te credibility in his new locker room. Rivers Boston teams played at a more

SEATTLE -- What can Gary Sanchez do for an encore?The New York Yankees rookie catcher, and blossoming star, keeps raising the bar higher every night. All he did Monday was earn American League player of the week honors and then hit two homers in a 7-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners.Its been unbelievable, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after Sanchez went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and threw a runner out trying to steal second. The way hes swung the bat. The way he plays defense. ... Hes been extremely impressive.Sanchez and the Yankees (64-60) will be back at Safeco Field on Tuesday night, led by a starting pitcher who pitches pretty well in the stadium. Veteran left-hander CC Sabathia, who is scheduled to start Tuesday, has an all-time record of 8-1 and a career ERA of 2.16 at Safeco Field.That might not matter much if the 36-year-old southpaw cant shake his recent struggles. Sabathia is 2-6 with a 6.78 ERA over his past 11 starts, giving up 13 home runs in that span.That might generate some excitement for a Seattle team that hit three home runs in the Monday win over the Yankees.Win by the home run, die by the home run, Seattle manager Scott Servais said afterward.The Yankees (63-61) hit four homers in the loss, all of them coming against Seattle starter Cody Martin. Having spent most of the season at Triple-A Tacoma, Martin might be sent back there before Tuesdays game if the Mariners decide to bring right-hander Taijuan Walker back to start the game against the Yankees. The team had not announced a Tuesday starter as of late Monday night, but Walker (4-7, 4.10 ERA) looks like the most likely option. Hes made three starts in Tacoma since being demoted earlier this month, and the team could bring the former top prospect back up for the long haul.How Walker fares down the stretch could be a big factor in whether the Mariners (67-57) are able to stay in the AL wild-card race. Another key is 22-year-old closer Edwin Diaz, who has converted all 10 of his save opportunities this season but has struggled in each of his past three outings.Like the Yankees Sanchez, Diaz has brought a rookie fascination to his teams fan base. Hes instantly become one of the most popular players on the Mariners, with a 100-mile-an-hour fastball coming from a rather slight frame, and Seattles ascent into the playoff hunt has coincided with Diaz taking over for struggling closer Steve Cishek at the beginning of August.Diaz was almost unhittable for his first two weeks as a closer, but he allowed three total runs in back-to-back outings before Servais gave him a two-game break over the weekend. Fill-in closer Tom Wilhelmsen blew Sundays game with a four-run ninth inning, then Diaz returned to action in Mondays series opener and quickly pitched himself into trouble with a walk, a one-out single and a balk. But the rookie phenom wiggled out of it to strand runners on second and third base in the 7-5 win.The fastball right now is a little bit of a challenge, Servais said, but he regrouped. Thats what happens when youre 22 years old. Hell learn.Wholesale Custom Mavericks Shirts . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Custom Mavericks Jerseys . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. http://www.custommavericksjersey.com/ . 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After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round.LOS ANGELES -- After weeks of negotiations and intrigue, Doc Rivers has officially left the Boston Celtics for the Los Angeles Clippers. Rivers will be introduced as the Clippers new coach and senior vice-president of basketball operations at a news conference Wednesday at their Playa Vista training complex, capping a lengthy process by completing a rare trade involving a championship-winning coach. The Clippers and Celtics finalized the move Tuesday when the NBA approved the deal. Boston will get an unprotected first-round pick in 2015 from the Clippers for Rivers, who went 416-305 and won the 2008 NBA title during nine seasons with the Celtics. Bostons front office mostly had warm words for Rivers after he took off for his exciting new team on the West Coast, apparently not eager to stick around for the aging Celtics rebuilding process. "We dont have a championship without Doc Rivers coaching," said Danny Ainge, the Celtics president of basketball operations. "He did an unbelievable job. He has a long history of great success with us in the last nine years, and we wish him the best in Los Angeles." Rivers is likely to be the NBAs highest-paid coach with the deal, and hell also have a prominent role in the Clippers front office with his additional title. Clippers owner Donald Sterling will expect impressive results for such an investment, but his long-suffering franchise has never been in better shape on the court -- providing Los Angeles re-signs Chris Paul, who is eligible for a five-year contract worth nearly $108 million in July. Paul is widely expected to stick with the Clippers, and Rivers arrival might cinch the deal. With Boston likely to spend the next few years revamping, Rivers seized the chance to take over one of the leagues most compelling young teams. He was eagerly pursued by the Clippers, who are coming off the best regular season in franchise history with a roster built around Blake Griffin and Paul. "He felt like it was time for a change," Ainge said. "He felt like we all needed a change. That was his rationalization or justification for going to the Clippers, that this was better for everybody. I dont think there should be any resentment. I know how Boston fans are. This may be a win-win for everybody." The 51-year-old Rivers replaces Vinny Del Negro, who wasnt re-signed after the Clippers won a franchise-record 56 games and their first Pacific Division title last season. Los Angeles first-round playoff loss to Memphis likely cost Del Negro, who went 128-102 over three years and became the only Clippers coach to post consecutive winning seasons in 35 years. Rivers new deal is expected to be similar to the three years and $21 million thhat remained on his contract with the Celtics.dddddddddddd Boston was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by New York last month, and Rivers gradually became more interested in the Clippers vacancy than the Celtics rebuilding process. The negotiations for Rivers proceeded deliberately and abruptly over the past two weeks, with several potential moves discussed by the franchises. Ainge would have welcomed Rivers back to the Boston bench, but Rivers apparently saw the Clippers as a golden opportunity. "Sometimes youve got to let your good people go to pursue what they need to pursue to make themselves happy," Celtics President Rich Gotham said. "While its tough to see Doc go, I think we feel good about what he did here. We will be lucky to find as good a coach as Doc was." Los Angeles also spoke to Boston about acquiring star forward Kevin Garnett in another element of the trade involving Rivers, but NBA Commissioner David Stern wont allow teams to trade active players for a coach. Garnett and Southern California native Paul Pierce wont be reuniting with Rivers in Los Angeles any time soon: Ainge said the NBA has forbidden player trades between the two teams for the rest of the year, and both aging stars are under contract for next season. Garnett has discussed the possibility of retirement with two years and over $23.5 million left on his deal, while Pierce is due to make $15.3 million next season. Rivers played one season for the Clippers in 1991-92 during his 13-year NBA career, and they made the playoffs that season for the first time since the former Buffalo Braves moved to the West Coast in 1978. Los Angeles has made only five playoff appearances and won just two rounds since that season. But the Clippers are coming off the best two-season stretch in club history, and Rivers arrival further alters the franchises decades-long reputation. Rivers will be an intriguing match with the high-flying Clippers and their Lob City acrobatics, but his coaching pedigree and leadership skills will provide him with immediate credibility in his new locker room. Rivers Boston teams played at a more deliberate pace than last seasons Clippers often used last season, but the veteran coach is likely to adapt his offensive plans to fit the Clippers talent. Rivers impact on Los Angeles could be felt most on defence, where the Clippers often struggled last season despite their lofty record. After his playing career ended in 1996, Rivers went into broadcasting before serving as the Orlando Magics head coach for just over four seasons from 1999-2003, going 171-168 and winning an NBA coach of the year award. He is one of four active NBA coaches who have won a championship. ' ' '