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to everybody else in that room, he said. Ill

ANAHEIM, Calif. Wally Hess Jersey Online . - Howie Kendrick knows how difficult it is to hit home runs at Angel Stadium at night. Two of his drives against Nick Martinez didnt make it past the warning track. Kendrick got another chance in the 10th inning and hit an RBI double to give Los Angeles a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Josh Hamilton started the rally with an infield single against Neal Cotts (2-4), and Kendrick greeted Jason Frasor with a drive to the fence in left-centre on a 3-2 pitch with the runner going. "Right there, I was just trying to stay honest. I didnt know whether he was going to throw me a fastball or not, because hes got a split also," Kendrick said. "So I was just trying to see the ball up. They were playing me to the opposite field, so there was a big gap in left-centre. I put a good swing on it and hit it in the right spot." Mike Morin (1-1) pitched one inning for his first major league victory, striking out three and hitting a batter. Jered Weaver allowed a run and four hits through eight innings, struck out five and walked two. The three-time All-Star left with a 2-1 lead after C.J. Crons leadoff homer in the eighth, but Kevin Jepsen promptly surrendered a home run to centre field by Shin-Soo Choo on his second pitch in the ninth. Jepsen, who has only three saves in six full big-league seasons, was given the chance to close by manager Mike Scioscia just two days after Ernesto Frieri gave up a walkoff grand slam to Clevelands Nick Swisher in the 10th inning of a 5-3 loss. Cam Bedrosian, who took the loss in that game, was optioned to Double-A Arkansas before Saturdays contest after giving up nine runs, eight hits and seven walks in 5 2-3 innings over his first six big-league appearances. Nick Martinez allowed two runs and three hits in seven-plus innings after retiring his first 15 batters. The 23-year-old right-hander gave a needed boost to a beleaguered pitching staff that had surrendered 10 or more hits in six straight games — the teams longest such streak since a nine-game stretch in August 2008. Martinez recorded 10 of his first 15 outs on fly balls — including two by Kendrick that were caught on the warning track — and another deep drive by Cron. "Thats the nature of this ballpark. You love it and hate it, but its not going to change for me or anybody else," Kendrick said. "Ive been playing here for a while, so you come to expect those things sometimes. The biggest thing is just going up there and trying to put good at-bats together and put good swings on the ball." Hank Conger broke up Martinezs perfect string with an opposite-field double into the left-field corner on a 2-1 count leading off the sixth and scored on a groundout by Efren Navarro that tied it 1-all. "Martinez threw a heck of a game on their side. I didnt know if we were going to get to him or not, but we were able to squeak one across," Weaver said. Weaver pitched with runners on base in four of the first five innings and didnt get his first strikeout until fanning Brad Snyder to open the fifth. Designated hitter Alex Rios, who came in 4 for 25 against the right-hander, led off the second with a double and was stranded at third when Robinson Chrinos popped out and Michael Choice grounded out. Choo led off the fourth with a grounder toward the hole that went under second baseman Kendricks glove for an error, but he kept going and was thrown out by right fielder Kole Calhoun. "If he gets to second there, that would have made all the difference in the game. So for Kole to come up with a big play there was huge," Weaver said. "Hes scrappy and he plays with a lot of emotion on his sleeve, and hes shown what hes capable of doing — not only on the offensive side but the defensive side as well." Adrian Beltre followed with a single and was erased on a double-play grounder by Rios, who got into an argument with umpire Vic Carapazza about a previous pitch that was called a strike and was ejected. Donnie Murphy replaced him as the designated hitter. Carapazza also ejected Choice in the 10th for arguing balls and strikes after taking back-to-back pitches that appeared to be out of the zone. That ran Texass season total to six ejections. "Hes got a quick trigger finger. He needs to settle down a little bit," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "This is the big leagues. Theres going to be some tension flying around, and hes got to be able to deal with some of that. People are out there competing. Hes got to have some patience. Hes got to control himself. Its ridiculous." NOTES: Weaver ended a career-worst streak in which he had allowed a home run in seven consecutive starts. ... Angels 1B Albert Pujols missed the game due to pain in his lower back. He felt it while trying to scoring a run in Friday nights 7-3 win. ... Texas 1B-DH Mitch Moreland is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his left ankle Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . Parmelee hit a game-ending shot in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins overcame David Ortizs big night to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday. Cheap Jerseys 2020 . Austin does not believe the game-time temperature is going to be an advantage for either side heading into the Grey Cup. "We dont think about (the cold)," said Austin. "Im not even sure how you would determine an advantage.SAN DIEGO - Jon Lester agreed Tuesday night to a $155 million, six-year contract with the Cubs, the first big deal of the off-season involving a top-level starting pitcher and one Chicago hopes will help end more than a century of frustration at Wrigley Fields Friendly Confines.Lesters contract, agreed to on the second day of baseballs winter meetings, contains an option for 2021 that, if it becomes guaranteed, would make the deal worth $170 million over seven seasons. The average annual value of $25.8 million is the second-highest for a pitcher behind Clayton Kershaws $30.7 million as part of a $215 million, seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began this year.Its not often you get to win the lottery, and we won the baseball lottery this year, new Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Now its up to us to put it into effect.A three-time All-Star who turns 31 next month, Lester won two World Series titles with Boston. The left-hander joins a long-suffering team with a promising core of young players and a top-tier manager, Maddon, who left Tampa Bay and signed a $25 million, five-year contract with the Cubs.Now, Chicago has an ace to lead the rotation as it tries to end a run of five straight losing seasons and a championship drought that dates to 1908.Lester was dealt by the Red Sox to Oakland at the trade deadline in July and helped the As reach the playoffs for the third straight year before a 9-8, 12-inning loss to Kansas City in the AL wild-card game. He went 16-11 with a career-best 2.46 ERA and 220 strikeouts last season and is 116-67 with a 3.58 ERA in nine big league seasons.He also had been sought by the Red Sox, World Series champion San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers.Lester is headed to a team that hasnt made the playoffs since 2008, but he knows Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer from their time together in Boston. John Gerak Jersey Online. Maddon had been used to small payrolls in Tampa Bay.Ive not been on this side since my days with the Angels, when I got an email in Italy that we had signed Vladimir Guerrero, said Maddon, who was a coach in Anaheim before switching to Tampa Bay. I think that definitely sends that message how Theo and the group feel about this particular group. But understand, we have a lot of young players that have to grow up as quickly as possible. But having Jon there adds to the flavour and the possibility.The Cubs management is making over the team in a big way.Chicago has a pending $20 million, two-year deal with right-hander Jason Hammel, traded by the Cubs to Oakland last summer. Earlier Tuesday, the Cubs acquired All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from Arizona for minor league right-handers Jeferson Mejia and Zack Godley — a deal that added $40 million in payroll over the next three years.Chicagos rotation is likely to also include Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood, and Kyle Hendricks.The Cubs also have a pair of All-Stars in the batting order in first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro and expect improved performances from young sluggers Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. Ahead is another wave of prospects that includes third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Addison Russell.Maddon hopes an addition such as Lester helps change the mindset in the clubhouse when spring training starts in February.It definitely makes it more believable to everybody else in that room, he said. Ill stand up and make the same speech regardless, but when you have it backed up by that particular kind of presence, it adds to it.___AP Sports Writer Howie Rumberg contributed to this report. ' ' '
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