Termine » playing a game of this magnitude so early in the season

SEATTLE, Washington - Its far too early to make bold pronouncements about the return to form of Josh Johnson but, if it is to be, it had to start somewhere. Maybe, on a glorious night in the Pacific Northwest, Safeco Field was the place. “Awesome,” said Johnson, who won just his second game of the season and first since June 23, the last game of the Blue Jays seems-so-long-ago 11-game winning streak. “What me and (pitching coach) Pete (Walker) have been working on is definitely working so got to stick with it and keep it rolling.” Johnsons performance – five innings, no runs on five hits, two walks and five strikeouts and 86 pitches – was more than the Blue Jays would need on a night when a combination of timely offense and poor defense by the Mariners conspired to put Toronto comfortably ahead by the midway point of the game. The Blue Jays won 7-2. Entering the game on a personal six-game losing skid and seemingly unable to pitch out of the stretch with any success, Johnson had given up multiple runs in the inning in which hes allowed his first base runner of the game in seven straight starts, Johnson secured a crucial double play ball to end the first. The Mariners had runners at the corners and one out. “Huge, huge,” said Johnson. “I threw some good pitches to get double plays. I hadnt been doing that in a long time so it was a good feeling.” Johnson spoke to a group of reporters on Saturday in Anaheim. Hed just thrown his bullpen, which included a lengthy chat with Walker and his catcher on Tuesday night, Josh Thole. His focus in the side session was staying on top of the baseball through his delivery. If successful, hed better command his fastball and get sharper bite on his breaking pitches. Johnson felt, on Saturday, as though hed turned a corner less than 48 hours after his latest rocky start against the Angels. Only time, his next outing, would tell the tale. He passed with flying colours. Both pitcher and manager were effusive in their praise of catcher Josh Thole, who filled in for J.P. Arencibia and handled a Johnson start for the first time this season. “Just being able to get on top of the baseball for my slider, my curveball, my fastball, threw a couple of sinkers,” said Johnson. “Thole was great back there.” “I liked the way they worked back there with Thole,” said John Gibbons. “I think we saw more curveballs than sliders and he was sticking it much better. He gave up some hits and he gave a couple where he had some base runners on but he worked out of some jams where in the past, I dont know three, four or five starts, guys were getting on and theyre opening the game up. It was a big day for him.” General manager Alex Anthopoulos was in attendance, so too was assistant Tony LaCava and professional scouting director Perry Minisian. None was there specifically for Johnsons start, the group has been along for most of the road trip, but Anthopoulos had stated for the first time publicly Johnsons status was being evaluated on a start to start basis. Johnsons bought himself more time. His next start is scheduled to be Monday afternoon, back home, against Oakland. “He was good today,” said shortstop Jose Reyes, who hit a home run on the first pitch of the ballgame. “Thats good to see JJ at least throw five shutout innings for his confidence and hopefully the next time he goes a little bit farther and pitches good for us because were going to need it.” Its too late to salvage a playoff run but Johnson still has time to salvage his own season and his reputation. Its too early to know if Tuesday was a turning point. Next Monday, against a better opponent, will be telling. Nike Air VaporMax CS . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. 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Nike Vapormax Laceless SE . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. OMAHA, Neb. -- Contrasting styles of play will be on display Tuesday when ninth-ranked Wisconsin visits No. 22 Creighton in one of the Gavitt Tipoff Games.While the Badgers favor a disciplined, halfcourt type of game, the Bluejays like to get out and run, forcing teams to try to keep up with them in transition.Wisconsins philosophy has worked well, even last season when Greg Gard stepped in as head coach at midseason and led the Badgers to their fifth trip to the Sweet 16 in the past six years.The Badgers return all five starters from that team, including preseason Big Ten player of the year Nigel Hayes. Wisconsin (1-0) blew out Central Arkansas 79-47 in its opener.The Tipoff Games are an annual series between Big Ten and Big East conference teams and are named in honor Dave Gavitt, the founder of the Big East. This is the second year of an eight-year run for the event that is played during the first full week of the regular season.That level of success Wisconsin has enjoyed this decade is a standard the Bluejays are trying to reach. Creighton has missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons and has not made it past the second round since 1974 when the Bluejays lost to Kansas in a regional semifinal.Junior guard Maurice Watson said this is the kind of game Creighton has been preparing for, to show this is the season the Bluejays can get past the round of 32.Basically Its just us testing our will and proving that were an elite team, Watson said. That we can hang with the teams that are in the top 10, top 15 in the country. Its about us going out there to prove to ourselves and our fans that we can hang at this level.Freshman center Justin Patton also is confident Creighhton will be able to play a faster pace than Wisconsin prefers and get one of those coveted wins against a top 10 team.dddddddddddd.I just hope that as a team we can keep our composure and execute down the stretch, Patton said. If we just stay to our game plan, it will work out. Probably not early in the game, but late in the second half, things are going to start going our way. Were going to wear them down.Patton and Watson agree with Bluejays coach Greg McDermott that CenturyLink Center, the building that Creighton has turned into a formidable home court, will be the place to be in Omaha Tuesday night.McDermott can see the pros and cons of playing a game of this magnitude so early in the season.I think part of me would like a little more time to get ready for a test like this, McDermott said. On the other side of the coin, when you play good teams, and especially experienced teams, your weaknesses are exposed, so you have a chance to fix them early in the season.To play a team the quality of Wisconsin, with their experience and their veteran leadership, its great for our program and great for our fan base. This place will be rockin tomorrow.Watson is hopeful that the noise levels will rise because things are going Creightons way.They run their offense all the way through, Watson said. Everything moves at pace, theyre calculated. They kind of run through their bigs. They dont want to run like us.All we can do is play our game, and playing our game is going to make a lot of teams uncomfortable.Creighton (1-0) got past UMKC 89-82 in its opener. Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '