Die Macht » So Im not sure of her status

CHICAGO -- John Danks wants to show he can be a reliable starter again. Hows this for evidence? Danks pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for his first victory in more than a year, and the Chicago White Sox won for just the second time in 12 games, beating the surging Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Saturday. "I want to be a stopper," Danks said. "I want to be a guy that goes out there and can be depended on to give us as good a chance to win as anybody." He did just that, and he got just enough support in the end. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko homered. Alex Rios drove in the go-ahead run, and the White Sox handed the Athletics just their fourth loss in 22 games. Dunn connected leading off the second to tie the score at 1-all, and it stayed that way until the White Sox scored three against the struggling Sean Doolittle (3-1) in the eighth. Alejandro De Aza led off with an infield single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Alexei Ramirez before Rios broke the tie with a single to centre. Konerko followed with a two-run drive to left. "The ball Konerko hit was pretty much off his shoetops," said Doolittle, whos allowed 10 runs in his last 3 2-3 innings. "So its kind of, today they just beat me and I have to tip my hat to them. The rally made a winner of Danks (1-2), who struck out six and walked one in his fourth start. He retired the final 21 batters he faced on the way to his first win since he beat the Cubs on May 19 last season. That also turned out to be the final start of the year for Danks, who had surgery in August to repair a capsule tear and remove debris in his rotator cuff and biceps. "This is more indicative of what you would want to see," manager Robin Ventura said. "Hes a competitor always, but with the ability to throw and have location and keep guys off balance and have a feel for the game. When youre not quite right, he doesnt have as good a feel for it as he does in the last two starts." Danks won a career-high 15 games for the White Sox in 2010 and hasnt reached that level since then. His first three starts were a bit up and down, but this was more like it. Never mind that his command of the fastball werent quite there. He had his curve working, and that was enough to lower his ERA from 5.63 to 4.13. "His velocity is climbing, it looks like, as he goes, but hes definitely pitching with less velocity than hes had when it was years ago," Konerko said. "But that can be a good thing if he pitches now and learns to do some things that he might have to do. Then if he gets back to where hes going to get to -- which Im sure he will -- now you have both weapons." Addison Reed worked a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances. It was a big improvement after giving up five runs in a non-save opportunity against Seattle on Wednesday. Tommy Milone went seven innings for Oakland, allowing one run and four hits, but did not figure in the decision. He struck out seven, walked one, and is 3-0 in his past five starts. "I was just trying to match what Danks was doing," he said. "He was going out there throwing strikes and getting us out. To end his night he retired 21 in a row that was pretty impressive. I was trying to match him and keep our team in the game." NOTES: Ventura expects to fulfil his contract and has no plans to quit if the White Sox overhaul their roster. Hes in the second season of a three-year deal, and his team entered Saturdays game last in the AL Central at 25-34. "There, for one reason or another, are whispers (that) because its going like this, Im not going to come back," he said. "Thats the farthest thing from the truth. For me, Im in it for as long as Im in it and you go from there. A situation like this, Id be ashamed to walk away just because its tough. I think thats part of being in it with these guys -- that Im here as much as they are as far as turning it around and being ready to go." ... Ventura was back managing the White Sox after missing two games to attend his daughters graduation in California. ... Tony La Russa made it clear he has no desire to return to the dugout. "I had my time," said the former Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis manager. "I have passed the baton. Now, I see how much fun it is to second guess." LaRussa was in town for a reception honouring the White Soxs 1983 AL West championship team. ... RHP A.J. Griffin (5-4, 3.67 ERA) starts for Oakland on Sunday, with LHP Hector Santiago (1-4, 3.35) going for the White Sox. Mike Timlin Blue Jays Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Ernie Whitt Jersey . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/826h-wilmer-font-jersey-blue-jays.html . PAUL, Minn. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Jersey . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Jerry Garvin Blue Jays Jersey . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies are finding new ways to win each game.It seems that a different player steps up every game. It was Napheesa Colliers turn on Sunday.Collier scored 24 points and No. 2 UConn won its 82nd consecutive game with a 72-54 victory over No. 14 Texas in the annual Jimmy V Classic.Its really hard to pinpoint or put a label on this team, Auriemma said. They just seem to do what they need to do. Thats what it appears to me right now. We dont appear to be a team that imposes their will on the other team like weve been doing the last couple years. What do we have to do today? We figure it out and just do it.Kia Nurse added 15 points for the Huskies (7-0), who are in the midst of the second-longest winning streak in womens basketball history, trailing only their 90-game run from 2008-10.Next up is top-ranked Notre Dame.Its going to be fun the next couple days preparing, Auriemma said. Thats still one of my favorite things to do, prepare for a really good team on the road. ... Sometimes more fun than the actual game. Im looking forward to seeing how as a team, what kind of look the players have these next two days. I think theyll be pretty excited. Its the first time in a while youre going in and someone else is No. 1 in the country.UConn led by nine at the half before Texas (2-4) closed to 51-49 with 3:18 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Brooke McCarty. The Huskies then scored the next 12 points, including the final six of the period to get some breathing room. Collier capped the burst with a nifty reverse layup off a rebound that made it 63-49.Texas couldnt get within single digits the rest of the way.McCarty led the Longhorns with 15 points.The Huskies trailed 17-15 after one quarter but took command in the second behind Nurse. She scored the first seven points of the quarter to give UConn a 22-17 advantage. Texas (2-4) got within 26-24 before the Huskies closed the half on a 13-6 spurt. Collier had the final seven points of that burst as UConn led 39-30 at the half.Texas lost second-leading scorer Ariel Atkins in the first quarter when she was hit in the head inadvertently.dddddddddddd She came in averaging 13.6 points and had just four in six minutes.Were not sure yet, Texas coach Karen Aston said of the extent of the injury. That was obviously a difficult loss for us. ... So Im not sure of her status.JIMMY VThis is the sixth consecutive season that the Huskies have played in the game in honor of the former N.C. State mens coach, who died of cancer. Uconn has won all six of those games. They are 8-2 overall in the game.As a coach you obviously have so much respect for the way he handled an unbelievably difficult situation, Auriemma said. I hope we get invited to play in it every year. Wed do it every year if we could.TOUGH SCHEDULINGBoth Texas and UConn have faced top opponents this season. The difference is the Longhorns have struggled, going 0-4 against Top 25 teams. They lost to Stanford, Mississippi State, South Carolina and UConn. The Huskies have beaten Florida State, Baylor, DePaul and Texas.BIG PICTURETexas: The Longhorns didnt lose their fourth game of the season until March last year. ... McCarty moved into 10th place on the schools all-time list of 3-point shooters. She has 117.UConn: The two teams have played eight times, with the Huskies winning all the meetings, including in the last two NCAA Tournaments. ... Former NFL great Donovan McNabb was at the game. Hes the uncle of Nurse. ... This was the fourth year in a row that the Huskies have played a game at Mohegan Sun. The American Athletic Conference holds its tournament at the casino.UP NEXTTexas: After facing South Carolina and UConn back-to-back, the schedule doesnt get much easier with Tennessee waiting on Dec. 11. The Longhorns do have an exam break before then.UConn: A showdown awaits with top-ranked Notre Dame on Wednesday in South Bend, Indiana. It will be the third straight ranked opponent the Huskies have faced.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg ' ' '