Pirate Galaxy » wanted to win. They greeted Williams far more l

BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis is having such a phenomenal season, he can afford to joke about a slump hes been stuck in for more than a week. Hes not getting any sympathy from his teammates, either. Davis snapped an 0-for-17 skid with his major league-leading 34th homer, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 Thursday night to earn a split of the four-game series. Davis reached career highs in homers and RBIs (86) with a second-inning solo shot off Ross Wolf (1-2). His 34 home runs are the most in the majors before the All-Star break since 2001, when Barry Bonds had 39 and Luis Gonzalez hit 35. "I was just glad to get a hit," Davis said. "Got tired of striking out and grounding out and breaking bats. Kind of went on long enough." After the home run, he struck out twice and is now in a 2-for-27 funk. But does it really matter? "I talked about trying to be a little more patient, little bit more selective," he said. "And of course after I hit the home run I go back to swinging at everything. Some lessons are harder to learn than others." In spite of his recent dry spell, Davis is still batting .310 and ranks second behind Miguel Cabrera for the major league lead in RBIs. "Yeah, we all feel terrible for him. Hes got 34 and 86. Its been a rough go for him," joked teammate Brian Roberts, who also homered. "Nobody would have ever predicted that. We know hes talented, but to have 34 and 86 before the break is just crazy. And its been fun to watch." Miguel Gonzalez (7-3) allowed one run, four hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings to improve to 5-0 at home this year. Baltimore has won each of the last 12 games hes started at Camden Yards. After Nate McLouth singled in a run for Baltimore in the eighth, Jim Johnson got three outs for his 31st save in 37 opportunities. Ian Kinsler homered and Mitch Moreland had three hits for the Rangers, who scored only one run in each of the final two games of the series. Adrian Beltre went 1 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Texas couldnt have asked for much more from Wolf, who got the start after Yu Darvish was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain. Wolf gave up two runs and three hits in six innings. "Im very happy with him. He did what his job was today -- he kept us in the ballgame," manager Ron Washington said. "Thats all you can ask from a guy thats sitting down there and gets a chance to pitch when you need him. We needed him today and he gave us what we needed out of him. We just didnt put enough runs on the board." Wolf hadnt allowed a homer all season until Davis and Roberts both went deep in a span four batters. Davis put the Orioles up 1-0 by driving a 2-1 pitch into the centre-field bleachers, and Roberts led off the third with his second homer of the year. "Davis, threw him a changeup. It was right down the middle," Wolf said. "Roberts was a little better pitch. It was fastball down and in, it was supposed to be away. I just missed the spot and its (in) his happy zone. Made a mistake and paid for it." Baltimores only other hit through the first five innings was a leadoff single by Matt Wieters in the fifth. He was promptly wiped out by a 6-4-3 double play in which shortstop Elvis Andrus went deep in the hole before flipping the ball to second from his glove. The Rangers had just one runner through the first four innings and managed only two hits through the fifth -- both of them singles by Moreland. Kinsler homered to lead off the sixth and Nelson Cruz singled with one out before Beltre hit into a double play. Texas got a runner on second with no outs in the eighth before Darren ODay quelled the threat. NOTES: Texas assistant general manager Thad Levine said Thursday that Darvishs injury isnt serious, and the right-hander should be ready to return soon after the All-Star break. ... Baltimore begins a three-game series with Toronto on Friday night, and Texas concludes the first half with three games in Detroit. After the All-Star break, the Orioles and Rangers conclude their season series with three games in Texas from July 19-21. ... Texas optioned RHP Josh Lindblom to Triple-A Round Rock and recalled pitchers Joseph Ortiz and Wilmer Font from the same minor league club. ... Rangers RHP Alexi Ogando, whos been on the DL since June 9 with right shoulder inflammation, was scheduled to throw around 60 pitches in his second rehab start Thursday night for Round Rock. ... After the game, the Orioles optioned RHP Josh Stinson to Triple-A Norfolk.Authentic Jerseys . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Adidas Jerseys . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Custom Jerseys . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Cheap Jerseys . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said.When Venus Williams pushed one last forehand long to lose in the first round for the first time in her record five Olympic singles tournaments, her opponent celebrated as if having claimed a gold medal, dropping down on the green hard court to plant a kiss on the white five-ring logo.This was clearly a very big deal to Kirsten Flipkens, a Belgian ranked 62nd and only once as far as the semifinals at a Grand Slam event.Just two points away from winning on four occasions while portions of the crowd turned hostile toward her, the 36-year-old Williams faded as Saturday nights match stretched past 3 hours and she was stunned 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) by Flipkens on Day 1 of tennis at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.The 36-year-old American -- owner of four gold medals and seven Grand Slam titles -- labored at times and showed frustration by shouting Ridiculous! after one point Saturday.Afterward, Williams did not speak to reporters. Instead, U.S. womens tennis coach Mary Joe Fernandez did, saying that Williams was sick before arriving in Brazil. Fernandez added that Williams had cramping, dehydration and an upset stomach after her loss, but still hoped to play doubles Sunday with younger sister Serena.I would be highly surprised if she didnt play, because this has been her goal for the last four years -- to come back to the Olympics, Fernandez said. She wants to win a medal so badly in anything. Knowing Venus, she will be out there, no matter how badly shes feeling.Williams owns four gold medals: one in singles and three in doubles. She owns 21 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in doubles. But she labored at times Saturday and even showed frustration by shouting Ridiculous! after dropping one point.With U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry watching, the fifth-seeded Williams was broken while serving for the victory at 5-3. She was two points from a win four times but could not close out Flipkens, who is ranked 62nd and reached the semifinals of a major tournament only once.Williams was coming off a ruun to the semifinals at Wimbledon last month, her best showing at a major since 2010.dddddddddddd That also made her the oldest woman since 1994 to reach a Grand Slam tournaments final four. And it helped her attain her best ranking since revealing in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Sjongrens syndrome, which can cause joint pain and fatigue.Shes used to not feeling 100 percent with her Sjongrens, and I think thats why we saw her compete and fight to the end, Fernandez said. ?Credit to Flipkens, who hung around and defended so well and made her play extra shots.Williams is the first tennis player to participate in singles at five Olympics, and never had failed to reach at least the third round before, claiming a gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. She also won doubles golds in 2000, 2008 and 2012. But against Flipkens, who was making her Olympic debut, Williams failed to find the right measure on most of her strokes and wound up with 13 fewer winners on courts that competitors agree are playing slowly. Williams, once possessor of one of the best serves in womens tennis, hit one ace, five fewer than Flipkens.This is just one of the most epic matches in my life, Flipkens said.The fans couldnt seem to settle on which woman they wanted to win. They greeted Williams far more loudly and warmly during prematch introductions, although perhaps that was because of her far-greater name recognition. Later, though, they roared when Williams made mistakes. They clapped when she double-faulted. They even gave her grief for the common and innocuous practice of catching a ball toss that wasnt good.When one group of spectators bellowed a USA! USA! chant late in the third set, others responded by booing (Kerry had left by then).They just enjoyed my game because, I think, Im a little girl trying to do some special stuff to get a chance to beat a champion like that, Flipkens said. ' ' '