is Manchester United team were a long-ball | Forum

TORONTO -- Mark DeRosa is the first to admit he isnt exactly an intimidating batter. St. Louis Cardinals Willie McGee Jersey . DeRosa, a 38-year-old bench player the Blue Jays added this season for depth, has been dealing with a sore neck and a slump at the plate in which he hadnt had a hit since June 18 against Colorado. So when an injury forced first baseman Adam Lind out of the roster, DeRosa found himself filling in Monday. Even more unexpected was his No. 4 spot in the batting order. But no one was more surprised than the Detroit Tigers when DeRosa launched a three-run homer, an exclamation point in Torontos 8-3 victory against the American League champions. "Ive always been a guy who likes to work the ball the other way and its been frustrating over the last couple weeks," said DeRosa. "You know, flying open, striking out and grounding out to short. Doing things that, I pride myself on being a quality at-bat. Definitely hitting fourth was not on the agenda coming into the season." DeRosa joked he told star Jose Bautista, who was hitting third in the lineup after slugger Edwin Encarnacion was pulled just before the game with left hamstring soreness, to take off his shin guard at the plate and expect to be walked. It ended up being no joke at all. The Tigers walked Bautista twice, and DeRosa made them pay in the fourth inning with his fifth homer of the season. "Obviously you cant replace Eddie, you cant replace the way Lind swung the bat. Im aware of that," said DeRosa. "But theres guys here that are capable of doing things they have to to help us win." DeRosa had plenty of help during a festive Canada Day game at Rogers Centre. Shortstop Jose Reyes, who made his first appearance at home since April before he was put on the disabled list with a severely sprained left ankle, hit his second home run in two games. Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (8-8), following up on his best outing of the season last week, was again solid against Detroits intimidating batting order. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts through seven innings. Two of those strikeouts were against reigning batting champion Miguel Cabrera, who is leading the majors with a .369 average. Dickey said his velocity is returning, and thats making the knuckleball much more effective than it was during a rough start to the season. "I think any pedestrian could see that (the pitch) is harder. That the velocitys come back," said Dickey. "Its been kind of a tough go getting it back. I threw a knuckleball 81 miles an hour today, I threw a lot of 80 miles an hour, I threw an 85 mile an hour fastball. All those velocities are tops for the year." Prince Fielder, who hit a solo homer off Dickey, said he could see why the other Tigers batters were having so much trouble. "It was knuckling. Its hard for catchers to catch it so imagine how hard it is to hit it," said Fielder. Dickey was relieved by Steve Delabar, who impressed by striking out the heart of Detroits offence in Torii Hunter, Cabrera and Fielder in the eighth inning. Aaron Loup finished the game for Toronto in the ninth to get the Blue Jays (41-41) back to .500. Omar Infante, who finished 4-for-4, went deep in the ninth for the slumping Tigers (43-38), who now have just one win in their last seven games and trail American League Central-leading Cleveland by a half-game. "Were in a little funk right now and weve just got to get ourselves out of it," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland. Youll got to roll with that punch and youve got to try and do something about it." Tigers rookie left-hander Jose Alvarez (1-2), making his fourth start of the season, lasted just three innings after giving up five runs, four earned, and walking three with four strikeouts. Reyes opened a four-run third inning with a solo shot into the left-field second deck to the roar of 45,766 fans at Torontos fifth sellout of the season. Rajai Davis then sent a double into the same direction. Davis, who is playing every day with Melky Cabrera on the 15-day disabled list, appeared to distract Alvarez from his duel with Bautista by attempting to steal third. Davis took third before the at-bat was over and Alvarez walked Bautista. Alvarez then walked Colby Rasmus to load the bases. J.P. Arencibia capitalized with a two-run double to bring home Davis and Bautista. Maicer Izturis then added an RBI sacrifice fly to put the Blue Jays up 5-0. Alvarez finished the inning before being replaced by reliever Luke Putkonen. Fielder put the Tigers on the scoreboard with a home run over the right-field wall in the fourth. Victor Martinez doubled on the next at-bat and was then scored on a ground-rule double by Infante to cut into Torontos lead by two. DeRosa gave the Blue Jays a six-run advantage in the bottom of the inning. Davis singled then stole his second base of the game. He was followed by Bautistas second walk of the game, and DeRosa scored all three with a homer to right off Putkonen for an 8-2 lead. The Blue Jays capitalized on a balk by Alvarez to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alvarez stepped off the plate against second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, advancing Izturis and Josh Thole. Then Kawasaki -- the clear crowd favourite of the Blue Jays lineup -- hit an RBI single that brought home Izturis. The inning ended however when on the same play Thole was caught at the plate. The game was a party for the holiday crowd. Members and families of the Canadian Armed Forces held a massive flag during the pre-game ceremony while Canadian music acts such as Classified and Arcade Fire were blared over the speakers. The Blue Jays wore red jerseys and were joined on the field by the national junior baseball team for the anthems. "It was fun. What a fun day," said Dickey. "As an American it was neat to be a part of it. Its fun to be embraced by a community any time." Notes: Lind is day-to-day with back pain after being pulled from Torontos 5-4 loss in Boston on Sunday. ... Encarnacion, who is day-to-day, has also been playing with a sore wrist. Manager John Gibbons said Encarnacions wrist is hampering his ability to field but not swing the bat. He was replaced as designated hitter by Arencibia. ... Blue Jays right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (1-1, 5.24 earned-run average) faces Tigers RHP Doug Fister (6-5, 3.50 ERA) on Tuesday. ... IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., threw the first pitch. Cleveland Indians Carlos Santana Jersey . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Chicago Cubs Addison Russell Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. http:///...Sandy-Koufax-Jersey/ . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006.Friday marks 20 years since Kevin Keegans I will love it rant and two decades on, it remains one of the Premier Leagues most unforgettable moments. Back on April 29, 1996, Keegans Newcastle side won 1-0 at Leeds to close to within three points of leaders Manchester United with a game in hand and two to play.Keith Gillespies goal gave them their third victory in a row and talk among supporters on their way home would likely have been about the exciting end to the campaign which lay ahead. That was, of course, until Keegan gave his post-match thoughts to Sky Sports.Before the game, Old Trafford manager Alex Ferguson had suggested the likes of Nottingham Forest might not try as hard against Keegans men as they did against his side.Newcastle were due at the City Ground three days later to play a team who, curiously, United had just beaten 5-0. Newcastle were also providing the opposition for Stuart Pearces Forest testimonial later the same year.Yet Keegan took the bait and if you ask football followers for their outstanding memory from that campaign, most will tell you of his remarkable reaction in the aftermath of that win at Elland Road.Referring to Fergusons comments, Keegan said: When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds - and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce...Ive kept really quiet but Ill tell you something, he went down in my estimations when he said that. We have not resorted to that. Keegan made his comments after Keith Gillespies goal gave Newcastle a 1-0 win at Leeds You can tell him now, were still fighting for this title and hes got to go to Middlesbrough and get something - and Ill tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it.It really has got to me. Ive voiced it live, not in front of the press or anywhere. Im not even going to the press conference but the battle is still on and Man United have not won this yet. 20 years on from Kevin Keegans iconic rant, David Beckham discusses the impact it had on the Manchester Utd changing room Alas, that would soon change as, in the culmination of an apparently masterful bout of mind games, Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw by Forest. Detroit Tigers Jordan Zimmermann Jersey. They recorded the same score against Tottenham and with United duly going to Middlesbrough and winning 3-0, they took the title by four points after Newcastle had led by 12 at one stage. Manchester United went on to claim the Premier League title in 1996 As you can see in the video at the top of the page, Keegans rant is by no means the only one we have seen from English-based managers over the years.This Saturday marks a year since former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson called reporter Ian Baker an ostrich in response to a question asking him to specify what criticism his team had taken.Roy Keane was unamused when a journalists phone began ringing during a news conference while he was in charge of Ipswich in 2009.Ron Atkinson also wasnt happy when he was asked how Coventry could get out of relegation trouble in the same season as the Keegan flashpoint. Rafa Benitez launched a famous facts rant while at Liverpool Who could forget Rafa Benitezs facts rant - he only actually used the word fact six times over several minutes - in response to Fergusons claims Liverpool could choke in the 2008/09 season?And then there was Jose Mourinhos minute 30, 33, 43, 69 interview, when he refused to discuss moments he felt aggrieved by following Chelseas 1-1 draw with Burnley last season.Mourinhos relationship with Arsene Wenger is a strained one and the Frenchman objected to Sky Sports News HQ reporter Andy Burton suggesting he was under more pressure than his rival.Paolo Di Canios outburst at his own fans when he was Swindons manager was as extraordinary as anything.He said he would give them their season ticket money back and said they should go to watch neighbours Oxford if they were unhappy following his row with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, produced a dossier to dispel Sam Allardyces assertion his Manchester United team were a long-ball side following a 1-1 draw with West Ham in February last year.Click the video at the top of the page to relive all of these moments as some of the countrys most well-known managers lose their cool! 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