Vorschläge,Lob und Kritik » ssel. 10:30 – Ice-time for Joffrey

TORONTO - Major League Baseball isnt always about the first class charter flights, the five-star hotels and the gourmet food. For bubble players like Chad Jenkins and Jonathan Diaz, there can be days like Monday. Jenkins, the 26-year-old bullpen long man, is up for a third time already this season. Diaz is a 29-year-old utility infielder whos back for a second go round. "He was supposed to get on the plane with me," said Jenkins. "We checked our bags, got our little boarding pass and both of ours said get your seat at the gate." But Diaz didnt join Jenkins on the Monday morning flight from Charlotte, where the Triple-A Bisons were playing the White Soxs affiliate the Knights, because the flight was oversold. "I was panicking," said Jenkins. "I was like, um, I dont know what to do, should we call (traveling secretary) Mike (Shaw) and see who they need more and that person gets on the plane first?" Jenkins went ahead and boarded the plane. Diaz was on the phone with Shaw. The flight was re-booked. Jenkins promised Diaz hed pick up his teammates bags, which already had been placed in the plane. Jenkins arrived in Toronto in plenty of time to arrive to the stadium for three oclock. Diaz, who was in the starting lineup at shortstop to accommodate a day off for Jose Reyes, pulled in closer to six oclock. "Its been an awful day," said Jenkins. "Travel has been awful." He can only smile when he reflects upon the last two weeks of his life. Jenkins was first recalled on April 26. He spent two nights in Toronto and then boarded a flight to Kansas City with his teammates. After three nights in the Midwest, he flew with the Blue Jays to Pittsburgh. After one night there, Jenkins was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. The driver got lost on the way to Buffalo, which added more than an hour to the trip. The next day, he was back in a car from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, recalled as Brandon Morrows injury replacement. He flew to Philadelphia with the team, spent two nights there and returned to Toronto for two more nights. Jenkins flew to Atlanta when he was optioned after Thursdays game, spent time with his parents and they drove together to meet the Bisons in Charlotte on Saturday. Monday morning, he left Charlotte for Toronto. "My back doesnt know what a solid mattress feels like for more than three days," said Jenkins. "Its been fun. Its been a ride. Its been crazy." Jenkins participated in a Shoot For A Cure charity event in Atlanta and spent time with his father, Steve. He enjoyed a Mothers Day dinner with his mom, Gail, on Sunday night. In between, he pitched two innings for the Bisons on Saturday night and was pleased with the result given the travel and the resultant infrequent throwing schedule. "I got on the mound and thats the best command Ive had on my sinker all year," said Jenkins. "I was throwing front doors, I was throwing the back door to the righty where I was going out and coming back and I had two strike outs looking. I was like, what happened? Where did this come from? I threw the other night, my arm feels good and I feel like my command is coming back and Im hoping it stays." ENCARNACION HONOURED Edwin Encarnacion is heating up, so much so that Major League Baseball is taking notice, naming the Blue Jays first baseman the American League Player of the Week. In seven games from May 5-11, Encarnacion went 9-28 (.321) with four home runs, a triple and two doubles. ROSTER MOVES The Blue Jays have made 42 roster moves as of Monday, with the disabling of Sergio Santos, the recalls of Chad Jenkins and Jonathan Diaz and the optioning of Erik Kratz to Triple-A Buffalo. The moves break down like this: 10 relate to the disabled list; 16 involve recalls or minor league contract selections; 10 involve players being optioned to the minor leagues; six players have been designated for assignment. If it seems like the Blue Jays tinker with the roster a lot its because they do. You may be surprised, however, to learn the Yankees have made more roster moves than Toronto. Heres the American League East divisional breakdown as of May 12: New York Yankees: 49Toronto Blue Jays: 42Baltimore Orioles: 37Tampa Bay Rays: 31Boston Red Sox: 21 Sergio Romo Jersey . -- Ricky Romeros comeback bid hit another road bump Tuesday in an ugly 18-4 Jays loss to a Detroit Tigers split squad. Joey Wendle Jersey . -- Canadas Justin Shin shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday on PGA Wests Nicklaus Tournament Course to take the first-round lead in the Web. http://www.officialraysgearshop.com/Rays...-Kids-Jersey/.C. - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Danny Granger, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem are still not ready to play and will miss Wednesday nights game against the Charlotte Hornets. Rob Refsnyder Jersey . Certainly not Monday night. George Hill took care of the early work, scoring a season-high 26 points, and Paul George closed it out by scoring 11 of his 26 points during a decisive second-half stretch that finally allowed Indiana to pull away from Minnesota 98-84 for yet another win. C. J. Cron Jersey . Zimmermann became the National Leagues first 16-game winner, pitching seven solid innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night.TORONTO – Just when it seems that it cant get much worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs... Not good enough again, said Phil Kessel after the latest defeat. Another 18-wheeler is veering off the cliff in what seems to be slow motion for all of Toronto to witness. And theres no stopping it. The Maple Leafs losing streak hit eight games Thursday night in a manner that left many in the building and in the home dressing room shaking their heads in continued befuddlement. Its just like these situations where were finding ways not to win, said Peter Horachek after his teams 16th loss in 19 games, a 3-1 defeat to the equally reeling Coyotes. Weve got to find ways to win now. Just when it seems that it cant get much worse for the Leafs does Oliver Ekman-Larsson fire the most innocent of shots from his own blue-line, a knuckler that dipped and dived and eventually found its way underneath the glove of a stunned Jonathan Bernier. I didnt see it, Bernier said afterward of the shorthanded marker that ruptured his teams tentative 1-0 lead. It just dipped in front of me. Still rattled – jeers from the ACC crowd thrust his way – the 26-year-old yielded another bad one just a few minutes later. Martin Hanzal tucked that one in from just above the goal-line. It was enough to sink the fluttering Leafs, who cant seem to find a way not to beat themselves in some way or another. Just one night earlier in New Jersey did they surrender a game-tying goal with less than three minutes to go in regulation, only to lose again in the shootout. Bernier was enjoying a fine night up until the point of that fluttering goal, turning aside each and every one of the first 32 shots he faced in a 40-minute stretch that was increasingly controlled by the suddenly rebuilding Coyotes. His performance has certainly slipped in recent weeks – he entered the All-Star break with a .891 save percentage in a span of 10 starts – coinciding in ill-timed fashion with a flailing offence. The Leafs have mustered one goal or less now in seven of 10 games since Horachek took charge, totaling less than two goals per game since the middle of December. Its been an incredible stretch of futility for a team that all too recently led the league in scoring, one that punched back more than four goals per night during a mesmerizing 10-1-1 run. Kessel, who hadnt scored an even-strength goal in more than six weeks, was the lone Leaf to actually beat Mike Smith, who entered the night as perhaps the worst starting goaltender in the league this season. Were struggling, said Kessel afterward, as perplexed as anyone after another loss. Just when it seems the Leafs have lost in every manner possible during a run thats dashed another years worth of playoff hopes does something even stranger arise. Ive seen a lot of things now, Horachek said. Five Points 1. The Goal Bernier still appeared in some shock after the loss. His response to the back-breaking goal – yielding another to Hanzal a few minutes later – was certainly not what he desired. Its tough to stay in, said Bernier, especially when I thought I was playing pretty good and fans get on you. It gets frustrating, but Ive got to be stronger mentally and stay in it. Its going to happen, he added of the Ekman-Larsson goal. Its how you bounce back from it. The puck kind of went high and knuckled and dropped down, added Horachek, but you cant give yourself excuses, youve got to say thats his job and hes got to have that. 2. Kessel Breaks Spell Kessel hadnt scored at even-strength since Dec. 16, but came through with his 20th this season late in the first period. Reunited with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak, he curled into the high slot and beat Smith for the games first goal. Hopefully I can get going, he said afterward. Its frustrating right now. It was just Kessels third goal in 19 games. The Leafs struggles to score though go well beyond just one player: ? Tyler Bozak has gone eight straight without scoring and has just one goal in 15 games. ? Nazem Kadri has two goals in the past 10 games. ? James van Riemsdyk had two goals in nine games before scorring in back-to-back games.dddddddddddd. ? Mike Santorelli has gone 10 straight without a goal. ? Daniel Winnik has gone eight straight without a goal. ? David Booth has gone 18 straight without a goal. ? David Clarkson has just two markers in 24 games. ? Trevor Smith has gone nine straight without a goal. ? Richard Panik had gone 11 straight without a goal before being scratched against Arizona. The Leafs have fallen to 12th overall offensively, after rising to first at one point this season. 3. Quality Chances? After mustering just a goal against the Devils on Wednesday night, Horachek opted to check the tape to determine if his team was still getting the same number of scoring opportunities as before he took over. Are we getting the chances that we want? Are we getting the quality of chances that we want? And I think were getting that, he said. But we have to then push the envelope a little bit more. We have to spend more time in those areas, whatever you want to call it – the lions den, the house – and get more people in those areas. The Leafs entered Thursdays game scoring only 1.6 goals per game under his watch, unmistakably struck by a drastic swing in luck along the way. Torontos PDO (a measurement of luck) is the lowest in the league since the Randy Carlyle firing. If youre getting the same number of chances as we were when we were not playing as well defensively you would think that the message should be just finish your chances because were not getting less chances, were getting the same number of chances, Horachek added. Torontos goal-scoring issues began bubbling even before Horachek was hired though. In their final nine games under Carlyle the club scored just 2.1 goals per game, a good chunk coming on a since sunken power-play. 4. Power-play Adjustments Torontos coaching staff continued tweaking a struggling power-play Thursday, both in terms of personnel and strategy. Peter Holland got a look on the point of the first unit against the Coyotes – alongside Cody Franson – reclaiming a role he played both in junior with the Guelph Storm and during stints in the AHL. What the coaching staff identified strategically, meanwhile, was a need for more shots from the middle of the ice. Horachek and company believe theyve become too predictable on the power-play, too reliant on the Kessel left half-wall shot attempt. The approach was apparent on the Leafs first power-play opportunity versus Arizona, attempts from Holland and Franson in the middle of the ice creating a few quality chances on Smith. We have to change maybe the direction of how were attacking, Horachek said. Were getting the shots from Phils side or getting the shots from off the side on the half-wall but I think weve got to start now getting more shots down the middle. While resulting in more opportunity Torontos power-play ultimately did not score for the eighth time in 11 games. The Leafs have fallen to 14th on the power-play this season, going 0-3 versus the Coyotes. 5. Bernier Back-to-Back Bernier started back-to-back games for just the third time in his career Thursday night. He has yet to win under such circumstance. Bernier gave up three goals on eight shots and was pulled in his first bid (Mar. 5, 2014); yielded four goals on 28 shots in his second attempt (Mar. 29, 2014); and lost again Thursday despite an array of 42 saves. Stats-Pack 14 – Goals scored by the Leafs in 10 games under Peter Horachek. 7 – Consecutive seasons of at least 20 goals for Phil Kessel. 10:30 – Ice-time for Joffrey Lupul, who played for the first time since Dec. 31. 3-15-1 – Leafs record in the past 19 games. 2.82 – Goals per game for the Leafs this season. 4-37 – Toronto power-play in the past 11 games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3 Season: 18.8 per cent (14th) PK: 3-4 Season: 83.2 per cent (8th) Quote of the Night Both goals I think were bad goals; one from the goal-line, one from their blue-line. -Peter Horachek on the two goals Jonathan Bernier allowed Thursday night. Up Next The Leafs visit the Flyers on Saturday night. ' ' '