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May 16 2014, 09:51 AM
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Adrian Gonzalez has been around all of two weeks, and he is certain the Los Angeles Dodgers are a playoff team. Whether NL West champions or wild card, hes not sure. Hanley Ramirez helped the cause by hitting a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth inning and the undermanned Dodgers trimmed a game off their division deficit with a 3-2 win over the first-place San Francisco Giants on Saturday. It will take plenty more timely hits down the stretch for the Dodgers to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence. Theyve been hard to come by, too. "Were getting there," Gonzalez said. "I dont know about winning the division. Were getting there somehow." Gonzalez led off the ninth with a triple against Jeremy Affeldt (1-2), then Ramirez came through with a double to the gap in right-centre -- the Dodgers first hit in 15 tries so far this series with runners in scoring position. Gonzalez, who came to Los Angeles in an Aug. 25 trade from the Red Sox, clapped his hands when he reached third in a rare display of emotion. An inconsistent swing has given him fits all season. "You guys dont go down the tunnel after at-bats. Helmets are being slammed and chairs are being thrown around," Gonzalez said. "Its actually true, absolutely." Ronald Belisario (5-1) pitched out of trouble in the eighth for the victory, helping Los Angeles snap a four-game losing streak to rival San Francisco in a key September weekend. "We need confidence," Ramirez said. "Weve got to believe in ourselves and what kind of team weve got." Buster Posey hit an RBI single in the first and Brandon Belt added a go-ahead RBI with a groundout in the eighth for the Giants, who lead the Dodgers by 4 1/2 games. The Dodgers were without centre fielder Matt Kemp because of his troublesome left shoulder. He received a cortisone shot and also wont play Sunday. Infielder Adam Kennedy is expected to be done for the season after injuring his groin during Fridays 5-2 loss. Manager Don Mattingly said Kennedy was hurt when the third baseman tried to barehand Hunter Pences infield bouncer for an RBI single in the sixth inning. Los Angeles pulled through with players down as it has many times in 2012. "Its going to be a fight and we know it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Its our nature. We dont do anything easy in our games. Theres a lot of baseball left." Pinch-runner Alex Castellanos scored the tying run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth to chase Giants starter Matt Cain. Juan Rivera doubled to start the inning and A.J. Ellis sacrificed him to third, where Castellanos entered. Bobby Abreu came in to pinch-hit and Cain threw wildly on a full count for ball four as Abreu drew a walk. Santiago Casilla, Friday nights winning pitcher, relieved and escaped further damage but the Giants bullpen couldnt pull off a second consecutive win. Brandon League pitched the ninth for Los Angeles to earn his 11th save overall and second since joining the Dodgers from Seattle on July 30. He allowed Gregor Blancos two-out double before retiring pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez on a liner to third. Cain, who tossed a perfect game June 13 at home against the Astros, worked into the eighth inning but wound up with a third straight no-decision. He allowed two runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings, struck out five and walked two. Cain shut down the middle of the Dodgers lineup most of the way just as Tim Lincecum did a night earlier. That included Gonzalez, who came in with four career homers and 13 RBIs against Cain. Gonzalezs triple was his first hit of the day after he grounded into an inning-ending double play in the first and a pair of flyouts. Cain threw two wild pitches in a game for just the second time after also doing so Aug. 29, 2010, against Arizona. "The wild pitch is really frustrating right now," he said. "Its really aggravating right now." Chris Capuano gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings but saw his winless stretch reach five starts since a victory at Miami on Aug. 12. He is 0-2 and has only one victory over his past nine outings. The lefty is 1-6 in 12 career outings and eight starts against the Giants, including a loss Aug. 22 at Dodger Stadium. After Poseys hit, he retired 12 straight before Blanco beat out an infield single that manager Don Mattingly argued with first-base umpire Brian ONora. Replays showed Capuanos foot hitting the bag before Blanco made it. But he was later out on a close play at third that drew Bochy out of the dugout for words with umpire Alfonso Marquez. Capuano singled in the sixth and became just the second Dodgers player to get beyond first when he advanced on Mark Ellis single. The pitcher scored the tying run on Shane Victorinos sacrifice fly. Notes: Posey threw out three players trying to steal, a career high. ... The Dodgers won in a game started by Cain for just the second time in the past eight matchups. ... The Giants also lost for just the fifth time in their past 17 against NL West opponents. Their final 23 games come versus the division. ... Anyelina Pagan, 7, announced her fathers plate appearance leading off the third inning as a Giants "junior announcer." She said, "my daddy, Angel Pagan." ... On Sept. 8, 2004, the Dodgers became the first team in major league history to have pinch-hit grand slams in consecutive games when Olmedo Saenz delivered a day after Robin Ventura did it. ... LHP Clayton Kershaw (12-7) pitches in Sundays finale for Los Angeles against fellow southpaw Barry Zito (10-8). Cheap NFL Jerseys . On Saturday night, they won their second in as many nights, both over the woeful Wizards. Charlie Villanueva tied a season high with 19 points, Rodney Stuckey added 18 and the Pistons beat the Wizards, 96-87. cheap jerseys . One going for a fourth NBA championship, the other still chasing his first. This is the series where things change. "Were definitely going to go at him. Its not going to be like Dallas or the Lakers," Parker said Wednesday, referring to the first two teams the Oklahoma City Thunder demolished in the playoffs. http://www.chinajerseyswholesale.us.com/ . The Thunder Bay, Ont., cyclist and pilot Lyne Bessette from Knowlton, Que. cheap jerseys from china . The Mavericks overcame an early spark from former Dallas guard J.J. Barea, who became a starter midway through the 2011 NBA finals against Miami and helped the franchise rally to its first title. Barea, who was injured in two previous trips to Dallas, led the Timberwolves with 21 points. wholesale jerseys .C. - Winning a major is the final piece for Tiger Woods to put his game back together.The best aspect of the 2011 CFL season has been the emergence of the Canadian football player in high-profile positions on the field. It is based on ability and ratio advantage but to have players with Canadian citizenship actually run the ball, catch the ball and eventually throw the ball makes the game more entertaining and exciting. It is easier for a Canadian football fan to relate to Jerome Messam from Brampton, Ontario than Brandon Whitaker out of Baylor. It is easier to relate to Andrew Harris, who played his youth football for the Victoria Island Raiders than LaMarcus Coker from the University of Hampton. In Toronto, you have Andre Durie, who is the Argos best all-purpose player. In Saskatchewan, people wanted Andy Fantuz back first because he is a good player but also because they can relate to the former Western Mustang. The Roughriders have seven players from the province of Saskatchewan and Riders games are sold out every week. Yes, they come to see the team but they also come and see the people; the people playing pro football that have a similar background to their own. In Winnipeg, general manager Joe Mack and head coach Paul LaPolice have created Canadian content in one year with wide receivers Aaron Hargreaves and Jade Etienne, not only future players but relatable people to Bombers fans who are setting attendance records. Add in Dave Stala in Hamilton, Jon Cornish in Calgary, Calvin McCarty in Edmonton, Marco Iannuzzi and eventually Nate Coehoorn in Edmonton and you have a list of players who can carry or catch the ball and therefore get noticed much more than Canadians who block and tackle. In my career, the structure of the rosster on almost every team had five Canadian offensive linemen, one Canadian weak side linebacker and one Canadian safety (if not safety, it was a field side wide receiver).dddddddddddd Those were your seven positions that Canadians filled. Not anymore. As many teams use two American offensive tackles, other positions open up for Canadians, like running back, middle linebacker, spot receiver and eventually quarterback. When Danny Brannagan made the Argonauts roster, it created attention and when Brad Sinopoli was drafted by Calgary, it created conversation, both because they were quarterbacks and Canadian. I think Sinopoli has a real shot at being a good quarterback and eventually losing the prefix Canadian quarterback. If and when he does, people will come to the stadium to see the Canadian quarterback from the University of Ottawa. Last spring, there was conversation of reducing the ratio from seven to four. I am happy it didnt happen because it takes the Canadian out of the Canadian Football League. It may surprise you but in all my years of football, I have never once heard a player complain about Canadian content. Coaches, managers, owners yes, but not one player. Im not sure what that says other than players understand that Canadian players sell the game and keep the salaries higher than if the game was 100% American. When we receive the rosters with the starting 24 in prime visual position, the first thing I do is highlight the magic seven (sometimes more) of Canadian players who are starting. Not because they are always game-determining but because I can relate. Because Im Canadian like they are. I hope it never changes. ' ' '
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