Vorstellung » streak of the season when they host the strugg

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey hopes to pick up where he left off before the All-Star break on Saturday against the Oakland As, when he makes his 20th start of the season.As right-hander Sonny Gray hopes to put a nightmarish first half of the season behind him and make a fresh start against the Blue Jays.Dickey went 2-6 with a 4.64 ERA in his first 11 starts of the season but was 5-3 with a 3.02 ERA in his final eight starts before the break. Hes won three of his past four starts, striking out 24 and walking seven during that stretch.The month of Aprils never been real kind to him, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Friday. He came into spring training focused on trying to (get off to a fast start), but you know, these guys that have been around a while, you can almost bank on it that what they do every year, its almost going to happen. Some of its got to be mental a little bit too, but hes been on a nice little run.Dickey said theres no real rhyme or reason for his slow starts.I think maybe the warmer temperatures probably help a little bit with the pitch that I throw, Dickey said. I feel like Ive gotten it back to where I need it to be. But yeah, Im traditionally a pretty slow starter.Gray, who finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season, has never experienced such a horrible start. Hes 3-8 with 5.16 ERA and hasnt won a game since April 22. Hes lost a career-high seven straight decisions and had a 6.16 ERA during that 12-game stretch.Whats happened in the past has happened in the past, Gray said. You can come out and take tomorrows start and go out and try and win a game. I think just taking that approach and whatever happened in the first half of the season kind of just throw that to the side and start here. I feel really good and feel good about that.Dickey is 5-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 18 career appearances, including 14 starts, against the As. At the Oakland Coliseum, hes 1/3 with a 2.78 ERA in eight games, including six starts.Its a great pitchers park usually, Dickey said, of the Coliseum. Ive always enjoyed the foul territory here in particular.The As hit three home runs in their 8-7 victory Friday night in the series opener, a two-run blast by Khris Davis and solo shots by Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt, but theyll have to adjust Saturday in a rare test against a knuckleball pitcher.I see it and hit it, Reddick said of his approach. Ive always been told that on a knuckleballer you sit fastball and swing under the knuckleball. I pretty much just guess where its going to be and hopefully it is there.He throws it a little firmer than most of them. Back in the day hed throw his knuckleball like 85 (mph) and then his fastball was like 88 when I faced him in the minors. And now it seems like hes slowed it down for more movement. Chicago Cubs Store . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cheap Cubs Jerseys .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. https://www.cheapcubs.com/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Fake Cubs Jerseys .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Chicago Cubs Shirts . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. SAN FRANCISCO -- Home plate umpire Brian ONora sustained a concussion Sunday when he was hit by a foul ball off the bat of San Franciscos Hunter Pence.ONora said he had a headache and felt woozy. He was seen by Giants team doctor Kenneth Akizuki.ONora was struck in the second inning of the game between the Cardinals and Giants.Ive been ddoing this for 30 years and Ive never been hit that hard, he said.ddddddddddddThe game was delayed 11 minutes while ONora was checked. Second base umpire Laz Diaz called the rest of the game behind the plate. ' ' '