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ged the Nats lineup, was present for the July series but
in Allgemein 27.04.2019 16:00von MJL456 • 2.720 Beiträge
Netballs version of the irresistible force and immovable object will clash in a potentially thrilling final round of the trans-Tasman competition.The order and identities of the top-three Australian conference teams to go into the finals series still have to be determined.First-placed NSW Swifts and defending champions Queensland Firebirds are level on points.They are separated by just four per cent with NSW holding a 29-goal superior for-and-against.The Swifts host unbeaten New Zealand conference leaders Southern Steel on Saturday.The Firebirds go a day later at home to West Coast Fever, who will need to win to claim the third and last Australian conference finals spot.They are equal on points with Melbourne Vixens, who are three per cent and 21 goals worse off going into an easier final-round fixture away to the struggling Pulse in Wellington.Pulse still have some hope of joining the Steel and the Magic as the New Zealand conference finals series contestants if they beat Vixens, as they are level on points with the Mystics and Tactix, who meet in Auckland.You couldnt have planned it any better really, could you,? Swifts defender Sharni Layton said of the final-round draw.For us, its a really exciting game coming into finals. Its going to really test us to see where were at.You want to be coming up against the best at the end of the year, because you want to see how youre going and we dont really know.Australian Diamonds defender Laytons duel with the Steels prolific Jamaican shooter Jhaniele (Jhaniele) Fowler-Reid could be a vital factor in the outcome at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre.Fowler-Reid needs only 37 goals for a competition season-record tally of 668, overhauling the 2013 mark set by Jamaican compatriot and Firebirds sharpshooter Romelda Aiken.The Steel spearhead leads the league in rebounds, while tenacious defender Layton, who is 11cm smaller, tops the competition in deflections and intercepts.Fowler-Reid has added another dimension to her game this season, according to Layton.She is arguably up there as the hardest shooter to play on, probably there with her Jamaican mate Romelda, Layton said.In previous years, what would have differentiated Romelda and Jhaniele would have been the athleticism of Romelda but, this year, Jhaniele has that as well and really developed as a player.Shes been moving more this year. Shes been taking longer shots which means shes got more confidence in herself. Ecco Shoes Ireland Online . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Cheap Ecco Shoes Ireland Free Shipping . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. http://www.eccooutletireland.com/ . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Supply Ecco Shoes Ireland . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Ecco Shoes Ireland Outlet . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Theres a ton of uncertainty surrounding this final week of the 2016 regular season. But we do know this about the playoffs: The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals will meet in the NLDS.So who will win? During the regular season, L.A. took five of six from D.C. That was then, though. Now, team reporters -- Doug Padilla (Dodgers) and Eddie Matz (Nationals) -- duke it out over what will happen when the two teams meet in October.Read each of their cases, followed by Judge David Schoenfields ruling, then cast your vote below.Padilla: Could it actually be that the Dodgers will get past the Nationals in the National League Division Series because they are the healthier team?For a Dodgers squad that has placed a record 28 players on the disabled list this season, having a health advantage over anybody is an uncommon and unexpected turn of events. But Clayton Kershaw looks to be back in form, Rich Hill is giving the club about six innings at a time and the position players are all feeling good, outside of Andre Ethier, who hasnt really been available all season.The Nationals, meanwhile, are without Stephen Strasburg. Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper, and even if they can get back for the postseason (Strasburg is unlikely to pitch in the NLDS, according to the Nats), they will be stuck rounding into form instead of being in full stride. And All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos was just lost for the year, too.The Dodgers major weakness of hitting against left-handed pitching is well known, but the Nationals might not be able to expose it. Their main left-hander, Gio Gonzalez, has a 7.45 ERA in four September starts, and opponents are batting .321 against him this month with a .457 slugging percentage. And the Dodgers have been slightly improved against lefties of late.Even without Strasburg, the Nationals right-handed duo of Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark is formidable, but the Dodgers will go to work with their lefty-swinging lineup of Chase Utley, Corey Seager, Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick and Yasmani Grandal, who is a switch-hitter but is far better from the left side. And then there is the right-handed hitting Justin Turner, whose reverse splits show that he is far more productive against right-handed pitching.And none of these potential Dodgers advantages consider the fact that the club was 5-1 against the Nationals in the regular season, going 2-1 at Nationals Park in July without Kershaw, who was injured; Hill, who was with the As at the time; and Kenta Maeda, who was not lined up for the series. Those three pitchers will pick up a bulk of the Dodgers postseason starts.Matz: If we learned anything from the 2015 NLDS between the Mets and Cubs, its that what happens in the regular season stays in the regular season.Sure, Washingtons 1-5 record against L.A. suggests the NL East champs -- whoo lost as LDS favorites in 2012 and 2014 -- are primed for yet another early exit (Wilson Ramos ACL doesnt help any).ddddddddddddBut take a closer look, and the Dodgers arent quite the kryptonite they seem.In the June series out west, Dusty Bakers club dropped all three. In the first loss, reliever Yusmeiro Petit started in place of Stephen Strasburg. The following day, Washington fell when workhorse Tanner Roark, who took a 2-0 lead into the eighth, gave up a three-run homer. The last L was about fluky as fluky gets: Shawn Kelley, subbing for injured closer Jonathan Papelbon, allowed a single that center fielder Michael Taylor turned into a walk-off Little League homer when the ball rolled under his glove.During the July series in the District, it was more of the same. Rookie starter Reynaldo Lopez, making his big league debut in place of injured hurler Joe Ross, got rocked and was hung with the loss. Although the other defeat came with Strasburg on the hill, hindsight tells us that Washingtons righty (6.15 ERA since the break) probably wasnt whole then.To recap, of Washingtons five losses to L.A., you can write off three to five of them, depending on your preferred scoring technique. Yes, Strasburg is still out, but Petit wont be the guy covering for him. Instead, itll be lefty Gio Gonzalez, who dominated the Dodgers in July, which should come as a surprise to no one considering that L.A. hits southpaws about as much as a Vegas dealer hits on 17.And I havent even mentioned Washingtons two most important players -- Max Scherzer and Trea Turner -- because neither of them faced L.A. this year. Actually, thats not true. Turner, the electric rookie who completely changed the Nats lineup, was present for the July series but hadnt yet morphed into the Trea Turner weve been marveling at over the past couple months. As for Scherzer, a Cy Young front-runner, he really and truly hasnt faced L.A. This matters because A) hes the Nats ace and B) he has been as good as any pitcher in baseball since the break. Tossing him into the mix for a start or two (if Baker decides to go the MadBum route with Scherzer) changes everything.That snoring sound you hear? Thats my case, which I hereby rest.Judge Schoenfield: As an appellate court judge, Id prefer to pass this one on to a higher court since its too close to call. But my ruling: Ill go with Padillas case.The Dodgers clear weakness is hitting left-handed pitchers -- they have a .771 OPS against righties, .631 against lefties -- and the Nationals dont have a reliable lefty in the rotation or in the bullpen. And this court believes Clayton Kershaw is finally going to have that signature postseason game (or games) weve all been waiting for. ' ' '
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