LaberFred » and Mark Shewchyk

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two of the American Leagues top teams have struggling closers who are accustomed to being among the best in baseball. Joe Nathan held on through another rocky ninth inning for his 13th save a day after blowing one, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Thursday for a split of the four-game series between division leaders. "If Joes on youre going to have quick outs. Hes been one of the best closers, he had an unbelievable year last year," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "If hes on, hell get quick outs. It just wasnt today." On the other side, Oaklands Jim Johnson -- the 2013 AL saves leader -- walked off the mound to boos from the home crowd after allowing two runs in the seventh. He is pitching in lower-pressure situations for now. "What am I supposed to do?" he said of the crowd treatment. "I dont know what to tell you. Balls are finding holes. Im throwing pretty good pitches, I just feel like Im in a little bit of bad luck. I dont think its as bad as it really seems. I think everybody else thinks that way." Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth to back Rick Porcellos eighth victory. Porcello (8-2) overcame a career-high six walks, three shy of his season total coming into Thursdays start. Nathan allowed Josh Donaldsons leadoff double, an RBI infield single by Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddicks run-scoring double before pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie grounded out to end the game. It was Nathans first outing since he surrendered Donaldsons game-ending three-run homer in Wednesdays 3-1 loss for his fourth blown save opportunity. "You guys can get the guys that did their part. You can write whatever you want," Nathan said. Victor Martinez doubled home two runs in the seventh and Cabrera also had an RBI groundout for the Tigers, who head to Seattle for the weekend before returning home. Nick Punto hit a two-run homer in the fourth for Oakland, which wasted chances all game to lose for only the seventh time in 20 games. Porcello moved into second place in the American League for wins behind Torontos Mark Buehrle. He did just enough this time, coming off his second loss of the year Saturday against Texas in which he was tagged for eight runs and 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings. "Its no secret I was all over the place," Porcello said. "I was fortunate to get out of some of the innings." Porcello improved to 5-1 on the road. He allowed five hits and two runs with four strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. Oakland starter Jesse Chavez (4-3) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season following a two-game winning streak. His pitch count went up in a hurry. The right-hander walked two of his first three batters but escaped a rough first inning unscathed. After Ian Kinsler lined out to start the game, Chavez walked the next two and received a mound visit from pitching coach Curt Young after going to 2-0 on cleanup hitter Victor Martinez. Martinez then singled and J.D. Martinez grounded into an inning-ending double play. The As left the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings, and also squandered scoring chances in the first, fifth and seventh. They had the tying run on second and go-ahead run on first to end the game, leaving 14 on base in all. "We had plenty of opportunities," manager Bob Melvin said. "We had some situational at-bats where we didnt come through." AL Central-leading Detroit, which eliminated the two-time defending AL West champion As in a five-game division series each of the past two Octobers, won for just the third time in 11 games following a six-game winning streak. NOTES: Tigers OF Rajai Davis was held out of the lineup with lingering soreness in his left shoulder that he hurt while diving for a fly ball during the second inning Wednesday night. ... Ausmus decided to give 38-year-old Torii Hunter an unscheduled day off. "Weve got to give him a day off because hes an old man," Ausmus joked. "We need him for the long haul." ... As setup man Ryan Cook, on the DL since May 9 with a forearm strain, threw a bullpen session and could begin a rehab assignment within the next week. ... Tigers OF Andy Dirks has been throwing long toss from 120 feet as he continues to recover from lower back surgery. ... Oakland LHP Drew Pomeranz (4-2), who pitches the series opener against the Angels on Friday, has won three of his four starts since being moved into the rotation. ... Tigers ace Justin Verlander (5-4) takes the mound at Seattle on Friday trying to snap a two-start losing streak. Air Max 270 Günstig Kaufen . The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled to arrive in Boston in time for a workout on Tuesday afternoon. Much of Mondays discussion focused on Bostons lineup considerations as the series progresses, specifically when the venue shifts to St. Nike Air Max 95 Kaufen . Certainly not Monday night. George Hill took care of the early work, scoring a season-high 26 points, and Paul George closed it out by scoring 11 of his 26 points during a decisive second-half stretch that finally allowed Indiana to pull away from Minnesota 98-84 for yet another win. https://www.schuheshopschweiz.ch/gunstig...aufen-d206.html. -- Caris LeVert had 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and No. Air Max 270 Kaufen Schweiz .The 24-year-old quarterback spent four seasons at Northern Illinois and in 2013 was a finalist for the Heisman, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in U. Schuhe Günstig Online Kaufen . -- Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks.TORONTO - Its too early in his tenure as interim coach to know what a Peter Horachek-coached team looks like, but the Toronto Maple Leafs gave a pretty good indication of the new standard in his second game behind the bench.In beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 Friday night at Air Canada Centre, the Maple Leafs responded to an early deficit, out-shot an opponent and kept pressing with the lead. In other words, Horachek hockey helped end a three-game losing streak.I definitely feel like thats how we need to approach every game, for sure, said Horachek, who was awarded the teams camouflage hoodie by players after his first win as Leafs coach. Its not going to be perfect all the time, but what we want them to do is play more in that direction that we played tonight.The Leafs out-shot the Blue Jackets 32-20. The 20 shots were the second fewest of the season (10 vs. Buffalo Oct. 28) and the second time in 42 games Toronto allowed under 24 shots in a game.That itself was an accomplishment.I think its all part of the process, defenceman Cody Franson said. To keep a team to under 25 shots takes a lot of work. But the work that youre doing allows you to play a less exhausting game. If you play hard in your D-zone you dont spend as much time down there, and therefore you dont have to spend as much time hitting people and trying to defend. You can get in the offensive zone and not necessarily have to be as physical.When the Leafs (22-17-3) got chances, they took advantage. Tyler Bozak, Daniel Winnik, Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk scored on 2013 Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, and van Riemsdyk added an empty-netter for good measure.All that came after Blue Jackets centre Ryan Johansen scored 3:15 in on the first shot on Jonathan Bernier, who finished with 18 saves. Horachek told his team to stick with it, dont let anything bother you and just keep going, and players listened.Our team really responded, captain Dion Phaneuf said. We stuck with the way that we had to play. We didnt give up a whole lot all night and it was start-to-finish probably one of our strongest games that weve played as a team.For a team striving for some measure of consistency, this was it. General manager Dave Nonis blamed fits of inconsistency for the firing of coach Randy Carlyle on Tuesday.Leafs president Brendan Shanahan delivered the same message in speaking with players Friday morning, that this isnt good enough. The group that took the ice against Columbus (18-18-3) looked like it took that message to heart.Hes the boss of our organization and the president of our team, so when he addresses the team, the team listens with open ears, Phaneuf said. It wasnt a negative meeting, but it was about what he expects from our team — very straightforward, professional, and I thought our team responded well and in the right way.The Blue Jackets didnt respond thee way coach Todd Richards would have liked.dddddddddddd Two Toronto goals came as a result of the puck going in off a defenceman, and the Leafs two power-play goals came after some poor discipline.They were bad penalties, Richards said. We lost too many battles on the walls, in the corners. I think we took four penalties so youre giving a team, plus the five-on-three just off of a line change. So, bad penalties. You arent giving yourself a chance to win.Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was playing his first game since signing a US$29.7-million, four-year extension earlier in the day. Bobrovsky stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced and couldnt be faulted much for the loss.It was tough, Bobrovsky said. Tough game. Tough start, but weve got to find a way.The Leafs found a way by committing to the kind of defence-first style Horachek wants. Its not that theyre suffocating in their own zone, but keeping shots against down by keeping the puck and dictating the pace is part of the plan.They always say when youre in the offensive zone, its tough for them to score some goals, Winnik said.Scoring two power-play goals for the first time in over a month, the Leafs showed they could make a team pay for penalties. But perhaps the most impressive part of this victory was how they didnt go into a shell after building a three-goal lead.Instead, the Leafs kept pushing and limited the Blue Jackets opportunities to get back into the game.I think thats been one of our faults this year is when we have leads like that, we sit back, Winnik said. But I thought we did a great job of just taking it to them.The Leafs embark on a four-game road trip that takes them to Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and St. Louis. They face the Stanley Cup-champion Kings on Monday.Horachek has been around the game long enough to know its impossible to play this kind of game every night. But his players can try.Thats the kind of game that were striving towards on an every-night basis, Franson said. If we can play like that as a group, we spend less time in on our own zone and were a much better team because of it.Notes — Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier finished with 18 saves for his 16th victory of the season. ... Referee Dean Morton was upended by David Clarkson in an accidental collision early in the first period. Morton flipped in the air and went down to the ice in pain. After being attended to by training staff, Morton was helped off and did not return. Marc Joanette worked the rest of the game with linesmen Greg Devorski and Mark Shewchyk. ... Kessel was playing in his 406th consecutive game, second in Leafs history behind only Tim Horton (486). ... The late J.P. Parise was honoured on the video screens in the first period. Parise, a member of Canadas 1972 Summit Series team, died Wednesday night from lung cancer. He was 73.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '