Archive » while striking out three and walking one. Kennedy wor

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez said Wednesday hes cutting off all non-baseball talk after a wild weekend of accusations and retaliations on and off the field. Playing while he appeals a 211-game suspension for violating baseballs drug agreement and labour contract, the New York Yankees star and his fleet of lawyers and representatives sparred with the Yankees and Major League Baseball over his medical care and evidence in the doping case that stems from MLBs investigation into Biogenesis, the now-closed Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs. "I think thats behind us now. Ive shut everything down," Rodriguez said. "I want everything to be 100 per cent on baseball and thats what I want my guys to focus on." Rodriguez was not in the Yankees lineup Wednesday night, a day after playing both games of a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays. The teams will play a day game Thursday. "I felt I couldnt play him both tonight and tomorrow, its probably too much," manager Joe Girardi said. Rodriguezs change of public-relations strategy comes after a weekend in Boston that turned increasingly intense and bizarre. -- While the Yankees were playing the AL East-leading Red Sox, it was learned Rodriguez paid Florida-based attorney Susy Ribero-Ayala in February to represent Anthony Bosch, head of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic. ESPN first reported the deal. -- Rodriguezs newest lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, accused the Yankees of botching the sluggers medical care last post-season when the three-time MVP was benched and pinch hit for during a pitiful playoff performance. Rodriguez had left hip surgery in January. -- Team president Randy Levine basically dared A-Rod to file a grievance, and the slugger said his lawyers would ask the players union to do so. -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on the field in Boston that he felt "lied to" by Rodriguez regarding his medical care, and that he doesnt feel comfortable talking to one of the teams most important players because they are in "a litigious environment." -- Finally on Monday, MLB wrote to Tacopina, urging him to waive his clients confidentiality under baseballs Joint Drug Agreement so all the evidence relating to the drug case could be released. The letter was given to Tacopina on the "Today" show. Tacopina rejected the offer. "I think thats behind us now," Rodriguez said. "Out of respect to my team and my manager and my coaches we are in the middle of a pennant race. Were playing pretty well right now. We want to keep the focus on the field." Rodriguez wasnt free of controversy on the field, either. In the second inning of Sundays nationally televised game, Bostons Ryan Dempster threw three close pitches at Rodriguez before hitting him with another. Manager Joe Girardi was ejected for his outburst after Dempster was not ejected. The moment appeared to galvanize the team, and the third baseman led the charge with a long home run that kicked off a sixth inning rally. Dempster was suspended Tuesday for five games and fined $2,500. Rodriguez would not comment on the penalty. Rodriguez returned from hip surgery Aug. 5, the day he was suspended by MLB. The Yankees were swept three straight by the lowly Chicago White Sox in his first three games but have been on a tear since. Theyve won nine of 12 to creep back into the AL wild-card race -- 4 1/2 games back of the second spot. Rodriguez is batting .296 with two homers and six RBIs in 15 games. "I think if we keep doing what weve been doing the last two weeks -- I think were playing with a lot of energy, a lot of confidence, (getting) a lot of contributions from a lot of people," Rodriguez said. "I think we have an opportunity thats special and we want to put the focus on the field." Ernie Banks Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Kris Bryant Cubs Jersey . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Cole-Hamels-Kids-Jersey/ .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Andre Dawson Cubs Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Chicago Cubs Jerseys . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. The Philadelphia Phillies bats finally awakened during a nine-game road trip. Now the Phillies are hoping to solve their home hex, against a Kansas City Royals club that has had offensive woes of its own.The Phillies, limited to nine runs while dropping all six games on their last homestand, scored 57 and hit .326 while going 5-4 on their trip. They wrapped it up by winning all three games in Arizona, their first sweep in the desert in 10 years and their first series victory since May 16-18 against Miami.When we left Philly, we became a different team, Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin told reporters after Wednesdays 9-8, 10-inning victory over the Diamondbacks. Im hoping we can take this momentum and build on it.The Phillies are slashing .258/.307/.417 and averaging 4.2 runs in 42 games on the road, but their slash line is .213/.272/.336 in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, where they are scoring just 2.7 runs per game in 38 outings.Third baseman Maikel Franco is representative of the teams struggles in its own back yard. He went 10-for-34 (.294) with two homers and eight RBI on the road trip, and is slashing .296/.372/.570 with 10 homers and 28 RBI away from home this season. At home his numbers are .187/.220/.511, with three homers and 13 RBI.The Phillies will send right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (5-6, 4.23) to the mound Friday, against Royals righty Ian Kennedy (6-6, 3.96). Both are coming off victories, Hellickson having beaten San Francisco his last time out and Kennnedy having shut down Houston.ddddddddddddHellickson went six innings to snap a personal four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Giants, allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits while striking out three and walking one. Kennedy worked seven innings in a 6-1 victory over the Astros, allowing one run and three hits while striking out 11 and walking one. His strikeout total was one shy of his career high.Every time out you try to do that, Kennedy told reporters afterward. It doesnt happen every time, obviously, unless youre (Clayton) Kershaw or guys like him that just go out and punch everybody else out and go seven or eight innings every single time.Thats kind of what pitching is, make everything look like a fastball. My curveball today was better than it has been. I was staying on top of it. It was a little bit better than normal. I was just throwing fastball, curveball for the most part of the game. My slider when I needed it was down and had some good break. I threw it in some good counts.The Royals, who beat St. Louis 4-2 on Thursday, have won four of five. The defending world champions are hitting .277 as a team, the second-best average in the major leagues, but have scored just 314 runs, which ties them for 26th.That owes to the fact that they are just 16th in on-base percentage (.325) and 15th in slugging percentage (.413). ' ' '