Funkerstation » ; too much for just a physical presence. Ne

BOSTON -- David Price was the ace the Red Sox have expected. David Ortiz is making what hes calling his final season look historic.Price threw eight shutout innings in his best start with Boston, Ortiz entered the All-Star break with impressive numbers after hitting a two-run homer, and the Red Sox sent the Tampa Bay Rays to their sixth straight loss, 4-0 Sunday.The 40-year-old Ortiz heads to his 10th All-Star game with a .332 average and 72 RBI in what he announced last fall will be his final year. Its the most RBI ever at the break by a player 40 or older.Its probably beyond our expectations coming into his final season, Boston manager John Farrell said. Just a powerful and impressive first half.Ortiz got dressed at his locker and joked, I feel like Im 30 before reflecting on his upcoming final All-Star game.Its my last one, he said before heading out to begin his travel to San Diego. I look forward to being a part of it.The slugger has struggled with sore feet this season. He said hes looking forward to some rest before the second half.All I worry about now is coming back in one piece, he joked.Price (9-6) struck out 10, allowed four hits, walked one and hit two batters in snapping a personal two-game losing streak. Price didnt give up a hit after the third inning, retiring 17 of the last 19 batters.Coming into the break with a higher than expected ERA, the lefty said he never felt down.I was never discouraged, he said after lowering his ERA from 4.64 to 4.34. I never lost confidence in my abilities and I know my coaching and my teammates didnt either.The victory completed a three-game sweep for the Red Sox and handed Tampa Bay its 22nd loss in 25 games.Obviously not the way we wanted to go into the break, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Hopefully we can erase a little bit of whats taken place over the last 25 games.Mookie Betts had three singles and drove in a run to help the Red Sox complete their first sweep since a three-game set at home against Oakland on May 9-11.Brad Ziegler, acquired from Arizona after Friday nights games, completed the four-hitter by getting the final three outs in his Red Sox debut.Jake Odorizzi (3-5) got the loss, allowing four runs in five innings.The Ortiz one was a fastball down and possibly tailing away from him, Odorizzi said. I think he just kind of one-handed it.Price had received two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts. His teammates offered better support right away by grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first inning.Ortiz hit his homer into the Green Monster seats after Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly. Betts RBI single made it 4-0 an inning later.GLAD AND SURPRISEDZiegler wore No. 29 after the Red Sox acquired the 36-year-old from Arizona for a pair of minor leaguers.The right-hander said the last conversation he had with the Diamondbacks before the trade was the possibility of an extension.I said: `Im open to whatever. Just come back to me and let me know, he said. The next time I heard from them I was traded. Thats part of why I was caught off-guard and surprised how early it happened.MONEY MATTERSBoston receives $5.2 million from Milwaukee as part of Thursdays trade to acquire infielder Aaron Hill from Milwaukee, offsetting most of the approximately $5.6 million remaining of his $12 million salary this year. The Brewers owe $1,733,333 on July 15 and Aug. 15, and the balance on Sept. 15. ... The Red Sox are paying $50,000 to Cleveland as part of Fridays trade to acquire utilityman Michael Martinez from the Indians.AGAINTampa Bays Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch twice, bringing his season total to 20.ROUSING OVATIONSix-year-old Caroline Fahey of Newton, Massachusetts, sang the anthem flawlessly and got a huge hand from the fans and both dugouts.TRAINERS ROOMRays: Theyre still planning that CF Kevin Kiermaier (broken left hand) will return Friday.Red Sox: 1B Hanley Ramirez was out for his second straight day with a sore left shin ... Both RHP Junichi Tazawa (tightness shoulder) and utility player Brock Holt (sprained left ankle) were unavailable.UP NEXTRays: RHP Chris Archer (4-12, 4.61 ERA) is slated to start Friday when they host the Orioles and RHP Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.82).Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59) is expected to be recalled Friday and start the first of a three-game series against the Yankees in New York. Air Max 720 Sale . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Air Max 720 Outlet . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. http://www.airmax720cheap.com/ . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. Air Max 720 Cheap Online . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. Cheap Air Max 720 . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.The Toronto Maple Leafs made a bold move on the first day of free agency, committing a big-money, long-term contract to a player who provides a rare combination of goal-scoring and toughness. Numbers Game examines the Leafs signing David Clarkson. The Maple Leafs Get: RW David Clarkson. Clarkson, 29, was one of the most-coveted free agents on the market, having scored 45 goals and accruing 216 penalty minutes in 128 games over the last two seasons. Hes also had very strong puck possession stats over the last couple years too. An undrafted winger, who played for Kitchener in the Ontario Hockey League, Clarkson has fought his way into a significant NHL career, fighting 76 times in six NHL seasons (though only 13 in the last two years) and played a career-high 17:36 per game last season. Clarkson has also been durable. Aside from 2009-2010, when he missed 36 games with a broken fibula, he hasnt missed more than two games in any of his other five NHL seasons. If that durability is an indication that he might have the longevity to be productive into his mid-30s (and I have no idea if it is), that would work in the Leafs favour. In Toronto, Clarkson is getting paid to be a scorer. Sure, hell be expected to fight because that fits with the Leafs plan of attack under Carlyle, and with Clarksons track record, but at seven years and $36.75-million (a $5.25-million cap hit), Clarkson needs to be a productive offensive player. Clarkson did generate a career-best 3.75 shots on goal last season, which ranked eighth in the league, while playing primarily with Patrik Elias (and either Travis Zajac or Adam Henrique down the middle). His game isnt based on his creating chances by carrying the puck like, say, Phil Kessel, rathher Clarkson is a guy who gets his nose dirty and gets to the front of the net for his chances, so if hes going to make the most of his opportunity in Toronto, Clarkson would benefit from playing with players like Joffrey Lupul or Nazem Kadri, who handle the puck more frequently.dddddddddddd There could be real trouble if Clarkson doesnt have sufficient puckhandlers/playmakers skating with him. In the short-term, the Maple Leafs are better by adding Clarkson to their team, but the question is how long he can remain a productive offensive player. After all, Clarkson has scored more than 32 points just once in his career. The last three years or so of his contract, when hell be 33-to-35-years-old, are high risk because if Clarkson isnt scoring enough to be top-six forward at that point of his career, hell still be getting paid a premium rate; too much for just a physical presence. New Jersey, in response to losing Clarkson, signed Ryane Clowe, another forward who has toughness and offensive ability, giving the Devils have some options to round out their top six forwards. The Maple Leafs have set a certain identity under head coach Randy Carlyle and that is a physical team that will fight and score, so while Clarkson had appeal to many teams, he was obviously extra-appealing to a team that plays that style. Its hard to imagine the deal being good value in the long run, but if Clarkson is a fiery leader who scores 25 goals a season for the next four or five years, they may be able to live with a couple of years with less than ideal value at the end. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '