though she and Madison made a great team. Mad

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers cant explain exactly what happened when they went to Boston in late July.They dont want to think too much about it and ruin the magic.Starting with a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Tigers have won nine of their last 10 games. On Friday night, they beat the New York Mets 4-3 to move within two games of first-place Cleveland in the American League Central.I hope people are excited about this team, because were playing really good baseball, and having a lot of fun, said Ian Kinsler, who manufactured a key first-inning run. We want everyone to join us -- theres a lot of room on the bandwagon.Tigers ace Justin Verlander was the star once again, holding the Mets to four hits in six innings. Since July 1, he is 5-0 in seven starts with a 1.85 ERA.Obviously, being in the race adds some excitement, Verlander said. Obviously, everyone knows where we are at, and weve been around long enough that were doing some scoreboard watching, but it all comes down to how we finish.Verlander (12-6) allowed only two runs and struck out nine, but the Mets ran his pitch count up to 103 to force him out of the game. Three relievers finished, with Francisco Rodriguez pitching the ninth for his 31st save.James Loney drove in a ninth-inning run with a groundout, and Rodriguez retired Kelly Johnson to end the game. Johnson homered in the fourth for the Mets, who are now two games out of the second National League wild-card spot.We had some chances, but that guy on the mound for the Tigers is awfully good, Mets manager Terry Collins said. Verlanders one of those guys that can get himself out of just about any jam, so you have to get him fast.Noah Syndergaard (9-6) also ran into pitch-count trouble, needing 112 to get through his six innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out seven.Im trying to be too fine with my pitches instead of just trusting my stuff and letting it go, he said. I know I have the stuff to go out there and be dominant, but Ive got to let myself do it.The Tigers took advantage of Syndergaards weakness holding runners in the first. Ian Kinsler led off with a single, stole second and third and scored on Miguel Cabreras groundout. Opponents are 32 of 36 on steal attempts in Syndergaards 22 starts this season.We had an idea about running today, but you cant do anything until Ian gets himself on first base, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. He got on base and got himself to third, so while Miggy gets the RBI, Kins basically created that run.Verlander was cruising until he walked Jay Bruce on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth. He retired Loney for the second out of the inning, but Johnson hit his second homer in two nights to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.Martinez got the lead back in the bottom of the inning, lining Syndergaards changeup deep into the right-field stands for a two-run homer. James McCann added an RBI single in the inning to make it 4-2.After we got the lead, I went out to the mound telling myself that, no matter what, I couldnt blow it, Syndergaard said. Well, thats like telling someone not to think about a pink elephant. I think every major mistake I made tonight was in that inning.TRAINERS ROOMMets: OF Yoenis Cespedes (quadriceps) is on the disabled list, costing him his first visit back to Detroit since he was traded at last years deadline. Cespedes was popular with Tigers fans.Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermanns MRI showed no damage to the lat muscle that bothered him in Thursdays poor start. Zimmermann will throw a bullpen session on Sunday before the Tigers decide if he will make his next start. .... CF Cameron Maybin sat out his second straight game with a bruised thumb.INTERLEAGUE STARSThe Mets have the best interleague record (.518) of any National League team since games began in 1996, but the Tigers are significantly better at .546. Since 2006, the Tigers are second in the majors at .620 (124-76).UP NEXTThe teams play the second game in their weekend series Saturday evening, with Matt Boyd (2-2, 4.71) facing New Yorks Logan Verrett (3-6, 4.20). Boyd will be making his first interleague start, while Verrett made his first on Monday, getting a no-decision against the Yankees. Cheap Air Max 2019 . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Fake Air Max 95 . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.airmaxsneakersonsale.com/ . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Cheap Air Max Bw . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. Cheap Air Max 200 Mens . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Vanderbilt womens basketball recruit Autumn Newby is a tower of strength and skill at 6 feet, 2 inches. But there was a time when being small saved her life.Autumn, the youngest of three siblings, was just 6 years old when she, her sister, Madison, her brother, Jaylen, and some other kids were playing in the Newby familys backyard in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Autumn was sitting in a tire swing that hung from a large oak tree while other kids climbed the branches.Suddenly, there was a sickening thud ... and screams.The tree had broken apart, and a large chunk of it came hurtling toward little Autumn.This was not a small tree, and it was decaying, said her mother, Peaches. Fortunately, Autumn was inside the tire. The tree fell on the tire and not on her.It took three men -- Autumns father and uncles -- to free Autumn, who was rushed to a hospital and was fine other than a scratch on her face.It was like a miracle, Autumn said. When the tree snapped, all the kids jumped off. But I couldnt move because I was inside the tire. That tree could have crushed my entire body.Peaches said her daughter was blessed that day ... and every day since.Things could have gone a different way, Peaches said. But Im a person of faith, and I believe there is a special plan for Autumn. I believe she will be a special person, and she will be able to tell her kids that story one day.Autumn is turning her mother into a prophet.She has earned straight As throughout high school and plans on becoming a pediatrician. On the court, Newby is one of the stars for Archer High (Lawrenceville, Georgia), and she is the No. 28 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100 for the 2017 class.Newby, who averaged 13.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals last season as a junior, burst onto the Georgia high school basketball scene as a freshman, helping Archer reach the Class 6A state final.But despite her excellent play, Archer has gone backward the past two seasons in terms of playoff runs, losing in the state semifinals her sophomore year and in the round of 16 last season. All three years, Archer was eliminated by eventual state champion McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia).This season, Archer has a new coach, Bob Westbrook, who led Etowah (Woodstock, Georgia) to the Class 4A state title in 2005.Westbrook said the presence of Newby played into the equation when he decided to go for the opening at Archer. But it was more than that, Westbrook said.They only lost one player from a team that won 25 games last season, Westbrook said.As for Newby, Westbrook saaid it hasnt taken long for her to live up to the hype.ddddddddddddAnd, keep in mind, practice just started on Monday.Autumn is just so fluid, Westbrook said. She does things effortlessly that usually require a great deal of effort. She still needs work on her mid-range jumper, although she has made tremendous strides there, and her ballhandling.Amy Krach, a fourth-year assistant coach at Archer and a former college assistant at Georgia Southern, said she is not surprised by what Newby has accomplished.She had good footwork, a good motor and good floor sense, Krach said when asked about her first impression of Newby as a freshman. I knew right away she was going to be a big-time player.Its interesting to note that Newby got a rather late start in organized basketball. She didnt play in her first league until she was 9, and she didnt join an AAU team until seventh grade. But theres no denying there is athleticism in the family. Former NFL safety Ryan Clark, who won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is Autumns cousin on her mothers side.Newbys sister, Madison, is a 5-8 sophomore guard at Georgia State. She was the Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year in 2015-16, averaging 8.6 points and leading the league in assists (5.0).Autumn, though, is taller than anyone in her family -- her dad is 5-11 and her mom is 5-7 -- and shes probably more talented, too, although she and Madison made a great team. Madison and Autumn combined on those two Archer runs to the Georgia final four in 2014 and 2015.But with Madison off to Georgia State, it was Autumns turn to look for her future school. Early on, she had been visited by coaches from Georgia, LSU, Penn State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Florida State, Duke and Stanford.But then things changed. Stephanie White, who took the Indiana Fever to the WNBA Finals in 2015, was hired as Vanderbilts coach on May 24. By early June, Newby had been contacted by Vanderbilt, which had not previously recruited her. And by August, Newby had committed to Vanderbilt.[White] wants athletic players who can get up and down the court, Newby said. Thats why she recruited me, and it was a great fit for me.Vanderbilt combines great basketball with great academics. With [White] being a [former] WNBA coach, she and her amazing coaching staff are going to push me on the court. And with Vanderbilt being a great school, thats going to push me on the academic side, too. ' ' '