four games in a row before their two-game win streak. Opponents scored 100 or more points in three of those games. Another c

LOS ANGELES -- On Thursday night, it was Pokemon hunting with his new teammates. On Friday night, Yasiel Puig delivered three hits, including a home run and four RBIs, for Triple-A Oklahoma City.Stressing that he needs to be a better teammate, Puig is doing what he can in that department. The extra-curricular activities are nice, but ultimately, it is on-field production that will matter for the recently demoted Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder.I think I have to be out there more, I have to get involved with my teammates, I have to talk to them, and I have to be nice and be out there with them, Puig told reporters through an interpreter during his introductory news conference Friday at Oklahoma City.The Dodgers sent Puig to the minor leagues on Aug. 2, a day after outfielder Josh Reddick was acquired from the Oakland Athletics. Puigs dwindling offensive production was a major reason the move was made, but his off-field behavior also was cited.Puig joined his new team Sunday, and while there has been plenty of bonding time, it has gone a little too far. The attention-grabbing outfielder already made news this week when posting videos, via Snapchat, of the teams after-hours adventures in Des Moines, Iowa, that included vulgar language and obscene gestures.I really didnt know how to use Snapchat, Puig said. I was just playing around with my teammates. I just did something that was wrong.Missteps aside, Puig is delivering on the field again during his first stint at Triple-A. He played at the Rookie League, ?Class A and Double-A levels before he was called up to the Dodgers in 2013, when he exploded upon the scene and helped carry the club into the playoffs.But his production has declined ever since becoming an All-Star in 2014, and his behavior often befuddled coaches, teammates and the front office.Puig was batting .260 with a .320 on-base percentage and .386 slugging percentage in 81 games this season before he was sent down.When the club told me I was coming to OKC, I took that as their option, Puig said. Thats what they told me. Im here and Im trying to be a better person. Theres a reason why Im here. Im trying to be a better teammate and a better person.If there was a theme to Puigs introductory news conference Friday, it was that he was contrite and willing to do things on others terms, instead of his own.Im here because I was not doing the right things over there, he said. Im here to improve myself; Im here to become a better athlete again. Thats their position. Right now, Im going to focus on being better at the plate, being a better athlete and a better teammate.The Dodgers have heard all this before, though. There still is no guarantee Puig will be back in Los Angeles even if he continues to hit at Oklahoma City, where the regular-season schedule runs to the first week of September. But in four games at OKC, he has built a .438 batting average (7-for-16) with two home runs and six RBIs.The Dodgers can expand their September active roster to include all players from their 40-man roster. But will Puig be in that group of reinforcements?My motivation to go back to the major leagues is be here early, be a better teammate and I have to be better as a person, he said. I know Im not a perfect guy, but I want to be a better teammate. Thats what Im here for.Puig says he has support from players in the Dodgers clubhouse.My friends back in L.A., they text me and tell me this can happen to anyone, Puig said. The best thing you can do right now is focus and do what you need to do and then be a better teammate and also support your team.So he went out in Oklahoma City with teammates again Monday. And while he was active on his smartphone, there were no Snapchat videos this time.Last night, we went Pokemon hunting, he said.All in an effort to be a better teammate.Los Angeles Angels Gear . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Wholesale Angels Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. https://www.cheapangels.com/ . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Cheap Angels Jerseys . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Angels Jerseys 2019 . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost.MINNEAPOLIS -- The Utah Jazz defense is getting stingier as the season progresses.Defensive-minded coach Tom Thibodeau is pleading for his Minnesota Timberwolves to do the same.Utah travels to Minnesota on Monday off one of the most impressive defensive performances of the season in a 95-68 home win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, a matchup of two stiff defensive teams.We try to approach every game like that defensively, said forward Gordon Hayward, who had 24 points. We havent been as successful as we were tonight. We knew it was going to be tough to score against them. We were able to get stops, so we did want to make sure they werent locking in and going against half-court defense all the time. Theyre pretty good when they get to set up like that.The Timberwolves havent figured out the defensive end in their first season with Thibodeau as coach.The young talent is averaging 103.1 points and produces highlight moments offensively. But Thibodeau was brought aboard to develop the teams highly-touted core and get them to play soundly on the defensive end.Minnesota is giving up 103.5 points, good for 15th in the league. The Timberwolves held Phoenix to 85 points in a 98-85 win on Friday, but they lost 115-102 at Golden State on Saturday and lost four of their past five games.I dont get excited about stuff like that, Thibodeau told the Minneapolis Star Tribune when asked about a big dunk by guard Zach LaVine against Phoenix. I get excited about stuff that wins, so I liked our defense. Thats the important thing. I hope we can get to the point where were talking about the things that go into winning and get away from the sideshows.Utahs sstyle isnt one to lead to many highlight-reel plays.dddddddddddd However, the Jazz own the leagues top defense, giving up just 92.8 points, a year after finishing second in the category. Utah opponents are shooting a league-low 42.3 percent from the field this year.In winning their second-straight game, the Jazz held Atlanta to 31.3 percent shooting. Utah outrebound the Hawks 55-40, blocked nine shots, had nine steals and forced 14 turnovers.The Jazz (9-8) held eight opponents to fewer than 90 points this season, with the 68 allowed to Atlanta the lowest of the season.We want to be a really good defensive team, Utah coach Quin Snyder said. We knew we were playing against the best defensive team in the league. We were focused on being disciplined and that was the main thing.The Jazz lost four games in a row before their two-game win streak. Opponents scored 100 or more points in three of those games. Another common theme was the absence of point guard George Hill.Hill missed eight games with a thumb injury but played in the past two contests. Hill scored 23 points against Atlanta.Point guard is a rotation or sorts for Minnesota, recently. Starter Ricky Rubio is still trying to find his form after missing five games with an injury. Rookie Kris Dunn has been the backup, but Tyus Jones sparked the team in a fourth-quarter comeback against Phoenix. He also played the entire fourth quarter against Golden State.Were looking for a spark, Thibodeau said. I thought Ricky gave us a good start and I thought Kris was solid. ' ' '