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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- With the All-Star Game fast approaching next week, its natural for teams to evaluate their progress at the unofficial halfway point of the season. That Detroit won its third straight against host Tampa Bay on Saturday marked what the Tigers hoped to be a turning point in a thus-far mediocre season.Detroit has pounded out 23 runs on so far this series, which concludes on Sunday. Second baseman Ian Kinsler made note of the good feeling the team shares lately, but added the pitching staff has just as much to do with the teams success as its bats.Our bullpen is shaping up nicely, our rotation is shaping up, too, Kinsler said. (Francisco Rodriguez) has done an unbelievable job. Justin Wilson and Shane Greene have done an unbelievable job, and then we obviously have guys who can be steady down there in Alex Wilson and Kyle Ryan, guys that can provide you innings.As long as we can stay healthy, like we have been saying since spring training, we should be OK.Verlander took home honors Saturday after collecting eight strikeouts in seven innings. On Sunday, Mike Pelfrey will get the ball as the Tigers attempt to secure a road series sweep versus Tampa Bay.Pelfrey won his last start, against Miami, despite allowing 12 hits over 5 1/3 innings. He seeks his first win since June 4, but is 0-5 on the road this season with a 4.19 ERA.Saturday marked the exact midpoint in the Tigers season. Detroit has posted a 43-38 record so far, a number thats encouraging considering the team endured 11 losses in 12 games to kick off May.But manager Brad Ausmus would still like improvement in the second half.Overall, the first half hasnt been bad, but wed like it to be better, he said. Pitching is the key in baseball, period.Saturdays loss for the Rays marked the 15th in their last 17 games as Tampa Bay still seeks to round the corner before its too late.Perhaps one of the Rays biggest problems so far is a rash of untimely injuries that have decimated their roster, especially in the outfield. Entering Sundays series finale with Detroit, Tampa Bay has 28 roster moves in 32 days. Nine players have been put on the DL in the past 50 days including four outfielders -- Kevin Kiermaier, Mikie Mahtook, Brandon Guyer and Steven Souza Jr.With all of the walking wounded and a sometimes cobbled-together roster, its no wonder the Rays are still just short of jelling as a team.Any mistake or something that works against us seems to turn into a run against us right now, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. I think the best way we overcome that is come out and do what we did against Boston and kind of create the runs ourselves. Gives the guys some breathing room.The Rays (33-47) reach the midpoint of their season on Sunday. Eric Sogard Jersey . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. Jose De Leon Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/146i-tyler-glasnow-jersey-rays.html . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Johnny Davis Rays Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Evan Longoria Rays Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. NEW YORK -- CC Sabathias fastball was hitting 94 mph. Mark Teixeira walked and scored the first run. Kevin Youkilis singled in another. The Yankees started to look a little more like the Yankees. Sabathia (5-4) matched his season high with 10 strikeouts following two months of a puzzling drop in velocity, and New York got two key bats back Friday night in a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox that stopped a season-high, five-game losing streak. "Any time you get two guys like that back to your team, its going to add something to our lineup," said Sabathia, who ended a five-start winless streak, one short of his career high. Out since injuring his right wrist March 5, Teixeira worked out a seven-pitch walk in the second inning in his first plate appearance of the season and scored on Jayson Nixs single. "Its going to take a few days, but youre knocking some rust off," Teixeira said after an 0-for-3 night. "Great first at-bat, just getting to run around the bases and score a run. That really just kind of breaks you in a little bit. You want to feel like youre helping the team out as soon as you get out there." Sidelined by a back injury since April 27, Youkilis was 1 for 4 as the designated hitter with a fifth-inning single that boosted the lead to 3-0. "Felt great. Just glad to get a win," he said. While New York still is missing shortstop Derek Jeter, regular third baseman Alex Rodriguez, left fielder Curtis Granderson and catcher Francisco Cervelli, the batting order had a different feel. The Yankees had gone three straight games without a walk for the first time in 1991. Brett Gardner walked leading off the first against Jon Lester (6-2), who issued four free passes in all. "These guys grind out at-bats," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I think their impact is big, and we need to keep them healthy." After getting swept by the Mets over four games, Girardi was fired up and got ejected in the fifth inning for arguing a forceout call against New York by second base umpire Vic Carapazza. Replays showed Carapazza made the correct call. Sabathia allowed six hits and no walks in 7 1-3 innings. Coming back from off-season elbow surgery, he entered with an average fastball velocity of 90.2 mph this season, according to fangraphs.com. That was down from 92.4 mph last year and 93.9 mph in 2011. "I havent seen any 94s until tonight, and there were a lot of 92s to 94s, where weve seen a lot of 89s to 91s,&" Girardi said.dddddddddddd Sabathia used to focus on velocity but says he doesnt any more. "When I was younger, I did, I thought that was the way I was getting guys out," he said. "But as I got older I know its more location than it is velocity." On an 86-degree night, he mixed in a slider and changeup he threw with authority and precision, helping the Yankees close within a game of first-place Boston in the AL East. "I understand why people have some cause for concern, but hes a guy that a lot of times when it warms up he gets on a roll," Girardi said. "And today was really the first hot night that hes pitched in, and it was the best stuff weve seen from him." Given a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles from Nix and Ichiro Suzuki, Sabathia improved to 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 13 starts following Yankees losses since the start of the 2012 season. He threw 73 of 109 pitches for strikes and allowed his only run on Mike Napolis RBI double in the seventh. Sabathia reached double digits strikeouts for the 17th time with the Yankees and 36th overall. He got three called strikeouts from plate umpire Lance Barksdale, who appeared to have a generous strike zone, and was backed by two double plays. There were 10 caught lookings in all, and players from both teams argued with the ump. "Any time he was in a fastball count, hed go to his breaking ball or his changeup to keep us off stride," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. Lester, who won at Yankees Stadium on opening day, lost his second straight decision. Struggling with his control -- he had 48 pitches through two innings -- he gave up four runs, six hits and a hit batter in 6 1-3 innings. He left with two on, and Gardner greeted Andrew Miller with an RBI single. David Robertson followed Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera rebounded from Tuesdays blown save at the Mets to pitch a two-hit ninth for his 19th save in 20 chances. He entered to a standing ovation. With the losing streak over, the Yankees seemed to exhale and relax. "I think it was an important game after the little stretch that weve been in," Girardi said. NOTES: The Yankees May 19 rainout against Toronto will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Aug. 20. ... New York optioned RHP Ivan Nova and LHP Vidal Nuno to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. Girardi said a position player likely would be moved off the active roster when LHP Andy Pettitte is activated Monday to start against Cleveland. ' ' '