Six different Clippers contributed to the spurt

Detroit manager Brad Ausmus wondered aloud Friday about Michael Fulmers case for the All-Star game. Fulmer didnt make it, but his 9-2 record and 2.11 ERA certainly deserve mentioning.At that pace, hed be in the Cy Young discussion if he kept it up for a year, Ausmus said.For now, Fulmer will have to settle for being a top candidate for American League Rookie of the Year honors. In a season where not everything has gone as planned for the Tigers, hes been perhaps the biggest reason theyre still very much in the mix for a postseason spot. When Detroit acquired Fulmer last year in the deal that sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets, the Tigers were hoping he could make a significant impact, but as with many prospects, there was no way to know it would happen so quickly.We saw him in spring for the first time and we knew he had electric stuff. He just had a little command issue in spring, teammate Jordan Zimmermann said. He came up, hes been throwing strikes and now hes got a changeup to go with his fastball and slider that are both `plus pitches. Hes been dominant the whole time. Hes fun to watch.Detroits rotation has been in a tough spot of late because of Zimmermanns injury problems and Anibal Sanchezs ineffectiveness. Fulmer, however, has been outstanding since making his debut in late April. Since May 27, hes made eight starts and gone 6-1, allowing only three earned runs in 50 1/3 innings.A lot of young guys come up and theyre throwers and not really pitchers. They have the velocity but they dont really know where its going, Zimmermann said. I feel like hes got the velocity and knows where its going. Usually the control comes later in your career. It seems like hes got it.Here are a few other rookies who have impressed during the first half of the season:COREY SEAGER and KENTA MAEDA, DODGERSSeager was impressive in a shorter stint with the Dodgers last year, and the talented shortstop has lived up to expectations in 2016, hitting .299 with 17 home runs and 41 RBI heading into Fridays games.Maeda turned 28 five days after making his major league debut in April. The Dodgers signed him to an incentive-laden, eight-year contract in the hope that his success in Japan would translate to the Los Angeles rotation. Hes done just fine so far, posting a 7-6 record with a 3.07 ERA.TREVOR STORY, ROCKIESStory was quite the phenomenon when he hit seven home runs in his first six big league games back in April. Needless to say, the Colorado shortstops pace has slowed a bit, but his batting line -- .261 with 21 homers and 55 RBI -- is still pretty remarkable for a 23-year-old. A note of caution: Hes also on pace for about 200 strikeouts.Story, Seager and St. Louis Aledmys Diaz have turned this into quite a season for rookie shortstops in the National League.SEUNG HWAN OH, CARDINALSThe 33-year-old South Korea native came to St. Louis with quite a reputation -- he led the Japanese Central League in saves in 2014 and `15 and had earned the nicknames Final Boss and Stone Buddha. Hes already appeared in 43 games for the Cardinals, posting a 1.64 ERA.JUNIOR GUERRA, BREWERSGuerra bounced all over the minors and even played professionally in Italy before finally making his big league debut for the Chicago White Sox at age 30 last year. He pitched only four innings for the White Sox in 2015, and Milwaukee claimed him off waivers in October.The right-hander has come out of nowhere to go 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts for the Brewers this year.NOMAR MAZARA, RANGERSA 21-year-old outfielder playing regularly for a first-place team, Mazara is hitting .284 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI. Mazara was 16 when the Rangers signed the Dominican prospect and gave him a $5 million bonus. Hes progressed quickly enough to help Texas withstand injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton this year.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister USWNT Gear . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. USWNT Jerseys China . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Stitched USWNT Jerseys . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. USWNT Pro Shop . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. PHOENIX -- Kevin Durant scored 37 points, Stephen Curry added 28 and the Golden State Warriors held off the pesky Phoenix Suns 106-100 on Sunday.The Warriors didnt seal the victory until Currys two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play. Durant added a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to provide the final margin.T.J. Warren scored 26 points and Eric Bledsoe had 21 for the winless Suns, who took the Thunder into overtime in Oklahoma City on Friday night. Tyson Chandler grabbed 18 rebounds for Phoenix.The Suns led by as many as 13 in the first half. The Warriors finally took somewhat shaky control midway through the final quarter.THUNDER 112, LAKERS 96OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook scored 33 points as part of another triple-double to help Oklahoma City beat Los Angeles to remain unbeaten.Westbrook, coming off a 51-point triple-double against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, also had 16 assists and 12 rebounds against the Lakers. According to the Thunder, he joined Magic Johnson, Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with two triple-doubles in the first three games of a season.The Thunder have won 20 straight regular-season games when Westbrook registers a triple-double. He clinched this one, the 39th of his career, in the third quarter. He ended the game with season averages of 38.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists.Victor Oladipo added 20 points for the Thunder.DAngelo Russell and Julius Randle each scored 20 points for the Lakers.SPURS 106, HEAT 99MIAMI -- Kawhi Leonard scored 14 of his 27 points in the final 6:04, doing so with a bandage under his right eye and helping San Antonio hold off Miami to remain unbeaten.Leonard left the game with 8:29 remaining to be tended to and returned for the final 6:48.Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who wasted a 16-point first-half lead before recovering. Patty Mills added 18 for San Antonio, the first team to get to 4-0 in this young NBA season.Hassan Whiteside made his final seven shots and tied a career-high with 27 points for Miami, also grabbing 15 rebounds. Goran Dragic scored 25 points and Justise Winslow added 18 for the Heat.ROCKETS 93, MAVERICKS 92HOUSTON -- James Harden made a free throw with 0.1 seconds left, lifting Houston over Dallas in its home opener.Harden had 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He was fouled by Wesley Matthews on a driving layup at thhe buzzer with the game tied, then made the second of two free-throw attempts.ddddddddddddAfter trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter, Dallas tied it at 92 with a 3-pointer by Matthews with 4.1 seconds remaining.Matthews led Dallas with 25 points and J.J. Barea scored 18 points off the bench. In falling to the Rockets for the second time in three days, the Mavericks fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2011-12, the lockout-shortened season following their title.CLIPPERS 88, JAZZ 75LOS ANGELES -- Austin Rivers scored 19 points, Blake Griffin added 18 and Los Angeles routed Utah in its home opener.Jamal Crawford had 12 points, and DeAndre Jordan had 16 rebounds despite spraining his right thumb.George Hill led the Jazz with 18 points and reserve Dante Exum added 10. Joe Johnson, who had 29 points in his Utah debut, was held to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.The Clippers took the lead for good in the second quarter on Griffins fast-break dunk. It was part of a 22-4 run over both halves that pushed their lead to 49-35. Six different Clippers contributed to the spurt, led by Griffins seven points.GRIZZLIES 112, WIZARDS 103, OTMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Marc Gasol scored 20 points, including a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, to help Memphis beat Washington.The game was tied in regulation after Gasols 3 from 27 feet with 15.7 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 100-all. John Walls 9-foot attempt at the horn was off, sending the game to an extra period.Gasol then connected on two more 3s in overtime as Memphis opened a 112-100 advantage to seal the win.Mike Conley had 24 points and 11 assists for the Grizzlies.Wall led the Wizards with 22 points and 13 assists as all five Washington starters reached double figures.PISTONS 98, BUCKS 83AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Andre Drummond had 20 points and 23 rebounds, helping Detroit cruise.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 points for the Pistons, who scored seven straight points in the final minute of the third quarter to build a 10-point lead. Drummond reached 20 rebounds for a second consecutive game, and this was his 10th career game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.Tobias Harris scored 16 points for Detroit, and Marcus Morris and Ish Smith added 11 each. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 17. ' ' '