2012 » hits and opponents batted .269 against him, an

SEATTLE -- Mariners closer Fernando Rodney usually gets the job done. He never makes it look easy, though. Rodney allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base in the ninth inning as Seattle clung to a one-run lead over the Detroit Tigers. Rodney walked Alex Avila to lead off the inning and Don Kelly reached on a broken bat flyball to left field. But Rodney struck out Andrew Romine and Rajai Davis before getting Ian Kinsler to ground out to the shortstop to for a 3-2 win over the Tigers Saturday night, wrapping up his 14th save in 16 chances. "I wasnt nervous. I wasnt watching," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon joked. Willie Bloomquist delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles off Detroit starter Drew Smyly to help lift the Mariners. Chris Young allowed two runs and three hits over six innings to improve to 5-2, but Seattle had to hold their breath with Rodney in the ninth. After Avila and Kelly reached in the ninth, manager Lloyd McClendon knew Romine would likely be bunting. He marched to the mound to meet with Rodney and stressed the importance of getting any out they could against Romine. "A lot of times we take that for granted, but thats real important," McClendon said. "You know theyre bunting. Lets not try to do anything spectacular. Lets just make sure we get an out. That was my message." Romine failed to get the bunt down and ultimately struck out on a changeup. Rodney and Davis then had a 10-pitch battle before Rodney finally got a swinging strikeout over a 95 mph fastball on the inside corner. "(Davis) was looking for something soft he can drive to right field," Rodney said. "I see that and I continue to mix it up. The last pitch I said Im going to die with my best pitch in my fastball." A groundball to short by Kinsler allowed Rodney to get out of the jam as the Mariners held on for the win. Stefen Romero and John Buck each singled to put runners on the corners with one out against Smyly (2-4) in the second inning. Cole Gillespie hit a dribbler off the end of the bat just past the mound to score Romero and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Bloomquist added another run with a two-out RBI single that scored Buck from second. Smyly allowed seven hits and threw 105 pitches in just four innings of work before being ousted by the Mariners. "He had a little trouble with his command again," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "He had trouble getting ahead and when he did get ahead, it seemed like they would work their way back into 3-2 counts." Young, meanwhile, was in cruise control for the Mariners. He retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced through the first three innings. Miguel Cabrera hit a solo homer to left field with one out in the fourth inning to get the Tigers on the board. It was Cabreras second home run in two games this series against Seattle and his 10th home run of the season. Seattle answered in the bottom half. Gillespie singled and stole second base to move into scoring position. Bloomquist came through again with two outs, hitting a single to left to score Gillespie and give Seattle a 3-1 cushion. Austin Jackson doubled to lead off the seventh inning and chase Young. Jackson scored on a wild pitch by Dominic Leone to pull back with a run. A walk to Kelly and single from Davis put a pair of runners on but Gillespie ran down a line drive from Kinsler at the wall to preserve Seattles lead. NOTES: Seattle 2B Robinson Cano missed his third straight game with a sore hand. McClendon said that Cano is improving but is still day to day. ... Seattle SS Nick Franklin is 0 for 14 with nine strikeouts over his last four games. His average for the season fell to .128. ... Young improved to 6-0 with a 2.84 ERA in nine career starts at Safeco Field. He is 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA in five starts in Seattle this season. He has limited opponents to a .202 batting average against in 10 starts. ... Tigers 2B Kinsler went 0 for 5 on the night and left seven runners stranded on base, with three in scoring position. ... RHP Max Scherzer (6-1, 3.00 ERA) takes to the mound to face LHP Roenis Elias (3-4, 4.02 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday. Clayton Richard Jersey . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. Christian Villanueva Jersey .C. - Brent Sutter scored 1:32 into extra time as the Charlotte Checkers came from behind to defeat the visiting Abbotsford Heat 5-4 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. http://www.cheappadresjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-jose-pirela-jersey . -- Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oaklands regular-season finale against San Diego. Allen Craig Jersey . -- Canadian womens amateur golf champion Brooke Henderson is a little less starstruck as she prepares for her second career appearance at an LPGA Tour major event. Carlos Asuaje Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51.NEW YORK -- Re-Enter Sandman? The New York Yankees selected Mariano Rivera III, the son of the former record-breaking closer, in the 29th round of the Major League Baseball draft on Saturday. The 20-year-old Rivera, a starting pitcher as a sophomore at Iona College, went 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA and five complete games and a team-leading 50 strikeouts in 70 innings for the Gaels. The 5-foot-11 right-hander bears a strong resemblance physically to his famous father, who saved a major league-record 652 games and helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles. But Rivera III allowed 72 hits and opponents batted .269 against him, and he was considered by many to be a fringe prospect because of his inexperience on the mound. Yankees manager Joe Girardi spoke to Mariano Rivera recently and asked him for a scouting report on his son. "Mo wasnt sure if he got drafted what he would do," Girardi said before the Yankees played the Royals in Kansas City on Saturday night.dddddddddddd "But I think its neat he got drafted by the Yankees and well see what happens." Rivera III has a fastball that sits in the low-90s and a terrific slider -- although his cutter isnt quite yet as devastating as his dads. He also wore the No. 6 at Iona, rather than his fathers familiar No. 42. "Well, his velocity, I mean, hes gotten bigger and stronger and its increased," Girardi said. "Mo didnt have much to say -- Mos always been a humble guy -- but he loves what hes doing." Rivera transferred to Iona from Quinnipiac and was originally an outfielder before redshirting and moving to the mound last year, when he pitched in 11 games for the Gaels. ' ' '