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2B Daily News – Thursday, November 15, 2012 RAIDERS MLB Giants give Affeldt $18M over 3 years SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jeremy Affeldt wanted some job security — and the reliable reliever got it. MCT photo Oakland, which is battling injuries, will need a big day from quarterback Carson Palmer on Sunday. Palmer feels weight to win Palmer knows he will have to have a big day to get the Oakland Raiders back on the winning track. With a defense that has allowed 97 points the past two weeks, a run- ning game decimated by injuries and the high-powered New Orleans Saints offense led by Drew Brees coming to town, the Raiders (3-6) will be counting on Palmer even more than usual. ''Being a quarterback you don't ALAMEDA (AP) — Carson record for yards passing in a season, averaging more than 300 per game so far. ''He's big, he can see the field, he's got great vision,'' Saints inter- im coach Joe Vitt said. ''There's not a coverage that he can't throw a ball into, and there's not a coverage he hasn't seen.'' want to think that,'' Palmer said Wednesday. ''You still want to go through your reads. Sometimes a sack is the best play, sometimes a punt is the best play. But you can't do it too many times against these guys. ... I don't let myself go into a game thinking 'we have to score on this drive, we have to score on this drive.' You get yourself in trouble and your team in trouble doing that. But I understand what we're up against. I understand that we have to keep up with these guys.'' Palmer has carried a heavy bur- den in his first full season as Raiders quarterback, throwing the second-most passes in the league so far with 375 — 13 behind Detroit's Matthew Stafford. Palmer has thrown for 782 yards the past two weeks and is looking to put togeth- er three straight 300-yard games for the first time in his career. He is on pace to set the Raiders' A'S Melvin will welcome back Colon OAKLAND (AP) — Bartolo Colon will be wel- comed back to the Oakland Athletics with no hard feel- ings — at least by newly crowned AL Manager of the Year Bob Melvin. Melvin said Wednesday he is ''thrilled'' the right- hander will return to the club next year after his 2012 season ended with a 50-game suspension Aug. 22 for testing positive for testosterone. Colon received a $3 mil- lion, one-year contract Nov. 3, though he still has five games remaining on his suspension when the 2013 season starts. While the NFL Injured Roethlisberger out against Ravens PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger's sprained right shoulder is just the start of his prob- lems. The Pittsburgh Steel- ers quarterback said Wednesday he also dislo- cated a rib while getting sacked in the third quar- ter of Monday night's win against Kansas City. Roethlisberger sprained the SC joint in his shoul- der on the play but says the rib issue is a bigger concern. Roethlisberger said doctors are concerned the rib could cut into his aorta. He's already been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Balti- more Ravens. Backup Byron Leftwich will start in his place, though Roethlisberger doesn't believe the injuries will end his season. ''I don't think so, I don't know though but I'm not a medical expert,'' Roethlisberger said. ''I just know I'm going to do what I can to get back.'' Roethlisberger added he's in considerable pain and has slept just four hours over the last two nights. He wore a black sling in the locker room to prevent the rib from moving around. Doctors are worried if the rib gets jostled before it heals it can cause internal bleed- ing. ''I can move (the arm) around, that's not the issue,'' Roethlisberger said. ''Sometimes when I do move it the rib will kind of pop out of place again, which is pretty painful. I just try to keep it as still as I can for the most part.'' The quarterback added the pain level is ''nine on a scale of 1-10.'' NASCAR Sprint Cup Points Leaders 1. Brad Keselowski 2,371 2. Jimmie Johnson 2,351 3. Kasey Kahne 4. Clint Bowyer 5. Denny Hamlin 6. Matt Kenseth 7. Greg Biffle 8. Kevin Harvick 9. Tony Stewart 10. Jeff Gordon 11. Martin Truex Jr. 2,260 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,211 2,321 2,319 2,309 2,297 2,293 2,285 2,284 2,281 new deal includes incen- tives for starts and innings, he also has potential bonus- es for relief appearances — though Melvin said Colon would prepare as a starter and will be ''embraced'' by the reigning AL West champions. ''He's gone through his you get to the postseason, but he was a key guy for us, he really was.'' penalty,'' Melvin said. ''It's one thing if it's a guy who might be a little bit of a bad guy, but his is a true gentle- man, a great guy who just made a mistake. He'll be embraced back here again. He was very important for us. Guys like that can kind of get lost in the shuffle when they're not here and The former Cy Young winner went 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts for Oakland last season, his 15th in the majors. A's general manager Billy Beane said finding a veteran pitcher to be part of a young rotation — and for the financial value — Colon was the perfect fit. Melvin said he last spoke to Colon about three weeks after the suspension began, and they will talk again before the start of spring training in February. ''I don't need to talk to Bart. I will call him at some point in time,'' Melvin said. ''I got very close to him, and we had a nice conversa- tion and he was very remorseful when all that went down. I think in the back of his mind he was hoping this situation would arise for him again, and it did.'' A's assistant general manager David Forst said Wednesday the team remains in contact with shortstop Stephen Drew. Oakland declined to pick up their half of a $10 mil- lion mutual option late last month. Drew is seeking a long-term deal. MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE Semifinals San Jose vs. Los Angeles Sunday, Nov. 4: San Jose 1, Los Angeles 0 Wednesday, Nov. 7: Los Angeles 3, San Jose 1, Los Angeles advances on 3-2 aggregate Seattle vs. Real Salt Lake Friday, Nov. 2: Real Salt Lake 0, Seattle 0 Thursday, Nov. 8: Seattle 1, Real Salt Lake 0, Seattle advances on 1-0 aggre- gate Championship Sunday's result: Los Angeles 3, Seattle 0 Sunday, Nov. 18: Seattle vs. Los Angeles, 6 p.m. EASTERN CONFERENCE Semifinals D.C. United vs. New York Saturday, Nov. 3: D.C. United 1, New York 1 Wednesday, Nov. 7: D.C. United at New York, ppd., snow Thursday, Nov. 8: New York 0, D.C. Unit- ed 1, D.C. United advances on 2-1 aggregate Kansas City vs. Houston Sunday, Nov. 4: Houston 2, Kansas City 0 Wednesday, Nov. 7: Kansas City 1, Houston 0, Houston advances on 2-1 aggregate Championship Sunday's result: Houston 3, D.C. United 1 Sunday, Nov. 18: D.C. United vs. Hous- ton, 1 p.m. The only team that has passed the ball a higher percentage of time this season than Oakland is New Orleans, with both teams calling passes on about two of every three offensive plays. Part of that has to do with the fact that both Oakland and New Orleans have two of the worst defenses in the league. The Saints have allowed the most yards per game in the NFL, giving up more than 400 every week. Oakland has allowed 97 points the past two weeks — the most for the franchise since 1961 — and is allowing more than 30 points per game. But Palmer said it's important not to try to do too much to over- come a struggling defense. ''When the opposing offense is scoring fast and often it definitely puts a lot of stress on you,'' Palmer said. ''You can't get in situations, especially early in the game, where you try to fit balls in certain spots. You could be down by seven and right before you know it if you try to do things like that you can be down by 14 or 21. You still have to go through your reads, go about the game plan. When you get to the third and fourth quarter, depending on where you're at with a team like this, things can change.'' Making the task even harder for the Raiders is they may have to do it essentially without much of a run- ning game. Starter Darren McFad- den and backup Mike Goodson remain sidelined by sprained right ankles that forced them to leave early Nov. 4 against Tampa Bay. Both remain in walking boots and their status for this week's game remains in question. If they are unable to play again, the Raiders will be left with fullback Marcel Reece, recently activated practice squader Jeremy Stewart and second-year speedster Taiwan Jones at halfback. Jones had only two carries and one catch last week as he struggles to gain the trust of the coaching staff. ''He's got to prove to us that he can stay healthy, that he's got to know what to do on every single play and he's got to protect the foot- ball,'' coach Dennis Allen said. ''We're giving him those opportuni- ties in practice, and as he shows us he's going to be able to do that, he'll see more time.'' World Series champion San Francisco Giants completed an $18 million, three-year contract Wednesday. Bobby Evans, the team's vice president of baseball operations, said the deal had been finalized to keep Affeldt in the Bay Area. ''We are so happy to be back with our San Francis- co family,'' Affeldt said. Affeldt, who returned home to Washington State from San Francisco after taking his physical Tues- day, realizes few relievers can say they will have spent seven years with the same team. The 33-year-old Affeldt went 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 67 appear- ances covering 63 1-3 innings this season for the Giants. ''It's an awesome oppor- tunity to stay in that city for a few more years,'' he said. ''This is what I was looking for — not one year, not one year with an option. When you can get a multiyear deal in one city and give your family some stability, it's a good thing.'' The left-hander and the When the season ended, he publicly said he wanted to stay but would not accept a one-year deal because he wanted to provide some sta- bility for his family — he has a wife and three young sons. Affeldt also was a key member of the bullpen dur- ing the club's 2010 run to the franchise's first champi- onship since 1954. ''I'm glad it got done,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ''He is such a key swing guy who can be used in the sixth inning on. That was an important sign for us. I'm excited to have the crazy left-hander back. He's get- ting better with age, his stuff, his command. He is a more complete pitcher now than when we got him. He's NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific WL Pct GB L.A. Clippers 5 2 .714 — Phoenix 4 4 .500 1.5 WARRIORS 34 .429 2 L.A. Lakers 3 5 .375 2.5 KINGS Southwest WL Pct GB San Antonio 7 1 .875 — Memphis Dallas Houston New Orleans 3 3 .500 Northwest WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 6 3 .667 — Minnesota Denver Utah Portland 5 3 .625 .5 4 4 .500 1.5 4 5 .444 2 3 5 .375 2.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic New York Brooklyn Boston WL Pct GB 5 0 1.000 — 4 2 .667 1.5 5 3 .625 1.5 Philadelphia 4 4 .500 2.5 Toronto Central 2 6 .250 4.5 WL Pct GB Milwaukee 5 2 .714 — Chicago Indiana Cleveland Detroit Southeast Miami Charlotte Atlanta Orlando WL Pct GB 6 2 .750 — 4 3 .571 1.5 3 3 .500 2 2 5 .286 3.5 Washington 0 7 .000 5.5 —————————————————— Wednesday's results Detroit 94, Philadelphia 76 Boston 98, Utah 93 Houston 100, New Orleans 96 Charlotte 89, Minnesota 87 Memphis 107, Oklahoma City 97 Milwaukee 99, Indiana 85 Dallas 107, Washington 101 Chicago at Phoenix, late Atlanta at Golden State, late Miami at L.A. Clippers, late Today's Games Boston at Brooklyn, 5 p.m. New York at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Miami at Denver, 7:30 p.m. 4 3 .571 1 3 6 .333 3 2 6 .250 3.5 1 8 .111 5 6 1 .857 .5 5 4 .556 2.5 4 4 .500 3 West WL T Pct PF PA 26 .250 3.5 49ERS 62 1 .722213 127 Seattle 6 4 0 .600 198 161 Arizona 4 5 0 .444 144 173 St. Louis 3 5 1 .389 161 210 East N.Y. Giants 6 4 0 .600 267 216 Dallas WL T Pct PF PA 4 5 0 .444 188 204 Philadelphia 3 6 0 .333 156 221 Washington 3 6 0 .333 226 248 South WL T Pct PF PA Atlanta 8 1 0 .889 247 174 Tampa Bay 5 4 0 .556 260 209 New Orleans4 5 0 .444 249 256 Carolina 2 7 0 .222 163 216 North WL T Pct PF PA Chicago 7 2 0 .778 242 133 Green Bay 6 3 0 .667 239 187 Minnesota 6 4 0 .600 238 221 Detroit 4 5 0 .444 216 222 —————————————————— Week 10 Results Thursday's result Indianapolis 27, Jacksonville 10 Sunday's results New Orleans 31, Atlanta 27 Minnesota 34, Detroit 24 Denver 36, Carolina 14 Tampa Bay 34, San Diego 24 Tennessee 37, Miami 3 New England 37, Buffalo 31 Baltimore 55, Oakland 20 Cincinnati 31, N.Y. Giants 13 Seattle 28, N.Y. Jets 7 St. Louis 24, San Francisco 24, OT Dallas 38, Philadelphia 23 Houston 13, Chicago 6 Open: Arizona, Cleveland, Green Bay, Washington Monday's result Pittsburgh 16, Kansas City 13, OT Week 11 Schedule Today's game Miami at Buffalo, 5:20 p.m. Sunday's games Cleveland at Dallas, 10 a.m. N.Y. Jets at St. Louis, 10 a.m. Jacksonville at Houston, 10 a.m. Cincinnati at Kansas City, 10 a.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 10 a.m. Green Bay at Detroit, 10 a.m. Arizona at Atlanta, 10 a.m. Tampa Bay at Carolina, 10 a.m. New Orleans at Oakland, 1:05 p.m. San Diego at Denver, 1:25 p.m. Indianapolis at New England, 1:25 p.m. Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 5:20 p.m. Open: Minnesota, N.Y. Giants, Seattle, Tennessee Monday's game Chicago at San Francisco, 5:30 doing what you want your players to do: keep getting better.'' General manager Brian Sabean called re-signing Affeldt one of his top off- season priorities. Affeldt lives on the West Coast in his hometown of Spokane, Wash., so re-signing with the Giants was appealing from that standpoint as well. ''It's great to retain such a big piece to our bullpen puzzle,'' Sabean said. He has spent the past four of his 11 major league seasons with San Francisco, going 10-9 with a 2.73 ERA in 237 1-3 innings and 184 outings. Affeldt dealt with two bizarre, non-baseball injuries the past two sea- sons. On Sept. 8, 2011, the pitcher sliced his non- throwing hand nearly to the artery while separating frozen hamburgers during an outdoor barbecue with his family on an off-day. The paring knife he was using pushed through a hamburger patty and deep into his hand. Affeldt came within a millimeter of an artery and underwent surgery about eight hours after the injury to repair nerve damage in his pinkie. In late April, he sprained his right knee and went on the disabled list after he reached out to catch his son, Walker, as the 60-pound 4- year-old jumped off the couch to hug his arriving father. NFL AFC West WL T Pct PF PA Denver 6 3 0 .667 271 189 San Diego 4 5 0 .444 209 191 RAIDERS 36 0 .333191 284 Kansas City 1 8 0 .111 146 256 East N. England 6 3 0 .667 299 201 Miami WL T Pct PF PA 4 5 0 .444 173 186 N.Y. Jets 3 6 0 .333 175 228 Buffalo 3 6 0 .333 211 285 South WL T Pct PF PA Houston 8 1 0 .889 250 143 Indianapolis 6 3 0 .667 186 201 Tennessee 4 6 0 .400 219 311 Jacksonville 1 8 0 .111 127 246 North WL T Pct PF PA Baltimore 7 2 0 .778 254 196 Pittsburgh 6 3 0 .667 207 177 Cincinnati 4 5 0 .444 220 231 Cleveland 2 7 0 .222 169 211 NFC