Clan-Members » d to hold on in those games. But wh

NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks will bring their thunder Down Under. Major League Baseball will open the 2014 regular season in Australia, with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks playing a two-game series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The matchups March 22-23 mark baseballs first games in Australia that count. "Its going to be fantastic," Aussie-born Dodgers reliever Peter Moylan said Wednesday. "Ive been trying to preach the game back in Australia for years." MLB and the players union announced the international opening day just one day after Los Angeles and Arizona mixed it up in a big brawl at Dodger Stadium. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers already had a testy relationship before this scrape that resulted in six ejections. "I always wanted to go to Australia," Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp said. "Now I got a real reason to go and I get to play baseball." Baseball opened its season at Tokyo in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. The 1999 opener was held at Monterrey, Mexico, and the 2001 season began in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The rest of the big league season next year is slated to resume on March 30. The Dodgers-Diamondbacks opener will come 100 years after the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants played exhibition games at the same cricket venue. On Jan. 2, 1914, the White Sox beat the Giants 5-4 before an estimated 10,000 fans. There also was an exhibition baseball game at the same site in December 1888 featuring Spaldings World Tourists. "Its cool. Its great the sport is going to get a big game like that down there," said Oakland Athletics closer Grant Balfour, who is from Australia. "We had the Sydney Olympics there and Intercontinental Cup games, but we havent had that kind of level of baseball there in a long, long time. Itll be fun to see." The Sydney Cricket Ground will be configured to MLB standards for the opening series. "Im sure people are going to fly from all over the country to see the game," Moylan said. "The presentation of the grounds is going to be fantastic." Moylan makes the grueling trip home to Melbourne in the off-season, and he expects the travel will take a toll on the players. "Coming back is going to be the worst," he said. Union head Michael Weiner said "the players are excited about opening the 2014 season in Sydney, and they view this series as an important step in furthering their commitment to help increase the global popularity of baseball." Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement, "The globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part of our long-term efforts to grow the sport. We look forward to writing an exciting new chapter in international baseball history at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground next March." Dodgers President Stan Kasten said the team was eager to begin the season "in one of the most exciting and rapidly developing baseball markets on earth." Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said "being at the forefront of spreading international goodwill on this prominent stage is a feat that we enthusiastically embrace and accept." The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will play spring training games in Arizona on March 16, then leave for Australia and arrive on March 18. The teams will open the regular season on Saturday night, the 22nd, and meet again the next afternoon. Arizona will be the home team for both games. "It should be a little tiring, but a lot of fun, too," Kemp said. There have been 28 major leaguers born in Australia. The Dodgers have had five natives on their roster. Craig Biggio Jersey . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Yordan Alvarez Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. https://www.cheapastros.com/2283o-dean-deetz-jersey-astros.html .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Fake Astros Jerseys . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Jim Bouton Astros Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4.Jose Mourinho described Manchester United as the unluckiest team in the Premier League after their 1-1 draw with Arsenal, but do the stats back him up? Juan Matas second-half goal appeared to be sending United to a well-deserved victory at Old Trafford on Saturday, only for Olivier Giroud to pull Arsenal level with their only shot on target.It was a bitter blow for United, who dominated the game for long periods, and it prompted Mourinho to rue his sides misfortune. I am really happy with the team, but at the moment I consider us the unluckiest team in the Premier League because it is the reality, he told Sky Sports. If you analyse the last three matches. Against Stoke we have to win 5-0 or 6-0 and we draw. Against Burnley we have to win 5-0 or 6-0 and we draw and today we have to win 2-0 or 3-0 and we draw.So does Mourinho have a point? Or is he making excuses? From key decisions to hitting the woodwork, we examine the evidence…Refereeing decisionsMourinho rarely bites his tongue when it comes to decisions going against his side and this season there have been a number of flashpoints. The United boss was angered by two decisions during the Manchester derby defeat to City back in September. Claudio Bravo challenges Wayne Rooney during the Manchester derby First, there was Claudio Bravos lunge on Wayne Rooney, then an Antonio Valencia cross struck Nicolas Otamendi on the elbow. Mourinho criticised Mark Clattenburg for failing to award penalties in both cases. Former referee Dermot Gallagher agreed with Mourinho about the Bravo incident in his weekly column for Sky Sports, but he felt Clattenburg was right to overlook the Otamendi incident.In Uniteds following game against Watford, they conceded the opening goal after Anthony Martial was robustly dispossessed by Miguel Britos. Mourinho described the decision to let play continue as ridiculous, while Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said the Watford defender had kicked through his left leg to get the ball. PL contenders highs and lows We examine each of the title contenders highs and lows so far this season. Clattenburg enraged Mourinho again when he didnt award United a penalty after Matteo Darmian went down following a clash with Jon Flanagan in their 0-0 draw with Burnley last month. Mourinho was handed a one-game ban for his furious reaction, but replays showed the contact was minimal. Nacho Monreal tangled with Antonio Valencia in Saturdays game There was another penalty incident against Arsenal, with Valencia going to ground after Nacho Monreal raised an arm across his body. Mourinho chose not to criticise Andre Marriner over the incident, but it was a decision which could have gone either way. Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal While Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been awarded at least four penalties this season, United have only had one. But while there have been a number of decisions to irk Mourinho, they have not all been quite as clear-cut as he might tell you. And on the other hand, they have only had one penalty awarded against them. Penalties won and conceded - Premier League 2016/17 Team Penalties won Team Penalties conceded Manchester City 5 Hull 6 Arsenal 4 Southampton 4 Liverpool 4 West Ham 4 Tottenham 4 Arsenal 3 Crystal Palace 3 Bournemouth 3 Leicester 3 Everton 3 Sunderland 3 Swansea 3 - - - - Manchester Utd 1 Manchester Utd 1 Injury count?One area in which United have undoubtedly been unfortunate is injuries. Defensive issues forced Mourinho to field a makeshift back four against Arsenal on Saturday, and it was not the first time this season that his options have been depleted. Manchester United have lost Eric Bailly to injury this season In fact, according to PhysioRoom.ddddddddddddcom, United have racked up the second-highest total of injuries this season with 27. Only relegation battlers Sunderland have suffered more (30). Most injuries - Premier League 2016/17 Team Injuries Sunderland 30 Manchester United 27 Liverpool 24 Tottenham 22 Leicester 21 Manchester City 20 Arsenal 19 Crystal Palace 19 Southampton 19 Watford 19 West Ham 19 Goalkeeping heroics?Manchester Uniteds shot conversion rate of 11.6 per cent is the fifth-lowest in the Premier League. Its partly down to wasteful finishing, but they have also had the misfortune of facing goalkeepers in the form of their lives. Tom Heaton pulled off a string of impressive saves against Manchester United Stoke shot-stopper Lee Grant rescued the Potters with eight saves in their 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, while Tom Heatons performance in the 0-0 draw with Burnley was even better. The 30-year-old made 11 saves in total, including one described as one of the best in Premier League history by Peter Schmeichel. Bad luck or bad finishing? Manchester United have had 74 shots to their opponents 19 in the last three Premier League games at Old Trafford, yet the aggregate score is 2-2. In total, opposition goalkeepers have made 49 saves against Manchester United this season, a far higher total than the Premier League average of 34. Its not just a question of bad luck, but its certainly been a factor.Hitting the woodworkFootball is a game of fine margins and there are few things more frustrating than seeing your sides shots come back off the woodwork. United have rattled the frame of the goal five times in total - including twice each in their draws with Stoke and Burnley.You could call it bad luck, but its nothing compared to Bournemouth, who have been denied by the woodwork 13 times in total. In fact, six Premier League sides have hit the woodwork more times than United. Most times hit woodwork - Premier League 2016/17 Team Hit woodwork Bournemouth 13 Arsenal 7 Manchester City 7 Tottenham 7 Liverpool 6 Stoke 6 Manchester United 5 Southampton 5 Late goals?Girouds equaliser on Saturday was the fourth time United have conceded in the 80th minute or later this season, putting them comfortably above the Premier League average of 2.5 late goals per side.It happened twice in Uniteds 3-1 defeat to Watford back in September and it also happened with Joe Allens late leveller for Stoke last month. Add Girouds equaliser and United would be five points better off had they managed to hold on in those games. But while Mourinho might call it bad luck, it also raises questions over complacency. Olivier Girouds equaliser was the fourth late goal Manchester United have conceded in the Premier League this season So while the evidence suggests United have indeed had their share of bad luck, particularly with injuries and goalkeeping heroics, there are clearly numerous other factors at play.Mourinho will be hoping things fall into place in the weeks ahead, but United are not the only side to have been hit by misfortune, and their prospects of turning things around are dependent on more than just a change of luck.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4th! Also See: PL contenders highs and lows Jose: Utds unluckiest team ' ' '