Die Jäger des Schicksals » got great efforts from

MONTREAL -- The throng of 46,121 at Olympic Stadium were rooting more for the defunct Montreal Expos, but they stood and cheered the Toronto Blue Jays just the same. Pinch hitter Ricardo Nanita singled with two out in the ninth to lift the Blue Jays to a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on a Friday night that was part exhibition baseball, part tribute to former Expos and Mets catcher Gary Carter and part appeal to the world to bring baseball back to Montreal. It was the first game at the Big O since the Expos farewell game on Sept. 24, 2004, before they moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals. The teams will play again on Saturday afternoon, when the Expos 1994 team will be feted. Carters widow Sandy and daughter Kimmy were on hand with his ex-teammates Tim Raines, Steve Rogers and Warren Cromartie for a pre-game tribute to perhaps the most popular player in Expos history. He also played for and won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets. "The city always embraced Gary, and us as a family" Sandy Carter said afterwards. "I really felt that tonight. We made it our home and felt privileged to be here for 11 years." Carter died of brain cancer at age 57 in 2012. The City of Montreal named a street after him outside the Expos original home, Jarry Park. "He was a great teammate, a great player, a great competitor," said Raines, a roving outfield instructor for the Blue Jays. "Him and Andre Dawson taught me the meaning of playing the game. "If I didnt listen to him, Andre Dawson would slap me upside the head." Many other former players and management personnel were on hand to see the Blue Jays come back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game in the seventh and win it in the ninth. Fans chanted Lets Go Expos throughout most of the game, but all were on their feet for the final inning trying to will the Blue Jays to victory. Munenori Kawasaki opened the ninth with a double and scored from third as Nanita singled up the middle. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the final two innings for the win. Mets third baseman David Wright, a rookie in 2004, called it a fun night. "It brought back a bunch of memories for me," said Wright. "My first road trip in the big leagues was to Montreal, my first home run was in Montreal, so it was nice today to reminisce as bit. "Its nice for us to be able to come up here and break up spring training a bit, because it gets a little boring down there (in Florida). To come up to a great city with an obviously hungry fan base -- its kind of like a dress rehearsal for us. Youve got the big crowd, you get a little more excited than at a normal spring training game. "Its good practice for Monday (the Mets season opener against the Nationals)." The Mets scored two in the fourth off Jays starter Mark Buehrle on Chris Youngs two-run double. Toronto got one back in the fourth on Jose Bautistas home run, but Ruben Tejada doubled and scored on Daniel Murphys two-bagger off Casey Janssen in the fifth. Former Blue Jays prospect Travis dArnaud led off the seventh with a home run, but Edwin Encarnacion tied it with a two-run single in the seventh off Gonzalez Germen. Encarnacion was tagged out in a rundown after the runners scored. Cromartie leads a movement called the Montreal Baseball Project that is working to get a team back in Montreal, even though estimates are that it would cost more than $1 billion for a team and a new ballpark. The Expos, who became Canadas first major league team in 1969, moved to Washington to become the Nationals in 2004 after a decade of fire sales of top players, dwindling attendance and timid ownership. Cromartie and others are trying to revive baseball interest. They called on Montreal fans to turn out in large numbers to the pre-season games to show that the city will support baseball. "If people think there are no fans here -- you see tonight, the support is here," said Raines. "I think it would be good," said Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie, a native of Langley, B.C. "If the fans show up -- that would be the telling tale. You need that support. But it would be good for Canada." The Mets are old Expos rivals, but the crowd was behind the Jays from the start. There was a big ovation for a diving defensive play by Lawrie in the third and another an inning later for Bautistas homer. But in the stands, there were periodic chants of Lets Go Expos, just like in the old days. The Blue Jays open the season on Tuesday in Tampa Bay, so the trip north from Florida spring training actually took them out of their way. But no one complained of playing in front of huge, supportive crowd. "To be honest, Id rather stay in Florida, but its good for Canada," said Lawrie. "We can suck it up. Its good energy." Buehrle gave up two earned runs and four hits in four innings. Nike Free Canada Sale . Terry came from Boston along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but has appeared in just 35 games after a knee injury, averaging 4.5 points on 36 per cent shooting. Evans was a favourite of fans but not coach Jason Kidd, who used him in just 30 of their 51 games. Nike Free Canada Online .com) - Semyon Varlamov more than earned his third shutout of the season as he made a career-high 54 saves to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. http://www.nikefreecanada.com/ . "I just think what it does for everybody in life is real simple," said Babcock early on Friday afternoon. "You dont give in. You just keep on keeping on. Is it going to go your way every time? No. But you choose your attitude and how you perform and how hard you dig in." Nearly four years to the day of the 2010 gold medal match in Vancouver, his team dug in with its best effort of these Olympics, snuffing out the high-powered Americans for another opportunity at gold. Nike Free Cheap Online . Scott scored a career-high 30 points, Jeff Teague added 28 and the Hawks rallied to beat the New York Knicks 107-98 on Saturday night. "We were down Paul, down so many bodies," Scott said. Cheap Nike Free Canada . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give.Winnipeg Jets 4 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 (Jets 35-34-10, 18-18-4 road) – After getting mathematically eliminated from the playoff race Thursday, the Jets talked about finishing the season playing the right way, establishing good habits and playing for each other. Considering everything, it was a very solid effort and a character win by the Jets. The loss leaves the Leafs out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, in what was their final home game of the season. Jets played without Evander Kane, coachs decision, then lost the services of Dustin Byfuglien late in the second with an upper body injury. Jets got great efforts from pretty much the entire lineup. The Leafs opened the scoring, Phil Kessel with his 37th on a great pass from Tyler Bozak. Bryan Little with his 23rd tied the game less than four minutes later, assists to Michael Frolik and Mark Stuart. Little had his seven game point streak snapped Thursday, but with the goal is 3-6-9 in his last nine. The Leafs took the lead on Nazem Kadris 20th of the year. It was an easy open net tap in power play goal after Ondrej Pavelec misplayed a dump in, had it go off his stick to the front of the net making it 2-1 Leafs. A big goal for the Jets came in the dying seconds of the first as Jacob Trouba out fought James Van Reimsdyk for a loose puck in front of the Leafs net for his 10th of the year. Frolik and Andrew Ladd drew assists. Shots in the first were 12-8 Jets. The second period was all Jets, despite having to kill off two penalties in the first half of the period. On their second power play in the back half of the period, Toby Enstrom with his 10th of the year gave the Jets their first lead of the game. Enstrom walked the line from left to right and fired a screened shot past James Reimer. The goal ties a single season career high for Enstrom, assists went to Ladd and Blake Wheeler. SShots in the second period were14-7 in favour of the Jets.dddddddddddd When the Leafs did get chances, Pavelec was there to shut the door. Jets continued their strong play in the third, Coach Paul Maurice having to do some juggling with no Byfuglien. The Jets continued to be first on loose pucks and a great play by Wheeler, using his speed to set up Olli Jokinen for his 18th of the year making it 4-2. Jokinen has now scored in back to back games. The Leafs pulled Reimer with 2:45 remaining but a couple key saves from Pavelec and Wheeler using his speed to negate an icing call, helped the Jets close out the game. Shots in the third were 15-10 Jets and 41-25 Jets on the game. Jim Slater in his 499th NHL game, all with this organization, was key in the face-off department, winning nine of 15. Ladd, Wheeler and Frolik all had two point nights. Since December 1st Wheeler has 50 points in 51 games. He has 17 points in his last 14 games. Jacob Trouba at 26:10 again led the Jets in ice time. After missing the net 18 times Thursday, the Jets missed the net another 17 times tonight. The Jets directed a total of 71 shots at Reimer. Coach Maurice was "really happy" for his team. "We competed for pucks, played with tenacity, the bench was great. We got a bad break on their second goal but the bench stayed up beat and kept talking." Coach Maurice would not elaborate on Kane not playing, other than "coachs decision." "With Byfuglien out we had a hole in our forward lines. Eric Tangradi and Eric ODell gave us some good shifts. Key face-off wins for Jim Slater. Our team believed what they said, they would play for each other. One thing about this group, they care." Jets are home to Minnesota Monday and Boston Thursday (both TSN Jets, TSN 1290), then close out the season in Calgary Friday (TSN Jets, TSN 1290). China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '