Red-Racers Forum » Ravens went three and out, Mettenberger cap

TORONTO -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons didnt hold his usual post-game availability with reporters after Toronto dropped a 5-3 decision to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. His brief quote issued through a team spokesman said it all. "Skaggs was great -- he man-handled us," Gibbons said. It was the first time Los Angeles pitcher Tyler Skaggs had started against Toronto and he didnt allow the Blue Jays to find their rhythm. The 22-year-old left-hander gave up a run in the first inning and then retired 21 straight batters. Skaggs was pulled after giving up two singles in the ninth inning. The Blue Jays scored twice in the frame to make things interesting for the crowd of 31,412 at Rogers Centre. Toronto (18-19) brought the potential winning run to the plate but reliever Joe Smith got pinch-hitter Adam Lind to hit into a game-ending double play. Skaggs (3-1) gave up four hits and two earned runs over eight-plus innings of work. "He pitched one heck of a game for us, took us into the ninth inning," said Angels acting manager Dino Ebel. "Cant say enough about the kid today." Skaggs struck out four and didnt walk a batter. He threw 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes. "He was missing our barrel," said Jays catcher Erik Kratz. "He did a good job of mixing his speeds a little bit but attacking with his fastball. He had some good movement on his fastball that kept us (hitting) ground balls, popups, ground balls, popups. "Not a lot of hard hits today." Smith earned his fourth save of the season. C.J. Cron hit his first career home run and Chris Iannetta added a two-run shot for the Angels, who knocked Toronto starter J.A. Happ (1-1) out of the game in the third inning. "He just got hurt on a couple of balls in the middle of the plate or up," Kratz said. "He got behind in a few counts and they made him pay." Los Angeles (18-17) has won two straight over Toronto. The teams will continue the four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the first when slugger Jose Bautista reached base after Skaggs misplayed a comebacker. Edwin Encarnacion drove a double into the left-field corner that brought Bautista home. Howie Kendrick hit a ground-rule double off Happ in the second inning and came around on a single by Cron. Iannetta made it a 3-1 game with his third homer of the season. The Angels batted around in the frame and nearly broke the game wide open. Slugger Albert Pujols flew out to deep left field with the bases loaded for the final out. Happ didnt fare much better in the third. He gave up a solo shot to Cron and was replaced by Todd Redmond after an Iannetta single. "Obviously theyre a great-hitting ballclub," Happ said. "Weve got a lot of those in our division though too and throughout baseball. So you kind of put that out of your mind and try to pitch and try to execute. "It certainly was frustrating today not being as sharp as Id like." Skaggs, meanwhile, was in complete control. Steve Tolleson finally got to him with a two-out double in the eighth inning but Chris Getz grounded out to strand him at second base. Redmond did a nice job in long relief, allowing just one unearned run and five hits over 4 2-3 innings. Happ, meanwhile, allowed seven hits, four earned runs and a walk while striking out four. Jose Reyes started the Toronto rally in the ninth with an infield single and Melky Cabrera followed with a single up the middle. Bautista hit another single to drive in Reyes. Encarnacion hit a grounder that moved Cabrera to third but forced out Bautista at second base. Smith gave up another single to Dioner Navarro that brought Cabrera home. Lind followed by hitting a comebacker to Smith and the Angels turned the double play for the win. The game took two hours 46 minutes to play. Notes: Drew Hutchison (1-2) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Sunday. The Angels will counter with fellow right-hander Jered Weaver (3-2). Toronto will close out its nine-game homestand next week with a three-game set against Cleveland ... Bautista has reached base safely in all 37 games this season. Hes one away from Carlos Delgados club record set in 1998. ... Ebel filled in for regular manager Mike Scioscia, who missed the first two games of the series to attend his daughters college graduation. ... Former Blue Jays infielder John McDonald batted ninth for the Angels and played third base. ... It was the first home game this season that the Blue Jays didnt hit at least one home run. Toronto fell to 7-9 at home and has dropped six of its last nine games at Rogers Centre. Discount Hoodies . -- Having already fallen behind because of the NFL lockout, Blaine Gabbert couldnt afford a lengthy holdout. Cheap Hoodies For Sale . -- The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Sidney Rice have agreed to terms on a deal. http://www.cheaphoodiesfromchina.com/ .1 million contract. The club said that Boll will earn $950,000 in 2012-13 and $1.15 million in 2013-14. The 26-year-old Boll had two goals and one assist with 126 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Blue Jackets in 2011-12. Wholesale Hoodies .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. Hoodies Outlet Free Shipping . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal.BALTIMORE - Mired in a two-game losing streak and stuck in last place, the Baltimore Ravens broke out their old recipe for success to earn a much-needed victory.The Ravens have long relied on a strong running game and a suffocating defence to win, and that was precisely the formula Baltimore used to beat the Tennessee Titans 21-7 Sunday.Justin Forsett ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns to back a redemptive performance by the Baltimore defence that produced two turnovers, five sacks and plenty of helmet-ringing hits.The catalyst was really our defence, obviously, coach John Harbaugh said.The Ravens (6-4) repeatedly harassed rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who went 16 for 27 for 179 yards and an interception in his first road start in the NFL. He rarely got the chance to comfortably plant both feet in the pocket and was unable to move the offence after the first quarter.They got a lot of dudes, they got a lot of studs in that front seven — and they know it, Mettenberger said. Early in the first half we did a lot of good things to kind of counteract their guys. We just got to ... be able to play like that for 60 minutes.Tennessee didnt get its initial first down of the second half until 4:37 was left in the game. Soon after that, newcomer Danny Gorrer intercepted a pass to clinch it for the Ravens.Going into the bye, you want to feel good about things and get back on track, tight end Owen Daniels said. It was huge for us today.After the game, the Ravens complained that a CBS camera crew aired Harbaughs comments to the team in the locker room.The comments made by John Harbaugh in the locker room following todays victory over the Titans were meant for Ravens players and coaches only, Ravens Senior Vice-President Kevin Byrne said. The CBS-TV crew that was in the locker room was told by Coach Harbaugh that it could not broadcast what he was about to say.Byrne said CBS-TV immediately pulled the video and apologized to the Ravens.It was a bounce-back performance by a defence that was embarrassed seven days earlier in a 43-23 loss to Pittsburgh. In that game, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 340 yards and six touchdowns.In this one, the Ravens limited Tennessee to just 68 yards after the first quarter.Once we kind of got settled in and figured everything out, we did what we had to do, Baltimore defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan said.The Titans (2-7) have lost seven of eight. It was 7-all at halftime, but Tennessee had three three-and-outs in the third quarter while the Ravens took control.Tennessee had seven posssessions without a first down and finished with a meagre 210 yards in offence.ddddddddddddCoach Ken Whisenhunt didnt blame it all on Mettenberger.He did some good things today, made some good throws, Whisenhunt said. I think he did a nice job of operating today in this environment, which is not easy. But obviously, we have to be more productive.The Titans lost tight end Delanie Walker in the second quarter with a concussion. Walker, who came in tied for the team lead with 35 catches, got his hands on a pass and was turning upfield when struck high and hard by Terrence Brooks.The Ravens believe that hit made a lasting impression.I think the key play was when (Walker) was turned up, linebacker Elvis Dumervil said. You dont want to hurt a guy, but it was an aggressive, clean hit. It really made guys kind of think about running back there.Joe Flacco completed 16 of 27 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown for the Ravens, but the key was Forsett, who averaged 5.6 yards on his 20 carries.Baltimore went ahead for the first time with 5:36 left in the third quarter when Forsett scored on an 11-yard run to make it 14-7. Flacco went 5 for 5 on the 11-play, 72-yard drive.After the Titans failed to respond, Flacco hit Torrey Smith for a 32-yard touchdown with 13:09 left.The Ravens made only five first downs and were held to 86 yards in the first half.Tennessee took the opening kickoff and held the ball for more than eight minutes before Shonn Greene lost a fumble on third-and-goal at the Baltimore 1.After the Ravens went three and out, Mettenberger capped a nine-play drive with a 3-yard pass to Leon Washington. It was only the second time this season the Titans scored a touchdown in the first quarter.At that point, Tennessee had a 142-8 advantage in total yardage.Baltimore pulled even with a touchdown on its third possession. On a fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 9,. Forsett took a pitchout and sprinted around Kamerion Wimbley into the end zone.Forsett earned the starting job after Ray Rice received an indefinite suspension from the NFL for domestic abuse. Now in his eighth season, Forsett has already reached career highs in yards (721), carries (133) and touchdowns (5).Its been a dream come true, just to get the opportunity to come out here and play and show what I can do, he said.NOTES: Titans RB Dexter McCluster left in the first quarter with a knee injury. ... Baltimores Terrell Suggs had 1 1/2 sacks and stands at 99 1/2 for his career.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '