MILWAUKEE - Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is showing signs hes shaking off a two-week slump. Fighting a 7-for-43 slide, Braun came through with a game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift Milwaukee to a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night. Braun hit the ball hard in two of his first three at-bats Saturday, but still made outs. "My swing has gone between terrible and awful the last two weeks," he said. "But thats the way the game of baseball goes sometimes." With one out in the eighth inning, Scooter Gennett ended up with a double after blooping a ball to centre that Billy Hamilton got his glove on but couldnt hold. Braun then drove the first pitch from reliever J.J. Hoover (1-5) over the right field fence for his 10th homer of the season and first since June 1. Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 21st save in 23 opportunities. Will Smith (1-0) got the win despite giving up a game-tying home run to Hamilton in the eighth inning. "We know a lot about Hoover and know he likes to throw the fastball," Braun said. "This is definitely encouraging and hopefully I can build off that and get going." Another encouraging sign for the Brewers was the performance of starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out eight. It was the second straight strong outing for Gallardo, who struck out a season-high eight and allowed four hits in seven innings of a 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh June 8. "I was able to make pitches tonight and get ahead of hitters," he said. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke likes what hes seeing from Gallardo. "Hes definitely on track," Roenicke said. "His curveball was very good and has been for the past two games. If we can get that from him consistently, thats really good." Gallardo needed to be very good Saturday to offset Reds starter Mat Latos, who threw 87 pitches over six shutout innings in his season debut, giving up two hits while striking out four. He started the season on the disabled list while recovering from elbow and knee surgeries. Latos retired the first four hitters he faced before giving up a single to Aramis Ramirez. He then retired 13 hitters in a row before Gennett outlasted him in a long at-bat with two outs in the sixth inning. Gennett, who several times just got a piece of the ball to stay alive, hit the 13th pitch into left field for a double. Braun then hit a drive to the centre field wall that Hamilton caught, prompting Latos to thrust his fist in the air. Latos said it was emotional to be back on the mound. "It has been a struggle to get where I was today," he said. "It is definitely good. The outcome kind of sucks, but that is baseball. They are in first place for a reason. You just got to come back strong tomorrow." The Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Brandon Phillips RBI single. The Brewers wasted no time in taking the lead after Latos left the game. Logan Ondrusek walked Jonathan Lucroy to start the seventh inning and Carlos Gomez lined a single. Both runners advanced on Ramirezs fly out and Lucroy scored on Khris Davis groundout. Rickie Weeks then singled to left to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. Hamilton tied the score in the bottom of the inning with his third home run of the season. NOTES: To make room for Latos on the roster, the Reds put LHP Sean Marshall on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. ... The Brewers signed the teams top three draft picks from the draft: LHP Kodi Medeiros, SS Jacob Gatewood and OF Monte Harrison. All three were at Miller Park Saturday and took batting practice before the game. ... The Brewers will start RHP Marco Estrada (5-3) in Sundays series finale against the Reds Mike Leake (3-6). . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. .Under the agreement announced Monday, the Cuban defector is guaranteed $68.5 million over six seasons.Tomas gets a $14 million signing bonus that is payable within 30 days of the deals approval by Major League Baseball, and then salaries of $2 million next year, $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $10 million in 2018.
http://www.officialraysgearshop.com/Ray ... -Jersey/.C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season. . Saskatchewans Darian Durant is expected to miss the rest of the Roughriders season with a torn tendon in his right elbow. The 32-year-old, who will undergo surgery in the next couple days to repair the injury, was added to the teams six-game injury list Tuesday.DENVER - Justin Morneau wondered out loud just how many teams have turned a triple play and hit a walkoff homer in the same game. A better question yet may be this: How many times has the same player been involved in both? Morneau hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and helped the Colorado Rockies turn the third triple play in team history as they beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 on Sunday. Definitely a pretty good afternoon for Morneau, who hit the sixth walkoff homer of his career. Hes making himself right at home batting behind Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. After Gonzalez singled earlier in the inning, Morneau lined a two-out, 3-2 fastball from Dale Thayer (2-2) to straightaway centre. Morneau thought for sure he got enough of it, too, but then Cameron Maybin drifted back and back, like he might have a play on it. He didnt. "Scared me a little bit," Morneau said. "As good of athlete as he is, if he cant catch it, its definitely gone." Morneau sprinted around the bases to the applause from the crowd and flipped his helmet off after passing third. He was mobbed at home by his teammates. "Justin is having a phenomenal season," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Great to see him get the big hit." Thayer insisted he made a quality pitch and that he didnt think it was leaving the park. "But it doesnt surprise me it went out. He hit it hard," Thayer said. Nick Masset (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th for his first win with Colorado. LaTroy Hawkins blew his first save of the season in the ninth as he surrendered a tying two-run homer to Everth Cabrera. Corey Dickerson had a two-run homer and Tulowitzki added a solo shot in the fifth to keep up his hot hitting at Coors Field, where hes batting .571 in 18 games. Seth Smith and Rene Rivera hit solo homers for the Padres, who return home following a 3-3 road excursion. "This was a game that was in the balance the whole way," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Both teams kept pecking away at each other the whole game, which is typical of this ballpark." Juan Nicasio didnt have his best stuff, but was bailed out all afternoon by his defence, no more so than in the thhird.dddddddddddd. With runners on first and second, third baseman Nolan Arenado fielded a grounder by Carlos Quentin and stepped on the bag. He threw to second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, who relayed the ball on to first for the triple play. Quentin was originally ruled safe at first, but the second base umpire called Smith for baserunner interference as he slid into second. "That was different than anything Ive ever seen," Morneau said. The momentum from that play ignited the offence as the Rockies scored four runs in the bottom of the frame. Charlie Blackmon had a two-run single and Dickerson added a two-run homer. Usually a reliever, Donn Roach made his first major league start as he filled in for Andrew Cashner, who went on the 15-day disabled list because of soreness in his pitching elbow. Roach was on a pitch count and out of the game early, giving up four runs in three innings. Black elected to bat Roach eighth in the order and third baseman Alexi Amarista ninth, just to give the team more double-switch flexibility early in the game. It worked, too, when Roach was lifted for Will Venable in the fourth, with Venable hitting an RBI single. Roach couldnt find his rhythm in the first as he walked leadoff batter Blackmon and then Dickerson. It didnt matter, though, as both were thrown out trying to steal second — with a little assistance from replay. Blackmon was originally called safe on his steal attempt, but Black requested an appeal and the umpires overturned the call. After Dickerson walked, he tried to steal and, like Blackmon, was called safe when the tag was high. Black jogged out of the dugout to appeal, with the umpires again reversing the call. According to the team, its the first time a manager has successfully overturned two calls in the same inning. NOTES: The last time San Diego hit into a triple play was April 15, 2012, at Los Angeles against the Dodgers. ... Both teams are off Monday. ... Before the game, Colorado activated C Wilin Rosario (viral infection) and optioned C Mike McKenry to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... The triple play in the third was Colorados first since Tulowitzki turned an unassisted one on April 29, 2007, against Atlanta. ' ' '
