return...I have a lot of allegiance and a lot of loyalty to Hor

ARLINGTON, Texas -- If you just looked at the names of the starting pitchers for Wednesdays series finale between Texas and Oakland, it would seem like a no-contest on paper.The Rangers will go with one of their aces in right-hander Yu Darvish (3-3) as they look to complete a three-game sweep of the As. Oakland will counter with rookie left-hander Sean Manaea (4-7). That would seem to give the first-place Rangers a clear advantage when you just look at the names and resumes.The numbers say otherwise though.As good as Darvish had been in his career overall, hes been dreadful against the As. Darvish has made 11 career starts against Oakland and has just one win. Hes 1-8 with a 4.76 ERA and has lost eight straight decisions. The last time Darvish beat Oakland was in 2012.There are signs that Darvish should be able to turn things around this year. For one, hes fresh.I dont think Ive pitched 10 games this season so I dont think Im that tired yet, said Darvish, who turned 30 Tuesday and will make his 10th start of the season against the As.In addition to being fresh, Darvish also comes into the start on a roll. Hes logged five straight quality starts despite going just 1/3 since he returned from the disabled list July 16. He got his first win since coming off the DL for right shoulder discomfort Friday against Detroit and has been among the American League leaders in several pitching categories over the last month. That includes strikeouts, as Darvish has struck out 48 in the six starts. Thats second only to Detroits Justin Verlander in the AL (50) in that timeframe.Darvish, who threw a season-high 107 pitches against the Tigers, isnt thinking about strikeouts when hes out there.I threw a lot of pitches in the first two innings of my start and in my mind I was just trying to get quick outs so I was trying to throw in the strike zone and they were hitting early in the counts and I think that helped, said Darvish, who pitched 6 2/3 innings in that game. Thats me just trying to go deep into the game.Like Darvish, Manaea knows a thing of two about strikeouts. Hes second among AL rookies in strikeouts with 87 despite missing two weeks in June with a left pronator strain.Seventeen of those strikeouts have come against the Rangers, as Manaea has faced Texas three times this year and has as many career wins against Texas in that time as Darvish does against Oakland. Manaea is 1-0 against Texas with a 3.06 ERA in his three starts.Oakland manager Bob Melvin didnt want to divulge whats made Manaea so tough against the Rangers, but he did stress how mature the 24-year-old is.Hes just pitching better against everybody right now, Melvin said. Early on he had some more difficult outings. Hes just getting comfortable in the big leagues. When he sees teams a second time, he knows a little bit more so how to pitch guys. I think hes just getting better and better and more comfortable in the big leagues, not just against a particular team. Nike Shox Ireland . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Nike Shox Sale Outlet . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. http://www.cheapnikeshoxireland.com/ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Wholesale Nike Shox Shoes . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Nike Shox Clearance Wholesale . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy.Craig MacTavish promised to make changes to the Edmonton Oilers over the offseason and it may start with two of the teams long-standing veterans. In an interview with Team 1260 Radio in Edmonton on Thursday, the new general manager suggested that captain Shawn Horcoff and winger Ales Hemsky could be done with the club. "I think both those players are at a similar crossroads," MacTavish told the radio station. "Sometimes change is good for both the organization and the player, but at the same time theyre valuable players and were not in a position where were able to move them without getting something substantial in return...I have a lot of allegiance and a lot of loyalty to Horc and to Ales. I have a lot of respect for both those players. But from both those perspectives,, I think the ideal scenario would be to move them on and wish them the best in their next destination.ddddddddddddquot; Hemsky, 29, was in his 10th season with the Oilers and has one year left on a two-year, $10 million contract he signed last summer. In 38 games this season, he scored nine goals and added 11 assists. He has 17 points in 30 career playoff games with the Oilers and helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06. Horcoff, 34, scored seven goals and 12 points in 31 games this season and will make $5.5 million a year through the 2014-15 season. "Would we welcome those players back if the right circumstance presented itself? Absolutely," added MacTavish. "But I think in talking to both those players, I think the best situation would be to move on." ' ' '