Sonstiges » leader of it. Hes crucial to their success.HOMECOM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Rays role in the final month of the season has been the Official Spoiler of American League Hopefuls, and that continues Tuesday as the Yankees come to Tropicana Field for a three-game series.The Yankees are still in postseason contention, four games back in the wild-card chase with 13 games to play, this despite a horrendous four-game sweep at Boston over the weekend. In all, theyve lost seven of eight games, a slump that started against the Rays last week, when they were just one game out of the wild card.We could have won all four of the games here, manager Joe Girardi said of the sweep at Boston. But were still playing the teams in front of us, some of them. We have to start over Tuesday.The Rays (64-85) have long been out of any contention and firmly in last in the AL East, but theyve managed to wreak havoc on the division -- they went 5-6 on their recent road trip, the longest of the season, but in doing so, took two of three from Toronto and split a four-game series with Baltimore, putting the brakes on both teams postseason chases.Were playing well, manager Kevin Cash said after Sundays loss. Were giving teams a good game all the way to the end. Weve won some of them and weve lost a couple tough ones.For the Yankees to make up four games in the final two weeks of the regular season in a deep logjam of potential wild cards, theyll need sweeps against teams like the Rays.And while Tuesdays starters might look similar in their stats -- Rays LHP Drew Smyly is 7-11 with a 4.98 ERA and Yankees RHP Michael Pineda is 6-11 with a 4.94 -- their success against their current opponent is a much different matter.Pineda is 0-3 against the Rays this season with a 9.31 ERA, his highest for any opponent in 2016. Hes given up 31 hits in 19 1/3 innings, including eight home runs, though four of those came in an 8-1 loss on April 24. The Rays are hitting .356 against him this season, and he hasnt even made it through five innings in his last three starts, including a two-run effort against the Rays.Smyly, on the other hand, is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Yankees this season -- that same April 24 game that was a low mark for Pineda saw Smyly hold the Yankees to one run in seven innings. Hes given up two runs in 13 innings this season against New York, and hes improved overall since the All-Star break, though his season has been marked too often by no-decisions and losses.The Rays wrap up their home schedule in the next week with three against the Yankees and three against the Red Sox, their last chance to make an impact on a division race they arent directly involved in.Willie Cauley-Stein Jersey .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Stephen Curry Jersey . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. https://www.warriorsrookiesshop.com/ . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. Wilt Chamberlain Jersey . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Tim Hardaway Warriors Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training.TAMPA, Fla. -- Houston one game, Memphis the next, and now South Florida.No. 22 Navy is facing a steady stream of high-scoring teams in the American Athletic Conference and finding one of the best ways to defend them is to keep the ball away from opposing offenses.Were very cognizant of time, coach Ken Niumatalolo said, noting how important it will be to limit the number of possessions for USF, when the West Division-leading Midshipmen (5-1, 4-0) face the Bulls (6-2,3-1) on Friday night. One way to stop them is to keep them on the sideline.USF is averaging 487.1 yards and 42.4 points per game in getting off to one of the best starts in school history. The Bulls scored at least 35 points in their first seven games before being held to a season-low 30 in a 16-point loss at Temple.Navy rushed for 442 yards -- most ever by a USF opponent -- during a 29-17 victory in Annapolis last season. And, it could take another dominating ground performance to remain unbeaten in conference play.I know they had a tough one the last time (against Temple), but theyve been playing really well, Niumatalolo said, adding that the Bulls high-scoring attack begins -- but doesnt end -- with dual-threat star Quinton Flowers.Flowers is the second-leading rusher among quarterbacks in the nation behind Louisvilles Lamar Jackson. He also leads the AAC with 15 touchdown passes and is on pace to become the first USF player to top 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in the same season.Throw in two-time conference rushing leader Marlon Mack, who run for a conference-best 10 TDs, and leading receiver Rodney Adams, and the Midshipmen figure to have their hands full.Niumatalolo is counting on his own quarterback, Will Worth, to take some of the pressure off the Navy defense.ddddddddddddSome things to watch when Navy seeks to extend its record in conference play to 12-1 since joining the American last year:WORTH LEADS THE WAY: The senior from Valrico, Florida -- a short drive from the USF campus in Tampa -- accounted for five TDs in last weeks 42-28 win over Memphis. In addition to rushing for a career-best 201 yards and three touchdowns, he completed 3 of 4 passes for 85 yards and to score to keep the Midshipmen atop the West Division standings.A lot of quarterbacks are not as tough as him. He can run people over, then drop back and throw a couple of touchdowns, USF linebacker Auggie Sanchez said. That offense is dynamic, and hes the leader of it. Hes crucial to their success.HOMECOMING OF SORTS: Navy has 13 players on the roster from Florida, the fifth-most of any state.ONE-TWO PUNCH: Flowers and Mack form the best one-two rushing punch in the league, with Mack averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 94.1yards per game on the ground. Flowers averages 6.9 yards per attempt, 93.1 yards per game and has run for eight TDs.PLENTY TO PLAY FOR: Thats USFs mantra in the aftermath of last week loss to Temple. The Bulls share first place in the East Division, although the Owls own the tie-breaker.Our football team is still learning how to be champions. ... Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward, USF coach Willie Taggart said.APPROACHING MILESTONE: Navy is three wins shy of becoming the 24th FBS program -- and first service academy -- with 700 victories. The Midshipmen are 697-548-57 in 136 seasons.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '