ered a little more highly.AL manager Ned Yosts batting order h

CHICAGO -- Back with his original big league team, Coco Crisp has become a serial hitter for the Cleveland Indians this October.Crisp came off the bench and singled home the only run in the seventh inning Friday night, giving the Indians a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs and a 2-1 lead in the World Series.With just two more wins, the Indians would take their first title since 1948.Ive been getting text messages, and my phones been blowing up, Crisp said . I dont think Ive had more than three or four text messages at a time after a game prior to the playoffs, and now its like 30, 40. Everybody is kind of saying it, `Two wins away! Two more!A son of boxer Loyce Sugar Crisp, Covelli Crisp was first given the nickname Coco by his younger sister Sheileah, who grew up to become a figure skater. When they were kids, she thought he resembled a cartoon character with big ears on the cover of a container of Cocoa Krispies cereal.He listed it as his childhood nickname on a questionnaire when he was at Double-A in 2002, and a teammate found out about it and told the ballpark public address announcer. Crisp was flustered, got a hit and decided he had been over-focusing, so he stuck with Coco, he told the MANjr website five years ago.Now Im stuck with the name that started off as a joke! he told the website. Its still kind of a joke, but Ive accepted it. Its cool now.Cleveland reacquired him from Oakland for depth on Aug. 31, a waiver deal completed just in time for Crisp to be eligible for the postseason with the Indians.The way things have turned out, hes become a key cog in their pursuit of a championship.Crisps two-run homer over Fenway Parks Green Monster in the sixth inning opened a three-run lead against Boston, and the Indians held on for a 4-3 win that completed a Division Series sweep. His fourth-inning solo shot drove in Clevelands final run in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto as the Indians won their first pennant since 1997.`Cleveland against the world. Thats kind of been the motto, he said. To be in this situation with the team that I broke in with is a very special feeling for me.Known for speed in his younger days, Crisp topped the AL with 49 steals in 2011. As his 37th birthday approaches Tuesday, the switch-hitter is far closer to the end of his career than the start.Originally drafted by St. Louis in 1999, he was acquired by Cleveland three years later, made his debut with the Indians in 2002 and played for Cleveland through 2005. He moved on to Boston (2006-08), Kansas City (2009) and Oakland (2010-16) but bristled when the Athletics limited his playing time this year, a move that denied him the plate appearances necessary for his $13 million 2017 option to become guaranteed.With the World Series tied 1-all and Game 3 scoreless, Crisp pinch hit for reliever Andrew Miller in the seventh inning with one out and runners at the corners. Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to stay with Carl Edwards Jr. rather than bring in left-hander Mike Montgomery, a move that would have prompted Cleveland counterpart Terry Francona to replace Crisp with Brandon Guyer.We liked that matchup, Maddon said. You have to pick your poison right there. It just didnt work out.Crisp lined a 92 mph fastball from Edwards into short right field, sending pinch-runner Michael Martinez home from third.Went over the scouting report before I went up there, and I know he has some natural cut to his fastball, Crisp said. I was hoping to get the barrel to it, and I did. It cut in on me and I was fortunate enough that it was able to drop in front of the fielder.Francona was relieved.Hes done that all year, the manager said. We needed something, anything, just to put a run across. Jesus Sucre Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Sergio Romo Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. http://www.officialraysgearshop.com/Rays-Brad-Miller-Kids-Jersey/ . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Evan Longoria Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Kevin Kiermaier Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. SAN DIEGO -- Chris Sale can admit it now: He was a little too in love with the strikeout.He led the American League last year with 274. But all those long counts cost him.I wanted to pitch more innings, get deeper into the games, the Chicago White Sox ace said Monday after he was announced to open the All-Star Game for the American League.As a starting pitcher, thats really the name of the game, is getting as deep into the game while giving your team a chance to win at the same time, he said.San Franciscos Johnny Cueto will start for the National League on Tuesday as the All-Stars return to San Diego for the first time since 1992.A 27-year-old left-hander, Sale is 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA and leads the major leagues in wins. He has 123 strikeouts -- third in the AL -- and just 26 walks in 125 innings. Batters are hitting .225 against him.In the past, he was a little bit more of a power pitcher, the Chicago Cubs Ben Zobrist said. If hes hitting spots a little bit more, that might change our ability to drive the ball.Cueto, a 30-year-old right-hander who left Kansas City to sign with the Giants last offseason, tops NL pitchers in victories. He is 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA, striking out 115 in 131 1/3 innings. He has won 10 consecutive decisions since an April 21 loss to Arizona.His path to the starting nod became clearer when Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard got hurt, Stephen Strasburg pulled out of the game because of a recent disabled list stint and Madison Bumgarner was ruled out because he started Sunday.I was just happy to be participating in the game, Cueto said through a translator. But Im very happy.Cueto impressed New York Mets manager Terry Collins with a two-hitter for Kansas City in Game 2 of last years World Series, the first complete game by an AL pitcher in the Series since Jack Morris in 1991.That was the best outing Ive ever seen him have, Collins said.Jake Arrieta of the Cubs was on track to get the honor, going 11-1 with a 1.dddddddddddd4 ERA through mid-June. But he lost three of his last four starts heading into the break.The last three outings, I havent pitched very well, he said. If I had took care of business, I probably would have been the starter or considered a little more highly.AL manager Ned Yosts batting order has Houston second baseman Jose Altuve leading off, followed by Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado, Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Boston left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.Collins has Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist leading off, followed by Washington right fielder Bryce Harper, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, San Diegos Wil Myers at designated hitter, San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Miami center fielder Marcell Ozuna, Colorado left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.Ozuna and Gonzalez are replacements for the Cubs Dexter Fowler and the Mets Yoenis Cespedes, who are hurt.Yost said Corey Kluber, Cole Hamels, Aaron Sanchez and Jose Quintana will follow Sale to the mound.The AL will be the home team for the game at Petco Park because this is the second straight year of at least four in which the NL will host the All-Stars. The AL has a 10-3 advantage since the All-Star Game has determined home-field advantage in the World Series.Its vitally important, said Yost, whose Royals swept the first two games at Kauffman Stadium last year. Weve got a room full of tremendously talented players and if we win this game its going to affect somebody or somebodies in that room. ' ' '