Umfragen » rd book. Butler missed 8 of 10 3s;

MIAMI -- Racing to beat a throw from centre field with the game on the line, Giancarlo Stanton slid and reached out with his left hand to tag the plate. Home sweet home. Stanton and the surprising Miami Marlins won another thriller in their ballpark Wednesday. Stanton scored on Marcell Ozunas one-out sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, and Miami beat the New York Mets 1-0. The Marlins completed a three-game sweep, finished 8-1 on their homestand and improved to 17-5 at home, best in the majors. "We have complete confidence," said Casey McGehee, who drew a key walk during the ninth-inning rally. "There was never a doubt in my mind we were going to get that game, no matter how long it took. Thats the way its supposed to be." The Marlins have won three of their past four games with walkoffs. "They put a lot of strain on guys hearts," said Tom Koehler, who pitched eight innings to match a career high. Koehler held the opposition without a run for the second start in a row, lowering his ERA to 1.99. Steve Cishek (3-1) pitched a perfect ninth to complete a two-hitter and the Marlins sixth shutout. "Nice way to finish the homestand," manager Mike Redmond said. While no team has been better at home, the Marlins 2-10 road record is the worst in the majors. They begin an 11-game, 11-day trip Thursday in San Diego. "Weve just got to keep playing," Redmond said. "Everybody has made a huge deal of the home-road split. But this team is starting to come together. I like exactly where were at right now. I like the energy and the chemistry. I cant wait to get out there." The Mets were swept despite allowing only eight runs in the series. They batted .157, scored three runs and were shut out in the final 23 innings. "They have great young pitchers," manager Terry Collins said. "They can really pitch. You just have to really apply yourself at the plate. Were just not swinging the way you hope to." The Mets scoreless streak is their longest since July 2010 Miami couldnt muster much offence either. Stanton singled for their third hit to start the ninth against Carlos Torres (2-1). McGehee walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Stanton took third on a flyout by Garrett Jones. Kyle Farnsworth replaced Torres, and Ozuna, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, hit a fly to centre fielder Juan Lagares. His throw home was wide of the plate, and the ball skipped away from catcher Anthony Recker as Stanton scored. "The throw was a little bit more off line than wed like," Recker said. "It was one of those do-or-die plays, and I wasnt able to come up with it." Stanton quickly rose to join the mob scene gathering around Ozuna, while Redmond remained in the dugout watching the video scoreboard as a movie clip showed Mrs. Doubtfire dancing with a broom. He suggested the clip to celebrate series sweeps. "When I came here last year, I made sure she -- well, he -- whatever -- I made sure when we swept a team, Mrs. Doubtfire was up on the big board," he said. New York wasted a fine effort by Zack Wheeler, who walked five in six innings but allowed only two hits. He also went 0 for 2 with a strikeout at the plate, leaving Mets pitchers at 0 for 58 this season with 31 strikeouts. The Mets lost for the sixth time in their past seven games and went 2-6 on a three-city trip. The walkoff loss was their seventh at Marlins Park, which opened in 2012. "It has been very difficult," Wheeler said. "We havent played well this series. Its a tough road trip, but I think we have a good group of guys, and I think we can turn it around when we get back home." NOTES: Mets LHP Scott Rice was unavailable in relief because of a sore back. ... On an 85-degree afternoon, the retractable roof was closed after being open the previous two games. ... Stantons bat broke when he grounded into a double play in the sixth. The barrel flew into the stands and slammed against an empty seat, and Stanton crossed first base still holding the handle. ... The Mets play 16 of their next 19 games at home, starting Friday when Jenrry Mejia (3-0, 5.23) is scheduled to start for them against Philadelphias Roberto Hernandez (2-1, 4.50). ... The Marlins begin an 11-game trip, their longest of the season, Thursday at San Diego with Jacob Turner (0-0, 9.90) scheduled to start against the Padres Ian Kennedy (2-4, 3.43). Mark Messier Jersey . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday. Jean-Francois Jacques Jersey . Summers has seen scant playing time with the Coyotes since being selected 29th overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, having played in 47 career NHL games. http://www.officialoilersfanstore.com/au...-oilers-jersey/. Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire. Boyd Gordon Jersey . Lowry and the Raptors officially announced a four-year US$48 million dollar deal Thursday. The deal was reported last week but couldnt be made official until Thursday, when the moratorium on signings was lifted. "They were real factors. I did my homework. Grant Fuhr Jersey . A 19-game winner with the New York Yankees in both 2006 and 2007, Wang spent most of this year at Triple-A for the Yankees and Blue Jays. The 33-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 7.VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Patrick Farrell missed his first free throw, and was off on his second. With only 19 seconds left in the game, the pressure was on for Farrell to make the third. The Villanova fans stood and cheered, and his teammates were stoked, yelling from the bench at the sophomore forward that the final one would be good. Farrell practiced his motion, took a breath, released, and watched as the basketball bounced twice around the rim before it plopped through the net. The eighth-ranked Wildcats went wild, celebrating Farrells first point of the season like a game-winner, and not just the finishing touches of a 67-48 victory over Butler on Wednesday night. For a team that played about 30 minutes of basketball to forget, that moment of team bonding for the deepest of deep reserves was one to remember. "I love that," coach Jay Wright said. "Thats whats special about this team." The Wildcats (25-3, 13-2 Big East) survived one of their worst halves of the season to win for the ninth time in 10 games. They needed almost the first 10 minutes of the game to score 10 points, missed eight of their first nine 3-point attempts, and didnt have a player reach double digits in scoring until midway through the second half. "Youve got to find a way to grind against them," Wright said. "Ill take that." Darrun Hilliard and James Bell led them with only 11 points each and the Wildcats put up the kind of numbers that usually lead to a loss. Not against the lowly Bulldogs (12-16, 2-14). Butler was even worse, shooting only 26 per cent in the first half, and the Bulldogs lost their seventh straight game. The Wildcats had a small hot streak at the end of the first half, making 5 of 6 shots, to build enough of a cushion and slowly pull away. The Wildcats fell shy of their 79.9 points per game average and played for about 35 minutes looking nothing like the team that has become one of the best in the Big East. Each team took turns trading clunkers and clangers in the first 10 minutes, one reason the Wildcats only led 10-4. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs and Wildcats combined for only 26 points. And no, Bo Ryan wasnt coaching either of the teams. The Pavilion had all the atmosphere of an art museum on a sleepy Sunday morning, making this one feel mmore like a bad NBA preseason game than the final on-campus home game of the season.dddddddddddd Wright did let senior reserves Nick McMahon and Tony Chennault start -- though McMahon played only 20 seconds before he was benched for Ryan Arcidiacono. McMahon couldnt have been worse than the rest of the offence. Villanova missed 12 of its first 15 shots, most from 3-point range. The Wildcats were determined to keep shooting 3s until they fell. Bell and Arcidiacono did hit two straight near the end of the first half for a 28-15 lead. Butlers Kellen Dunham buried the shot of the game with a high banker for 3 that cut it to 34-20 at halftime. He led Butler with 12 points. Hard to believe these teams needed overtime before Villanova pulled out the win in their first matchup. "We didnt have it tonight," coach Brandon Miller said. "When you keep getting the results you dont want, it weighs on you a little bit." Bell was the lone senior regular for the Wildcats and exchanged an emotional hug with Wright after he checked out for the final time. "It was tough," Bell said. "I dont see my mom that much. My dad works a lot, doesnt really get the chance to get down that much. That was probably the toughest part, seeing my mom crying. Other than that, it was time to play." Pick a stat in the first half and both teams probably wish the number could be wiped from the record book. Butler missed 8 of 10 3s; Nova missed 12 of 16. Butler had two starters who went scoreless in the half. The Wildcats shot 38 per cent from the field. But theres a reason the Wildcats have spent most of the season in the Top 25, and they showed why in the second half, going more than 25 minutes without a turnover during a 16-3 run that stretched the lead to 24 points. Butler scored six baskets in the first half, and didnt reach seven for a second-half total until there was 1:51 left. While the Wildcats are in the hunt for a top-three seed in the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs need a shocking conference tournament championship to have any shot at returning for some March Madness. "This is a really good group to coach," Wright said. "Its been a pleasure all year. But it cant let that prevent us from driving them and them driving themselves to get better." ' ' '