Sports – Page 558 – North Platte Post Archive

Rockies Hit 5 Homers in 8-2 Win over Giants

Posted on April 22, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon hit two of Colorado’s five homers and Jorge De La Rosa threw five efficient innings, lifting the Rockies to an 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Nolan Arenado, Wilin Rosario and Corey Dickerson also homered for the Rockies, who’ve won four of the last five. It was Blackmon’s first multihomer game of his career.

De La Rosa (1-3) rediscovered his rhythm, allowing five hits and one run for his first victory of the season. The hard-throwing lefty tied a career high with 16 wins last season.

Ryan Vogelsong (0-1) never got on track and was pulled after 1 1-3 innings, his shortest start with the Giants. He surrendered five runs and six hits, including three homers.

Blackmon lined solo homers in the second and eighth innings. He’s now hitting .411 this season.

Granlund Gives Wild 1-0 Win in Game 3 over Avs

Posted on April 22, 2014

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mikael Granlund’s diving swing at his own rebound 5:08 into overtime gave the Minnesota Wild a 1-0 win over Semyon Varlamov and the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 on Monday to pull within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Varlamov stopped 45 of 46 shots, a franchise playoff record number of shots on goal for the Wild.

Granlund cut toward the net for a wrist shot, and as he was falling forward took a stab at the puck to finally put one past Varlamov.

Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves, but the Wild goalie in his first career playoff start was just as good as his counterpart.

Game 4 is at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.

AP Source: Suh Won’t Attend Lions’ Voluntary Camp

Posted on April 21, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Ndamukong Suh is not attending the Detroit Lions’ voluntary minicamp this week.

The person, who says Suh will attend the team’s voluntary workouts in May and mandatory minicamp next month, spoke Monday night to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Suh was not announcing his plans.

Detroit’s first-year coach Jim Caldwell said last week he wished the defensive tackle was at previous voluntary workouts, adding he has spoken to Suh more than any other player on the team since being hired.

The two-time All-Pro has skipped voluntary workouts in the past, and the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Suh has stayed in good shape.

Suh is entering the last year of his contract.

Rockies Place Cuddyer on 15-Day DL

Posted on April 21, 2014April 21, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer will go on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

The reigning NL batting champ said Monday before a game with San Francisco that the injury is “extremely frustrating” and more “nagging than anything else.” He said he can only run at about 70 percent. The move is retroactive to April 18.

Cuddyer is hitting .317 with three homers and 10 RBIs this season. A season ago, Cuddyer led the league with a .331 average.

Colorado recalled infielder Charlie Culberson from Triple-A Colorado Springs to fill Cuddyer’s spot on the roster. Culberson is available for the game Monday.

Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez also was in the lineup a day after leaving the game with pain in his left knee.

Franklin Tweets that He’s Moving to Left Guard

Posted on April 21, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are shuffling their offensive line this offseason and Orlando Franklin provided some insight into their plans Monday by tweeting that he’s moving from right tackle to left guard.

“Left guard, excited to learn and improve this offseason. I will give it my all,” Franklin wrote on Twitter.

He’d replace Zane Beadles, who left for Jacksonville in free agency.

That apparently means Manny Ramirez would stay at center and Chris Clark, who filled in at left tackle after All-Pro Ryan Clady went on IR with a foot injury in Week 2 last season, will switch sides and play right tackle.

The Broncos’ offensive line was dominated by Seattle in the Super Bowl and Peyton Manning was under constant pressure in Denver’s 43-8 loss.

Chiefs in Discussion with Smith Reps on Extension

Posted on April 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are speaking with representatives of quarterback Alex Smith about an extension that would keep him in Kansas City beyond next season.

Smith said Monday that his agent, Tom Condon, has been talking with the team about a new contract. Smith is due to make $7.5 million in the final year of a contract signed in 2012, when he was still with the San Francisco 49ers.

Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid have both expressed their desire to keep Smith in Kansas City, but his play last season underscored his value. Smith completed 66 percent of his passes with a career-best 23 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while leading a team that had been 2-14 to an 11-5 record and the playoffs.

Knights Named to The World Herald’s All-Nebraska Teams, Montalvo & Merritt First-Team

Posted on April 21, 2014

North Platte – Ethan Montalvo and DaVontaye Merritt were both named to The World Herald’s All-Nebraska Junior College teams published by the Omaha World Herald over the weekend. Montalvo is joined by teammates Cameron Williams and Tim Simmons on the second-team along with Jake Maslo and Marco Pascolo as Honorable Mentions. Merritt is joined by Courtney Widick on the second-team along with Jordan Dickerson and April Stull as Honorable Mention.

The First-Team All-Nebraska selection for Ethan Montalvo, a sophomore from Omaha Bryan, adds to his long list of honors from the season. Montalvo was named an All-American Honorable Mention, All-Region IX, All-Region IX Tournament Team and All-NCCAC. Montalvo averaged 18.9 ppg and is the Knights 5th All-Time leading scorer with 1,171 career points. Montalvo has signed to play basketball at Division I Texas State University next year.

Tim Simmons, a sophomore from Stamford, Conn., was named Second-Team All-Nebraska after averaging 11.8 points per game for the Knights and being their defensive stopper. Simmons was also named to the All-Region IX Tournament Team and All-NCCAC Second-Team. Simmons is the Knights 40th All-Time leading scorer with 700 career points.

Cameron Williams, a freshman from Omaha South, was also named Second-Team All-Nebraska after averaging 13.7 points per game for the Knights. Williams was also named to the All-NCCAC First-Team. Williams scored 439 points during his freshman campaign.

Jake Maslo, a sophomore from Omaha Bryan, and Marco Pascolo, a freshman from Udine, Italy, were both named All-Nebraska Honorable Mention. Maslo averaged 6.5 points per game for the Knights while Pascolo scored 11.0 points per game.

DaVontaye Merritt, a sophomore from Plantation, Florida, was named First-Team All-Nebraska after averaging 16.0 points per game for the Lady Knights. Merritt was also named to the All-Region IX Division II Team, All-Region IX Division II Tournament Team and the All-NCCAC Team. Merritt is the Lady Knights 3rd All-Time leading scorer with 863 career points.

Courtney Widick, a sophomore from Brady, was named Second-Team All-Nebraska after averaging 9.5 points per game for the Lady Knights. Widick was also named to the All-Region IX Division II Team, All-Region IX Division II Tournament Team and the All-NCCAC Team. Widick is the Lady Knights 18th All-Time leading scorer with 570 career points.

Jordan Dickerson, a sophomore from Westminster, Colo., and April Stull, a freshman from Sweeney, Texas, were both named All-Nebraska Honorable Mention. Dickerson averaged 8.6 points per game for the Lady Knights while Stull scored 11.3 points per game.

Click here to read the full article.

American Meb Keflezighi Wins Boston Marathon

Posted on April 21, 2014April 21, 2014

BOSTON (AP) — American Meb Keflezighi has won the Boston Marathon, a year after a bombing at the finish line left three dead and more than 260 people injured.

Keflezighi is a former New York City Marathon champion and Olympic medalist. He ran the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay on Monday in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.

Keflezighi held off Wilson Chebet of Kenya who finished 11 seconds behind. The 38-year-old from San Diego looked over his shoulder several times over the final mile. After realizing he wouldn’t be caught, he raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross.

No U.S. runner had won the race since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women’s title in 1985; the last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983.

BOSTON (AP) — Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defended the Boston Marathon title she said she could not enjoy a year ago after the fatal bombings.

Jeptoo finished Monday’s race in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. She becomes the seventh three-time Boston Marathon champion.

Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile mark. Buzunesh Deba finished second with an unofficial time of 2:19:59.

American Shalane Flanagan finished seventh after leading for more than half the race. She took a gamble by setting the early pace. She ran her first mile in 5 minutes, 11 seconds, but fell back on the Newton Hills about 21 miles into the race.

After Bombs, Boston Marathon Under Tight Security

Posted on April 21, 2014

BOSTON (AP) — State and local officials are hoping for a safe but still enjoyable day for the 36,000 runners planning to participate in the Boston Marathon and the hundreds of thousands of spectators.

One year after a pair of homemade bombs killed three people and wounded more than 260 others, the Boston Marathon returns to the streets for its 118th edition on Monday.

Bags will be restricted and searched near the finish line this year. More than 100 cameras have been installed along the route in Boston, and 50 or so “observation points” will be set up around the finish line.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that authorities didn’t want to turn the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton to Boston into a militarized zone.

Rollins Gets Key Hits, Phillies Beat Rockies 10-9

Posted on April 20, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Jimmy Rollins homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that sent the Philadelphia Phillies past the Colorado Rockies 10-9 Sunday.

Rollins finished with three hits as the Phillies averted a series sweep. Ryan Howard added four hits, including a homer and triple while driving in three runs.

Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez exited early because of a sore left knee. He appeared to tweak it running out a high chopper to end the sixth inning.

Justin Morneau homered and drove in five runs for the Rockies. The teams combined for 30 hits, 15 for extra bases.

Jake Diekman (2-1) got the win despite allowing two runs in 1 1-3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon earned his fifth save in six chances.

Matt Belisle (0-2) gave up Rollins’ single that broke an 8-all tie.