Off Topic » arded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise

BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado watched the previous two games from the bench, and he didnt much like the view. In his return to the Baltimore Orioles lineup Sunday, Machado enjoyed a far better sight: A ball soaring off his bat and over the 25-foot scoreboard in right field. Machado and Nelson Cruz homered, Steve Pearce had three hits and the Orioles beat the Cleveland Indians 4-2 for a split of the four-game series. During a 13-inning game Thursday night, Machado was pulled because of a right groin strain. He sat down Friday, then again Saturday before returning to his customary No. 2 spot in the lineup in the series finale. After a first-inning walk and a third-inning strikeout, Machado hit an opposite-field drive to right against Trevor Bauer (1-2) to put Baltimore ahead 3-2 in the fifth. As soon as the ball cleared the fence, Machado celebrated his second homer of the season with a joyous fist-pump. "It was just the adrenaline rushing," he said. "I thought the ball was going to be off the wall, and then obviously the ball kept carrying. My emotions came out a little bit." The 21-year-old Machado missed April after undergoing off-season knee surgery and was batting .229 with one homer and three RBIs before connecting. As frustrating as his slow start was, the groin injury was even more infuriating. So, after sitting for two days, the All-Star third baseman was delighted to be back. "It was a relief I was just able to run the bases and run and take some swings in the game," he said. "That was the biggest relief, obviously. That was the icing on the cake with the home run." Better yet, he felt pretty good afterward. "It still bothers me a little bit, but nothing too crazy," Machado said. "Feels much better than what it was initially when it first happened. Were just going to keep treating it and hopefully it will get better." Miguel Gonzalez (3-3) bounced back from a shaky start to hold the Indians to two runs and four hits over six innings. Hes 3-0 in three career starts against Cleveland. Zach Britton, the third Orioles reliever, worked a perfect ninth to earn his second save and complete the five-hitter. In the fifth, one out after Machado went deep, Cruz hit his major-league leading 16th home run on a 3-2 pitch. "The more games that I play the more comfortable I feel," said Cruz, who signed a one-year contract in late February. "Its been a blessing to be a part of this team. To be able to contribute and have the team win, its been good." Pearce was playing first base for Chris Davis, who was placed on paternity leave before the game. Pearce matched his career high for hits in a game, scored Baltimores first run and also had an RBI. Bauer allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings, the second-shortest of his 11 career starts. The right-hander struck out eight, including Nick Markakis and J.J. Hardy twice each. "I thought right from the get-go he was having a tough time commanding his fastball," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He was a lot in deep counts. His stuff was good, but a lot of it was elevated." Bauer made no excuses. "My worst command of the year," he said. "Felt great. Felt good all day. Just couldnt throw the fastball where I wanted to." Cleveland did all its scoring in the first inning, got only two at-bats with runners in scoring position and absorbed its second loss in seven games. "I think were playing good baseball," Bauer said. "I wish I had given the team more of a chance to win today." The Indians used two hits and a walk to load the bases with no outs in the first before Lonnie Chisenhall and Nick Swisher delivered run-scoring flyballs. It was the second sacrifice fly in 241 career games for Chisenhall and Swishers fourth this season. Baltimore got a run in the second when Pearce singled, stole second and scored on a bloop single by Jonathan Schoop. In the third, Pearce hit an RBI single after Cruz doubled with two outs. NOTES: In addition to placing Davis on paternity leave, Baltimore added C Nick Hundley to the roster, recalled RHP Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned INF Steve Lombardozzi to the same minor league club. ... Swisher returned after missing two games with a sore knee. Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera (leg) missed a third straight start but entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth. ... The Orioles will send Chris Tillman to the mound Monday against NL Central leader Milwaukee. Cleveland travels to Chicago to face the White Sox. ... Clevelands Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 11 games, and teammate David Murphy snapped a 0-for-15 skid with a fifth-inning single. ... Chisenhall has an RBI in six straight games. Logan Woodside Jersey . LOUIS -- Julius Randle had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Harrison finished with 18 points and No. Alex Barnes Jersey . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. http://www.cheaptitansjerseyselite.com/?...roberson-jersey. They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1. Parker Hesse Jersey . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. Kenneth Durden Jersey . -- Oakland Athletics third baseman Scott Sizemore has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.TORONTO -- Theres a new hip face of the franchise, a new look in the works, and in 2016 theyll host basketballs biggest party. The Toronto Raptors officially announced Monday that theyll host the 2016 NBA all-star game and unveiled homegrown rap star Drake as their new "global ambassador." They also confirmed theyll have a new look and new colours -- but not a new name -- for the 2015-16 season. Its all in an effort to turn around Canadas floundering basketball franchise, and what Tim Leiweke, the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., called the beginning of a "new age" for the Raptors. Now the team has to do its part to live up to the hype. "Anything you do, for me, its all based on winning," said Raptors president and general manager Masai Ujiri. "This is all great and beautiful for the city, but at the end of the day, my responsibility, and my teams responsibility is to put that basketball team on the floor that is going to try and win out there. "Its going to take time and patience, but were taking on the challenge, and we love it. The people, the organization, the fans I think deserve it in Toronto." Drake, who grew up a Raptors fan and calls some of the leagues biggest stars his close friends, said he approached the team about getting involved. "I want to bring the excitement into this building, I want a team that people are dying to come see, I want the tickets to be extremely hard to get, I want to bring that aggression, I want to bring that energy," said Drake. "And obviously I want it to be a top team in the NBA, if not the top team." A crowd of several hundred people -- including reporters representing sports, entertainment and news, plus MLSE employees -- squeezed into the atrium at the Air Canada Centre for the announcement, which kicked off one of the most festive Toronto Raptors media days in the teams history. Drake -- who looked sharp wearing the lone electric blue suit among a stage full of black-clad MLSE officials and politicians, including Mayor Rob Ford -- joked he would "have to go to Harry Rosen and get some more neutral suits because the vibrant blues arent going to cut it." Leiweke scheduled the announcement to coincide with the opening of camp, he said, to set a tone for the franchise. He called the day a "turning point" for the team. "I think what youre seeing is the remaking of a franchise, the remaking of what people think about us, the remaking of the demand in the marketplace for us," Leiweke said. "I think theres a reason that we led the NBA in new ticket sales the last few weeks, theres now a buzz about this organization." Leiweke stressed the all-star game isnt the final destination, that winning a championship is. But a team that hasnt made the playoffs since 2008 has a long way to go. The Raptors went 34-48 last season, spending most of it digging out of a horrific 4-19 hole. "Not to make Masai feel any more pressure than he already feels but I think we know weve got to be competitive by the all-star game," Leiweke said. "We cant be a dormant franchise, and what we wont do is have one thing to talk about in 2016, which is an all-star game.dddddddddddd The all-star game should be part of a new image, it shouldnt be the new image." The players said there was reason to be optimistic. Rudy Gay, acquired in the mid-season three-team trade, looked stronger for his summer spent in the gym, and said hes put on 20 pounds of muscle. A lean Kyle Lowry looked about 20 pounds lighter. DeMar DeRozan spent much off the off-season improving his three-point shooting. Monday, they were focused on the beginning of training camp and the coming season, while sounding at best only mildly interested in all the all-star hype. "Its a lot better when you have a good team going into playoffs and is known as a good team and then host the all-star team, than (host the all-star game) as a sub-par team," Gay said. He did say Drakes backing meant something. "Hes a staple in this city, and for him to behind us as we try to get better as a franchise, it says a lot," Gay said. The 26-year-old rapper, who said he travels the world preaching the "gospel that is Toronto," grew up following the Raptors, and called the Vince Carter era the source of his best basketball memories. He envisions "everybody wearing Raptors stuff. I want to have merchandising through the roof, I want everybody to be proud and patriotic about being from here and supporting this team." Drake counts among his good friends: Raptors forward Amir Johnson, and Toronto native and University of Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins. Last week Johnson, on his own accord, bought out all of Drakes new album "Nothing Was the Same" at two Toronto stores. He then handed out the several hundred copies free to fans at downtowns Yonge-Dundas Square. "Hes just a great guy," Drake said of Johnson. "Luckily for us, we have an amazing foundation thus far, so I think for the franchise its going to take work but theres a base foundation there." What exactly his role will be -- or even how much hell be around the Air Canada Centre considering he just released his new album -- remains to be seen. But Leiweke promised Drake will have "as much a footprint on the all-star week as the NBA will allow us to." The city last hosted an all-star game in 2008 when Major League Soccer held its showcase here. The NHL staged its all-star game in Toronto in 2000 while the Toronto Blue Jays hosted baseballs marquee contest in 1991. The 2014 all-star game will be held in New Orleans while New York will host the 2015 contest. Leiweke says an NBA all-star game usually generates somewhere around $100 million for the host city but he predicted Toronto will eclipse that, saying he and Drake have been discussing making the festivities about more than just basketball and music. "Were already talking about fas