‘This will be the year and he
will be rewarded. It’ll be in
his favor. It will end in his
favor.’ So even now, it’s all
about belief. We’ve always
had belief. When things are
good, when things are bad,
we always have to have
belief.”
The fi rst championship
was great, sure.
After the last 12 months,
MIAMI (AP) — Scottie Pippen said
LeBron James may be basketball’s
greatest player ever.
Among those who disagree: LeBron
James.
The Miami Heat forward provided
his reaction to Pippen’s comparison
between James and Michael Jordan
on Saturday, essentially saying he was
fl attered by the sentiment but simply
does not believe he’s done enough to
merit mention among the game’s highest
echelon.
“I’m not better than Jordan,” James
said.
Pippen — who won six championships
alongside Jordan in Chicago
during the Bulls’ epic run in the
the three-day event for the
WBU women. The foursome
earned eight points and
fi nished second in a time of
45.40. Indiana Tech won the
event in 45.27.
Four Pioneer individuals
earned all-American status
with top six fi nishes during
the fi nal two days of competition.
Roundtree hit a mark of
15.07 meters (49-5 1/2) in
Continued from Page 1B
rotation last year.
Haywood signed a lucrative
contract last summer to
be the starter, lost his job to
Chandler and was so uncomfortable
as a backup that he
was suspended for a game
in November. In December,
he got the dreaded DNP-
Coach’s Decision, with several
more in the months that
followed. But in the playoffs,
he’s done everything a
backup big man should.
Stevenson also has been
in and out of the lineup.
A defensive specialist and
3-point shooter, he starts
each half, then gives way to
Terry. Having that instant
offense from the bench has
been a huge boost for the
Mavericks.
Marion is a four-time All-
Star who became a backup
for the fi rst time in his career
when he joined the Mavericks
last season. This season,
Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/MCT)
After a long year, Dwyane Wade has a chance to come out on top as
he heads back to the NBA fi nals.
for Wade, a second title
would be monumentally
more enjoyable.
“I know him better than
anybody and I saw the toll
that it kind of took on him,”
Haslem said of the past year
for one of his closest friends.
“Through all that, he stayed
professional. I think he’s
used basketball as an outlet,
as many of us do, and when
it was all over and he was
fortunate enough to get custody
of his kids, I saw a light
just shining around him.”
That light hasn’t always
been there, of course.
Wade’s story is well-known,
starting with an incredibly
rough upbringing in Chicago,
leaning on his sister
as the maternal infl uence for
many years when his mother
— Jolinda, now a minister
who turned her own life
around — wasn’t there for
her children for an array of
reasons.
Basketball was the escape,
taking him away from the
problems in Chicago to Marquette,
then from Marquette
to Miami. It has given him
wealth and fame, and now
— after a season unlike any
other, where the Heat were
as scrutinized as perhaps any
the triple jump to place sixth
and tally three points for the
Pioneer men.
After running the 10,000
meters on Thursday and a
semifi nal race of the 5,000
on Friday, Kennedy Kithuka
came back Saturday to take
third-place honors in the
5K event with a time of
14:17.20.
Gay got four points and
became a fi rst-time NAIA
All-American with a fi fthplace
fi nish in the 200. She
he went through several
stretches of fl opping between
reserve and starter. He
became a starter for good in
late March and has had some
big games in the postseason,
especially the last round
against Oklahoma City.
“There’s a point in everybody’s
career where you’ve
got to make certain sacrifi ces
if you really want to get to
that ultimate goal,” Marion
said.
“Sometimes you’ve got to
do certain things you probably
don’t want to do, or
make changes you’ve never
done in your whole career
just to make something
work. At the end, when you
can get that prize, that’s all
that matters. . . . This is defi -
nitely amazing what we’re
seeing right now.”
Carlisle has been forced
to make so many changes
because his preseason plan
went into the shredder.
Second-year guard Roddy
team in NBA history — it
has brought him to the cusp
of a second championship.
“Basketball,” Heat coach
Erik Spoelstra said, “has
always been Dwyane’s
sanctuary.”
The overriding theme for
this season was sacrifi ce, and
in the beginning, that meant
money.
Not only did Wade take
less than the maximum he
could have accepted from
Miami, but he even signed
for less than James and Bosh
did, giving the Heat even
more fl exibility to fi ll what
he envisioned as a roster
able to contend for championships.
He sacrifi ced stats, too.
The ball isn’t in his hands
as much, obviously, with
two other All-Stars in tow.
Somehow, his scoring average
dipped only 1.1 points
from where it was in 2009-
10, down to 25.5, and he
shot a career-best 50 percent
— exactly 692 makes, 692
misses.
“Whatever it takes,” Wade
said.
Those words rung true in
Game 5 of the Eastern Conference
fi nals in Chicago.
Wade struggled for much
1990s — told ESPN Radio on Friday
that while Jordan is “probably the
greatest scorer to play the game,”
James “may be the greatest player to
ever play the game.”
Pippen even backed up the comments
later on Twitter, hours after his
words sparked a bit of a fi restorm,
though tried to clarify a bit by saying
that while he thinks Jordan “is the
greatest,” James “could” reach that
pinnacle in time.
James seemed mildly uncomfortable
by the discussion.
“Michael’s an unbelievable player,”
James said Saturday. “I’ve got a long
way — long way — to be mentioned
as far as one of the all-time greats. Not
also picked up a point in
Friday’s 100 by crossing
the fi nish line in eighth
place with a posted time of
12.16.
The other all-American
from Wayland is Latanya
Nation, who ran a personal
best 14.04 in the 100-meter
hurdles to place fi fth. It is
the 12th time in the career
of the three-year letterwinner
from Jamaica that she
been designated an all-
American.
Beaubois was supposed
to provide the speed and
athleticism this aging group
sorely needed, but he broke
his foot playing for the
French national team last
summer and wasn’t ready
until February. He tried living
up to ridiculously high
expectations and wound up
losing confi dence. Carlisle
stuck with him through 26
straight starts, then benched
him for the season fi nale.
He got hurt in that game and
hasn’t played a minute this
postseason.
Then there’s the sad story
of Caron Butler.
Acquired at the trade
deadline in 2010, along with
Haywood and Stevenson,
Butler was supposed to be
the second scoring option
most nights and a top defender
— and he was, until
tearing a tendon in his right
knee on Jan. 1.
Losing two expected
starters, Carlisle’s trial-and-
of the night again before he,
James and Bosh led an 18-3
burst to end the game.
Game over. Series over.
And afterward, in his
hometown, Wade looked
simply drained.
“I had a lot of emotions
going through my mind and
my body and thinking about
going back to the fi nals,”
Wade said. “It’s been a long
time. And everything we
went through this year to get
to this point — where we
expected to be and where we
wanted to be — fi nally was
reality.”
After a day of rest, some
spring in his step was
back Saturday, though he
was excused from much
on-court work to get time
to rest after an East fi nals
where he battled an aching
shoulder — but stopped
short of calling himself
injured.
Wearing low-cut sneakers
and Heat practice
gear, Wade spent nearly
a half-hour taking part in
a shooting contest with
teammates James Jones and
Erick Dampier, where they
wasted some time by hoisting
a series of one-handed
3-pointers, arguing about
the score of the game and
messing with each other as
they were about to release
the basketball.
Things about this season
were not fun.
Things about last summer
were defi nitely not fun.
But another fi nals trip is
already something Wade
is savoring. He rarely, if
ever, watches tapes of the
2006 fi nals, and his MVP
trophy from that series
has remained at the arena
the Heat call home for the
past fi ve years. Back then,
he thought championships
would come with great
regularity. After the lessons
of this year — and the four
other title-less ones before
that — he’s grown considerably
more appreciative of
the moment.
“We’re still blessed,”
Tragil Wade said. “But we
know we’ve got to savor every
moment, good and bad.
He’s still in the prime time
of his life right now. We’re
going to enjoy this.”
LeBron ‘gracious, humbled’ by Jordan comparison
even just Jordan. There’s a lot of great
players who have played in this league.
Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all
these guys who are fl oating around
with multiple rings, Bill Russell, all
these guys who have pioneered this
game.
“I’m gracious. Humbled by Scottie’s
comments, especially with him being
a teammate of his and seeing Michael
on a day-to-day basis. But as far as me,
I’m not going to sit here and say I’m
better than Jordan. I’m not better than
Jordan.”
James is four wins away from his
fi rst NBA championship. The Heat host
the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the
NBA fi nals on Tuesday night.
WBU: Four Pioneers earn all-American honors
Continued from Page 1B
Other Pioneer point producers
on the men’s side on
Friday and Saturday include
Roundtree, who picked up a
point with his eighth-place
fi nish in the long jump (7.22
meters or 23-8 1/4); Boen,
who took almost seven
seconds off his previous
best to place seventh in the
1,500 (3:50.34); Morris,
who produced a point in the
800 (1:51.65); and Davis,
who placed eighth in the 200
(21.37).
DALLAS: Experience has helped weather storms
error with his starting lineup
seemed as if he was picking
it from a hat sometimes.
Sasha Pavlovic started six
games while playing under
10-day contracts. Brian
Cardinal started four games
and fourth-string center Alex
Ajinca started twice before
getting traded.
A younger team might
have buckled.
But these veterans have
taken it in stride, and made
the most of it.
At season’s end, Dallas
had 57 wins and the No. 3
seed in the Western Conference.
Team president
Donnie Nelson didn’t get a
single vote for executive of
the year, but he and team
owner Mark Cuban are
much more interested in the
prize the club is still chasing.
“I like the team,” Nowitzki
said. “I think we’re deep
and we can play all sorts of
styles. So, we’ll see what
happens.”