CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Josh Beckett has pitched his home games in Los Angeles for almost two years now, and hed almost forgotten what it was like to sit through a rain delay. He handled this one with no problem The right-hander waited more than 2 hours to make his start Tuesday night, but once he got on the mound, he was on top of his game. Beckett allowed two hits in six shutout innings, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run single and the Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-1. "Sitting around today was tough," the 34-year-old Beckett said. "Im not 23 anymore. I was ready to go at 7:10. I spent a lot of time in the weight room trying to stay loose. I felt fine." Beckett (4-3), who had endured two consecutive 2-1 losses since his no-hitter May 25 in Philadelphia, finished with seven strikeouts and one walk. He also hit a batter with a pitch. "Actually, I felt like it was his cleanest game since the no-hitter," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "The ball was coming out better. He had a better changeup, and he kept the ball down." Beckett echoed Mattinglys assessment. "I felt like it was a clean outing," he said. He also enjoyed better support from his offence, which scored more runs in one inning than it had in his previous two starts combined. Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Justin Turner led the Los Angeles lineup with two hits apiece. Beckett got into the act with a single of his own for the Dodgers, who have won three straight and four of five. "Joshs performance today is what hes been giving us all year," Ethier said. "We havent been producing many runs for him." Mike Leake, reached for a season-high five runs in his previous start Thursday against San Francisco, allowed five more and a season-high nine hits in 5 1-3 innings. Leake (3-6), who lost seven games last season, had seven strikeouts and one walk. "It was a weird night," said Leake, bothered by a stiff neck in his previous three starts. "I missed some spots. I got some groundballs, but they found holes. I didnt do my job today." Reds first baseman Joey Votto, activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game after missing 23 games with a strained quadriceps in his left knee, went 1 for 3 with a single, two strikeouts and a walk. After the start was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 5 minutes, the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second on Gonzalezs leadoff double and Ethiers one-out double. Beckett helped himself in a three-run fifth after Turner led off with a single. With one out, the pitcher faked a bunt and hit a chopper over charging third baseman Todd Frazier for his third hit in 23 at-bats this season. "I saw him charging," Beckett said. "He was playing so shallow already. I took a shot." Turner scored on Dee Gordons double, and Ramirez drove in both runners with a single to right field. That pretty much gave Los Angeles control. The largest deficit overcome by the Reds to win this season is two runs. Cincinnati manager Bryan Price was impressed with the Dodgers approach. "They did a nice job of putting the ball in play," Price said. "They ran some balls through the infield. They had enough team speed to get some good reads off the bat and score off that line drive to right." Los Angeles added a run in the sixth on Matt Kemps one-out walk and back-to-back singles by Ethier and Turner, who has four consecutive multihit games. Puig singled, stole second and scored on Gonzalezs second double in the seventh. Ethier is hitting .467 (7 for 15) with six RBIs against Leake. The Reds avoided being shut out on Jay Bruces leadoff double, Devin Mesoracos infield single and Zack Cozarts one-out RBI single in the seventh. Mesoraco snapped a career-worst, 0-for-19 slump. NOTES: Cozart stayed in the game after being hit in the batting helmet by Becketts pitch in the fifth. ... Ethiers sixth-inning infield single originally was ruled an out, but Mattinglys challenge led to the call being overturned after a replay review. ... LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu is the Dodgers scheduled starter Wednesday. The last time he faced the Reds, he carried a perfect game through seven innings before settling for a 4-3 win on May 26 in Los Angeles. . CBS Sports Jon Heyman is reporting that Santana will sign a one-year deal, likely in the next two days with one of a trio of suitors, with the Toronto Blue Jays believed to be heavily involved. . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins.
http://www.cheaptexansjerseysonline.com ... online.com) - Rajon Rondo turned in a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists as Dallas claimed a 102-98 win over the Lakers on Friday. . Dallas also Monday recalled defenceman Aaron Rome from his conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and assigned goaltender Jack Campbell to the AHL squad. . He had even more fun Friday. Coming off a sensational rookie season, Spieth opened the new year by never coming close to bogey and making a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 7-under 66.MINNEAPOLIS -- Pushing the Tampa Bay Rays back toward .500 might be David Prices way of dampening trade rumours. The All-Star left-hander pitched eight scoreless innings to win five straight starts for the first time in his major league career, and the Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory. "We were talking about it before the game, regarding how well hes been pitching this year and trying to compare it to his Cy Young Award-winning year," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, referring to 2012. "Im telling you, hes right there right now." Price disagrees. He thinks hes even better. "Ive said that a month-and-a-half ago, six, seven starts ago," Price said. "Ive never been the pitcher that I am right now. Its awesome, its cool." Price (10-7) gave up four hits, matching his season low, walked none and struck out nine to increase his major league-leading total to 173. He got in trouble only once, giving up consecutive singles to Chris Parmelee and Eduardo Escobar in the fifth before Eduardo Nunez grounded into an inning-ending double play. Jake McGee got two outs for his eighth save in nine chances, completing a five-hitter. Price didnt pitch during the All-Star game but answered questions about potential trade scenarios should the Rays fail to climb back into contention. If Tampa Bay keeps winning, those questions will might disappear. "Just didnt want the All-Star break to put us into a lull, and it didnt do it, or it hasnt yet at least," he said. "To come out and play the ball that we have over the past two days after the All-Star break is huge." Twins starter Phil Hughes (10-6) allowed five runs and 11 hits in seven innings, matching the most hits against him this season. He is 3-4 with a 5.63 ERA in his last seven starts. "Hughes gave us an opportunity to get back in the game, but we werent able to do it," Twins manager Ron GGardenhire said.dddddddddddd "Price didnt give us much of a chance." Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the second on Jose Molinas RBI single and Sean Rodriguezs 10th home run of the season, a two-drive into the second deck in left. It was the 10th home this season off Hughes, who allowed 35 in 2012 and 24 last year. "I felt like I could have gotten Molina out to get out of that inning," Hughes said. "You look up and its 3-0 and your heart sinks a little bit because you know youre one pitch away from getting out of that inning." The Rays made it 5-0 in the seventh on Molinas RBI groundout and Rodriguezs run-scoring single. Minnesota scored in the ninth against Juan Carlos Oviedo on Kurt Suzukis one-out, RBI single. NOTES: Twins 1B Joe Mauer took grounders before the game with coaches Joe Vavra and Paul Molitor. It was Mauers first baseball activity since he went on the 15-day DL on July 2 because of a strained right oblique. "He said theres certain things he does right now that he still feels it, coughing and sneezing and things like that, definitely feels it, so hes obviously not ready to take swings or any of that stuff," manager Ron Gardenhire said. ... Minnesota turned five groundball double plays for the seventh time in Twins history, the first since Sept. 17, 2006, at Cleveland. ... Gardenhire gave a day off to OF Josh Willingham, who is 2 for 10 in his career against Price and batting .208 this season. "Willys fine, hes healthy. Hes just missing his pitch right now." ... Ben Zobrists first-inning single off Hughes was his first hit against the former Yankees pitcher in 17 career at-bats. ... Tampa Bay will try for the sweep on Sunday when it starts RHP Chris Archer (5-5), who is 2-0 and hasnt allowed an earned run in two career starts against the Twins. Minnesota RHP Kevin Correia (5-11) is 1-2 over his last three starts despite opponents hitting .242 against him. ' ' '
