Plauderecke » City coach Roberto Mancini had initially told

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Stricker is likely to miss the Match Play Championship next week because his older brother is awaiting a liver transplant at home in Wisconsin. Stricker said his 50-year-old brother, Scott Stricker, has been in the hospital since Jan. 6 and was transferred to the intensive care unit three weeks ago. Stricker said his brother has a history of health problems, but took a sudden turn for the worse after the holidays. "Hes walking a tightrope is what theyre telling me," Stricker said Tuesday after his daily visit to the hospital. "He needs a liver. Hes holding his own, but this cant last forever. Hopefully, we get one soon." He said the family thought his brother had a liver donor over the weekend, but the timing didnt work out. Stricker said his brother caddied for him when he qualified for the Canadian Tour in 1989, and soon after had colitis that turned into Crohns disease. Scott Stricker had emergency surgery last Thursday, and Stricker said he has been stable since then. If he were to miss the Match Play Championship that would mean four of the top 12 players in the world ranking are not in the 64-man field at Dove Mountain. Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson already have said they would not play. Stricker won the Match Play in 2001 in Australia, and he reached the quarterfinals a year ago. He has not officially withdrawn -- players have until Friday to commit -- but said it was not looking good for him to play. "I was going to leave today to go to Phoenix for a few days, but thats not going to happen," he said. "Its going to be a long shot if I come and play. Im practicing every day, but in the back of my mind, I feel like Im not going to be there -- unless something happens rather quickly, and they say it can. But if one comes available, I wanted to be around for the surgery." Stricker has competed only once since the Presidents Cup last October -- he played the unofficial World Challenge the first week in December -- though he said he played a few rounds in Naples, Fla., after the holidays. Last year he began a limited schedule to be at home more often. Stricker played only 13 times last year and finished No. 3 in the FedEx Cup. Cheap Vans From China . The Argentina striker has not played for the Premier League leaders since September when he refused to warm up during a Champions League match and only returned last week from a three-month unauthorized absence at home. City coach Roberto Mancini had initially told Tevez he would never play for City again after his act of public insubordination, but later softened his stance and only asked for an apology. Cheap Vans Shoes . Price was hurt at the start of Wednesdays practice after facing just one shot as the team worked on their power play. He left the ice in discomfort and appeared to be favouring his leg. A Habs source told TSNs John Lu that Price suffered the injury in Sochi and not before the Olympics. http://www.cheapvanstrainers.com/. The $145.7-million Tim Hortons Field was slated to open this month, a year before it was to host all 32 mens and womens soccer competitions. The delay has forced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team to use a smaller facility for the first two home games of the season. Authentic Vans Shoes For Sale . Not that he was complaining. Davis had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a three-game skid with a 135-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Vans Shoes Sale . Cammalleri suffered a concussion in the Flames 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The 31-year-old forward did not travel with the team to Carolina.PHOENIX -- Ian Desmond likes to be aggressive early in the count, often swinging at the first pitch. Facing a side-arming right-hander, one who had not allowed a run in 19 games, Desmonds approach worked out quite well for the Washington Nationals. Desmond and Tyler Moore each lined two-run singles off Brad Ziegler in the ninth inning, helping the Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Wednesday to salvage what started as a difficult road trip. "Hes really good, has some good numbers over the past few years, has been effective," Desmond said of Ziegler. "I just wanted to make sure I got something up in the zone and let the hands do the work." Washington had a hard time solving Brandon McCarthy, who locked into a pitchers duel with Doug Fister for the first seven innings. Ziegler (0-1) hadnt allowed a run in 18 1-3 innings, so pulling off another late-inning victory appeared to be a daunting task. Denard Span got it started with a gritty at-bat, drawing a walk after fouling off four straight pitches. The Nationals loaded the bases and Desmond came through, lining a single through the left side. Moore followed with another two-run hit, breaking his bat on a single up the middle. Jayson Werth homered and Tyler Clippard (4-3) tossed one scoreless inning for Washington, which took two of three from Arizona after being swept in Oakland. "We needed this one," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "It salvages the road trip. It started off really bad and its nice to get this one and head home on a positive note." The Diamondbacks had just come off a solid road trip and McCarthy put them in good position to win four straight series for the first time in nearly three years. Arizona lost to Washington in the ninth inning Monday night, and then had a surprising meltdown in the series finale by one of baseballs best relievers over the past few seasons. Aaron Hill homered and made several spectacular plays at second base for the Diamondbacks. "I had a lot of swing and misses over the top and a lot of balls chopped foul," Ziegler said. "I felt like I had decent stuff. Just didnt execute pitches that well." Fister was sharp after a rough debut for the Nationals. Acquired from Detroit in an off-season trade, the right-hander spent the first sixx weeks on the disabled list with a back strain.dddddddddddd He returned Saturday against Oakland and was hit hard, allowing seven runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. Fister worked around a couple of baserunners the first three innings until Hill, swinging on a 3-0 pitch, hit a drive to left for his fourth of the season. Fister allowed five hits and struck out six before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. "Great job by Doug," Desmond said. "After his last start, Im sure he needed that one. He did an excellent job of keeping the ball down, using his sinker a lot." McCarthy was hit hard by the White Sox on Saturday, giving up seven runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings. The veteran right-hander was sharp against the Nationals. Keeping them off balance with big breaking curveball, McCarthy was perfect until Desmond led off the fifth inning with an infield single up the middle. Washington had a runner on third with one out in the sixth after an error on Arizona shortstop Chris Owings and a sacrifice bunt, but Hill saved a run with a diving stop in the hole on a hard-hit ball by Anthony Rendon to end the inning. Hill nor anyone else had a chance to reach Werths tying homer in the seventh inning, a screaming liner to right-centre that got out in a hurry. McCarthy continued to get outs after that and got some more help in the eighth from Hill, who dived and scooped the ball in the same motion on a slow roller by pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen. McCarthy allowed two hits and struck out seven in eight innings. "Some of the changes I wanted to make off last week I felt I was able to execute and do a better job, and make it a high priority," McCarthy said. "The results kind of followed after that." NOTES: Arizona LHP Randy Wolf exercised the out clause in his contract and was granted his release. The 37-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks after missing last season due to reconstructive elbow surgery. ... Washington leads the majors in run differential from the seventh inning on at plus-38. ... Arizona has Thursday off before RHP Wade Miley opens a three-game series against the Dodgers on Friday. ... Washington has Thursday off and has yet to announce a starter for the start of a three-game series against the New York Mets on Friday. 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