said Rio police Investigator Carolina Salomao. | Forum

HOUSTON -- In the aftermath of their extra-inning victory over the Astros on Monday night, several Seattle Mariners crowded around a clubhouse television and enjoyed watching the highlights of the Yankees-Blue Jays skirmish earlier that evening, a lighthearted moment that partially revealed their relaxed nature down the stretch. New Balance Australia .Following a slump that included 10 losses in 12 games closing August and bleeding into September, Mariners manager Scott Servais took measures to keep the club loose with tactics that were part original ideas, part inspiration from the motivational ploys of others.Despite a loss to the Astros (83-75) on Tuesday night, the Mariners (83-74) remain in the hunt for a postseason berth.The season is so long that if you sit there and grind every day after every day you just run out of gas, Servais said. And I think weve created enough distractions and kept it fun and light that even when we werent playing well guys still enjoyed coming to the ballpark.We have a close-knit group that like hanging out with each other. I think thats carried us and kept it interesting and kept us afloat when a lot of people wanted to write us off. And rightfully so. It looked like we were dead in the water, but we hung in there.Left-hander James Paxton (5-7, 3.72 ERA) will start the series finale for the Mariners. Paxton is 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA over three career starts against the Astros.In his only start at Minute Maid Park, Paxton allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while recording seven strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision on April 30, 2015. In two starts against Houston this season, Paxton is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA.Astros right-hander Doug Fister (12-12, 4.42 ERA) will make his eighth career start against the organization that selected him in the seventh round of the 2006 draft. Fister is 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA against Seattle, including 2-2 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts this season.The Astros got a boost on Tuesday night from the return of rookie third baseman Alex Bregman, whose pinch-single in the sixth inning pulled the Astros even at 4-4 and keyed a six-run frame that resulted in an 8-4 win over Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.Bregman suffered a right hamstring injury on Sept. 14 and was slated to miss 4-6 weeks, essentially the remainder of the regular season. He proved to be a fast healer and then, when the Astros desperately needed it, a clutch performer.Hes Alex Bregman, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. Hes sort of never out of an at-bat. His competitiveness, his readiness, hes been bouncing off the walls trying to get back in the game. He almost couldnt hold back his smile how good he felt. Now who knows when you go up there? There is a little bit of an unknown when you havent had an at-bat for a couple weeks. But hes put some good work in the cage, hes obviously prepared and ready. Hes got a youthful energy to him. New Balance Australia Clearance . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. New Balance Australia Sale . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. http://www.cheapnewbalanceaustralia.com/ . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Military police in Rio de Janeiro are stepping up security at the Olympics after a bus carrying journalists had two of its windows shattered by a projectile and a bullet flew into the stables area of the equestrian venue.Two large windows on the media bus were shattered Tuesday by what Rio organizers said was a rock. But a passenger disputed the account, saying she was sure it was gunfire. There were no serious injuries.Security has been a major concern surrounding the Olympics as Rio is plagued by rampant crime, including frequent murders, gun battles and muggings. Police near the Olympic beach volleyball venue in Copacabana found body parts on the shore last month, and an off-duty bodyguard for Rios mayor was shot to death around the same time in an apparent mugging. Adding to the anxiety is terrorism fears about Islamic State.Rio is deploying about 85,000 soldiers and police to secure the games, twice as many as London did four years ago. Soldiers in military fatigues and carrying guns have been a common sight around Olympic venues.Security was visibly increased overnight on a media bus route toward a womens basketball arena, with three military vehicles and more troops holding guns along the way.The equestrian venue has had two brushes with stray gunfire since the games started. As a result, officials are adding more security at the venue.A bullet flew through the roof of a media tent at the Olympic Equestrian Center on Saturday. Officials said it had been fired from a hillside slum, and that the intended target was probably a security camera on a blimp.A second bullet hit Wednesday near the stables around the same time investigators were arresting someone in the slum in connection with the first shooting. No one was injured in either episode.I can guarantee your total safety, said Gen. Luiz Ramos, chief commander for the first division of the Brazilian army. New Balance Australia Online. We have reinforced security systems ... to provide more security.The entire competition venue is situated on military land and gunshots could be clearly heard throughout the day during the dressage competition. Riders said they and the horses were not bothered by the noise, but Ramos said authorities ordered a halt to the training exercises.Newton de Oliveira, an independent security expert with no ties to the organizers, said the fact remains that Rio is still a violent city despite the beefed-up patrols.The level of violence is the same despite the deployment of forces, he said. You can see that areas downtown and near the beaches -- the security forces have made crime drop some, but the city in general is just as dangerous.Passenger Lee Michaelson described a panicked scene on the media bus as the glass shattered and people ducked for cover. Michaelson insisted she heard gunshots.I know what a gun sounds like, said Michaelson, who identified herself as a former Air Force officer covering the games for a womens basketball website. It was the sound before I ever saw the glass (shatter) or anything.Rio police were adamant that it wasnt gunfire, and they expressed confidence in their ability to get to the bottom of what happened.There were no shots, the forensics were made on the bus, I have pictures and I can show them, said Rio police Investigator Carolina Salomao. If there were a shot it would have gone through. There was not that so that theory has been completely discredited.---AP writer Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.---Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP .His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wade ' ' '