Mike Leake (14-6) starts for the Reds on Tuesday against | Forum

BEIJING -- Former basketball star Dennis Rodman apologized on Monday for not being able to help an American missionary detained in North Korea while he played there to celebrate the birthday of his friend and leader Kim Jong Un. Matt Bosher Jersey . "Im sorry, Im sorry I couldnt do anything," Rodman told media on his arrival at Beijing airport from a weeklong trip. "Its not my fault. Im sorry. I just want to do some good stuff, thats all I want to do." He said he would return to North Korea next month, but gave no details. Rodman and the squad of retired NBA players he took to North Korea for an exhibition game marking Kims birthday have met with criticism in the U.S. because of North Koreas human rights record and its development of nuclear weapons. Acknowledging the controversy surrounding the trip, one of the players, Charles D. Smith, said Rodman "opened the door and he did some missteps along the way." In an interview in Beijing, Smith said Rodmans singing of "Happy Birthday" to Kim before the exhibition game at a Pyongyang stadium was something that he alone had decided to do. "I think that it might not have been the right thing to do, but he did it ... if it was done in private it would be different, but when its done in the open like that, people are going to have opinions." During the trip, Rodman was also slammed for not using his influence with Kim to help free Kenneth Bae, the missionary in poor health who has been detained for more than a year for "anti-state crimes." Rodman apologized last week for comments he made in a CNN interview implying Bae was at fault, saying he had been drinking and was upset because some of his teammates were under pressure to leave. Smith said the controversy surrounding Bae was a "bad situation" that "overshadowed some of the things that we were doing." "Dennis is not a member of the State Department, he is not a member of the UN," Smith said. "For them to put the flag in his hands and say go and negotiate and talk about it, he probably would have made it worse, you know." He said North Korean officials had invited the team back "at any given time." On Monday, Rodman reiterated that his trip was one of goodwill. "This is not a bad deal," he said. "I want to show people that no matter whats going on in the world, for one day, just one day, no politics, not all that stuff. "Im sorry for all the people and whats going on, Im sorry," he continued. "Im not the president, Im not an ambassador, Im just an individual that wants to show the world the fact that we can actually get along and be happy for one day." Rodman and Kim struck up a friendship when the basketball-player-turned-celebrity first travelled to the secretive state last year. Mohamed Sanu Falcons Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Tevin Coleman Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. http:///...ageman-Elite-Jersey/ . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- No champagne. No curtain call in front of joyous fans. No celebrating at all, really. The Cincinnati Reds clinched a playoff spot with hardly any notice. If anything, they were a little bummed out. Shin-Soo Choo drove in the winning run with a single off the wall in the 10th inning, and the Reds secured their third playoff spot in four years shortly after beating the New York Mets 3-2 on Monday night. They want a whole lot more than the wild card thats already in hand. "Were excited, obviously," shortstop Zack Cozart said, looking over a clubhouse where the only visible celebration was the image of Pittsburgh Pirates spraying each other on television. "Thats not our goal. Were in the division hunt. Were not happy with a wild card." The Reds clinched theirs after Choos drive smacked high off the wall in left-centre field. Eight minutes later, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 4-3, clinching an NL wild card for Pittsburgh. Bummer. The Reds were pulling for first-place St. Louis to lose. Instead, the Cardinals retained their two-game lead over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the NL Central. "I was pulling for the Nationals to win, get a step closer to the Cardinals," manager Dusty Baker said. "Weve still got five games to go. A lot of baseball." The Reds kept pace with St. Louis despite squandering plenty of chances to end it early. They wasted a chance in the ninth, when David Aardsma pitched out of a bases-loaded threat by retiring Todd Frazier on a fly out. Greg Burke (0-3) gave up a one-out single to Devin Mesoraco in the 10th, and Derrick Robinson singled him to third. Choo followed with his third hit of the game, off left-hander Sean Henn, a drive high off the wall in left-centre. Choo headed for the dugout after crossing first base. Manny Parra (2-3) allowed one hit in the 10th. It was a notable win for the Reds -- their 90th of the season, the third time in the last four years that they have reached the mark under Baker. They havent had so many 90-win seasons since the Big Red Machine of the 1970s. Johnny Cueto made a second solid start since coming off the disabled list, an encouraging sign for Cincinnatis post-season plans. The right-hander has been sidelined three times by soreness near his shoulder. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- on Lucas&nbssp;Dudas sacrifice fly and solo homer, which snapped an 0-for-17 slump. LaRoy Reynolds Jersey. . In two starts, Cueto has allowed eight hits and one earned run in 12 innings. Cuetos 99-pitch outing was the most encouraging part of the night for the Reds, who could have their ace back for the playoffs. "He was excellent," Baker said. "Hes getting ready. Each time he goes out, he gets his endurance up." The Reds got two runs in six innings off Aaron Harang, who made his third start for the Mets. Choo singled home a run in the second and Joey Votto got one of his career-high five walks with the bases loaded. Harang is 3-0 in four career starts against the Reds, including a 4-2 victory with Seattle on July 5 at Great American Ball Park. The Mariners later released him with a 5-11 record. The Reds sustained their hopes of another division title by winning another long game -- they are 13-9 in extra innings. Last September, Baker was in a Chicago hospital getting treated for an irregular heartbeat and a mini-stroke when the Reds clinched the NL Central title. They made a video of their spray-away celebration and wished for another when he returned. It didnt happy. Cueto had to leave the opening game of the playoffs at San Francisco after only eight pitches because of a strained muscle in his right side. With their rotation in flux, the Reds lost the five-game series. This season, the Reds have stayed in contention despite losing Cueto, setup relievers Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, and cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick for most of the season. Ludwick tore cartilage in his right shoulder while sliding into a base on opening day and was out for more than three months. They were six games out on Aug. 9, in danger of falling out of the divisions three-team race. They regrouped and have taken the race down to the final week by winning 12 of their last 17. NOTES: New Yorks David Wright had his hitting streak ended at eight games. ... Billy Hamilton got in as a pinch-runner in the eighth and stole second, leaving him 13 for 13 in attempts. The Mets called for a pitchout but Frank Francisco threw it over the plate. ... Votto has walked 132 times this season, tying Joe Morgans club record from 1975. The five walks also tied a club record. ... RHP Mike Leake (14-6) starts for the Reds on Tuesday against LHP Jonathon Niese (7-8). Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '