Offtopic/fun » Toronto, against which he has a

DAVIE, Fla. -- The outlook is cloudy for the Miami Dolphins offense, so its no surprise rain began to fall during practice Monday, making it difficult to hold onto the ball, much less advance it up the field.How did the Dolphins do?We didnt look good enough, offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. I was disappointed. Were going to play in some rain games, and that was great work for us. But we fumbled a couple of snaps, and thats unacceptable.Alas, the offense hasnt looked good in dry weather, either. Christensens unit was manhandled in an early training camp scrimmage, and in a brief test in the exhibition opener Friday at the Giants, the first-team offense netted 8 yards in seven snaps.Theres been no sign of improvement from last year, when Miami ranked 28th in points and went 6-10. Progress needs to come soon, Christensen said.Weve got to protect our quarterback better, weve got to run it better, weve got to throw and catch it better, weve got to do everything better, he said. These next two weeks, if we dont see some big improvements, then we better get a little bit nervous.The Dolphins play Friday at Dallas and on Aug. 25 against Atlanta in Orlando. It would be fair to predict the starters will see more action in those games, except Christensen and head coach Adam Gase arent sure who some of the starters are.Both guard jobs remain open, and theres a competition between Jay Ajayi and Arian Foster at running back. Its difficult to evaluate personnel, Christensen said, because the offense is not yet operating at full speed while learning a new playbook from a new coaching staff.Theres too much thinking, he said. Weve given them a lot to think about it, and it slows folks down. We look like a team thats thinking and making sure were trying to do the right thing.As a result, familiar problems persist, with blocking the most worrisome issue. The line has struggled to protect Ryan Tannehill in practice, and the Giants pressured him plenty.Some observers wonder why first-round draft pick Laremy Tunsil keeps lining up with the second team at guard, while holdovers Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner work with the first unit despite their shaky play in the past. But first-year coach Gase said he wants his staff to thoroughly assess every player on the roster.I know everybody is really itching to fire everybody and bench everybody, Gase said. But everybody has a fresh start with this crew. Our job is to evaluate what we see. Anything that happened in the past is irrelevant. It doesnt matter to me. Every guy is going to get a true evaluation, and well make our final decision before the first game of the season. This is going to be the process that we go through.Christensen said the line will be fine by the time the season begins Sept. 11. The group includes four former first-round picks -- Tunsil, tackles Branden Albert and JaWuan James, and center Mike Pouncey.I think were going to end up with not only a good offensive line, but a deep one, Christensen said. Were going to end up pretty good.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-winePhiladelphia Phillies Shirts .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Fake Phillies Jerseys . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/ . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. Philadelphia Phillies Pro Shop . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Philadelphia Phillies Gear . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series.Thirty days has September, April, June and November -- except for when September has 35 days, like this year.Thats right, for a limited time only, the baseball gods have extended September to give us 17 percent MORE (MORE, MORe, MOre, More, more ...) pennant race baseball in the American League East. Or should I say, the AL Beast. Because starting on Aug. 29 and ending on Oct. 2, super-September is going to be a bear for the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles (and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, for that matter), as the three contenders in MLBs most contentious pennant race will take turns bludgeoning each other repeatedly during the final megamonth of the season.Over the next five weeks, Toronto plays a dozen games against Boston and Baltimore (six each), and Boston plays Baltimore seven times in what should be a supremely entertaining stretch run that will ultimately determine the division champion -- and possibly a wild card or two.Heres a preview of the pennant pugilism that awaits:TORONTO BLUE JAYSCurrent standing: 74-56, first placeHead-to-head history: 7-6 vs. Boston, 7-6 vs. BaltimoreWhy theyll flourish: A year after becoming the first team ever to score 12 million runs in a season (give or take), the Blue Jays offense is still pretty darned good (4.9 runs per game, second in the American League). But its their surprising starters that have been the difference-maker this season. Led by Cy Young contender J.A. Happ, Torontos starting five six boasts a 3.76 ERA, the best in the American League by a bunch. In fact, no other rotation has an ERA below four.Why theyll flounder: The Jays and Red Sox are practically twins. Both feature stacked offenses and solid rotations. Both have bullpen issues. Both have square-jawed 54-year-old skippers named John. So it could come down to the little things -- such as schedules. Aside from 13 games against the Yanks and Rays (Boston and Baltimore have that too), Toronto gets a seven-game West Coast swing featuring the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels, two teams that theyre a combined 2-4 against this season. The Red Sox head West too but get the gift that is the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres, while the Os host the Arizona Diamondbacks and visit the Detroit Tigers. Disadvantage, Blue Jays.X factor: Jose Bautista?has been banged up. Michael Saunders has cooled off. And since being acquired in a deadline deal, the artist formerly known as B.J. Upton has been, well, the artist formerly known as B.J. Upton. In other words, the outfield situation is less solid than dried ice. If Joey Bats can stay healthy and get back to doing Joey Bats things, itll go a long way toward helping the Jays become the first AL East team to make back-to-back postseasons since the Yankees in 2011 and 2012.Stat that matters: .914. Thats the current OPS of Edwin Encarnacion, whos on pace to finish above .900 again. If he does, hell join Mike Trout as the only AL players to do so (assuming Trout doesnt go in the tank) in each of the past five seasons.BOSTON RED SOXCurrent standing: 72-58, second place (two games behind); in possession of first AL wild cardHead-to-head history: 6-7 vs. Toronto, 6-6 vs. BaltimoreWhy theyll flourish: Lumber, lumber and more lumber. As ridiculous as the 2015 Toronto offense was, Bostons 2016 lineup is even more loaded. Their .815 OPS is more than 40 points higher than the next closest American League team (Baltimore). They have four guys among the ALs top 10 in hitting (Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Xander Bogaerts). And apparenntly its contagious: Sandy Leon, a backup catcher with a .dddddddddddd187 career average entering this season, is slashing .349/.406/.580. No, really.Why theyll flounder: With an offense like Bostons, getting the lead isnt a problem. Holding it? Thats another story. Injuries to Carson Smith, Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel have crippled the Red Soxs pen, which ranks 11th in the AL in ERA (3.94) and 13th in walk rate (9.5 percent). Kimbrel is back and filthy as ever, but minus Uehara, the setup situation is shakier than the camerawork in a Paul Greengrass movie. So shaky, in fact, that Boston was considering bringing back old friend Jonathan Papelbon. Yikes. Instead, it looks like they might try Clay Buchholz. Double yikes.X factor: Uehara, who strained a pectoral muscle on July 19, threw a 53-pitch bullpen session on Sunday. That would seem to suggest that a September return isnt out of the question. A fully convalesced Koji could cure the pens pain ... or not. Prior to going on the shelf, Uehara served up a whiplash-inducing eight gopher balls in 36 innings.Stat that matters: 0.75. Thats?David Prices WHIP over his past three starts. During those three outings, Price?is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA and hasnt allowed more than two earned runs in any of them, marking the first time this season that Bostons ace has gone three straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer. Translation: Price is peaking when it counts.BALTIMORE ORIOLESCurrent standing: 71-59, third place (three games behind); two games up for second AL wild cardHead-to-head history: 6-7 vs. Toronto, 6-6 vs. BostonWhy theyll flourish: Law of averages says theyre due. The all-or-nothing Os offense set an MLB record for most home runs in June, when they went yard 56 times, and led the majors in batting (.300) and scoring (6.6 runs/game). Since then, the Birds bats have been quieter than a mime in outer space, producing just 4.1 runs a game after the beginning of July (12th in the AL). To make it back to the postseason for the third time in three years, Baltimores offense must bust out again down the stretch.Why theyll flounder: The starting rotation was already, um, challenged. And that was before ace Chris Tillman hit the disabled list with shoulder issues. Things have gotten so bad that Ubaldo Jimenez -- who was banished to the bullpen after being the worst starter in baseball before the break -- is now being asked to pitch massively meaningful games. That includes a Tuesday tilt with Toronto, against which he has a 14.09 ERA this season. It doesnt get more desperate than that.X factor: Historically indestructible center fielder Adam Jones, who turned 31 earlier this month, has been banged up this season (oblique, back) and is having hamstring issues at the exact wrong time. A key contributor on both sides of the ball -- not to mention a five-time All-Star -- Jones is essential to have in the lineup for the Os to stand a chance at overcoming their wreck of a rotation.Stat that matters: 5.07. After posting a 3.12 ERA during the first half (second in the AL), Baltimores bullpen -- which was crucial in carrying the club earlier this season -- is running on fumes. Since the All-Star break, Os relievers have a 5.07 ERA that ranks 29th in the majors.Prediction: Toronto wins the division, Boston gets a wild card and Baltimore gets to take the month of October off -- or at least the last 29 days of it.Scott Lauber contributed reporting to this story.? ' ' '