bat with Verlander in which the left-handed hitting catcher

WHISTLER, B.C. -- Fourth place is starting to get old for Canadas Justin Snith and Tristan Walker. The Calgary duo produced their best result of the World Cup luge season Friday, only to fall agonizingly short of the doubles podium for the fourth time in 2013. Snith and Walker were sixth after the first run before blazing to the third fastest time on their second trip down the course to finish just 0.027 seconds out of third. "We know were close. We were definitely closer than we were last year," said Snith, who along with Walker finished fourth in doubles at the 2013 world championship on the same track. "It was just the difference of our first run. We had a couple little skids on the way down and that was the difference between fourth and third." Snith and Walker, who also finished fourth in last seasons final two World Cup events, wound up with a combined two-run time of one minute 13.378 seconds. "The first run had a couple little sloppy mistakes and its been kind of the story of the season so far," said Walker. "Its been frustrating. We know we have so much more to give once you get the two runs combined, but we know were right there." Germanys Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt continued their doubles dominance while extending their lead in the World Cup standings with a third victory in four races this season, finishing first at the Whistler Sliding Centre with a time of 1:13.087. "Its a very good track for us," said Arlt, who paired with Wendl to win gold at last years world championship. "We like it a lot. Its awesome to be here." German teammates Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, the only men to beat Wendl and Arlt this season, were second with a time of 1:13.171 at the venue that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. Austrias Penter Penz and Georg Fischler were third in 1:13.351. Germanys Felix Loch then continued his reign in mens singles at Whistler, winning his third straight race here after finishing his two runs in 1:36.686. Loch, who took the overall lead in the World Cup standings with his second victory of the season, won gold at the 2010 Olympics and again last year at the world championship. "The two runs today were really good," said Loch. "In the first run, a little mistake out of (Turn) 12 but it was not a problem. The second one was really good. "Im happy about the two times." Chris Mazdzer of the United States surprised the field with his first-ever podium, finishing in second at 1:36.978. "I love this track," said a jubilant Mazdzer. "Last year I had my best result of my entire career and this year I upped it." German teammates Andi Langenhan and David Moller were second and third after the first run behind Loch, but a couple of mistakes opened the door for Mazdzer in the frigid conditions on the track perched above this picturesque resort town. "I made myself a little more out of control to go faster and it paid off," he said. "Those were two very sketchy runs, Ill call it. Just kind of out of control, on the verge. Luckily I kept the sled going straight and made it down both times. "There were some times I didnt really know where I was going." Italys Dominik Fischnaller finished third with a time of 1:36.981, while Calgarys Sam Edney wound up sixth for the third straight time this season, 0.420 back of Loch. "Sixth place is a great result again. I know that its that close to the podium," said Edney, whose two runs clocked in at 1:37.106. "Its a matter tenths of a second, which is inspiring and motivating." Snith and Walker started the World Cup season with a disappointing 19th-place finish in Norway before following that up with a 12th-place showing in Austria the following week. The pair got things going last week with a fifth-place finish in Winterberg, Germany, and went one better on Friday. "The second run, right from the start, nailed the start cut," said Snith. "On the way down, no problems, no skids anywhere. I knew it was a good one." Canada has never won an Olympic medal in luge, but is hoping to change that in Sochi in February. Germany is the dominant power in the sport, but Canada is in the mix in all four events -- doubles, mens and womens singles, as well as the team relay, which will be making its debut at the Games. "(The Germans) are just humans, theyre not robots," said Snith. "They will make mistakes and we just have to be ready and capitalize on those opportunities. "Theyre a little bit further away than Id like them to be right now, but if we keep working like the way we have been going and working on the start, Im sure that time difference will come down." Arlt agreed that the Canadians are close to cracking a top-three finish in doubles. "Its getting closer," he said. "Theyre very concentrated and work very hard. Its not (far) to the podium." The womens singles and team relay events go Saturday. Notes: Mitchel Malyk and John Fennell, both of Calgary, finished the mens singles race in 19th and 24th, respectively. ... Snith and Walker cost Canada a chance at a second-straight World Cup medal in the team relay last weekend when they left the gate early in their leg of the race and were disqualified. ... The World Cup luge schedule continues next week in Park City, Utah. ... 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Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. Buy Air Max Australia .com) - Colorado forward P.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Its Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray, the encore. These decisive Game 5s sure are becoming familiar for Verlander. Not so much for the Oakland rookie. Just like last October in Oakland, the Tigers have been pushed to a winner-take-all fifth game in their AL division series against the Athletics. And Detroit will have Verlander on the mound again Thursday night after he pitched a four-hit shutout in the 2012 clincher at the Oakland Coliseum. "Well, you dont pretend. Its not just another game," Verlander said after the Tigers evened the series with an 8-6 win Tuesday at Comerica Park. "The season is on the line. It was on the line for us tonight, too. This whole season, the way we battled and played as a team, comes down to one game, may the best team win. You cant treat it just like another game. Its a little bit different. There is more to it." The As will counter with Gray against Verlander a second time after these two put on a pitching show Saturday night at the Coliseum. "Hes a little bit of a bulldog, hes scared of nothing," manager Bob Melvin said, noting Grays experience on the big stage just last week. "Everything that went on in that game factored into it. ... When he came up, we were into the season and a pennant race already and we threw him right into the fire and right away he pitched very well with a lot of confidence and always has that mound presence." Melvin said he doesnt know how he might use, if at all, 18-game winner and Game 1 loser Bartolo Colon, who is "willing to do anything." He hasnt been ruled out as a reliever. "Obviously we had two great options," Melvin said. Verlander dominated in a thrilling pitchers duel with Gray, who matched the ace as each threw zeros but had nothing to show for it in a 1-0 As win. "Im not really sure we liked what we saw, it was pretty good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Gray. "At least weve seen him now." Verlander is riding a 22-inning post-season scoreless streak against the As, and has 33 strikeouts over the past three playoff matchups with Oakland, 11 in each outing. Not that the As are counting. "Hes been beaten before, it can happen again," third baseman Josh Donaldson said. Verlander acknowledged it would have been great to pitch the playoff opener, while also noting 21-game winner Max Scherzer more than earned the nod. Now, Verlander gets the ball for his most meaningful start this year -- to extend the season Thursday night. "We all have a lot of confidence, were playing at home, we know what were up against in Verlander," As shortstop Jed Lowrie said. "Were all prepared for one, winner-take-all scenario." With Scherzer pitching in relief Tuesday, Verlander became the automatic Game 5 choice for manager Jim Leyland. "Thats kind of why we pitcheed him Game 2 so wed have an option," Leyland said.dddddddddddd "We were in a pretty good comfort zone to pitch Verlander if necessary, and it was necessary because we had to win (Tuesday). Were comfortable any time Verlander goes out there." Both clubs chose to use Wednesday as a full day off without on-field workouts after two long flights in four days. Who to start was quite a choice for 2012 AL Manager of the Year Melvin, whose team is trying to avoid having the season end at the hands of Detroit for the third time in as many postseasons -- last year and also a four-game sweep by the Tigers in the 2006 AL championship series. The last time the As won a winner-take-all post-season game was in Game 7 of the 1973 World Series against the New York Mets. Oakland has lost its last five Game 5s in the AL division series since 2000. The AL West champion As know whats at stake -- and realize full well the challenge of facing Verlander again. Last falls frustrating finish is still fresh for everybody. "We feel like this time we have a better chance to turn the tide," Melvin said. "Its awfully tough to go out there each and every time and consistently beat a team in the fashion that he has with us." Verlander has hardly had the kind of dominant season like he had the past two years, including 2011 when he won both AL MVP and Cy Young Award honours. Yet that hardly affected Leylands decision-making as he insisted Verlanders 13-12 record was hardly indicative of how well he pitched much of the season aside from a couple of rough stretches. Oakland rookie Stephen Vogt delivered a walk-off single in Saturdays win once Verlander was out of the game. But he also had a wild 10-pitch at-bat with Verlander in which the left-handed hitting catcher fouled off the first five pitches and seven in all before striking out to end the seventh. "We can expect pretty much what we saw from him the other night. Hopefully he makes a couple mistakes and were able to capitalize," Vogt said. "Its a tough loss but were not done. We still got one more game. Were not done." Neither are those 48,000-plus fans with their swirling yellow rally towels packing the Coliseum. They are sure to be even more hyped up and fiery Thursday night after watching a disputed home run at Comerica Park in Tuesdays loss. On that play, a pair of fans reached out to grab the ball as right fielder Josh Reddick was leaping for it at the wall. The homer went to replay review and stood as a solo shot for Victor Martinez in the seventh. "We just do it like we have been doing it all season long, we end up winning a pretty good ballgame and its over, turn the page," Martinez said. "We go to Oakland now and play another game. We all know its a tough place to play ... we go to the next day and play a brand new ballgame and see what happens." ' ' '