Sports World: 05/01/10

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

Saturday, May 1, 2010

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1:05 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Alfonso Soriano admitted to being uncertain if he is on the verge of big things offensively. A matchup against a pitcher he has fared well against may provide more clues. Soriano tries to continue his torrid hitting Saturday when the Chicago Cubs face Dan Haren and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The left fielder had gone six games without an extra-base hit before getting a double and three-run homer in Friday’s 11-5 victory for Chicago, the fourth time in 10 games the Cubs have scored eight or more runs after doing so only once in their first 14. Additionally, Soriano has grown comfortable in the No. 6 spot in the lineup, and has gone 18 for 51 in his last 16 games to more than double his average to .292. Haren has been able to tell when Soriano has been focused at the plate. He is 7 for 21 with three homers and three doubles lifetime against the right-hander, and while Soriano may not have offered an opinion on his play of late, his teammates sense a difference from last year when he batted .241.

Byrd, who had a solo homer Friday, is 7 for 13 with one double and one triple against Haren. The Diamondbacks ace, though, has a little swagger of his own heading into Wrigley Field looking to win his third consecutive start. Haren is coming off his strongest outing of the season, allowing two runs in a season-high eight innings while striking out a season-best 10 in a 5-3 win at Colorado on Monday. Haren is also 7 for 15 at the plate this year, hitting safely in his last four starts. Carlos Silva will try to prevent the Diamondbacks from climbing back to .500 as this four-game series continues. The right-hander has been effective and efficient since joining the Cubs via an offseason trade, lasting at least six innings in each of his four starts while throwing no more than 91 pitches.

Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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1:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

The Cincinnati Reds’ last game took much longer than expected. The wait was well worth it for the surging ballclub. The Reds look to extend their longest winning streak of the year to six and record their first series win at Busch Stadium in four seasons on Saturday against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. After two-out RBI singles by Jay Bruce and Jonny Gomes in the sixth inning gave Cincinnati a one-run lead, heavy storms stopped Friday’s series opener for 2 hours, 32 minutes. A diving stop and putout by former St. Louis third baseman Scott Rolen on the game’s final play capped the Reds’ fifth straight victory, 3-2. It also snapped the Cardinals’ season-high five-game winning streak and dropped them into a tie with San Diego for the NL’s best record. With a chance at their first 6-0 stretch since Sept. 20-26 and first series win at Busch since a three-game sweep from June 5-7, 2006, the Reds will give the ball to Homer Bailey. The right-hander did not receive a decision in his last outing, Sunday’s 5-4 victory over San Diego.

Bailey was 0-3 with a 9.82 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals before throwing seven innings of one-run ball in a 7-2 victory over St. Louis on Sept. 29.Trying to avoid their first series loss at home this year, the Cardinals counter with Kyle Lohse. Although the veteran right-hander has by far the worst ERA among St. Louis’ starters, and opponents are hitting .306 against him, Lohse was satisfied with his effort in Monday’s 4-3 victory over Atlanta.He not get a decision, but he retired the last seven batters he faced after giving up three runs and seven hits. He is 2-3 with a 4.96 ERA in six starts against Cincinnati.Bruce, who is 2 for 9 with a homer lifetime versus Lohse, is batting .526 with a home run and four RBIs during the Reds’ winning streak after getting three hits and two RBIs Friday.

Chicago White Sox vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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1:05 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Derek Jeter helped the New York Yankees end April on a high note, even drawing praise from Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Jeter will have another chance to pad his stats against the White Sox on Saturday when the teams continue a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. New York went 15-7 during April, capped by a 6-4 win over the White Sox on Friday. Last year, the Yankees went 12-10 in April en route to winning their 27th World Series title. New York was forced to rally from an early 3-0 deficit Friday after Paul Konerko hit his major league-leading 11th home run in April, setting a White Sox record. Jeter tied the game at 4 in the fifth with a two-run homer, and added a two-run tiebreaking triple in the seventh. Over his last three games, Jeter is batting .538 with six RBIs after going 0 for 9 in the previous two contests.

Jeter has been a big part in helping New York dominate Guillen’s team over the last few seasons. He’s batting .436 in a nine-game hitting streak against the White Sox, and New York has won six straight and 12 of 14 at home versus Chicago. The White Sox closed April by losing three of four to finish with its worst opening-month record since 2001 when they went 8-15. Chicago hopes to start turning things around in May by sending John Danks to the mound. Danks has been one of the rare bright spots on a struggling rotation, which has a 5.22 ERA. He’s given up five earned runs over 29 innings in his first four starts, and allowed two runs in eight innings of a 3-2 win over Seattle on Sunday. The left-hander is 2-1 against the Yankees, but has a 6.06 ERA in those outings which includes a start in New York in 2007.

Houston Astros vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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3:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Now that their longest losing streak in almost four years has ended, the Atlanta Braves can focus on extending the Houston Astros’ latest skid. The Braves look to build off their first victory in more than a week Saturday while trying to send the visiting Astros to their fifth straight defeat. Rookie Jason Heyward hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer and Atlanta held Houston to four hits in a 4-2 victory Friday. The victory snapped the Braves’ nine-game losing streak, the team’s longest since dropping 10 in a row from June 11-22, 2006. Houston, meanwhile, has dropped four in a row for its second extended skid after opening the season with eight consecutive losses. The Astros may be without slugger Lance Berkman, who remains uncertain for this contest after he missed Friday’s game with a groin injury. Berkman, who missed the first 12 games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, is batting .242 with two homers in nine games. Despite Friday’s victory, Atlanta has scored 29 runs and hit .211 while losing 10 of 13.

After enduring a 1-for-20 stretch, Heyward has homered in two straight games to give him six this season. Nate McLouth, meanwhile, is batting .175 for Atlanta, but homered as part of his first multi-hit game of the season Friday. He is 8 for 18 with four home runs in his last five games against the Astros. After Tommy Hanson went eight strong innings in the opener, the Braves hope Tim Hudson can continue his success against Houston when he takes the ball in this contest. Hudson, who has recovered nicely from Tommy John surgery that limited him to seven starts in 2009, is 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in four career starts versus the Astros. In his last start, the right-hander gave up three runs in six innings and didn’t get a decision in a 4-3 loss at St. Louis on Monday.

Oakland Athletics vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

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1:07 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Alex Gonzalez and Vernon Wells are big reasons why the Toronto Blue Jays are entering May at .500. The duo will now try to help the Blue Jays continue their dominance of the struggling Oakland Athletics on Saturday. Toronto capped the opening month of the season by winning the first two of this four-game series, powered by two homers and four RBIs from Gonzalez and a two-run shot from Wells in Friday’s 10-2 win over Oakland. Gonzalez’s production has been a surprise. A career .248 hitter, he has seven homers to set a team record for the most by a shortstop in April. Wells is also looking to continue his hot hitting in May. The center fielder is among the major league leaders with eight home runs and his .337 average is tops on the Blue Jays. Toronto leads the majors with 35 homers and 101 extra-base hits.

The Blue Jays will give the ball to Dana Eveland, who will get his first start against the A’s in an effort to rebound from his worst performance of the season. The left-hander, who spent the last two years with Oakland, was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in three innings while not getting a decision in a 13-12 loss to Boston on Monday. He had been 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his three prior outings. Eveland will face an Oakland lineup that is hitting .222 while getting outscored 41-16 during a six-game road losing streak. The Blue Jays have dominated the A’s, winning 14 of 17, including eight of nine at Rogers Centre. The A’s are having major difficulty with runners in scoring position, batting .167 with one homer. They’re 3 for 19 in this series. They haven’t endured a road losing streak of this length since dropping eight in a row July 23-Aug. 7, 2008. Gio Gonzalez will try to snap the skid by building on his best outing of the year.

New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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3:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

The New York Mets were seen as a possible destination for Roy Halladay last winter. Instead, the Philadelphia Phillies surprisingly landed the ace, leaving the Mets searching for a No. 2 starter. Mike Pelfrey is filling that void in nearly flawless fashion. Pelfrey looks to win a fifth consecutive start Saturday when he takes the mound opposite Halladay in the middle game of this series between NL East rivals. The Mets were considered a potential suitor to land Halladay in a deal with Toronto during the offseason. However, it was the Phillies who acquired the six-time All-Star in a three-team trade. New York also failed to sign another starter via free agency in an effort to provide depth to the rotation behind ace Johan Santana.

Pelfrey has stepped into that role with perhaps the best stretch of his career. The right-hander has thrown 24 consecutive scoreless innings over his first five games, including a relief outing that resulted in his first career save in a 2-1, 20-inning win at St. Louis on April 17. His streak is seven innings shy of the Mets’ record set by Dwight Gooden from Aug. 31-Sept. 21, 1985. It’s also the longest for the club since John Maine pitched 26 straight scoreless innings July 15-Aug. 12, 2006. Pelfrey, the major-league ERA leader, labored through 106 pitches with a season-high five walks in five innings Sunday, but still came through by scattering five hits in a 1-0 rain-shortened win over Atlanta. Pelfrey went 3-0 with a 5.34 ERA in five starts against the Phillies last season. He’ll try to extend that winning streak by helping the Mets stretch their own to nine after a 9-1 victory in Friday’s series opener. The streak is New York’s longest since a 10-game run in July 2008.

Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

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3:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Although he didn’t earn a win, Cliff Lee lived up to expectations in his first start for the Seattle Mariners. With how Felix Hernandez has fared over the first month, the two may make the top of the Mariners rotation just as dangerous as envisioned, provided the offense does its part. Hernandez takes the mound for Seattle on Saturday as it continues a three-game series against the Texas Rangers.The Mariners are trying to bounce back after they lost the series opener 2-0 in 12 innings Friday. Lee, who was traded to Seattle in the offseason but has spent the last few weeks recovering from a strained abdomen, gave up three hits while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings in his 2010 debut. Lee’s effort, though, was matched by Colby Lewis, who struck out 10 in nine innings. The game was scoreless despite Seattle loading the bases in the 10th and 11th innings until Elvis Andrus scored on a wild pitch in the 12th, leading Texas to its sixth win in nine games.

Ian Kinsler went 1 for 5 with two strikeouts in his season debut after being sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Seattle, which has lost five of seven, was 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and is hitting .220 overall the last seven games. Hernandez also didn’t receive much support in his last outing. Hernandez, a 19-game winner last season, is off to another strong start. He pitched well against Kansas City on Monday, giving up three runs and striking out seven in seven innings, but Seattle lost 3-1. The right-hander was coming off a complete game against Baltimore in his previous outing. He’s pitched 18 consecutive quality starts.

Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants Live Streaming

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4:05 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Matt Cain hasn’t won a game in his first four starts. If he fails to pitch better and get more run support from his teammates, he could be waiting even longer.Cain goes for his first victory at home against the Colorado Rockies in two seasons on Saturday, when the Giants look to win their fourth straight series at AT&T Park in this NL West matchup. Cain is winless this far into the season for the first time since opening 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in his first five starts in 2008. Having one of the NL’s lowest run-support averages hasn’t helped.Although the Giants went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and suffered their second shutout loss of the season in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to St. Louis, Cain was not pointing fingers at his teammates. Cain was 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA in his first seven home starts against Colorado (11-12), but he is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in last four starts at AT&T Park in this matchup. His last victory versus the Rockies at home ended that early 2008 winless skid.

If he can match Barry Zito’s effort from Friday’s 5-2 series-opening victory, Cain could help San Francisco win its third straight series. Zito pitched eight innings of two-run ball and the Giants improved to 5-2 on their homestand. Tracy hasn’t been able to say that about his starters the last two games. After Greg Smith lasted just one inning in Wednesday’s 12-11, 10-inning loss to Arizona, right-hander Aaron Cook was tagged for five runs in six innings Friday.Esmil Rogers will try to give the Rockies’ bullpen a break. He is expected to be called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take the place of Jorge De La Rosa, who was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a torn flexor tendon band in his middle finger. Since being sent down April 16, Rogers has made two solid starts for the Sky Sox. He allowed one run in five innings against Reno in his most recent start Sunday.

Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Streaming

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6:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

As the first overall selection in the 2007 draft, David Price has dealt with lofty expectations throughout his brief major league career. If that was an issue during an inconsistent 2009 for the left-hander, it certainly doesn’t appear to be a problem now. Price looks to build off the best performance of his career and help the Tampa Bay Rays rebound from a rare loss Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals. After making five appearances in 2008, Price showed flashes of his enormous potential last year and won 10 games despite a 4.42 ERA. Outstanding in his first two starts this season, Price lasted only five-plus innings in a 4-1 loss to the White Sox on April 20. He returned to form in a big way Sunday, throwing a four-hitter in a 6-0 win over Toronto for his first complete game. He struck out nine and walked one while throwing 108 pitches.

The win improved Price to 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 15 career appearances at Tropicana Field, where he threw seven strong innings in an 8-2 victory over the Royals on July 31. Tampa Bay received another strong performance from a starter Friday night when Jeff Niemann allowed one run in 7 1-3 innings, but the offense was limited to four hits in a 3-2 loss, snapping the Rays’ five-game win streak. Even Longoria homered and drove in both runs as Tampa Bay lost for only the third time in 17 games and ended April 17-6. After reaching the World Series in 2008, Tampa Bay went 9-14 in April last season and missed the playoffs.

Washington Nationals vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

After achieving some rare success in April, the Washington Nationals hope to carry over their strong play into May. The visiting Nationals look to open the new month with a season-high fourth consecutive victory as they try to hand the Florida Marlins a fourth straight loss Saturday night. Ryan Zimmerman homered twice as Washington concluded April with a 7-1 win at Florida on Friday. The Nationals, who’ve recorded their first winning month since going 15-12 in September 2007, are off to the club’s best mark through 23 games of any season. Washington’s last winning April came in 2005, when it finished 13-11. Washington, 3-1 on a six-game road swing, last won four straight away from home when it swept a four-game series at Atlanta to close out last season.

The Nationals have won five of seven, mostly while Zimmerman was relegated to pinch-hitting duties during that stretch because of a hamstring injury. The All-Star third baseman recorded his fifth career multihomer game Friday in his first start since April 21. Zimmerman is 4 for 8 with a homer against Marlins scheduled starter Chris Volstad. After Washington tagged Ricky Nolasco for five runs in four innings during the series opener, the Marlins hope Volstad can help them end their losing skid and bounce back from his last start. The right-hander, 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA in four starts against Washington, gave up seven runs in 4 1-3 innings of an 8-4 loss at Colorado on Sunday. Looking another strong start, Craig Stammen takes the ball for the Nationals. After lasting 6 1-3 innings in his first two starts of 2010, Stammen has gone a combined 15 in his last two. He gave up three runs in seven innings of a 4-3, 13-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

A key reason for Boston’s early underachievement has been the struggles of its starting pitchers. The Red Sox hope the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka can help them improve in that area. The right-hander is expected to make his season debut Saturday night when the Red Sox continue their road series with the Baltimore Orioles. An 18-game winner in 2008, Matsuzaka was limited to 12 starts last season mostly because of a shoulder strain. He finished 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA, and was looking for good things in 2010 before he was placed on the disabled list with a neck strain April 3. Matsuzaka, who threw a strong 69-pitch simulated game Monday, appears ready to return after he went 2-0 with a 1.63 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Pawtucket. Matsuzaka, meanwhile, also is eager to return because he felt his absence was a distraction to the staff and rest of the team. Boston’s starting pitchers rank near the bottom of the AL with a 4.86 ERA.

He’s been effective for the most part against Baltimore, going 3-1 with a 4.78 ERA in six starts. The Red Sox hope Matsuzaka can help them bounce back after their three-game winning streak was snapped with a 5-4, 10-inning loss at Baltimore on Friday. Though Orioles pitchers issued 10 walks, Boston couldn’t take advantage by stranding 11 runners to secure their first losing April since 1996. J.D. Drew hit two solo homers and Dustin Pedroia added his sixth home run of the season for the Red Sox. Though Drew is batting .197 on the season, he’s 8 for 20 with three homers in his last five games against the Orioles. Miguel Tejada had three hits Friday, including a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning and winning two-out single in the 10th as Baltimore ended a seven-game home skid to Boston.

Milwaukee Brewers vs San Diego Padres Live Streaming

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8:35 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Outstanding pitching is a key reason why San Diego enters May tied for the best record in the NL. The punchless Milwaukee Brewers are becoming quite familiar with the Padres’ superb pitching. On Saturday night, San Diego looks to get the month off to a strong start by continuing their home dominance of the Brewers. The Padres won 12 of 14 to close out April tied with St. Louis for the best record in the NL. They’re also beginning May as the West leaders for the first time since 1998 when they went on to win the pennant before losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series. San Diego’s surge has been spurred by the staff, which has posted a 2.23 ERA with 121 strikeouts and 42 walks in 125 innings while holding opponents to .229 batting average. Clayton Richard and three relievers combined for a six-hitter in Friday’s 3-0 win over Milwaukee. That came after Wade LeBlanc and Tim Stauffer limited the Brewers to nine hits in a 9-0 series-opening win Thursday.

San Diego leads the majors with five shutouts, and is in position to put together three in a row for the first time since April 23-26, 1988. The Brewers might be the ideal opponent if the Padres are going to match that feat. Milwaukee has lost seven of eight, and owns a .220 batting average while being outscored 25-8 during a four-game slide. The Padres have won 14 of 19 meetings with the Brewers at Petco Park, but will give the ball to Mat Latos, who will get his first start against Milwaukee in the hopes he can rebound from his worst outing of the season.The right-hander was tagged for seven runs and seven hits while walking three in 2 2-3 innings of a 10-1 loss at Florida on Monday. That performance came after he allowed seven runs with three walks in 17 2-3 innings over his previous three outings.

Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

The Minnesota Twins said there is no reason for fans to be worried about the health of 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau. The star first baseman may have made the more effective statement with regards to his status in his first at-bat in three days. Morneau and the Twins continue a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night, looking to win for the fourth time in five meetings this season. Minnesota lost both games this week it played without Morneau, who was sidelined with a stiff back. He returned in Friday’s 9-3 win over Cleveland, hitting a two-run homer in his first at-bat. Although Morneau, who is batting .462 against the Indians this season, missed the final 20 games of last season and the playoffs because of a back injury, the Twins said it’s unrelated to the previous issue. He was hitting .368 in his first 19 games before going 0 for 3 against Detroit on Tuesday.

Morneau’s return helped Minnesota avoid a three-game losing streak, but he had plenty of help. The bullpen pitched four scoreless innings and Joe Mauer had two hits and drove in a run. Friday’s loss was Cleveland’s fourth in the last five games and seventh in 10. The Indians trailed 6-0 before scoring three runs in the fifth, as the slumping Grady Sizemore improved his average to .205 after recording two hits and driving in a run. Cleveland’s rotation has been the bigger problem lately, going 1-3 with a 7.16 ERA in the last five games. Justin Masterson will try to reverse that trend, although he is looking for his first win since Aug. 20. He’s lost nine consecutive decisions and the Indians have lost 10 of those 11 starts. Masterson has pitched four innings in each of his last two outings. He gave up seven runs and eight hits in an 11-0 loss at Oakland on Sunday, throwing 96 pitches.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

The Los Angeles Dodgers hope a strong finish to a dismal April can lead to further success in May. With their longest losing streak of the season behind them, the Dodgers will try to win back-to-back games for only the third time this year on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Los Angeles snapped a five-game slide with a 6-2 win over the Pirates on Friday. Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and James Loney added a three-run shot in the third - his first of 2010. Craig Billingsley pitched six solid innings, and three relievers limited the Pirates to one hit the rest of the way. With Manny Ramirez on the disabled list, and Matt Kemp still not showing the consistent power that helped him set career highs with 26 homers and 101 RBIs last season, the Dodgers will need Ethier to continue his early-season flourish.

Friday’s homer was Ethier’s sixth and first at home since hitting two in a win over rival San Francisco on April 16. He has reached safely in seven of eight games at Dodger Stadium, where he’s batting .394. Kemp, who didn’t appear to be bothered after being called out by general manager Ned Colletti in a radio interview earlier in the week, went 0 for 4 with a season-high three strikeouts to lower his average to .278.Recent success in May, though, is nothing new for Los Angeles. Last year, the Dodgers opened the month with six straight wins, and in 2008 they went 5-1. Los Angeles won the NL West both years, but currently is in last place, six games behind San Diego. Ryan Doumit and Andrew McCutchen combined for five of Pittsburgh’s seven hits Friday. The Pirates had won three in a row. Doumit, who had three hits, is batting .471 with two homers and eight RBIs in a 10-game hitting streak. Zach Duke looks to avoid dropping his third straight start for Pittsburgh.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

LeBron James’ famed right elbow won’t be the only one drawing attention.Bitter enemies, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are about to exchange elbows, shoves, insults and baskets in the NBA playoffs. This reunion won’t be peaceful. For the second time in three years, the Cavaliers and Celtics will meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals, renewing a sweltering rivalry that has grown with intensity and will be ratcheted up to a new extreme when the clubs open the best-of-seven series on Saturday beneath a fire-spewing scoreboard inside Quicken Loans Arena. The Celtics and Cavs, who played a knock-down-drag-out series won by Boston in seven games two years ago, have been pummeling each other for some time.

A few years back, Pierce spit in the direction of Cleveland’s bench during an exhibition game. Last October, the teams got into a minor fracas during a preseason game in Columbus, Ohio, when Mo Williams retaliated with an elbow after being flung to the floor by Celtics forward Shelden Williams, who just happens to be the brother-in-law of Cleveland forward Anthony Parker. Even James’ mom, Gloria, once got into it with Pierce, screaming at him after he wrapped up her baby boy on a breakaway dunk during the 2008 playoffs. Tempers flared during the team’s previous meeting on April 4. Down by 22 points in the third quarter, the Cavaliers stormed back before losing 117-113 in a game that featured six technical fouls, the ejection of Cavs coach Mike Brown and some animated, R-rated trash talk between James and Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Tony Allen.

Philadelphia Flyers vs Boston Bruins Live Streaming

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12:30 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

The last time the Philadelphia Flyers met the Boston Bruins in the playoffs, it was a matchup between two physical teams—the Broad Street Bullies vs. the Big Bad Bruins.Now, 32 years later, both sides expect another hard-hitting series when their Eastern Conference semifinal starts Saturday. The team that does a better job of checking hard but staying out of the penalty box could have an edge. It all comes down to being disciplined. But if fisticuffs erupt, they could help. The teams last met in the playoffs in the 1978 Stanley Cup semifinals. Boston won the best-of-seven series 4-1, then fell to Montreal in the finals. That Bruins team had four players with at least 116 penalty minutes in the regular season. The Flyers had five with at least 119 each.

This season, Philadelphia had four players with at least 126 minutes, while the Bruins had just one with more than 100—Shawn Thornton’s 141—but hit hard during their first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. It also will be a series of contrasting goaltenders. Boston’s Tuukka Rask is a 23-year-old playoff rookie. Philadelphia’s Brian Boucher is a 33-year-old journeyman who played in just 33 games this season and had a 9-18 record. But both have been outstanding in the playoffs with Boucher leading the NHL with a 1.59 goals-against average. The Bruins have had a four-day break. The Flyers will have had eight days between games and could be rusty. Boston also had eight days off before the second round last year and several players said they lost their playoff rhythm. They won the opener against Carolina but lost the next three games and dropped the series in seven.

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EDT Sat May 1, 2010

Henrik Sedin is an inch taller and one pound heavier than his twin brother, Daniel. It’s a difference that will be barely noticeable when they take the ice for the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference semifinals. What the Chicago Blackhawks see are two potent scorers and passers, the catalysts of a high-scoring top line they must control in this playoff rematch from a year ago. The Sedins have a feel for the game and for each other that comes naturally. Now they’ll try and help the Canucks reverse that tough, six-game loss last year when the teams—bitter rivals—open the series Saturday night at the United Center. Henrik said he and his brother, who are 29, begin playing when there were about 5 in their native Sweden. They were on different lines for five or six years and then were put together at age 13. They joined the Canucks for the 2000-01 season and signed matching five-year, $30.5 million contract extensions last summer.

The Canucks scored a Western Conference-best 272 goals. Henrik Sedin finished with 112 points, including 83 assists. Daniel matched his brother’s goal output with 29 and had 56 assists in only 63 games after missing 18 games with a broken foot. One lineup change made a major difference in the Canucks’ first-round series win over the Los Angeles Kings. Mikael Samulesson replaced Alex Burrows on the first line with the Sedins during Game 4 and ended up with 11 points in the series, including seven goals. Daniel has 10 points and Henrik finished with eight in the six games. Samuelsson, who missed practice Thursday, was back on the ice Friday and ready to go.When the Blackhawks beat the Canucks a year ago in the semifinals, Henrik finished with three goals and three assists, while Daniel had two goals and three assists.

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