e one-time incidents in leagues where the players didnt have representation. The NHL Players Association now plays an active role in the NHLs suspension process

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles seem to bring out the best in Mookie Betts.Betts homered twice and drove in five runs, a performance that almost single-handedly carried the Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.Bostons cleanup hitter launched a three-run drive in the fifth inning and added a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh. Betts is batting .426 with 12 homers and 18 RBI in 11 games against the Orioles this season.Exactly one-quarter of his 28 home runs this season have come in Baltimore, where the left-field foul line is a mere 333 feet from the plate.He feels comfortable in this ballpark and obviously sees the ball well, Boston manager John Farrell said.Maybe thats the reason for his success. Maybe not.Im going to continue to say I dont know why, Betts said. Im just trying to put good swings on it and enjoy it.Betts had three homers and eight RBI in a 16-2 win over Arizona on Sunday, so its not as if hes only picking on the Orioles.Im sure there are some numbers to dictate that its more us, manager Buck Showalter said, but hes been having that type of year against most everybody.The victory lifted Boston into a tie with Baltimore in the AL East, one game behind division-leading Toronto.We all are well aware of what is at stake, where we are in the standings and who is around us, Farrell said.The Red Sox were in first place on July 21, then lost 13 of 20 before their current streak of five wins in row.Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez had a no-hitter before leaving in the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness. The Red Sox hope they caught it early enough to keep the lefty in the rotation without missing a turn.Matt Barnes kept the Orioles hitless until Steve Pearce reached on a dribbler that got past the mound with one out in the seventh.Baltimore ended up batting around and tying the game at 3. After Matt Wieters hit a two-run single, Brad Ziegler (1-3) walked Adam Jones with the bases loaded before striking out Jonathan Schoop.The deadlock didnt last long. David Ortiz led off the eighth with a single against Brad Brach (7-2) and Betts lined an 0-1 pitch into the front row of seats beyond the left-field wall.Craig Kimbrel, the sixth Boston pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 21st save.Rodriguez and Yovani Gallardo were locked in a scoreless duel until the fifth. After Andrew Benintendi hit a leadoff double and Xander Bogaerts drew a one-out walk, Gallardo struck out Ortiz with a 2-2 fastball. Betts hit the next pitch over the left-field wall.Gallardo lasted five innings, surviving a line shot off his right forearm in the fifth.It got me pretty good, he said. Its a little stiff, but Ill be all right.PAPELBON RUMORFarrell confirmed that the team has had discussions with reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who was recently released by Washington.TRAINERS ROOMOrioles: Showalter expects reliever Darren ODay (rotator cuff strain) to spend the minimum time on the DL and return on Aug. 27. ... LHP T.J. McFarland (inflamed left knee) gave up four hits and three runs in 1/3 inning for Class A Frederick in his first rehab game.UP NEXTRed Sox: LHP David Price (10-8. 4.29 ERA) starts in the finale of the series Wednesday night. Price has gone at least eight innings in eight of his 25 starts.Orioles: After the game, Showalter announced that RHP Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93) would start Wednesday in place of RHP Chris Tillman, whos experiencing shoulder discomfort and was moved back to Saturday vs. Houston. Cincinnati Reds Store .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/ .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Cincinnati Reds Gear . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Cincinnati Reds Pro Shop .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.On Thursday, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of the second round for his hit to the head on Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1. Stoll did not return to the game and did not play in Game 2. This is the fourth time Torres has suffered the wrath of the disciplinary committee of the NHL over his 11-year career, with all of the suspensions coming in the last three seasons. As a member of the Phoenix Coyotes last season, he received a 25-game suspension (which was later dropped to 21 games) for a high hit on Chicagos Marian Hossa in the playoffs. Earlier that season, he was banned two games for charging against defenceman Nate Prosser of the Minnesota Wild. And during the 2010-11 campaign with the Vancouver Canucks, he was suspended four games for a hit to the head of Edmontons Jordan Eberle. Suspensions are meant to be a deterrent for illegal and dangerous play and as such, repeat offenders are punished more harshly to make sure the message is received. But what if the message is not getting through? If suspensions are not enough, how many should a player be allowed before a lifetime ban is issued? Torres is not the only NHL player with multiple infractions. Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins has also been suspended four times over his 14-year career for a total of 25 games. His biggest suspension came near the end of the 2010-11 regular season when he hit New York Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh in the heead and was forced to sit for the remaining 10 games of the season as well as the first round of the playoffs for a total of 17 games.dddddddddddd In 1927, Billy Coutu of the Montreal Canadiens was banned for life after punching a referee in the Stanley Cup final and, despite being reinstated years later, never played another NHL game. More recently, Jeff Kugel of the Windsor Spitfires was handed a lifetime ban in 1998 after he left the bench to join a line-brawl and continued to chase players around the ice as his opponents looked on in fear. The suspension was later reduced to allow Kugel to apply for reinstatement at seasons end. This season, Brett Cook of Nipissing University was banned for life from Ontario university hockey after punching a linesman. These were one-time incidents in leagues where the players didnt have representation. The NHL Players Association now plays an active role in the NHLs suspension process, including the ability to appeal harsher decisions through an independent arbitrator. Should there be a benchmark whereby if a player surpasses a certain amount of suspended games, a lifetime ban kicks in? Perhaps the NHL should institute a graduated process where suspensions are doubled with each additional infraction, up to a certain point where a lifetime ban is the only option left. How much is too much? How many suspensions or games lost due to suspension should a player be allowed before a lifetime ban is issued? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '