2012 » est in receiving yards per game (84.3 yards) and nations 12

ATLANTA -- When he was pitching in the minor leagues earlier this month, Josh Collmenter didnt envision himself beating the Washington Nationals.He stayed focused, though, and got another chance in the major leagues with the NL-worst Atlanta Braves, who backed him up with timely hitting.Nick Markakis and Anthony Recker each drove in two runs, Collmenter won as an emergency starter and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Saturday.Aside from the two balls that left the yard, I feel good about most of my stuff, Collmenter said.Washington began the day needing a combination of six Nationals victories or six New York Mets losses to clinch its third NL East title in five years.Acquired Wednesday from the Chicago Cubs, Collmenter (2-0) struck out eight in five innings and allowed two runs, four hits and three walks. He was Arizonas opening-day starter last year and was making his first big league start since July 7, 2015 for Arizona.Collmenter had four starts at Triple-A Iowa before the trade. Atlanta needed a starter because Mike Foltynewicz has a bruised left calf and Williams Perez has an elbow impingement.Washington rookie Trea Turner hit a pair of solo home runs, is 7 for 9 in the series and has six homers, 16 RBI, 19 runs and seven steals in 12 games against Atlanta this year.The Nationals wasted a chance to rattle Collmenter in the second when he walked three of the first four batters but struck out Turner to escape the jam. Collmenter also stranded a runner at third in the third.I was able to retire him and, for the most part, kept them stringing some hits together and limit the walks, Collmenter said.Atlanta scored three runs in the fifth for a 6-2 lead against Gio Gonzalez (11-10). Markakis RBI single chased Gonzalez, Trevor Gott gave up Reckers RBI single and Gordon Beckhams bases-loaded walk.The Braves have won just 12 of the last 48 games in the series and their 29 losses to Washington since the start of 2015 are Atlantas most against one opponent in a two-year span.Maybe the law of averages were on their side to win one today, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.Gonzalez allowed six runs and nine hits, dropping to 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA in four starts against Atlanta this season.I got beat by a lot of singles, Gonzalez said. Some were by just inches. It was one of those unfortunate things. You want to show you can pitch in this rotation, and it was the way todays game went.ROTATION TURNSTILEAtlanta has used a big-league high 16 starters, a team record. The 1975 Braves used 15.HITTING MACHINEWashington 2B Daniel Murphy hit his NL-leading 47th double in the third to tie Ryan Zimmermans franchise record in 2006. Murphy stayed in the game after a hard head-first slide into the second base in the third.STREAKINGFreeman has a 21-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 37 straight games. Both are career highs and the longest active streaks in the majors. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 3 for 4 and has 87 hits, most in the majors, since the All-Star break.BACK ON THE HILLBraves RHP Jose Ramirez threw an eight-pitch eighth. Ramirez has appealed a three-game suspension handed imposed for throwing at the head of Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez.UP NEXTJoe Ross (7-4) is to start Sunday for the Nationals and RHP Matt Wisler (6-12) for the Braves. Ross is on the 60-day DL and has been sidelined since July 2 with shoulder inflammation. Wisler is 2/3 with a 5.19 ERA in five career starts and one relief appearance against Washington.Alex Rodriguez Yankees Jersey . 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Thurman Munson Yankees Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team.LUBBOCK, Texas -- Kliff Kingsbury and his Texas Tech players are drawing on last years close game at Kansas for motivation for the rematch Thursday night.In the 30-20 win, the Red Raiders (2-1) offense was unenergetic and a joke, the fourth-year coach said.They really brought it to us, they were way more physical and it showed on tape and on the field, Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. Its something that we really looked at and are going to go out there and hopefully we can bring the physicality to them here at home.The road has not been kind to the Jayhawks (1-2). The 43-7 loss at Memphis in their last outing was their 39th straight loss away from Lawrence, Kansas.Kansas coach David Beaty hopes to stop the programs winless skid but knows it wont be easy against the nations second-leading offense (678.7 yards per game).Very dynamic, terrific quarterback, he said. Guys out wide are very capable, very capable. Theyve got a couple of really good young running backs, really good running backs, so very difficult.The Red Raiders are 16-1 against the Jayhawks. Here are some of keys to consider as Kansas and Texas Tech open their Big 12 schedule:MAHOMES TARGETSMahomes leads the Big 12 in passing and touchdowns (497.7 yards per game and 14 TDs) in large measure because he has many good receivers: Johnathan Giles (346 yards and five TDs), Cameron Batson (197 yards and three TDs) and RB Justin Stockton (191 and one TD). Mahomes has just two interceptions through three games, one fewer than the same time last season. He has protected the ball well, hes been very accurate, and I think its a credit to him, because he made it a priority, Kingsbury said.TURNOVER TERRIBLESThe Jayhawks are having a rough time hanging on to the ball.dddddddddddd After their first three games, they rank 125th in the nation is turnovers lost (11). They lost six fumbles at Memphis. The last game was not a true statement of who they are as a football team, Kingsbury said. It kind of got out of hand. But Coach Beaty, I know him very well. He does a good job motivating.KINGSBURY AND BEATYThe two got to know one another when Kingsbury was at Houston and Beaty was at Rice, and they coached together at Texas A&M before each got head coaching gigs.Hes very positive, energetic -- what you see is what you get, Kingsbury said. And hes always got a smile on his face.Beaty lauded Kingsbury for more than coaching.Theres not five humans on the earth better than Kliff Kingsbury, he said. You look at him and everybody sees this good-looking dude and handsome guy and they compare him to all these superstars. What you dont know about him is hes one of the finest men youve ever met.KANSAS STANDOUTSteven Sims Jr. is the Big 12s fifth best in receiving yards per game (84.3 yards) and nations 12th best in yards per reception (23 yards). The sophomore from Houston has four TDs and 253 yards on 11 catches.JAYHAWKS PSYCHEIt can be discouraging to lose two straight games this early in the season, a fact that Beaty tries to tend to.The truth is you always manage your psyche, whether youre winning or losing, he said. Its the nature of our game. You dont get to go run and hide under a rock and cry. You deal with it, and you move forward.---Follow Betsy Blaney on Twitter at www.twitter.com/betsyblaney---Online: AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgCheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys [url=http://www.jerseys