24 sep 10 Morton gets win as Pirates beat Cardinals 11-6

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Pirates waited until they were 50 games below .500 before playing their best baseball of a miserable season.
Charlie Morton(notes) pitched effectively over six innings to win for the first time in 4 1/2 months, Pedro Alvarez(notes) homered and drove in four runs and the Pirates extended the St. Louis Cardinals’ late-season collapse by winning 11-6 on Wednesday night.
John Bowker(notes) homered among three hits as the football jerseys
Pirates won their fifth straight, their longest streak since an identical run in August 2009.
“We want to finish the season strong and, next year, we’ve got to start the season like that,” Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno(notes) said. “When we play like that, you see your pitchers getting better.”
It can’t get much worse for St. Louis, which was assured of its eighth consecutive series loss against a losing-record opponent. The Cardinals have dropped 25 of 37 since they led the NL Central on Aug. 13, including the first two of this three-game series.
Any combination of losses by St. Louis or wins by first-place Cincinnati totaling three will put St. Louis out of a division race it led much of the season. The Reds lost 13-1 in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
Morton (2-11), on the brink of having one of the worst seasons by any starter in Pirates’ history, won his second in 15 starts and his first since beating the Cubs 4-2 on May 5.
The right-hander began September with a 10.03 ERA that was the second-worst in modern major league history of any starter with at least 10 decisions, but he’s lowered that to 8.11 by allowing no more than three earned runs in any of his last four starts.
“I never once thought about it,” Morton said of possibly ending his season with a lone victory. “I think if I go out and pitch well, I’ll get a win. That’s the attitude I have to have.”
Until now, the Pirates hadn’t seen results from a pitcher with a strong assortment of pitches yet one who never seemed to put it together. Until this month, he had allowed five earned runs or more in seven of 11 starts.
“He’s got great stuff, great stuff,” Cedeno said. “I think San Francisco 49ers jersey
he’s the best pitcher we’ve got with that stuff. Now we’ve got to keep it going.”
Morton worked effectively off his fastball with a sharp-dropping breaking ball. He struck out five and walked one, giving up two hits and four runs.
St. Louis didn’t put up much of a fight, falling behind 10-1 while losing its fourth in its last five games in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates are within two losses of their first 100-loss season since 2001 yet could finish with a winning record at home by taking three of their final four in PNC Park.
Only one major league team, Tampa Bay in 2006, had a winning record at home while losing 100 games, according to STATS LLC. The Rays were 61-101, 41-40 at home and 20-61 on the road. The Pirates, 48-98 before starting their winning streak, are 38-39 at home and 15-59 on the road, where they play their final seven.
Jose Tabata’s(notes) second RBI triple in as many games made it 2-0 in the first. Alvarez had a two-run double as the Pirates scored three times in the third against Kyle Lohse(notes) (4-8) to go ahead 6-1, and he added a two-run homer in the fifth against reliever P.J. Walters(notes).
“Six runs in three innings I think explains it,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “I don’t know how to define it better than that.”
Lohse began the game with a 5-0 record and 2.26 ERA against Pittsburgh only to surrender six runs and seven hits in three innings.
“Nothing against those guys, but it’s a team I’ve had good success against,” Lohse said. “To go out there and perform like that is really frustrating.”
Notes: Matt Holliday(notes) doubled in the sixth, extending Buffalo Bills jersey
the Cardinals’ longest hitting streak this season to 14 games (22 of 51, .431). … Alvarez’s rookie season high is five RBIs, against Milwaukee on July 20. … Alvarez’s homer was his 12th and his second in 142 at-bats since his game-winning, three-run homer in the 10th inning beat Colorado on Aug. 7. … Cardinals rookie Daniel Descalso doubled for his first career hit.

Duane Brown suspended four games

The NFL later announced that Brown has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.
“We are disappointed that Duane Brown has been suspended. football jersey
This is a significant blow to our team. Our players have to understand that they are responsible for what goes into their bodies and that they take risks anytime they use a supplement not approved by the NFL,” Texans GM Rick Smith said. “Our head athletic trainer, head strength and conditioning coach as well as our team nutritionist have had many meetings and presentations constantly reminding our players about the dangers of the supplemental industry and risks associated with taking non-approved products.
(Head coach) Gary (Kubiak) and our coaches are game planning for Dallas and he will be available for comment tomorrow after practice. I am confident in our coaches and our players that we will work through this adversity and continue to play winning football.”
Brown’s suspension begins immediately. He will be eligible to return to Dallas Cowboys jersey
the Texans’ active roster on Monday, October 18 following the team’s October 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“First off, I want to personally apologize to Mr. McNair, Coach Kubiak and the rest of the coaching staff, my teammates, family and to all the great and loyal Texans fans,” Brown said. “I take full responsibility for putting myself in this situation. I unknowingly took a supplement tainted with a banned substance and now have to deal with the consequences. After reviewing the appeal process and speaking with legal counsel, I have decided not to appeal my suspension. I understand the rules and accept my punishment.
I vow to learn from this mistake and be a better player and teammate because of it.”
Backup OT Rashad Butler is expected to fill in for Brown. The team was expected to re-sign OT Ephraim Salaam, according to his marketing company.
Brown was selected in the first-round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Texans. Brown has started 34 straight games since being drafted.
The Texans are already without Cushing, the star linebacker who was suspended for four games for the same infraction.
Cushing, the reigning Associated Press Defensive Rookie of Chargers jersey
the Year, was suspended in May for testing positive for HCG, a fertility drug that is on the NFL's banned substances list. Cushing claims that he has a unique medical condition that triggered the positive test, but his appeal was denied.

Jets GM: Edwards to play despite arrest

General manager Mike Tannenbaum told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the star wide receiver will be active Sunday night despite being arrested for drunken driving Tuesday morning.
Tannenbaum said that after speaking with Ryan and owner Woody Johnson, the team determined that Edwards won't start but will play in Miami.
''Braylon's actions clearly come under the purview of nfl jerseys
the league's substance abuse policy,'' Tannenbaum said. ''This is going to have to run its course through the legal system, and any discipline that occurs will be by the league under that program.''
Edwards was arraigned on drunken-driving charges after a breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit after he was stopped on Manhattan's West Side around 5 a.m. Tuesday, prosecutors said.
The Jets had few options in terms of discipline due to the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. Any punishment they would dole out other than what the NFL eventually decides, would violate the CBA. That means the Jets could not suspend or deactivate him without risking a violation. Keeping him active and not playing him could also be perceived as punishment, also a violation.
Edwards will practice with the team this week as the Jets, coming off a huge victory over New England, prepare to play the undefeated Dolphins (2-0). He produced a solid performance against the Patriots, making five catches - including a touchdown - and had a 2-point conversion.
But, he angered Ryan when he was penalized for taunting after the touchdown catch - he briefly danced in the end zone in front of the defensive back covering him - and then danced again, but wasn't penalized, after the conversion.
''I told him that he played a great game and we would have given him a game ball, but we didn't because of those things,'' Ryan said Monday. ''I love the way he played. He was really into it, but you're killing us. You can't put the team in that kind of jeopardy.''
Tannenbaum said he and Ryan were extremely angry when they Minnesota Vikings jersey
heard the news Tuesday morning.
''Obviously, we're very disappointed with Braylon's actions,'' Tannenbaum said. ''We take player conduct very seriously here.''
Edwards was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and driving while impaired, a violation. He's due back in court Nov. 9. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.
He was released without bail in a case that could compound his legal troubles while he's on probation after a fracas in Cleveland last year. Edwards was traded from the Browns to the Jets two days later, and fined a game check - about $200,000.
Authorities said there were four other people in the SUV, and the Jets confirmed that starting left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and defensive end Vernon Gholston were among them. Neither of those players was charged.
Tannenbaum said he and Ryan met with the two players, and based on their conversations, determined there was no punishment warranted.
It's the latest embarrassing incident for a team that was featured on HBO's ''Hard Knocks'' this summer and declared itself a true Super Bowl contender. They were investigated by the NFL last week for their treatment of a female reporter at a recent practice. Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled that the Jets' conduct was unprofessional but there was no sexual harassment, and Johnson apologized to TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz.
The league also said it would implement a training program - underwritten by Johnson - for all 32 teams on proper conduct in the workplace.
''They're really two separate issues and we're really Indianapolis Colts jersey
disappointed at what happened yesterday with Braylon,'' Tannenbaum said. ''We're going to hold him accountable for what happened. As for last week, it's something we can all learn from and we're looking forward to working with the league in creating an educational and awareness program.''

Buzz: Latest from the NFL

Week 2 was packed with spectacular plays and record-breaking days, and the NFL has released its air and ground player of the week nominees. Here’s a look at the air NFL player of the week finalists:
--Mark Sanchez battled back from a lackluster Week 1 performance with a winning day against a division rival. Sanchez completed 21 of 30 passes and threw for 3 TDs, sparking a win over the Patriots.
--Jay Cutler and the Bears faced the daunting task of nfl jersey
playing against an angry Dallas Cowboys team on the road. Cutler seemed comfortable in Mike Martz’s new offensive system throwing 3 TDs and 227 yards in a win over the ‘Boys.
--The Texans were behind 17 points in the third quarter and QB Matt Schaub didn’t blink. The quarterback threw for a franchise-record 497 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading Houston to an overtime win over the Redskins.
Here’s a look at the ground NFL player of the week finalists:
--Second year player LeSean McCoy has been given the full-time running back responsibility in Philadelphia. McCoy made the most of his opportunity in Week 2, running for 120 yards and three touchdowns over the Lions.
--Raiders running back Darren McFadden was given a heavy workload, carrying the ball 30 times for 145 yards in a win against St. Louis.
--The Falcons’ Jason Snelling stepped up big when Atlanta’s two leading backs, Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, both went down with injuries. Snelling ran for 129 yards and scored 3 TDs in the Falcons’ beat down against Arizona.
—Ross Jones
DeAngelo Hall changes stance on defense comments — 9:06 p.m.
Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall says he has met with the coaching staff to explain his comments about the team's defense.
Hall was so upset on Monday by the Redskins' 30-27 loss to Houston that he declared that he would cover the opposing team's top receiver every week from now on — no matter what the coaches say.
Hall backpedalled from that stance when he appeared on ESPN980 on Tuesday. He said he will cover the top receiver as long as it doesn't ''throw something out of whack'' with the defense that's been called.
Hall said the coaches aren't upset with him. He said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett understood that Hall didn't mean exactly what was said. Hall says head coach Mike Shanahan told him: ''I love your passion.''
—Associated Press
Browns lose LB for season; sign replacement — 7:02 p.m.
The Cleveland Browns have lost reserve linebacker Kaluka Maiava (My-ah-vah) for the season with a leg injury.
The Browns placed the second-year player on injured reserve Tuesday. Maiava was credited with one tackle before suffering the injury in Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Browns re-signed linebacker Titus Brown off Denver's practice squad. Brown was waived by Cleveland on Sept. 9.
Cleveland selected Maiava in the fourth round out of Southern Cal in 2009. He made three starts last season and appeared in all 16 games, finishing with 40 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks and one forced fumble.
Maiava missed just one game in four years at USC, where he was part of Cowboys jersey
a heralded linebacking tandem that included Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews Jr.
—Adam Caplan
Jacobs fined $10K for helmet toss — 6:22 p.m.
New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for tossing his helmet into the stands against the Indianapolis Colts.
In a statement released by the Giants on Tuesday, Jacobs apologized again for tossing the helmet during the third quarter of the Giants' 38-14 loss on Sunday night.
Jacobs said he had ''no business tossing my helmet'' and he's ''thankful that nobody was hurt.''
General manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin asked to speak with him on Monday.
Jacobs lost his starting job to Ahmad Bradshaw earlier this season.
Jacobs said he has ''no plans to demand a trade.'' The only demand he's making is ''to be the best player I can be and to help this team win.''
—Associated Press
Redskins release veteran RB — 5:42 p.m.
The Washington Redskins have released veteran RB Larry Johnson, a source confirmed.
Johnson signed a three-year, $3.5 million contract with Washington back in March. The deal also included up to $6.75 million in incentives. His contract did not include a signing bonus.
Johnson’s release leaves the Redskins with just two running backs on their 53-man roster. The team worked out free-agent RB Chad Simpson on Tuesday, so it’s possible that the team signs him to replace Johnson.
—Adam Caplan
Falcons still in good shape at RB — 5:01 p.m.
As first reported by FOXSports.com, Atlanta Falcons RB Jerious Norwood suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals and will be placed on injured reserve.
While the loss of the speedy Norwood shouldn’t be taken lightly, the Falcons have perhaps the best backup running back in the NFL in Jason Snelling.
A pro personnel source said Snelling could easily start for at least a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
dozen teams because of his ability and versatility. He’s done a very solid job when being asked to fill in for starting RB Michael Turner over the past two seasons.
The Falcons also have first-year RB Antone Smith on their 53-man roster, so depth at the position isn’t really a concern.

Howard leads Phillies' offensive charge

PICK AN adjective, any adjective. Bruised. Battered. Weary. Worn. All of the above were supposed to describe the Phillies on this glorious day of rest. Three weeks ago, when they embarked on a supposedly brutal stretch of 24 games in 23 days, you might have envisioned them limping into their off day nfl jerseys
today with their muscles stretched and their endurance taxed.
And that still might be the case.
But you wouldn't have known it last night. No, the Phillies team that battered lefty starter Andrew Miller and his Marlins teammates in a 10-6 win at Citizens Bank Park looked so fresh they might have been Italian Market produce.
"You get to this point in the year, it's like everything just blends together," said Ryan Howard, who hit his 28th home run of the season and finished 3-for-5 with six RBI. "Sometimes I don't even know what day of the week it is. You get to this point in the season, you're out there, you're playing and everything else kind of goes into blur and whatnot."
You could argue that it ended with more suspense than it should have, provided a six-run rally against a defense full of reserves is the type of thing that keeps you up at nights. And you could dwell on the two negatives that came out of the evening: Jimmy Rollins leaving with hamstring soreness in the third inning (he's listed as day-to-day), and an already overworked Ryan Madson being forced into the game with one out in the ninth inning and a runner on first.
But right up through the seventh inning, when Cole Hamels and his resurgent lineup said their good-nights with a 10-0 lead, this Phillies team looked every bit the National League front-runner they were billed to be so many months ago.
They made contact, tying a season-high with 18 hits, every regular finishing with at least one, five of them with at least two. They drove the ball, Howard hitting a backbreaking three-run home run in the fourth that put them up 7-0. They enjoyed production from the leadoff spot, with Shane Victorino finishing 3-for-6 with three runs and an RBI, and the heart of the order, with Howard and Chase Utley combining to go 5-for-8 with three runs and eight RBI.
And, yet again, they received a standout performance from the slender lefty on the mound, as Hamels held the Marlins to four hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings to improve his scoreless innings streak to a career-best 25.
"It doesn't mean anything, just for the fact that I need to go out there and get one guy Colts jersey
out my next game, and then it eventually goes to another guy, and another guy," said Hamels, whose streak is the longest for a Phillies starter since Randy Wolf went 27 straight scoreless innings in 2002. "It's just being able to keep the team in the game. Ultimately, it's the wins that really matter right now. If you can keep the game within reason and get the wins, that is ultimately going to get you to the playoffs."
For the last three games, the Phillies have looked exactly like the team many predicted would cruise through the NL to its third straight title. Since a 7-1 loss to the Marlins in the first game of a doubleheader Monday, they've scored 25 runs in three games, improving their win total to a league-leading 81. They entered last night with a .571 winning percentage, .001 behind the Reds for the best in the NL. Now, with 21 games to play, that mark stands at a league-best .574, as the Reds lost to the Rockies last night and slipped to 79-60 (.568).
The Phillies will spend their second straight day in first place, a half-game ahead of the Braves, who beat the Pirates last night and start a four-game series against the once-mighty Cardinals today.
Their hope now is that they carry the offensive momentum they have built over the last 3 days into this weekend's series against the Mets at Citi Field, where they have mustered just seven runs in six games this season.
"I definitely feel like we've got a good run in us," said Manuel, whose team went 15-9 in its 24-game-in-23-day stretch. "I feel like we can play better than we have at any time this year because we have all of our players back. We are more equipped to do that."
Phillers
Righthander Brad Lidge, unavailable the last two games with elbow soreness, said he felt Cowboys jersey
fine after playing catch yesterday. He remains on target to return tomorrow . . . Outfielder Domonic Brown (sore quad) was unavailable to play last night, although he took batting practice prior to the game. He remains day-to-day . . . Shane Victorino is 7-for-16 with six runs and four stolen bases in three games in the leadoff spot . . . Cole Hamels improved to 10-10 and lowered his ERA to 3.06, the lowest it has been since he was 12-8 with a 3.01 ERA on Sept. 2, 2008.

BASEBALL NOTES;AL MVP CONTEST A DOUBLEHEADER

The American League MVP race seems to be down to two horses -- Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
While some may suggest Twins catcher and two-time and nfl jersey
reigning winner Joe Mauer deserves consideration, he's having a down year offensively, particularly when compared to last year's monster breakout. And had Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano maintained his first-half performance, he'd be in the picture, too.
But it's probably going to come down to one of the two young sluggers. The Red Sox have had their fill of each player this year, particularly Hamilton.
There's been a push in Texas for the five-tool player to win his first MVP honor, and if there's one club that won't argue, it's the Red Sox. Hamilton absolutely murdered them last weekend in Texas, going 6-for-11 with two homers, six runs and a handful of outstanding catches in center field.
He entered a weekend series at Baltimore batting .356 with 26 homers and 81 RBI, but that might not be what most impressed Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
''He does everything,'' Francona said. ''When you've got a guy with those kinds of tools that's hot and feels good about himself, that's a bad feeling. And then the way he plays the game -- I've never seen a center fielder back up second base on stolen-base attempts as aggressively as him. That's not going to be his legacy. The balls he hits are. But when you see a player that's that good play the game that way, it's impressive. I've seen enough of him.''
Before the Sox-Rangers series finale in 100-degree heat last Sunday, Francona joked that Texas should rest him. Told he was at least being used as the designated hitter and couldn't rob the Red Sox of any hits or homers in center, Francona deadpanned, ''That's not quite good enough.''
Hamilton's chief competition is Cabrera, a player who has actually struggled mightily against the Sox since entering the league in 2003. His lifetime average of .214 against them is his second-lowest against any club, higher than only his .194 mark against the Astros, dating back to his Marlins days.
This year, however, Cabrera is hitting .286 against the Sox with a titanic homer, and has walked five times in 27 plate appearances for a .444 on-base percentage. Cabrera has received lots of love nationally all season.
''You can add me to that list,'' Francona said earlier this month when the Sox faced the Tigers. ''He's an unbelievable hitter. Just an unbelievable hitter. I mean the (homer) he hit (against the Red Sox), I could have picked it up on the way home.
''He plays every day. He's an offensive force. He's the kind of guy who makes you nervous when he feels good about himself. You make a good pitch and he hits a ball up the middle. You make a bad pitch, and he hits it two streets over, so he's one of the best hitters in the game.''
Cabrera has hung on the periphery of the Triple Crown race all season. He has certainly answered any questions that stemmed from last year's unfortunate drinking and domestic altercation allegations that marred Detroit's playoff push and called into question his own professionalism.
And now he's taken his game to another level, carrying .341-31-100 numbers into a weekend series vs. Cleveland.
''The numbers kind of say that,'' Francona said. ''We don't play Detroit that much, because of the quirks of the schedule, but he's one of the elite hitters in the game. There's no doubt about that.''
Whether the MVP ends up with Hamilton or Cabrera remains to be seen, but this much is certain: The Red Sox won't argue with either choice.
Suffering by comparison
Ryan Kalish arrived at Fenway with the requisite Trot Nixon comparisons, thanks to his Dirt Dog style and similar football build.
One area of Kalish's game that was supposedly a bit lacking was his arm, but it has looked strong and accurate thus far in his Red Sox career. Asked about Baseball America rating his arm as merely average, Kalish said he's probably suffered by comparison from playing next to Che-Hsuan Lin in the minors.
''Having him out there downplays everything else you see, he's so spectacular,'' Kalish said. ''Whatever. It's people's judgments. It's OK to be overshadowed by an arm like that. He's so special.''
Lin was named Futures Game MVP in 2008, which is often a harbinger of future big league success, with past winners including Alfonso Soriano, Sean Burroughs, Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore, Aaron Hill and Billy Butler.
The Taiwanese-born Lin, who turns 22 in September, has always been touted as one of the best defensive outfield prospects in baseball, with fluid strides and that powerful arm that measures a 70 on the scouts' 20-80 scale. He's also an intriguing prospect at the plate, with a good approach, as evidenced by his .385 on-base percentage at Double-A Portland. It's unclear if the 6-footer will ever develop more than line drive power.
Few power brokers
Some in the Red Sox organization have contended that a perceived lack of power in the minor league system is a function of two factors: a) most of the organization's best power prospects are young for their levels; and b) many players don't find the seats until they reach the majors.
Kevin Youkilis is the example most often cited to support the latter. He never hit more than eight homers in the minors, yet has blasted as many as 29 for a season in the majors.
But is he the rule or the exception? An examination of the current Red Sox roster suggests that players who become good big league sluggers hit homers in the minors, too, regardless of their age or level.
Of the nine players on the roster to hit at least 15 homers in a big league season, virtually all of them had big homer years in the minors.
Infielder Bill Hall, whose big league high is 35 homers, blasted 18 between Single and Double A as a 21-year-old in 2001. Catcher Victor Martinez hit 22 homers at age 23 for Double-A Akron in '02. Disabled outfielder Mike Cameron found his power stroke at Double A in 1996 with 28 homers. Mike Lowell combined for 56 homers over his final two seasons in the minors.
Then there are the true outliers. Outfielder J.D. Drew hit 16 homers in just 75 games between Double A and Triple A after signing with the Cardinals in 1998. At age 21, David Ortiz began his debut year at Single A, finished it at Triple A, and along the wau mashed 31 homers. Third baseman Adrian Beltre hit an amazing 26 homers as a 17-year-old debuting in Low and High A in '96. He hit another 26 homers at High A as an 18-year-old a year later.
Even Dustin Pedroia smacked 13 homers between Double A and Triple A as a 21-year-old in '05. And Jason Varitek hit 16 in two-thirds of a season at Triple A in '97.
By that criterion, keep an eye on Double-A first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo just turned 21 and entered the weekend with 23 homers between High A (five) and Double A (18). He's the best hope for power in a system that has already produced the pleasant surprise known as Kalish this year.
It's getting a bit salty
Getting acquainted to a new pitching staff is never easy, particularly late in the season, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia has some good tutors.
In Martinez, Varitek and Kevin Cash, Saltalamacchia has no shortage of places to turn for advice, and the early returns have been solid. John Lackey authored one of his best starts of the season against the Jays before closer Jonathan Papelbon blew it in Saltalamacchia's starting debut, and Daisuke Matsuzaka followed up three days later by leaving with a 2-0 deficit in the seventh inning of a loss to the Rangers.
''It's been a mixture of everybody,'' Saltalamacchia said before being placed on Steelers jersey
the disabled list with a leg infection last week. ''(Varitek) has been great. Victor's been great and even Cash. Those guys have all caught these guys before, so everyday we all sit down, and if I'm playing that day, we'll go over what they've got and what they like to do. Lately Victor has been catching all these guys, so I've been listening to him. Obviously, Tek, the guy's the best.''
(Non)confessions of a fool
Can we all agree that Roger Clemens is getting exactly what he deserved ever since the moment he first told Congress he had never used steroids or human growth hormone?
Thursday's news that Clemens was indicted for perjury and could face up to 30 years in prison is yet another sad turn in the tale of an athlete so deluded by his own fame, he risked his reputation as a player and person.
A grand jury has found that Clemens obstructed a congressional inquiry during his testimony in 2008. Among the 15 statements in question: that Clemens never used steroids or HGH, despite accusations to the contrary by his former trainer, Brian McNamee, who Clemens unwisely sued for defamation (the case was recently thrown out and McNamee has a countersuit pending).
Clemens now has a lot bigger problems than whether his seven Cy Young Awards and 354 victories will gain him access to the Hall of Fame. And for this, he has no one to blame but himself.
He wasn't even subpoenaed, after all, to appear before Congress in 2008. He did that on his own in an attempt to clear his name. But by following the Barry Bonds course of deny, deny, deny, he basically guaranteed he'll remain a pariah for the rest of his life.
You'd think athletes would have learned by now from the lessons of people like Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and Rodney Harrison. We live in a forgiving society. Fess up to whatever you've done, accept the consequences, and move on. If Clemens ever learns that lesson at all, it will still be too late. ...
The Red Sox aren't the only team facing catastrophic injuries this year. The Phillies, jockeying for a playoff spot in the NL East, have been hit just as hard.
They were without All-Star second baseman Chase Utley for nearly two months because of a thumb injury. Infielder Placido Polanco missed almost a month. Outfielder Shane Victorino just finished a two-week stint on the DL, and slugger Ryan Howard hopes to return after a three-week absence tomorrow.
There's more. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has already had two DL stints. Closer Brad Lidge Vikings jersey
missed time, along with starters Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ (since traded to the Astros) and Jamie Moyer.
That's some of the Phils' best players, but they've managed to rise above it and keep pace with the Braves in the NL East while compiling a record very similar to the Red Sox. The Phillies, of course, have the luxury of not sharing a division with the

Manuel For Success;Phillies' Boss Still Believes His Team Is Series-Worthy

PHILADELPHIA - Charlie Manuel, the son of a preacher man, is keeping the faith.
Walk into the office of the Phillies skipper and you'll find a variety of nfl throwback jerseys
inspirational quotes printed, framed and adorning the walls. The one that best suits the current state of his squad comes from former Dodgers field boss Walter Alston:
"Look at misfortune the same way you look at success. Do your best and forget the consequences."
Words to live by? Perhaps. Particularly for a man who, even while facing a seemingly endless series of setbacks and challenges, may be having the best of his six seasons at the wheel.
Prior to Sunday's 6-2 loss to Milwaukee at Citizens Bank Park, Manuel summed up this campaign and his expectations for the playoff push in an interview with Lancaster Newspapers.
"We have 26 (now 25) games left, so we still have a lot of work to do," he said. "(Chase) Utley and (Ryan) Howard are getting there. It takes a while to get your swing back, but they're getting there. And Jimmy Rollins has missed some time (due to injuries), so his swing comes and goes.
"We haven't been scoring a lot of runs, but we've been getting runs when we need to. And that's what you have to do, especially at this time of the year.
"But," he added, "this lineup can score a lot of runs, and everybody in baseball knows it."
Everybody in baseball also knows about the Phils' Big Three, the starting rotation of aces Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt - "H2O," as it's been called. Over the past month, dating back to Aug. 8, the Big Three have won 10 of their 14 decisions and hurled six shutouts. Of their four losses, two came when the Phils failed to score.
"Last year we picked up Pedro Martinez and (Cliff) Lee and we thought that was pretty good," Manuel said of the mid-summer acquisitions that led to a second straight World Series appearance.
"This year we picked up Halladay and Oswalt, but we also have Hamels back to where New Orleans Saints jersey
he was two years ago during his MVP season when we won the World Series. You have to have pitching to win, and pitching has definitely been a big part of our team."
What has also been a big part of this team in recent summers is its September success. Over the past four seasons, the Phillies lead the league in wins (55) and winning percentage (.632) during September. Only the Yankees (59 wins; .694) have been better.
"I think it shows that we stay at it, we play the whole season," Manuel said. "Our philosophy is, 'Play every day, play in this moment, this day.'"
He paused, then nodded to his right, toward the locker room.
"It goes back to the people we have in there," Manuel offered. "Our team knows how to play in close moments. We stay on an even keel, and that's the way we've been the past two, three years."
The Phils have won 17 games each of their last three Septembers, and they're already nearly one-third of the way toward reaching that number again, having started the month with four straight victories. The most recent, a 5-4 comeback Saturday night, raised their record in games decided by two runs or less this season to 38-23, giving them a .623 winning percentage in such circumstances, the best in baseball.
They'll need more of the same down the stretch, since it's unlikely the Braves are going to San Francisco 49ers jersey
fade in the East -witness Sunday's startling rally from a 6-0 deficit against Florida - or that the Giants will falter in the wild-card chase.
"We're in a good race right now," Manuel said, his eyes brightening. "The Braves aren't going to fade. You look at their pitching, it's right there at the top of the league.
"The bottom line is, we want to win our division, get home field advantage. But it's better to get the wild card than not get in. Teams have won the wild card and the World Series."