News, Tratsch und Spieleecke » be the first one there to dunk over two

WASHINGTON - For the second time in three seasons, the Washington Nationals will head to the post-season with the top seeding in the National League.They hope they can take advantage of that status this year.The NL East champion Nationals locked up home-field advantage until the World Series by beating the Miami Marlins 4-0 on Doug Fisters three-hitter in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Friday.Miami earned a split by winning the insignificant second game 15-7 with 22 hits, including Kike Hernandezs grand slam and J.T. Realmutos three-run triple. The Marlins hadnt scored at least that many runs since a 16-10 victory over the Nationals on Sept. 1, 2010, according to STATS.Washingtons record was 94-66 at the end of a long day; the last pitch was thrown 9 hours, 35 minutes after the first.Its important to have home-field advantage. If we want to get to where we want to get to, then thats important. So thats accomplished, rookie manager Matt Williams said.Only two regular members of Washingtons lineup, right fielder Jayson Werth and catcher Wilson Ramos, started Fridays second game; both sat out the opener. Werth tripled in the first inning, doubled in the second and singled in the fifth, and the right fielder also threw out Donovan Solano trying to stretch a single into a double. A homer shy of the cycle, Werth was hit by a pitch in the sixth and struck out in the ninth.Was he thinking about needing that homer in his final at-bat?I surely was. ... From T-ball on, I dont think Ive ever hit for the cycle, Werth said. I knew it was available. Especially in a blowout game, definitely wasnt trying to work a walk or anything like that.Taylor Hill (0-1) took the loss in his first major league start, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings, but he also singled for what he said was not only his first hit in the majors but also his first hit ever in professional baseball.Believe it or not, Hill said, I had no hits prior in the minor leagues.A.J. Ramos (7-0) earned the win with a 1-2-3 eighth inning.Earlier, Solano was the only player who got a hit off Fister (16-6) a€” a pair of harmless singles in the first and fourth innings, and a triple with two outs in the ninth. The next batter, Casey McGehee, lined out to diving second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera to end that game.Fister threw 104 pitches, 77 for strikes, and heard a loud ovation when he jogged from the dugout to the mound for the ninth.Obviously some adrenaline, some emotions run through there, the lanky righty said. Its one of those things where you kind of take a second and you soak it in and then you get back to work.Washingtons Anthony Rendon hit a solo shot to left off wild-as-can-be Jarred Cosart (4-4 with the Marlins; 13-11 overall in 2014, including his time with the Astros) in the first for his 21st homer. Cosart walked eight.Fister had zero walks and nine strikeouts in the second shutout of his career.What really mattered, though, was sewing up the home-field edge.That was a big milestone for us, Fister said. Its always nice to be home. Youve got your home fans, weve got our own lockers, our own chairs, whatever it may be. Guys are comfortable here. And that means a lot.Then again, Washington knows full well being the highest-seeded club guarantees nothing. The Nationals led the majors with 98 wins in 2012, but were eliminated in the NL division series by wild-card St. Louis.This year they clinched their division title Sept. 16 and have gone 7-3 since then in the push for the NLs top record.They have everything they need over there to win a World Series, Cosart said.At 77-83, the Marlins could finish anywhere from second to fourth in the NL East, but they know they wont finish last.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: CF Denard Span returned to action for the first time since leaving Tuesdays game after a diving, tumbling catch that left his right knee scraped and sore. Span started Fridays first game, going 1 for 4 with a walk. Afterward, he said he felt rusty but fine. ... Zimmerman started the opener, playing left field for the second day in a row. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the second game.UP NEXTWilliams said the Nationals will stick to their planned starting pitchers this weekend, including RHP Stephen Strasburg (13-11, 3.23 ERA) for a final pre-playoffs tuneup Saturday against Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldo (6-13, 4.44). Blank Jersey . -- A.J. Burnett was happy to escape from New York. Gary Cahill Jersey . - The Oakland Athletics have finalized an agreement on a 10-year extension to play at the Coliseum through the 2024 season. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Willian-Jersey/. Liriano pitched in and out of trouble in his duel with Josh Beckett, and Ike Davis homered to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Friday night. Andreas Christensen Jersey . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). NGolo Kante Jersey . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - On the night Dirk Nowitzki overtook Dominique Wilkins on the career scoring list, Brandan Wright was a human highlight film all by himself. Wright made all 10 of his shots to finish with a season-high 23 points off the bench, and the Dallas Mavericks strengthened their hold on a playoff berth with a 107-95 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. "Thats what he does for us," Nowitzki said. "He makes some great stuff happen for us. Tonight he didnt miss a shot. He was phenomenal." Wright, who has come off the bench in all 53 of his games this season, began the day averaging 9.0 points and a team-best 67.5 per cent from the field (199 for 295). "I cant remember the last time I had a game where I didnt miss a shot, so its a good feeling — plus, we got the win," said the six-year veteran swingman. Nowitzkis 27 points increased his career total to 26,778, putting him in 11th place and within 32 of Oscar Robertson. "Unbelievable. Its been a crazy ride for 16 years, and its been surreal," Nowitzki said. "I used to be a big fan of Dominique, watched all of his dunk contests and the many ways he could score. Sometimes he would miss his shot and be the first one there to dunk over two people. He was so much fun to watch." The Mavericks, back at Staples Center one night after beating the Clippers, played their first road game against the Lakers since beating them 99-91 on opening night of last season. They have won all three meetings with the Lakers — the first time they swept the season series since this rivalry began in 1980-81. "I said it last night — that a win against the Clippers meant nothing if we lost today. And thats how we came out," Nowitzki said. Jodie Meeks had 25 points for the Lakers, who have dropped 13 of their last 17 and are 25-51 — their most losses since finishing a franchise-worst 30-52 in 1974-75. "It was an up-and-down game," Wright said. "Coming off a physical, tough game last night and then playing a team tonight with a lot of young guys and skill guys who were fresh and had nothing to lose, it was a recipe for a loss. But we took note of what they did to Phoenix the other night." Lakers centre Pau Gasol was sidelined for the sixth time in seven games because of a severe case of vertigo. Xavier Henry is done for the season because of residual pain from an injured right knee and a torn ligament in his left wrist that has limited him to 43 games, and he will undergo surgeery in the near future.dddddddddddd Coach Mike DAntoni, who hasnt had a full deck to work with for most of this injury-jinxed season, sent out a starting lineup consisting of Meeks and four others who had started a combined total of 23 NBA games entering this season: Jordan Hill (20), Kendall Marshall (three), Kent Bazemore (none) and rookie Ryan Kelly. "Theyre playing inspired basketball," Bazemore said of Dallas. "If anyone needs to win right now, its them. It was definitely a total team effort from them, and Dirk Nowitzki kept us at arms length all night, hitting big shots, and Brandan Wright was very good for them." The Lakers led 54-52 at halftime against another team on the playoff bubble that took them a bit too lightly at the start. Dallas concluded a contentious 10-game stretch in which four games were settled in overtime and four others were decided by margins of six points or fewer. Three of the overtime games resulted in losses to Minnesota, Brooklyn and Golden State. The Mavericks opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run, which Wright capped with a short jumper that extended their lead to 91-78 with 10 minutes to play. The Lakers got no closer than 10 the rest of the way. NOTES: Dallas F Shawn Marion recorded his 1,725th career steal, breaking a tie with Magic Johnson for 17th place, when he intercepted a pass by Wesley Johnson with 3:02 left in the first quarter. ... Umpires Joe West, Marty Foster and Alan Porter, who are in town to work the Dodgers-Giants series, attended the game. ... The Lakers havent been under .500 this deep into a season since 1993-94, when they were 21-35 after 56 games and finished 33-49. That was the first of only two times that they didnt make the playoffs during the 34 seasons that the franchise was owned by the late Jerry Buss. ... Steve Nash had seven assists in 18 minutes and increased his career total to 10,330, four shy of Mark Jackson for third place. ... Vince Carter, who was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, needs one more 3-pointer to become the seventh player in NBA history to make at least 1,800. ... The Lakers face the Clippers for the final time this season on Sunday, after losing six of their last seven meetings with their Staples Center co-tenants. The only win was on opening night. Since then, the Clippers have humiliated them by margins of 36 and 48 points. ... The Mavericks have to win four of their final five regular-season games to record their 14th 50-win season in club history and 12th in 14 years. Cheap Barcelona Jerseys Cheap Real Madrid Jerseys Authentic Cheap Bayern Munich Jerseys Cheap Dortmund Jerseys Cheap USA Jerseys Cheap USWNT Jerseys France Soccer Jerseys Soccer Mexico Jerseys Cheap Germany Jerseys Cheap Belgium Soccer Jerseys Brazil Jerseys From China Germany Jerseys From China Authentic Soccer Mexico Jerseys Cheap Portugal Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Spain Jerseys Cheap France Football Jerseys Cheap Germany Jerseys Authentic Cheap Mexico Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Colombia Jerseys Cheap Belgium Football Jerseys Wholesale Argentina Jerseys Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys China cheap uswnt jersey authentic Authentic AC Milan Jerseys Discount Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. Roma Jerseys Wholesale Atletico Madrid Jerseys Chelsea Jerseys From China Barcelona Jerseys From China Cheap Bayern Munich Jerseys Authentic Borussia Dortmund Jerseys Authentic Inter Milan Jerseys Authentic Juventus Jerseys Cheap Leicester City Jerseys Wholesale Liverpool Jerseys Authentic Manchester City Jerseys Authentic Manchester United Jerseys Cheap Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys Authentic Real Madrid Jerseys Sevilla Jerseys For Sale Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys Outlet ' ' '