Die Saalfelds » and scored the go-ahead

DUNEDIN, Florida – Could it be? With the Blue Jays failure to land Ervin Santana and the continuing spring struggles, to varying degrees, of Esmil Rogers, Todd Redmond and J.A. Happ, Ricky Romeros name is being brought up on an increasing basis. Its getting lumped in with that large group competing for a job in the starting rotation. Manager John Gibbons was effusive about Romeros Wednesday performance, in which the former ace lefthander allowed one run over four innings of work. "All hes got to do is get it in the zone," said Gibbons. "That ball is moving every which way too. Its tough to square him up. If he gets in the zone, he makes them swing, you add that great changeup on top of that, thats where hes had his success. Where he ran into trouble he was just scattering it. He was walking guys, things like that. Hes getting in the zone now and thats the key." Baby steps, though. Romero did walk two batters and hit another. He was the beneficiary of a beautifully turned double play and of an outfield assist on a base hit by Jose Bautista, who threw out a runner at third. If Romero was to land the starting job, at this moment it seems remote, the Jays would likely begin the season with an eight-man bullpen. The fact Romero isnt on the 40-man roster works against him, performance over the last two seasons aside, but he is owed at least $15.6-million over the remaining term on his contract and the Jays would love to get some value for it. Romero has simplified his approach. "Like Ive told Kratz and Thole, the guys who have caught me the last two times, just set up down the middle and stuff will move," he said. "I feel like Im getting that movement back with the changeup and the sinker. There are going to be times when I come out of my delivery a little bit but I think the good thing now is that Im realizing when Im coming out of it. Its just slowing myself back down and my delivery is going to be key, just finding that rhythm." One noticeable difference from last season: when Romero talks about feeling good, feeling confident, his eyes and his body language emit the same. That hasnt been the case. "I definitely feel like its in the right direction and how can you not," said Romero. "Everything Ive been through, this feels good. Im not going to get ahead of myself or anything like that but its taking it day by day and working. I think if I do that, just continue to work, work, and see the little wins each and every day and remain positive I think Im going to be just fine. The rest will take care of itself." Its a long road back to being the 15-game winner from 2011 and Romero may never regain his All-Star form. But hes trying. His manager hopes the crisis of confidence is a thing of the past. "Some guys never rebound from it," said manager John Gibbons. "What hes done here this spring, we noticed it, first started noticing it, just warming up in the bullpen, just throwing their sides and in BP, before we even started playing games, he looked different. Were all pulling for him here." McGowan feeling better Dustin McGowan threw two scoreless innings in Thursdays 7-5 loss to the Astros. It was his first game action in 10 days thanks to a stomach bug. It was the same illness that affected Sergio Santos earlier this month. "I lost eight (pounds,) exactly, too," said McGowan. "I think its the eight pound flu or whatever it was. Next time Sergio needs to stay home." After years of battling shoulder problems, McGowan made 25 appearances out of the bullpen last season, posting a 2.45 ERA while striking out, essentially, one hitter per inning pitched. Hes stretching out this spring, longing to be a starter once more. He felt no side effects from his sickness-induced layoff. "I felt good," said McGowan. "For me, thats the most important thing is feeling good. Pitches are starting to come around and location is starting to get better so its a positive outing today for me." McGowan seems to understand the unlikelihood that hell end up in the rotation, admitting "Its hard to say in my head Im going to be a starter but thats where I want to be." Still, hell continue to try to pitch deeper into games. "Ill keep going this path but if Im at four innings by the end of spring, if they want me in the bullpen thats easy to transfer right into," he said. "If you throw one or two, youre ready for it easily." Has he gained the eight pounds back he lost while sick? "You dont see this," joked McGowan, pointing to his stomach. "Ive got it." Joel Iyiegbuniwe Jersey . The Canadian skicross racer appeared to have the bronze medal locked up in the mens final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, only to wipe out while trying to make a pass in the biggest moment of his career. 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Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The legend of Mike Trout just keeps on growing. Trout hit a game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the eighth, Josh Hamilton had three hits and scored the go-ahead run, and the Los Angeles Angels erased a five-run deficit to beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5 Saturday night. "We needed a victory like this," Trout said. "We never stopped fighting, had great at-bats, put some things together and we came out and got the W." Chicago starter Chris Sale took a three-hit shutout into the eighth and the White Sox held a commanding 5-0 lead. Erick Aybar led off the eighth with a double and scored on Chris Iannettas single, and after an error and another single loaded the bases, Trout hit a full-count changeup over the left-centre field fence to tie it. Aybar stroked a two-out RBI single later in the inning, and Ernesto Frieri closed it out for the Angels. The grand slam was Trouts only hit of the game. He has a hit in 14 of his last 15 games and has reached base in 26 of his last 27. "I was just (using a) two-strike approach," he said. "I wasnt trying to hit a home run, but it went out. The first two swings I was thinking home run, thats why I fouled them off. You try to get too big in situations you lose mechanics of your swing. That 3-2 pitch I just told myself to stay up the middle and put the ball in play." Sale was all but unhittable for the first seven innings. The 25-year-old left-hander didnt allow an Angels runner past second base to that point and appeared firmly in control. The Angels finally figured him out in the eighth. After Aybar doubled and scored on Iannettas single, Colin Cowgill reached on an error by shortstop Alexi Ramirez. Howie Kendrick poked a single through the right side to bring Trout up with the bases loaded and no outs, and the Angels outfielder belted the tying homer to whip the home crowd into a frenzy. "I dont really remember much from it," Sale said. "I just remember that ball going over the fence and wanting to rip my own head off. "Thats why hes the best inn the league.ddddddddddddI cant really say too much about a guy like that hitting a home run off of you." Trouts blast, his 12th homer of the season, ended Sales night. The Angels werent done. Hamilton and C.J. Cron hit back-to-back two-out singles off reliever Jake Petricka (0-1), and Aybar poked a 2-2 fastball into centre field to score Hamilton and give the Angels their first lead of the game. "We never quit," Trout said. "Down 5-0 we could easily just put our heads down and stop fighting, but you never know. Everybody contributed. It was a team win for sure." Cory Rasmus (1-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the win. The White Sox opened the scoring in the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Adam Eaton and Gordon Beckham, and Alejandro De Aza smacked an RBI double into the right-centre field gap in the fourth to extend their lead to 3-0. Adam Dunn led off the sixth with a solo homer deep to centre field, his third consecutive game with a home run. The blast, which easily cleared the 396-foot marker in centre, ended the night for Angels starter Matt Shoemaker. Shoemaker surrendered nine hits and four runs, three earned, while striking out six. De Aza brought home another run on a sacrifice fly later in the sixth to give the White Sox a seemingly comfortable 5-0 lead. "When you put as much effort, and kind of your heart and soul into a game and it unravels like that, more than anything Im just kind of disappointed," Sale said. "I threw a good pitch to a better hitter, and things happen." NOTES: Chicago rookie Jose Abreu went 0 or 4 with four strikeouts, the first four-strikeout game of his career. ... Hamiltons fifth inning single was the first hit by left-handed batter against Sale this season. ... The Angels optioned outfielder Grant Green to Triple-A Salt Lake before the game. ... The Angels celebrated Albert Pujols joining the 500-homer club in a pregame ceremony. Tony La Russa was among the speakers. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '