Wilkommen bei den Schatten » prospect Thanasis, started playing, Antetokou

HOUSTON -- With every swing and miss, this looked as if it might be the day Yu Darvish pitched a no-hitter against the overmatched Houston Astros. And then with one out in the eighth inning, Carlos Corporan ended Darvishs latest bid with a home run. Darvish once again neared perfection versus Houston, striking out a career-high 15 and permitting only one hit in eight innings as the Texas Rangers won 2-1 Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. "A wins a win," Darvish said through a translator. "Im just glad I was a big part of this win." Texas won for the 13th time in 14 games and headed home atop the AL West. In early April, Darvish (12-5) was one out away from a perfect game at Minute Maid Park before Marwin Gonzalez singled between his legs. Darvish joined Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in team history to have more than one start of at least eight innings with one hit or less. Darvish became the first pitcher to have two no-hitters broken up in the eighth inning or later since it happened to Justin Verlander in 2011. Outfielder Alex Rios chased Corporans drive to the wall, but had to watch as it sailed about five rows into the stands. Darvish simply looked around, and then wiped his brow with his arm before preparing to throw his next pitch. "Well, Id like to see it happen of course," manager Ron Washington said. "But those are professional hitters over there, too, and Corporan caught one." Until the homer, Houstons lone runner came when rookie Jonathan Villar drew a two-out walk on a full count in the sixth. Texas catcher A.J. Pierzynski was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Ron Kulpa about a 2-2 breaking pitch he called low -- Pierzynski was tossed after Villar walked. "Was it a strike? I dont know," Pierzynski said. "Obviously I thought it was and Ron didnt, and I was upset we walked the guy and I said a bad word and I was ejected." Darvish was perplexed by the actions of his catcher. "When he got ejected, I thought, What is he doing?" Darvish said with a laugh. The two-time All-Star ace from Japan was sharp all game, retiring the last two batters in eighth and exiting after increasing his major league-leading strikeout total to 207. "He used everything today: slider, curveball, cutter, fastball," Washington said. "He moved it around, kept them off-balance. When they were looking for breaking balls he was throwing fastballs and cutters and when they were looking for cutters he was throwing breaking balls." "I was pretty locked in," he said. Darvish struck out 14 in four prior games this year, including his earlier gem at Houston. His 15 strikeouts on Monday matched his career-high from his professional career in Japan. He is 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA and 37 strikeouts in three starts in Houston this season, and is 4-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 50 strikeouts in five starts since returning from the disabled list. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 35th save. The AL West-leading Rangers took a quick lead over the last-place Astros. With two outs in the first, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre doubled and Pierzynski hit an RBI single off Brett Oberholtzer (2-1). Oberholtzer yielded seven hits and two runs with six strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings for his first loss in three major league starts. The Houston hitters had no such luck with Darvish. Darvish was strong from the start relying mostly on a four-seam fastball, sliders and a cutter against the Astros inexperienced lineup. "He doesnt just have control. This guy has command," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "He can throw every pitch the way he wants to throw it, even out of the strike zone. Which, when you have that kind of repertoire, youre going to be up against it." He struck out the side in the first inning before getting two fly outs and a ground out in the second. The 26-year-old righty fanned two each in the third and fourth innings, struck out the side in the fifth and the first batter of the sixth inning. His strikeout of Chris Carter to start the fifth was his 200th of the season, giving him a team record for fewest games (23) needed to reach the mark. In the sixth, Darvish started walking off the mound after his close pitch to Villar. Pierzynski also began heading to the dugout, but Kulpa said it missed. Pierzynski didnt like the call. After the walk, started yelling in Kulpas face and was quickly tossed. Geovany Soto took over at catcher. Darvish, a two-time MVP in Japan, flirted with perfection last Sept. 3, too, retiring the first 17 batters at Kansas City. NOTES: Injured Texas DH Lance Berkman is getting Monday off and will DH for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be re-evaluate him after that. ... Neftali Feliz, who was expected to throw Saturday for Round Rock but did not pitch as a precaution because of mild right arm triceps tendinitis, has been shut down. Feliz has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last year. ... Darvish set rookie franchise records for wins (16) and strikeouts (221) last season. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind winner Mike Trout and Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Willie McGee Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Enos Slaughter Jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. 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"All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. Ozzie Smith Cardinals Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. MILWAUKEE -- Whats cooler than being cool? Andre 3000 bellowed as he glided around the stage at Staples Center wearing sunglasses, a candy-striper outfit and a paper wedge hat.Ice cold! the backup singers answered as they gyrated behind him as OutKast performed Hey Ya, one of the hottest songs of the moment.It was the opening sequence of the 2004 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Within moments, the singer asked the crowd if it was ready to meet the players and he stepped aside so Michael Redd, dressed in a baggy purple-and-black Milwaukee Bucks warmup, could be announced for his first All-Star appearance.Redd played 15 minutes and scored 13 points. A Buck hasnt been seen in an All-Star Game since, the longest drought of star power in the league.In 2004, Giannis Antetokounmpo was just 9 years old and had no interest in basketball. Living in the Sepolia section of Athens, Greece, he played soccer like his father and oldest brother, who were stars in Nigeria. He didnt even start playing basketball until three years later, when he was 12.The Antetokounmpo story is as outlandish as the Bucks search for him. The Bucks have been in need of a franchise player since Ray Allen was sent to Seattle in 2003 in one of the more ill-advised moves in recent NBA history. Redds shot at it was cut short because of debilitating injuries that forced early retirement.They have him now. One of the biggest talking points among league executives and scouts this season is the explosive growth of Antetokounmpo this season. Since Bucks coach Jason Kidd made the intriguing decision to install the Greek Freak as a part-time point guard near the end of last season, his playmaking has wowed opponents and teammates.Last week he had a 34-point game against the Cavs. Saturday he had 10 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and two steals in a win over the Nets. Monday he won his second Player of the Week Award (and lost a home nail-biter to the Spurs despite his 22 points and 11 rebounds, snapping a four-game win streak).Tuesday he turns 22 years old, younger than NBA rookies like Buddy Hield and teammate Malcolm Brogdon.Kidd has had to knock Antetokounmpo in line at times over the past few seasons and hes been cautious to always point out how much his young star still has to learn. On Monday, for example, he was isolated in a vital late possession against the outsized Manu Ginobili and wasnt able to get it done, in part because he still doesnt have confidence in his jumper.Still night after night, Antetokounmpo makes breathtaking plays with this athleticism, size and burgeoning skill. Hes averaging 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists plus two steals and two blocks per game. Hes also shooting 52 percent. Hes doing it while playing a mix of point guard, both forward spots and even some center on defense in various lineups.Seeing the potential spill forth, Kidd cant help himself. He knows he shouldnt say out loud what he and his coaches have been talking about amongst themselves, but this last week has loosened his lips.ddddddddddddHaving being around some of the best in the world in LeBron (James) and Dirk (Nowitzki), Kidd said referencing former Team USA and Dallas Mavericks teammates, wouldnt it be cool to have those two combined as one player? Maybe that could happen.Of all the things Kidd has seen from Antetokounmpo, he finds himself marveling at the passing the most. Recently he found center John Henson with a perfect bounce pass through traffic that led to an easy hoop. Seeing a 7-footer find another 7-footer on the move under pressure by bouncing it off the court left Kidd, one of the best passers of all time, rubbing his eyes.To be honest, I dont always think about it, its just instinct, Antetokounmpo said. Guys are like, howd you do that? and I say, Im not thinking about it. I see what the right pass is and I throw the pass. Thats the way its all been.Putting it like that makes it seem like its all natural talent. Hes got plenty of it -- if he didnt, the Bucks wouldnt have gambled on him with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft in a move that now looks genius. They extended it by locking him up to a four-year, $100 million extension before the season that now looks like a bargain because it was for a handful of million less than the max salary. If there was ever a player who looked like a max at age 22, its this athlete.Just pointing to the pure talent sells him short. Teammates report that Antetokounmpo is diligent about watching film and studying the game. Hes only been playing it half his life, which puts him behind most of his peers.When he started to get interested in the game as a teenager after his older brother, Knicks prospect Thanasis, started playing, Antetokounmpo found himself drawn to YouTube highlights of Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen and Allen Iverson. The way he passes, defends and plays with passion, you can see bits of all of them.I want to make great plays. It can be blocking a shot, it can be passing to an open teammate or dunking. Just great plays, he said. Thats what makes me excited.In the preseasons annual general managers survey, seven players received votes in the best player to start a franchise category, a favorite area of debate every year. Karl-Anthony Towns got the most votes, a reasonable choice. Antetokounmpo got zero. Usually the second guessing on that survey comes 12 months later. If the vote was taken again today, Antetokounmpo would show up.His first six weeks have been that impressive. As they consider the possibility of breaking their All-Star drought, the Bucks cant wait to see where the near future takes them.Were in the early stages of seeing where he can take us, Kidd said. What hes done is show that he can handle a lot right now. Theres going to be a time where were going to raise the bar again and see how he does. ' ' '