championships here.Crowder believes the Celtics have upgr

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Elvis Andrus had been dealing with flu symptoms and kept his celebration rather subdued after the Texas Rangers clinched the AL West, so he asked manager Jeff Banister afterward to please put him in the lineup again Saturday. He promised to be ready to play.The lone veteran in the lineup a day after Texas won captured another division title, Andrus showed it by hitting a pair of two-run homers in the Rangers 5-0 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.Yesterday unfortunately it was the first time I couldnt celebrate with the guys or go after the game and celebrate, so I was like I might as well play tomorrow if I wont be able to celebrate the right way, he said.Texas wants to keep winning to earn home-field advantage.Yu Darvish (6-5) had all the run support he needed on a couple of big swings from Andrus, who had his first career multi-homer game. Andrus, who will get a break Sunday, also established career highs for homers with eight and RBI with 68.Andrus said it means a lot to have that production, and told teammates he would one day have two home runs in a game.Theyre going to laugh when I bring up a conversation about homers, for sure, I dont have too many in my career, he said. They didnt today.Darvish allowed only Stephen Vogts two-out single in the first until Yonder Alonso singled with one out in the fifth. Marcus Semien followed with a walk, but Darvish escaped unscathed.Banister rested his regulars aside from right fielder Nomar Mazara and Andrus, who had his second career four-RBI game.Robinson Chirinos added an RBI double in the ninth for Texas (92-63), which moved 29 games above .500 for the first time since exactly four years ago on Sept. 24, 2012.Darvish had been 0-3 on the road, winning for the first time in seven away starts, but he had no-decisions in his last three. Darvish allowed two hits, struck out nine and walked one in seven innings a day after Texas became the first AL team to clinch a playoff spot with its second straight division title and seventh AL West title overall.Certainly today thats as good as weve seen Darvish pitch in a while, As manager Bob Melvin said.Three relievers finished the five-hit shutout. Darvish had lost to the As his previous time out, allowing seven runs over five innings in an 11-2 loss last Saturday in Arlington.Now, ace lefty Cole Hamels and Darvish seem poised to give the Rangers a powerful 1-2 to start the playoffs.Im sure the confidence level is high, Banister said.As rookie Raul Alcantara (1-2), someone Melvin considers a candidate for the rotation next season, struck out six with one walk over six innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and has surrendered five home runs in four major league starts.Oakland had the bases loaded in the eighth but Vogt flied out.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: RHP Tony Barnette threw 20 pitches to hitters as he works back from a strained oblique and could get into games early in the week. He has no lingering discomfort in his left side. Im ready to roll, he said. Back to normal. ... OF Shin-Soo Choo hit against Barnette. On Friday, he took batting practice for the first time since August surgery to have a plate inserted for a fracture near the left wrist. ... LHP Derek Holland is moving to the bullpen as Banister, his staff and general manager Jon Daniels evaluate how the Rangers playoff roster might look. Carrying eight relievers over the seven Texas had a year ago for a five-game division series defeat to Toronto is Banisters leaning right now.Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray threw close to 50 pitches between his warmups and a simulated game with the hopes he still can get into a game situation before seasons end. Gray hasnt pitched since Aug. 6 because of a strained right forearm. How Melvin uses him is still to be determined. I know his routine suggests hes used to starting, Melvin said. Well see.UP NEXTRangers: RHP Colby Lewis (6-3, 3.40 ERA) seeks his first win in three starts since coming off a two-month stint on the disabled list with a back strain. Lewis, projected the No. 3 playoff starter, has won four straight starts at the Coliseum since June 2014 and is 7-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 outings in Oakland since returning to the U.S. from Japan in 2010.Athletics: Rookie RHP Jharel Cotton (1-0, 1.50), another young pitcher chasing a rotation spot for 2017, has allowed one or fewer earned runs and pitched at least five innings in his first three major league starts. John Elway Broncos Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Bradley Chubb Youth Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-drew-lock-broncos-jerseys/ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Noah Fant Broncos Jersey . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. Peyton Manning Jersey . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder isnt thrilled with Kevin Durants decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors.During an appearance at the Basketball Hall of Fame on Thursday, Crowder repeatedly expressed dismay that Durant elected to join a super team rather than continue to fight against the one that won an NBA-record 73 games last season.The Celtics were one of six teams that made a sales pitch to Durant at the start of free agency earlier this month.We were the only team in the NBA to beat [Cleveland?and Golden State] on their home court. The only team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, Crowder told MassLive.com. We told him that. We played him clips from both games and told him basically the scouting report of how we guarded Steph [Curry]?and Klay [Thompson]?-- our entire game plan, basically. Thats what made me mad. We f---ing told him everything we do to beat these guys, and we beat them, and he went and joined them. ...Afterward, I was talking to Isaiah [Thomas], like maybe after you sit back, [we] shouldnt have told him everything, but who the f--- thought he was going to Golden State, realistically? It was like a slap in the face for us, basically.Crowder, who was part of the Celtics contingent that traveled to the Hamptons to pitch Durant over the Fourth of July weekend, echoed what many in the traveling party already have said: Boston emerged from its meeting feeling as if it had made a real strong pitch. Crowder felt that if Durant decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Celtics had to be considered a front-runner to pry him away.Crowder remains incredulous that Durant chose Golden State instead.Toward the end of a question-and-answer session during the Halls 60 Days of Summer program, a young fan asked Crowder to name the toughest NBA player to defend. Crowder picked Durant, which elicited loud boos from a crowd filled largely with fans in Celtics green.Crowder smiled and said, Yeah, Im with you guys.Crowder still enjoyed the experience recruiting Durant, particularly the fact that the Celtics trusted him to be part of it. Crowder especially enjoyed getting to mingle with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was there to help woo the ex-Thunder star.Youll never forget [Bradys presencee], Crowder said.ddddddddddddIt was unexpected. They tried to keep it as a secret and surprise [Durant]. It was great just to sit back, have lunch and talk to [Brady] about anything he wanted to open up and talk about. He asked us questions about basketball, of course. And we asked him questions about football. But it was fun to just sit down and talk to another athlete of his nature, even before the meeting, and just talk. And meet him.The pitch, what he talked about was the city of Boston and the fans and how [Brady] embraced it. It was great. I think Kevin needed to hear that. He wanted to hear how it was living in Boston, and Brady told him about the fans. I know [about the fans]; just like everybody knows. We told him: Theyre really very passionate about their club and they really want to win. If you dont do that, they let you hear it. But its all out of passion and all out of respect of the game. They want to win; its all about championships here.Crowder believes the Celtics have upgraded with the signing of Al Horford, and he believes the team will find additional pieces to make it a surefire contender in the Eastern Conference.I just text [Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge], trying to see where everything is going, Crowder said. After [Durants decision], I just asked like, Well, whats the direction now? And he said, Were still trying to make moves. So that means were still active. And we still have a lot of assets, we still have a lot of young players. So we gotta figure it out. We can be as aggressive as we want to. But I do feel like were one or two pieces away still.Crowder said of Horford: He helps out tremendously. My guys were telling me something about [one media projection] predicted us to win 59 games.Hes going to help us out a lot. And last year we won 48 games without a guy of his nature. I just think that right there, what people see, speaks volumes. He can help us out a lot. And his style of play fits right in. So its not like were trying to train him into something that hes not. Hes going to play the same way hes been playing. And I think hes going to help us out a lot. ' ' '