surrounding area has a unique charm and history if an official ta

LOS ANGELES -- John Danks may have solved his problems away from home. The left-hander and three relievers combined on a two-hitter, Leury Garcia hit his first major league home run and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series. Danks (4-5) allowed only two hits and one run and struck out five in 7 1-3 inning for his first road win in more than six weeks. He entered the game 1-3 with a 6.83 ERA in five road starts this season. "Weve done a lot of mechanical changes and a lot of work on the side in between starts," he said. "Just been trying to stay behind the ball and keep my lanes. I was falling off and it was causing me to lose velocity and lose location, a bad combination. "Ive got to keep working on it, but Im feeling good and I feel like Im on a bit of a roll right now." He also had an infield single in the sixth inning, his second hit in 28 career plate appearances. "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut," he chuckled. "Thats pure luck right there." Dee Gordon led off the first with a bunt single, but Danks didnt allow another hit until the eighth, when Gordon doubled down the left field line to end his night. Danks threw 107 pitches and didnt allow a baserunner past second base. He walked three and hit two batters, but worked around those miscues. "I felt like I was able to make a pitch when I needed to," he said. "It wasnt as sharp as Id like but I guess you can call it effectively wild." A pair of longballs helped put him in position for the win. Garcia was homerless in his first 74 career games, but ended that drought in impressive fashion. The 23-yer old Dominican belted a first-pitch fastball from Josh Beckett deep over the centre field fence, an estimated 400 feet, to stake Chicago to a 1-0 lead. "He has power, its just more of his game is hitting on the ground," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He hit it at the right time of day thats for sure. Ball carries earlier here, if it was later in the night it may not have gone out." Dunn followed Garcia the next inning, hitting a 2-2 cutter into the right field stands for his ninth homer of the season. The Dodgers were able to get on the scoreboard once Danks left the game. Reliever Zach Putnam entered after Gordons double, and walked Yasiel Puig. Gordon came home on a Hanley Ramirez fielders choice. Scott Downs then entered and induced Adrian Gonzalez to ground out to end the threat. Chicago closer Ronald Belisario slammed the door on his former team in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his fifth save and sending the Dodgers to their sixth loss in eight games. "I really think you should talk to (the players), Im tired of answering questions honestly," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Were just not that good. Were just not getting it done." Beckett (3-3) delivered a quality start but suffered his second consecutive loss since throwing a no-hitter against Philadelphia on May 25. The right-hander went six innings and allowed two runs and nine hits, walked two and struck out six. Relievers Brandon League, Brian Wilson and Jamey Wright each threw a scoreless inning of relief, but the strong pitching wasnt enough for the Dodgers with Danks at his best. Notes: A moment of silence was held before the game for Don Zimmer, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 83. Zimmer played for the Dodgers from 1954-59 and in 1963... Injured Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford went through a full pre-game workout that included batting practice. He is on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle and is eligible to be activated May 12 ... Beckett reached 2,000 career innings after completing the fourth inning ... Ventura successfully challenged a call at third base in the bottom fourth, overturning an earlier safe call and ending the inning. Ventura is now 4 for 11 on challenges this season. Cheap Air Max 97 All Black China . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. Cheap Air Max 97 Black China . The third-seeded Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., was coming off a semifinal appearance at the French Open. She took the opening set before the unseeded American came back for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/cheap-air-max-97-all-red-china/ . As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger. Nike Air Max 97 On Sale . Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night. Cheap Air Max 97 Gold China . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hello Kerry, Hope all is well and youre enjoying your retirement. My question to you is what do referees do in between games to stay physically fit? Do you guys travel with personal trainers? Wondering more about a referees experience between the games travelling and things you did to blow off some steam and de-stress. Take care, Shane Armstrong Shane, Without prejudice and to a man, I have to say that NHL referees and linesmen are the most physically fit group of professional officials you will find in any sport. To be perfectly candid, it wasnt always that way. The good news of today however is that the "donut" box has long since been pushed aside and replaced with a much healthier lifestyle along with a personal commitment to fitness; one that is not only mandatory but fully supported by the NHL Officiating Department. At the very least the speed, size and athleticism of the modern-day NHL player demand this commitment from each member of the officiating team. An excellent income and good standard of living they are able to provide for themselves and their family is also a motivating factor. While the guys dont travel with a personal trainer, the NHL employs David T. Smith in this capacity. Dave (brother of former Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Barry Smith) served as the certified physical therapist and strength/conditioning coach for the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers until he was hired by the NHL to work directly with their officials. Smitty designs a program and schedule for each official to follow throughout the summer months in preparation of a strenuous fitness test they are required to pass on the first day of training camp. A separate program is also provided for maintenance throughout the season and playoffs. Dave not only monitors their fitness throughout the entire year but is also responsible for injury rehabilitation and obtaining medical clearance for an official to return to active duty. Unlike a hockey team that lives and travels together throughout a season, the fact that a total of 77 members of the NHL officiating team are scattered across North America presents somewhat of a challenge for Smitty. Working from his home base in Buffalo, Dave attends games in that city and Toronto to personally touch base with crews assigned there. The demands of commercial air travel throughout the season must be properly managed by each official. Typically, an official flies over 1550,000 miles per season and can be away from home for more than 20 nights a month.dddddddddddd There are no charter flights with meals prepared for an official or any home games, either. Getting the proper rest, diet, fitness and injury management is required of each individual official. Self-discipline is required to meet these challenges. A typical game-day routine would find the officiating crew assemble for a light breakfast and conversation in the Marriott Hotel concierge lounge between 8am and 9am. They then regroup in the hotel health club for a mid-morning workout consisting of light cardio, stretching and some weight training. On non-game-days, each official will balance his workout intensity with a travel schedule that often includes moving on to a different city for back-to-back games. (Officials are required to book travel that finds them arrive in a city no later than Noon on the day of a game.) Post-game unwinding takes place after the crew returns to their hotel, unpacks their sweaty equipment to air dry (in their hotel room) and perhaps make a call home to touch base with the days events. A light meal and a few adult beverages of choice are usually consumed in the hotel bar. If guys have a day off the next day, they might decide to "blow off steam" outside of the hotel. Moderation is always the first and best intention. Each official will manage his down time depending upon personal interests and how his body feels. Thirty of the best cities in North America are frequented. Some warm-weather destinations are visited in the dead of winter where guys can play golf or catch some sun around the pool to recharge their batteries. Each NHL city or the surrounding area has a unique charm and history if an official takes the time to look around and smell the roses. I found sightseeing an enjoyable way to spend free time; whether in Old Montreal; skating on the Canal in Ottawa; a drive, bike ride or hike in the mountains around Calgary or Denver or Sonoma near Phoenix; the sheer beauty of Vancouver no matter where you look; walking the docks of Marina del Rey or Venice Beach near LA ; day trips to Napa wine country or Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco when working a Sharks game; fishing, sailing or golfing on both ocean coasts. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture, Shane, its crucial to maintaining a high level of fitness and proper time management! Oh I almost forgot, NHL officials are paid quite handsomely for the abuse they sometimes take. God, I miss all of it. Have a great weekend everyone and be sure to manage your time wisely. ' ' '