Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey Womens from elaine's blog

NEW YORK (AP) — Fittingly Matt Hendricks Jersey Womens , Liam Hendriks wore his cap backward. A reliever is going to start a team’s postseason opener.A pitcher with no wins in the regular season.A pitcher cut from the 40-man roster in June who spent two months toiling in the minor leagues.A pitcher from Down Under who was happy to get medieval in New York.“Instead of the starter going six and handing it over to the bullpen or going five and handing it over to the bullpen, now we’re just reversing it,” Oakland’s Australian right-hander said Tuesday, a day ahead of the Athletics‘ AL wild card game against the New York Yankees.New York’s Aaron Boone made a more conventional choice for his postseason game as a manager, picking Luis Severino over J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka. Severino created a bullpen night in last year’s wild card game but not by design, lasting just one out and leaving with a three-run deficit against Minnesota in a game the Yankees rallied to win 8-4. Oakland manager Bob Melvin has been scrambling because of injuries to starting pitchers Jharel Cotton, Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Paul Blackburn, Andrew Triggs and Daniel Gossett . Yet, the A’s finished second in the AL West at 97-65, their best record in 16 years, and their relievers went 45-16, the second-most bullpen wins in big league history behind Tampa Bay’s 54 this year.“There’s been a struggle between old-school mentality and sabermetrics, and this is a way to kind of incorporate sabermetrics with effectiveness,” Oakland closer Blake Treinen said. “You can’t say going a starter for seven innings is the best way. You can’t say that going an opener is the best way. But this is what’s going to work for us, and we’re going to ride it out, and we have full faith in whoever makes the decisions. I’m excited to see what this game does because it’s kind of a first of its kind, and I think we all fully embrace that.”Yankees reliever Zach Britton, a two-time All-Star reliever with Baltimore, said this new method was unfathomable just five years ago. Views started to change when the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians used bullpens in a non-traditional manner in the 2016 postseason. Tampa Bay was 46-38 with regular starters this year and 44-34 when opening with relievers.“I think the data shows that it’s an effective way Eric Fehr Jersey Womens ,” Britton said. “The hitters, they’re not able to get comfortable off a starter. There’s a new guy possibly every time you come to the plate. So it’s a good strategy, and you know why teams are starting to do it, because it’s effective.”Hendriks, a 29-year-old in his third season with Oakland, started for Minnesota (2011-14) and Kansas City (2014) before Toronto converted him to the bullpen in 2015. He had a 7.36 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season when he was designated for assignment on June 25 to clear a roster spot for Edwin Jackson.Then 40-38, the A’s won their next six games and 11 of 13.“Apparently I’m a pariah,” Hendriks said jokingly.After 21 appearances with Triple-A Nashville, he was brought back on Sept. 1 when active rosters expanded to 40. As Hendriks was checking into a hotel in Oakland that day, he received a telephone call from pitching coach Scott Emerson.“‘By the way, you’re going to start today,'” Hendriks recalled Emerson telling him. “I got to the field about an hour later, and it was kind of, ‘Yep, we’re going to try this opening thing, see how it goes.'”Hendriks was removed with the score 0-0 after 30 pitches and five outs, and Danny Coulombe allowed Ben Gamel’s two-run double. The A’s tied a club record by using nine pitchers in an 8-7 loss to Seattle. After that, Hendriks pitched seven shutout innings in his last seven starts, allowing four hits.His fastball velocity was 97 mph in September, up 3-4 mph from earlier this season.“I think it was a big wake-up call for him, because he hadn’t been in that position for quite a while Greg Pateryn Jersey Womens ,” Melvin said of the demotion. “Maybe a little bit more focused in what he’s doing now.”Hendriks received a text from Melvin at 10:58 a.m. informing him of the decision. The pitcher calls himself an “opener,” not a starter, and it’s unclear who will follow . The only starter expected to be on Oakland’s roster Wednesday is Edwin Jackson.What is clear is Hendriks will be only the fourth pitcher to commence a postseason game after a regular season of no wins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Virgil Trucks started twice for Detroit in the 1945 World Series after returning from World War II and making one regular-season appearance. Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo returned from a torn knee ligament in 2008 and St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter came back from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2012.After arriving in New York, Hendriks went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.“My wife wanted to go see the Heavenly Bodies exhibit, which was incredible, and then I was super ecstatic to see all the medieval armor because that’s what I love,” he said. “I am reading a book now about the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. So it’s all about medieval French and English and all of that.” BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres have experienced several frustrating losses already this season, so a sloppy win was OK for Sam Reinhart and company.Reinhart poked in a rebound with 4:14 left, and the Sabres edged the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night after squandering a three-goal lead.”It’s unfortunate where we’re at, but this is one we can hold up,” said Reinhart, who also had two assists. ”It was a pretty ugly one, but those are the ones you kind of have to find a way to win on a consistent basis in this league.”Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist for last-place Buffalo, and Ryan O’Reilly also scored. Robin Lehner stopped 26 shots to help Buffalo salvage the finale of a five-game homestand after going 0-3-1 in its previous four games.It was the 1,000th home win in franchise history.”I’m not saying I’m not happy that the guys pulled it out,” coach Phil Housley said. ”But I just think, over all, if you play like that, you’re asking for trouble.”John Tavares Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey Womens , Anders Lee and Ross Johnston scored for New York, which had gone 5-0-3 in its previous eight trips to Buffalo. Jaroslav Halak stopped 18 shots.The Islanders squandered an opportunity to jump ahead of idle Columbus for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They dropped to 1-3-1 in their last five games.”Nothing was missing. We had a great game,” coach Doug Weight said. ”I thought we got good performances from a lot of guys. I mean, we’re going to win hockey games. We just can’t afford to lose those.”Reinhart got the game-winner 73 seconds after Lee tied it at 3.Eichel began the play when his shot from the right boards hit a skate and caromed into the slot to Rodrigues, whose shot was stopped by Halak. Reinhart was left alone in front to knock in the rebound.The Islanders have allowed three or more goals in 10 of their past 11 games.”If we bring that same effort, that same intensity, I like our odds,” Johnston said. ”If we play that way and stick to the game plan, we’ll start getting results here.”New York fell behind 3-0 in the second period before it started to rally. Tavares swept in a loose puck at 13:06, and the Islanders added two more in the third.Johnston snapped a shot from the slot over Lehner’s left shoulder with 12:30 remaining.Lee tied it with a power-play goal with 5:27 left. With Eichel in the penalty box for tripping, Josh Bailey’s shot from the right circle was deflected wide of net. The puck went to Lee, who jammed it inside the right post.Buffalo was being outshot 6-0 when Eichel opened the scoring 7:41 into the game.With Reinhart drawing three defenders to him driving up the middle, he crossed the blue line and fed a pass to a wide-open Eichel driving up the right side. Eichel skated into the circle and snapped a shot in off the far post.Another defensive miscue led to Rodrigues’ third goal just under six minutes later. Marco Scandella’s shot from the blue line sailed just wide of the left post and the puck caromed off the end board. It went directly to Rodrigues, who was left untouched in the slot and directed it inside the right post.The Sabres led 2-0 after one despite being outshot 10-4.O’Reilly scored a power-play goal 7:18 into the second period by tipping in Rasmus Ristolainen’s shot from inside the blue line.NOTES: Buffalo’s home record stands at 1,000-393-216, including a 4-1 ”home” win over Anaheim in a game played at Helsinki, Finland, to open the 2011-12 season. … Sabres D Jake McCabe will miss three to four weeks after surgery on Wednesday to repair a thumb injury. … Weight left open the possibility of D Johnny Boychuk returning as early as Friday, when New York hosts the Red Wings. Boychuk missed his 18th game with a lower-body injury.UP NEXTIslanders: Host Detroit on Friday.Sabres: Travel to play the Boston Bruins on Saturday.—