Vorschau » d if theres a talented point guard in the d

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Blue Jays have blown two late leads to open up a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates, who play their third game of a nine-game homestand today, aim to put the Blue Jays out of their misery with a sweep at PNC Park. Pittsburgh won Fridays opener 6-5 and took the series with an 8-6 triumph on Saturday. They scored four runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and Neil Walkers two-run double in the eighth put Pittsburgh ahead for good. In Saturdays loss, Jose Bautista belted his ninth home run, Brett Lawrie collected three hits and Josh Thole went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. R.A. Dickey got the start for the Jays and did not record a decision with six innings of three-run ball. Todd Redmond gave up the go-ahead runs and Aaron Loup was reached for three runs in relief. "I felt pretty strong tonight," Dickey said. "But Loup is really good. He had a tough night tonight ... I thought it was a good call. It just didnt work out." Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro hasnt played since Thursdays win at Kansas City because of a right quadriceps issue and could return Sunday. The Jays will visit Philadelphia for two games after their trip to Pittsburgh and will start a nine-game homestand later in the week. Taking the hill for the Blue Jays Sunday will be Dustin McGowan, who is 1-1 in five starts to go along with a 5.87 ERA. McGowan hasnt registered a decision in his last three outings and previously toed the rubber in Tuesdays 10-7 loss at Kansas City, where he permitted three runs, two of which were earned, in six innings of work. McGowan had allowed nine runs in his past two starts (8 IP). The right-hander won his only career start against Pittsburgh back on June 22, 2008, as he lasted five innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) in an 8-5 victory in the Steel City. The Jays and Pirates are tangling for the first time since 2011, when Pittsburgh took two of three games north of the border. "Part of the reason I think you pull it off is you keep pushing and you keep believing," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "The guys keep rooting each other on, keep going up there trying to get something done." Jordy Mercers two-run double highlighted the seventh inning, while Josh Harrison ended 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Clint Barmes finished with a pair of hits. Pittsburghs late heroics made a winner out of relief pitcher Bryan Morris, who improved to 3-0 with a scoreless top of the eighth inning. Mark Melancon worked around a hit in the ninth for his first save and starter Francisco Liriano struggled through 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs -- four earned -- and six hits. San Francisco and St. Louis are scheduled to visit the Steel City as well. The Pirates will hand pitching duties to Edinson Volquez on Sunday and he has lost his last two trips to the mound. He allowed two runs in seven innings of a 4-1 loss to Cincinnati on April 22, then was pounded for six runs and seven hits through 5 2/3 frames in last Sundays 7-0 loss at St. Louis. Volquez dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 3.21 earned run average in six games (5 starts) after the loss to the Cardinals. He has allowed 10 runs over his last three appearances. The right-hander has made three career starts against Toronto, going 0-2 with a lofty 8.16 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting just .230 against Volquez. Toronto looks to avoid the sweep and has lost eight of its last 10 games. Fake Jordan Shoes . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. Fake Nike Shoes .Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been neck and neck all season, with 17 points separating the rivals and double points on offer for the race.Tensions between them have spilled over during the campaign and the pairs fragile relationship was evident during Thursdays pre-race news conference, when Rosberg goaded Hamilton by advising him to race cleanly. http://www.fakeshoesonline.com/ . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria. Replica Shoes Online . Argentina, who have yet to beat New Zealand in 17 meetings, rocked the All Blacks with an early converted try to backrower Juan Manuel Leguizamon and led 7-0 after five minutes. But Smiths double in the 23rd and 26th minutes - when Argentina was reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of hooker Eusebio Guinazu - turned the tide of the match and set up New Zealands third straight Championship win. Fake Shoes Outlet . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday.TORONTO - After auditioning roughly 60 prospects, including nine Canadians, in 11 sessions spanning over nine workout days this spring, the Toronto Raptors are putting the finishing touches on their wish list heading into Thursdays NBA Draft. For most of the last week, Masai Ujiri and his scouting staff have been mulling over 10 targets they anticipate will be available with the 20th overall pick, their first of three selections, hoping to narrow that list down to five by Tuesday. With three days to go, does he have someone in mind? "Hes around like the back here," said the former scout, gesturing to the back of his head just before the Raptors concluded their final pre-draft workout Monday afternoon. "But he hasnt made it to the front yet. Hes working his way." No, Ujiri wont tip his hand, not with so many variables at play. Fourteen teams occupy the 19 slots that precede the Raptors and will determine who is available to them. They have a list of about 13 players that are expected to be off the board by the time Toronto is on the clock. The pick will be Ujiris first as Torontos primary decision maker - the Raptors did not have a selection in last years draft - and should immediately put his keen eye for talent to the test. Since Ujiri took control of the Raptors, a franchise that has mostly been accustomed to selecting in the lottery, he has emphasized the importance of drafting well regardless of where youre situated in both the first and second rounds. For only the third time in franchise history, and first in 12 years, the Raptors are positioned outside the top 19 in the drafts opening round. Although its not an advantageous spot to find cant miss, NBA-ready talent, history has shown it can be done. In 2000, with the 20th overall pick - the teams lowest ever first-round selection - they found one of their best and most reliable contributors in long-time Raptor Morris Peterson. In 2011, then with the Nuggets, Ujiri used the 22nd pick to snag emerging forward Kenneth Faried. As Ujiri knows, the key is preparation aided by a little bit of luck and the subsequent development that is required to turn a late first-round pick into an impact player at the games highest level. "Its a huge bonus," Ujiri said of finding a diamond in the rough on draft night. "You look at the programs that have done well in the NBA, they just strike with picks like that. Its takes constant study, and really knowing players, believing in players and a system." "I think a big thing is you kind of have to be realistic on the expectations of the players," added Dan Tolzman, Torontos director of scouting, who was also a member of Ujiris front office staff in Denver. "I think everyone wants to find those diamonds and the guys that will be all-stars and MVPs and this and that but those guys are pretty hard to find outside of the lottery and the top-five even." "So I think the idea is if you can find guys at 20 or 37 or wherever that have careers," he continued, "that are eight-year players and theyre role players on your team and theyre doing good things to help you win, thats a successful draft pick. You might get lucky and hit a guy thats going to be a big time contributor and hes pushing for all-stars and that kind of thing, but thats not really what youre looking for when youre outside of the top-five or the top-10.dddddddddddd" Over the last four weeks, the Raptors brass have seen around a dozen players that figure to be selected in the latter half of the first round, or early in the second. According to team sources, there are roughly five prospects of interest that were either unable or unwilling to come in for a workout. While the workouts are not the be all and end all - the team has scouted them all in live action - they can go a long way in getting the coaching staff and trainers on board with a potential pick. Should a player fall to them unexpectedly, Ujiri will keep his options open and hasnt ruled out the possibility of trading up, if the price is right. Still, the focus is on making their make at 20. "Those trades and talks, people dont understand," said the Raptors GM. "We talk about like maybe 100 trades and then two happen. Thats the nature of our business. We will be aggressive but our energy is focused on 20, rather than wasting our time on [something else]." In addition to their first-round pick, the Raptors also own a pair of second rounders, 37 and 59 - the second to last pick in the draft. Regardless of whether or not theyre able to address their needs in the draft, Ujiri has prioritized his offseason to-do list. "We need a big wing at the three position," he said. "We [also] need some kind of shot blocking big. We have good, skilled bigs, we have a shooting big, we have a big down low, but we want to figure out how we can protect the rim a little bit. That may come now, it may come later but its something we know we need on our roster. So those two positions look like something we need." His top priority has not changed. "Were going full force after Kyle Lowry," Ujiri said, speaking of the teams coveted free agent point guard. "And if theres a talented point guard in the draft we know that its going to be tough to come and contribute to where our team is off the bat, but well go for talent in the draft. But Kyle Lowry is our target and well try to get that done." In just over a week, the Raptors - and other teams for that matter - can begin negotiating with Lowry, unable to officially sign him or announce a deal until the moratorium period ends on July 10. Until then the focus will be on the draft, one of the most chaotic events on the basketball calendar and an invaluable opportunity to add young talent, provided youre well prepared for it. The Raptors have done their homework. "I was walking into the conference room where our guys were meeting and I was like okay, no news that will throw me off right now," Ujiri joked. "Because you know its going to keep coming. There will be something tonight and something else tomorrow morning. Thats just the nature of the draft. I heard something yesterday that threw us off a little bit. But it will keep coming and coming and coming until that last minute. Thats the joy of it, I mean you love it. Thats why we do it. There is always action. As long as we come out on top, then were fine." ' ' '