mention anything to the umpire and he knows its a strike, that tells you how much his ball is moving and how fine it is, Maddon said. When Im watching from the side and I see that, I know h

Greater Western Sydney have lost their most experienced player for their AFL preliminary final, with forward Steve Johnson accepting a one-match ban.Johnson risked missing the grand final if the Giants challenged the sanction for a shoulder bump to the head of Sydneys Josh Kennedy in Saturdays qualifying final.The ball had left the area when contact was made and the blow stunned Kennedy, who left the field for a concussion test.He returned and played out the game but it was not enough to save Johnson, with the incident classed as careless conduct with medium impact to the head.The 33-year-olds early guilty plea on Tuesday means he will now miss the September 24 preliminary final against either Hawthorn or the Western Bulldogs at Spotless Stadium.It marks the second time Johnson has been ruled out of a playoff game through suspension, having missed an elimination final in 2012.Johnsons glittering 275-game career makes him one of the most important players in the Giants maiden finals campaign.The 2007 Norm Smith medallist has played all but one game this season, booting 43 goals.Giants ruckman Shane Mumford will be free to play in the preliminary final after escaping sanction for a hard tackle on Kurt Tippett which left the Swans forward rattled.The match review panel determined Tippetts head did not hit the ground during the tackle.Tippett was diagnosed with a fractured jaw but the MRP found he had sustained the injury during a ruck contest earlier in the game.NMD R1 Sale Australia . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. Wholesale NMD . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/nmd-r1-shoes-australia.html . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. NMD Human Race Australia . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Ultra Boost 4.0 Sale Australia . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies.If baseball momentum is the next days starting pitcher, the Cleveland Indians still very much like their chances of sending the Chicago Cubs home for the winter without a World Series trophy for the 109th consecutive season.Corey Kluber, who is 2-0 in the World Series against the Cubs and won Games 1 and 4, takes the mound for the Indians on Wednesday night in a Fall Classic finale long on historic heft.Kluber pitched six innings in both starts and allowed zero runs, but a second consecutive outing on short rest -- three days instead of the customary four -- adds a physical and mental variable to the pressure-packed spotlight moment.Its been a blast, said Kluber, the low-key ace of the Indians. I think that weve all really enjoyed ourselves. I think we can take a lot from the way we approached it and not treating it more than just each game is another game and trying to go out and win that day. Not trying to look too far ahead or things like that. I think theres value to taking that approach throughout the course of a season, too.Manager Terry Francona might gladly shred his Game 6 scorecard, with two home runs propelling the Cubs to a 7-0 lead in the fourth inning en route to a 9-3 win. The Indians are chasing their own ghosts after squandering a 3-1 series lead. Cleveland last won the World Series in 1948.Kluber is looking to match the feat of Mickey Lolich, who won Game 7 after starting the first and fourth games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968. Kluber is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA this postseason, and he gave the Indians -- and American League -- home-field advantage by winning the All-Star Game in San Diego.Good players, good pitchers, can do special things, and hes in that category, Francona said.Awakened from a 22-inning slumber, the Cubs are racking up runs much the way they did as the National Leagues best offense in the regular season, when manager Joe Maddon led the team to the Central Division title by 19 games.With designated hitter Kyle Schwarber back in a shuffled lineup, the Cubs are expected to field a similar lineup to the one that Kluber dominated at Progressive Field in Game 1. Kluber and the Indians lights-out bullpen teamed to strike out 15 in the World Series opener.Ten consecutive World Series that began 3-1 were lost by the team facing that deficit.For the Cubs to be the first team since the 1985?Kansas City Royals?to escape such a hole, Maddon cited early offfense and the bullpen as the best way to make history.ddddddddddddnother flat-line righty, Kyle Hendricks, starts for the Cubs in Game 7. At windy Wrigley Field on Saturday, he lacked command of his high-movement arsenal but kept Chicago in the game. Hendricks led the NL in ERA (2.05) and keeps the ball down to prevent big rallies.This is the ultimate dream, Hendricks said. You dream of getting to the World Series, winning the World Series. When youre out in your backyard as a kid, playing Little League at the field with your friends, this is the moment you dream about, Game 7, 3-2, two outs, something like that, bottom of the ninth. But its always Game 7 of the World Series.Maddon wants to ride his starter in the deciding game but explained to his entire pitching staff that all hands will be on deck. Jon Lester and John Lackey are definitely available in relief, Maddon said, if Hendricks finds trouble. After using closer Aroldis Chapman for eight outs in Game 5, and going to him in the seventh inning again in Game 6, Maddon might need to be creative to finish the seventh game.However, with Hendricks on the hill, the Cubs will be fairly certain early in the game whether their starter has his A-game.If you see the hitter blink or take a pitch that is obviously a strike, and he does not mention anything to the umpire and he knows its a strike, that tells you how much his ball is moving and how fine it is, Maddon said. When Im watching from the side and I see that, I know hes going to have a good night.The middle of the Cubs batting order was reconfigured in Game 6 with Schwarber, who tagged Kluber for a double in Game 1, batting ahead of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. Bryant homered Tuesday for the second game in a row but is hitless in eight at-bats with three strikeouts against Kluber.Clevelands offense gets a second look at Hendricks on Wednesday, and two players -- third baseman Jose Ramirez and shortstop Francisco Lindor -- have two hits in two at-bats against him. The Indians had six hits, two walks and one batter hit by a pitch facing Hendricks last week.Im just going to embrace the opportunity like I have the rest of this postseason, honestly, Hendricks said. Approach it like any other game, simple thoughts, the same old thing. ' ' '