Archiv » poked it away before it could trickle over the line.

BALTIMORE -- Even with first baseman Chris Davis apparently on his way back from the disabled list any day for the Baltimore Orioles, Steve Pearce, his replacement, has made his case to remain in the lineup. Pearce and Manny Machado homered and the Orioles won a season-high fourth consecutive game, 4-3 over the Houston Astros on Friday night. Baltimore (19-14) is five games over .500 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, the Astros have lost six of their past seven games. Pearce, who re-signed with the Orioles just two days after being released April 27, hit his third homer in four games. He homered in consecutive games for the first time in his eight-year major league career and has three this season. "I just want to keep doing what Im doing," said Pearce, who is batting .300 (10-for-30) with three homers, six RBI and five runs since replacing Davis over the past nine games. "I think they know what I can do. Hopefully, I can stay around for a little longer this time." Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen (4-2) had another effective outing, allowing two runs and five hits with four strikeouts and one walk and he tied a season-high by going seven innings. Machado hit his first home run of the season since returning from off-season knee surgery on May 1. Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis went 3 for 4 with an RBI and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. "Someone announced he had a 16-game hitting streak," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said about Markakis. "I didnt know that. I bet he doesnt know, either. Hes healthy. Strong. He worked real hard this off-season for the first time that he was able to in a long time." Chris Carter hit his fifth home run of the season for the Astros. Houston right-hander Scott Feldman made his first start since going on the disabled list April 21 with right biceps tendinitis and was facing his former team. Feldman, who went 5-6 as a starter for the Orioles last season, allowed two runs and five hits with six strikeouts over six innings. He gave up a home run for the first time in five starts this season. "I definitely felt like I could throw all my pitches," Feldman said. "I was throwing more free and easy. It was a good feeling, in that regard. It wouldve been a nice one to win. They just got the best of us tonight." With the game tied at 2, the Orioles J.J. Hardy led off the seventh with a double to centre. Astros righty Jerome Williams (1-2) got the next two batters to ground out before allowing an RBI single to Jonathan Schoop. Markakis followed with a double to centre that made it 4-2. "I thought I battled, getting those two ground balls, and then just left that cutter up over the middle," Willams said. "Youve just got to tip your hat to them and try to execute the pitch next time." Dexter Fowler led off the ninth with a double off Orioles closer Tommy Hunter. Marc Krauss walked before Hunter got Carter to hit into a double play, which scored a run. George Springer then struck out to end the game as Hunter picked up his 11th save. Houston fell to 1-20 when scoring three or fewer runs. The Astros opened a 1-0 lead in the second when Matt Dominguez led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by L.J. Hoes, who was acquired from Baltimore last season. The Orioles, who were coming off a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, answered in the bottom half of the inning when Pearce and Machado hit solo shots. Carter snapped a 1-for-16 skid when he led off the seventh with a liner to left off Chen that cleared the fence by several rows. The Orioles, however, would rally for the victory in the bottom half of the inning. "In the top of the inning, I allowed a tying home run so I was kind of upset about that," Chen said. "But they had a timely offence and Nick and Schoop had big hits and we were able to get the go-ahead run and got the win. I was happy about that." NOTES: Davis (strained left oblique) will have a rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie on Saturday and then be re-evaluated Sunday when he is scheduled to come off the DL. ... Outfield prospect Henry Urrutia, who was Baltimores Minor League Player of the Year last season, is scheduled to have sports hernia surgery on May 13 and will be out 6 to 8 weeks. ... Orioles OF Francisco Peguero (right wrist sprain) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. ... Houston recalled RHP Paul Clemens from Triple-A Oklahoma City. ...The Astros placed RHP Jose Cisnero on the 15-day DL with elbow discomfort, backdated to May 7, and optioned LHP Brett Oberholtzer to Oklahoma City. Trysten Hill Jersey . The win puts the final playoff berth in Group A in question. If the Czechs beat Slovakia on Tuesday, they will go through. If they lose, Germany will get the last quarter-final berth. Ezekiel Elliott Womens Jersey . The same for both the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/larry-allen-jersey/ . Orlov, who scored two goals in the game, was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the play. The Flyers scored once on the power play and again with the extra attacker with 65 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Bill Bates Youth Jersey . Altidore strained his left hamstring in the Americans opener against Ghana on June 16 and didnt play in their next two games. "We dont know how much because we need to see how hes going, but hes available," U. Connor McGovern Youth Jersey . The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are giving it a try, too.TORONTO -- On Hall of Fame Night, Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle reached back in history to describe a marvellous goal by Phil Kessel. Kessel scored a beauty in regulation and James van Riemsdyk contributed the shootout decider Friday night as Toronto scored a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Kessels goal, which opened the scoring, came on an eye-popping solo rush as the Leafs sniper skated through two Devils in the defensive zone before beating Cory Schneider between the legs at 8:12 of the third period. Kessels 10th goal of the season ended a Toronto scoreless stretch of almost 110 minutes. "Those are difference-maker goals," Carlyle said of Kessels swooping rush. "It reminded me of Frank Mahovlich -- the windup, to come back inside your own (blue-)line and attack. Thats old-time hockey. I mean real old-time hockey." Asked if he knew who Mahovlich -- a mega-star from another era who played for the Leafs, Red Wings and Canadiens -- was, Kessel later replied: "Not really." Of course the 26-year-old American was born six years after the Big M entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. Mahovlich, now 75, later moved his field of play to the Senate, an arena most Canadians ignore. It looked like the Kessel goal might be enough until Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier, who had been excellent hitherto, seemed to misplay a shot from the right flank from Michael Ryder, with the puck angling high off the goalies stick into the net at 15:15. Ryder got credit for his fifth of the season. "Im probably going to do that play a hundred times and, I dont know, if you ask me to do it again I probably wouldnt be able to," Bernier lamented. Kessel was in the box, with 11 second left for a slashing penalty. "Those thing happens in hockey," Carlyle said of the Bernier miscue. "There wasnt a person in the building who felt as bad as he did about giving it up. You could just see his reaction. But I thought our bench remained composed. We gathered our composure and we didnt sit back, we attacked. And we didnt stop." Added Bernier: "We showed character. We came back and won that game. It was a great team effort." Schneider, who also had a strong game, made a great save on Kessel on a Leafs three-on-one in an exciting overtime. And he stopped Torontos Mason Raymond and Kessel before van Riemsdyks goal in the shootout. Adam Henrique then fired wide for the Devils. Bernier stopped Ryder in the shootout while Travis Zajac had the Leafs goalie beat but hit the post. With the victory, Toronto heads to Boston for a Saturday night showdown with the Bruins team that ousted from the playoffs last season with an unlikely Game 7 comeback. Toronto (11-5-0) has now won five of its last seven. The Leafs were well-rested, having not played since a 4-0 loss in Vancouver last Saturday. The Devils (4-7-5) were coming off a 3-0 winn in Philadelphia on Thursday, with Martin Brodeur posting a 22-save shutout -- the 122nd of his career.dddddddddddd. New Jersey had lost its two previous games, both shutouts. "Im disappointed we didnt capitalize on our chances," said Devils coach Peter DeBoer. "We got a bounce there at the end to get a point. We had enough chances to win the game. We didnt finish enough." The Leafs power play, which came into the game fifth in the league, had failed on four previous man-advantage opportunities in the game prior to the Kessel goal. And the Leafs star had been guilty of several giveaways. The 2013 Hockey Hall of Fame Game, which drew a crowd of 19,377 that included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, featured pre-game appearances by former Devils Scott Niedermayer and Brendan Shanahan as well as Chris Chelios and Geraldine Heaney. The late Fred Shero will also be inducted as part of the class of 2013 on Monday. With centres Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland both injured, van Riemsdyk shifted from wing to centre Joffrey Lupul and Kessel on Torontos top line. Van Riemsdyk, whose last duty at centre was at the University of New Hampshire, failed to get a shot on net but his linemates combined for 12 of Torontos 28 on the night. At times the line overelaborated, especially with the Devils in the penalty box. But it paid dividends when it counted. Bernier, who stopped 41 of 43 shots in Calgary last time out, had to be sharp to keep the Leafs in it as Toronto was outshot 35-28 -- the 13th straight game and 14th in 16 this season that the opposition has outshot the Leafs. Former Devil David Clarkson almost scored on the Leafs first shot, cruising in from the slot while protecting the puck from a New Jersey defenceman. His shot got past Schneider but a Devil poked it away before it could trickle over the line. Toronto had several glorious chances to go ahead on a power play late in the first period that started with a four-minute high-sticking penalty to New Jerseys Mattias Tedenby and turned into a 44-second five-on-three when Peter Harrold was called for tripping. The Leafs came very close but could not take advantage. Clarkson, meanwhile, renewed acquaintances by trading hacks with defenceman Marek Zidlicky after a stoppage. Toronto had a sluggish start to the second period with an overly elaborate Kessel continuing to give the puck away. Bernier had to be sharp on several occasions as Toronto, after outshooting the Devils 8-7 in the first period, was outshot 15-8 in the second. Devils forward Stephen Gionta was helped off the ice in the second period after sliding awkwardly into the boards. Hard-nosed Toronto forward Colton Orr, who missed the morning skate in what was deemed a "maintenance morning," did not play. Instead the Leafs dressed seven defenceman with Mark Fraser returning from injury. ' ' '