Paul MacLean said the team spent too much time in their own zone, a

BOSTON - The American League Championship Series, featuring the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, gets underway on Saturday night at Fenway Park. Boston is making its first appearance in the ALCS since 2008. For Detroit, its a third straight trip to the ALCS and its fourth in eight years. The Red Sox last won the World Series in 2007, sweeping Colorado. The Tigers were last victorious in 1984, losing their two most recent appearances (2006 vs. St. Louis and 2012 vs. San Francisco.) GAME ONE PREVIEW: PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez (Regular season: 14-8, 2.57, 1.154 WHIP; Playoffs: 0-1, 10.38, 2.308 WHIP) Did not face Boston in 2013. Tigers manager Jim Leyland on Sanchez: "He led the American League in earned run average. He did not have a good playoff start. I think he was probably a little rusty, as Fister was the other day, it took him a couple of innings to get going. I think hell be back in the groove now. Like I said, he led this league in earned run average. Thats pretty impressive." Toughest matchup: Few Red Sox have large enough sample sizes vs. Sanchez (Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew, who spent significant time in the National League, are the exceptions.) But, as small sample sizes go, you cant do better than David Ortiz has against Sanchez: 3-3, 2 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI. Interesting note: Sanchez, a native of Maracay, Venezuela, was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on January 3, 2001. He was traded, along with Hanley Ramirez and others, to the Florida Marlins in the deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston, on November 24, 2005. Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (Regular season: 15-8, 3.75, 1.294 WHIP; Playoffs: 1-0, 2.35, 0.783 WHIP) 2013 vs. Detroit: (2GS, 2-0, 4.26, 1.579 WHIP, 2HR in 12 2/3 innings) Toughest matchup: A number of Tigers hit Lester well, including: Torii Hunter (30 AB, .433/.469/.633, 1 HR, 3 2B, 4 RBI) Miguel Cabrera (24 AB, .526/.625/.789, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI) Victor Martinez (14 AB, .429/.500/.786, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI) Jhonny Peralta (27 AB, .296/.406/.593, 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 5 BB) Lester on the Tigers lineup: "I mean, obviously very tough lineup. Weve seen it kind of go both ways as far as them come in and score some runs. But at the same time, the games that they dont theyre still tough outs. I think thats what makes them very similar to I think our offense is. You know youre not going to have three-pitch outs. You know youre not going to have at-bats that they just give away." LINEUP CONSIDERATIONS: Slick-fielding shortstop Jose Iglesias, acquired from the Red Sox in Julys three-team deal (White Sox) that netted Boston the services of Jake Peavy, will start Game One. That means Jhonny Peralta will either start in left field (at Fenway Park - *gulp*) or be relegated to the bench. Beyond Game One, Leyland was non-committal. "At my age I go one day at a time. So Iglesias will be my shortstop (Saturday) night." Meantime, Red Sox manager John Farrell has anointed Will Middlebrooks his starting third baseman but wouldnt look beyond Saturday night. "It will be Middlebrooks (Saturday.) And then based on some matchups, weve got some things were looking at in a couple of different spots." That could mean highly-touted prospect Xander Bogaerts for Game Two or at some other point in the series. INJURY CONCERN: Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, he of the 2012 Triple Crown, has been limited offensively for about six weeks, his Thursday home run against the Athletics notwithstanding, thanks to a nagging leg injury. Cabreras September: .278/.395/.333, 1 HR. His .729 marked a significant drop month over month. His .995 OPS in April had been his lowest monthly total of the season. In the five game Division Series vs. Oakland: 5-20 (.250/.286/.400,) with his home run in the fifth game accounting for his lone extra base hit. Cabrera didnt want to discuss his injury but described the process of working through it as "day-to-day." GAME ONE PREDICTION: Boston wins 6-4. Soccer Jerseys China .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport. Fake Soccer Jerseys .com) - Devin Booker scored 19 points and top-ranked Kentucky put on a defensive clinic in an 83-44 obliteration of UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic. https://www.fakesoccerjerseys.com/ . Pironkova, who was ranked outside the top 100 despite reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2010, beat three top 10 players in Sydney, 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani, 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Kerber. Soccer Jerseys Black Friday . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Authentic Soccer Jerseys . -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best.OTTAWA -- Bobby Ryan endured pain and discomfort as he tried to help his new team find success. In the end, the Ottawa Senators wingers injury became too much to bear. Ryans season came to an end March 27 as he underwent surgery for a sports hernia that had been bothering him since November. "For me, individually, I felt like being here, new team, new situation and we were up and down as a team and werent where we needed to be as a team (so) I wanted to play," Ryan said. "I wanted to compete with the guys." Ryan had the support of the organization and his teammates to keep playing. Trainers did their best to help Ryan deal with the daily pain, but things finally came to a head. Ryan had hoped to wait until the end of the season to undergo surgery, but a collision with the boards in Dallas on March 22 forced him to shut things down. "We hoped that the Olympic break would really calm it down and it was quite the opposite that happened," Ryan said. "I came back and it was beyond what we thought I could play through, but to me it meant more to play at that point. It was whatever it was going to take. "When I fell into the wall in Dallas that was kind of the end of it." Ryan finished the season with 23 goals and 48 points since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks last July. Coming into training camp Ryan was eager to play a significant role with the Senators, and looking back the 27-year-old says hes not sure how to assess his first season in Ottawa. "I dont know if happy is the right word," Ryan said. "I think Im indifferent towards it right now. Even though Ive been doing absolutely nothing there hasnt been a whole lot of time to reflect on it. There were certainly games that Im going to remember and if we end up missing (the playoffs) by four, five, six points theres going to be games that a lot of us remember." As a whole Ryan said he cant help but feel a little frustrated by how the injury affected his performance. Ryan will be heading into the final year of his contract next season, and while he hasnt given much thought to his status he said he would be happy to stay in Ottawa. "I love it here, we (Ryan and fiancee Danielle Rhodes) love it here more importantly," said Ryan. "Its been a great change for us. When the time comes if thats the route (general manager Bryan Murray) wants to go to sit down and have conversations well certainly do that." Ryan went as far as saying that he could even see himself having a long future with Ottawa. Recovery from the surgery isnt expected to hamper Ryans off-season training. For now he is extremely limited, but will be able to start light training in tthe next couple of weeks and then should be fine to resume his regular training regimen over the summer.dddddddddddd While the rest of his teammates arent ready to call it a season just yet, the Senators slim hopes of making the playoffs suffered dramatically with Wednesdays 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders. With six games remaining the Senators are focused on finishing strong starting with Fridays game against the Montreal Canadiens. The last time the two teams met the Senators suffered a crushing overtime loss in was the first of what turned out to be a five-game losing streak, which many point to as the turning point of Ottawas season. "That was a tough game," said forward Clarke MacArthur. "We let that one get away. Thats just learning to play with confidence when you have the lead and knowing how to play when you have the lead." Games against Montreal are usually competitive, and on Friday the Senators will be looking for redemption. "You always want to play hard against them, theyre a competitive team," added MacArthur. "We wont have any trouble getting up for that one." As a group the Senators are at a loss to explain how things slipped away, but realize consistency was likely the biggest problem. "The potential that we have on our team and in our lineup is there," said defenceman Marc Methot. "We have the skill set we just couldnt seem to put it together and ultimately I think thats what killed us." Senators coach Paul MacLean said the team spent too much time in their own zone, allowed too many turnovers and took too many penalties The Senators are the second-most penalized team in the league with 404 infractions. The Flyers lead the league with 405. When asked how to change the mindset MacLean made it sound simple. "Practice is the first solution we have and the next solution I guess is different players." For now MacLean says hes focused on the next six games and says the team has to be ready for its next opponent and cant speculate on what changes might be made for next season. "We could say we can change everything, but the reality is you cant just blow everything up," said MacLean. "Weve done a lot of good work here in the last three years. It doesnt look like it right now, but weve had a lot of growth in a lot of our players and we need to recognize that." Notes: D Erik Karlsson was given a maintenance day Thursday. C Jason Spezza did not skate and will be a game day decision Friday. D Jared Cowen and LW Colin Greening are both expected to miss Friday and Saturdays game. G Craig Anderson will get the start against Montreal. ' ' '