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BALTIMORE – Theres something about the pitching mound at Oriole Park. Janoris Jenkins Jersey . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R.A. Dickey removed himself from the game in the seventh inning on Saturday with the same problem. Dickey insisted the decision to excuse himself was as much preventative as anything else but the sight of the knuckleballer trudging off the field cast a further pall on a 3-2 loss to the Orioles. "I didnt want to jeopardize my next start," said Dickey. "I was probably out of the game after that next batter anyway so I decided it was probably in everybodys best interest to call it a day." The Blue Jays conclude their four-game set in Baltimore on Sunday and have an off-day on Monday before opening up a three-game series in New York. Dickey isnt scheduled to work again until Saturday in Cincinnati and hes hopeful the extra day will provide enough time for a full recovery. He saw a doctor after leaving the game and the diagnosis left Dickey feeling optimistic. He admitted, however, that he has never had a groin injury and therefore had no comparable to assess the degree of the problem. Meantime, Adam Lind fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot in the sixth inning. He finished the at-bat against Orioles starter Bud Norris, grounding out, and didnt return when his designated hitters spot came up again in the eighth. Dioner Navarro took his place. X-rays were negative, its a bone bruise, but Lind was noticeably hobbling after the game. "You can see the seams," said Lind of the bruise. "I didnt have a shin guard on or a foot guard so Ill be wearing one in the near future," said Lind. "I hit it pretty good. I hit it right on the sweet spot so it wasnt a soft liner off my foot. It was a pretty good one." Lind will ice the injury on Saturday night and didnt rule out playing on Sunday, although to the observer that would seem unlikely. Offensive Struggles Torontos offensive slump continued on Saturday. While the Jays got nine hits off five Orioles pitchers, the club stranded five runners in scoring position on the afternoon. Jose Bautista was thrown out at home trying to score from first base on Edwin Encarnacions one-out double in the eighth. Baltimore led 3-1 at the time. Chalk it up to a bad send by third base coach Luis Rivera, who was overaggressive in waving Bautista around, perhaps because everyone is pressing to try to generate runs. Toronto has lost six of eight games heading into Sundays series finale with the Orioles. At the time of this publishing, the Yankees were three games back of the Jays for top spot in the AL East (pending the result of their game on Saturday night in Oakland). Baltimore, in third place, closed the gap to three-and-a-half games. Left-hander J.A. Happ gets the Sunday start. The Orioles counter with right-hander Chris Tillman. McGowans First Save Dustin McGowan pitched the final inning and two-thirds of Friday nights 4-0 Blue Jays win over the Orioles, notching his first career big league save. He didnt know of his milestone, however, until after the game when Jose Bautista presented him with the baseball. The Jays led 4-0 in the eighth when McGowan replaced Brett Cecil, who went down with a groin injury. The Orioles had two runners on, meaning the tying run was in the on deck circle, qualifying McGowan for the save. "I usually do," said McGowan when told he didnt know the rules for a save. "When I came in, I was just focused on getting the batter out." McGowans first pitch came in a 1-2 count to Baltimore slugger Chris Davis. Davis, like probably most in the ballpark, was expecting a fastball. What he got was a changeup on the outer half of the plate with plenty of movement. He flailed and struck out. "Yeah it was a good pitch," said McGowan. "It was the best pitch I could throw in that situation and luckily it worked out." McGowan had never had a save. Had he had a one-pitch strikeout before? "I dont think Ive ever had one of those either," said McGowan. "Probably the last one of those I get, too." Whats clear in his tone of voice and in his body language is McGowans at peace with his permanent move to the bullpen. He thrived in the role last season and in 11 relief appearances this year, McGowans allowed one earned run in 13 1/3 innings (0.68 ERA) while striking out eight and walking only one. Manager John Gibbons has said repeatedly he believes the life of a short man will lengthen McGowans career. "I think hes right," said McGowan. "Im recovering a lot better out of the bullpen and Im not throwing 100 pitches, which makes it a lot easier." The role suits McGowans personality, too. Hell throw his fastball at 95 miles per hour without worry. "Thats one thing you can do out of the bullpen. You can let it go," said McGowan. "When I was starting, I had to reserve some in the tank. Its fun letting it go, too. Its how Ive always been so it kind of works out good for me." Jays Fast-track Santos Return A day after manager John Gibbons indicated Sergio Santos would remain with Double-A New Hampshire for a third rehabilitation appearance, Santos was back with the Blue Jays on Saturday. The reason: Brett Cecil has a groin injury and while he hasnt been placed on the disabled list, Cecil wasnt available for Saturdays game against the Orioles and Dustin McGowan, who threw 1 2/3 innings on Friday evening, was available in a limited role. Outfielder Darin Mastroianni was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make roster space for Santos. Cecil was feeling better on Saturday but wasnt sure whether he would require a trip to the disabled list. Manager John Gibbons cant have a short bench and a short bullpen at the same time so a decision will have to be made soon. "A couple of days," said Gibbons. "Were short on our roster too with a position player." Mastroianni and Kevin Pillar, both right-handed hitting outfielders, are inside the 10-day option window, meaning neither can return to the Blue Jays unless they replace a player whos gone on the disabled list. Pillar was part of a centerfield platoon with left-handed hitting Anthony Gose in the absence of Colby Rasmus. The absence of a dedicated fourth outfielder means Gibbons would turn to Steve Tolleson to take an outfield spot in the event a late-game replacement is needed.Spencer Pulley Jersey . -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. Eli Apple Jersey . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Phil Mickelson will be the first to admit hes a bit streaky. Sure, its been more than a year since his last victory. Then he goes and makes 10 birdies while shooting 62 on the final day at Firestone. Just like that, Lefty is being mentioned as one of the favourites at the PGA Championship. Can he keep it up? Mickelson has no idea. "If I could answer that question, it would be a lot easier," he said Tuesday after a practice round at Valhalla Golf Club. "Its been 20-plus years and things are just that way. Rather than question it or try to find an answer, I just accept it as being the way it is and look forward to it when it does happen. Its fun when it does." Mickelson hasnt had a lot of fun since winning the British Open at Muirfield nearly 13 months ago. He failed to crack the top 20 at any of the last four majors. His highest finish on the PGA Tour is 11th. His putting got so shaky that he experimented with a claw grip during the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, only to switch back to a conventional style right in the middle of the tournament. He looked downright lost. Nothing changed through the first two rounds of the Bridgestone Invitational, when Mickelsons belief that his game was rounding into form was shattered by rounds of 71 and 73. "It would be out of nowhere for me to play well," he grumbled just last Saturday. The very next day, Mickelson put up his lowest round since a 60 at the 2013 Phoenix Open. "Its just kind of the way I play golf," he said. "Im streaky. Ill get on rolls and get some good momentum, and all of a sudden the hole looks huge. Then there are days where its just the opposite. Its just the way its always been for me. I dont have a great answer." More than anyone, Mickelson realizes the way he was feeling just a few days ago may be gone by the time he tees off in the final major championship of the year. "In this game, things can turn around, really, in an instant," he said. "Im interested to ssee how it goes Thursday and Friday. Will Hernandez Jersey. But certainly my confidence level and my practice sessions are totally different. I dont feel like Im searching. I feel like now Im just trying to acquire that same feel from Sunday, and I feel like Ive found what Im looking for. I just have to maintain it." At 44, Mickelson can no longer keep up with big hitters like Keegan Bradley and Rickie Fowler, who joined Lefty for Tuesdays practice round. Both struck it farther off the 10th tee during the PGAs long-drive competition. Someone asked Mickelson what it felt like to go against players who grew up idolizing him. "Just makes me feel old, thats all," he said, smiling. "When someone says, Yeah, I used to watch you on TV when I was 6, how do you respond to that?" Mickelson has another goal this week besides winning. Hes played his way onto every Ryder Cup team since making his first in 1995, but hes 10th in the points heading into the final event before the top nine spots are determined. If he doesnt move up at Valhalla, hell have to rely on a fallback position: being one of three picks by captain Tom Watson. That would seem a mere formality. Mickelson would prefer to claim his place without Watsons help. "Im confident that Ill get on the team on my own and wont require that pick," Lefty said. "I want to keep that going, of making the team on my own and not needing a pick." A win would remove any doubt. It also would end Mickelsons longest drought since 2003. "Ideally, you want to have some momentum through the course of the year, through the course of the month heading into big tournaments," he said. "When youre in contention, its a lot easier to stay up there than when you havent been playing well." Of course, Mickelson is never quite sure how things will turn out. He learned long ago to expect the unexpected. "You dont want to put too much emphasis," Mickelson said, "on just one round." Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China JerseysNFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '
- Created: Nov 16 '18
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