Omaha split their most recent series at home versus Las Vegas and went 2-4 over the week. The Storm Chasers are still in second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 21-20. They begin a four-game home series tonight against Tuscon.

NW Arkansas won just one game last week (1-6), which dropped them further back in the Texas League’s North Division (ten games back). The Naturals are the worst team in the league and finished their home series with Tulsa this afternoon with a loss. With an off day tomorrow, they head to Corpus Christi and San Antonio for three games each.

Wilmington went 3-4 last week. The Blue Rocks are 20-23 overall, four games back in the Northern Division of the Carolina League. They have today off before welcoming first place Lynchburg to town for three games beginning on Tuesday night.

Lexington went 5-2, the only Royals affiliate to have a winning record last week. However, the Legends are still in sixth place in the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League (just 3.5 games back). They return home for three games beginning tonight against Asheville.

Now to the awards…

Hitter of the Week

Majors: It is a tie between Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. Both went exactly 12-for-25 (.480) in six games. They both also hit three doubles. Butler drove in ten runs. Gordon scored five runs.

Minors: Alex Hudak, Wilmington. He went 7-for-20 (.350) with three doubles, a homerun, and four RBIs. One of the newest Blue Rocks had his five-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Irving Falu, Omaha. He went 7-for-21 (.333) with a double, two triples, and three runs scored.

Pitcher of the Week

Majors: The top two starters in the rotation, James Shields and Ervin Santana. Shields allowed two runs on six hits (two solo homeruns) and one walk over eight innings. He struck out nine, but zero run support led to a loss. The same can be said for Santana. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over seven innings. He struck out five.

Cory Hall

Minors (starter): Brooks Pounders, NW Arkansas. He won the Naturals only game last week, after pitching five scoreless innings. Overall last week, Pounders allowed two runs on nine hits and two walks in two starts (ten innings). He struck out eight.

Minors (reliever): Cory Hall, Lexington. In two appearances last week, he allowed three hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four. Those two outings helped lower his ERA to 1.17.

Honorable Mention: Cody Fassold, Wilmington. In two appearances last week, he allowed one run on four hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five and picked up the victory on Saturday night.

It’s an exciting time for this team. So many new faces and so much unknown. Even a guy like Janikowski wants to be here to see it begin to take shape.

“I think that just goes to show the type of guys that we’re bringing into the program here,” said Allen. “These guys have done a great job all the way throughout the offseason program. I think we’ve had about 98 percent attendance throughout the offseason program for the first five weeks. I think it’s important that we’re all out here, I think it’s important that we’re all getting the work and we’re doing this thing as a team.”

As I am thousands miles away and cannot cover OTAs, or any of training camp for that matter, @LeviDamien and @CorkOnTheNFL (Steve Corkran of Contra Costa Times/Bay Area News Group) are must-follows on Twitter if you’re chomping at the bit for updates. Not only do they give you a bit of play-by-play, who looks good and who is struggling, etc., but they post pictures in real-time as well.

As most of you know, Mourinho will be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season. It’s official. To be honest, I’m not surprised. The last season according to Mou, was a failure and the worst of his career. Don’t worry Papa Mou, it was harder for us to watch, believe me.

Today, president Florentino Perez issued this statement:

“After three years we both agreed this was the correct moment to finish. With Mourinho, we made a big leap competitively and sporting-wise. Today Madrid is where it ought to be. We had not reached that level prior to his arrival, so the balance of his stay here was positive.”

I can remember when he first  came to Madrid, I was thrilled beyond belief. Finally we’ll win some titles! I thought. When it was good it was brilliant and when it was bad it was heartbreaking. That’s the story of the last three years, full of joy and sorrow.

But instead of focusing on the fiery dynamic between Mourinho and players this past season or the antics he’s shown against opponents on/off the pitch or during press conferences; how about we focus on all the good things he as a manager has brought the club?

With Mou as our manager, we’ve been dealt many cards. We’ve celebrated on the streets in Madrid, we’ve shed tears and we’ve embraced each other in times of defeat.

These past three years were memorable times for Madrid. Between the years of 2003-2010, Madrid only managed to win three trophies yet in a three-year span with Mourinho, they’ve managed the same results.

We watched Real Madrid beat Barcelona numerous times which brought this club and the supporters closer together.

As Madridistas, we are born to accept everyone that has both entered and exited this club, whether it be a player or a manager. Today is no different. The show must go on!

Jose Mourinho, the special one, you will be missed. Thank you for all that you’ve done for our club in your short time with us in Madrid. Without you, your passion and determination for the game, we’ve surpassed all expectations.

I personally, wish you the best in the future and even though you’re likely heading to Chelsea, I still dream that one day you’ll grace Emirates and lead Arsenal to some silverware (it never hurts to dream, guys!)

Obrigado.

Oh and before I forget! Happy 32nd Birthday to Madrid captain, Iker Casillas. Feliz cumplé San Iker!

The irony in today’s events are making me laugh.

So far, 272 Raiders fans have RSVP’d on Facebook to this gathering that will take place tomorrow morning in Alameda County at Raiders HQ. Fans will be in attendance to tailgate and welcome Woodson once he touches down in an attempt to woo him back to the Black Hole. What was originally a harmless idea that was posted on Twitter has now blown up into a full-fledged “movement”, as the Raider Nation is calling it. It worked for when Philip Wheeler was trying to decide on where to sign last offseason, so why can’t it work now on an even bigger scale?

Although Woodson’s intentions are still unknown, all I do know is that Raider Nation would love to have the man back on the roster (or “back home”, as we’ve been saying) and we want it bad. The 36-year-old CB may not be in his prime any longer, and may have become a tad injury-prone over the last couple of years, but he would be an immense presence in the locker room. I think the consensus of the fan base is that our minds are set on him mentoring young CBs the Raiders have brought/will bring in, showing them how it’s done and learning from the best.

The support from the NFL and an ex-player has meant a lot to the Nation as well:

I truly do hope that this effort put forth by the fan base works; I’m certainly ready to dust off my #24 Woodson Raiders home jersey and I can’t wait to see a lot of fans wearing theirs at this even tomorrow morning and afternoon. Hopefully Woodson feels compelled and loved enough to make the Raiders his top priority once again.

I love the guy on the left but in regards to the one on the right…please be okay, please be okay, please be okay… (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

So how about that game yesterday? Yeah I don’t want to talk about it either. Did you know that no team in history has rallied back from consecutive 2-0 deficits? Well, there’s always a first.

Honestly I have no idea what to expect so not going to try to guess. I did think this was another series that would be tied after four. I just thought they’d split at home and on the road. Oh well. I know the Rangers motto is “the right way” but at this point I think it needs to be changed to “the hard way”.

In regards to actual news, there isn’t much of it today. The main thing everyone was worried about was Henrik Lundqvist’s shoulder, which he apparently hurt late in the third period yesterday afternoon (as if that period could get any worse for the visiting team). The good news is he practiced today and said he would be fine. The bad news is he said it was sore but he could play through it. I’m thinking that will be an issue. If for some reason he can’t go, I think we can all agree the Rangers are done (all due respect to Marty Biron who is an above average goaltender).

As for the three injured soldiers, Marc Staal and Darroll Powe again skated with the extras after practice was complete. It’s a good sign they are out skating. Now we just need to get them into an actual practice. Ryane Clowe, though, has yet to be seen. That is horrible news as his style of play is perfect for a series like this. As much as I want him on the ice, at this point I’m more worried he’s dealing with the “c” word which could mean he will be out for longer than this season (as we’ve seen too often the past few years). Get well soon boys!

**********

On a separate note, it was announced that game five would be a 5:30 game on Saturday IF NECESSARY. Look, I know the Rangers have looked bad but do we really think the Bruins are sweeping the series? The series might only go five games but I can’t see the Rangers being swept. If they are…well, then I give up. (Editors Note: Yes I know that is a formality that has to be given but the way the writers mentioned it, made it seem like they were giving the time to game seven if we were to get to that point.)

Rising sophomore guard Alexis Jones was picked for the USA U19 World Championship team. She was one of 12 players selected after four days of trials in Colorado.

Here is what Jones had to say about making the U19 team again:

“It felt really good to know that I made the team again,” commented Jones.  “We all worked hard in the tryouts to make the team. Coming out here and making the team again, I really felt good and I’m happy about making the team.  The competition was really tough. There were a lot of guards out there, there were a lot of good posts, but it was fun and exciting.”

Joining Jones on the U19 team are: Brianna Turner, A’ja Wilson, Candice Agee (Penn State), Nia Coffey (Northwestern), Bashaara Graves (Tennessee), Gabby Green, Linnea Harper (Kentucky), Kelsey Plum (Washington), and Moriah Jefferson, Breanna Stewart, and Morgan Tuck of UConn.

The team will regroup for training on July 1st in Colorado before heading to Europe from July 11-14 for a Spain-hosted event in the Canary Islands. The other teams participating include Australia, Canada, and Spain.

From there, the USA will head to Lithuania to defend their gold medal. As a member of Group D, they will play preliminary and second round games in Panevėžys. They open against Lithuania on July 18, followed by China on July 19, and Mali on July 20. The top three teams from each group advance to the second round (July 22-24). Each team will play three new teams as part of Groups E and F. Records from the preliminary round carry over to the second round. The top four teams qualify for the quarterfinals. The medal rounds begin on July 26th (quarterfinals), with the semifinals on July 27th and the gold medal game on July 28th.

Rising senior Tricia Liston was picked for the USA World University team, which has won a record eight gold medals. The team will regroup for training in Colorado Springs on June 25th.

Joining Liston on the team are:  Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Bria Hartley of UConn, Ariel Massengale (Tennessee), ReShanda Gray (California), Cassie Harberts (USC), Theresa Plaisance (LSU), Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan), Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma), Jordan Hooper (Nebraska), and Shoni Schimmel (Louisville).

The USA will be playing in Group B of the 2013 World University Games, held in Russia. They begin their games on July 8th against Belarus, followed by the Czech Republic on July 9, and finish the preliminary round against Brazil on July 10th.

The top two teams in each group advance to the medal round quarterfinals, which begin on July 12th. The semifinals take place on July 13th, with the gold medal game on July 15th.

The Series
St. Louis Cardinals (28-15) at San Diego Padres (20-23)
May 20-22
Petco Park, San Diego

How We Got Here
This is the first series of 2013 between these two teams, who split their six games last year. Each team swept their home series: the Cardinals did the honors in St. Louis last May 21-23, while San Diego returned the favor Sept. 10-12 (which caused just a little bit of angst at the time, which I remembered when looking to see what I blogged about then).

As for this season, the Cardinals travel back to the West Coast after going 7-3 on a productive home stand — they lost just one game in each series to the Rockies, Mets and Brewers. They are 13-4 in May, have the best record in the National League, keep jockeying with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the majors (they are 29-15 today) and currently lead the NL Central by 2 1/2 games over both the Pirates and Reds. All of this, of course, with the injuries that have occurred and, though now settled down, the bullpen blowups of a few weeks ago. Oh, and the roller coaster hitting.

After a 10-16 April, the Padres are 10-7 in May and inching toward .500 for the first time in 2013. They just split a four-game series with the Washington Nationals in San Diego, including a 13-4 win yesterday in which they scored seven earned runs off Dan Haren. The Padres are currently in fourth place in the NL West, 4 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in first and 3 1/2 behind the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants, who are tied for second.

The Starters
Monday, May 20
Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.40 ERA) vs. Jason Marquis (5-2, 3.49 ERA)
9:10 p.m. Central Time – Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports San Diego

Shelby Miller brings both an NL-best ERA of 1.40 and a 14 2/3 scoreless innings streak into tonight’s game at Petco Park. To state the obvious, he’s been terrific in his eight starts this seasaon and has allowed just eight earned runs in 51 1/3 innings while striking out 57 and walking 12 (not to mention the 27-straight-retired-one-hit-shutout against the Rockies). The Padres are actually a team Miller faced last year after being called up in September, plus the only team that scored off him during his six regular season appearances. He allowed two runs on four hits with two walks during three innings on Sept. 10.

As for Jason Marquis, yes, you are reading those numbers correctly (and might be just as surprised by them as I was if you haven’t been following the Padres closely). Marquis is going for his fifth straight win tonight, something he last did in 2007 with the Cubs. In addition to being 5-2 this season, he’s also 5-2 against the Cardinals for his career with a 3.80 ERA in nine games/seven starts. Last year Marquis was 6-7 for the Padres with a 4.04 ERA.

Tuesday, May 21
Adam Wainwright (5-3, 2.51 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (3-4, 5.55 ERA)
7:10 p.m. Central Time – Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports San Diego

Adam Wainwright was not at his best in his most recent start, when he allowed three earned runs (four overall) on six hits in six innings against the Mets last Thursday — the only game the Mets won of the four-game series. Just before that, however, he threw a two-hit shutout against the Rockies, his second shutout of the season. He’s had good success against San Diego during his career too, with a 1.36 and 3-2 record in five starts/eight games. He’s struck out 42 Padres in 39 2/3 career innings.

What to say about Edinson Volquez? Sometimes it’s easiest just to directly quote from the Probable Pitchers page on the Cardinals website: “The inability to throw strikes once again plagued Volquez, who walked four and gave up five runs in five innings against the Nationals. The right-hander has, however, turned the corner a bit after a dreadful start.” He’s made eight career starts against the Cardinals, going 2-4 with a 5.32 ERA.

Wednesday, May 22
Tyler Lyons (Major league debut, AAA stats: 2-1, 4.47 ERA) vs. Burch Smith (0-0, 15.63 ERA)
9:10 p.m. Central Time – Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports San Diego

It will be the battle of the kids on Wednesday night, as 25-year-old Tyler Lyons makes his major league debut and 23-year-old Burch Smith makes his third big-league start. Lyons, a ninth-round draft pick of the Cards in 2010, has a 4.47 ERA in eight starts at Memphis this season. He’s struck out 38 and walked nine in 46 1/3 innings.

Smith made his major league debut on May 11 and lasted only one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing six earned runs on five hits with two walks. Against the Nationals last Friday, he pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits and struck out eight. He definitely seems vulnerable to the home run: he’s allowed four in his 6 1/3 total innings — and three at Petco Park against the Nationals.


The Numbers

Cardinals team hitting: .266/.329/.387
Cardinals overall ERA: 3.16

Padres team hitting: .246/.317/.383
Padres overall ERA: 4.13

Cardinals team leaders
Batting average: Yadier Molina, .333
On-base percentage: Matt Carpenter, .378
Slugging percentage: Carlos Beltran, .520
Home runs: Carlos Beltran, 10
RBI: Allen Craig, 30
WAR – batting: Matt Carpenter, 1.9
Stolen bases: Yadier Molina, Daniel Descalso and Shane Robinson, 3 each
Wins: Lance Lynn, 6
ERA: Shelby Miller, 1.40
Strikeouts: Adam Wainwright, 63
Saves: Edward Mujica, 13
WAR – pitching: Shelby Miller, 2.3

Padres team leaders
Batting average: Chris Denorfia, .287
On-base percentage: Chase Headley, .397
Slugging percentage: Chase Headley, .485
Home runs: Yonder Alonso and Will Venable, 5
RBI: Yonder Alonso, 24
WAR – batting: Chris Denorfia, 1.5
Stolen bases: Everth Cabrera, 15
Wins: Jason Marquis, 5
ERA: Jason Marquis, 3.49
Strikeouts: Eric Stults, 36
Saves: Huston Street, 10
WAR – pitching: Andrew Cashner, 0.7

photo courtesy of New York Red Bulls facebook page

Tim Cahill did it again! With a late game goal, the New York Red Bulls held onto their first place in the Eastern Conference. Sunday’s early game on ESPN against the LA Galaxy was touted as a clash of two giant teams. It was a nice follow-up to the early morning Premiere League game where Arsenal held onto their place in the league. But the NY v. LA game was anything but blue skies and sunshine…

photo courtesy of New York Red Bulls facebook page

The first half had the Galaxy dominating the game and creating plenty of chances but New York’s defense was up for the challenge. Both teams were putting in the work. NY’s Juninho, Cahill and Thierry Henry worked hard at making plays happen but those chances never found their mark. Espindola tried to get a slow roll past LA’s Carlo Cudicini but it was an easy catch and both teams headed into the half still at 0-0. Don’t think that the Galaxy didn’t have a remarkable attempt from Robbie Keane with a curling free kick that was reminiscent of the now retired, David Beckham.

photo courtesy of NYRB’s facebook page

Both teams came into the second half locked and loaded to make things happen. With the rain falling, it seemed that the Galaxy couldn’t gain their footing. The 61st minute had Landon Donovan launching one from just outside the 18 but his attempt at the far post goes over the crossbar. Some great passing from New York still couldn’t get through LA’s defense. Fan favorite, Dax McCarty was brought on in the 77th minute. With the clock ticking, some were wondering if we would have the game ending nil for both teams. That would change in the stoppage time goal for the man we’ve started calling, King Cahill.

photo courtesy of NYRB’s facebook page

This is New York’s fourth game in a winning streak that had Jamison Olave being named Man of the Match. The New York Red Bulls will have another chance to pick up three points when at home when they play the Columbus Crew.

Down 11-9 in the fourth quarter with 9:29 to go, the Blue Devils scored the game’s final three goals en route to their third consecutive one goal tournament win. They also avenged their regular season loss to the Irish.

The game went back-and-forth, as there were nine ties and five lead changes. Senior captain David Lawson scored a career-high five goals, including the game winner. Jordan Wolf had four assists.

Matt Cavanaugh of Notre Dame had three goals and three assists.

The Blue Devils will head to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the semifinal matchup on Friday, May 25th at 2:30pm ET on ESPN2 against unseeded Cornell, who blew out the three seed Ohio State (16-6). If Duke wins, they will play in the finals on Memorial Day against the winner of Syracuse-Denver (the ‘Cuse are the number one team) at 1pm ET.

The Duke women’s lacrosse team lost to host Maryland on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. They lost 14-9. The Blue Devils had held the top ranked Terps to just five goals over the game’s first 25 minutes.

Kelsey Duryea matched a career-high with 15 saves. Maddy Morrissey and Molly Quirke scored three goals each.

It was Duke’s ninth consecutive trip to the quarterfinals, but they are just 6-7 in those matchups. Maryland improved to 21-0 and head to the semifinals at Villanova. They will play the fourth seed Syracuse, while North Carolina will play Northwestern.

The Sooners swept the double-elimination regional bracket, which was being held in Norman.  They beat Marist 17-0, Arkansas 10-5 and then played Arky again for the Finals of the bracket. It is the sixth time in the past seven years the Sooners have made it past the regional round.

The Sooners took the game over with a run-rule (which is an 8-run lead after the fifth). The Razorbacks played in error-filled game (36-20);  only five of the Sooners 14 runs were earned. Yikes.

They will host former conference foe, Texas A&M for a best of three series for the Supers in Norman. The first game is scheduled for Thursday at 6:00 PM CST. As of right now, the game is slated to aired on ESPN.