Gretzky followed him around the course. from zgr123's blog
DETROIT -- After only 86 pitches, Minnesotas Phil Hughes left the game with a shutout in progress. Cheap Air Max 2018 . Afterward, he not only endorsed the move, but said he helped his manager make the decision. "Every pitcher has a certain amount of pride. In the seventh, I felt like my stuff and location were deteriorating," Hughes said. "You dont want to give the game away just because youre feeling prideful." Hughes pitched seven innings, and the Twins beat Justin Verlander for the first time in over four years, 2-1 on Friday night. Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single off Verlander in the seventh. Hughes (4-1) allowed eight hits in his fourth consecutive win, but he was fine letting the bullpen take over for the final two innings. "The catcher and him both said, Hes losing it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "If a pitcher feels that hes losing it off the ball and starting to misfire, then youve got to take him out of the ballgame. Him being honest there allowed us to get our bullpen up going." Casey Fien pitched the eighth, and Glen Perkins allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his ninth save in 10 chances. Verlander allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. The start of the game was delayed 27 minutes by rain, but the teams played through an emergency alarm that went off in the top of the ninth. The Tigers later said there was a mechanical fire in a janitor closet that was quickly contained and put out. "I almost took off running," Detroit outfielder Torii Hunter joked. "Im thinking biohazardous or something." Players paused briefly, then the game went on. The injury-plagued Twins snapped a three-game losing streak. Star first baseman Joe Mauer sat out a fifth straight game. Hes been dealing with back spasms. Alex Avila hit an RBI double off Perkins with one out in the ninth, but pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez popped out and Rajai Davis struck out to end it. Hughes lost 14 games last season for the New York Yankees, but the right-hander has pitched well after signing with the Twins in the off-season. He struck out Avila with men on first and third in the fourth, and got Miguel Cabrera to fly out with two on and two out in the fifth. Hughes struck out three, and he went a third straight start without a walk. He began this game with 13 straight strikes. "They werent all strikes in the zone. They were hacking," Hughes said. "When youre around the plate and pop a fastball up every now and then, theyre going to be aggressive and swinging at it. Thats kind of what I am. Sometimes it hurts me a little bit if Im around the plate too much, but when I have good stuff, its usually all right." Verlander (4-2) escaped jams in the second and third, but he couldnt retire Suzuki with the game on the line in the seventh. It was his first loss in his last 10 decisions against the Twins. The last time they beat him was April 27, 2010. "Pretty good for the first six innings, but I wasnt great in the seventh," Verlander said. "I had a couple inexcusable pitches. It wasnt that I made mistakes, but I got away from the pitches I wanted to throw." In addition to Mauer, Minnesota is also without outfielder Josh Willingham, who has a left wrist contusion, but the Twins were able to beat the Tigers without any extra-base hits. NOTES: It began to rain hard in the top of the fifth, but there were no more weather delays once the game started. ... Detroits Victor Martinez had his hitting streak snapped at 11 games. ... The Tigers transferred the injury rehab assignment of RHP Luke Putkonen (right elbow) from Class A West Michigan to Triple-A Toledo. ... Detroits Max Scherzer (4-1) faces Minnesotas Kyle Gibson (3-2) on Saturday. Air Max Shoes Online Usa . Mitchell first announced on Twitter that he has signed with the Steelers and his agent Brian Hamilton confirmed the signing to The Associated Press. Financial terms were not released. The Steelers have not announced the addition of Mitchell. Nike Air Max Shoes Online .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.SHANGHAI, China -- Dustin Johnson tied the course record with a 9-under 63, four shots better than anyone else Friday, and built a five-shot lead in the HSBC Champions. It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days." Moments later, after Johnson blasted another one down the middle, McDowell saw No. 19. It was an impressive display, Johnson at his very best with the most important club in his bag. He ran off six birdies in his opening seven holes. He never hit more than 8-iron into a par 4. He twice came within 15 yards of driving the green on par 4s -- once with a 3-iron. "I really drove the ball really well," Johnson said. "For me, thats a big key." Johnson became the sixth player with a 63 at Sheshan International, last achieved by Martin Kaymer in the final round in 2011. He was at 12-under 132, five shots clear of Rory McIlroy (72), Bubba Watson (69) and Boo Weekley (67). McIlroy couldnt keep up. No one could. McIlroy, who started the second round of this World Golf Championship with a two-shot lead, made three birdies on the front nine to stretch his lead to four shots. At that point, Johnson was just getting warmed up. And it wasnt long before McIlroy started to cool off. He drove into the same bunker he was in on Thursday and made another bogey, and he didnt give himself any birdie chances over the last six holes. On the par-5 14th, his wedge went just over the green and forced him to hit a delicate chip to save par. On the reachable par-4 16th, he drove into a tiny pot bunker left of the green and took two to get out, again scrambling for par. And on the par-5 18th, McIlroy hit his second shot into the water and made bogey. "I just hit a couple of bad shots, and then I guess I let it affect me a little bit, and then I started to doubt myself sometimes," McIlroy said. "I didnt hit a lot of quality shots on the back nine." At least hes still in the hunt for his first win of the year. And if Johnson loses his stride, there are plenty of players behind him who are poised to make a move. McDowell, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Ian Poulter were among those at 6-under 138. Phil Mickelson, trying to recover from his quadruple bogey-bogey finish to the opening round, had a 68 and was seven shots behind.. Nike Air Max Cheap Wholesale. . "Im making a lot of birdies," Mickelson said. "But Ive had too many mistakes. Im going to continue to play aggressively out here, because I have to make birdies to catch the lead. And hopefully, Ill eliminate a few mistakes here or there." The one positive from his finish Thursday? The last time Mickelson made a quadruple bogey was in the first round of the 2009 Tour Championship. He went on to win. Even so, catching Johnson suddenly looks like a monumental task. "It was kind of tough to focus when playing with Dustin Johnson hitting it 350 yards in the middle of the fairways," McDowell said after his 69. "It was a little demoralizing at times. But I was happy that I hung in there. If he keeps playing the way hes played the last two days, hell be tough to catch. "Whats possible for an athlete like him who just rips it, thats not whats possible for the rest of us sometimes," McDowell added. "It was probably one of the best driving displays Ive seen this year, for sure. It was pretty immense. Hes got a short game to match, as well. When hes in the mood and when hes on form, hes pretty prolific." Johnson wasnt in much of a mood when he took double bogey on his fourth hole of the tournament and made the turn in 1-over. Starting with his eagle on the par-5 second hole of his opening round, he has played his last 26 holes in 13-under par. His tee shot was so long on the 10th hole that it was through a cart path that crosses the fairway. His only mistake was forgetting that the green falls off to the right, which he didnt realize until his shot tumbled down a steep slope. That led to his only bogey. About the only thing that really tripped him up was a question from a Chinese reporter asking if he was aware he had so many female fans in China and if he brought his girlfriend with him. Indeed, Paulina Gretzky followed him around the course. "Its my fiancee," Johnson said. Weekley is no stranger to China, having played the World Cup at Mission Hills. He qualified for the HSBC Champions by winning Colonial, and he has played solidly for two days. Johnson did not make the Presidents Cup, so he had a month off before going to Perth for a European Tour event. This is his first PGA Tour event of the 2013-14 season. He won the first event of the 2013 season, at wind-blown Kapalua in the 54-hole Tournament of Champions. "It still hasnt hit me that this is a new season," he said. "Id like to get off to a good start. I just want to play well the next two days." Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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