Willkommen im Antares Forum » games in this tournament is a big step. Ho

SAN DIEGO -- No matter the names, the AL dominates the All-Star Game in the 21st Century and starts the World Series at home.Back in 2003, when a This Time It Counts sign was put up in right at Chicagos U.S. Cellular Field, the stars included Roger Clemens and Hank Blalock. This year, the key names were baseball Royalty: Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez.And because they came up big Tuesday night, Kansas City would open the World Series at home again if it wins a third straight AL pennant -- a big if.It just brings that sense of comfort to the team and gives you a jump-start for the whole Series, Hosmer said after homering, driving in two runs and earning the MVP Award in the American Leagues 4-2 win over the Nationals.The Game 1 Series host has won six of the last seven titles and 24 of the last 30.I would have loved to have that seventh game last year in San Francisco, manager Dusty Baker said in 2003, thinking back to when his Giants lost Game 7 at Anaheim the previous fall.Home teams have taken a 2-0 Series lead in six of the last 13 years. No visiting team has won the first two games since the 1999 New York Yankees, who swept Atlanta.Hopefully this is something we can all rally upon for the second half and find a way to use that home-field advantage, Hosmer saidHosmer and Perez homered in a six-pitch span, and the Kansas City duo drove in all the ALs runs. The defending World Series champion Royals are languishing at 45-43, seven games off the AL Central lead and in the middle of the wild-card race.Before the game, Royals manager Ned Yost told the AL team of the importance of earning home-field.We dont know who is going to be in the World Series. We dont know who is going to be representing the American League, but we know how much that home-field advantage helped us, Hosmer recalled his manager saying.The AL cut its deficit to 43-42 with two ties -- including the infamous 7-7, 11-inning game at Milwaukee in 2002 that sparked baseball officials to link Series home field to the All-Stars the following year.After two decades of NL domination starting in the early 1960s -- 20 wins in 21 games -- the AL has nearly caught up. The NLs scoring lead is just 360-359.Even the three NL players who became All-Star MVPs in the last 13 years now play for the AL -- Prince Fielder, Brian McCann and Melky Cabrera.Of course, home-field isnt everything. Speaking in 2005, then-Cardinals manager Tony La Russa thought back to Bostons Series sweep the previous year.I think that if we had started the series in St. Louis, he said, maybe we would have lost in five. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Dam . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Vapormax Flyknit Sverige .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. http://www.airvapormaxsverige.com/ . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Billiga Vapormax Plus .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Vapormax Flyknit Herr . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. TORONTO -- When Nathan MacKinnon deked Henrik Lundqvist out for a highlight-reel overtime goal and got mobbed by teammates, he couldnt be happier.Minutes later, MacKinnon found out that the 4-3 victory over Sweden on Wednesday wasnt enough to get Team North America into the semifinals at the World Cup of Hockey. The most exciting show on ice has two victories and a one-goal loss but needs Finland to beat Russia on Thursday to advance.Maybe we shouldnt have celebrated so hard, MacKinnon said.Everything the 23-and-under Team North America does is over the top, most importantly the skill that has made it the focus of the World Cup. Despite playing the two most entertaining games of the tournament, North America is in wait-and-see mode while Sweden is the winner of Group B after getting the point it needed.Henrik Lundqvist stopped 45 of 49 shots to get Sweden into the semifinals after a horrendous start by the skaters in front of him.We gave him a rough start, said two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who fell victim to the speed of North Americas Connor McDavid and Johnny Gaudreau early. As a goaltender, I dont think I can even imagine how it feels to be that kind of left alone and let in two quick goals. How we can rebound from that I have no idea.Auston Matthews scored on a 2-on-1 with McDavid 30 seconds in, and Vincent Trocheck made it 2-0 North America 95 seconds in. Lundqvist stopped a few breakaways and Gaudreaus penalty shot to keep it from getting out of hand.Sweden eventually got a handle on North Americas blazing speed, which made the best defense in the tournament look pedestrian.We had no choice. We had to. Otherwise it was going to be a disaster, Karlsson said. They gave us a slap in the face right away.North America is one big slap in the face to unsuspecting opponents, who know how fast the mix of U.S. and Canadian players is but cant possibly adjust to it before seeing it. Gaudreau later scored for North America, but Sweden got goals frrom Filip Forsberg, Nicklas Backstrom and Patrik Berglund to get to overtime.dddddddddddd.With starting goalie Matt Murray out with a thumb injury, John Gibson stopped 35 of the 38 shots he faced. He looked shaky at times but stopped Daniel Sedin on a breakaway in overtime as one of a few memorable, important saves.Not down at all about the loss, Sweden went into the game with a full understanding of what it needed to do.Always when you step on the ice, you want to win the game, but obviously mission accomplished, coach Rickard Gronborg said.Its the opposite for North America, which went from euphoria to uncertainty. A loss to Russia in the game of the tournament means its on the wrong side of a head-to-head tiebreaker and now must hope for Finland to pull off the upset.Were happy we won, forward Mark Scheifele said. Winning two games in this tournament is a big step. Hopefully we get some help from Finland.Even if North America bows out, more fans will remember this team for its unmatched pace and excitement level than its 2-1 record. Each game featured more than a handful of did-you-see-that moves, and North America left a lasting impact on the sport.I think we definitely have turned some heads, McDavid said. People didnt know what to expect when we came into this tournament, but weve beat two good hockey teams, and ultimately maybe even should have beat the Russians. I think weve definitely turned some heads and opened the eyes of everyone what the future of the NHL is like.MacKinnon provided one last highlight with the overtime winner. All alone, the 2013 No. 1 pick beat Lundqvist top shelf like he has been doing that to goalies for decades.I saw his stick came up for a poke check and managed to beat that and get it up, MacKinnon said. It was fun, a fun goal.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno ' ' '