Clan-Members » e this season. ... The Orioles have hit back-to-back

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Luke Donald enters the U.S. Open more focused on a different No. 1 than reclaiming his old ranking. Like winning major No. 1. Donald is 0-for-the majors as he heads into his 10th U.S. Open, starting Thursday at Merion Golf Club. Hes had big wins over an 11-year pro career. Hed even been No. 1 for a total of 56 weeks until the run ended late last year. Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros are the only other players who had been No. 1 longer since the ranking began in 1986. Some viewed Donalds top spot without a major as a flaw in the system. That wasnt his concern. Hoisting that U.S. Open trophy Sunday is his lone goal this week. "It always crosses your mind when its going to happen," he said. "You always go back to the successes you had. The fact I was able to get to No. 1, win seven times the last couple of years, you just keep going back to those things and try and focus that. You try and focus not on, if I can, but, when is it, going to happen. Just be comfortable that what Im doing is the right thing." Ranked sixth, Donald said the pressure to win his first major hasnt gone away just because No. 1 has slipped away. "Theres always more attention, more requests of your time and that takes management, and thats tough," Donald said. "But within myself, the pressures are just the same. I want to win a major championship just as badly this year as when I was No. 1. Its about managing those expectations, managing those feelings and knowing what you have is good enough." Donald played two practice rounds last week at Merion. He arrived for the tournament late Monday night and skipped the day of rain that soaked the course. "Its a real shame that weve had so much rain," he said. "I think that most people would really like to see this course play firm and fast. And I dont think were going to get that this week. But its a good challenge, this course. I think if it was firm and fast, this course, even despite the length, would hold up just as well as any other U.S. Open course." The 35-year-old Donald failed to make the cut at last years U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco because of putting failures. He has never finished better than 12th in an Open (2006) and missed the cut three times since his 2002 debut. He was 45th in 2011 and 47th in 2010. "I think in U.S. Opens, usually success comes from hitting a lot of fairways and hitting a lot of greens. And I think my game is more from the hole backward," he said. "Ive always kind of worked that way. This year Ive made a little bit more of a conscious effort to try and change that, to get a little bit more control, to work some things around, spending a little bit more time on the range working on really solidifying a few things. And it hasnt happened yet, but statistics will show Ive improved in those areas." Donald and Lee Westwood are the only players to be No. 1 without having won a major. Donald was No. 1 entering the 2011 U.S. Open and held it going into the 2012 PGA Championship. He lost the ranking after Rory McIlroy won last years PGA title. Regarded as a mild-mannered Englishman, Donald is ready to show some ruthlessness at Merion as he chases that elusive win. "It has a lot of tradition, this course, and Im excited to see what it has to offer," he said. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. http://www.nfljerseyscheapstore.com/ .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. Nike NFL Jerseys China . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Nike NFL Jerseys Outlet . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. BALTIMORE -- It sure didnt take long for new players on the Texas Rangers to get comfortable in a different environment. The trio has made a good team even better.Jonathan Lucroy hit his first homer with Texas, Carlos Beltran had two hits and an RBI, and the Rangers beat Wade Miley and the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.Texas received contributions from the threesome it acquired before Mondays non-waiver trade deadline. Lucroy homered in the second inning. Beltran -- who homered Wednesday -- singled in a run in the fifth. And Jeremy Jeffress pitched a scoreless seventh.For those guys to go a new ballclub, the travel, and assimilating themselves into the clubhouse ... theyre professionals but anytime you make that move it can be a change, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. But it was nice to see theyre starting to perk up and do what they do. We saw tonight what this lineup can be capable of.Ian Desmond drove in two runs and Shin-Soo Choo came off the disabled list to get two hits and score a run for the Rangers, who took back from Baltimore the distinction of owning the best record in the AL.Texas won the season series 4-3 and would have home-field advantage in the postseason if the teams finish with the same regular-season record and meet in the playoffs.Its been a dogfight with these guys. Thats another first-place team over there, Lucroy said. Its another team that can hit, hit a lot of home runs, especially in this park. It feels good to pull that one out and kind of break out offensively.Mark Trumbo hit his major-league leading 31st homer for the Orioles, who fell to 39-17 at home. Pedro Alvarez and Hyun-Soo Kim also hit solo shots.Miley (7-9) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings in his debut with the Orioles. The left-hander was traded by Seattle on Sunday.I wish the results would have been a little better, Miley said. I had some jitters.After Miley took a line drive off his left calf for the final out in the fifth, manager Buck Showalter went to bullpen in the sixth.ddddddddddddI dont think its a big concern at all, Miley said.A.J. Griffin (5-1) allowed three homers in 5 1/3 innings but won a second straight start following a six-game run without a victory.Theyve got some power, but for the most part I felt like we kept them off-balance really well, Griffin said.Sam Dyson, the fifth Texas pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.After Lucroy put the Rangers up 1-0, Desmond added a run-scoring groundout in the second.Texas made it 4-0 in the fifth on RBI singles by Desmond and Beltran. Desmonds single bounced past first baseman Chris Davis, who was screened by Choo advancing to second, and Beltrans pop bounced off the glove of second baseman Jonathan Schoop in right field.Trumbo and Alvarez homered in succession in the bottom half, and Kim led off the sixth with his fourth homer of the season -- his first at Camden Yards.Consecutive doubles by Adrian Beltre and Roughned Odor off Logan Ondrusek made it 5-3 in the eighth.SHORT HOPSRangers: Griffin has allowed at least one HR in eight straight starts. ... Texas hit a season-high six doubles.Orioles: Miley is the first lefty to start for Baltimore this season. ... The Orioles have hit back-to-back homers 12 times this season.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: Choo spent the minimum 15 days on the disabled list with lower back inflammation. It was his third stint on the DL this season.UP NEXTRangers: Martin Perez (7-7, 4.22 ERA) starts for Texas on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series in Houston. The Rangers are 9-1 against the Astros this season.Orioles: Baltimore starts a 10-game trip Friday night by facing former teammate Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.06) and the Chicago White Sox. ' ' '