Regeln » Rockies closer Jake McGee, out since June 1

In the early evening of June 6, 2015, with more than half of the thoroughbred racing season still to go, the contest for 2015 Horse of the Year was over. It didnt matter what American Pharoah would do, or not do, from that point forward. After becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 37 years, there wasnt any doubt whatsoever, even with so many important races yet to be decided, that American Pharoah had clinched Horse of the Year honors.In truth, 2015 was an aberration, because youre just not supposed to know the Horse of the Year that early. This, not surprisingly, is a very different year.(American Pharoah, of course, also accomplished very important things after his Triple Crown, romping in the Haskell and Breeders Cup Classic.)This 2016 racing season, while different, is actually unfolding in a totally conventional manner. At this point, some divisions seem crystal clear, while others are there for the taking. And Horse of the Year is far from settled, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to each weekends major stakes events.Last week, Songbird shipped all the way east for the first time to compete in Saratogas Coaching Club American Oaks and crushed Carina Mia, arguably the second-best 3-year-old filly in the country, to extend her unbeaten streak to nine. In the process, Songbirds lead for the championship of her division, already very large, likely became insurmountable.Also last week, California Chrome made a successful return to U.S. racing at Del Mar with a thrilling victory in the San Diego Handicap. California Chrome is arguably the current leader for Horse of the Year and top older dirt male on the strength of his powerful victory in the Dubai World Cup.However, the Dubai Cup was run half a world away, and California Chromes two victories this year on these shores came in Grade 2 races. So while merely winning last week means he lost nothing in terms of Eclipse Award position, the above combined with the fact that Dortmund gave him everything he wanted in the San Diego says California Chrome hasnt clinched anything yet.There are major championship considerations at stake this weekend, too. The amazing Beholder, already a three-time Eclipse Award winner, again meets last years champion 3-year-old filly, Stellar Wind, in Saturdays Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar. Beholder toyed with Stellar Wind in last months Grade 1 Vanity, and if she wins again (shes going for her ninth straight score), Beholder will make it only more difficult to overtake her in the older female division while enhancing her very live Horse of the Year candidacy.On Saturday at Saratoga, Flintshire -- whose victory in the Grade 1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard in his only start this year was so impressive that it made him the clear leader in the male turf division -- goes in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes. Flintshire is in a tricky spot. He is an absolute layover on paper, and if he doesnt win, and win big, it could hurt his title position, even if the Bowling Green is only a bridge to bigger and better races.But perhaps the biggest Eclipse Award implications this weekend involve the 3-year-old male division, in the Grade 1 Haskell Sunday at Monmouth Park and in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, also Saturday at Saratoga and the local springboard to the critical Travers Stakes on Aug. 27.The Jim Dandy came up very salty with Creator and Destin, just a nose apart when first and second in the Belmont Stakes, and Mohaymen, who was the favorite for the Kentucky Derby until Nyquist handed him his first defeat in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.However, as solid as the Jim Dandy is, the Haskell carries greater importance. This Haskell is being billed as a renewal of the rivalry between Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and Preakness winner Exaggerator, a meeting made possible by the surprising and abrupt rerouting of Exaggerator from Saratoga to Monmouth. But Im not sure it is as much of a rivalry right now as the public relations folks would have you think.Exaggerator was 0-for-3 against Nyquist before finally getting the best of him in the Preakness, but an ugly 11th as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes (a race Nyquist missed due to illness) served to refocus the spotlight on the questions Exaggerator must address.Simply put, Exaggerator must prove he is not a creation of wet tracks and incredibly favorable pace setups. The three best races Nyquist ever ran, and by a long way, were his wins in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and Preakness and his second to Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby. The thing is, Exaggerator caught wet tracks in those outings -- the official track condition for the Kentucky Derby was fast, but a heavy rainstorm right before the race left standing water in spots. And perhaps even more important, all three of those races featured scorching early paces that favored Exaggerators late kick. Exaggerator got neither a wet track nor a fast pace in the Belmont, and the result was not pretty.Nyquist has no such questions to address. Even though last years champion 2-year-old male lost for the first time in the Preakness after winning the first eight starts of his career, people are wisely not holding that defeat against him. Handicappers know that the outcome of the Preakness might have been very different had Nyquist not foolishly and needlessly been involved in a senseless early speed duel, and they give him credit for finishing as well as third. Moreover, Nyquists game try was certainly no surprise because he was on top of that very fast early pace in the Kentucky Derby -- the pace that set up so well for Exaggerator -- and still won decisively.The 3-year-old male division still goes through Nyquist, and he could take a huge step toward locking up another divisional title with a win in the Haskell. Wholesale Custom Cubs Shirts . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Authentic Custom Cubs Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-sammy-sosa-jersey-large-250n.html . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Custom Andre Dawson Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Custom Kosuke Fukudome Jersey . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. LOS ANGELES -- Nothing was routine for Bud Norris in his first start for the Dodgers. New time zone. New uniform. Being penciled into Clayton Kershaws place in the Los Angeles rotation.It all added up to a whirlwind experience.Norris pitched six strong innings while filling in for the injured Kershaw, leading the Dodgers to a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.I didnt know what to expect. I just went out there and tried to put up as many zeros as I could, said Norris, who arrived at Dodger Stadium four hours before the game. I would like to pitch deeper into games but it was a short week for me, no pen, the travel.Norris was told by the Braves he was traded to Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, caught a plane that night, and got just a few hours of sleep after reaching Los Angeles. After a quick meal and a nap, it was off to the ballpark and a new uniform.I got traded to Baltimore and I changed dugouts, thats how quick it was for me last time so its kind of a whirlwind thing, Norris said. Ive just got to be ready to pitch.Norris (4-7) overpowered Colorado from the start, striking out seven of the first 14 hitters.I was expecting more balls in play on the ground, but hes still got velocity, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. He was staying ahead of guys tonight. Ive seen him really good and tonight it was evident.The right-hander held the Rockies to a single and a double, and finished with eight strikeouts, pitching for a team he grew up rooting against. Raised north of San Francisco, Norris said, Im a Bay Area kid. This is going to kill my dad.Colorado got a runner to second only twice against Norris. The closest the Rockies came to scoring against him may have been a fifth-inning fly ball hit by Brandon Barnes that Dodgers center fielder Trace Thompson caught at shoulder level against the wall to end the inning.We had a hard time getting anything going against him, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. He was in complete control for sure. The cutter, slider, whatever you want to call it, was a good pitch for him. The velocity is still there. He was running it up to 96 at times. He did a nice job.Adam Liberatore, Louis Coleman, Joe Blanton and Pedro Baez completed the shutout as the Dodgers won their third straight. Adrian Gonzalez added a pair of run-scoring singles, reaching safely for the 11th time in 14 games.Roberts decided to pinch-hit for Yasiel Puig in the eighth, one inning after Puig was thrown out at home by Brandon Barnes when he tried to score on a fly ball hit bby Thompson.ddddddddddddYasiel has something going on with his trap when he slide in at home tonight, Roberts said. Hell be out there tomorrow, but the way the game was going it was his left shoulder and I wanted to get him out of there.Jorge de la Rosa (5-5) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, and snapped a personal four-game winning streak.In his last five starts with the Braves, Norris went 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA, striking out 29 in 29 1/3 innings.Gonzalezs one-out RBI single in the fourth gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.The Dodgers scored in the seventh on a balk called on de la Rosa.Gonzalez had added another RBI single in the Dodgers three-run eighth, with Howie Kendrick and Scott Van Slyke driving in the other two runs.Kershaw was officially placed on the DL before the game with mild disc herniation in his back, and was reported to be feeling considerably better after undergoing an epidural the previous day.HITTING STREAKSDodgers SS Corey Seager and Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado brought the National Leagues two longest hitting streaks into the game. Seager extended his streak to 14 games with a single in the fourth inning, and also had a single in the eighth. Arenado had his streak end at 12, going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: Neither 2B DJ LeMahieu nor SS Trevor Story -- the Rockies starting middle infield -- were in the lineup, but were available to pinch-hit, Weiss said. ... Rockies closer Jake McGee, out since June 10, could be activated from the disabled list on Saturday. McGee converted 14 of 17 save opportunities before being sidelined with left knee inflammation.Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy will make his 2016 debut for the Dodgers on Sunday, his first start in 14 months. McCarthy last pitched in a major-league game on April 25, 2015. Five days later he underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. ... OF Joc Pederson, who received a cortisone shot on Friday in his injured shoulder, was also placed on the DL before the game, giving the Dodgers a major league-leading 19 players to be placed on the disabled list this season.NEXT UPRockies: RHP Chad Bettis (6-5, 5.84) makes his seventh appearance -- and fourth start -- against the Dodgers. He is 0-0 with a 4.58 ERA against them.Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (6-3, 4.67) is unbeaten in his last nine starts, going 4-0 with a 4.03 ERA since May 14. ' ' '