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DALY CITY, Calif. Tony Romo Cowboys Jersey . -- Stacy Lewis matched playing partner Lydia Ko with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 and added another on the 17th to take a one-stroke lead Saturday in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Lewis and the 17-year-old Ko first played together two years ago, developing an on-course friendship features fist bumps and lots of chatter. "Weve played a lot of golf together," said Lewis, 12 years older than her counterpart. "I was impressed with her then. I think the best part of her game is the maturity." The third-ranked Lewis and fourth-ranked Ko each shot 4-under 68 at Lake Merced. Winless since the Womens British Open in August, Lewis had a 10-under 206 total. Ko won the Canadian Womens Open as an amateur the last two years and took the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December in Thailand in her second start as a professional. She has five victories in pro events. Lewis and Ko first played each other in the final round of the 2012 Canadian Open, when the then 15-year-old became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history. "We both play fast and we got into a good rhythm," said Lewis, who has five runner-up finishes since her victory at St. Andrews. "Its nice to play with someone who is playing well. I think it made both of us elevate our game." Lewis matched shots with Ko, who celebrated her birthday Thursday, throughout the day to retain her edge. "Its fun watching Stacy play," Ko said. "She does make me feel like I have to play better. I always knew she was good. Her rankings and scores show that. Its really good for me, as a rookie, to play with a player like Stacy. Its a great opportunity for me to learn from another great player." Theyve played together through the first three rounds. "Its fun to be in the last group," Lewis said. "I know the crowd got into there. I think they were tired of us making pars, so we both went on a run there and made a few birdies for them." Lewis played bogey-free on a difficult course that was hit hard by rain Friday. "This is probably the worst Ive hit the ball all week," she said. "This course is so hard you can make a bogey real quick. I was putting good, so when I hit a couple of good putts for par, I got some momentum going." Jenny Shin was four strokes back at 6 under. She also shot 68. "My whole life I hit my putts short," Shin said. "Hitting it past the hole was my main goal this year. I had some long putts that fell in that helped turn it into a better round." Hee Young Park also shot a 68 to move into fourth at 5 under. "It was freezing and rainy yesterday and the win was always changing," she said. "Today the weather was perfect. That was the big difference." Michelle Wie, the winner last week in Hawaii, was tied for 13th at 1 under after a 71. She played the first two rounds with Lewis and Ko. "I think I was just a little tired from last week," Wie said. "So many emotions, celebrating, and travelling back here. I got some good rest." Cheap Ryan Williams Jersey . New Orleans All-Star forward would have difficulty convincing the Hawks. Davis had 34 points, including 13 in the Pelicans fourth quarter, and New Orleans beat Atlanta 111-105 on Friday night. Cheap Roger Staubach Jersey . -- Michael Bennett gambled last off-season that playing on a one-year deal in Seattle would pay off in the future with the long-term contract he always wanted.MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Matheny had quite the choice for the National Leagues All-Star starter. There was his own Adam Wainwright, the St. Louis Cardinals ace with a 12-4 record and a 1.83 ERA. And there was the Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, 11-2 with a 1.78 ERA and fresh off a 41-inning scoreless streak that ended last week. He chose Wainwright, who will start Tuesday night at Target Field against the Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez. "Its going to be great catching them," said Milwaukees Jonathan Lucroy, the NL starter behind the plate. "A lot more fun than facing them." When baseballs elite met at Citi Field last year, NL batters managed just three hits in a 3-0 loss. A year earlier in Kansas City, the AL had just six hits in an 8-0 defeat. Never before had consecutive All-Star games ended in shutouts. "Guys are throwing harder. Guys have more pitches," said Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, making his sixth All-Star appearance and first since 2010. The big league batting average is at a 42-year low. Strikeouts are at an all-time high. Wainwright and Kershaw are on track to become the first pair of qualifying pitchers in one league with a sub-2.00 ERA since the Mets Dwight Gooden and the Cardinals John Tudor in 1985 -- the last time Minnesota hosted the All-Stars. "Aside from having the ability to win two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, I think this has to be one of the highlights of my baseball career to this point," Wainwright said. "One of the coolest things I can say I did is to start a big league All-Star game." Kershaw understood Mathenys decision. "If Im him, Im probably going to pick Adam, too. Its his guy and he had the best half," Kershaw said. Hernandez, the first Venezuela pitcher to start for the All-Stars, also has sterling credentials: an 11-2 record with a 2.12 ERA. He described his task pretty simply: "Just throw zeroes out there and get my team to win. Thats all I got to do," he said. Back in the great pitching era of the 1960s, the game was different. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal expected to finish what they started. Now, flame-throwers come out of the bullpen in the middle of games. "Youre not getting three, four at-bats off of the starter unless youre in trouble and youre losing the game," said Baltimores Matt Wietters, elected as a starting catcher but sidelined following elbow surgery. Cheap Tyrone Crawford Jersey. "I think for a while it was trying to get the starter out of the game so you can get to that fifth, sixth, seventh-inning guy. And now those fifth, sixth, seventh-inning guys are throwing upper 90s with a good breaking ball." In addition to pitchers, the spotlight will be on New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter. The shortstop, who turned 40 last month, is playing his final season and was selected for his 14th All-Star game. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera got an emotional sendoff last year, the All-Stars giving him a solo bow. When Rivera entered in the eighth inning all other players left him the field to himself. Cal Ripken Jr. was given a tribute at the start of the 2001 game at Seattles Safeco Field when Alex Rodriguez told Ripken just before the first pitch to switch positions and move from third base to shortstop, where the Baltimore star spent most of his career. The 40-year-old Ripken then homered in the third inning. And two years ago, Atlantas Chipper Jones was feted with a standing ovation at Kauffman Stadium when he pinch hit in the sixth inning and singled. What will Jeters All-Star finale be like? "I dont go into things with expectations," he said. "Im looking forward to playing the game. Ive pretty much stopped it right there." The game is being played in Minneapolis for the third time, following the NLs 6-5 win at Metropolitan Stadium in 1965 and a dull 6-1 NL victory indoors at the Metrodome in 1985. Oakland, a big league-best 59-36 at the break, has seven All-Stars for the first time since 1975. It got another win on Monday night when Yoenis Cespedes beat Cincinnatis Todd Frazier 9-1 in the final round to become the first repeat champion of the Home Run Derby since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 99. The Athletics have some incentive for an AL victory in the All-Star game; since 2003, the winners league gets to start the World Series at home, and 23 of the last 28 titles were won by teams scheduled to host four of a possible seven games. "I dont think you can ever underestimate the home-field advantage in a post-season," said AL manager John Farrell, who led Boston to a six-game win over St. Louis last year. "To have that final game potentially in your home ballpark, that goes a long way to affecting the outcome." ' ' ' |
