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s: Sterlings three goals came in a span of eight minutes 16 seconds. Bill Jennings holds the
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2013/07/29 08:55AM
Latest post: 2013/07/29 08:55AM, Views: 406, Posts: 1
Latest post: 2013/07/29 08:55AM, Views: 406, Posts: 1
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Bronson Arroyo had never won in San Francisco before pitching a playoff masterpiece. Cheap Jerseys China . There were all kinds of memorable firsts this weekend for the gutsy Cincinnati Reds, who beat the San Francisco Giants 9-0 on Sunday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their NL division series -- and head home to Ohio on quite a roll. Ryan Ludwick hit his first post-season home run and Ryan Hanigan drove in his first playoff run. More than anything on this night, it was Arroyos turn to celebrate on what he figured to be a fun flight back to Cincinnati. "We couldnt put ourselves in a better situation," he said. "It doesnt mean youre going to close it out, but for us personally, I know the fans are going to be as jacked as they have ever been in that ballpark since it has been built, which is going to be nice." Arroyo, who was winless in his first six starts in San Francisco, retired his first 14 batters and delivered a gem a day after 19-game winner Johnny Cueto went down with a back injury. A pair of Ryans provided the big hits. Ludwick connected leading off the second inning for his first career playoff homer and Hanigan hit a two-run single in the fourth and a later RBI single. Jay Bruce added a two-run double and Joey Votto had three hits in his first multihit post-season game. "Coming on the road, you think about getting one as a success and victory," Bruce said. "To be able come here and get two is very important." Former San Francisco skipper Dusty Baker came into his old stomping grounds by the bay and left with two commanding victories 10 years after managing the Giants within six outs of a World Series title before falling short. He walked through the hallway afterward greeting cheering fans with smiles, high-fives, hugs, waves and even a few hang-loose signs. "We still love you, Dusty!" one woman yelled. Many fans didnt stick around until the end to see the Giants get handed their worst playoff shutout in franchise history. Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Tuesday at Great American Ball Park. Homer Bailey (13-10), who pitched a no-hitter Sept. 28 at Pittsburgh, takes the mound as the Reds try to close out the series against Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong (14-9). The Reds won their first playoff game in 17 years by taking Game 1 without their ace Saturday night, and now theyre going back home looking for their own sweep after the Phillies eliminated them in a frustrating three-game first round two years ago. "Youre not comfortable at all until its over," Baker said. "Weve been there before. Its hard to take the last breath out of anything." The Reds will try for their first post-season sweep since beating the Dodgers in the first round in 1995. Cincinnati got swept in the NL championship series that year by Atlanta to start what became a seven-game post-season losing streak before Saturdays win. The shaggy-haired Arroyo, the right-hander with that high leg kick slightly resembling the familiar motion of Giants Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, went untouched before Brandon Belts two-out single to the gap in right-centre with two out in the fifth. San Francisco didnt get another hit until Pablo Sandoval lined a double off the right-field arcade with two outs in the ninth. "You hate to get beat like that, especially at home," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It happened. We know where were at right now. We know our backs are to the wall. ... Theyve done a great job all year bouncing back." The 35-year-old Arroyo worked ahead and had four straight strikeouts during one stretch to baffle the Giants. Arroyos seven innings marked his longest post-season outing in five starts and 13 appearances -- and he couldnt have picked a better moment to do it. Cueto threw all of eight pitches in Saturdays 5-2 win before leaving with back spasms, and Mat Latos and a patchwork pitching staff handled the rest. Baker said he picked Arroyo for Game 2 here in part because the righty is susceptible to giving up home runs after he allowed 26 this year. And AT&T Park is "one of the most forgiving ballparks in baseball." Arroyo thoroughly outpitched Madison Bumgarner to beat the Giants for the first time since 2008. He had gone 0-2 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts since, getting two no-decisions facing San Francisco this season. And he took the hard-luck loss in Game 2 against the Phillies in 2010 as the victim of a blown save. Boy did he give the bullpen a break with this one. Baker might have left him in longer had it not been a long inning before. "A no-hitter in this type of environment is nearly impossible," Arroyo said. "A win for the ballclub is the pinnacle, nirvana." Cincinnati beat San Franciscos two best pitchers on their home field. Matt Cain lost Game 1. Bumgarner had pitched a one-hitter June 28 against the Reds at home, but was nothing close to that dominant this time. The last time Baker managed in a playoff setup like this season -- with the higher seed opening on the road for the first two games -- he was on the other end. In 1997, while managing the favoured Giants, San Francisco lost the first two games in Florida and the Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the NL division series at Candlestick Park en route to the World Series title. Baker has felt good about these Reds all along, even more so after recently missing 11 games while recovering from a mini-stroke, including when they clinched the NL Central. "Hes kind of the heartbeat of this team," Bruce said. "To have him back for the last series and starting the playoffs, especially in San Francisco, where he obviously has a ton of history and is a storied manager here, its good. It gives us a vibe thats pretty easy to play for." He is getting contributions from throughout his lineup and a ready-for-anything pitching staff. On Saturday, it was Brandon Phillips with three hits and a two-run homer and Bruce with a solo shot. The Reds added on late in Game 2 against the Giants typically reliable bullpen with Bruces eighth-inning double, a run-scoring triple from Drew Stubbs and an RBI single by Phillips. Ludwick, who came in just 1 for 16 against Bumgarner, silenced the orange towel-waving sellout crowd of 43,505 AT&T Park in a hurry when he sent the first pitch of the second inning over the centre-field wall. The Reds sure made the Giants pitcher friendly ballpark feel longball friendly the way they hit in these two games. Many of the fans quickly made for the exits after the Reds went ahead 6-0 on Bruces two-run double in the eighth. "We need to go to their place and play aggressive and try to change the momentum," Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro said. "Keep fighting, you never know whats going to happen. Their momentum is really good right now." Tim Lincecum entered in relief for the Giants in the top of the sixth trailing 4-0. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, whose rocky season kept him out of the playoff rotation, pumped his fist after striking out Hanigan to end the sixth before a scoreless seventh. NOTES: Arroyo had never gone six innings in the post-season before Sunday. ... San Francisco was shut out six times during the regular season, tied for second-fewest in the NL with Philadelphia. ... Cueto returned to Cincinnati along with Bailey. ... 2010 World Series MVP Edgar Renteria threw out the ceremonial first pitch and stopped by the clubhouse. "Im very touched," he said. "The fans, they remember and appreciate everything. Im never going to forget this time. They still remember what we did in 2010. Its unbelievable." Cheap Jerseys USA . Ramon Ramirez got hurt before he could even celebrate it. The first no-hitter in New York Mets history was costly: Baxter and Ramirez are headed to the disabled list, both injured on a memorable night at Citi Field. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale . LOUIS -- The St. http://cheapjerseys.ucigreeks.com/ . Armed And Dangerous - Matt Ryan threw for 4,177 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2011 as Atlanta ranked fourth in passes attempted. Cheap NFL Jerseys . -- Compare what was said Wednesday by Robert Griffin III and Mike Shanahan. Cheap Jerseys . 2 in the world rankings. Kvitova raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set, but Azarenka rallied to level it at 5-5. The Czech player finally converted her fifth set point when Azarenkas forehand sailed out. ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- The Chicago Wolves lineup may have been depleted Friday night, but they had plenty of fight left as the NHL training camps loom. With seven key players called up for the Vancouver Canucks camp expected to start Sunday, veteran Brett Sterling made an argument to join them, scoring three times in just over eight minutes in the first period to lead the Wolves to a 3-1 win over the Abbotsford Heat in the American Hockey League. "Our team, with a lot of new guys in the lineup, we were able to battle and play a great team game tonight," said Sterling, who now has 13 goals and 13 assists to lead Chicago in scoring. Chicago goaltender Matt Clime said players who dont usually see a lot of ice time stepped up in a big way. "With having bodies out of the lineup, it gives a chance for younger guys to step up and its a good opportunity to play a lot more minutes," he said. "Sometimes teams play more desperate when they know that everyone has to pull their weight when we dont have the guns in the lineup." That desperation was not lost on the opposition. "Usually a wounded dog hunts best -- thats life," said Heat head coach Troy Ward. "They were more wounded than we were, and I thought they played with a little better desperation. Were going to have our nights where well beat people. We just didnt play that well." Brad Hunt had two assists for Chicago (16-12-5), now 3-1-1 in its past five. Clime stopped 26 shots to get the win, keeping the Wolves in the game when the Heat did generate scoring chances. He has started 15 of the last 16 games for Chicago with No. 1 goalie Eddie Lack nursing a sore groin. "You watch some of the saves (Clime) made, those were highlight-reel saves," said Sterling. "Hopefully we see a couple on (TV). That stick save and everything. He kept us in that game early. Making those saves, thats what we needed, getting them at the right time. It could have been 3-2 or 3-3. "He played unbelievable." Ben Walter scored for Abbotsford (17-11-7). Leland Irving made just seven saves in the first period before being repllaced by Danny Taylor, who made 20 stops the rest of the way. Cheap Jerseys From China. Walter opened the scoring for the Heat on the games first power play at 4:08 off a redirection. Krys Kolanos sent a crisp cross-ice pass to Paul Byron at the face-off dot and he quickly centred the puck to Walter in front. "We took penalties early in the game and gave them a little momentum," said Clime. "We gave up that power play goal but we rebounded well. We carried the play the last half of the first and it carried over into the second." Abbotsford continued to press for more but Clime stood tall, making a number of point blank saves, combining skill and luck. "I felt that early save off Kolanos, where he had the wide-open net, I thought that was a big save," said Clime. "If he scores that goal its a whole different game. It kept the momentum on our side and didnt really give them much after that. I felt that was really the turning point." The Wolves tied the game up at 10:17 on a power play of their own when Sterling beat Irving with Andrew Gordon screening in front. Sterling struck again just two minutes later, this time deflecting Hunts point shot through Irvings legs. The Los Angeles native completed the natural hat trick at 18:33. With Gordon going to the net Sterlings centring pass banked off Irving and in. "We were able to get some bounces -- obviously that third one was pretty lucky, but Ill take it any way I can get it right now," said Sterling. The two teams meet again Saturday but the Heat and Wolves are expected to look very different as NHL camps begin. Though the Flames havent made an announcement yet, up to seven players may be heading to Calgary tomorrow. "Tomorrow the league really changes," Ward said ominously. Notes: Sterlings three goals came in a span of eight minutes 16 seconds. Bill Jennings holds the record for the fastest hat trick in AHL history. He scored three times in 57 seconds for Indianapolis in 1941. ... Sterling, in his seventh year as a pro, surpassed 400 career AHL points in Chicagos 6-1 win over Oklahoma City last Sunday. ' ' '
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