From my vantage point, Favres live televised interview Monday night confirmed the essence of nearly everything we've discussed about his possible return here on the Black and Blue blog -- and then some. In the end, I think it's clear that he  of whether he will be Minnesota's starting quarterback in 2009.

In a live interview on HBO's "Joe Buck Live," Favre said he wants to play if his arm recovers from minor surgery that took place about 2 1/2 weeks ago. He said Minnesota is the only team he has spoken with and said playing for the Vikings would make "perfect sense" because of the team's offensive scheme and its array of skill players. Favre also confirmed he met with one of the team trainers Sunday to augment his rehabilitation.

Most of us had already accepted those facts as accurate, but it was nice to hear them come directly from Favre. But more revealing, I thought, was Favre's admission that he declined the request of Vikings coach Brad Childress to sign earlier this spring so he could attend offseason workouts as an interested -- but physically unavailable -- party.

Favre: "Coach Childress had asked if I would come to [organized team activities]. Not that I would have to participate. And I totally understood that side of it. I chose not to. You can pick sides on this. I think both sides are right. He wanted me to be there and be a part of the team and things like that. Knowing that there is no guarantee my arm will be like it was before, I chose to stay away."

Understandably, in my book, Favre wanted to ensure that his arm healed as expected before being introduced as the Vikings' 2009 quarterback. He didn't want to face the scenario, however unlikely, of signing in May and then announcing in July that he would re-retire because his arm didn't feel right.

Favre: "So why not just have one media frenzy and that be later on? It wasn't anything to do with practicing or anything like that. It's either all or nothing to me."

Whatever his motivation -- avoiding potential embarrassment or an aversion to offseason meetings -- Favre is clearly in control of this situation. If his account is accurate, it's clear the Vikings have no real concerns about his arm or recovery. After all, they wanted to sign him long before his rehabilitation would be complete.

The Vikings' interest and the extent of their overtures have now been exposed. They will take him tomorrow, next week or next month. And in listening to Favre, there is little doubt he wants to play for them. At one point, he referred to the Vikings as "we" and said joining the Vikings "makes a lot of sense because the pieces are in place."

Favre: "I think every player should think he is a difference-maker. I think you have to believe that. But I think in that situation, understanding what is expected of you, knowing your team, knowing that as long as we can run the ball and complete passes when needed, we should be pretty good."

Simply put, Favre is going to make the decision to play on his terms. That means he will keep rehabilitating until it "gets to the point where it feels like it did before it started hurting." If and when he gets to that point, he'll call the Vikings and consummate a contract that largely is in place already.

But it won't happen a minute before then. Favre is in total control.

One more chance for the Magic.

One more game at the Am.

One last Star Spangled song by little incandescent Gina Incandela.

Oh, say can we see .. another Magic miracle?
Wouldn't it only be fitting in this wild and wacky season of Magic wins and Dwight Howard grins if this team and town experienced the greatest comeback in NBA history?

The Magic, as they enter tonight's final home game of the season at Amway Arena, are down 3-1 to the Lakers -- a deficit that has never been conquered in the 62-year history of the NBA Finals. But, then again, has there ever been such a confoundingly and resoundingly resilient team than pugnacious coach Stan's chip-on- their-shoulder Magic?

This is a team that has thrived on doubt and discredit throughout the playoffs. Now they have the Lakers right where they want them. Nobody, except for a few die - hards and the Magic themselves, believes this team can rally back against one of the greatest franchises, greatest players ( Kobe) and greatest coaches ( Phil Jackson) in NBA history.

Dwight Howard, the team's dominating, dynamic center, says there is no doubt the Magic will win today. He says it's not a matter of if the Magic will and take this series back to the West Coast for Games 6 and 7. ; it's a matter of "when."

When a hometown writer asks if he is actually guaranteeing a victory, Howard smiles and says: "I believe we're going back to L.A. , and you should, too. You're from Orlando."

Honestly, I have serious doubts whether the Magic can come back and win this series, but there's no doubting this: Whether they do or don't, this team's Magical mystery tour through the playoffs has been a blast and boon for Orlando.

During the last couple of years as we considered whether or not to build a new arena for the team, there has been much disagreement and debate about the Magic's value to the community. In the last few weeks, those doubts have been washed away in a wave of incredible excitement and international exposure.

"Go Magic" signs have popped up like wayward weeds in the yards of foreclosed homes. More than 4,000 new season tickets have been ordered since the playoffs began. Downtown businesses have been boosted and so has civic morale.

Even the tourism industry, which is mostly funding the new arena, is getting its money's worth. USA Today ran a huge headline on the front of its Finals special section: " Disney World vs. Disneyland."

Disney-owned ABC, which is televising the Finals, is promoting the City Beautiful's attractions and attractiveness and beaming it to 215 countries and a billion viewers across the globe. The first four games of the Finals have been the most-watched shows in prime time since the American Idol finale in May.

"You can't buy this sort of exposure," Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martinssays.

Every time you open the newspaper or turn on the TV, it's Magic mania. And did you see where somebody put a blue Magic T-shirt on that replica Statue of Liberty down by Lake Ivanhoe? And I was walking my dog the other morning when I passed by the same lady who I've been passing by nearly every morning for the last three years. We usually just nod and smile. This time, she gave a little fist pump and said, "Go , Magic."

This is the power and magnetism of professional sports. This city -- so transient and diverse -- desperately needed a common cause, something to unify and galvanize it. From the pristine shores of the lakes of Windermere to the graffiti-scrawled walls in the projects of Parramore, everybody in town has been a little giddier and a little gabbier during the playoffs.

It's like the old Lovin' Spoonful song they play at the arena during timeouts:

"And it's magic, if the music is groovy, It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie."

Hey, we all need a little happiness during these times when our property values are plunging and our stress level is rising; when the kids' elementary school is out of money and Mommy and Daddy are out of work. No, this Magic championship run doesn't solve our problems, but it might make us forget about them for a few weeks, a few days or even a few hours.

"This is what sports are supposed to do," Magic General Manager Otis Smith says. "Take your mind off your grind."

One more chance for the Magic.

One last song for little Gina.

One final game at the Am.

"It's the last home game," Howard says. "We want to give our fans a good show."

Not to worry, Dwight.

No matter whether you win or lose tonight, you already have.

credit: Orlando Sentinel

DETROIT -- With history already against them and fate working its way into the opposing lineup, the Penguins didn't buckle.

A year after watching the Red Wings celebrate winning the Stanley Cup on home ice, the Penguins denied a repeat Friday night with a 2-1 victory over the Wings in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.

Pittsburgh stormed back from an 0-2 deficit in the series to claim its third NHL championship and first since 1992. It did so behind two goals from Maxime Talbot, outstanding goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury and a gusty effort after an injury to their captain, Sidney Crosby.

Talbot's goals came in the second period, sandwiched around Crosby leaving the ice with a left leg injury that rendered him ineffective the rest of the game and left the Penguins without a top players who's the heart and soul of the team.

This is the best day of my life," Talbot said during the Penguins' wild celebration on the Joe Louis ice after the triumph. "We won the Cup. We did it with passion and with grit."

Fleury's effort was special and the main reason for the victory that stunned the Wings and the crowd that had come with the purpose of seeing the home team capture its second consecutive championship and 12th in franchise history.

"I care about my teammates -- they deserve it," said Fleury, who made 23 saves. "They played hard in the playoffs. We have such a great team spirit and team chemistry. It's just a great feeling to win it.

"Sid is the leader and we wanted to win it for him and that's what we did."

Crosby was injured as Johan Franzen checked him into the boards at center ice early in the second period. The former NHL most valuable player slowly made his way to the bench and into the Pittsburgh dressing room while favoring his left leg. He came back to start the third but sat most of the period while his teammates held off the Wings.

"It's a dream come true," Crosby said of his first Stanley Cup. "It's everything you work for. It just feels so good. This is exactly how you picture it and what you play for."

The Wings didn't go quietly as they pulled to within 2-1 on a Jonathan Erreion  goal with 6:17 remaining in the third. They kept up the pressure but Fleury didn't yield, even when Lidstrom had the puck and an open net as the clock wound down. The goalie lunged to his right and got a shoulder on the attempt just before the final horn.

"That last save [Fleury] made won the series for us," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "That third period, it seemed like the clock wasn't even moving. Everyone just battled. Sid went down and guys didn't really say anything. Everyone realized it but we just kept going and kept battling and just found a way."

The Penguins joined the 1971 Cadadiens as the only teams in Stanley Cup finals history to win Game 7 on the road after the home team had won each of the previous six games.

Kobe Bryant said he didn’t hit any proverbial wall in Game 3, and if he did, who cares?

“Because I’ll run straight through it,” he said.

He’s not lying, said Derek Fisher, who has been in the same locker room as Bryant for 10 of his 13 seasons in the league.

Fisher said that he has seen Bryant grow weary in games, such as in the Denver series when he needed an IV afterward. It’s happened more often than people know because the Lakers star refuses to back down to fatigue.

“I’ve seen him at times when he’s hit the wall, but I haven’t seen a wall strong enough to keep him from going through it,” Fisher said. “He figures it out. That’s what the great ones do. They show that kind of leadership on the court. That’s what separates him from from the rest of the field.

“When he’s tired or when he’s run down … he figures out a way for us to win without him being his best. Kobe is as competitive as anyone will ever be.”

Bryant couldn’t figure it out quickly enough in Game 3, missing a couple shots late in the game and turning the ball over. He called it disappointing.

“That being said, you’ve got to pick your head up, put one foot in front of the other and keep on moving,” Bryant said.

Competitve, just like Fisher said.

Thanks to a record-shattering shooting performance, the Magic won their first Finals game in franchise history, defeating Los Angeles. The Magic shot 75% in the first half (24 of 32), which was the highest shooting percentage ever in a half for a Finals game. The Magic shot 62.5% for the game, which was the highest shooting percentage ever for a Finals game, breaking the 1991 Chicago Bulls record. Despite the Magic hot shooting, the Lakers made things tough for the Magic, as they shot 51.3% themselves.

The Lakers jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, and had the lead for most of the first quarter as it ended 31-27 Lakers. The Magic were able to wrest the lead from the Lakers at the 4:29 mark of the second quarter, and scored 14 of the final 20 points of the first half to lead at halftime 59-54.

The Magic were able to maintain their lead in the third quarter, and led by as much as 77-69 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining and led 81-75 going into the fourth quarter. The Magic stretched their lead to 91-82 with just under eight minutes remaining, but the Lakers made their first eight shots of the fourth and tied the game at 99 with 2:42 remaining. The Magic never let the Lakers get the lead though, as the Lakers missed five of their final seven shots and split two free throws as the Magic made their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 21 points (8 of 14 field goals), 5 assists, 5 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 21 points (5 of 6 field goals, 11 of 16 free throws), 14 rebounds, 2 blocks
Rafer Alston: 20 points (8 of 12 field goals), 4 assists
Hedo Turkoglu: 18 points (7 of 12 field goals), 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 18 points (7 of 11 field goals), 3 steals

Los Angeles leading scorers

Kobe Bryant: 31 points (11 of 25 field goals), 8 assists
Pau Gasol: 23 points (9 of 11 field goals), 3 rebounds, 2 blocks
Trevor Ariza: 13 points (5 of 13 field goals), 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Lamar Odom (bench): 11 points (4 of 6 field goals)
Jordan Farmar (bench): 11 points

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 62.5% (40 of 64) LA 51.3% (40 of 78)
3 PT FG%: ORL 35.7% (5 of 14) LA 34.8% (8 of 23)
FT%: ORL 76.7% (23 of 30) LA 61.5% (16 of 26)
REB: ORL 29 (5 offensive) LA 27 (11 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 23/13 LA 16/13
BENCH: ORL 24 LA 24

Other game notes and stats:

-The Magic shot a remarkable 20 of 23 from two point range in the first half and 35 of 50 for the game
-The Magic's best-shooting quarter was the second, as they shot 13 of 16 overall
-The Magic starting frontcourt outscored the Lakers' starting frontcourt 60-40, and outrebounded them 25-14
-Bryant, after starting out 8 of 11 shooting, made just 3 of his last 14 shots and scored just ten second half points
-Bryant made just 4 of 9 free throws
-The Magic used a nine-man rotation, with Tony Battie scoring four points and Jameer Nelson scoring two points; Marcin Gortat went scoreless
-Courtney Lee was the only Magic starter not in double figures, scoring four points in 20 minutes
-The Lakers attempted 14 more shots than the Magic
-The Magic made 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth

Imagine the chagrin at the administrative offices of the New York Yankees located at E 161st Street at River Avenue after April 30 when the Yankees record in the American League East was 12-10 and they were sitting in third place, two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees were swept in Baltimore to start the season and later swept in Boston by their chief antagonists.

On top of that C.C. Sabathia, who signed for the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher, was 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA. On Opening Day in Baltimore the Orioles stung the big lefty for 6 runs on 8 hits. A.J. Burnett, the other high profiled, big contract, free agent signee, although sporting a 2-0 record, had 3 no-decision games and owned an alarming 5.40 ERA. In fact on April 25 against the Red Sox Burnett was burned for 8 earned runs in 5 innings of work, which jumped his season ERA from a respectable 3.20 to a bloated 5.47 overnight.

That brings us to first baseman Mark Teixeira whom the Yankees outbid both the Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels for his services. Teixeira owns a .289 lifetime batting average, has hit an average of 33.83 home runs and has knocked in an average of 120 runs per season prior to 2009. Although Teixeira is known as a very slow starter, when the season began it was expected that with a new contract and a new team Teixeira would bound out of the gates blazing. If spring training was any indication the Yankees had every right to believe Teixeira would be an offensive monster. He was batting .433 with an OBP of .485 and a SLG% of .800 (OPS of 1.285) coming out of camp.

Alas, that was not the case. Teixeira like Cinderella’s coach turned back into a pumpkin during the month of April and the first part of May. If not for the heroics of free agent OF/1B Nick Swisher, who took over the everyday duties in right field for an injured Xavier Nady, there wouldn’t have been much for the Yankees to write home about. Swisher responded to a lackluster offense by hitting .312 in April with 7 home runs and 19 RBI. Teixeira’s numbers fell like a meteor to earth. He was hitting a very pedestrian .200 and had only 3 home runs and 10 RBI to show for it.

May wasn’t looking much better for the Yankees either. After play ended on May 7 the Yankees had dropped to 4th place and owned a 13-15 record. Teixeira continued his freefall; dropping to a .197 average and was only up to 5 home runs and 15 RBI in 24 games. Sabathia’s ERA jumped up to 4.85 and he saw his record fall to 1-3 with 2 no-decisions. Burnett was the biggest puzzle of all. After two brilliant outings Burnett couldn’t find his rhythm. He continued to go at least 6 innings in his starts, but had nothing to show for it. It took nearly to the end of May before Burnett would see his next victory.

After last year’s 89-73 third place finish manager Joe Girardi’s tenure with the team was definitely in jeopardy. He beat out Yankee legend Don Mattingly for the managerial job in ’08 after Joe Torre left the team for Los Angeles. Girardi knew he had some big shoes to fill. Torre made the playoffs every year he was at the helm taking the team to 2 wild card appearances, 9 division championships, 6 AL championships and 4 World Series championships. Not even making the playoffs was not the way Girardi wanted to start his managerial career in New York.

To be fair not everything has bounced the right way for Girardi. He had a lot of injuries to deal with, most notably Jorge Posada who took two trips to the DL; the second one on July 20, 2008. Posada didn’t return for the remainder of the season. Chien-Ming Wang was another. Wang injured his right foot on June 15 in an interleague game against the Houston Astros and immediately went to the DL for the remainder of the season.

Two solid performers, Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano, had down years. Pitching, especially the bullpen, continued to be inconsistent in 2008. During spring training one of the biggest bombshells in the history of baseball took place when Alex Rodriguez was accused of taking performance enhancing drugs, which he later admitted to doing. Also, Torre, along with Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci, published a book called “The Yankee Years,” in which Torre chronicles a lot of behind-the-scenes dirt about what went on inside the four walls of Yankee Stadium.

Getting back to this season if you’ve been following the Yankees you know about other situations that have plagued the squad. In addition to Rodriguez’s admission of using banned substances he went on the disabled list when a cyst and a torn labrum was discovered in his right hip. He had corrective surgery to address the problem to hopefully get him into the lineup as soon as possible.

Wang had horrific 3 starts at the beginning of the season after coming back from his foot injury. He lasted just 6 total innings in those starts and his ERA was a stratospheric 34.50. He went back on the DL with a side injury, but recently returned and has seen action in the bullpen. Additionally, relievers Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte have landed on the DL. Posada returned to the DL on May 5 with a hamstring injury, and reserve catcher Jose Molina went down with a quad injury on May 8.

Those injuries necessitated the Yankees bringing in a whole bunch of minor leaguers to hold the fort down until the regulars could return. Third baseman/shortstop Ramiro Pena, RHP Phil Hughes, RHRP David Robinson, C Anthony Cervilli, C Kevin Cash among others have done a masterful job in keeping the season from getting away from the Yankees.

All those headaches were enough to send anyone, let alone a manager, screaming into the night. However, the entire negative vibe turned positive on Friday, May 8.

That was the day A-Rod returned to the lineup.

Whether or not A-Rod is the real reason the Yankees suddenly turned around is an argument to be discussed around the water coolers, but the fact remains the day their superstar third baseman returned was the day the Yankees turned their season around.

Since May 8 the Yankees have gone from 13-15 and in 4th place to 31-21 and 1st place in the AL East Division. That means they have gone 18-6 in that span. They currently own the best record in the American League and they lead the Red Sox by a game.

The biggest beneficiary of A-Rod’s homecoming has been Teixeira. Since May 8 Teixeira has raised his average from a season low .191 (May 12) to .279. He is hitting .374 with 11 home runs and 19 RBI during that stretch. He is tied for 2nd in home runs and 4th in RBI totals in the AL.

Sabathia and Burnett have improved as well.

Sabathia is now 5-3 and has lowered his ERA to 3.46. Sabathia is 4-0 over his past 5 outings and has averaged a 3.00 ERA. Burnett, too, has responded. He is 4-2 and his ERA has dropped to 4.69. He has won his past two games posting a 2.08 ERA.

The team as a whole is playing the game with more enthusiasm and more focus. In the AL the Yankees are 2nd in home runs (82), 1st in RBI (285) and 2rd in team hitting (.282). Pitching continues to be a concern, especially in the bullpen, but with the Yankees offense clicking on all cylinders the pitching has been good enough. No one is hurting them to the point where the Yankees have to go out and look for an arm.

A month ago the media and fans alike were bemoaning this club and now there is a glimmer of hope. The Yankees have brought back some of the swagger that everyone has seen from teams past. But, before anyone goes and shines up the World Series trophy, keep in mind the Yankees have a long road in front of them and they still haven’t beaten the Red Sox this season.

NEW YORK -- Belmont Stakes runner-up Dunkirk needs surgery for a leg injury but is expected to return to racing this fall.

Dunkirk fractured his left hind cannon bone during Saturday's race. Trainer Todd Pletcher says the horse was set for surgery Tuesday to insert a screw to stabilize the leg. He anticipates a full recovery.

The trainer says Dunkirk was "slightly off" after the Belmont, which was won by Summer Bird. An X-ray Monday revealed the fracture.

Once again this postseason, the Orlando Magic find themselves at odds with history. Only this time, it's not likely history will want to reconcile.

After their 101-96 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2, the Magic find themselves in a 2-0 hole heading into Game 3 Tuesday in Orlando (9 p.m. ET, ABC). Prior to this year's series, 30 teams have started The Finals down two and only the 1969 Celtics, the 1977 Trail Blazers and the 2006 Heat have climbed from such a hole to win the series.

And now, the Magic are the 31st. They're also the fifth team in the last five Finals to give their opponents a two-game head start.

From 20 turnovers to seven missed free throws to a missed lay-up off an alley-oop as time expired in regulation, it wasn't as if the Magic didn't have their chances.

"I told them the bottom line was we knew we were going to have to win in L.A.," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "Bottom line is we came here for two games and didn't get the job done."

For a franchise that is zero-for-six in Finals games, winning the series against a team that has a four-game winning streak is daunting. Especially since the Magic will need to win the next three at home or go two-of-three in Orlando and then take two in Los Angeles.

Sound frightening? It is. But if any team could forget about such a deficit, it could be these Magic. In this year's Eastern Conference semifinals, the Magic became the first team in NBA history to beat the Celtics after falling behind 3-2 to Boston.

They can also look to the previous three comeback kings for inspiration. Only the '69 Celtics needed a full seven games to take the series and the '06 Heat were the second team in Finals history to win the middle three games at home.

"We have to go home and have a great Game 3," Van Gundy said. "I've seen series turn. I was still in Miami, not doing a damn thing, but I was in Miami when they lost both games to Dallas and [the Heat] way down in the third quarter in Game 3 at home, came back and won that one.

"Dallas never won another game."

Kobe Bryant knows the Magic won't be concentrating on how many games they have to win, but the fact Orlando needs to win one.

"This is a very loosey-goosey team we're playing against," Bryant said.

"You saw some of the shots they hit [on Sunday]. Those are tough shots ... or supposed to be tough shots. For them, it's like shooting fish and barrel. They're just thinking about Game 3. And so are we."

If the specter of Kobe doesn't motivate them, a front-office figure may. Orlando assistant general manager Dave Twardzik played a key role in 1977 when Portland stormed back from its 0-2 hole to defeat Julius Erving, George McInnis and the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

Twardzik, a guard, averaged 10.9 points and shot .591 in that postseason and gave credit to Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsay for getting that team back to basics.

"I think a big part of it came from Jack," Twardzik said. "It was not a desperate move on Jack's part to totally rework either offensively or defensively what we were trying to do. In those first two games, we had not played our game.

"We continued to practice the way we did and we got a huge boost when we came back. In the first game back, we won by 20-something and the second game back we won by 30-something, so our confidence was sky-high."

The Blazers decimated the Sixers by 22 in Game 3 and by 32 in Game 4. By the time Game 5 in Philly rolled around, the Blazers had regained their confidence and style. Ramsay, now an ESPN radio analyst, noted his simple message after those first two losses.

"My thinking going back to Portland was let's not change anything except how we play," Ramsay said. "My message to the players was: 'Let's play our game. Let's defend, let's rebound, let's fast break, let's execute in the half-court like we know we can."

That sounds exactly how Dwight Howard describes the Magic. They rebound, run and defend. Orlando didn't do any of that in Game 1, but showed flashes of that style in Game 2.

"I don't think as a team we've played all that well during the entire Playoffs," Twardzik said. "In spurts we have and maybe in an isolated game we have. But as far as playing as well as we can, I don't think we're playing as well as we can just yet. I'm very confident.

"Our group is very resilient. They don't get too high on wins and too low on losses. It's pretty much an even keel."

Twardzik says the '77 Blazers used the fact that they beat the Sixers 146-102 in their only regular-season meeting in Portland as encouragement.

This past season, the Magic took both games against the Lakers. The Magic know they can beat L.A. It's just a question of if can they beat the Lakers in The Finals.

"We just got to go home and take care of business," Howard said. "The Lakers did a goo job of protecting their home and now it's our turn to do the same thing.

"We've been in some tough situations. We've just got to fight our way out."

Bryant is ready to prevent the Magic from becoming the fourth team to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win The Finals.

"The job is not finished," Bryant said. "Is the job finished? I don't think so."

Source www.nba .com

The team is losing patience with RH closer Matt Lindstrom Although Lindstrom has notched 11 of 13 save chances, he has struggled to keep runners off base. He was taken out of the game in the ninth inning Saturday after loading the bases with a three-run lead. Leo Nunez came in, gave up a two-run single and notched the save.

Asked after the game late Saturday if Lindstrom would get the next chance to close, manager Fredi Gonzalez was cryptic: "At 11:08 right now, we'll give that opportunity to Matty. Right now ... at 11:08. He just needs to get comfortable."

On Sunday, Gonzalez changed his tune a bit, saying Lindstrom would get the ball Sunday in a save situation. "I think maybe he's just giving the hitters a little too much credit," Gonzalez said.

Lindstrom has allowed at least one hit in five straight outings. He's also walked at least one batter in six of his eight last times out.

Alex Rodriguez appears to be closer to his pre-surgery self. Rodriguez, who underwent right hip surgery March 9 and missed the first 28 games, stole his first base of the season Saturday and charged a slow roller by the Rays' Carl Crawford on Sunday, throwing him out at first. "Every day I feel a little better," Rodriguez told reporters.

Mariano Rivera was sick Saturday, the day he blew a save against the Rays by giving up four runs in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss. Yahoo! Sports reported Monday that Rivera had a stomach virus and vomited several times prior to taking the mound. --Derek Jeter, whose hitting streak ended at 16 games June 2, has two hits in 16 at-bats over his last four games.

Rrain Bruney  (right elbow) threw two simulated innings Sunday as he continued his rehab from his second stint on the disabled list this year and told reporters he "felt great." Bruney said the next step should be to throw more pitches in a bullpen session in Boston later in the week and was "excited" about the lack of pain.