Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/138444
2B Daily News – Thursday, June 20, 2013 Rangers 9, Athletics 4 NFL 49ers sign Justin Smith to 2-year extension AP photo The Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus, left, gets back to second safely as Oakland Athletics Eric Sogard (28) reaches up to grab the pick off attempt Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. Oakland drops 1 to Texas ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — David Murphy had three hits and scored twice to snap out of a long slump, and the Texas Rangers beat the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics 94 on Wednesday night. Justin Grimm (6-5) trailed when he threw his last pitch, but the Rangers scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead and make him the first Texas starter this month to get a victory. Rangers starters had gone 17 consecutive games without a win since Derek Holland beat Kansas City on May 31. The team's previous longest such stretch was 16 in a row in 1975. Nelson Cruz, hitting third for the first time this season, had three hits and drove in two runs, and Lance Berkman homered for the Rangers. Murphy had only seven hits in his previous 51 at-bats before hits in three consecutive innings — two singles before a double in the seventh. The nine runs were the most for Texas since a 9-5 win over Arizona on May 30. Their 14 hits were the most since a night later against Kansas City in the game Holland won. Ian Kinsler had a sacrifice fly off FINALS (Continued from page 1B) Toews tipped in near the right post. Just over two minutes later, Kane made it 3-1. Bryan Bickell shot the puck from low in the left circle. Rask deflected it to the other side and then scrambled to get back in position, but Kane converted the rebound at 8:41. The Bruins stayed aggressive, and it paid off when Lucic got his sixth goal of the postseason at 14:43. Zdeno Chara passed the puck from the left boards to Lucic in the slot for a backhand from 10 feet past Crawford. Then it was the Blackhawks' turn to come back, and it took less than a LEGACY (Continued from page 1B) pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. It had close calls, debatable decisions, and the NBA's best player at his very best when his team needed him most. Games 2-5 in the series had been ugly, but that one was a beauty. ''I think — I know — that game will go down as one of the best finals games that's been seen,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. ''But I think this series will go down as being one of the most competitive, bizarre series that's been seen. So this is what you pay for to watch. You pay to watch two great teams battle to the very, very end, and that's what we'll do (today). It will be to the very last second.'' The Heat could become the NBA's first repeat champions since the Lakers in 2010. James and Chris Bosh moved to Miami to join Tommy Milone (6-7) that tied the game in the fifth before Leonys Martin raced home on a grounder with the goahead run. The Rangers won for only the fourth time in 14 games, and pulled within two games of Oakland. The A's will go for a split in the finale of the four-game series Thursday, but will leave Texas still in first place regardless of what happens. Oakland went ahead 3-2 in the fifth on a three-run homer by Chris Young, a .186 hitter in the leadoff spot while both Coco Crisp and John Jaso got the night out of the starting lineup. Grimm walked Josh Reddick, a .206 hitter, before a wild pitch and then a walk to No. 9 hitter Eric Sogard. Young homered onto hill in straightaway center field, a shot estimated at 404 feet for a 3-2 lead. Before that, the A's didn't have a runner get past first base. But their lead didn't last long after Grimm's last pitch. Murphy and Martin, left-handed hitters at the bottom of the Texas batting order, had consecutive singles off lefty Milone to start the fifth. Murphy scored on the Kinsler sac fly and Mar- minute. Kruger put his own rebound past Rask for his third postseason goal this year at 15:32. But that 4-2 lead didn't hold up for long in the back-and-forth game. At 17:22, Bergeron scored his eighth goal of the playoffs off an odd bounce during a power play. Chara's shot hit the glass behind Crawford and bounced back off the top of the net. It ended up in the slot, and Bergeron put it in to cut the deficit to 43. Handzus had scored the first goal after Brandon Saad stole the puck from Tyler Seguin in the Boston zone and raced up the right side. He crossed the blue line and then passed across the slot to Handzus, who beat Rask from about Wade a few weeks later and they are in the finals for the third time in three chances. But playing for titles is more expected than celebrated now in Miami, and a 66win season that included a 27-game winning streak — and perhaps the whole Big Three era — goes down as a failure if the Heat fall Thursday. Yet James said he doesn't need the victory to validate his decision to take his talents to South Beach. ''I mean, I need it because I want it and I only came here — my only goal is to win championships,'' he said. ''I said it, this is what I came here for. This is what I wanted to be a part of this team for.'' He, Wade and Bosh are going for No. 2, while San Antonio is getting a second shot at what would be a fourth together for Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. All their years together have given the Spurs' trio the belief they can bounce back from Tuesday's collapse. tin immediately took off running from third toward home when Nelson Cruz hit a grounder. Third baseman Josh Donaldson's throw was to the first base-side of the plate, and by time Derek Norris caught it and reached back to try to apply a tag, Martin had slid past him and reached back with his hand to slap the touch the plate. Grimm allowed three hits and the runs on the homer. The right-hander struck out three and walked three while getting his sixth victory, most for American League rookies. Robinson Chirinos and Murphy had consecutive one-singles in the sixth to chase Milone, who allowed six runs and eight hits. Martin and Kinsler greeted reliever Dan Otero with consecutive RBI singles. Jaso, who was getting a break before Thursday's day game, had to come in after Norris got hit by a foul tip off Adrian Beltre's bat in the sixth. Norris went down to his knees and stayed in that position for several minutes before being helped off the field. When play resumed, Beltre had an RBI double for an 8-3 lead. 5 feet. Then Peverley tied it. Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference kept the puck in the zone when he went to his knees at the left point. He passed it toward Peverley near the right circle. Peverley controlled the puck and took a shot from the inside edge of the circle, beating Crawford to the near side. The Blackhawks, Stanley Cup winners in 2010, dominated the early part of the first period. But the Bruins, the 2011 champions, came on strong in the last 10 minutes and ended the period being outshot by only 10-9. The Blackhawks won the opener 4-3 on Andrew Shaw's goal at 12:08 of the third overtime and lost 2-1 in Game 2 on Daniel Paille's goal at 13:48 of The team went to dinner after the game, Duncan figuring that was better than guys sitting alone with their thoughts in their rooms. Parker and Boris Diaw discussed a similar situation with the French national team in the 2005 European championships, when they blew a late lead against Greece in the semifinals but then came back to beat Spain for the bronze medal. ''We just have to be positive and forget Game 6,'' Parker said. ''It was a great opportunity, but that's life. It's basketball and everybody will be ready.'' So will James, who was planning a relaxing night with family and friends Wednesday. He has the most at stake in the game, and when it's over he'll be either a two-time NBA Finals MVP or a two-time loser in a Heat uniform. ''I want to go down as one of the greatest. I want our team to go down as one of the greatest teams. And we have an opportunity to the first overtime. Marian Hossa returned to the Blackhawks lineup after being a late scratch in Game 3 because of an upper body injury. He has three game-winning goals in the playoffs and was second on the team with 17 goals during the regular season. Since the best-of-seven format for the Cup finals began in 1939, teams leading 2-1 have won the championship 38 of 47 times. Boston had won its previous seven home playoff games, outscoring opponents 21-10. The Bruins are 11-3 in their last 14 games with all three losses coming in overtime. Rask has allowed one goal or fewer in each of Boston's last eight wins. do that,'' James said. ''Hasn't been many teams to win back-to-back championships. It's so hard. It's the hardest thing. I said last year it was the hardest thing I've ever done, winning my first. Last year don't even come close to what we've gone through in this postseason and in these finals. ''So I'll be there (Thursday) night. I'm going to give it my all.'' The Spurs have never lost in the finals, but they've never faced a situation quite like this. They won a Game 7 for the 2005 championship, but that victory over Detroit was at home. The last five finals that went the distance all went to the home team. ''I don't really care what it's been like for anybody else at any time,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''All I know is we have had a hell of a year and we have an opportunity to win a championship. That's all that matters.'' SANTA CLARA (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers signed defensive end Justin Smith to a two-year contract extension Wednesday to keep one of their most important defensive players off the free-agent market next offseason. Smith, 33, has been the anchor to one of the NFL's top defenses the past two seasons, helping the 49ers make it to the NFC championship game following the 2011 season and to the Super Bowl last season. He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013 season but had no interest in testing the market and negotiated the extension himself with general manager Trent Baalke to remain under contract through 2015. ''I wanted to be here. That makes it simple,'' Smith said. ''They wanted me to be here and I wanted to be here so that makes it easy.'' Smith originally signed a six-year deal to join the 49ers in 2008 and has been a key part of the building process that turned the franchise's fortunes around after an eight-year stretch without a playoff berth. Smith was a first-team All-Pro defensive tackle and second-team defensive end in 2011 in a sign of his versatility. He was a second-team selection at both positions last season and has made four straight Pro Bowls. ''Justin's All-Pro contributions on the field, as well as his leadership on and off the field, are integral to our success as a team,'' Baalke said in a statement. ''Justin consistently sets a standard of excellence, serving as an example for everyone within our organization. This contract allows Justin to finish his career as a 49er!'' Since joining the 49ers in 2008, Smith has helped the team rank second in rushing yards allowed per game (94.4) and yards per carry (3.6) over that time span. He has 536 tackles, 32 sacks, one interception, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed since joining the 49ers. GIANTS put a good swing on it.'' Scutaro followed with an RBI single and Posey singled before Tyson Ross came on to strike out Pence and Joaquin Arias. He also struck out the side in the eighth. Jake Dunning pitched the eighth and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances. The benches cleared briefly in the second inning when Guzman took a few steps toward the mound after a pitch from Bumgarner sailed behind his back. ''I was mad because it was just too obvious to me,'' Guzman said. ''It's OK. I will forget about that moment. I play for my team and I play to win. We'll just play and see what happens.'' Posey said it was nothing more than missed location. ''We're trying to get inside on a guy who has hurt us out before,'' he said. ''That's all there was to it.'' Venable hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot leading off the third to put the Padres ahead. The Giants tied it with a run in the fourth. Belt's looping fly ball down the left field line fell just out of the reach of the charging Kyle Blanks, allowing Pence to score from third. Guzman led off the seventh with his third home run of the season and second in two games. He's a .304 career hitter against left-handers and .429 (12 for 28) against Bumgarner. Guzman, who made his major league debut with the Giants against the Padres, has hit four home runs in San Francisco, second only to eight in San Diego. He has no more than one in any other ballpark. MLB MLB (Continued from page 1B) American League West Division A's Texas Seattle Angels Houston East Division National League West Division W 43 40 32 31 27 L 31 32 40 40 46 Pct GB .581 — .556 2 .444 10 .437 10.5 .370 15.5 W L Pct GB Boston 44 30 .595 — Baltimore 42 31 .575 1.5 New York 39 32 .549 3.5 Tampa Bay 37 35 .514 6 Toronto 35 36 .493 7.5 Central Division W L Pct GB Detroit 39 31 .557 — Cleveland 36 35 .507 3.5 Kansas City 34 36 .486 5 Minnesota 32 36 .471 6 Chicago 29 40 .420 9.5 —————————————————— Wednesday's results N.Y. Yankees 6, L.A. Dodgers 4, 1st game Baltimore 13, Detroit 3 Cleveland 6, Kansas City 3 L.A. Dodgers 6, N.Y. Yankees 0, 2nd game Toronto 5, Colorado 2 Tampa Bay 6, Boston 2 Texas 9, Oakland 4 Minnesota 7, Chicago White Sox 4 Milwaukee 3, Houston 1 Seattle at L.A. Angels, 10:05 p.m. Today's games Chicago White Sox (Joh.Danks 1-3) at Minnesota (Diamond 4-6), 10:10 a.m. Oakland (Griffin 5-6) at Texas (Lindblom 0-2), 11:05 a.m. Milwaukee (Gallardo 6-6) at Houston (Harrell 5-7), 11:10 a.m. Tampa Bay (M.Moore 8-3) at N.Y. Yankees (Pettitte 5-4), 4:05 p.m. Boston (Lackey 4-5) at Detroit (J.Alvarez 1-0), 4:08 p.m. Seattle (F.Hernandez 8-4) at L.A. Angels (Hanson 4-2), 7:05 p.m.(C.Wilson 5-5), 4:05 p.m. Friday's games Houston at Chicago Cubs, 11:20 a.m. Minnesota at Cleveland, 4:05 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, 4:05 p.m. Baltimore at Toronto, 4:07 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 4:08 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 5:10 p.m. Texas at St. Louis, 5:15 p.m. Pittsburgh at L.A. Angels, 7:05 p.m. Oakland at Seattle, 7:10 p.m. Arizona GIANTS Colorado San Diego Dodgers East Division W 39 37 37 36 30 L 33 34 36 36 40 Pct .542 .521 .507 .500 .429 GB — 1.5 2.5 3 8 W L Pct GB Atlanta 43 30 .589 — Washington 35 36 .493 7 Philadelphia 35 38 .479 8 New York 27 41 .397 13.5 Miami 22 49 .310 20 Central Division W L Pct GB St. Louis 46 26 .639 — Cincinnati 44 29 .603 2.5 Pittsburgh 42 30 .583 4 Chicago 29 41 .414 16 Milwaukee 29 41 .414 16 —————————————————— Wednesday's results N.Y. Yankees 6, L.A. Dodgers 4, 1st game Arizona 3, Miami 1 San Francisco 4, San Diego 2 L.A. Dodgers 6, N.Y.Yankees 0, 2nd game Washington 6, Philadelphia 2, 11 innings Toronto 5, Colorado 2 Atlanta 5, N.Y. Mets 3 Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 1, 13 innings Milwaukee 3, Houston 1 St. Louis 4, Chicago Cubs 1 Today's games Pittsburgh (Cumpton 0-0) at Cincinnati (H.Bailey 4-5), 9:35 a.m. Milwaukee (Gallardo 6-6) at Houston (Harrell 5-7), 11:10 a.m. Colorado (Oswalt 0-0) at Washington (Zimmermann 9-3), 4:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Niese 3-6) at Atlanta (Minor 82), 4:10 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Feldman 6-5) at St. Louis (Lynn 9-1), 5:15 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Fife 1-2) at San Diego (Marquis 9-2), 7:10 p.m. Miami (Koehler 0-5) at San Francisco (Gaudin 2-1), 7:15 p.m. Friday's games Houston at Chicago Cubs, 11:20 a.m. Colorado at Washington, 4:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m. Atlanta at Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m. Texas at St. Louis, 5:15 p.m. Cincinnati at Arizona, 6:40 p.m. Pittsburgh at L.A. Angels, 7:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at San Diego, 7:10 p.m. Miami at San Francisco, 7:15 p.m.