Bridge Trolls, Island Heroes, Killer Bees, Pizza Rat

Muhammad Wilkerson?says he will be ready for the regular season.Fresh off signing a new multiyear contract, Wilkerson expressed his confidence on Wednesday that he will be on the field for the New York Jets season opener against Cincinnati on Sept. 11.I will be ready for Week 1, the defensive end said. He is recovering from a broken right leg suffered in last seasons finale and couldnt predict when he would be available in training camp, which begins next week.Rehab is going well, he said. Im running four times a week and just taking it day by day. Im focusing on my leg and rehabbing each and every day. When the coaches feel it is time for me to get out there on the field and I am ready to go, I will be out there.Wilkersons deal is worth more than $85 million, including $37 million in guarantees through the first two years. Through three years of the deal, Wilkerson will be paid $54 million in guaranteed money.Asked whether he was surprised that the last-minute deal came together when there was so much pessimism surrounding his contract situation, Wilkerson preferred to look forward.Im happy to get a deal done and glad this part of the situation is over with, and now I can just focus on football and get ready for the season, he said.I am glad my agent got a deal done for me and ... everybody in my support system. Were ready to get things rolling. I dont have to focus on my contract situation and can concentrate on my rehab.He also believes that the Jets, who finished 10-6 last season, are a playoff team if they build off that performance in their first season with Todd Bowles as coach.?We could be the sky is the limit, we can be as good as we want to be, as long as were all putting in the work day after day and pushing each other to be great, Wilkerson said. We had a good record last year and just have to build on that.Wilkerson, from Linden, New Jersey, gets to stay home to play for at least five more years after compiling 36.5 sacks through his first five NFL seasons. He has 372 total tackles, seven forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 77 games.I definitely wanted to be here, he said. Im from New Jersey ... wanted to raise my children here, and Im really excited to be here. Custom Tim Hardaway Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Cheap Custom Warriors Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. http://www.customwarriorsjersey.com/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Wholesale Custom Warriors Shirts . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Warriors Jerseys China . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. NEW YORK -- Tyler Austin wasnt sure if Yankees manager Joe Girardi would let him face a right-hander in the ninth inning.Switch-hitting veteran Mark Teixeira was still on the bench, and the right-handed hitting Austin isnt far removed from a long slump.Girardi stuck with the rookie, and he came through, helping the Baby Bombers continue their unlikely push into postseason contention.Austin hit a solo homer in the ninth to give New York its season-high fifth straight victory, 5-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.Brian McCann hit two homers for the Yankees, who moved a season-high nine games over .500 (74-65).After blowing three leads during the first six innings, New York moved within two games of Baltimore for the second AL wild card and four games of AL East-leading Boston. Resurgent New York plays 20 of its remaining 23 games against division opponents, putting it in position to compete despite selling off key pieces at the Aug. 1 deadline.I think everybody in this clubhouse believes that we can make a push at this thing and get in the postseason, Austin said. Its an exciting time right now.Austin homered off Erasmo Ramirez (7-11) on a 3-2 pitch for his third homer since being called up Aug. 13. Teammates met him at home plate by dousing him with water in a raucous celebration.That was a huge team win for us, Austin said, and a special moment.A long one coming, too. Injuries and poor performance slowed Austins climb through the minors, and in 2015, he was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A during the season. He opened back at Double-A Trenton again this season, a disappointing assignment, but then forced his way to the majors with his bat.I didnt give up, kept battling and you know, here we are, he said.After homering in his big league debut, Austin entered a 4-for-33 slump that ended Sunday. He since has a five-game hitting streak.Girardi decided to let the 25-year-old Austin bat because Ramirez has better numbers against left-handed hitters.And hes in the game, Girardi said of Austin. A lot of times its a lot easier if youre in the game.The pesky Rays kept coming back, getting two homers each from Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza by the sixth. This was the first game this season in which three players had multiple homers, per the Elias Sports Bureau.MAC ATTACKMcCanns homer in the second landed in the luxury suites just below the third deck in right field. His second put the Yankees up 4-3 in the fourth, giving him 19 for the season.The left-handed slugger is one shy of his ninth straight 20-homer season and 10th overall but entered on a 3-for-20 slide.You want to pull your weight around here, McCann said. For a large part of the season, I havent been doing that. So tonight was nice to get to some baseballs and backspin them.WELCOME ABOARDTampa Bay hit four homers after being joined by new hitting coach Chad Mottola earlier inn the day.dddddddddddd Mottola was promoted from minor league hitting coordinator after Tampa Bay fired Derek Shelton on Tuesday.Kiermaier homered twice in the first three innings, setting a career high with his 11th homer in the third. Hes hit safely in a career-best 12 straight games, the longest streak by a Ray this season.Souza had his third multihomer game of the season, and second at Yankee Stadium.`PEN GAMESNew York had to use five relievers on a night when its bullpen was already short-handed. Girardi hoped to avoid using Dellin Betances, Tyler Clippard, Adam Warren and Luis Severino, so he had to dig deep in the bullpen when CC Sabathia went just four innings, allowing three homers while throwing 87 pitches.Girardi was still aggressive matching up his left-handed relievers, including when Tommy Layne (2-1) entered and struck out pinch-hitter Logan Morrison to end the ninth.BACK IN THE GROOVEAlex Cobb made his second start since having Tommy John surgery and allowed four runs over six innings. He gave up two homers and threw 89 pitches.Hes around the strike zone, extremely efficient, kept his pitch count down, gave us every opportunity to win, manager Kevin Cash said.A SMALL PARTYThe paid attendance was 27,631, under 30,000 for just the second time at Yankee Stadium -- the first was 27,532 on Tuesday. That was the first time under 30,000 since 2004.BALK BACKUmpires called Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder for a balk that let in a run in the fifth inning, then overturned the call.Holder motioned with his glove for McCann to show him the signs again, and first base umpire Jordan Baker called a balk, allowing Logan Forsythe to score from third.The Yankees argued, and the umpires conferred before overturning the decision.TO THE BALLOTSThe Staten Island Yankees, one of New Yorks Class-A affiliates, are holding a fan vote to decide on a new team name. The options are: Bridge Trolls, Island Heroes, Killer Bees, Pizza Rats and Rock Pigeons.TRAINING ROOMRays: SS Matt Duffy will have surgery Friday on his left heel. Dr. Bob Anderson, team orthopedist for the NFLs Carolina Panthers, will perform the operation. ... RHP Chase Whitley is expected to return following Tommy John surgery in one of the next three games. Whitley pitched for the Yankees in 2014 and `15 but was placed on waivers and claimed by Tampa Bay last November while recovering from the surgery.UP NEXTRays: Rookie LHP Blake Snell (5-7, 3.39) starts vs. New York on Friday night. He struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball in a win against Toronto last time out and has a 2.61 ERA in two starts against New York this season.Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.10) pitches against Tampa Bay. Pineda is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA over his past three starts. ' ' '