ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Wilson doesnt throw a complete game very often. And both times he has, its been against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Los Angeles Angels left-hander scattered five hits in his second career shutout and Grant Green homered in a 6-0 victory Saturday night. Wilson threw 127 pitches, struck out five and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by inducing his third double-play grounder of the game. "I happened to throw a lot of pitches because I can manipulate my mechanics to take stress off here and there, try to change speeds and not throw every pitch as hard as I can," Wilson said. "I was throwing the ball harder in the eighth and ninth than I was in the sixth and seventh. You reserve a little bit in the tank, and then youre able to kind of let it loose." Two seasons ago, the Angels built an 8-0 lead for Wilson against Tampa Bay before he allowed seven runs in the fifth inning and ended up with a no-decision as the Rays won 10-8 at Angel Stadium. This time, there would be no comeback. "Theyre a weird team," Wilson said. "They swing the bats and theyre very aggressive -- but sometimes when theyre ahead in the count, they wont chase anything. So you have to throw really, really good strikes. "The guy that hits me really well is Ben Zobrist, and hes not in the lineup (because of a dislocated thumb), so I was a little excited about that. Ive made some bad pitches to him over the years. (Evan) Longoria hit a home run off me a couple of years ago -- and Im still chapped about that. So you remember some of the successes and failures against the individual guys." The two-time All-Star lefty has made 80 starts since his previous shutout and complete game, which was at Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sept. 6, 2011, while pitching for Texas. The former Rangers reliever was converted into a starter in 2010, and has gone the distance seven times in 149 career starts. "Id been campaigning for that for two years," Wilson said. "Id been knocking on the door and it finally opened, so I felt like I broke through. As a starter, youve got to be committed to being physically fit and also mentally prepared." Wilson (5-3), who came in leading the majors with 116.3 pitches per start, threw just 75 through the first six innings before singles by Longoria and Yunel Escobar and a walk to Logan Forsythe loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. But Rays RBI leader James Loney grounded into a double play on the next pitch. "I made a couple of pitches with guys on base to get out of jams, and that was huge," Wilson said. "But the defence really bailed me out more than anything. They made some really good plays behind me. And the offence gave me six runs to work with, which is plenty -- especially when its in the first three innings like that." Cesar Ramos (1-3) lasted only 35 pitches, getting charged with four runs and four hits through 1 1-3 innings in his seventh start since he was inserted into the rotation to replace the injured Matt Moore. Howie Kendrick, who entered with a .363 career average against Tampa Bay, opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single and Erick Aybar hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly two batters later. In the second, Ramos plunked No. 9 hitter Luis Jimenez just below the left knee with a pitch that bounced on the grass first. Collin Cowgill followed with a sharp single to the right of shortstop Escobar and continued to second on rookie centre fielder Kevin Kiermaiers throw to third. Manager Joe Maddon lifted Ramos at that point and brought in Brandon Gomes, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Mike Trout and an opposite-field ground-rule double by Albert Pujols that landed just inside the right field line. It was Pujols 535th career double, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for 34th place. It also ended an RBI drought of nine games and 39 at-bats by the two-time NL MVP since his run-scoring single against the Yankees Shawn Kelley on May 6 at Angel Stadium. "The bounced hit batter, I was kind of concerned about that -- and I thought it was really important to keep it where it was," Maddon said. "In general, we just have not been hitting lefties well. And if you look at Wilsons overall numbers against the guys in this particular lineup, I didnt see us scoring a whole lot of runs against him." Green, who came to the Angels last July in a trade that sent Alberto Callaspo to Oakland, made it 6-0 in the third with his homer to left-centre after a two-out double by Chris Iannetta. Green has two home runs in 174 career at-bats. The other one came on Sept. 2, 2013, a solo shot against Tampa Bays Josh Lueke at Angel Stadium as a pinch-hitter for Aybar. NOTES: Lueke was brought in to face Trout with the bases loaded in the sixth and struck him out. He then retired Pujols on a fielders choice grounder to short for the third out. ... Kiermaier, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham after CF Desmond Jennings went on the bereavement list following Friday nights loss, singled in the sixth for his first major league hit.
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Marcedes Lewis Super Bowl Jersey . Consider it received. Attacking on offence early and often, the Penguins topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Aroldis Chapman let baseball know in his own way that his long journey back from an scary injury was complete: with a 100 mph strike to the games hottest hitter. Chapman made his first major league appearance since being hit above the eye by a line drive during spring training, striking out the side in the ninth with his 100 mph fastball to close out the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies 4-1 Sunday. "I am really happy to get out there for the first time," said Chapman through a translator. "They are a good team but I was mentally prepared to face them. Facing those type of hitters make you feel better, than if you just break the ice." Chapman walked Troy Tulowitzki, who started the day leading the National League with a .405 batting average, but had an easy inning. Todd Frazier hit his second 400-foot home run in three days to back Homer Baileys shutdown pitching as Cincinnati won the rubber match of its three-game series with Colorado. "It was great to see Aroldis. The confidence and determination he had was very cool," said Frazier without a thought to his second home run of the series or his 11-game hitting streak. Chapman was greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd of 33,143. He reached 100 mph with his first pitch and topped out at 102 mph in earning the save. Chapman had been out since being hit above the left eye by a line drive during a spring training game on March 19. "I was excited to get back but I was even more excited when I heard the fans," said the 26-year old Cuban. Chapman was hit hard in his in his last two rehab starts in Louisville, allowing eight earned runs in one inning over the two-game stint. "As much as you want guys to treat those assignments like a normal game, they dont always have the same focus," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The reports we had said he was throwing the ball well. He made some big pitchers to get some good hitters out." Skip Schumaker drove in two runs and the Reds capitalized on two Colorado throwing errors to send the Rockies to their third loss in four games. Besides contributing two sacrifice bunts, Bailey (3-2) limited a Colorado offence that produced 11 runs and 16 hits on Saturday night to one run -- Charlie Blackmons ninth homer of the season and second in two games -- and four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings. "Homer worked with (pitching coach) Jeff Pico to raise his hands above his head during his wind up," Price said. Bailey, who signed a $105 million contract in March, struggled through his first seven starts. He began the game with an ERA at 5..dddddddddddd6. "I had to do something," Bailey said. "I had to figure something out. There was nowhere else to go but to be better." Manny Parra got the final two outs of the eighth inning. The Reds snapped Nolan Arenados streak of getting on base at 30 consecutive games, two days after his hitting streak was stopped at a franchise-record 28 games. "Chapman threw the ball very well," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He used his splitter well to left-handed hitters. He was on today." Juan Nicasio (4-2), whod won his previous two starts, allowed five hits and four runs -- two earned -- with one walk and three strikeouts. Billy Hamilton, making his first start since spraining two knuckles on his left hand while making a diving catch on May 1, led off the first inning with a bunt single up the first base line and went all the way to third on first baseman Justin Morneaus throwing error. Hamilton scored on Schumakers groundout to second baseman DJ LeMahieu. The Reds made it 2-0 in the third on Ramon Santiagos leadoff bloop single to left field, Baileys sacrifice, a Nicasio balk while facing Hamilton and Schumakers soft, two-out liner to centre field. Blackmon became the first Rockie to reach base when he led off the fourth with an estimated 380-foot shot into the right field seats on a 2-2 pitch. Frazier got that run back with his seventh homer of the season, an estimated 421-foot drive to centre field on a 2-2 pitch with one out in the fourth inning that extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games (13 for 42, .310). Frazier reached an estimated 485 feet with a home run on Friday. The Reds used another throwing error to take a 4-1 lead in the fifth. With Santiago on third base and Hamilton on second and two outs, third baseman Arenados high throw to Morneau on Brandon Phillips two-out grounder pulled the first baseman off the bag. Phillips slid under the attempted tag while Santiago scored. NOTES: Blackmons homer was Colorados 20th of the season with two strikes. ... Reds RHP Mat Latos threw a bullpen session before the game, the next step in his comeback from a flexor mass strain in his right elbow that has kept him out all season. Latos had surgery to remove bone chips from the elbow shortly after the 2013 season and needed surgery on February 14 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He has won 14 games in each of his first two seasons with Cincinnati. ... Colorado and Cincinnati both have Monday off. The Rockies are scheduled to open a two-game interleague series at Kansas City on Tuesday, the same day the Reds are due to open a three-game home series against San Diego. ' ' '
