advanced on Canos RBI single that made it 5-1 and a ground

RIO DE JANEIRO -- When Andy Murray was chosen to be Great Britains flag-bearer last week, he was understandably delighted. But the responsibility appeared to be overwhelming at times. During a team photograph session, a nervous Murray fumbled and wrestled with the flag, coming close to poking Princess Anne in the eye.It was a rough start for Murray, but perhaps, given the sure-footed way he ended up handling his duties on opening night, a telling one.Rio was full of pulsating moments for the 29-year-old Scot, including several occasions in the tennis tournament, when he was near defeat. But as has been his tendency all summer, he flashed workmanlike consistency. He came through each time when it really counted, never more than in the Olympic final, a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win against Argentinas Juan Martin del Potro.[With] the buildup of emotion the last 10 days, Im just happy I got over the line tonight, Murray said. Tonight was one of the hardest matches I have had to play for a big, big title. Emotionally, it was tough. Physically it was hard. So many ups and downs throughout the match.Much of the tennis played this week was clean and crisp. Del Potros upsets wins against Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were prime examples.Murray versus del Potro was different. This was a battle of attrition. Of mental toughness and smarts. True, there were dozens of incredible moments. Murray consistently retrieved balls that seemed returnable and slapped them for winners. Del Potro hit his forehand with power that often left the crowd gasping.But the tall Argentinian struck 57 unforced errors, and despite his booming serve, he was also broken nine times. And Murray wasnt much better. He had 45 unforced errors of his own, was broken six times and put only 51 percent of his first serves in play -- uncommon for the winner of such an important match.I was tired, Murray said. We played four hours. It was humid and a slower court. I didnt serve well, so that made it tougher. ... I had to find a way to get through it.Make it through, he did indeed. Its becoming a trend.Murrays win set him apart from the competitors to whom he is most closely associated. Nadal has a single gold medal -- from Beijing in 2008, but Roger Federer and Djokovic have never won a singles gold. More than that, Murray achieved history. He is now the first tennis player, male or female, to win back-to-back singles gold medals.It hasnt been easy, because a lot can happen in four years, especially for tennis players, Murray said. We have so many events. Since London, I had back surgery. My ranking dropped a lot during that period, and Ive gone through some tough times on the court as well.The Olympics are unusual for pro tennis players -- and not just because the event is played every four years. There is no prize money, and this year, the tournament did not count toward the official rankings. And yet the prestige that comes with the chance to win Olympic hardware, the chance to shine on the same stage as the best athletes from all over the world, give the tournament deep meaning. You could see it here in the amount of tears shed -- from both winners and losers -- the entire completion. Rio mattered.And for Murray, the tournament firms up his 2016 bona fides. Nobody of late has mounted a sustained challenge to Djokovic for supremacy in the game. We cannot know for sure just yet, but it feels like Murray in current form -- the one that, in the span of two months, has been victorious at both the All England and Rio -- might now have a chance.Djokovic has played amazing tennis the last two years, Murray said. His consistency. ... You know, what I have done for like the last four months, he has been doing for like a whole year. So I need to find a way to keep that going, and the US Open is the next big goal.Since teaming again with Ivan Lendl -- who coached Murray to the Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Games and then to the Scots first Wimbledon title in 2013 -- he has played with a new resolve. All during Rio, Murray stayed away from the drama, the shouting at his supporters and the questionable display of acting injured in tight moments that has sometimes sapped his mental strength in the past.Just like Lendl did when he dominated the game in the 1980s, Murray dominated in a workmanlike way. In two early matches here, he was down a break in the third set. But each time he stormed back at just the right time.Murray made history on Sunday. But he told the press that during Sundays match, history was far from his mind. He could think of nothing in this last match but survival.By the end of it, both players were struggling to stay afloat. Del Potro walked slowly between points. He often bent over for a few seconds and rested his hands on his knees -- gassed. Then the Argentines fans would begin roaring, chanting his name -- Delpo! Delpo! Delpo! -- and he would play a point full of more slashing forehands.He took advantage of a spate of Murray errors to break serve in the first game of the fourth set. But Murray wouldnt budge. With del Potro looking like he was going to take this match to a deciding set, Murray broke back, held serve and, finally, broke again. Game, set, match. Gold was soon draping around Murrays neck.After the medal ceremony, someone from the stands threw him a British flag. He carefully unfurled it, held it above his head and clutched it closely to his chest. Then he walked off, the flag curling around his wide shoulders, his workmanlike job in Rio done. Discount Football Jerseys Throwback . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Wholesale Football Jerseys Throwback . PAUL, Minn. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Stitched Football Jerseys Throwback . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Custom Football Jerseys Throwback . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. NEW YORK -- Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire is realistic. Taking two out of three from the Yankees for their first series win in New York in more than a decade is not going wipe out the Twins horrid first half. It sure feels good, though. Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer a pitch after shortstop Eduardo Nunez made a two-out throwing error, and Minnesota took advantage of some Yankees miscues and misfortune to beat CC Sabathia for the first time in six years, 10-4 Sunday. "You still have to live with the way we played in the first half and our record is not very good," Gardenhire said, quickly adding: "Guys are smiling and thats what we want to see." Justin Morneau had three hits -- two very well placed -- as Minnesota won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since taking a set at the old ballpark in 2001. Still, the Twins are 9-31 here starting a year later. Theyd had even less success against Sabathia (9-8), going 0-11 in 12 games including the post-season after beating him on July 29, 2007. "Things went our way and that hasnt happened here in a long time," Gardenhire said. The Yankees made two errors that led to five unearned runs. They also hit into four double plays -- two on baserunning blunders by Zoilo Almonte -- in making it plenty easy for the Twins in the teams final game before the All-Star break. The fans let New York know their displeasure, booing relentlessly after the Yankees fell behind 8-1 in the fourth. Rookie Kyle Gibson (2-2) benefited from the sloppy play to earn his second win in four career starts. He pitched five-plus shaky innings, yielding three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and four walks. Minnesota improved to 3-7 on a 10-game road trip and is 39-53. "Its been a terrible road trip," Ryan Doumit said. "Its nice to win two out of three going into the break, give us a little bit of a momentum, especially two out of three against the Yankees at their place is big for us." After the game, Gardehire said the team is making three moves, sending outfielders Oswaldo Arcia and Chris Parmelee and infielder Eduardo Escobar to Triple-A Rochester. "They need to go swing, all of them do," said Gardenhire, who emphasized all three are part of the clubs future. To take their spots, the Twins will purchase the contract of infielder Doug Bernier and recall catcher Chris Herrmann from Rochester. A third move will be made sometime before Fridays game against Cleveland. New York goes into the break 51-44, good for fourth place in the AL East. "I think wee just need to be more consistent, we got to stay out of stretches where we dont score runs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.dddddddddddd "We have to be more consistent offensively and if we do that, were going to have a shot." Sabathia gave up a season-high eight runs -- three earned -- and matched his low of four innings this year. Lyle Overbay couldnt handle Doumits two-out hot shot to first base with the bases loaded in the fourth for an error to let in two runs to make it 8-1. The previous batter, Morneau hit a popup in between the mound and second base that was just out of a lunging Sabathias reach. Sabathia slid on his knees after missing the ball as Jamey Carroll scored. In the third, Morneau, who came in batting .128 against Sabathia, hit a short fly to right that hit off second baseman Robinson Canos glove for a double. Nunez made his error two batters later and Hicks connected for a 5-0 lead. Sabathia shouted and Nunez took off his glove and held his hand on his hip as Hicks rounded the bases with his eighth homer of the year. "Guys are going to make errors," Sabathia said. "Its up to the pitcher to make pitches." In the first inning, Almonte burst off first base on Canos sharp liner to right and was doubled off to end the inning. The rookie tried tagging up on a routine fly to left field in the third but was out at home by several feet. Almonte reached on second baseman Brian Doziers fielding error and advanced on Canos RBI single that made it 5-1 and a groundout. Carroll -- in the lineup because he was 4 for 10 against Sabathia -- and Pedro Florimon had RBI singles in the second. Ichiro Suzuki, who had three hits, homered in the seventh to make it 8-4. Dozier had an RBI double in the eighth and Yankees catcher Chris Stewarts passed ball allowed one more in the ninth. NOTES: Cano had at least one RBI in all seven games against the Twins this year. He had nine in a four-game sweep at Minnesota. ... Girardi said Andy Pettitte will start Friday at Boston in the first game after the break. He will be followed by Hiroki Kuroda and Sabathia. ... Gardenhire set his post-break rotation, too: Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Correia, Scott Diamond and Samuel Deduno. ... Girardi said injured SS Derek Jeter (quad strain) will not be evaluated until Thursday or Friday. ... Alex Rodriguez went 1 for 3 with a run-scoring double and two RBIs for Class A Tampa, his first extra-base hit during a minor league rehabilitation assignment. A-Rod is scheduled to join Double-A Trenton for Mondays game at Reading, Pa. ' ' '