~STORY OF THE WEEK~ WOODS PLAYS WITH NO PASSION

FANS ANGRY, CONFUSED AND DISSAPOINTED

After he'd changed his shoes, Tiger Woods leaned back against his locker at the Quail Hollow Club, put on his dark wraparound sunglasses and stared straight ahead for a moment. But there would be no hiding from this unpalatable truth. Woods had imploded like a modern-day zeppelin over Charlotte. He turned in a shocking 43 on the back nine at the Quail Hollow Championship, matching the worst nine holes of his 14-year career. He'd hit two fairways in shooting 79 and missed the cut by eight shots. It wasn't just the long game that was in disarray; the malaise had spread throughout his bag. "My short game was terrible," he said, "I three-putted there twice back-to-back, and you can't do that. I didn't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven. You're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that." It was only the sixth time in 241 career starts that the world's No. 1 had missed the cut -- never by a margin this big -- and the first at a nonmajor since 2005. He finished ahead of only 11 players. Laid-back Aussie Nathan Green was playing in the group behind Woods, and his mouth dropped when he got to the 16th tee and saw Woods was at 9-over-par for the tournament. "I can get him if I bring it home," he joked, and parred out to beat Woods by two strokes. That's what Woods has been reduced to: the butt of jokes from journeyman golfers. If the scores weren't bad enough, it was obvious to anyone following him that Woods gave up. (FOX Sports)

BRAVES HOPELESSLY PATHETIC

Rookie David Freese hit his first home run and his six-RBI day fueled a 10-4 win for the St. Louis Cardinals that sent the Atlanta Braves skidding to their ninth straight loss Thursday. The Braves wrapped up an 0-7 trip, their first winless swing of seven or more games since September 1949, when the franchise was located in Boston. "It was a lousy trip," Alanta manager Bobby Cox said. "It's been a horrible experience to endure." Adam Wainwright (4-1) worked six solid innings, keeping the ball down for the most part to mitigate high winds, as the Cardinals completed a four-game sweep. Jair Jurrjens (0-3) strained his left hamstring and lasted only one inning for the Braves.

DENVER FORCES GAME 6

Adrian Dantley gathered the Nuggets near midcourt at the end of shootaround Wednesday morning and urged them to make George Karl proud. “You know how he likes you to play,” Dantley said. “Win one for George.” Since taking over as acting head coach in mid-March, Dantley has been reluctant to use the ailing-coach angle as a motivational tool out of respect for Karl as he went through a difficult treatment for throat and neck cancer. There was nothing rehearsed or synthetic about Dantley’s decision to mention Karl before Game 5 against the Utah Jazz. It was simply a timely reminder for the Nuggets to play smart, play hard and play together as they tried to avoid elimination in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Sharing the ball and playing with a renewed sense of urgency, the Nuggets extended their season by beating the Jazz 116-102 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Pepsi Center. Denver trails the best-of-seven series 3-2, with Game 6 set for Friday night in Utah. “We just wanted to play good basketball. We know we’re in a fight,” forward Carmelo Anthony said. “On our home court, we didn’t want to go out like that. Now we try to go out and get one on their home court.” After three straight losses to the Jazz, Anthony pleaded for more help from his supporting cast. He couldn’t have been happier with the response. While Anthony led Denver with 26 points and 11 rebounds, the Nuggets got a balanced effort that surely put a smile on Karl’s face as he watched the game from home. Chauncey Billups scored 21 points and hit two big 3-pointers during a third-quarter surge. J.R. Smith had as many assists (3) as shot attempts at one point in the second quarter before finishing with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Kenyon Martin (18 points, nine rebounds) and Chris Andersen (10 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots) came up big on the interior, while Arron Afflalo scored 12 points and didn’t miss a shot. "I think once everybody figured out what I was saying, I think everybody responded to that challenge," Anthony said. "I never pointed nobody out. I never said any names. I said as a team we needed to do it together. I think we responded to that." The win was tempered by the loss of starting center Nene, who sprained his left knee with 5:03 left in the second quarter. He will be re-examined Thursday and his status for Game 6 is uncertain. “We’ve been facing challenges like that the whole season,” Anthony said. “I was out, Chauncey was out, Kenyon was out, coach Karl was out and guys had to step up and face that challenge and succeed. As a whole, we did a great job of doing that this season, and I don’t see why we can’t continue doing that now.” As always, containing Jazz forward Carlos Boozer and point guard Deron Williams will be critical for the Nuggets to steal a win in Salt Lake City and force Game 7 back in Denver on Sunday. Boozer had 25 points and 16 rebounds Wednesday night, while Williams scored 34 points and added 10 assists. Williams became the first player in NBA history with at least 20 points and 10 assists in each of the first five games of a playoff series. Utah, however, got little production from its bench. Reserve forward Paul Millsap accounted for 16 points, but no other Jazz reserve scored. Denver, meanwhile, got major contributions from reserves Andersen, Smith, Ty Lawson and Johan Petro. “They were a lot more alive. They went after the ball a little harder than we did,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. “The players off the bench gave them a big lift. Their bench people killed us.” Petro started in place of Nene in the second half and he came up with a big tip-in that gave Denver a nine-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Jazz never got closer than seven the rest of the way as the Nuggets hit 16 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter and limited Utah to 7-of-21 shooting. “We were down 3-1 facing a good basketball team that had a lot of success against us in this series,” Billups said. “Some people would hang their head and say, 'They got us.' We didn't have one guy that did that. Everyone came in very focused trying to extend the series. “Now you have the chance to put the pressure on them. The pressure's on them to win in Game 6. We've got to go in and play the same way. Leave everything on the court and try to steal that game and go back home for Game 7. That's where you want to be.” (Nuggets.com)

CELTICS ADVANCE TO ROUND 2
"The better team won the series." Those are the words of Dwyane Wade following his team's 96-86 season-ending defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics. And after the Celtics were able to double-team Wade into oblivion as the Miami Heat floundered during a second-half comeback, it became abundantly clear that Wade is right. But to Miami's credit, the team fought through two Boston runs and never folded. "We just talked about not letting it go. We just had so much fight in us that we just continued to fight even when they went on a run," said longtime Heat player Udonis Haslem. "I love each and every one of these guys for how we came together and how we played this season, when the chips were stacked against us and when people never gave us a chance. " The first round was the extent of the expectations for a Heat team full of free agents, but the Celtics were built for this season. They were supposed to advance in the playoffs, and the question is, after struggling with inconsistencies for most of the regular season, did Boston's five-game performance against Miami quiet any doubts? For the most part, yes. "We are playing as good of basketball as we have been playing all season long, and we are ready," Paul Pierce said. "They are coming together at a very opportune time," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. Lacking a better term, the Celtics managed to be consistently consistent in this series, with only a couple bumps in the road such as a turnover-prone first quarter in Game 4. While quarter-to-quarter slippage plagued Boston during the regular season, its focus was tested and proven against a Heat squad that overcame a 21-point, third-quarter deficit. "So much of it is overstated," Spoelstra said of the concerns surrounding Boston. "They understand what the moment is. That's probably the most mentally tough team of any team we played all year." The contradiction is that Miami came back, using a 19-4 run to claw within three early in the fourth quarter. You could sense the anxiety growing in a TD Garden crowd that had, time after time, seen the Celtics implode in the second half. "I was a little disappointed at the end of the third because I thought it was our focus," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It's very dangerous." But this run felt different. Miami was testing the limits of the law of averages, using another barrage of 3-pointers -- just as in Game 4 -- to come back. It was not only an unsustainable offense, but the Celtics weren't being outworked, only weathering the final blow from a team on its last gasp. "We pushed the lead, we just didn't step on them like we wanted to," Pierce said. Not only did the Celtics avoid past mistakes -- though still allowing 16 second-chance points -- they were a better team than before, assisting on 28 of their 35 field goals and getting late contributions off the bench from Glen Davis (seven points). They executed their offense, getting Ray Allen the sets he needed to score 10 assisted points in the fourth, and they backed up their frequent trash talk, with Kevin Garnett briefly showing off the now-rare one-man press during a momentum swing. The asterisk on all of this is that it was against a Miami team that lacked the ability to consistently test Boston outside of Wade. The Celtics now have to face a vastly superior Cleveland Cavaliers team without home-court advantage and, in essence, prove everything all over again. "It's a huge mountain we are going to have to climb," Pierce said. "But I think this team is ready to face the test." As for the Heat, well, they're up a creek and it's going to be a couple months before they know if they'll have a paddle or not. A paddle that was visibly frustrated as the season came to an end. "This will be my last first-round exit for a while, I can tell you that," Wade said. "It's tough losing in the first round and, as a competitor like I am, I have to hold back my anger. But I look and understand that these moments make you grow. These moments show the person you are." (NBA.com)

HEARTBROKEN, LEMARIE RETRIES

The energy is gone, so Jacques Lemaire is walking away from coaching. Four days after the Devils were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third straight year, the 64-year-old Lemaire made the announcement Monday that he was retiring as a coach. “It’s tough to leave what you like, but it’s a decision that I made,” he said. Lemaire said he thought about retiring several times this season and that the loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games had nothing to do with his decision. “It’s not the team, it is not the result or the lack of result we had in the playoffs,” a glassy-eyed Lemaire said. “It’s not that at all. It’s the end of the line. I’ll be 65. It’s just time.” Lou Lamoriello, the Devils’ president, said Lemaire, who posted a 588-441 won-lost record in 16 seasons as an N.H.L. coach, would stay with the Devils in a role yet to be determined. “I didn’t see that coming,” goaltender Martin Brodeur said. “I think Jacques has a lot of passion for the game, and he showed it all throughout the year and the playoffs, and I think that drive was there. It seems to be there, but he knows it better than anybody, and you have to accept what he wants to do.” Lamoriello said he had not thought about a replacement. Whoever gets the job will be the Devils’ third coach in three years. (NY Times)

SPURS ACHIEVE COMMANDING GRIP
SAN ANTONIO LOOKS TO TAKE DOWN DALLAS AFTER TAKING 3-1 SERIES LEAD SUNDAY
The San Antonio Spurs took a commanding 3-1 lead in their series against the Dallas Mavericks with a 92-89 victory in yet another face-smacking, neck-grabbing, bone-on-bone war of a ball game. The Spurs' win was accomplished despite sub-par performances from their top three point-makers. San Antonio's top gun, Tim Duncan, was smothered by the ferocious defense of Erick Dampier and Brandon Haywood. TD never got a clean look at the basket and wound up shooting 1-for-9, with his only bucket coming on a tip-in at 4:11 of the fourth quarter. Duncan yanked down 11 rebounds, but he was never a factor on offense and only slightly more effective on defense. Still, Duncan did show his mettle by setting sturdy screens all game long. He also dove headlong to the floor to rescue a loose ball in the third quarter. For most of the game, Manu Ginobili also had trouble finding the basket, shooting a mere 4-for-16. But Ginobili redeemed himself with a huge 3-pointer as the last seconds of the game ticked away. He also dished out seven dimes and came up with five steals. Even with his fractured nose barely protected by a small strip of hard plastic, Ginobili kept digging, driving and shooting until he came up with the biggest score of the game. Tony Parker was able to get to the rim in the first half, but not thereafter. He knocked down a meaningful jumper when the game was on the line, but he also made several bad decisions with the ball -- 4-for-9 shooting, five assists, five turnovers, 10 points. For the most part, Parker was forceful when he should have been cautious, and vice versa. (FOX News)

PADRES HOTTEST TEAM IN BASEBALL

WINNERS OF 8 IN A ROW, PADRES HOLD BEST RECORD IN NATIONAL LEAGUE
Slumped comfortably in his clubhouse chair, Will Venable attempted to come up with an apt sentiment to describe his thoughts on the eight-game winning streak the Padres have blissfully found themselves in. The best thing Venable, a Princeton graduate, could come up with was a genuine look of incredulity. "I just shake my head in disbelief," Venable said. In all fairness to Venable, who hit a two-run home run on Saturday as the Padres rolled over the Reds, 5-0, at Great American Ball Park, he wasn't just referring to the win streak, the longest of any team in the Major Leagues this season. Venable was speaking more about the factor that has made all of it possible: pitching. "It starts with the pitching; they've done a great job," Venable said. "You put up a couple of runs, play some defense and you don't need much more." It all sounds fairly simple, which is how the Padres (11-6) make winning look these days, thanks to a pitching staff that has a Major League-best 2.73 ERA. On Saturday, left-handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc (1-0) tossed six scoreless innings against the Reds (7-11), who chased his fastball, slider and curveball in addition to his plus pitch, the changeup, all afternoon. LeBlanc walked two, allowed three hits and struck out three. He was efficient and did the one thing needed of all pitchers in this ballpark: Keep the ball down. "[LeBlanc] was throwing the ball on both sides of the plate and changing speeds," Reds third baseman Scott Rolen said. "I'm sure that's what he set out to do, and he did a good job. He gets the ball and throws it. Guys like working behind pitchers like that." Especially when the fielders are engaged, as was the case during the fourth and the fifth innings, when LeBlanc -- who, by his own admission, has a good pickoff move, but not a great one -- picked off baserunners in each inning. In the fourth inning, with the Padres leading, 3-0, it was Brandon Phillips who walked, but was picked off with Rolen at the plate. Then, one inning later, it was Jonny Gomes on the wrong end of a pickoff with Ramon Hernandez at the plate. In both cases, the baserunners went on LeBlanc's first movement. That same thing occurred in his first start last week against Arizona. He's now picked off four would-be basestealers in two games. "[The coaches] set us up in a position to succeed," LeBlanc said. "I'll take my outs any way I can get them." There's more to it than that, though. San Diego bench coach Ted Simmons and the catchers have done, in the estimation of Padres manager Bud Black, an excellent job studying the tendencies of basestealers and what they do in particular situations and when facing certain pitchers. "What I like is our ability to control the running game," Black said. "Ted and all of our catchers have a nice feel for what the opposition is doing." And, as Black said, fewer baserunners in this ballpark, which might be the polar opposite of the Padres pitching-friendly ballpark of PETCO Park, is never a bad thing. "This park scares you a little," Black said. Not as far as the Padres' offense is concerned, though. After hitting two home runs on Friday, the Padres did so again on Saturday, as Adrian Gonzalez went the other way in the first inning for his fifth home run of the season. Venable's blast to right in the sixth inning, his fourth of the season, made it 3-0. The home run by Gonzalez, a day after he hit a grand slam, was the 135th of his Padres career and tied him with Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn for fourth place on the club's all-time home run list. That Gonzalez hit his home run the other way, to left-center field, came as no surprise to Black, who has watched his two-time All-Star first baseman go line-to-line with power before. "We've seen it in our park; we've seen it around the league," Black said. "His power plays everywhere." So, too, does strong pitching. Even when the team hasn't hit much during this streak -- remember, they topped the Giants last week, 1-0, with just one hit -- pitching has been a constant. "It gets back to repetition," Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley said. "It's executing pitches, pitching off the fastball, and we've played fantastic defense during this stretch. And we've been getting early leads, too. That's important." (Padres.com)

~STORY OF THE WEEK~

STANDING TALL, DREAMING BIG

WITH COMEBACK VICTORY OVER LA, THUNDER WIN FIRST PLAYOFF GAME EVER & SOLIDIFY POTENTIAL

The N.B.A.’s elite can blame themselves for Kevin Durant’s evolution. He takes from here and there. He mimics and copies. At 21, Durant does not have much experience of his own to draw on. Instead, he copies Carmelo Anthony’s rip move, Dwyane Wade’s craftiness in luring fouls and Kobe Bryant’s resilience. “I still feel as though I’m not in that group,” Durant said. “Those guys are above me as far as doing the things they do.” Durant is respectful of the N.B.A.’s pecking order and mindful of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s collective youth. It still strikes him as odd that he won this season’s scoring title, averaging 30.1 points a game, over more established players. Before the season, he said, he thought that people who predicted he would win the scoring title needed to be examined. He did, however, make one prediction. He described anything but a Thunder appearance in the postseason as a disappointment. The organization had just finished a season in which it went 23-59 after starting 3-29. “I thought, hold on young fellow,” Coach Scott Brooks said. The unflinching belief paid off in 50 wins this season. Durant stepped onto the Ford Center’s court Thursday for a moment few believed would arrive this soon: the hosting of the organization’s first playoff game in Oklahoma City. “I knew we had the group of guys around here that liked to play the game of basketball, first off,” Durant said. “They had a passion for the game because some people lose their passion for it once they get to the N.B.A. We had a group of guys that loved the game and liked playing the game of basketball together. I knew right there that that was an ingredient to our success. We work hard.” Before the game, Durant appeared unfazed, perhaps a trait he borrowed from Bryant, even though he struggled with his shot through the first two games of the series. “A lot of people said it would be different, but to me I feel as though it’s the same as the regular season with higher stakes, I guess,” Durant said. “The energy is the same, but playoff basketball is more physical. That’s the biggest difference.” The crowd marked the Oklahoma debut of playoff basketball by making its presence known. Bryant called it one of the loudest arenas he had played in. The fans cheered early, often and throughout for Durant, who is polite, nearly to a fault. Underneath, though, Durant is fully conscious of his capabilities. On Thursday, he was not below Bryant, but in front of him and, when the game mattered the most, beyond him. Catapulted by Russell Westbrook’s dunk near the end of the third quarter, Durant came alive. He had missed 13 of his 17 shots entering the fourth quarter. Ron Artest blanketed him, and the Lakers dispatched a number of defenders to help. In the fourth, Durant wrestled free and scored 12 of his game-high 29 points in the Thunder’s 101-96 victory. Meanwhile, he guarded Bryant, who missed eight shots in the quarter and seemed hesitant to drive against Durant, a forward who has a 7-foot-5 wingspan. The sequence changed the dynamics of the series, which the Thunder can tie with a victory in Saturday’s Game 4. In a season measured by the large steps the franchise has taken, this was the biggest, and it came about in large part because of Durant’s maturation. The moment did not reflect a passing of the baton from Bryant, the veteran franchise player who may still have the final say in this series, to Durant, the rising star. But it did constitute a coming-of-age moment for Durant. “It was a matchup that caught me by surprise,” Bryant said. “I think he did a great job.” With Durant’s grandmothers sitting courtside, his moment had arrived. “I have a long ways to go until I get to that elite class,” Durant said. “Hopefully, I get there before it’s all said and done, but I’ve just go to keep working.” After the game, Durant lingered by his locker. He would soon be shuffled to an interview room that would accommodate the large number of reporters who wanted to talk to him. True to character, Durant would rather have spoken to reporters at his locker. “I’m not trying to be a superstar or anything like that,” he said, although his performance suggested otherwise. (NYTimes.com)

ABSOLUTE DOMINATION

BREWERS DEMOLISH PIRATES 20-0
Jim Edmonds called it, "crazy." Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun just tried to enjoy it. Edmonds, Fielder and Braun all homered Thursday in a 20-0 rout of the Pirates, as the Brewers stayed historically hot at PNC Park. Milwaukee handed Pittsburgh its worst loss in 124 years as a franchise and finished Major League Baseball's most lopsided three-game sweep in 17 years. It was the only 20-0 game since 1900 and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the fifth-most lopsided shutout in Major League history. That list is topped by a pair of 22-0 games, including a Pirates win over the Cubs in 1975. "It's rare, it's special," Braun said. "In this game, you deal with so much failure, so much adversity, that when you do have a game like this you need to enjoy it. That's the first time in my career, at any level, that I've been a part of a game like this, and there's a good chance it's the last time." Randy Wolf (2-1) pitched six scoreless innings for the win but his outing was almost an afterthought considering all of the offense. Fielder sparked things with a solo home run leading off the second inning, his first this season in his 54th at-bat. Braun finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs and scored three runs. Leadoff man Rickie Weeks was 3-for-7 and scored four times. Edmonds and catcher George Kottaras hit their first Brewers home runs, and Edmonds had four hits, three RBIs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Even the pitchers got into it. Wolf had two hits and scored twice. Reliever Manny Parra provided a fittingly bizarre finale with a ninth-inning RBI single, the Brewers' 25th hit in the ballgame. Closer Trevor Hoffman needed an inning of work after sitting idle for a full week so he recorded the final three outs to match an 18-year-old franchise record. The 20-run margin tied a mark set Aug. 18, 1992, when the Brewers beat the Blue Jays, 22-2, in Toronto. Thursday marked the widest shutout win in club history, topping the Brewers' 18-0 triumph at Boston on April 16, 1990. Most lopsided shutouts in MLB history According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Brewers' lopsided shutout of the Pirates is the first 20-0 game since 1900. "It's crazy," Edmonds said. "You just keep playing the game and respecting the situation. They're trying and we're trying. Stuff happens. There's a fine line there between [celebrating] and respecting them and respecting the game. Guys are working their butts off and you have to respect the other team. We're not trying to embarrass anybody." This is not football, a spot in which teams routinely are accused of running up the score. But was there any point on Thursday in which Braun felt "bad" about handing the Pirates such a lopsided loss? "I don't think you ever feel bad. You feel fortunate," Braun said. "Everything that could possibly go our way did, and everything that could possible go against [the Pirates], did. Those days are rare." That's good news for Pirates starter Daniel McCutchen (0-2), who lasted only 3 2/3 innings and was saddled with six earned runs on eight hits. "It got a little bit crazy," he said. "It all comes back to me not doing my job. As an opposing pitcher, I gave them all kinds of confidence." The Brewers' confidence has been building all week. Including Sunday's win at Washington and all three games in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee has enjoyed a lead of at least eight runs in four straight games, breaking a franchise record set against the Orioles in the first three games of the 1978 season. Fielder became the latest Brewers player to point to Saturday's 8-0 loss to Livan Hernandez and the Nationals as a turning point. Players decided it was time to have some more fun. "I think we got away from that in the beginning," said Fielder, whose Brewers were sitting on a 4-7 record after the loss to Hernandez. "We didn't have any of our personality at all. It was a little too serious. ... For a while, even when we win, it wasn't us. Now, win or lose we're going to have fun." At that point, Braun walked by and helped Fielder finish his thought: "We have our swagger back," Braun said. "Exactly," Fielder said. "We're not [like] certain teams. We're finally being ourselves." All of the offense may have overshadowed some much-needed pitching gems. The Brewers had not held an opponent to fewer than four runs in any of their first 12 games before doing so in all three games in Pittsburgh, a streak continued Thursday by left-hander Wolf, who scattered six hits in six scoreless innings for the win. The game was still in limbo in the third inning, when Wolf worked into what he termed, "self-made trouble." A Ronny Cedeno double and two, two-out walks loaded the bases for Ryan Church, who represented the tying run. Wolf struck him out looking to end the threat and the Brewers broke the game open in the next half-inning with three more runs. "That was fun to watch," Wolf said. "That was a good series for us. We pitched well and we hit well, and that's a really good combination." Brewers starters Dave Bush, Yovani Gallardo and Wolf combined to allow 12 hits in 18 scoreless innings in the series. The three Pirates starters combined to allow 17 earned runs and 21 hits in 9 2/3 innings. The Brewers scored in 15 of their 27 times at-bat in the series. The Pirates managed one lone run, on back-to-back doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge on Tuesday. "One run -- I didn't realize that. That's impressive," Edmonds said. "To compete in this league, you have to have pitching and you have to play defense. Offense is last." On Thursday, the Brewers' offense was anything but last. (MLB.com)

FIRST PLACE CARDS ON FIRE

Chris Carpenter got mad at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. Then he got ahead of them. Because of a blown save, he ended up even. But thanks to the biggest game of center fielder Colby Rasmus’ emerging career, the Cardinals responded to a squandered eighth-inning lead with a ninth-inning detonation against well-worn Diamondbacks reliever Chad Qualls and escaped Chase Field with a 9-4 victory before a sparse crowd of 19,165. Carpenter controlled the game for seven solid innings that included 10 strikeouts. Rasmus enjoyed the first multiple-home run game of his career by reaching Diamondbacks starter Edwin Jackson for a two-run blast in the first inning then doing the same to Qualls in the ninth. In between, Rasmus smoked a sixth-inning triple that led to another run and a 4-2 lead. Still 23, Rasmus proved the Cardinals’ enforcer on a night when bad blood literally ran early. His launch touched off a five-run assault against Qualls and his successor, Bobby Howry. Second baseman Skip Schumaker completed the rally with a three-run home run for his first RBI in 58 at-bats. The late show of force proved fitting for a team that took exception to Jackson’ s early lack of command. After hitting right fielder Ryan Ludwick during a three-run first inning, Jackson found Carpenter’s left wrist in the second with a high, inside fastball on an 0-2 count. "I hit .100. It’s not like I can hit. Throw the ball down and away. Throw a slider, whatever it is," Carpenter said. "It’s different if you’re Carlos Zambrano, Adam Wainwright, Dan Haren, guys that can hit. You throw 95 miles per hour, chucking balls up high, never mind you can’t control it. Come on. He’s missing by three feet. It’s not right." Brandishing a severely swollen left forearm and a bad disposition after a heated exchange with Jackson, Carpenter protected an early 3-0 advantage long enough and well enough to leave with a 4-2 lead. The bullpen’s first blown save of the season denied Carpenter the win before Jason Motte (1-1) put down an eighth-inning rally to gain the decision. Shortstop Brendan Ryan’s double jacked the Cardinals’ lead to 6-4 before Schumaker constructed a blowout with a three-run home run. The Cardinals derived six runs from three home runs. (They lead the National League with 23 home runs in 15 games.) Catcher Yadier Molina helped the rally with his third hit. Rasmus put the Cardinals ahead three runs with a two-run, two-out home run off Jackson in the first inning. Rasmus, who finished with three hits and 11 total bases, then bumped the lead to 4-2 in the sixth when he tripled to the deepest part of Chase Field before scoring on Jackson’s pitch to the screen. Once a relative outcast within his own clubhouse, Rasmus now finds greater acceptance. "He’s matured a lot," Ludwick said. "He’s a good player, a good teammate." Rasmus has followed an 0-for-15 week with a 7-for16 breakout, including three home runs and seven RBI, in his last four games. His overall average has risen from .179 to .273 in the span. "My swing wasn’t feeling good. It felt good beginning in Cincinnati. Then it started going away on me," Rasmus said. "I’ve been working on some things, working on them, working on them, then when I got in the box I haven’t been able to put it together. Tonight, I felt like my swing was where I wanted it to be." The same couldn’t be said about the opposing starter’s command. Down two strikes to Jackson in his first plate appearance, Carpenter was hit just above the left wrist with a riding fastball. He reacted strongly as he moved to first base, yelling at Jackson, who responded in kind. The incident occurred only moments after Jackson drilled the game’s second hitter, right fielder Ludwick, during the Cardinals’ three-run first inning. The back-and-forth with Carpenter escalated when the Cardinals starter became the front end of an inning-ending double play. Rather than slide, Carpenter bore in on the second base bag, drawing a comment from Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson. When Carpenter snapped back at Johnson, the Diamondbacks infield began to circle around him, prompting first baseman Albert Pujols to lead a charge from the first-base dugout. Pujols first confronted catcher Chris Snyder as Jackson and Carpenter resumed their shouting match. At one point Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo restrained Jackson. Both bullpens emptied. Though several close-quarter "conversations" broke out, the incident never fully escalated. Crew chief Gary Cedarstrom issued a warning to both teams, guaranteeing ejections for any retaliation. "That was my fault. It was an unprofessional move. I shouldn’t have done it," Carpenter said of his abrupt move to the bag. However, he remained irked by Jackson’s lack of command. "If a ball gets away from me, it’s a ball I’m trying to throw inside and it hits a guy. It’s not a ball I’m trying to throw down and away that I miss by four feet and smash a guy in the hand. It doesn’t happen," Carpenter said. "He wasn’t throwing at him. I know that," manager Tony La Russa said. "But the fact is he was throwing up. That’s dangerous. If you can’t control it, then pitch down." Carpenter wouldn’t repeat what he yelled at Jackson but the message drew a strong response. "It didn’t hurt at all. I was so (bleeped) off. I was trying to control my emotions," he said. "Any time you throw a ball up, especially to a pitcher, it’ s unacceptable." Carpenter has no problem pitching mad. Indeed, he often wears his emotion to the mound. This time it may have worked against him as the Diamondbacks rallied for a two-run third inning. Following up last week’s 10-strikeout performance against the New York Mets, Carpenter struck out the side in the first and third innings and needed only six innings to reach double-digit strikeouts for a second straight game. The Diamondbacks reached Carpenter for two runs between his three strikeouts in the third inning. Snyder’s leadoff single preceded consecutive two-out RBI doubles by third baseman Tony Abreu and Drew. Carpenter disposed of Jackson during the rally by buckling him with a curveball. "I was struggling to control my emotions for a few innings," Carpenter said. The Cardinals did little damage against Jackson after the first inning. Rasmus’ triple to the deepest part of the park offered Molina the Cardinals’ only plate appearance with a runner in scoring position after the first inning. However, the opportunity passed when Jackson spiked a breaking pitch to give Rasmus the plate. Pujols helped Carpenter with sprawling backhand stops in the sixth and seventh innings. Carpenter exited the seventh inning having squeezed 12 outs from his last 11 hitters faced. Cole Gillespie’s pinch double in his first major-league at-bat came on Carpenter’s 111th and final pitch, handing over a 4-2 lead to lefthander Trever Miller. Miller inherited a stretch of two lefthanded bats and switch-hitter Abreu. Johnson quickly made a 4-3 game with a double to right field. He advanced to third on Abreu’s smash to second base and scored to tie the game when Miller’s slider skipped past Molina for what was ruled a wild pitch. The blown save made the Cardinals the National League’s last bullpen to fumble a late-inning lead. By recovering, they improved to 7-0 when leading after seven innings. "The more games we play, the better we play," Molina said. (STLToday.com)

BUCKS ON VERGE OF ELIMINATION;

HAWKS TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD

Jerry Stackhouse of the Milwaukee Bucks trying to save the ball from going out of bounds in his team's first-round playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks. The 96-86 victory by the Hawks gave them a 2-0 lead in the series. Joe Johnson took control in the fourth quarter to finish off a 27-point effort, Josh Smith finished one assist shy of a triple-double. (NY Times)

WITH RIVALRY INTENSIFIED, CAVS SILENCE NOAH

LeBron James addresses the media prior to Game 2 against the Chicago Bulls in Cleveland. With an emphatic dunk, Joakim Noah was the last Bulls player to leave the court Monday night during shooting practice at Quicken Loans Arena before Game 2's 112-102 loss to the Cavaliers. Five straight Bulls players had taken that same walk minutes earlier all by themselves. But when Noah disappeared into the tunnel, the same arena security guard who had escorted Noah out of the locker room scurried to lead him down a hallway back into it. A Bulls spokesperson said the team didn't request additional security for Noah because of the hostility surrounding his insults Sunday and guards routinely accompany players. OK, perhaps, but it was clear the men with badges came to the arena Monday night fully aware Noah was no average Jo in the eyes of the locals. Let's just say Shaquille O'Neal gave Noah more room on the perimeter during the game, daring him to shoot, than the arena's security detail did before and after it. "You suck, Noah,'' a fan shouted at Noah from 10 feet away after pregame warmups. And when Noah's three-point play gave the Bulls a 53-52 lead early in the third quarter, the first of several choruses of "NOAH SUCKS!" erupted. And that was the printable stuff. "Whatever gets him ready to play, gets him going, is fine with me,'' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said of Noah's criticism of Cleveland. "Jo's going to speak his mind. When you do, you've got to back it up.'' Noah did that with playoff career highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds and tougher defense against O'Neal. He also earned every jeer with silly comments that the Cavaliers organization, in a move every bit as juvenile as Noah's, displayed on the giant scoreboard. Alongside a picture of Noah appeared the quote that riled up Chamber of Commerce officials and talk-radio hosts here: "I don't know about Cleveland, man, there is nothing going on. ... It's bad, man.'' Forget for a moment that Noah may have a point. Forget how cheesy indeed it was for a box of macaroni and cheese to greet Cavs fans at their seats so they could shake them and make noise. Forget that there's nothing wrong with Cleveland that an urban planner, a team of architects and a little imagination couldn't improve. It still was a dumb thing for Noah to say. It didn't sharpen the Bulls' edge or get inside the Cavs' heads. The image we remember about Noah from the 2009 playoffs was his breakaway dunk against the Celtics. As well as Noah played Monday, it's doubtful we'll remember any of his actions in this series more than his words. Not that there is a single word Noah wanted back. When I asked him afterward if he regretted criticizing Cleveland, Noah just lit a proverbial match near a puddle of gasoline. "Not at all,'' Noah said. "Do you like it? Do you think it's cool at all? I never heard anyone say I'm going to Cleveland on vacation. … My whole life I've been booed. It's OK. I have my friends, I don't care.'' Nor do the Cavs have any reason to care what Noah says. They're above it, and the drama has no impact on the series or why the Bulls hung around longer in Game 2 than many expected. To the Cavs, the Bulls are little more than a fly in their soup. "Noah's one of those guys who likes attention,'' LeBron James said. "I would never, for the most part, say anything like that. But that's just me. That's our team.'' From a sports standpoint, it's probably not the best week to start a Cleveland vs. Chicago debate anyway. Not after the Indians swept the White Sox in a weekend series. Not with Mike Holmgren overseeing his first NFL draft for the Browns as Jerry Angelo tries to avoid making this his last one running the Bears. Not when Cleveland still has LeBron, whose 40 points and eight rebounds made the most emphatic statement of the week. I know some Bulls fans who would trade every 5-star restaurant on their credit card bills and a lakefront view to get the NBA's best No. 23 since you-know-who to come to Chicago once James becomes a free agent. Realistically, the chances of that happening are as slim as the Bulls rallying to win this series. The Bulls shot better and defended better in Game 2 — please don't think it had anything to do with Noah inspiring them – but the bottom-line realities of this series didn't change. Chicago is a better city. The Cavaliers are a better basketball team. If I'm an NBA player, I'd care more about the latter than the former. And the only thing I'd worry about if I'm Noah is winning at least one game at home so the series can return to the city he hates so much for Game 5. (Chicago Tribune)

MAVS TRUMP SPURS

Dirk Nowitzki was amazed. Even after hitting nearly every shot he took, the San Antonio Spurs still weren't sending more defenders at him. So he kept shooting. And scoring. Nowitzki made 12 of 14 shots and all 12 of his free throws, coming up with 36 points to carry the Dallas Mavericks to a 100-94 victory over the rival Spurs on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series. "Sometimes," Nowitzki said, "you have one of those nights where the basket is big." (USA Today)

~STORY OF THE WEEK~

ROCKIES ACE THROWS NO-HITTER;

FIRST EVER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
The fastest average fastball in the majors last season (minimum 162 innings) belonged to Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies. According to Bill James, it was 96.1 miles per hour. Jimenez also led the National League in pitches per start, with 108.2 (minimum 30 starts). So it was only fitting that a hard-throwing workhorse like Jimenez would end his no-hitter Saturday with a 97-mile-per-hour fastball on his 128th pitch, tying up Atlanta’s Brian McCann for a grounder to first. It was the first no-hitter in Rockies history, leaving the Mets, the San Diego Padres and the Tampa Bay Rays as the only franchises without one. (The Washington Nationals haven’t thrown one, either, but their Montreal Expos predecessors did.) Jimenez is now 3-0, and the no-hitter should finally raise his national profile. The Rockies have long known he is special. Here’s what their pitching coach, Bob Apodaca, had to say about Jimenez in spring training: “That’s a special athlete. Besides his physical gifts, those are the obvious things, but he wants to be great. And everybody wants to be great, but are you committed to being great? Are you committed to doing everything you can physically and mentally? He does everything possible that can make himself great. Now it’s just Mother Nature finishing its cooking with him.” Consider it done. Ubaldo Jimenez has officially arrived. (Bats Blog)

MIRACLE WIN IN ST. LOUIS

All Manager Jerry Manuel wanted from Oliver Perez was for him to pitch better than he did against the Cardinals in spring training, and to last six or seven innings with the Mets in a close game. It was not an extravagant request, even for Perez, a mercurial left-hander, and he did everything Manuel asked. He went six and a third strong innings, gave up only one run — which scored after he left the game — on four hits, and he dominated the best hitter in the game. But while sitting in the dugout, Perez watched as the depleted Mets bullpen obliterated all his good work. With Pedro Feliciano out with a stomach ailment, Manuel called on Raul Valdes, a 32-year-old Cuban rookie left-hander, at the most critical juncture of the game. “If Feliciano is not available, you go with what you think is the right move,” Manuel said. Valdes did not get the out his team so desperately needed. Instead, he gave up a grand slam to Felipe Lopez, and the result was another demoralizing loss for the Mets, this one a 4-3 decision at the hands of the Cardinals, who took the first game of this series behind the power of Lopez, not Albert Pujols. But Valdes was not the only reliever who failed. When Perez left the game in the seventh inning, there was a runner at second base with one out after David Freese’s infield single and a sacrifice bunt. But reliever Fernando Nieve hit one batter in the foot after he had gone up 0-2 against him, and he walked pinch-hitter Matt Holliday. So, with the bases loaded, the game on the line and Feliciano ill in the clubhouse, Manuel chose Valdes because he felt that with Lopez batting right-handed, the Mets had a better chance of getting a double-play ball. His other choice would have been Hisanori Takahashi. “I was in the clubhouse and they said on TV it was me warming up,” Feliciano said. “I was laughing. I wish it would be me. Tomorrow.” Lopez had four career grand slams coming into the game, the last coming against the Mets on April 24, 2008. That statistic had to be updated after Valdes hung a breaking ball that Lopez drilled into the Mets’ bullpen beyond the left-field wall as the Cardinals seized a 4-1 lead. “I was trying to get the ball in,” Valdes said through catcher Rod Barajas, who interpreted for him. “The ball stayed elevated and that’s what happened.” The Mets scored twice in the ninth inning against closer Ryan Franklin, but with the potential tying run on second with two outs, Luis Castillo grounded out to short to end the game. Jeff Francoeur led off the inning with a single to left, and went to third on Gary Matthews Jr.’s double to right. Francoeur scored on Frank Catalanotto’s pinch-hit single, and Matthews scored on Jose Reyes’s groundout. The Mets also had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth after David Wright’s double, but Jason Bay struck out for the second time in the game and the 14th time this season, and Fernando Tatis’s line drive was snared by a diving Freese. For the Mets, the game was a wasted opportunity considering how well they handled Pujols, who did not have a hit. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter earned the win, allowing only one unearned run in seven innings of work. He struck out 10. Perez was nearly as good, using his off-speed pitches to great effect and never falling into patterns, Barajas said. Most impressive, Perez held Pujols hitless and struck him out on three pitches in the sixth inning. “I’ve played against Albert about 40 or 50 times,” Francoeur said, “and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look as confused as he did tonight.” Already in possession of the last two National League Most Valuable Player awards, Pujols is playing as if he wants his fourth over all. He went into Friday’s game with a .400 batting average, and had 5 home runs among his 14 hits. Before the game, Manuel described how the Mets would pitch to Pujols. “Very carefully,” Manuel said. “He’s probably right now the best hitter in the game, so we have to hopefully not get in a situation where he has a chance to beat you.” He never did, but Lopez came through in his opportunity, and that was the difference. (NY Times)

CANADIANS TRUMP CAPITALS

Tomas Plekanec scored 13 minutes 19 seconds into overtime to give the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the top-seeded Capitals on Thursday night in Washington in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Plekanec traded gibes this week with Washington goalie Jose Theodore, who essentially said that Plekanec was no Jaromir Jagr. Plekanec got the last word by taking the puck near the red line, skating into the offensive zone and scoring on a drive from high in the slot that beat Theodore to the stick side. Theodore laughed off the back-and-forth between the two, as well as the fact that he gave up the deciding goal to the player he needled. “It was just to set up the mood for the playoffs,” Theodore said. “Tomas is a great player.” Alex Ovechkin, who scored 50 goals in the regular season and took an N.H.L.-high 368 shots, did not have a shot on goal and had five shot attempts blocked. He was shadowed most everywhere by defenseman Jaroslav Spacek. Mike Cammalleri scored on a first-period power play for Montreal, and Scott Gomez tied the score at 12:26 of the third period. Jaroslav Halak had 36 saves. Joe Corvo scored in the first period and Nicklas Backstrom early in the third period for the Capitals. Theodore had 44 saves.

Sports Photo of the Day, voted 3 months ago as the #1 sports photography blog on the internet by Sports Illustrated readers, is about to reach its 1-year mark. It is important to note that this nontraditional post- a free-thinking expression- will never become , as delivering the best Sports-related photograph of the day is my only defining agenda. But, as I celebrate my first birthday with friends and family from across the country, I feel giving myself a gift is humbly appropriate. Thus, for today, Wednesday April 14th (technically the day before my birthday although this is being written on the 15th, as I often decide the sports photo of the day the day after hundreds and hundreds of photographs are taken for my review) I will be most appropriately displaying more than one photograph of the day as this afternoon's sunny match-up between the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs featured several stunning photographs for it's superb sunshine and dramatic shadows set up a sports photographer's dream. Below are three of my favorite photographs from today's Cubs victory, with, as usual, the story described below. I feel strongly that these three shots capture the spirit of baseball.

CLASSIC CHICAGO CUBS COMEBACK
The Cubs still aren't sure about their setup pitcher and Alfonso Soriano isn't the most popular player in Wrigleyville, but they're showing improvement on little things, like being able to take a walk and deliver in the clutch. Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome each hit two-run singles with two outs in the eighth Wednesday to lift the Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The two at-bats that set up those hits both came on 0-2 counts. With two outs in the eighth and Chicago trailing, 6-3, against former Cubs closer LaTroy Hawkins (0-1), Jeff Baker singled off an 0-2 pitch, and Geovany Soto and Tyler Colvin both walked to load the bases. Theriot then slapped a two-run single to right off an 0-2 pitch from Hawkins and Fukudome followed with a another single to right to take the lead. "LaTroy throws really hard," Soto said. "He throws a good slider. I fouled a couple pitches off and I was actually seeing the ball pretty good. After I drew the walk, I was pretty happy with myself." So was Cubs manager Lou Piniella. "I told Soto on the way out that the at-bat he had off Hawkins was as good as he's had all year," Piniella said. "I don't care about the hits -- it's the walks," said Hawkins, who struggled when forced into the closer role for the Cubs in 2004-05. "That was the turning point, walking [Soto], especially with two outs. That's not acceptable. You can beat me swinging the bat, but I don't like walking guys." Did the experience bring back any bad memories of his days at Wrigley? "No, not at all," said Hawkins, who was a favorite target of the boo birds. "This place made me a better person." Jeff Gray (1-0), called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day, picked up the win, although he had an ugly inning of relief. He gave up back-to-back RBI triples to Carlos Gomez and Alcides Escobar in the eighth, which is still a trouble spot after eight games. "We're working on that," Piniella said about finding a reliable setup pitcher. "I've got some thoughts, and we'll share them down the road." The ideas may stem from the changes coming when Ted Lilly rejoins the team later this month. Stay tuned. Carlos Marmol struck out the side in the ninth, including Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, for his third save. Maybe Marmol should pitch the eighth and ninth? "No comment," Marmol said, laughing. "Like I say, every time, I'll take the ball whenever they give it to me. If I have to throw one inning, two innings, I'll do it." The way Marmol looked on Wednesday, Piniella would like him to throw the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth. (MLB.com)

Check out this incredible set by the US Presswire in Phenoix.

DEFENDING CHAMPS EARN DAY TO REMEMBER

The New York Yankees displayed their emotions for all to see when they were presented with rings commemorating the franchise's 27th world championship before Tuesday's home opener. Then they were all business. The Yankees piled up 13 hits, including home runs from Derek Jeter and Nick Johnson, to back winning pitcher Andy Pettitte's six scoreless innings in a 7-5 victory against the Los Angeles Angels. The emotions began flowing for the 5-2 Yankees when Jeter and manager Joe Girardi went to the owner's box before the start of formal ceremonies at Yankee Stadium to present George Steinbrenner with his ring. "I'm extremely grateful to him for everything he's done for me in my life," said Girardi. "It was a thrill to give him his ring and see the smile on his face." It was a special moment, too, when gravely ill trainer Gene Monahan, a beloved figure in the clubhouse, was introduced to the crowd of 49,293. He had been sorely missed by the players and staff during spring training and tapped his heart to let the roaring fans know how much their cheers meant. "Geno's a rock and he's a guy we look up to," said third baseman Alex Rodriguez. "It was a big lift for us to see him and we gave a lot of love to him." Then there was an outpouring of affection for Hideki Matsui, who made a lasting mark here before signing with the Angels last offseason. Jeter had some fun with the MVP of last year's World Series by presenting him with an undersized imitation of the championship ring before Girardi came across with the real bling. (USA Today)

A GLORIOUS OPENING DAY

TWINS OPEN NEW BALLPARK WITH WIN

The Minnesota Twins take pride in details. From the minor leagues on up, they implore their players to execute fundamentals. For a team that for years had one of baseball’s lowest payrolls, and was nearly contracted out of existence, the approach was a matter of survival. Now the Twins have a payroll approaching $100 million, a franchise catcher under control for eight more seasons and, at last, an outdoor ballpark that reflects the sensibilities of the organization. From the limestone on the dugout roof to the gate handles shaped like the state of Minnesota to the scoreboard that updates the pitcher’s walks plus hits per inning pitched after every play, Target Field fits their character. “You almost have to pinch yourself,” said Commissioner Bud Selig, who lobbied public officials for years on the Twins’ behalf. “Hard to believe.” Even the weather cooperated. Catcher Joe Mauer, a St. Paul native, was sometimes snowed out for April games in high school. But on Monday, it was 65 degrees at game time, and none of the starting players wore long sleeves. “It’s not going to be like this every April,” said Mauer, who drove in two runs in the Twins’ 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. “But we’ll worry about all that when it is cold.” Monday was a day to celebrate, not to fret about the retractable roof that was missing from the ballpark’s $545 million budget, of which the Twins paid $195 million. There was not much ambience under the Teflon roof of the Metrodome, where the Twins moved in 1982. Folded-up football seats formed the center-field backdrop there. Here, there are evergreen trees. “Minnesota in the summer is the most beautiful place in the world,” said Frank Viola, the former pitcher and the most valuable player of the 1987 World Series. “Why do I want to go inside when it’s 80 degrees, just perfect, to watch baseball? But that said, it was such an advantage that we all looked forward to it.” Roy Smalley, a former infielder, said the predictability of the schedule greatly helped the 1987 Twins; because they were short on pitching, Smalley said, the Twins would have faded if bad weather had forced a slew of late-season doubleheaders. The Twins found that again in 1991, when they repeated their feat from 1987 by winning all four World Series home games. In recent seasons, the Twins developed a reputation for small ball, and their leadoff hitter, Denard Span, conceded he would miss chopping singles off the artificial turf. But Span also said the Twins would count the days until they could play outside on real grass, and he lamented that their whirlpool seated only one player at a time. The Red Sox’ David Ortiz, a former Twin, said the Metrodome felt like a prison when the weather was nice. Outfielder Michael Cuddyer said half the clubhouse power outlets were dead. “There was one little community cellphone charger,” Cuddyer said. “Now you have one at your own locker.” Sometimes, Cuddyer said, it was hard to find motivation for batting practice. Now, he said, the players cannot wait to hit. Their power will be recognized on the 48-foot-high logo above center field; every time a Twin player homers, the Minneapolis and St. Paul characters will share a neon handshake. (Alas, they missed their cue after Jason Kubel’s blast in the seventh inning Monday.) “From the scoreboards to the lights to the way they used the limestone, it’s gorgeous,” Cuddyer said. Navigating right field could be a challenge for Cuddyer. A section of seats juts out above the warning track, with a limestone exterior that will cause tricky caroms. Below the limestone, Cuddyer said, the wall has a wood surface, and below that, padding. Between Target Field and the Target Center, where the N.B.A.’s Timberwolves play, is an outdoor plaza with a statue of Kirby Puckett near the kettle-corn stand. Pennants for each season in club history, listing everyone who played for the Twins that year, line the fencing nearby. Four hours before Carl Pavano’s first pitch Monday, a fan from Houston named Justin Alberts snapped a photograph of the 1987 pennant. Alberts, who grew up in St. Paul, wore a powder blue Puckett jersey and was tickled just to look around. “We’ve only been here for 10 minutes, and it’s just spectacular,” he said. “Having a great open space like this to look inside, it’s just stunning. Getting back to outdoor baseball here is really special.” Other fans seem to agree. The Twins sold 24,500 season tickets before capping their allotment, and over all, they have sold 2.65 million tickets for this season. It is safe to say that the upper-deck seats in right field will not be covered by a giant canvas, as they were at the Metrodome. “Twenty games for $200?” Viola said, citing the lowest-priced season ticket, in the third deck down the right-field line. “Try finding a price like that in New York. It’s crazy.” Viola was one of dozens of former Twins on hand Monday, including Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Kent Hrbek, whose uniform numbers represent four of the five gates to the ballpark. The other gate is No. 34, after Puckett, who died in 2006. His son, Kirby Jr., helped unveil his statue Monday. “I believe my man Kirby’s going to come back to life,” Ortiz said, a thought that did not seem so outrageous on a day to dream. (NY Times) In other news, the Padres defeated Atlanta with a record-setting 17-2 home opener at PETCO Park in San Diego.

FLYERS CLAIM FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT

Peter Laviolette kept delivering the same message Sunday that he had been preaching for the three or so weeks -- Trust the process because most of the time it will get you to where you want to go. The Flyers, just 3-7-1 over their last 11 coming into Sunday's winner-take-all game against the New York Rangers, wanted to get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They did by doing exactly what their coach told them to do. Philadelphia played strong for 65 minutes at Wachovia Center, but still needed goals from Danny Briere and Claude Giroux, plus a pair of saves by Brian Boucher in the shootout, to clinch a playoff berth with a 2-1 win. The Flyers, who outshot the Rangers, 47-25, wrapped up the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and will open the playoffs either Wednesday or Thursday at New Jersey. Henrik Lundqvist made 46 saves and Rangers forward P.A. Parenteau scored in the shootout, but Boucher (24 saves) stuffed Olli Jokinen in the last half of the third round to seal it. "I thought they were fantastic for 65 minutes and a shootout," Laviolette said. "Guys did everything they possibly could to make sure we were moving on. It's an emotional game and I think we got rewarded for the game we played. I thought we played a terrific hockey game. Our guys played about as hard as they could, they really did." Considering the shots on goal and time of possession, the Rangers couldn't say they dominated the play, but they did give themselves a chance to do something that three weeks ago nobody thought was possible. The Rangers were 10th in the East after a 2-1 loss at Boston on March 21. They were counted out, but went on a 7-1-1 run to make Sunday's game matter. "I think we gave ourselves a chance by playing the way we did down the last three weeks," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal told NHL.com. "It would have sucked to lose 2-1 in regulation and it sucks to lose in a shootout. Either way it's a loss. The format is the way it is, it's just that this was Game 82 and the winner gets in. We lost and it sucks." (Flyers.com)

BLUE JAYS ON FIRE

The Blue Jays swung a minor trade in early February, agreeing to send cash or a player to be named later to the A's in order to acquire Dana Eveland. The lefty was coming off a poor season, but he could provide Toronto's young pitching staff with a little more depth and experience. It took Eveland until the final day of the Florida portion of Spring Training to win a spot in the Blue Jays' rotation -- news that has had the pitcher smiling wide for more than a week now. On Saturday night at Camden Yards, Eveland showed why Toronto trusted him with the fifth starter's job, frustrating the Orioles with finesse in a 3-0 victory. "That was a good day," said a grinning Eveland. Eveland's route to the rotation was simple: focus less on trying to overpower hitters and more on mixing pitches and speeds to keep them off-balance. It was the approach Eveland adopted again in Baltimore, where he and catcher Jose Molina had a sudden love affair with a changeup that left the Orioles' offense looking baffled all evening. (MLB.com)

SAN FRANCISCO UNSTOPPABLE

Aaron Rowand drove in the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning, giving the unbeaten San Francisco Giants a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in the National League on Friday. Juan Uribe drew a one-out walk from Braves pitcher Kris Medlen in the 13th before stealing second. Uribe went to third on a throwing error, and Rowand's infield single brought him home. Earlier, Edgar Renteria hit a tying, two-run homer off Braves closer Billy Wagner in the ninth. It was the longest home opener in history for the Giants, who improved to 4-0. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was ejected in the top of the 13th for arguing balls and strikes, the 154th ejection of his career. (Arab News)

WOODS RETURNS TO MASTERS

It was a mesmerizing first round of the Masters on Thursday, with leaders stacked up like cordwood, roars cascading across the greensward and enough big names popping out of the past and onto the big boards to give veteran Augusta National watchers whiplash. Fifty-year-old Fred Couples snapped more than a few heads back as he strolled around sockless in tennis shoes and did an old soft-shoe on the course for a six-under-par 66 to take the first-round lead. In his 26th Masters, Couples shot his lowest score — a feat that did not even make the top two in the contest for the day’s biggest surprise. Tiger Woods and Tom Watson took the double-take award for biggest surprise of this or any other first round of the Masters. Woods, playing his first competitive round in five months after a self-imposed exile from the game that resulted from the fallout over the revelations of his extramarital affairs, merely went out and shot his best first round in the Masters (68). That was just one stroke higher than the score turned in by Watson, the 60-year-old ageless wonder who took only 24 putts. Watson did not bogey a hole as he shot his lowest first-round Masters score in 20 years.

GRANDERSON HEROIC IN 10TH

YANKEES TAKE SERIES AFTER BATTLE AT FENWAY

When the Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson in a three-way trade involving the Tigers and Diamondbacks in December, the scouting report was as follows: a lion versus right-handed pitching; a lamb versus lefties; a gazelle in the outfield; a mensch in the clubhouse. Three games into his Yankees career, Granderson has come precisely as advertised. So far he has crushed righties, belting a long home run against Josh Beckett in Sunday's opening night 9-7 loss to the Red Sox, and a game-winner in Wednesday's 3-1 win.Granderson showed grace and athleticism climbing the center-field fence to rob Adrian Beltre on Sunday, and since his first day in spring training camp he has been personable and accommodating standing before his locker. And, of course, he has struggled mightily against left-handed pitchers. But there was one quality that was less-publicized, although for the Yankees' purposes it may turn out to be the most important one of all. Curtis Granderson loves to hit against Jonathan Papelbon. Granderson is not the type of guy who would ever admit it. In fact, he downplayed his success against Boston's formidable closer -- but his numbers do his bragging for him. In spite of his attempt to point out that he had, in fact, failed in seven of his 10 at-bats against Papelbon, what was left unsaid was that this still made him a .300 hitter against a pitcher the rest of baseball hits a measly .198 against. And Granderson practically blushed when someone mentioned that of the 21 home runs Papelbon has allowed in his five-plus major league seasons, only one player has hit as many as two of them. Curtis Granderson. Welcome to New York. (ESPN)

RALLYING RAYS OPEN W/ WALK-OFF

NAIL BITER ENDS IN DRAMATIC FASION

If there was one thing missing from the Rays in 2009, it was the never-give-up attitude that produced walk-off wins and on-field celebrations during their run to the World Series the previous year. "We need to get back to that," left fielder Carl Crawford said one day early in spring training. It didn't take the Rays long to find that well-worn groove. Crawford touched off a celebration near second base Tuesday night with a one-out, two-run ninth-inning double that lifted the Rays to a 4-3 season-opening victory against the Orioles in front of 36,973 at Tropicana Field. "That definitely was like an '08 win," Crawford said. "We did that a lot that year, so it was nice to get that feeling back." The last time the Rays opened the season at home was in 2005. Crawford is the only Ray remaining from that squad. The All-Star left fielder owns the other Opening Day walk-off winning hit for the Rays, a three-run homer that beat the Red Sox in 2003 during Lou Piniella's debut as the Rays manager. "It's kind of weird how things happen," Crawford said. It wasn't weird how the Rays won Tuesday. In fact, it was a familiar formula. "Our guys were just waiting for something good to happen," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. Sort of like the way the Rays played in '08. The Orioles reached Rays starter James Shields for three solo home runs. The Rays defense, which included a running catch at the base of the wall in center field by B.J. Upton, kept the Rays close all game. With the Rays down 2-0 in the fifth inning, Pat Burrell ran through a stop sign by third base coach Tom Foley and scored from second on Jason Bartlett's roller to left field. The Orioles made it 3-1 in the top of the sixth on a home run by Matt Wieters. But Evan Longoria cut into that lead by hitting only the second home run ever to reach the Trop's party deck in left field — a 473-foot solo blast. He joined former Rays third baseman Vinny Castilla, who reached the deck with a 478-foot home run in 2001. Longoria's homer cut through the fog left over from the fire and smoke machines used during the pregame ceremonies that settled over the field the entire game. "It wasn't as bad as people think," Crawford said. "You could still see the ball at the plate. You could still see the ball in the outfield. It was just weird to see a lot of smoke in the stadium. The Rays bullpen picked up Shields, with Randy Choate, Lance Cormier and Rafael Soriano holding the Orioles scoreless over the final three innings. Soriano, the Rays' new closer, turned in a Troy Percival-like performance when he allowed the Orioles to load the bases but was able to pitch out of the jam. Sean Rodriguez started the winning rally in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out single to left off Mike Gonzalez. Pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach doubled off the top of the left-field wall. Bartlett was walked intentionally, setting the stage of Crawford, who made the first game of 2010 feel a like a lot of games in 2008. "It never grows old," Maddon said. "You want to experience it on a regular basis."

~STORY OF THE WEEK~

DUKE WINS TITLE IN INDIANA

The baseball season has begun, Tiger Woods denied steriod use and took the field for practice admist applause, and most importantly, Duke won the title. The dark sky, tornado warnings and pelting rain here Monday night portended something ominous. The backdrop all week at the Final Four had been one of change, a feeling that the tournament as it has existed for the past quarter-century could be forever altered. And the championship matchup between Duke and Butler offered the N.C.A.A., in Butler’s hometown, a reminder on the largest stage of the quintessential joy of this tournament. Butler — with the disparity in traditions, budgets and name recognition — represented the best of the tournament. But as tournament history has shown, the best team often wins. Behind Kyle Singler’s stellar defensive effort and game-high 19 points, Duke won its fourth title, 61-59. Duke (35-5) outslugged scrappy Butler, which had won 25 consecutive games, in a tense, edge-of-your-couch game with 5 ties, 15 lead changes and 2 potentially game-winning shots by Butler that caromed out in the final five seconds. “This was a great basketball game,” said the Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski. “I want to congratulate an amazing Butler team. We played a great game and they played a great game.” (NY Times)

A COMEBACK AT FENWAY

FIRST EVER NIGHT OPENER AT FENWAY YIELDS BIG COMEBACK AS RED SOX DEFEAT YANKEES

Just think, there are 17 more of these games. The Yankees play the Red Sox 17 more times, which means 17 more chances to witness baseball played at its most exhilarating, frustrating or downright maddening. The Yankees cruised into Fenway Park on Sunday night as the defending World Series champions. They left on Monday morning thankful for a day off. They may need it to unwind after an exhausting opening night loss to the Boston Red Sox, who overcame three deficits of at least two runs and scored the eventual winning run in their 9-7 victory on — of course — a passed ball. That came after C. C. Sabathia unraveled and after Chan Ho Park imploded, after the newcomer Curtis Granderson homered in his first at-bat and after the Yankees reclaimed the lead in the seventh inning. What followed was symbolic of how the last decade, a turbulent one within the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, unfolded. Each team won two World Series titles, but for all of the upheaval and the playoff heartbreak and ecstasy, they began a new one Sunday night right back where they started 10 years ago: with the Yankees defending their championship and the Red Sox playing catch-up. “They won the World Series last year; everybody’s going after them,” said Dustin Pedroia, whose two-run homer in the seventh off Park evened the score at 7-7. “We’re just first on their schedule.” To dethrone the Yankees, the Red Sox spent the off-season focused on improving their pitching staff and their defense. Questions abounded about their offense, but Boston battered 12 hits over all and scored four runs against the Yankees’ bullpen. The Yankees consider their bullpen a strength, but each of the four relievers surrendered a run or allowed an inherited runner to score. Dave Robertson, a postseason dynamo, gave up a game-tying single on his first pitch. Park, who did not give up a homer in 50 relief innings last season with Philadelphia, allowed one to his third batter as a Yankee. Joba Chamberlain, beat out for a starting job, struggled with his fastball and gave up a two-out insurance run in the eighth. “It’s one game,” Manager Joe Girardi said of his bullpen. “You don’t make too much out of it either way.” But for fans at Fenway Park sunday night, this one was one to remember.