Werbung » sacked 40 times last season,

HOUSTON -- A pair of Red Sox from Texas sure made things tough on the Houston Astros in their return to the Lone Star state. Clay Buchholz allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 12 in his fifth career shutout in Bostons 11-0 win over Houston on Sunday. Brock Holt had a career-best five hits, including a leadoff homer, to help the Red Sox to their fourth victory in five games heading into the All-Star break. Buchholz went to high school 90 minutes from Houston in Lumberton, Texas, and Holt grew up in Stephenville, which is about 80 miles from Fort Worth. "I definitely had a lot of people out here to watch the game, so that makes it even better," Buchholz said. "Obviously, a win to end the first half is a good thing, too." All of the hits Buchholz (4-5) allowed were singles, and he didnt walk a batter in his first shutout since June 2, 2013, against the Yankees. Chris Carter extended his career-high hitting streak to nine games with a single with one out in the fourth. Buchholz sailed through the rest of the game, retiring his last 17 batters. "The change-up was best that it has been all year," Buchholz said. "The cutter had good bite to it. Whenever youve got four or five pitches working, its hard for a hitter to sit on any one of them." Holt, who played at Rice, launched a 92 mph fastball from Brad Peacock (3-6) into the seats in right field to give Boston an early lead. Hes the first Boston player to collect five hits in a nine-inning game since Victor Martinez on June 1, 2010. Holt smiled when told that a television shot of his mother showed her tearing up after his homer. "You dont expect to have weekends like this, so for all the family and friends to be in to see it was pretty special," Holt said. "It doesnt surprise me that (mom) was crying. Shes probably about to cry right now when I say goodbye." Peacock couldnt locate his pitches and was done after getting just one out, forcing Houston to use five relievers to finish the game. Peacock was unhappy about being pulled so early, but manager Bo Porter wanted to make a change before things got out of hand. "Its not like he had command of the strike zone," Porter said. "At that point, you say to yourself: Are you going to wait until it is 4 or 5 to nothing or are you going to try to give us a chance? I felt like we had a better chance to get another guy in there at that point." Rookie Christian Vazquez had two hits and two RBIs to help the Red Sox score a season-high 11 runs. Holt hit Bostons first leadoff homer of this season. Dustin Pedroia singled before David Ortiz drew a walk. Porter had seen enough and pulled Peacock after he plunked Daniel Nava on his 27th pitch. Xander Bogaerts walked to start the second and advanced to second on a passed ball. Stephen Drews single sent Bogaerts to third and he scored when Vazquez grounded into a double play to make it 2-0. Holt and Pedroia then hit back-to-back singles, but Anthony Bass retired Ortiz to limit the damage. Mike Napoli singled with no outs in the third before Nava reached on an error by first baseman Jon Singleton. An RBI single to centre field by Jackie Bradley Jr. pushed the lead to 3-0 before a sacrifice fly by Bogaerts scored another run. The bases were loaded with two outs in the fifth when Josh Zeid replaced Darin Downs and was greeted with an RBI single by Vazquez. A throwing error by Jose Altuve on the play allowed a second run to score and extend the lead to 6-0. An error and a single by Drew left runners at the corners with one out in the seventh. The Red Sox made it 7-0 on a sacrifice fly by Vazquez. Holt singled before Pedroia walked, and Ortiz drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to eight runs. Boston tacked on three more in the ninth inning. NOTES: Carter, who is normally the designated hitter, played left field for the first time since last season. That allowed George Springer to be the designated hitter because of soreness in his right knee. ... The Astros 40 wins at the break are the most they have had in the first half since winning 44 in 2009. Cheap Authentic Lions Jerseys . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand. Cheap Lions Jerseys . "This doesnt end anything," he said. "Weve got 10-1 in our last 11 games, and were going home in first place. We just have to keep playing the way we are right now. http://www.cheapdetroitlionsjerseysauthentic.com/ . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday. Cheap Detroit Lions Jerseys . Thaddeus Young scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner added 22 points, and the 76ers hung on for their first road win since Nov. 1, beating the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Sunday night. Wholesale Lions Jerseys . And thats about it. After the Salukis 73-65 loss at Murray State on Tuesday night, Hinson called his players "uncoachable," "a bunch of mamas boys" and compared the disciplining of his young team to housebreaking a puppy.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Rob Gronkowski was a training camp spectator last summer while recovering from surgery. This summer, after another operation, the New England Patriots star tight end is expected to be on the field for the first practice Thursday. "Hes been cleared to play," coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. Thats welcome news to his teammates after a season in which Gronkowski played just seven regular-season games. He missed the first six following back surgery about a month before camp and the last three, plus both playoff games, with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. "We were all hoping Gronk would have a good recovery and so far he has," Patriots left guard Logan Mankins said. "Well just see where he is, how good he is right now. Its great to have him out there." The team could use his sure-handed receiving, powerful blocking and fun-loving personality. "Hes a tremendous player," defensive end Rob Ninkovich said. "Hes one of the best guys you could ever meet. Hes a great guy off the field. Hell say hi to anybody. Hell do anything for you." Gronkowski stayed healthy his first two seasons after the Patriots drafted him out of Arizona in the second round in 2010. He played all 32 regular-season games with 132 receptions and 27 touchdown catches. But while blocking for an extra point in the 11th game of 2012, a 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts, he broke his left forearm. That injury ended a season in which he had 55 catches for 11 touchdowns and was chosen for his second consecutive Pro Bowl even though he couldnt play. He had four forearm surgeries and a back operation. He watched training camp practices from the sideline, often wearing a T-shirt and shorts. His first practice in pads came last Sept. 1, seven days before the season opener. After missing the first six games, he led all NFL tight ends in the next six with 37 catches and 560 yards receiving. But his second reception in the next game was his last of the season. Safety T.J. Ward knocked him down with a hit tto the right knee in a 27-26 win over the Cleveland Browns in Foxborough on Dec.dddddddddddd 8. Gronkowski was driven off the field on a cart. He underwent surgery in January. Less than seven months later, is there anything the Patriots can do to better protect him? "The health of the team is the most important thing that we have," Belichick said. "We always try to do everything we can to help all the players stay healthy and stay on the field. We do that for everybody, every single guy. Its a consideration for all them. Certainly Rob, but everybody." He said Gronkowski cannot be put on the physically unable to perform list because hes been cleared to play. "Robs always worked hard. He worked hard as a rookie," Belichick said. "What weve seen, hes been consistent." Tom Brady has certainly seen Gronkowskis consistency as a receiver and blocker. With Gronkowski limited to seven games, the quarterback was sacked 40 times last season, one less than his career high in 2001, his first year as a starter. "Hes a very good blocker, especially for his position," Mankins said. "A lot of times the guys that catch the ball as well as he does, they dont really block at all. They try to get in the way sometimes, but Gronk goes after people and he tries to block the best that he can and most of the time its pretty good." His return also would give Brady his most reliable receiver. The teams other tight ends caught just 14 passes last season. "Hes a big target for Tom to get the ball to and he gets open," Mankins said. "Anytime you can have Gronk on the field, its great." Gronkowski was on the field at Gillette Stadium on July 1 at a Beyonce and Jay-Z concert where his knee didnt seem to inhibit his lively dancing. Now he seems on target to showing his moves in a game, starting with the opener at Miami on Sept. 7. "Im happy to see his progress and see him coming into the season and staying healthy," Ninkovich said. "Obviously, thats what everybody is talking about." ' ' '