News » kids have played in the league

DETROIT -- On a night of desperation, dispute and finally, delirium, Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers kept their season alive by the slimmest of margins. Andy Lee Jersey . A tying home run, helped along by a couple of fans in right field. A full-count pitch with the bases loaded that was low and inside but became strike three when the batter swung. A line drive down the line with the bases still full -- foul by a few feet. During a relief outing to remember, Scherzer escaped a major jam one inning after two fans reached out to try to reel in Victor Martinezs disputed home run, and the Tigers rallied past the Oakland Athletics 8-6 on Tuesday to force a decisive fifth game in their AL division series. Scherzer was in line to start Game 5, but the 21-game winner came on Tuesday instead for his first relief appearance since the 2011 post-season. He wriggled out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the eighth inning and got the win. "We took our best shot and we had to because we were behind the 8-ball a little bit," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We took that shot and, hey, both teams are going to have a good pitcher going two days from now." After avoiding elimination, the Tigers can now send Justin Verlander to the mound Thursday night in Oakland. Verlander shut out the As at the Coliseum in Game 5 of the division series last year. Oakland hasnt announced a starter for Thursday. It is Bartolo Colons turn in the post-season rotation, but rookie Sonny Gray could also come back on normal rest after a brilliant performance in Game 2. "We havent decided anything yet," manager Bob Melvin said. Playing catch-up most of the way in Game 4, the Tigers tied it first with Jhonny Peraltas three-run homer in the fifth and then on Martinezs solo shot in the seventh. A couple of fans attempted to catch Martinezs drive, and at least one of them bobbled the ball as he reached over the railing above the wall. That prevented right fielder Josh Reddick from having any chance at a leaping grab. Reddick and centre fielder Coco Crisp immediately protested, pointing up at the stands in the hope of a fan-interference call. But umpires upheld the home run after a replay review. "I have no doubt I was going to catch that ball. When I looked at the replay, thats what I thought," Reddick said. "Its totally frustrating that a fan can influence the game." Gary Darling, the crew chief, was umpiring in right field. He disagreed, even after the replay. "It was clear he was not going to catch the ball, so it was clearly going to be a home run," Darling said. "There wasnt any other evidence on replay to turn it another way." Scherzer came out of the bullpen in the seventh and gave up a run, then ran into trouble again in the eighth. With the Tigers ahead 5-4, he allowed a walk and a double to start the inning. But after an intentional walk to load the bases, Leyland left his ace on the mound. Scherzer struck out Reddick, who swung and missed at what would have been ball four on a low, inside pitch. Stephen Vogt struck out too, but pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspos line drive to left nearly fell in before landing foul. Callaspo eventually lined out to centre. "It was surreal," said Scherzer, the winning pitcher in both Detroit victories this series. "Maybe its not the ninth inning, but thats the stuff you dream about pitching -- bases loaded, eighth inning, no outs, and I was able to do it." Detroit, held hitless through four innings in a game of twists and turns, added three runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Omar Infante that made it 8-4. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run single in the ninth, bringing the potential tying run to the plate, but Joaquin Benoit struck out Seth Smith to end it. Crisp had four hits and three runs for the As, who led 3-0 and 4-3 but couldnt close out the defending American League champions. The Oakland bullpen hadnt allowed a run all series until Tuesday. After Crisp put the As ahead 4-3 with an RBI single off Scherzer in the seventh, Martinez lifted a fly to right against reliever Sean Doolittle. It would have been an extremely difficult catch for Reddick, and it looked as though the ball might have cleared the wall even without the fans involvement. It was certainly an anxious wait while umpires reviewed the play, which brought back memories of Derek Jeters fan-aided homer against Baltimore in the 1996 AL championship series at Yankee Stadium. Peralta followed with a double, and Austin Jackson -- who was 1 for 14 with 10 strikeouts in the series to that point -- managed a broken-bat single to put the Tigers ahead 5-4. It appeared Detroit was in big trouble in the eighth, but Scherzer was able to protect the one-run lead, and the Tigers eventually added to it. Detroit starter Doug Fister allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings before being relieved by Scherzer, who came back on three days rest after his victory in Game 1. Oakland took the series lead with a win in Game 3, and Crisps leadoff triple Tuesday put the Tigers on their heels again. Detroit brought the infield in -- a sign that even one run could be vital -- and Crisp scored on Jed Lowries one-out single, putting immediate pressure on the Tigers slumbering offence. It appeared the Athletics were on their way to the ALCS when Lowries two-run homer in the fifth gave Oakland a three-run lead. With slugger Miguel Cabrera still hobbled by injuries, As rookie Dan Straily held the Tigers hitless until the fifth. But after a bloop single by Prince Fielder, Martinez grounded a base hit to right. Peralta, who moved from shortstop to left field after returning from his late-season drug suspension, lined one over the wall in left, finally bringing the Comerica Park fans to life. NOTES: Cabrera hit a sixth-inning single. Hes reached base safely in all 28 of his post-season games with the Tigers. ... Detroit had gone seven games without a homer. ... Peraltas homer was the first extra-base hit allowed by Straily since Sept. 7, according to STATS. Jermaine Gresham Jersey . Not bad for a defenceman. The goal, that is. Although the shuffling dance steps werent bad, either. Barrie scored 55 seconds into overtime, Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots, and the Avalanche moved a step closer to their first playoff berth in four years with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. Pat Tillman Jersey . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/evan-boehm-cardinals-jersey-90/ .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers.TORONTO -- Two years ago Tyler Ennis was at the Air Canada Centre practising as part of a national mens basketball team camp. He was still a kid, going into his senior year of high school. Thursday, the point guard stood in front of a couple dozen members of the media and spoke with poise about how much hed grown since then, and how hes ready for the next level. "Yeah, yeah. It felt like so long ago," Ennis said before taking the court for his pre-draft workout for the Raptors. "To look back and see the people I was playing against and the position Im in now, its a big jump for me. I feel like Ive improved a lot and Ive learned a lot along the way and Ive had some fun along the way as well. "Ive pretty much enjoyed my time playing basketball for fun. Im ready for the professional level now." Nik Stauskas, Khem Birch and Dwight Powell played alongside Ennis at that camp two summers ago in Toronto, a gathering of players so promising, it prompted Canadian coach Jay Triano to call it the most basketball talent hed ever seen under one roof. That promise is about to come to fruition. A bumper crop Canadians -- Ennis, Stauskas, Birch and Powell among them -- are eligible for the June 26 NBA draft (live on TSN, TSN2 and TSN GO). Ennis, who starred in his one season at Syracuse, is expected to be the third highest Canadian picked behind Andrew Wiggins and Stauskas. Most mock drafts have Ennis going around No. 16. The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., worked out for the Raptors on Thursday along with fellow Canadians Jordan Bachynski of Calgary (Arizona State), Chadrack Lufile of Burlington, Ont., (Wichita State), and Chad Posthumus of Winnipeg (Morehead State). "To have so many Canadians first of all in the draft is big for the country. . . its great for basketball in Canada and its great for us individually," Ennis said. "And no matter where we end up, (NBA teams will see) Canadians are hard-working and good people off the court, and I think were all going to find success wherever we end up." While the Raptors dont expect Ennis to still be on the board when they pick at No. 20, he has some big fans in Canadas NBA franchise. "Fantastic kid. Very straightforward," Raptors president and GM Masai Ujiri said. "I was just talking about him with coach (Dwane) Casey, hed just met him. Super kid. Very professional and carries himself the right way. "I think hell make a good professional." Bachynski, meanwhile, was practically pinching himself after his workout in Toronto. He said while some players get caught up in the monotony of travelling from team to team in the rigours of the pre-draft workouts, he was loving the process. "I was in the airport for eight or nine hours yesterday because all of my flights got cancelled, but youve just go to embrace the moment. How often do you get to do this? Not only how often, but howw many people get to take part in this stuff? Its a dream come true," Bachynski said. John Brown Jersey. "Im in a very special situation because June is a great month for me. I have the draft and I also have a baby due in a few days. Im so excited." The 7-2 centre from Calgary and his wife Malia, a former volleyball player, are expecting a baby June 8. "I love that I have her there for me, she was an athlete so she knows the time it takes to be excellent at something," Bachynski said. "Its just a testament to the kind of woman she is, she told me if she goes into labour, go to my next workout. Dont come home. Baby is going to be there when I get back." At 24, Bachynski is the oldest player in the draft. "Im one of those young guys," Bachynski said, when someone pointed out that fact. "My bodys young, Ive got an old head." He was plagued by injuries in high school and was forced to take time off to recover from surgeries. He was late to start college, spending two years in Miami on his Mormon mission. "It was the most valuable experience for me," Bachynski said of his time in Florida. "Guys tell me all the time that it was the dumbest thing I could have done, to take two years off of basketball. I barely touched a basketball in those two years, but I wouldnt be the basketball player I am today. I learned huge life lessons, I learned the importance of hard work, and perseverance." Bachynski said his age makes him better prepared to go pro. "Definitely. Im married. I have a dog," he said, prompting laughter from reporters. "Ive got a kid on the way. Im not one of those guys whos going out and partying on the weekends. Im sitting watching Netflix. Im a guy you dont have to worry about off the court." While Ujiri has said he wont draft a Canadian player just for the sake of it, he doesnt believe there would be added pressure on a Canadian playing in Toronto. "No concerns at all," he said. "I think this has been a good process for the Canadian kids, I think the last few years, a kid has gone No. 1 (Anthony Bennett to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season), kids have played in the league, so I dont think its anything new any more for them." The Raptors have three picks in the draft -- 20, 37 and 59. While Ujiri isnt ruling out the possibility of making a trade to move up, hes preparing to remain where he is. "The one thing I say about the draft is we all fall in love with it the day of, a couple days before," said Ujiri. "I never let my (staff) or myself get hopeful that were going to move up. We want to study 20 and figure out 20. If youre hoping for (a trade), there are 29 other teams that are hoping for the same, and 29 other teams that are trying to do other deals.