Infos & Interessantes » led off the game with a home run, th

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby is back on the ice, but he wont be in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup on Thursday when they begin their defense of the Stanley Cup.Crosby, the Penguins captain and arguably the NHLs best player, participated in some of the teams practice Wednesday, but his latest concussion will keep him out of the season opener against the rival Washington Capitals.Its a game Crosby certainly didnt want to miss -- the Penguins will raise their fourth Stanley Cup banner during pregame ceremonies at PPG Paints Arena. Then again, the ultra-competitive Crosby doesnt like missing a game for any reason.Especially for this reason -- a concussion, the same dreaded injury that caused him to miss big chunks of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, when Crosby was at his statistical and competitive best.Its a game you want to be part of but, at the same time, I think Ive spent more than enough time being in this situation, Crosby said after practicing Wednesday in a yellow no-contact jersey. I think you understand you have to be patient, you have to listen to your body. If youre ready, youre ready. If not, then you dont take any chances -- and give yourself a lot better chance of not having it happen again if you treat it the right way.The Penguins started the 2011-12 season without Crosby, going 11-6-3 before he returned briefly only to be diagnosed with a concussion yet again. As center Evgeni Malkin said, We know how to play without Sid.But there are signs this layoff might not be as long as those during Crosbys past concussion issues.Crosbys latest concussion diagnosis was on Monday, but the superstar skated Tuesday and took part in drills Wednesday.Im always happy when Im on the ice, Crosby said.And coach Mike Sullivan is hinting Crosbys time off might not be lengthy.As they (injured players) make progress, you add to the intensity of their workouts and see how they respond, Sullivan said. As players respond the right way, you can take it to the next level. Thats the process weve gone through here with Sid.The Capitals, of course, know what they must do to reach the next level, and thats get past the Penguins.Washington easily was the NHLs best regular-season team in 2015-16, accumulating 120 points -- 11 more than any team in the league, and 16 more than Pittsburgh. But the Capitals lost three of five to the Penguins during the season, and then were eliminated by them in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals -- the seventh in eight series theyve lost to Pittsburgh.We have no bitterness toward Pittsburgh, Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Braden Holtby said. They earned it, they earned the Stanley Cup. Any bitterness is toward us, how we didnt perform well enough to beat them.On Thursday, Holtby said, the Capitals cant be thinking about what happened last year but rather what they need to do this year.Were going in to play our game and get two points to start off the season, he said.But while Penguins stars Crosby and Malkin now have two Stanley Cup rings, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has yet to play in the finals -- and the Penguins are a big reason why.I dont think we played bad, every game was a close game, Ovechkin said. But we didnt get it done last year.Every year were in the same position: We think this is the year. I think it is time to not talk, it is time to move forward.Both teams are largely unchanged from 2015-16, a rarity during the free agency era in which clubs often undergo extensive roster alterations from season to season.The soon-to-be 40-year-old Matt Cullen will replace Crosby on the Penguins top line with left wing Conor Sheary and right wing Patric Hornqvist.You cant replace Sid. Its a group effort, to fill holes and play effectively while hes out.The Penguins also will be without Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray, who broke a hand during the World Cup. Hell be replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury, who lost his starting job to Murray late last season after sustaining his second concussion of the season.Fleury, who was in net when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, will start his 11th consecutive season opener for Pittsburgh, and his 12th in 13 seasons. Tony Bradley Jazz Jersey . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. Custom Utah Jazz Jerseys . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. http://www.jazzauthentic.com/kids-pete-maravich-jazz-jersey/ . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. Dante Exum Jersey . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Adrian Dantley Jazz Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. NEW YORK -- Starlin Castro hit a third-inning grand slam off Josh Tomlin that gave the Yankees a six-run lead, Mark Teixeira got two hits after tearfully announcing this will be his final big league season and New York beat the Cleveland Indians 13-7 on Friday night.Jacoby Ellsbury had a four-hit game, and Michael Pineda (6-10) won for the third time in four outings following a six-start winless streak, allowing four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.New Yorks Gary Sanchez made his first league start behind the plate and threw out Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli trying to steal second base in the first two innings. The rookie, called up from the minors on Wednesday, doubled in the fifth for his first big league RBI and walked with the bases loaded in the sixth.The Yankees had 16 hits, including at least one by every starter, and the Indians failed to retire New York in order in any inning. Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games, and its AL Central lead over second-place Detroit was cut to two gamesSlowed by injuries, Teixeira said he will retire after this season at age 36. He doubled in the first inning and legged out a single in the third on a ball stopped by Kipnis, the second baseman, in short right field. At .202, Teixeiras average reached .200 for the first time since before play on May 20.Tomlin (11-4) allowed a season-high seven earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings and is 3-3 in 10 outings since an 8-1 start.NATIONALS 5, GIANTS 1WASHINGTON -- Gio Gonzalez pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, Trea Turner and Wilson Ramos homered and Washington beat San Francisco in a matchup of first-place teams.Washington jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Jeff Samardzija (9-8), and Gonzalez made it stand up. Coming off a 3-1 loss in San Francisco on Sunday, Gonzalez (7-9) struck out seven, walked one and had five three-up, three-down innings. The two hits he allowed were a solo homer by Angel Pagan in the fourth and a single by Denard Span in the sixth.Sammy Solis gave up two hits in the eighth and Mark Melancon got three straight outs to complete the four-hitter. It was the fourth straight win for the NL East-leading Nationals.The Giants remained atop the NL West, though their lead is dwindling. Since the All-Star break, San Francisco is 5-14 and has allowed 32 home runs. Samardzija gave up five runs in seven innings and is 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA in his four starts since the break.TIGERS 4, METS 3DETROIT -- Victor Martinez homered and Detroit ace Justin Verlander limited New York to four hits in six innings to help the Tigers to their ninth victory in their last 10 games.Verlander (12-6) allowed only two runs and struck out nine, but the Mets ran his pitch count up to 103 to force him out of the game. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 31st save.James Loney drove in a ninth-inning run with a groundout, and Rodriguez retired Kelly Johnson to end the game. Johnson homered in the fourth for the Mets. They have lost four straight.Noah Syndergaard (9-6) also ran into pitch-count trouble, needing 112 to get through his six innings.CARDINALS 1, BRAVES 0ST. LOUIS -- Jaime Garcia pitched eight scoreless innings and had an RBI single to lead St. Louis past Atlanta.Garcia (8-8) struck out 11 to top the 100-strikeout mark for the third time in his career.He pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fourth, striking out Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp before getting Adonis Garciia to ground out.dddddddddddd Freeman and Kemp, third and fourth in the Braves lineup, were a combined 0 for 6 against Garcia with five strikeouts.Garcias two-out single in the second drove in Matt Holliday.Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his ninth save. Joel De La Cruz (0-4) was the loser.ORIOLES 7, WHITE SOX 5CHICAGO -- Pedro Alvarez hit two solo shots to extend his homer streak and Baltimore had 16 hits to overpower Chicago and keep pace with Toronto for first place in the AL East.Alvarez has five homers in his last three games. Manny Machado doubled in two runs and scored in the third in a three-hit night, and Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy also had three hits each to help the Orioles win for the fourth time in five games.Yovani Gallardo (4-3) pitched six innings of two-run ball for his first victory since June 29. Zach Britton struck out three in the ninth for his 34th save in 34 chances.Jose Abreu homered for Chicago. Miguel Gonzalez (2-6) was the loser.TWINS 6, RAYS 2ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Eddie Rosario had a pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh inning, Miguel Sano homered and had three hits and Minnesota beat Tampa Bay.Rosarios seventh homer put the Twins up 3-2 after Erasmo Ramirez (7-9) walked Eduardo Escobar. Sano connected off Ramirez in the eighth. Joe Mauer drove in two more runs with a double in the ninth.Brad Millers solo homer off starter Ervin Santana gave the Rays a 2-1 lead in the sixth. It was the fifth homer in seven games for Miller and his 20th of the season. Santana (5-9) struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings.ASTROS 5, RANGERS 0HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel threw a three-hitter and Houston beat Texas for just the second time in 11 tries this season.Keuchel (7-11) allowed a career low in hits while throwing his fourth major league shutout. He struck out seven and walked two.Jose Altuve had two hits and drove in two runs to help the Astros close within 5 1/2 games of the AL West-leading Rangers. Houston had lost three in a row overall. Houston got to Martin Perez (7-8) for four runs in the third. Altuve hit an RBI double, Carlos Correa followed with a two-run single before Tyler White had an RBI single.BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 3KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Devon Travis hit his second homer of the game in the ninth inning to lift Toronto past Kansas City.Travis led off the game with a home run, then ripped a 1-2 pitch from Kelvin Herrera (1-3) into the Royals bullpen for his first career multihomer game.Brett Cecil (1-6) pitched the eighth for the victory, and Joaquin Benoit worked the ninth for his first save since Sept. 3 while with San Diego.Francisco Liriano made his first start for Toronto after being acquired Monday from Pittsburgh. He allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks.Paulo Orlando homered for Kansas City.PIRATES 3, REDS 2PITTSBURGH -- Sean Rodriguez homered leading off the ninth inning to lift Pittsburgh past Cincinnati.Rodriguez connected off Ross Ohlendorf (5-7), a 413-foot drive to the left-field bleachers that gave the Pirates their second win in seven games in the midst of 12 straight games against teams who are at least 10 games under .500. It was Rodriguezs second career game-ending homer and his 11th home run of the season.The Reds tied it at 2 in the top of the ninth on pinch-hitter Ramon Cabreras sacrifice fly off Tony Watson (2-3). ' ' '