Kritik und Lob » of staff ace after the offseason

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Johnny Gray raced to his third victory of the season Sunday at the NHRA Kansas Nationals to regain the Funny Car points lead. Grey beat Robert Hight in the final round at Heartland Park Topeka for his sixth career victory, finishing in 4.067 seconds at 314.90 mph in a Dodge Avenger. Hight lost traction in his Ford Mustang. "Rob (Wendland, crew chief) gave me a great race car that ran real hard all day," said Gray, who also beat Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham and defending event winner Jack Beckman. "Sometimes you can win races on an intimidation factor and Rob had her tuned up to where she was a little intimidating today. "Robert had a great race car, too, but they just missed it a little bit. They have a great team over there. Our car went right on down through there. My guys are giving me a car I cant screw up in right now." Shawn Langdon won the Top Fuel division, and Jeg Coughlin topped the Pro Stock field. Langdon used the quickest time of the weekend to beat rival Tony Schumacher in the final for his second victory of the season. Langdon had a run of 3.750 at 324.20, and Schumacher followed at 3.781 at 327.27. All three of Langdons career victories have come in finals against seven-time world champ Schumacher. Coughlin broke a winless drought of more than two years, beating teammate Allen Johnson. In a battle of Dodge Avengers, Coughlin won in 6.680 at 206.20. Johnson finished in 6.698 at 206.57. Ecco Schuhe Schweiz Gratis Versand .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Ecco Schuhe Schweiz . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. http://www.eccoschweiz.ch/ . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Ecco Schuhe Outlet . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Ecco Schuhe Schweiz Kaufen . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. HOUSTON -- Having dropped consecutive series for the first time since early June, the Houston Astros will open a critical seven-game homestand starting Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays with an injury-ravaged roster contributing to their slump.After losing two of three at home to the New York Yankees, the Astros (55-49) were swept in Detroit, bookending a demoralizing 3-2 loss on Saturday night with two blowout losses.Houston also lost third baseman Luis Valbuena and center fielder Carlos Gomez to right hamstring strains on consecutive days and will learn of the status of utility infielder Marwin Gonzalez on Monday. Gonzalez has been sidelined by hand soreness.The Astros have lost five of six games and, after clawing to within 2 1/2 games of the Texas Rangers last week, dropped six games behind in their pursuit of the American League West pennant.The opener against Toronto could be influenced by more roster flux. Right-hander Doug Fister is slated to start but might land on the paternity list in anticipation of the birth of his first child. That situation facilitated the arrival on Sunday of right-hander Joe Musgrove (7-4, 2.74 ERA in the minors this year), who could make his major league debut.Were still in a holding pattern, Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com. This may be a photo finish for the game tomorrow. Until my phone lights up with a text or a call from (Fister), its sort of status quo.Right-hander Marcus Stroman (8-4, 4.92) will get the start for the Blue Jays. Stroman was at his best in July, finishing 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in five starts, notching 30 strikeouts agaainst four walks in 34 innings.dddddddddddd.Stroman is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA in his career against the Astros, having surrendered five runs, seven hits and one walk with one strikeout in three innings in his lone start against them.Having assumed the role of staff ace after the offseason departure of left-hander David Price, Stroman has endured an inconsistent year, one that took a positive turn in July when he posted his best numbers to date.The Blue Jays (59-46) briefly surged into first place in the AL East before dropping their series finale against the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 in 12 innings on Sunday. The loss was their first against the Orioles after a five-game series winning streak and capped a month in which Toronto finished 16-8, its best record in any month this season.Locked in a battle with the Orioles and Red Sox for the AL East title while also fending off a host of contenders, including the Astros, in the wild-card chase, the Blue Jays have been subject to countless rumors as the trading deadline nears. And while the recent additions of right-hander Joaquin Benoit and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. are likely to provide a lift, they dont preclude Toronto from doing more.To be honest with you, I dont think about it too much, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told MLB.com of the rampant trade rumors. Weve already made a couple of deals, so you never know. Everybodys rumored to be going here or going there, but you dont hear about anybody out in that room. ' ' '