Wii Talk » ighting over time shares and shady sidewalk sales.A pair of p

SEATTLE -- The Boston Red Sox will be the cheerier and better-rested team when they open a series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night at Safeco Field.The Red Sox capped a four-game split against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon, scoring five times in the ninth inning for a 5-3 win at Anaheim, Calif.The Mariners then played -- and blew -- the nationally televised Sunday night game at Wrigley Field.Seattle built a 6-0 lead through three innings thanks to a trio of two-homers, then watched the Chicago Cubs slice into the deficit and eventually tie the game 6-6 with three runs in the ninth. The Cubs won 7-6 in 12 innings when left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, appearing as a pinch hitter for the first time in his career, dropped down a game-ending squeeze bunt on a 2-2 pitch.As a result of the late developments, the Mariners bullpen might be short-handed Monday night. Five Seattle relievers pitched a combined 6 1/3 innings, with closer Steve Cishek blowing a save for the sixth time in 31 chances and Cody Martin (1-1) taking the loss.The appearance on Sunday Night Baseball was the Mariners first since 2004, and the game wound up being unforgettable for the wrong reasons, at least from a Seattle perspective.Its disappointing. I thought we had the game in hand, Mariners manager Scott Servais said.The arrival of the Red Sox in Seattle means the last visit of David Ortiz, and Mariners fans wont be too sad to say goodbye.Since 2013, Ortiz has hit .444 with four home runs and nine RBI in 10 games played at Safeco Field. The Mariners have tried everything to negate the offense of the future Hall of Famer, with seven free passes being the only effective way they have found to quiet his bat in that span.The 40-year-old designated hitter is not showing any signs of slowing down. Ortiz enters Mondays series opener with a .320 batting average as he continues to put up one of the best offensive seasons of his prodigious career.Ortiz and the Red Sox (57-46) have more pressing issues than saying goodbye, though. Even after the ninth-inning rally Sunday, Boston is 1 1/2 back in the American League East standings after seven of its past 10 games.The Red Sox were losing ground in the division race and were losing their grip on the wild-card standings before scoring five runs -- four on back-to-back, two-out homers from Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts -- in the ninth to beat the Angels.It was pretty awesome, Bogaerts told MLB.com. After all weve been through these past few days, it was definitely nice to have this one today.The Mariners have seen their once-promising postseason hopes go in the tank since the beginning of June, and the recent slide put Seattle into the position of being a seller at the trade deadline. The Mariners dealt relievers Mike Montgomery and Joaquin Benoit last week, then sent starter Wade Miley to Baltimore on Sunday.This decision is the best move for the Mariners present and future, general manager Jerry Dipoto said of the Miley trade, which netted minor league left-hander Ariel Miranda.The Mariners plan to send left-hander James Paxton (3-5) to the mound Monday, while left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) is scheduled to start for the Red Sox.The more intriguing pitching question is who might finish the game for Boston, as closer Craig Kimbrel is scheduled to join the team Monday in Seattle. Kimbrel underwent knee surgery July 11 to repair a torn left medial meniscus, and he could be activated any day now. Evan Fournier Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Terrence Ross Magic Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-dwight-howard-magic-jersey/ . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Jason Williams Magic Jersey . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Dwight Howard Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. It has become a rite of passage of sorts for pro wrestling fans, particularly those hoping to recapture the spirit of what first hooked them, to yearn for a throwback of nostalgia into the current product.And when it comes to the idea of fantasy booking a big-name celebrity return to WWE, the name Goldberg has continued to hover right near the top of many viewers lists for much of the 12 years since he walked away in 2004.Goldberg, 49, made his triumphant return Monday night, closing Raw with a 10-minute promo that answered Brock Lesnars challenge to a match -- presumably for the Survivor Series pay-per-view?on Nov. 20 -- with a resounding yes as the Denver crowd cheered his return.Brock Lesnar, not only does that mean that youre next, Goldberg said, but most importantly it means Brock Lesnar, youre last.When it comes to checking off all of the boxes with his performance, Goldberg was strong (as was WWEs steady build toward his performance in the final segment, interspersing his career highlights throughout). The former WCW champion, who ran off a fictional unbeaten streak of 173-0 upon his 1997 debut, reprised his famous ring entrance, from a long walk down a backstage hallway -- complete with current WWE superstars cheering him on -- to his emergence on the stage amid a storm of sparks and fireworks.Goldberg was just as strong on the microphone, protecting his tough image with equally tough talk while also putting over the real reason for his return: his wife and young son, who were seated ringside, had never seen him perform as a pro wrestler. His softer side was hammered home with a series of hugs and high fives to children in the front row, further establishing his role as a babyface in his upcoming feud.The distinction was an important one because of Goldbergs age and time away from the ring, which stands out as the greatest challenge WWE will face leading up to Survivor Series as it attempts to credibly build a believable case for his chances against Lesnar.Outside of the groan that came from Raw commentater Michael Cole announcing him as the greatest champion in WCW history, Goldbergs return drew positive reviews on social media and from the large pop he received inside the Pepsi Center on Monday. He acknowledged as much by interrupting the crowds chants of Goldberg! and holy s---! to say, It has been a long time, and you didnt forget.Lesnar was absent on Monday (his return was announced for next week in Minneapolis) and his advocate Paul Heyman provided a brief interview via satellite from WWE headquarters, just one week after initially challenging Goldberg on Lesnars behalf. This episode was all about Goldberg, who referred to Heyman as a fat little stooge and called out Lesnar for not having the balls to do it himself.The return offers Goldberg a chance to exit the company on a much brighter note than his WrestleMania XX victory over Lesnar, which was met with boos 12 years ago by a crowd knowing full well both superstars were set to leave the company.While Goldberg, who regularly trains in mixed martial arts, appeared to be in great shape, his true definition was strategically hid behind a heavy jacket -- which caused him to sweat uncontrollably. The true reveal of the rivalry will come the first time the two combatants lay hands on each other in the coming weeks, which can only help Raws attempt to regain must-see status after slipping behind in-house competitor SmackDown Live in the eyes of many fans.Goldbergs return didnt suspend time to the point where viewers felt transported back to 1998 all over again. But it didnt disappoint at any turn or badly expose the reality of a middle-aged mans return, which was important in terms of setting the stage.As things stand right now, Raw has our attention in a major way. But its how the WWEs creative team builds the feud over the next four weeks that will have just as big a hand in deciding the success of Goldbergs return as how he actually looks in his eventual return to the ring.Hits and missesFor as much as WWE attempted to build suspense as to whether Goldberg would accept Lesnars challenge, commercials that ran Monday in local markets promoting his future appearances (including the Oct. 31 episode of Raw in Hartford, Connecticut) didnt help matters.While Goldbergs return captured Raws heaadlines Monday, the most valuable performance within a single segment came from Rusev, who showcased his comedic chops to near perfection.dddddddddddd Despite a questionable facial hair choice (full beard with no mustache or goatee), Rusev was red-hot for the second straight week on the microphone as he showed pictures of his family members to the crowd before insulting and attacking Roman Reigns. Rusevs comeback to Reigns of, Hey, hey ... you can disrespect my family all you want but you cant disrespect me, was the perfect summation of his characters genius.Seth Rollins attempt at making Sparkle Crotch a thing while insulting Chris Jericho was a noble one before it badly fell flat. But his diving neckbreaker off the middle rope against Jericho later on in their match was definitely worth a second look.The athleticism of @WWERollins on FULL DISPLAY in this clash with @IAmJericho! #RAW pic.twitter.com/1wFheNsutu- WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 18, 2016Speaking of Rollins, who faced off against Jericho for the second straight week, its becoming hard to avoid the feeling that his current feud with Universal champion Kevin Owens remains stuck in neutral. Unless next weeks triple-threat match including Jericho adds a significant wrinkle to the buildup ahead of Hell in the Cell, this has been very much an underwhelming feud between top superstars.Can we just pretend that that painfully awkward backstage segment (complete with a cringe-inducing high-five) between Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley never happened?Big E referring to Cesaro as Sheamus court-appointed tag-team partner was high comedy and an apt description. Dont look now, but The New Day appear to be completely back from a series of comedic missteps late in the summer. The shark has not been jumped.Cruiserweight Tony Nese isnt merely a bright spot in the WWEs newest division, hes arguably becoming its most must-watch in-ring performer. His 450 splash onto Rich Swann in their six-man tag-team match was no joke.An even darker heel turn from?Bo Dallas?on Monday was the best thing to happen to his character in years. Dallas not only put away Neville in a singles match with a series of stiff strikes (after surviving a breathtaking moonsault onto the floor), he turned on former Social Outcasts teammate Curtis Axel after the match and handed out a vicious beating. It has become much easier to Bo-lieve in a guy like Dallas who has gotten himself back into this good of shape. Its time for Bo to drop the rhyming, political signs and self-help gimmick in order to embrace his full potential on the dark side.Admittedly, three hours is a long time to watch wrestling in one setting. But did I hear correctly that the stipulation of an otherwise meaningless six-man tag team match between The Golden Truth?and Mark Henry against The Shining Stars and Titus ONeill was that R Truth would have to buy up all of Primo and Epicos fake watches if he lost? Look, Im a stickler for attention to detail as much as anyone, but how about we first give ONeills feud with former teammate Darren Young an actual ending before we start fighting over time shares and shady sidewalk sales.A pair of pre-taped sit-down interviews featuring Sasha Banks and Charlotte not only showcased a strong use of WWE Hall of Famer Lita, they brought to light just how far apart the two superstars are in their ability to cut a strong promo, as Charlotte won this portion of their rivalry by a landslide.Move of the nightJust when you thought it was becoming a bore to watch Braun Strowman absolutely steamroll a group of helpless jobbers, his destruction of the Mile High Trio reminded how fun it can be. The ease in which Strowman tossed one of its members outside of the ring like a sack of potatoes, crashing into his partners below, was particularly memorable.The #MileHighTrio just got introduced to @BraunStrowman... #RAW pic.twitter.com/JkWXW0IycB- WWE (@WWE) October 18, 2016Line of the nightWe get it, Roman, you have a family and that is good for you. I know you have 700 Samoans sitting around a campfire, dipping a turkey leg in mayonnaise and following every move that you do. -- Rusev during a rant against Roman Reigns. ' ' '