CHICAGO -- Miguel Cabrera probably shouldnt even have been playing Wednesday. Bailey Howell Jersey . Hard to tell, though, after the aching slugger hit a majestic three-run homer in the third inning to spark the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With a day game following an extra-inning night game, and with a crucial five-game series against a division rival coming up this weekend, the rest would have been a prudent prescription for the leg injury Cabreras been playing with for several days. "He actually has a shin thats all black and blue," Jim Leyland said. "It terrible, its terrible looking, but it actually looked a little bit better today. Hes still pretty sore. As a manager, you almost feel bad playing him. I can tell that hes hurting, but he wanted to play today, so I put him in there." Leyland certainly didnt feel bad about the decision afterward. The home run erased an early three-run deficit and gave the Tigers some much needed momentum. "Hes been banged up for about a week," teammate Torii Hunter said of Cabrera. "Miggy, instead of him having to run, he just hits the home run." Cabrera has homered in five of the last six games. Despite allowing a season-high 11 hits, Tigers starter Rick Porcello (9-6) allowed just three runs in six innings. Porcello hasnt lost a decision since June 30 at Tampa Bay. Porcello got off to a miserable start, giving up three runs on four hits in the first inning. Worse, he needed 40 pitches to get the first three outs of the game. Avisail Garcia, and Conor Gillaspie had run-scoring singles, with the other run coming on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Keppinger. After Cabrera tied the score with his 38th homer, the Tigers broke the game open in the top of the sixth, thanks to some clutch hitting and a White Sox miscue. Omar Infante drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and the final two runs came courtesy of an error by Gillaspie, the third baseman. The White Sox added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a run-scoring single by Alexei Ramirez to make it 6-4. Taking no chances, Leyland brought in closer Joaquin Benoit with one out in the eighth. Benoit then proceeded to strike out Adam Dunn and Garcia to end the inning without further damage. He worked out of another jam in the ninth inning for his 15th save in 15 chances. Even though it occurred in the third inning, the talk of the postgame was Cabreras homer off of White Sox starter John Danks (2-10). "He was quick on it," Leyland said. "He just fired his hands -- it looked like a cutter -- and he just pulled his hands in and they were like lightening through the zone. Hes remarkable." Said Danks: "Bad pitch to him. I got him out the first time and I tried to go a little farther inside. I dont think it would have been called a strike." The way Hunter sees it, thats the key. Pitchers dont want to throw Cabrera fat pitches in the strike zone. "Some of those pitches are balls and hes still hitting them out," Hunter said. Cabrera, in his bid for an historic second straight Triple Crown, leads the American League in batting average (.360) and is in a tight battle with Baltimores Chris Davis for home runs and RBIs. With his blast on Wednesday, Cabrera has 114 RBIs. Hunter believes Cabrera is actually having a better season this year. "No doubt," he said. "I wasnt here last year, but hes definitely better this year than last." NOTES: Manager Robin Ventura gave White Sox veteran Paul Konerko the day off. "Guys at that age get a little tighter a day game after a night game," Ventura said. "Let him have a little spa day." . Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 11 games. . The White Sox open a series at Minnesota Thursday night with RHP Andre Rienzo (0-0) facing RHP Mike Pelfrey (7-11). The Tigers are home for the start of a five-game series with the Royals, with RHP Anibal Sanchez (10-7) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (12-8). Elvin Hayes Jersey .J. -- Pete Carroll said it was the suspension of linebacker Bruce Irvin last spring that finally got the attention of the rest of the Seattle Seahawks that they needed to be taking their commitment to the team more seriously. Calbert Cheaney Jersey . New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining. SAN ANTONIO -- "Beat the Heat!" had a whole new meaning in a sweltering start to the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat the Heat 110-95 on Thursday night in Game 1 at steamy AT&T Center. With an air conditioning failure making it feel like a sauna and causing James to battle cramps that knocked him out of the decisive stretch, the Spurs pulled away to win the opener of the first finals rematch since 1998. "After I came out of the game, they kind of took off," James said. "And it was frustrating sitting out and not be able to help our team." Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 11 assists, Tony Parker added 19 points and eight assists and the Spurs -- 6 for 6 in NBA Finals Game 1s -- shot 59 per cent. "Just very proud of my team," Parker said. "We kept believing, kept pushing. We know its not easy." They host Game 2 on Sunday -- likely in cooler conditions. James finished with 25 points but played only 33 minutes, and Miami was outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter. "It sucks not being out there for your team, especially at this point in the season," James said. Dwyane Wade had 19 points and Chris Bosh added 18, but the Heat wilted in temperatures that soared to 90 degrees in the second half. "It was tough on both teams," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out. ... It was really hot out there." James, who had cramping issues two years ago in the finals, had to ask for a break in the fourth quarter and was getting treatment during a 15-4 Spurs run that turned around the game. James came back in and made a basket that cut it to two points with about 4 minutes left, but couldnt even run back on defence, promptly putting his hand up and lingering at the baseline until help arrived to take him off for good. "I think it felt like a punch in the gut when you see your leader limping like that back to the bench," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Danny Green followed with 3-pointer to trigger what became a 16-3 run to end the game. "You could see the heat was getting to a lot of guys. If I played as many minutes as he did, Id probably be cramping up, too," said Green, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the final quarter. The ccrowd chanted "Beat the Heat! Beat the Heat!" late in the game, which was just what the fans themselves were trying to do. Phil Chenier Jersey. The Spurs said an electrical failure for the power that runs the air conditioning system had occurred. They apologized for the inconvenience but also seemed to poke fun of it, playing songs with "hot" in the lyrics over the sound system. Fans were trying to cool themselves on the hot night, a reminder of what it was like in the old Boston Garden when the Celtics and Lakers got together. The Heat are the first team since those Celtics of 1984-87 to get to four straight finals. They are well-rested after a relatively easy roll through the Eastern Conference playoffs, a key to keeping Wade healthy entering the finals. James was the MVP of the series last year when the Heat rallied from five points down in the final half-minute of regulation to win Game 6 in overtime, then won a Game 7 that was close the whole way for their second straight championship. A rematch was widely anticipated and was close almost throughout. The Heat led 86-79 after Boshs four-point play with 9:38 remaining in the game, but it was all San Antonio from there, and Wade said there were problems even beyond James absence. "Obviously, tonight we wouldve loved to have him in there to finish the game, but weve got to finish the game better," Wade said. The Spurs ended up extending their NBA-record streak to eight straight home playoff wins by 15 or more points. Their roster is filled with international players, such as Parker and Ginobili, who both said they were used to playing without air conditioning overseas. Bosh, scoreless in Game 7 last year, scored Miamis first five points in the Heats 7-2 start. But Ginobili came off the bench firing, making consecutive 3-pointers for an 18-13 lead. Wade and James combined for six straight points before Ginobili made another 3, and Patty Mills added one to close the first-quarter scoring and give the Spurs a 26-20 advantage. The Spurs committed nine turnovers while managing only 20 points in the third quarter, and Miami led 78-74 heading to the fourth. Notes: James joined Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the only players with 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in the post-season. ... Ray Allen moved past Bryant and Derek Fisher into second place on the career list with 49 3-pointers in the NBA Finals. Robert Horry, a former Spurs forward, is the leader with 56. ' ' '
CHICAGO -- Miguel Cabrera probably shouldnt even have been playing Wednesday. Bailey Howell Jersey . Hard to tell, though, after the aching slugger hit a majestic three-run homer in the third inning to spark the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With a day game following an extra-inning night game, and with a crucial five-game series against a division rival coming up this weekend, the rest would have been a prudent prescription for the leg injury Cabreras been playing with for several days. "He actually has a shin thats all black and blue," Jim Leyland said. "It terrible, its terrible looking, but it actually looked a little bit better today. Hes still pretty sore. As a manager, you almost feel bad playing him. I can tell that hes hurting, but he wanted to play today, so I put him in there." Leyland certainly didnt feel bad about the decision afterward. The home run erased an early three-run deficit and gave the Tigers some much needed momentum. "Hes been banged up for about a week," teammate Torii Hunter said of Cabrera. "Miggy, instead of him having to run, he just hits the home run." Cabrera has homered in five of the last six games. Despite allowing a season-high 11 hits, Tigers starter Rick Porcello (9-6) allowed just three runs in six innings. Porcello hasnt lost a decision since June 30 at Tampa Bay. Porcello got off to a miserable start, giving up three runs on four hits in the first inning. Worse, he needed 40 pitches to get the first three outs of the game. Avisail Garcia, and Conor Gillaspie had run-scoring singles, with the other run coming on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Keppinger. After Cabrera tied the score with his 38th homer, the Tigers broke the game open in the top of the sixth, thanks to some clutch hitting and a White Sox miscue. Omar Infante drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and the final two runs came courtesy of an error by Gillaspie, the third baseman. The White Sox added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a run-scoring single by Alexei Ramirez to make it 6-4. Taking no chances, Leyland brought in closer Joaquin Benoit with one out in the eighth. Benoit then proceeded to strike out Adam Dunn and Garcia to end the inning without further damage. He worked out of another jam in the ninth inning for his 15th save in 15 chances. Even though it occurred in the third inning, the talk of the postgame was Cabreras homer off of White Sox starter John Danks (2-10). "He was quick on it," Leyland said. "He just fired his hands -- it looked like a cutter -- and he just pulled his hands in and they were like lightening through the zone. Hes remarkable." Said Danks: "Bad pitch to him. I got him out the first time and I tried to go a little farther inside. I dont think it would have been called a strike." The way Hunter sees it, thats the key. Pitchers dont want to throw Cabrera fat pitches in the strike zone. "Some of those pitches are balls and hes still hitting them out," Hunter said. Cabrera, in his bid for an historic second straight Triple Crown, leads the American League in batting average (.360) and is in a tight battle with Baltimores Chris Davis for home runs and RBIs. With his blast on Wednesday, Cabrera has 114 RBIs. Hunter believes Cabrera is actually having a better season this year. "No doubt," he said. "I wasnt here last year, but hes definitely better this year than last." NOTES: Manager Robin Ventura gave White Sox veteran Paul Konerko the day off. "Guys at that age get a little tighter a day game after a night game," Ventura said. "Let him have a little spa day." . Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 11 games. . The White Sox open a series at Minnesota Thursday night with RHP Andre Rienzo (0-0) facing RHP Mike Pelfrey (7-11). The Tigers are home for the start of a five-game series with the Royals, with RHP Anibal Sanchez (10-7) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (12-8). Elvin Hayes Jersey .J. -- Pete Carroll said it was the suspension of linebacker Bruce Irvin last spring that finally got the attention of the rest of the Seattle Seahawks that they needed to be taking their commitment to the team more seriously. Calbert Cheaney Jersey . New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining. SAN ANTONIO -- "Beat the Heat!" had a whole new meaning in a sweltering start to the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat the Heat 110-95 on Thursday night in Game 1 at steamy AT&T Center. With an air conditioning failure making it feel like a sauna and causing James to battle cramps that knocked him out of the decisive stretch, the Spurs pulled away to win the opener of the first finals rematch since 1998. "After I came out of the game, they kind of took off," James said. "And it was frustrating sitting out and not be able to help our team." Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 11 assists, Tony Parker added 19 points and eight assists and the Spurs -- 6 for 6 in NBA Finals Game 1s -- shot 59 per cent. "Just very proud of my team," Parker said. "We kept believing, kept pushing. We know its not easy." They host Game 2 on Sunday -- likely in cooler conditions. James finished with 25 points but played only 33 minutes, and Miami was outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter. "It sucks not being out there for your team, especially at this point in the season," James said. Dwyane Wade had 19 points and Chris Bosh added 18, but the Heat wilted in temperatures that soared to 90 degrees in the second half. "It was tough on both teams," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out. ... It was really hot out there." James, who had cramping issues two years ago in the finals, had to ask for a break in the fourth quarter and was getting treatment during a 15-4 Spurs run that turned around the game. James came back in and made a basket that cut it to two points with about 4 minutes left, but couldnt even run back on defence, promptly putting his hand up and lingering at the baseline until help arrived to take him off for good. "I think it felt like a punch in the gut when you see your leader limping like that back to the bench," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Danny Green followed with 3-pointer to trigger what became a 16-3 run to end the game. "You could see the heat was getting to a lot of guys. If I played as many minutes as he did, Id probably be cramping up, too," said Green, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the final quarter. The ccrowd chanted "Beat the Heat! Beat the Heat!" late in the game, which was just what the fans themselves were trying to do. Phil Chenier Jersey. The Spurs said an electrical failure for the power that runs the air conditioning system had occurred. They apologized for the inconvenience but also seemed to poke fun of it, playing songs with "hot" in the lyrics over the sound system. Fans were trying to cool themselves on the hot night, a reminder of what it was like in the old Boston Garden when the Celtics and Lakers got together. The Heat are the first team since those Celtics of 1984-87 to get to four straight finals. They are well-rested after a relatively easy roll through the Eastern Conference playoffs, a key to keeping Wade healthy entering the finals. James was the MVP of the series last year when the Heat rallied from five points down in the final half-minute of regulation to win Game 6 in overtime, then won a Game 7 that was close the whole way for their second straight championship. A rematch was widely anticipated and was close almost throughout. The Heat led 86-79 after Boshs four-point play with 9:38 remaining in the game, but it was all San Antonio from there, and Wade said there were problems even beyond James absence. "Obviously, tonight we wouldve loved to have him in there to finish the game, but weve got to finish the game better," Wade said. The Spurs ended up extending their NBA-record streak to eight straight home playoff wins by 15 or more points. Their roster is filled with international players, such as Parker and Ginobili, who both said they were used to playing without air conditioning overseas. Bosh, scoreless in Game 7 last year, scored Miamis first five points in the Heats 7-2 start. But Ginobili came off the bench firing, making consecutive 3-pointers for an 18-13 lead. Wade and James combined for six straight points before Ginobili made another 3, and Patty Mills added one to close the first-quarter scoring and give the Spurs a 26-20 advantage. The Spurs committed nine turnovers while managing only 20 points in the third quarter, and Miami led 78-74 heading to the fourth. Notes: James joined Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the only players with 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in the post-season. ... Ray Allen moved past Bryant and Derek Fisher into second place on the career list with 49 3-pointers in the NBA Finals. Robert Horry, a former Spurs forward, is the leader with 56. ' ' '