Dein erstes Forum » Vigneault is expected to adjust his lineup

PHILADELPHIA -- Vince Velasquez just needed a few pitches to get going.Cameron Rupp hit a three-run homer, Velasquez threw six effective innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals 7-2 Sunday.Cody Asche and Maikel Franco also went deep to help the Phillies win two of three against the defending World Series champions.Velasquez (7-2) allowed two runs and five hits, striking out seven in his second start since returning from the disabled list. It appeared Velasquez was hurt in the first inning when manager Pete Mackanin and a trainer visited the mound after he threw just five pitches. But Velasquez stayed in, his velocity increased and he threw 96 pitches.It took me a little bit longer to warm up, Velasquez said. Just dragging a little bit. Everyone has dead arm at some point. You have to pitch through it and utilize all your pitches.Mackanin went out to see Velasquez because his hardest pitch was only 90 mph among the first five. Velasquez was removed from the game after throwing only two pitches on June 8 and missed almost three weeks because of a strained right biceps.We thought: `Oh-no, not again. But He assured us he was fine, Mackanin said. He didnt have his above-average velocity, but he made his secondary pitches.Royals starter Yordano Ventura (6-6) exited in the third inning after spraining his right ankle running the bases following his second career hit. Ventura lined a single to right but got hurt running to second on Alex Gordons double-play grounder.Ventura went out to the mound in the bottom half and left after Asche hit a shot into the second deck in right field with two outs.It feels better now, Ventura said through an interpreter. Itll be a couple days before we know.Rupp gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first when he hit a 1-2 pitch the opposite way into the right-field seats for his eighth homer.It was 98 mph so he supplied the power, Rupp said. He left the pitch up and over the plate.Gordons two-run homer off Velasquez cut it to 4-2 in the fifth. Maikel Francos infield single drove in a run in the bottom half. He hit a solo homer off Brian Flynn in the eighth.Nice to see homers from the middle of the lineup, Mackanin said. All of our runs came with two outs and thats encouraging.STANDINGSThe Royals fell to 43-38 with their 13th loss in their last 18 road games. The Phillies (37-46) have won five of six.EVERYBODY HITSEach of Philadelphias starters except Velasquez had a hit. It only takes one or two guys to get going, Mackanin said. I always thought were a better hitting team than we showed.HOME COOKINGThe Phillies won their first series in Philadelphia since May 16-18.STREAKINGRoyals SS Alcides Escobar hit a single in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. ... Phillies OF Peter Bourjos extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Hes 21 for 47 in those games, raising his average to .268 from .217. ... Kansas Citys Kendrys Morales was 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts, ending his eight-game hitting streak.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Edinson Volquez (7-7, 4.60 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game series at Toronto. RHP Aaron Sanchez (8-1, 3.08) goes for the Blue Jays.Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (5-9, 3.38) starts the opener of a three-game series against Atlanta. RHP Joel De La Cruz (0-1, 4.50) pitches for the Braves.Rays Jerseys China .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Cheap Rays Jerseys . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/ .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Tampa Bay Rays Pro Shop . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Rays Jerseys 2019 . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night.VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks face another early-season character test on Tuesday night -- against familiar foes.The struggling Canucks (6-9-1) will host the red-hot New York Rangers (12-4-0) on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. The contest offers the Canucks a chance to build momentum following their dramatic 5-4 comeback overtime victory against the Dallas Stars on Sunday.Rookie defenseman Troy Stecher suggested the Canucks, who have only two wins in the past 12 games, do have the character that they need to climb up the standings. He was inspired by veterans actions Sunday as Vancouver overcame deficits of 2-1 after the first period, 3-1 after the second and 4-3 in the third.We came in here (in the dressing room) after the first period and some things were said from some of the leadership guys, and thats huge for myself and for the rest of the guys in the room, with the young guys that weve got -- that its unacceptable to keep losing, said Stecher, a 22-year-old Richmond, B.C., native who scored the goal that forced overtime Sunday.Tuesdays affair also gives the Canucks an opportunity to show that their convincing 5-3 victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden a week ago was no fluke. The win in New York was the lone bright spot as the Canucks went 1-5 on their recent road trip.The Rangers entourage includes coach Alain Vigneault, who become Vancouvers all-time winningest coach before he was unceremoniously fired after the 2013-14 season and promptly hired by New York.The Rangers also feature Michael Grabner, a former Canucks first-round draft pick (2006, 14th overall) who never stuck before being traded to Florida prior to the 2010-11 season. He never played a regular-season for the Panthers and bounced to the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs before winding back in the Big Apple with the Blueshirts.Grabner, a 29-year-old Villach, Austria, native, leads the Rangers in scoring with 10 goals -- one more than he had with Toronto last season -- and three assists following his reunion with Vigneault. He maintained his hot scoring Sunday night by scoring two goals in a 3-1 victory over the Oilers in Edmonton.When I signed here, I knew how they were playing would benefit my style -- a fast-paced game, Grabner, who joined the Rangers as free agent on a two-year, $3.3 million contract from the Maple Leafs in the offseason, recently told The Vancouver Province. Its been perfect from training camp to right now and it helped knowing Vigneault and (Rangers assistant Scott Arniel) from my days with the Moose.Grabner was referring to Vancouvers foormer Manitoba Moose farm club in the American Hockey League.dddddddddddd.Arniel formerly served as a Canucks assistant under Vigneault as well as head coach of the Moose. Ironically, their rare trip back to Vancouver could be a factor as Canucks ownership and management evaluate current coach Willie Desjardins, who earned a reprieve with the win over Dallas.Vigneault definitely knows a few things about the Canucks. Vancouvers core players expanded their skills significantly under his watch. He guided them within one victory of the Stanley Cup in 2010-11. So the Canucks will likely try to mix a few things up. One of the change-ups will likely involve more duty for Brandon Sutter on the top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin -- or at least the power play with them.Sutter was moved to the top line in the third period Sunday and scored a power-play goal -- Vancouvers first man-advantage marker in 11 games -- and assisted on Markus Granlunds overtime winner after winning a face-off.Sometimes when its not working and were not getting anything going, its good to try and shuffle it up a bit, said Sutter. We did it and a couple lines got a few things going, and we went from there. Its just one of those things where you have to change things up.Coach Desjardins may also try to change things up by inserting second-year winger Jake Virtanen back into the lineup after he was recalled Sunday from Utica of the AHL, where he completed a two-game conditioning stint. Virtanen, 20, is one of Vancouvers few naturally gifted scorers -- when he is on his game. But he has not been lately.Meanwhile, Vigneault is expected to adjust his lineup by inserting rookie winger Cristoval (Boo) Nieves, who was called up from Hartford of the AHL on Monday after injured forwards Chris Kreider (upper body) and Pavel Buchnevich (back spasms) could not play Sunday. If he gets the nod, Nieves, a 22-year-old Baldwinsville, N.Y., native who had one goal and five assists with Hartford this season, will make his NHL debut.Nieves will give the Rangers a full complement of forwards after Vigneault was short one Sunday and dressed an unused extra defenseman, Adam Clendening, who is also a former Canuck. Chances are that Clendening would have been used as a forward -- if Vigneault felt that he needed him up front.But the Rangers had little difficulty imp