MIAMI -- Jose Reyes toured the Florida Marlins new ballpark as a potential pillar for the franchise. The Marlins courted the all-star shortstop Wednesday with the tour and lunch on South Beach, team president David Samson said on his weekly radio show on WAXY-AM. "Were interested in making our team better," Samson said. "To be interested, you have to be interesting, and you have to meet and get to know each other." The Marlins are also pursuing left-hander Mark Buehrle, who took the ballpark tour Tuesday, Samson said. In addition, owner Jeffrey Loria and a contingent of team officials plan to visit the Dominican Republic on Thursday to watch a private workout by highly regarded Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. With the new stadium scheduled to open in April, the perennially thrifty Marlins are expected to increase their payroll from US$57 million this year to about $80 million in 2012, which will allow them to be active in the free-agent market. Along with the ballpark, new manager Ozzie Guillen might make the Marlins a more attractive option for free agents. Buehrle pitched for Guillen the past eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Buehrle and Reyes are two of the top free agents, and competition for them is expected to be stiff. Buehrle went 13-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 2011, his 11th consecutive season with at least 10 victories and 30 starts. Marlins officials first met with Reyes in New York last Thursday, shortly after the free-agent signing period began. Reyes won the NL batting title this year with a .337 average and led the majors with 16 triples despite two stints on the disabled list. "I would certainly count him among our priorities," Samson said. Reyes has spent his entire nine-year major league career with the New York Mets. If he joined the Marlins, they would likely move 2009 NL batting champion Hanley Ramirez to third base. "Hanley will be a Marlin," Samson said. "He is the most important piece of our team, no matter who we sign. Hell be in the lineup April 4, and its up to Ozzie where to play him." The 26-year-old Cespedes played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and is projected to be ready for the majors. Hes expected to receive a multiyear contract worth more than $25 million. "He can flat-out hit," Samson said. Samson said the Marlins have not talked yet with Cespedes agent. When asked whether theyve contacted the agent for free-agent slugger Albert Pujols, Samson declined to comment. The Marlins will unveil a new logo and uniform at the ballpark Friday, when the franchise will officially become the Miami Marlins. Samson estimated theres only a 1 per cent chance of signing Reyes in time for that event. http://www.noni... .J. -- Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. [url=http://www.nonikeskobilligsalg.com/nike-roshe-run-herre-dame/nike-roshe-run... . Killebrew slugged 573 homers over a 22-season Hall of Fame career, with all but one of those seasons spent with the Twins franchise dating back to its days in Washington. Killebrew passed away on May 17 at the age of 74 after a bout with esophageal cancer. [url=http://www.nonikeskobilligsalg.com/nike-blazer/nike-blazer-herre.html]http:... . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. [url=http://www.nonikeskobilligsalg.com/nike-air-max-1.html]http://www.nonikesko... . -- Albert Pujols ripped a long drive down the left-field line, and the Los Angeles Angels rose in the dugout along with the crowd. [url=http://www.nonikeskobilligsalg.com/nike-air-max-2015.html]http://www.nonike... .C. -- Rams coach Jeff Fisher says quarterback Sam Bradford will have an MRI on his left knee Sunday night after the team lands in St. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays wrapped up the second-most successful April in team history with another one-run victory. Filling in for the injured Evan Longoria, Elliot Johnson twice failed to deliver with men in scoring position before hitting an RBI single in the 12th inning to give the AL East leaders a 3-2, comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. "I was just trying to hit the ball where someone wasnt playing one time," Johnson said following the first walk-off hit of his career. "I was just trying to put a nice easy swing on it, and luckily I didnt hit it too hard." Playing before a crowd of just 9,458 -- smallest at Tropicana Field since September 2007 -- the Rays twice rallied from one-run deficits before winning it against Brandon League (0-2), who failed to hold a 2-1 lead the Mariners took on Jesus Monteros homer in the 11th. J.P. Howell (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. Ben Zobrist drew a one-out walk in 12th, moved to second on Carlos Penas single and scored when Johnson lined a 1-0 pitch that fell in front of Mariners left fielder Chone Figgins. B.J. Uptons two-out, broken bat RBI single in the 11th wiped out the short-lived lead the Mariners took on Monteros homer off Wade Davis, the fourth of five Tampa Bay pitchers. "I didnt do what Im capable of doing, which is getting the ball on the ground," League said. "I missed with location, especially to Upton." The Rays improved to 5-1 in one-run games, the second best record in the majors behind Clevelands 6-1. "We keep battling back," Rays manager Joe Maddon said after his team won for the eighth time in nine times, taking sole possession of first place in the division. "Thats what I love about these guys." Tampa Bay, which has made the playoffs three of the past four seasons, finished April with 15-8 record. They went 17-6 in the opening month of the season in 2010 and have the best April record in the majors over the past three seasons at 47-26. "Its a great place to be at the end of April," Maddon said. "Now weve just got to keep pushing forward." Miguel Olivo homered off Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson for Seattles first run. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez struck out nine and walked four in eight innings while limiting Tampa Bay to Sean Rodriguezs second-inning RBI single and five hits overall. Longoria left the game with what the Rays described as left knee soreness after sliding into second base on an attempted steal that end the third inning. The three-time All-Star remained on the ground before climbing to his feet and walking to the dugout without assistance. Maddon said Longoria will be evaluated on Tuesday. His status is day to day. Johnson struck out twice with runners in scoring position before coming up again with a chance to put his team ahead in the 10th. Teammates mobbed him in between second and third base after the winning hit. "It was fun being the guy getting dumped on and almost de-pantsed," Johnson said of the celebration, "but thats thee way we do it around here.ddddddddddddquot; The Mariners lost Olivo with a right groin strain in the ninth, when the catcher picked up Uptons dribbler in front of the plate and threw awkwardly to first base before falling to the ground. Hellickson, bidding to join James Shields and David Price in matching Tampa Bays record for victories in April, scattered six hits over seven innings, walked none and struck out seven. Shields and Price both won four times during the opening month, tying the franchise mark set by Andy Sonnanstine (2008) and Matt Garza (2010). Olivo hit his third homer of the year to give Seattle a 1-0 lead in the second. The Rays countered with Rodriguezs RBI single off Hernandez in the bottom half. The Mariners caught a break in the fifth when Hernandez walked Zobrist and Pena hit a drive to deep centre that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Zobrist would have easily scored from first base on the hit, however he was ordered back to third. The score remained 1-all after Johnson, Longorias replacement, struck out to end the threat. Hernandez pitched through another jam after walking Pena and Johnson with one out in the eighth, escaping when he fanned Luke Scott for the third time and got Matt Joyce to ground to second base. The Mariners threatened in the ninth against Rays closer Fernando Rodney, getting the potential go-ahead run as far as third base with one out on singles by Kyle Seager and Olivo. Tampa Bay wiggled off the hook when Rodney fielded Michael Saunders safety squeeze bunt and threw pinch-runner Munenon Kawasaki out at the plate, then got pinch-hitter John Jaso to line out to centre field. Seattle manager Eric Wedge said the squeeze bunt wasnt called from the dugout. "He did it on this own, and he shouldnt have. Ive talked to him already. I asked him his reasons for it, and he had good answers, but its still not what we wanted to do right there," Wedge said. "If were going to do that right there, its going to come from me. Everybody is going to be aware of it, so theres a level of awareness that allows Kawasaki to get home, quite frankly." The crowd was the smallest at Tropicana Field since Sept. 4, 2007, when the Rays drew 9,112 against Baltimore. NOTES: The Rays signed OF/DH Hideki Matsui to a minor league contract, and the two-time AL All-Star will report to extended spring training in Port Charlotte on Wednesday. Manager Joe Maddon said there is not a definitive plan for when Matsui might be ready to play. ... With Rays LF Desmond Jennings not starting because Maddon wanted him to have the day off, Zobrist batted leadoff. Jennings wound up entering the game as a defensive replacement in the 10th. ... The Mariners are struggling at the plate with runners in scoring position. They are 0 for their last 25 in those situations, including 0 for 3 on Monday night. ... Tampa Bay has a successful April despite not getting any wins from heralded rookie LHP Matt Moore (0-1, 4.68 ERA), who starts the second game of the series on Tuesday. The Mariners will counter with Hector Noesi (1-2, 8.83) [url=http://www.cheapchinajerseynfl.us.com/]cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '