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KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010 / SPORTS
5B
MLB
Royals lose to Toronto 8-1
The game drew the smallest crowd in 22-year history of Centre
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit two home runs, Brandon Morrow pitched seven innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 8-1 Monday night.
Travis Snider also homered to help the Blue Jays snap a threegame losing streak and win for the 18th time in 22 home games against Kansas City.
Bautista hit 'a three-run drive off the facing of the third deck in left in the fifth, then added a two-run drive to left in the seventh, the third multihomer game of his career. His five RBIs matched a career high.
Attendance was 10,314, the smallest crowd in the 22-year history of Rogers Centre and breaking the mark set last Wednesday, when Toronto drew 10,610 for a game against the Chicago White Sox.
Morrow (1-1) allowed one run and three hits, lowering his ERA from 12.00 to 7.31. He walked two and struck out eight.
Kansas City right-hander Brian
Bannister (0-1) allowed six runs and seven hits in five 1-3 innings, raising his ERA from 2.19 to 4.58. He walked four and struck out six
The right hander held the Royals without a hit through the first five innings but lost his shutout bid in the sixth. Alex Gordon drew
a leadoff walk, took second on a grounder and went to third when ninth hitter Yuniesky Betancourt lined a single through the left side. David Dejesus followed with an RBI single to righ
Attendance was 10,314... breaking the mark set last Wednesday,when Toronto drew 10,610 for a game against the Chicago White Sox.
than allowing the ball to roll into the first-base dugout, which would have kept McCoy at third, Pena threw to first, and Gonzalez was safe when Pena's high toss pulled Billy Butler off the bag. McCoy never broke stride and scored without a throw.
Shawn Camp worked the eighth and Casey Janssen pitched the ninth for Toronto.
Snider made it 2-0 with a leadoff homer to right in the fourth before Bautista's three-run shot in the fourth made it 5-0.
Toronto opened the scoring on an odd play in the third. One out after Mike McCoy singled and stole second, Alex Gonzalez struck out on a wild pitch that bounced away from catcher Brayan Pena. Rather
Gonzalez hit an RBI double in the sixth and
Bautista capped his night by homering again in the seventh.
Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay, who came in batting .080, went 2 for 2 with two walks and scored twice, raising his average to .115. He also reached on a catcher's interference call.
NHL
Ovechkin scores fourth goal, helps Capitals tromp Canadiens
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONTREAL—Alexander Ovechkin scored the fourth goal of Washington's second-period outburst, leading the Capitals to a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night and a 2-1 lead
Conference series.
S e m y o n Varlamov, who got the nod over Jose Theodore, made 26 saves in his first start of the series for Washington, which has won two in a row
Semyon Varlamov...made 26 saves in his first start of the series for Washington, which has won two in a row after losing the opener 3-2 in overtime.
after losing the opener 3-2 in overtime.
Matt Bradley scored the Capitals' final goal with 44.1 seconds left in the third.
Tomas Plekanec spoiled Varlamov's shutout bid with a power-play goal 2:25 into the third.
Ovechkin dropped to his knees at 13:50 to put a one-timer past Carey Price, who relieved Halak after Washington took a 3-10 lead.
Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr each scored within a span of 7:27 as the Capitals chased Jaroslav Halak 8:33 into the second.
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Montreal.
Varlamov got his second straight win since relieving Theodore early in Game 2.
Theodore, the 2002 Hart Trophy winner as league MVP with the Canadiens, was pulled after allowing goals on Montreal's first two shots Saturday. Varlamov stopped 19 shots the rest of the way for the win in Washington's dramatic 6-5 comeback victory in overtime.
Two nights later, Halak was yanked after he was beaten on three of six shots in the second. The Slovakian goalie stopped 10 shots overall. Price made 22 saves.
Washington's special teams
play opened the scoring early in the second as Gordon scored a shorthanded goal to put the Canadiens up 1-0.
The Capitals, who boast the
NHL's top-ranked power play, have not scored a goal with the man advantage in five straight games, including the last two of the regular season
Gordon.
into Halak, pushing the Canadiens goalie into his own net and clearing the way for Gordon's shot.
Laich added his first goal at 4:42 to make it 2-0 before Fehr scored his second goal in two games, ending Halak's outing with Montreal in a 3-0 hole before the midway through the second.
The Bell Centre crowd cheered as Price skated onto the ice.
Plekanee drew Montreal to within three early in the third.
Canadians legend Jean Beliveau drew a huge cheer when he was shown on the video scoreboard through the final bars of "O Canada" prior to the game.
The sellout crowd of 21,273 roared its approval for the end-to-end action through the first half
The sellout crowd of 21,273 roared its approval...of the opening period, rising to its feet in a standing ovation...
who did not dress for Game 2, backhanded his own rebound past Halak for his first goal 1:06 into the second. Canadiens defenseman Jaroslav Spacek slid backwards
of the opening period, rising to its feet in a standing ovation during a stoppage in play 11:54 in.
Varlamov held the game scoreless through one as he turned aside
several good Montreal scoring chances as the Canadiens held a 10-7 edge in shots after the first.
Washington beats Colorado 5-2
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Willie Harris hit a homer and drove in four runs, Craig Stammen recovered from his shortest start in the majors with eight strong innings, and Washington moved back over .500 by beating the Colorado Rockies 5-2 Monday night before the smallest announced crowd in Nationals Park history.
Only 11,623 spectators saw Stammen (1-0) hold Colorado to two runs and five hits, lowering his ERA from 15.63 to 8.16. Against the Phillies on Wednesday, the right-hander lasted one 1-3 innings, allowing seven runs.
Harris drove the first pitch he saw from Aaron Cook (0-2) into the home bullpen beyond right field for a three-run shot in the second inning.
Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances.
The outfielder also delivered a sacrifice fly in Washington's two-run third.
The Nationals could have scored
more against Cook, but they left the bases loaded in the second and third. As it was, Colorado's starter departed after three innings, having allowed five runs, seven hits and four walks.
then past five games. The Nationals, meanwhile, have won four of five to improve to 7-6 - making this the "latest" point in a season they have had a winning record
The Rockies have lost four of
consecutive games against Washington, but the Rockies never really got into this one, thanks mainly to Cook's problems.
Stammen's 2009 ended in July, and he had right elbow surgery in September. He pitched in pain last
since Oct. 1, 2005, when they were 81-80.
Washington was never above .500 in 2006, 2007 or 2099; its last winning record in 2008 was 3-2.
After losing more than 100 games each of the past two seasons, the Nationals have been far more competitive so far in 2010.
year because of bone chips in his right elbow — the guy had to brush his teeth lefty — but he's felt much better lately, turning in a solid spring training and looking good Monday, including five
Only 11,623 spectators saw Stammen hold Colorado to two runs and five hits.
Colorado had won nine
strikeouts.
Colorado scored a run in the third on consecutive doubles by Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes, then loaded the bases with no outs but came away with only one run on Miguel Olivo's fielder's choice groundout. Stewart ended the fourth by lining into a double play.
NBA
Crowd boos Bulls, Cavaliers use home-court advantage to win
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND—The Cleveland Cavaliers made sure Joakim Noah went home without having any fun.
eight points and played only 15 minutes — zero in the fourth quarter.
LeBron James scored 40 points
and took over in the fourth quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers, fueled by a rabid home crowd that booed every move by
James scored 40 points... fueled by a rabid home crowd that fueled every move by Noah.
James spent the first 3:26 of the fourth on the bench getting rest. When he returned to the court, the Cavs were clinging to
Noah, maintained home-court advantage by beating the Chicago Bulls 112-102 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
James added eight rebounds and eight assists for the Cavs, who led 96-93 with 4:30 left before the league's soon-to-be-two-time MVP decided to dominate. He dropped a 3-pointer over Noah that he capped with a quick dance move and wink toward Chicago's bench, made two free throws, a layup and two jumpers, scoring 11 straight as Cleveland opened a 107-98 lead with 1:36 left.
Noah, who criticized Cleveland's lack of downtown activity between Games 1 and 2, had 25 points and 13 rebounds. Derrick Rose added 23 points and Luol Deng had 20 for the Bulls.
an 85-82 lead over the Bulls, who were giving top-seeded Cleveland all it could handle and were intent on evening the best-of-seven series.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Chicago.
With the Cavs up three points, James then pulled up for his three-pointer over Noah, who had criticized Cleveland's superstar for dancing on the court in a game earlier this season.
James, though, gave a little
boulder shake after his basket and then capped his personal outburst with a jumper over Kirk Hinrich just before the 24-second clock expired.
"In Game 1,
I was very hesitant and triviet
Ant awn
Jami s on
scored 14
points and
Jamario Moon
made four
three point-
to feel out the defense too much," said James, who went 16 of 23 from the field. "They were giving
"I knew as soon as I caught it... I could get an opportunity to shoot a jumper."
LEBRON JAMES Cavalier
ers for Cleveland, which looked much more out of sync than in Game 1. Shaquille O'Neal, a force at both ends in the opener, scored
The dunk shook the backboard, not the Bulls.
[James] delivered one of those did-he-really-do that dunks...that could be one of the best-and most ferocious-of his career.
shoot a jumper.
round last season, did a much better job rebounding and were more physical than in Game 1.
my tree giving me the jump shot and I just wasn't taking it. I watched a lot of film from Game 1 and knew as soon as I caught it they would back up and I could get an opportunity to
They trailed by 10 points early in the second quarter, but worked their way back with extra effort, especially on the offensive glass.
But Chicago had no answer for James. No one does.
"I just had to take it."
Staring from the left side, James drove to his right past Johnson down the foul line, reached back like a baseball pitcher looking for more velocity on his fastball and powered his jam over a stunned Johnson as Cleveland's sellout crowd gasped and then erupted.
He delivered one of those didhe-really-do-that dunks in the first quarter, a soaring slam over Chicago's James Johnson that could be one of the best — and most ferocious — of his career.
The Bulls, who pushed Boston to seven games in the opening
N o a h grabbed four of Chicago's eight offensive rebounds in the first half, resulting in 13 second-chance points. Anthony Parker's 3-pointer
put the Cavs up 50-44, but with O'Neal on the bench after picking up his third personal, Noah scored six straight points as the Bulls pulled within 52-50 at halftime.
"They kept scrapping." James said.
During an on-court TV interview, James lamented the easy baskets the Bulls were getting and promised the Cavs would "clean up our defense" in the second half.
The Bulls, though, still got to the rim and only James' outside shooting saved Cleveland.
MLB
Two-run homer lets Mets beat Cubs 6-1
Chicago Cubs 6-1 Monday night
NEW YORK — Angel Pagan hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning for New York's first extra-base hit since Friday and top prospect like Davis had an RBI single in his debut for the Mets as they beat the
New York's Jonathon Niese and Chicago's Randy Wells each allowed a run.
Fernando Nieve (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win after Niese went 5 2-3 innings and allowed eight hits and an unearned run, striking out seven.
Wells gave up six hits and a run, but the Mets rallied once
he left, following Pagan's homer with Jason Bay's RBI double, Davis' single, and a wild pitch by Sean Marshall for a five-run seventh.
Jose Reyes pinch-hit to lead off the inning and was hit by a pitch from James Russell (0-1).
Associated Press
Bergeron lifts Bruins past Sabers
BOSTON — Patrice Bergeron scored the go-ahead goal with just over 6 minutes left to give the Boston Bruins a 2-1 win on Monday night and a 2-1 lead over the Buffalo Sabres in their
Eastern Conference playoff series.
Mark Recchi bumped Tim Kennedy off the puck in the right corner behind the Buffalo net and fed it to Bergeron, whose quick shot from the right circle beat Ryan Miller.
The sixth-seeded Bruins are
home again for Game 4 on Wednesday night.
Mike Grier had given third-seeded Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 6:57 of the first period before Dennis Wideman tied the game less than 9 minutes later.
Associated Press