ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Matt Shoemaker is off to a successful start in the major leagues. Just ask a select group of baseballs best pitchers. The rookie right-hander won his fifth straight decision, C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun homered in the fourth inning against Yu Darvish, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Sunday night. Darvish is the latest in a group of top-of-the-rotation pitchers that Shoemaker has opposed this season, including Cliff Lee, David Price, James Shields and Chris Sale. The 27-year-old Shoemaker is 3-0 in those starts with a 2.83 ERA. "Its definitely something Ill savour," he said. "As a pitcher, your focus is huge, so I think that can definitely help a little bit more. I mean, it doesnt really come into play for me -- but in the aftermath, its pretty cool. Those guys have done a lot for this game, and hopefully I can be in their shoes one day down the road." Cron went deep for the third straight game, helping the Angels pull within five games of AL West-leading Oakland. Calhoun was credited with the first run of the game on a replay reversal in the first inning that led to the ejection of Texas manager Ron Washington by plate umpire Bill Miller. Shoemaker (5-1) allowed a run and eight hits in 7 2-3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. The only run against him came in the sixth, when his attempted pickoff throw to first hit Elvis Andrus and rolled away from Cron, allowing Leonys Martin to score. Joe Smith allowed Brad Snyders two-out homer in the ninth before Chris Gimenez grounded out to end the game. Snyder entered in the fourth after first baseman Donnie Murphy left because of soreness in his left knee. Darvish (7-4) allowed five runs and five hits through six innings, striking out nine and issuing four walks -- three of them to No. 7 hitter Hank Conger. This was the fourth time in 75 major league starts that Darvish allowed two homers in one inning -- and the third time against the Angels. He came in 7-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 starts against the Halos, including six straight victories. The injury-decimated Rangers remain a season-worst 11 1/2 games behind Oakland after losing for the fifth straight time and 10th time in their last 14. The play that resulted in Washingtons second ejection of the season began when Martin charged Albert Pujols hit-and-run single to centre field, and then missed the cutoff man as the ball sailed into foul territory between third base and home. Darvish alertly backed up the play and threw to Gimenez for the tag on Calhoun, who tried to score all the way from first. But Gimenez took the throw while standing in front of the dish, leaving Calhoun no clear path. And according to the new rules instituted this season by Major League Baseball to cut down on collisions, that was a violation. So when Angels manager Mike Scioscia came out to challenge Millers original ruling, the replay was checked and Calhoun was declared safe. Gimenez was charged with an error. "I saw Darvish up the line and I knew he had to make a tough play," Calhoun said. "To his credit, he put it right on the money and I didnt have anywhere to slide. I couldnt go inside or outside because there was no lane, which the catcher is supposed to give now due to this new rule. So I slid right into him. You hope you make that contact and put it in their hands and make them overturn it. And they made the right call." Washington, who lost Alex Rios and Michael Choice to ejections in Saturday nights extra-inning loss for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Vic Carapazza, came out of the dugout yelling at Miller -- who motioned to him that he wasnt allowed to argue a replay reversal. But the argument continued, and Washington was tossed. "What got me thrown out was the call that was made out of New York," Washington said. "Youre not supposed to come out and question that, but you cant stop instincts of the game from happening. And to me, that was an instinctive play. There were no intentions of blocking the plate. The ball took him there." NOTES: Shoemakers only loss came in relief against the New York Mets, when he gave up a home run to Anthony Recker in the 13th inning on April 12 at Angel Stadium. ... Darvish has allowed just three first-inning runs in his 14 starts this season. The other two also were by the Angels, on home runs by Aybar and Pujols on May 4 at the "Big A" in his 14-3 victory. ... INF Howie Kendrick, whose RBI double off Jason Frasor in the 10th inning Saturday gave the Angels a 3-2 win, got the day off. He is 0 for 19 against Darvish with seven strikeouts. ... Rangers closer Joakim Soria hasnt pitched since his last save on June 14. Theres nothing physically wrong with him. Its just that the Rangers have lost six of seven since then, and the lone victory was by a 14-8 score. . J.J. Hardy drove in a run for the Orioles, who bounced back from an 8-4 loss in the series opener on Friday. Fresh off the 15-day disabled list, Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Jake Arrieta (7-3) gave up three runs on five hits over six innings to pick up the win. . -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will be out three to six weeks with a stress fracture of the third finger of his right hand.
http://www.cheapvikingsjerseyssale.com/ ... ersey-sale. "I was so nervous," Hadley said Sunday after winning the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour victory. "I did not eat well last night. .Y. -- In a span of three days, Shabazz Napier and Connecticut knocked out both Philadelphia schools in the NCAA tournament. .com) - The St.He entered college football an undersized, somewhat unknown quarterback from Kerrville, Texas. He leaves as a potential first overall pick, and one of the most dynamic, breath-taking players in college football history. Johnny Manziel declaring for the NFL draft means Texas A & M will have to find a new pivot. It also means college football will have to find a new folk-hero. The numbers Johnny Manziel put up in his all-too brief career read like a stat line from a video game. In a pair of seasons, Johnny Football threw for 7,820 yards, ran for 2,169, and accounted for 93 total touchdowns (63 passing, 30 running). Manziel fell just 11 yards short of becoming the first sophomore in NCAA history to accumulate 10,000 career yards. His 2012 season - in which he became the first redshirt freshman ever to win the Heisman – broke Cam Newtons single season SEC yardage record. His 2013 follow-up ranks second all-time. In all, Manziel set 35 school, conference, and NCAA records in two seasons in College Station. But more than the statistics, its the highlights themselves that blew everyone away. Time and again, Manziel did things on the field that made all of us look around and ask, "did that really just happen?" Who could forget his 2012 fumble-turned-touchdown in A & Ms 29-24 upset of eventual national champion Alabama? Or this past season against the Tide, when Manziel retreated 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage, escaped a defenders grasp and heaved a jump ball to Edward Pope for a first down. In the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Manziel delivered one final trademark moment, a scramble that became a hurdle that became a 19-yard touchdown pass. On the field, Manziel never shied away from the spotlight, delivering over and over in big games. In his two bowl games, Manziel accounted for 9 touchdowns, almost 1000 total yards, and a 72 percent completion rate. As a first-year SEC entrant, all but the most ardent Aggie supporters thought A & M would struggle in 2012. Instead, the 61" redshirt freshman from Tivy High led the Aggies to an 11-2 record that included the shocking upset of Alabama at Bryant-Denny, and a 41-13 blowout of Oklahoma in which Manziel set the Cotton Bowl record with 516 total yards. This past season against Bama, Manziel outdid himself, accounting for 562 total yards and five touchdowns. In his final game against Duke, he led his team back from a 21-point halftime deficit to a 52-48 win. He was named offensive MVP after completing 30 of 38 passes, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for a team-high 73 yards and a score. Manziels 455 total yards marked thhe ninth time in 26 games in which he amassed more than 450 total yards.dddddddddddd In the 111 years in which Texas A & M has played major college football, only two other players have ever had a 450 yard game. Off the field, there were issues to be sure. Manziels 2012 Heisman campaign almost didnt happen. The 21-year-old was initially suspended by Texas A & M after a June 2012 arrest in connection with a fight in College Station. He has since pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but Manziel was only reinstated as a redshirt freshman after Sumlin wrote the administration on his behalf. This past season, Manziel was suspended for the first half of Texas A & Ms opener against Rice for inadvertently breaking NCAA rules by signing autographs, after he was alleged to have accepted money from memorabilia brokers to sign. Even after he returned to the field, he grabbed headlines by taunting players, making autograph gestures. But as much as he was a thorn in the side of college footballs governing body, Manziel was also a money maker for it. Just as likely to appear on TMZ as ESPN, Manziels games became appointment viewing more than any other player in the sport. Texas A & Ms September loss to Alabama drew an average of 13.6 million viewers, making it the second highest rated regular season game on the college football schedule. En route to their 9-4 record, the Aggies drew three of the top 15 television audiences of the season. Four separate times they had the highest rated game of the week. And with 8.69 million viewers, Manziels last game was the most viewed non-BCS bowl in ESPN history. Back in September, A & M announced that over the past 12 months, they raised $740 million in fundraising. Thats almost double the highest total raised in any other 12 month period in school history. With the NFL Draft less than four months away, JF is skyrocketing up draft boards. In his first mock draft of the year, draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has the 21-year-old headed to the Texans as the first overall pick. No matter where he is drafted though, Manziel will continue to excite. No player in college football could turn nothing, into something spectacular, quite like the sophomore. When Manziel declared last week, Sumlin said of his quarterback, "in all of my years of coaching, [he] is the most exciting football player I have ever seen. We appreciate everything [Manziel] has done for Texas A & M and Aggie football and wish him nothing but the best." Not just Aggieland, but the whole of college football should appreciate what he has done as well. Johnny Football will be missed. ' ' '
