ectations people have for us, thats something that I play with a chip on my shoulder | Forum

MIAMI -- With four consecutive losses and nine defeats in their past 10 games, the Miami Marlins are sinking from the National League wild-card playoff race that offered them hope just two weeks ago. Daryl Johnston Womens Jersey .The latest setback was a 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday afternoon at Marlins Park.Reasons for the defeat can be found in the list of five pitchers the Marlins trotted out to the mound Monday. All five were in the minors at some point this year, and two of them -- including starter Jake Esch -- made their major league debuts this season.We know what kind of club we have, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. But we also knew that we were going to be challenged depth-wise.On Tuesday, the Marlins (68-70) will start yet another pitcher -- right-hander Jose Urena -- who spent a majority of the season in the minors.Urena is 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA, but he has pitched much better lately. In his past four starts, Urena has a 3.42 ERA. He has gone at least six innings in three of those four outings.In addition, Urenas fastball has been heating up, touching 97 mph at its peak.Philadelphia, which snapped a six-game losing streak Monday, was bounced from the wild-card race long ago. However, there is such a thing as finishing strong, and that is exactly what manager Pete Mackanin wants to see from the Phillies (61-76).On Tuesday, he will send left-hander Adam Morgan (1-9, 6.21 ERA) to the mound. Morgans stat line is awful, but he is coming off perhaps his best start of the year, when he allowed just three hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Washington Nationals.He will hope to get support from a Phillies offense that was held scoreless for 18 consecutive innings before scoring in the fifth frame Monday in the win over Miami.I was just happy to get a couple of runs, Mackanin said. It was nice to see. Maybe now that we are on the road, we can start hitting better.Given how badly the Marlins are going, it is hardly a surprise the Phillies snapped out of their slump against Miami.The Marlins got more bad news on Monday when shortstop Miguel Rojas injured his groin. He is considered day-to-day, but Rojas did not seem optimistic he could play on Tuesday.Fortunately for Miami, starting shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria can step in, although he has been slumping at the plate lately.Perhaps first baseman Justin Bour, who could return on Tuesday, will provide Miami with a boost. He has not played since July 2 due to an ankle injury. Bour would give the Marlins much-needed power in the middle of the lineup, assuming he is healthy and ready to go.Given how long he has been out, though, it might be unfair to ask too much of Bour.Still, the Marlins are desperate.Weve needed a little bit of luck, everything to fall in its slots, Mattingly said of what the Marlins hoped for in the second half. But in the past month and a half, its probably fallen the wrong way, and its put us in a bind. We have some guys who probably should be coming up but not necessarily being part of (close games). Ezekiel Elliott Jersey . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Roger Staubach Womens Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. https:///...tes-Inverted-Jersey/ . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. STORRS, Conn. -- With its road win over second-ranked Notre Dame on Wednesday, UConn has opened the 2016-17 season at 8-0 to extend its current winning streak to 83 games.The 72-61 victory over the Fighting Irish marked the second time this season the Huskies -- ranked third in the AP Top 25 preseason poll -- beat the nations No. 2 team.Prior to the Nov. 17 matchup with then-No. 2 Baylor, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said: Im somewhat realistic about what my expectation level is. Im realistic about what we can do, and I think the previous couple of years we would sit here and tell you that we were the favorite to win the national championship. Thats not the case this year. I know it, and I think everyone on our team knows it.But lets be realistic: Its time to talk about the Huskies being the favorites -- again.Weve seen this movie before. When Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones graduated after winning the 2002 national championship with a perfect 39-0 record, many thought the Huskies would be down on their luck the next year.The AP preseason poll ranked the 2003 Huskies fourth; the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll had UConn third. The Huskies werent supposed to extend a 39-game winning streak to 70. They werent supposed to go 37-1. They definitely werent supposed to win their second consecutive NCAA championship.Of course, a lot of things were different 14 years ago.The 2003 championship marked the programs fourth title. The Huskies now have 11. Their streak of 70 consecutive victories was the longest in Division I womens basketball history. UConn has since shattered its own record; it owns the top spot in all of Division I basketball, having unseated the 88-game streak the UCLA men put together (1971 to 74) with a 90-game winning streak from 2009 to 11.And most of all, in 2003, UConn had Diana Taurasi and no one else did.While Taurasi was the primary reason for UConns championship-level success in 2003 (and 2004), the defining characteristic of the 2003 squad was the fact that its composition worked (Taurasi averaged 17.6 points per game). It just so happened that its composition required Wonder Woman in the form of a basketball player.There is obviously no Taurasi at UConn this season, and quite frankly, there doesnt need to be. What makes this version of the Huskies work is how mmalleable they are. Robert Newhouse Jersey. They create matchup difficulties all over the floor.Gabby Williams primarily plays inside but is increasingly stepping out to the perimeter, and she can guard pretty much anyone. Sophomore forward Napheesa Colliers movement off the ball and quickness make her difficult to guard for traditional forwards and centers.The perimeter doesnt get much more friendly with 6-foot-3 sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson and 6-foot junior Kia Nurse. Overall, size inside has the potential to be a big problem for UConn, but its quickness is a problem for everyone else.The most concerning thing for the Huskies is that their offense has stalled for atypical stretches, especially when Collier is not in the mix. Collier is averaging 19.1 points per game (Samuelson is right behind at 19.0 PPG), and when she is on the floor producing, Collier opens up the perimeter for Samuelson and Nurse. Without her on the floor, UConn struggles, as it did in the second quarter against Notre Dame (the Irish outscored the Huskies 20-11).And dont underestimate the intangibles. For the first time in years, UConn has gotten to play as the underdog. When the season started, few expected the Huskies to win another championship this year, and that has proven to matter.The differences my first two years and this year in the expectations people have for us, thats something that I play with a chip on my shoulder about, Nurse said before the Baylor game.Those expectations have already begun to shift, as reflected in UConn jumping Notre Dame for the No. 1 spot in the rankings this past week, despite the Irish remaining unbeaten at the time. It took the 2003 Huskies 13 weeks to top the rankings, doing so as the only remaining unbeaten team.This does not mean that UConn is somehow impenetrable. The Huskies still have to play at No. 4 Maryland (Dec. 29), home versus No. 6 South Carolina (Feb. 13), and home versus No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 19). They could also lose unexpectedly, akin to the Huskies Big East championship loss to Villanova in 2003.In the grand scheme of things, 2003 probably doesnt matter that much to this crop of Huskies, but that teams success shows just how far they could go. ' ' '