BALTIMORE -- Houston Astros pitcher Bud Norris was scratched

BALTIMORE -- Houston Astros pitcher Bud Norris was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday night amid speculation he could be traded before the non-waiver deadline. Nike Free run 3.0 Herren. "They scratched me for a lot of reasons," Norris said. "Its a little unfortunate. I wanted to go out there and pitch, but I understand theres a lot of stuff swirling around me." Lucas Harrell replaced Norris as Houstons starting pitcher against the Baltimore Orioles. "Its one of those things, from an organizational standpoint, you have a guy that has attracted a lot of interest from other ballclubs, and you look at the trading deadline looming," manager Bo Porter said. "It just made more sense to not risk injury at this juncture of the conversation, because the conversations have gotten a little deeper." With the deadline of Wednesday at 4 p.m. drawing closer, it was possible Norris had pitched his last game for Houston. "I dont know. I dont want to put any numbers on it," Norris said. "Everybodys speculating, and where I could go, stuff like that. But its really out of my hands. Its for the GMs and the front offices to decide. I just want to play baseball, for wherever I am. And right now Im still an Astro, and thats where my focus is." And if he isnt dealt? "If he doesnt get traded, yes, hes available to pitch (Wednesday) because the trading deadline would have passed by 7 oclock tomorrow night," Porter said. Norris is 6-9 with a 3.93 ERA in 21 starts with Houston. His six wins are tops on the club and his $3 million salary is the highest on the rebuilding Astros, a major league-worst 35-69 at the start of the day. "I guess I was a little surprised by it, but I understand the reason behind it," Norris said. "Ive been talking to my agent about it, and he understands why as well. So you have to go with it. Theres nothing I can do. I cant complain about it." Norris, who started opening day for the Astros, is one of the teams biggest stars. Thats why hes the topic of trade talk around the league. "Its a credit to Bud Norris," Porter said. "When multiple teams are after your services, it speaks volumes to what it is youve done in the game of baseball and what other people think about you." Orioles manager Buck Showalter originally planned to start eight left-handed batters against Norris. Left-handers are batting .306 against Norris this season. Instead, Showalter shuffled his lineup for Harrell. "Harrells pretty good. Hes been starting for them all year," Showalter said. "Does it make (Norris) more valuable by pulling him out, knowing you can start him the day you get him? Are you getting better players back because hes ready to pitch right then? I dont know. Thats their business." Nike Free Shop Schweiz. The end of this mess of a season for the Minnesota Twins still mattered to the veteran right-hander, who wanted no part of 100 losses. Nike Free 3.0 V3 Laufschuhe Blau Dunkel Blau Weiß. Radwanska is scheduled to meet four-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams for the title Saturday. Radwanska played with the ailment Thursday, when she beat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 and became the first Polish player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1939. http://www.nikefreeschweiz.ch/nike-free-6-0-dm-96/. The more recent spat is buried. With the regular season winding down, the Dallas Mavericks are tuning up nicely for the playoffs. Nike Free 5.0+ Laufschuhe Blau. -- The Washington Capitals resorted to a familiar formula against the Florida Panthers -- find Alex Ovechkin and let him do the rest. nike Free Online Schweiz. Footes familiar No. 52 jersey will be raised to the Pepsi Center rafters at a date still to be determined, where it will join those of Joe Sakic (19), Peter Forsberg (21), Patrick Roy (33) and Ray Bourque (77).LONDON -- Bayern Munich seized on the uncertainty sweeping through Arsenal to claim a 3-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match on Tuesday, enhancing the German sides status as one of the favourites for the title. Germany internationals Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller did the early damage with goals in the opening 21 minutes for Bayern -- a beaten finalist in two of the last three years -- before Mario Mandzukic sealed victory by bundling in a third in the 77th at Emirates Stadium. Former Bayern forward Lukas Podolski had given Arsenal hope by making it 2-1 in the 55th but Bayern was well worth the win, and should have scored more in an embarrassingly one-sided first half where the visitors cut through their defensively inept opponents at will. On current form, perhaps only Barcelona has the beating of Jupp Heynckes classy team. "Lets not hide the truth," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "it will be very difficult. We will try to make the impossible possible." The second leg is in Germany on March 13, when Porto will look to defend a first-leg lead after beating Malaga 1-0 in Portugal on Tuesday thanks to Joao Moutinhos 56th-minute goal. Bayern has reacted superbly to the trauma of losing last seasons final at Chelsea on penalties at its own Allianz Arena, surging into a 15-point lead in the Bundesliga, qualifying easily from its Champions League group and looking strong thanks to the off-season additions of Mandzukic and defensive midfielder Javi Martinez. By recently labeling his team as the best in Bayerns history, Heynckes is making a big call. But the Bavarians showed just why they are receiving rave reviews across the continent by outclassing an Arsenal side in the midst of the most trying season of Wengers 17-year reign. Winning the Champions League -- surely beyond the English club after losing so convincingly here -- is Arsenals last chance of ending a trophy drought that is set to stretch to eight seasons. "We are currently in astonishing form," Heynckes said. "Our quality is we can punish even the smallest mistakes of our opponents." Defensively, Arsenal was a mess, with centre backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny looking like accidents waiting to happen. The first goal sprung from their lax inter-passing in front of their own penalty box, with Bayern collecting a rushed, errant clearance from Koscielny before Mueller crossed for Kroos to crash home a volley that skidded off the turf and into the net from 18 yards (meters). Nike Free Schuhe Mueller then benefited from more hesitant defending for the second, the lanky forward on hand to poke the ball high into an unguarded net after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny parried out a header from an unmarked Daniel Van Buyten. "We didnt start great and thats been a thing for us this season," Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere said. "Maybe its a bit of nerves or anxiety because we show what we can do when we play." Bayern sat deeper thereafter, playing within itself in the second half only to break out with a clinical counterattack for Mandzukics goal. Full back Philipp Lahm provided the overlap and squared a cross for the Croatia striker to score with a fortunate finish that looped up off his heel. The scruffy strike was hardly in keeping with the visitors impressive overall display. "You have to give credit for their class," Wenger said. "In patches in the first half, there was a difference in quality." With Kroos, Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger dominating midfield with their hulking presence and Arsenals passing awry all over the pitch, the four-time European champions were in cruise control with barely a quarter of the match gone. Arsenals players were losing their heads -- Bacary Sagna and Mikel Arteta picked up petulant bookings -- and they were jeered off at halftime as Bayern supporters belted out another rendition of "Footballs Coming Home" in English. Wenger, under serious pressure for perhaps the first time in his tenure, had the look of a beaten man. Things looked up at the start of the second half, though, and Podolski capped a period of gentle Arsenal pressure by heading into an empty net after Wilsheres inswinging corner evaded a raft of players in the six-yard box -- including flapping Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Wilshere was finally making his presence felt and Bayerns early spark faded as Arsenal monopolized possession. Olivier Giroud, on as a 71st-minute substitute, shot straight at Neuer in Arsenals other good chance. However, Bayern had the last laugh when Mandzukic finished a sweeping move by bundling in Lahms low cross at the far post, the ball looping up off the Croatians heel and beyond Szczesny. "Theres always a chance -- we take it to their place, and we need a few goals," Wilshere said. "We have the players to do it, we just have to start better." Schweinsteiger will miss the second leg after picking up a second-half booking. ' ' '

Posted by iertioy on Wed, 10/09/2013 - 11:04pm