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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Steve Pearce is eager to take advantage of every opportunity hes given to help the Baltimore Orioles. The 31-year-old journeyman outfielders opposite-field double snapped a scoreless tie and Nelson Cruz added his major league-leading 22nd homer, providing all the run support rookie Kevin Gausman and two relievers needed to shut down the struggling Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 for manager Buck Showalters 1,200th career win on Wednesday. Gausman pitched six innings and Pearce, who homered during a 7-5 victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday, went 2 for 4 to boost his batting average to .324 with six homers and 15 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who was out of baseball for two days after the Orioles designated him for assignment and eventually released him in the opening month of the season. Since re-signing with the team on April 29, hes gradually built confidence while making the most of limited chances hes had to contribute. "And I want to keep continuing it and doing what I can do to help the team win," Pearce said. "Thats 10 at-bats in two days, I dont know if Ive ever had that in my career." The first of Pearces two doubles, a line drive down the right-field line, drove in Nick Markakis from first base in the fifth inning. Alex Cobb (2-5) would have gotten through the fifth unscathed if second baseman Ben Zobrist hadnt mishandled Markakis two-out grounder for an error. Cobb yielded four hits and four walks in seven innings. The right-hander fanned six in his sixth start since returning from a five-week stay on the disabled list with a left oblique strain. "Its kind of been the story of the year so far for us in the fact that on those days we pitch good, its been tough to come across some runs," Cobb said. "On the other hand of that is were pitching poorly and the offence is putting up a lot of runs," the right-hander added. "Weve just got to get on the same page and ... and play the type of baseball we should be." Gausman (3-1) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out five, including Zobrist and James Loney after the Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the first. The Rays were blanked for an AL-leading 11th time, finishing with five hits and going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. "We just didnt hit," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "How many times have I had to say that this year?" Pearce is hitting .444 with three homers, three doubles, five walks, five runs scored and six RBIs against Tampa Bay this year. Most of the damage has come at Tropicana Field, where the Orioles have won five of six meetings between the AL East rivals to build a 7-1 lead in the season series. Cruz, who also leads the majors with 58 RBIs, homered for the first time since June 3. The solo shot off Kirby Yates made it 2-0 in the eighth. Tommy Hunter pitched two perfect innings and Zach Britton worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save in 10 opportunities. The Rays loaded the bases in the first on a leadoff walk, Kevin Kiermaiers single and shortstop J.J. Hardys fielding error. Gausman worked out of the jam, striking out Loney and Zobrist before getting David DeJesus to foul out along the left field line to end the threat. The Rays wasted another opportunity in the sixth when Evan Longoria had a leadoff double, Loney struck out and Zobrist hit a soft liner to left field that Pearce caught on the run before tossing the ball to second for an easy double play, when Longoria continued to run, mistakenly thinking there were two outs. "Stevie just seems to be dialing up what we need," Showalter said. "Its probably no coincidence that he was involved in the double play, too. That was pretty good positioning." NOTES: Pearce, who grew up in nearby Lakeland, has three homers in 18 at-bats against the Rays this season. All of the homers have come at Tropicana Field. ... After striking out with the bases loaded in the first and hitting into a double play in the sixth, Zobrist has one hit in his last 36 at-bats with runners in scoring position. ... The Orioles have Thursday off before beginning a weekend series at Yankee Stadium, with RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-8) facing RHP Hiroki Kuroda (4-5) on Friday. The Rays continue a 10-day homestand, opening a four-game set against Houston, with RHP Chris Archer going against RHP Collin McHugh (4-4) on Thursday. Swingman Michael Jordan Jersey . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. Bobby Portis Jersey . Zimmermann became the National Leagues first 16-game winner, pitching seven solid innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night. http://www.probullsshop.com/customized/ . Born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, where he later pitched for the As, Ross beat the Giants for the first time in six career appearances by throwing eight scoreless innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory Friday night. Swingman Doug McDermott Jersey . For the Blue Jays the time was Wednesday and the ace was R.A. Dickey. He stepped up. "I feel some responsibility as a stopper from time to time," said Dickey. John Paxson Bulls Jersey . - The fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is set to ask a judge to throw out allegations that she lied to a grand jury.SAN ANTONIO -- The fact that San Antonio weathered a spate of injuries and a road trip that lasted nearly a month did not surprise Detroit coach John Loyer. But the efficiency the Spurs showed in their return home and return to health left him and the Pistons a bit awe-struck. Marco Belinelli had 20 points to lead eight San Antonio players in double figures, and the Spurs worked through a lethargic start to beat the Pistons 120-110 on Wednesday night. Playing without injured All-Star point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio matched its season high with 34 assists while going 44 for 82 from the field (54 per cent). "Against the Spurs, you do not guard against two or three players; you guard a system of players," Loyer said. "They just plug guys in and find a way. Their ability to shoot the basketball separates them from being a very good team to close to a great team." Kawhi Leonard had 15 points for San Antonio in his return from a 14-game absence due to a broken finger. Manu Ginobili scored 16 points, Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter had 13 apiece, Boris Diaw added 12, Patty Mills 11 and Cory Joseph 10. Ginobili had a team-high nine assists, Splitter added six and Leonard, Diaw and Belinelli had four each as the Spurs tied the season mark they set Jan. 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers. "You get 34 assists, thats really incredible," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "So the ball movement was fantastic, the pace, we rebounded a little better. It was a good win for them, being on the road so long. Coming home, they were a little anxious, playing a little fast in the first half. They calmed down and started playing solid basketball." Josh Smith scored 24 points for Detroit, which has lost three straight. Will Bynum added 18 points, Rodney Stuckey 17 and Andre Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Spurs got off to a sloppy start despite having two practices during a five-day break following their annual Rodeo Road Trip that lasted nearly a month. "Its a big problem with us and we know it," Duncan said. "I think were trying to play very fast -- a little faster than were used to playing. Guys are trying to be really unselfish and force things some times. Weve got to take care of that at some point. Its a work in progress. Thats what we use the entire season for." The Spurs had 11 turnovers in the opening half, leading to 13 points and some pointed coaching by Popovich. "What the heck are you guys doing?" he screamed during a timeout following consecutive turnovers. In the second half, San Antonio returned to the crisp ball movement that became a staple of its early victories. The Spurs had 10 assists in the third quarter while shooting 12 for 19 from the field. Leonard had the initial assist of the quarter, leaping over a fallen defender to throw a bounce pass that Duncan gathered for a running slamm ahead of Smith.dddddddddddd "He made a huge difference for us on both ends," Duncan said. "Just having his length in there, especially in situations where theyre very good on the offensive glass. ... It was just great all around to have him back." San Antonio went on a 17-6 run beginning midway through the third to take an 85-75 lead with 2 minutes left in the quarter. Belinelli had seven points in the run and Ginobili added five points and assisted on two of Belinellis baskets. Belinelli returned the favour later, drawing Kyle Singler away defensively on a fast break and dishing to Ginobili for an open layup that gave San Antonio a 111-99 lead with 3:36 remaining in the game. "They are one of the best executing teams in the league," Loyer said. "They are a good team coached by a great coach. There comes a point in the game where you tell yourself you are in the game, down three or four, and then it turns into an 11-point game before you know it." Leonard missed his first two tries from the field in his first game since Jan. 22, coming up a foot short on a 16-foot attempt from the right corner on the games opening shot. He was credited with a follow of a missed free throw that Drummond appeared to tip in. "You got 20,000 fans watching you -- yeah, it took me a while," Leonard said. "Just (trying) to not think about my hand. Just go out there and play." Leonard followed with a 3-pointer and threw down a right-handed dunk on Smith off an alley-oop pass from Joseph. Leonard grabbed the brace on his right hand after the dunk, but quickly rose to race back on defence. "I thought he was great," Popovich said. "Thats a long time to not be on the court. His rhythm was pretty good. He played decent defence, took a few shots and made a couple. He did well. He did better than I would have thought, really, after all that time." Smith scored eight of Detroits final 10 points in the first quarter and had 20 in the first half. "We put up a good fight, but in order to beat an elite team like San Antonio, especially on the road, you have to be able to kind of play perfect basketball," he said. NOTES: Popovich had lunch with former President Bill Clinton, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and former mayor Henry Cisneros. Clinton was in town to celebrate Cisneros being honoured with the International Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. ... Ginobilis left foot burst through the bottom of his sneaker as he planted while guarding Stuckey, leaving the shoe dangling from his ankle as if it had been unzipped. Popovich had the Spurs call a timeout to check on Ginobili, who shrugged when asked what happened. A ball boy quickly raced to the locker room to get a replacement in time for Ginobili to return to the court. "It was a great pit stop," Ginobili said. Wholesale NFL Jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '