managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner,managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, | Forum

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw gripped a baseball in his left hand and grimaced while he watched Game 5 of the NL Championship Series from the dugout. Dennis Johnson Celtics Jersey .The Los Angeles Dodgers best pitcher was ready and eager, and he was sitting on three days of rest. Manager Dave Roberts could have deployed him Thursday night in Chavez Ravine and probably again in relief at Wrigley Field.Roberts declined to play his ace, instead holding his top card for the weekend. The Dodgers decided to rely on rookie Kenta Maeda and their busy bullpen against the NLs best offense.Those pitchers hung in for the first three hours, but eventually proved to be no match for Jon Lester in the Chicago Cubs 8-4 victory. Los Angeles now trails the NLCS 3-2 after getting outscored 18-6 in two straight home games.But the Dodgers didnt sound discouraged as they packed up for their flight.We can grab that momentum by one name, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. Kershaw.Although Roberts has already proven unafraid to do unorthodox things with his pitchers in October, he stuck to a conventional plan to save Kershaw for Game 6.And instead of pitching to clinch a pennant Saturday night, Kershaw must attempt to save the Dodgers season again.Weve got Clayton going in Game 6, so thats a game we expect to win, Roberts said.Kershaw volunteered to pitch Game 5, but Roberts had several reasons to turn him down.Roberts figured he would need to start Maeda at some point in the next three games, and he hoped the home crowd would benefit the inconsistent Japanese right-hander. With a day off Friday, Roberts also knew he could go deep into his bullpen -- which has thrown a majors-high 43 innings in the postseason -- with no repercussions.Its not an elimination game, Roberts said after Game 4. And I think the accumulation of (Kershaws) usage over the last ten days plays a factor in our decision.Instead of pitching on three days rest in Game 5, Kershaw will be pitching on a luxurious five days rest in Game 6. Although the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner already has pitched 19 1/3 innings in the postseason, a midseason injury kept him off the mound for 2 1/2 months, leaving his arm with much less accumulated action than in a normal season -- 168 1/3 innings combined this year, compared to 246 1/3 last season.Kershaw shrugs off that notion, saying he feels pretty much the same as he did in previous Octobers. The biggest difference is that Kershaw, who acquired a reputation for postseason struggles over the past several seasons, has begun to erase that reputation this fall while he attempts to reach his first World Series.Thats who you want in your decision game, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager said. Were looking forward to the battle.After pitching decently in his two starts in the NL Division Series against Washington, Kershaw dominated the Cubs with seven innings of two-hit ball in Game 2, and closer Kenley Jansen finished off a 1-0 victory.Regardless of the success of this call, Roberts has made a series of canny decisions in the postseason. His clever pitching staff management in the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against Washington thrilled long-suffering fans who found manager Don Mattingly too reactive.Roberts used setup man Joe Blanton in the third inning, kept Jansen in for 51 pitches and seven outs, and went to Kershaw to close out a 4-3 thriller.Although Kershaw wasnt chosen for Game 5, Roberts clearly didnt have much faith in the alternative, pulling Maeda after just 3 2/3 innings and 76 pitches.Maeda trailed 1-0 after three batters in Game 5, but after striking out two Cubs to end the first, he held them without a hit until Javier Baezs leadoff double in the fourth. Moments later, Roberts curiously pulled him with Lester coming up for Chicago.Roberts said he thought Maedas stuff was fading, and he decided to rely on his high-mileage bullpen.I was a little surprised, Maeda said through a translator.The Dodgers bullpen kept it even until the sixth, when Addison Russell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Blanton, one of Roberts most reliable arms until recently.The wheels fell off for Los Angeles in Chicagos five-run eighth inning, turning a tense game into a second straight blowout victory. The Cubs are one win away from a chance to end the championship drought that dwarfs all others, but Kershaw will finally get another shot to shut them down.We all know what we have in front of us with Kershaw going into Game 6, Cubs lefty Jon Lester said after his win Thursday. Hopefully hes not the good Kershaw, and we get kind of the mediocre guy that gives up a few runs and were able to hold them where theyre at.The Dodgers are eager to see their ace at his best.We have Kershaw going the next game, which were excited about, said Blanton, who gave up two homers and five runs to the Cubs in Game 1 after four scoreless appearances against the Nationals. Our backs are against the wall, but we kind of like that. Weve been there the whole year. We were in this situation in Washington, too. Maybe its where we need to be. Bob Cousy Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Walter Brown Celtics 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. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-gordon-hayward-celtics-jersey/ .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. NEW YORK -- Jayson Nix thinks its a whole lot easier to get good pitches to hit now that the Yankees are getting some of their stars back in the lineup. Nix hit a tying homer in the seventh inning and a game-ending single in the ninth, lifting New York to its second comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, 3-2 in the nightcap for a split doubleheader sweep. In the opener, Robinson Cano and Chris Stewart each hit three-run homers to rally the Yankees from four runs down to beat the Blue Jays 8-4. "I feel like weve had a little bit of a jolt in our team and were playing really well right now," Nix said. "I think Sori (Alfonso Soriano) coming over here, first off, brings a whole lot of energy to the team. ... and then Al (Alex Rodriguez) coming as well and playing good. I feel like as a whole the teams playing a lot better. I think we all feel pretty good for this final push." Cano had an RBI single in the second game and had six hits and five RBIs in the two games for New York, which has won eight of 10 and is 9-6 since Alex Rodriguez returned on Aug. 5. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista made an early exit in the opener and was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise in his left hip. He says he was initially injured trying to score about two weeks ago. "I am about 70 per cent," Bautista said. "I dont think I am doing the team any favours playing with it right now." Manager John Gibbons said Bautista will rest for two weeks then be evaluated before the next step is planned. Ichiro Suzuki singled and doubled in the first game, leaving him one shy of 4,000 combined hits during his careers in Japan and the major leagues. With fans standing and chanting "Ichi-ro!" in the eighth, he grounded out. Suzuki pinch ran in the night game and scored the winning run. With a full moon hanging over the right field rafters, Darren Oliver (3-4) walked Mark Reynolds to start the ninth. Suzuki pinch ran and advanced on Eduardo Nunezs sacrifice bunt. Suzuki stole third, which forced Toronto to bring the infield in. He scored on Nixs line drive to left. "It changes it a lot. It makes my job a lot easier," Nix said of Suzukis 18th stolen base. Mariano Rivera (4-2) worked out of a two-on jam in the top of the ninth for the win. Anthony Gose failed to get down a sacrifice bunt in the inning. "He has to get that bunt down," Gibbons said. "Maybe it would have made a difference." The Blue Jays extended their record with an 11th straight loss in New York. Mark Buehrle was on track to end an eight-decision losing streak to New York but he gave up a tying homer in the seventh to Nix, the infielders first homer since June 25th. Nix was the Yankees second unlikely long ball hitter of the day. Stewart connected off Neil Wagner (2-4) in the sixth inning for his first homer since May 15 -- thats 173 homerless at-bats -- to put New York ahead in the opener.. Robert Williams Jersey. Just 1-10 in his career against the Yankees, the left-hander shut down a rejuvenated lineup by allowing two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out Rodriguez all three times he faced him. During the afternoon game, Major League Baseball announced Yankees manager Joe Girardi was fined $5,000 for his on-field tirade after Bostons Ryan Dempster hit Rodriguez with a pitch on Sunday. Dempster was suspended five games and fined $2,500. Girardi refused to comment on the suspension and fines but did reiterate what he said earlier in the day, that hes worried a light penalty would encourage "open season" on Rodriguez. "Well find out," Girardi said. "I sure hope not." In the opener, Rodriguez singled to start the sixth -- to cheers -- and he scored on Stewarts fourth homer of the season, a shot to left field off Wagner that put New York ahead 6-4. But Rodriguez struck out five times in the doubleheader in seven at-bats. He came up with two on in the eighth inning of the late game, but grounded into a double play. "I wasnt sure what wed get the second game in a sense. Its the first time he probably had to play two games in one day, but Im OK with everything," Girardi said. Rajai Davis had a two-run double in the first game, and was responsible for the Blue Jays first two runs in Game 2. He scored on Phil Hughes wild pitch in the first inning and had a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to put Toronto up 2-1. In the opener, Cano got his 200th career home run off Esmil Rogers in the third and had four hits. His drive in the third pulled New York to 4-3 after Toronto went up 4-0 in the second against Ivan Nova (7-4). Cano added an RBI double in the seventh. Nova allowed four runs in the second inning when Toronto batted around in the makeup of a rained-out game on May 19. Kevin Pillar got his first big league hit in the night game -- in his 18th at-bat, a liner over a leaping Cano. Cano tossed the ball to the Blue Jays dugout and Jose Reyes pretended to throw it into the crowd. Pillar stood on first smiling broadly. The 24-year-old from California went 0 for 4 in the opener but got his first RBI. NOTES: Hughes gave up two runs in six innings. ... Suzuki has 1,278 hits in Japan and 2,721 in the majors. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter (right calf strain) played his second simulated game at the teams complex in Tampa, Fla. He ran the bases for the first time. ... Blue Jays RHP Thad Weber was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, but was recalled as the 26th man for the doubleheader. ... The Yankees held a high-level meeting at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., focused on improving player development and amateur scouting. Among those in attendance were managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, senior vice-president of baseball operations Mark Newman and vice-president of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer. ' ' '