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VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed striker Etienne Barbara, pending receipt of his international transfer certificate. Custom Texas Rangers Jersey . Barbara, who has been practising with the Whitecaps in recent weeks, was the top scorer and MVP in the second-tier NASL in 2011 with 20 goals and eight assists in 27 games for the Carolina RailHawks. The 29-year-old has made 30 international appearances for Malta and joins new Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie in Major League Soccer. Rennie coached Barbara with Carolina for the last two seasons. "Etienne is an aggressive, powerful player that is determined to succeed," Rennie said Tuesday in a statement. "He brings versatility to our lineup both as a wide midfielder or a striker." Vancouver acquired Barbaras MLS rights from the Montreal Impact in exchange for Mexican defender Gienir Garcia, who was selected second overall in the 2012 MLS supplemental draft by the Whitecaps. In other MLS moves, Toronto FC waived midfielder Elbekay Bouchiba. The 33-year-old did not play a game for Toronto FC in 2011 following knee surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered during the pre-season. Meanwhile, the Montreal Impact announced former Italian international forward Bernardo Corradi will join the club Wednesday in Orlando, Fla., on a tryout. Elvis Andrus Jersey . Louis is going to get a chance to represent his country at the Winter Olympics after all. Adrian Beltre Texas Rangers Jersey . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday.BOSTON - To hear Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leylands description of Anibal Sanchez performance, youd have thought it was just another night at the ballpark. "The pitch came up a little high early and a little careful early," said Leyland. "But he got rolling pretty good and made some good pitches and gave us all we needed. And made a great pitch on Drew to get out of (the sixth) inning." Rather innocuous, move-along-theres-nothing-to-see-here type words from Leyland. Except that the opener of the American League Championship Series, won 1-0 by the Tigers, was one of the stranger games youll see. Sanchez left after six innings of no-hit baseball. Why? Well, hed thrown 116 pitches. Howd he do that? By striking out 12 Red Sox, including four in the first inning (Shane Victorino reached on a third strike wild pitch,) and by walking six Boston hitters. Oh, by the way, Sanchez became just the second pitcher in playoff history to strike four hitters out in an inning. The last, a man by the name of Orval Overall, who accomplished the feat for the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of the fifth game of the 1908 World Series. Let that marinate. The feat is rare, sure, but it hadnt happened in the post-season since the Cubs – yes, the Cubs – last won a World Series. Three more Detroit relievers – Al Alburquerque, Jose Veras and Drew Smyly – combined to erase the Red Sox in order in the seventh and eighth innings. With one out in the ninth and Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit in to protect the one-run lead, Bostons Daniel Nava grinded out a seven-pitch at-bat, culminating in a single to centre field. The Red Sox were spared the infamy of being no-hit, but couldnt advance Navas single beyond second base. The poor Cubs, now having to share Overalls record with Sanchez, also saw the Tigers become the first team to shut out the Red Sox in a playoff game at Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series. Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers Jersey. It was Chicagos Hippo Vaughn, with no relief help, who turned the trick that day. Move over, Hippo, youre sharing the record book with Sanchez-Alburquerque-Veras-Smyly-Benoit. Sanchez had a 26-pitch first inning, needed 25 to get through the second and another 28 to work out the sixth. In that sixth inning, he walked the bases loaded for his second multiple walk inning of the night – hed walked two hitters in the second – but managed to escape damage by striking out David Ortiz and later Stephen Drew. Meantime, the Tigers offensive hero was Jhonny Peralta, the anti-Melky Cabrera. Unlike Cabrera, who was exiled from the Giants after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs in the second half of last season, Peralta was welcomed back from his 50-game suspension this year. Peraltas two-out single in the sixth scored Miguel Cabrera for the games only run. The shortstop-turned-left fielder, remember its no easy task playing in front of the Green Monster regardless of experience, followed up his torrid series against Oakland (.417) with three of the Tigers nine hits. The pressure now falls squarely in the lap of the Red Sox, who can ill afford to lose Sunday nights second game. To lose would be to fall behind 2-0 before a trip to Detroit where Justin Verlander will be waiting. Verlander, if you havent been watching the playoffs, authored two out-of-this-world performances versus the Athletics. Clay Buchholz will start Game 2 for Boston. Twenty-one game winner Max Scherzer, the likely AL Cy Young Award winner, will get the ball for Detroit. In the meantime, Anibal Sanchez will look on from the Tigers dugout, no doubt basking in the glory of the record he now shares with a man named Orval Overall. What a strange, fun and intriguing night it was. ' ' ' |
