o a pack of six teams vying for the final five playoff spots.But the Fever exploded

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Odorizzi shut down New York in the start of a key weekend for the Yankees.Ordorizzi pitched masterfully into the seventh inning, Logan Forsythe and Corey Dickerson hit solo homers in the first, and the Tampa Bay Rays cooled off the surging Yankees 5-1 on Friday night.Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner was expected to be at game that saw scouts from many playoff contenders in attendance for the start of a three-game series with Mondays non-waiver trade deadline looming that could help determine if New York might join Tampa Bay as potential sellers.Try and win every game no matter what the situation is, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.The Yankees had won eight of 11 to get 3 1/2 games behind Boston for the second AL wild card, prompting Girardi before the game to call the Rays series big.This is playoff baseball for us, Girardi said.Teams represented included San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs, Florida, Cleveland, Washington, Toronto, Baltimore, Texas and the Chicago White Sox.Odorizzi (5-5) struck out five and allowed six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Alex Colome entered with two on and one out in the ninth, and got two straight outs for his 23rd save.Im not really worried about it, to be honest, Odorizzi said of trade speculation. Im worried about what I do here, and coming out in the second half and starting off well, which I think we have. Thats what my purpose is, to get better because in the first half I wasnt happy with myself.Ivan Nova (7-6) gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. When pulled by Girardi, Nova directed several comments toward plate umpire Laz Diaz walking toward the dugout and then fired his glove against the wall after reaching the dugout steps.Ivan wasnt pleased with his strike zone, Girardi said. Its hard for me to tell, but I thought there were some pitches that looked pretty good.Nova didnt blame the strike zone for his loss, but bad pitch command.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell, out since the end of spring training with a left toe injury, will throw in a simulated game Saturday.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) resumed a minor league rehab assignment after taking 2 1/2 weeks off due to fatigue and struck out two over two hitless innings for Class A Charlotte.MOVING DAYTampa Bay placed 1B Logan Morrison (right forearm strain) and OF Oswaldo Arcia (right elbow strain) on the 15-day disabled list. RHP Brad Boxberger (strained left oblique) was reinstated from the 15-day DL and INF-OF Nick Franklin was recalled from Triple-A Durham.A-RODGirardi said DH Alex Rodriguez could start Saturday night after being out of the lineup six straight games. A-Rod, who singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth, is in a 2-for-22 slump.UP NEXTRays LHP Drew Smyly (2-11) looks to end an 11-start winless streak -- that includes seven losses -- as he goes against Yankees RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-6).Cheap Nike Shoes Australia . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Wholesale Shoes Australia .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. https://www.shoesaustraliaonline.com/ . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Fake Shoes Australia . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Shoes Australia Outlet . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services.The Los Angeles Sparks have already locked up a playoff berth. The Indiana Fever have not.The teams collide Sunday, when the Fever travel to Los Angeles to take on the Sparks at Staples Center.With seven games remaining, Los Angeles (23-5) is in a first place tie with the Minnesota Lynx in the league standings. The Sparks host the Lynx on Tuesday.But first they must deal with an Indiana team coming off an impressive bounce-back win over the New York Liberty on Thursday.The Fever (13-14) suffered back-to-back home losses after returning from the Olympic break that left coaches and players scratching their heads.The consecutive losses, both by double digits, dropped Indiana back into a pack of six teams vying for the final five playoff spots.But the Fever exploded out of gates against the Liberty on Thursday, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and cruising to a 98-77 win. Shenise Johnson scored a career-high 21 points off the bench, and Marissa Coleman finished with 19 points versus the Liberty.The Sparks also have gotten off to an uneven start after the Olympic break. Los Angeles returned from a month ooff with back-to-back losses.dddddddddddd Theyve since responded with consecutive wins, but didnt perform well in victories over the San Antonio Stars and Dallas Wings, the two teams with the worst records in the WNBA.Nneka Ogwumike had 28 points and 12 rebounds against the Wings, but Los Angeles didnt pull away from Dallas, which has lost 10 straight games, until late in the fourth quarter.Ogwumike is having an MVP-caliber season and leads the Sparks in scoring (19.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.2 rebounds per game).Forward Candace Parker is averaging 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, but is coming off a tough shooting night. Parker hit only 1-of-11 shots and finished only four points against Dallas.Indiana and Los Angeles have split their two previous meetings, with each team winning on their home court. The Fever beat the Sparks 92-82 on July 19, behind 23 points from veteran Tamika Catchings. Catchings has announced that this is her final season of her illustrious career. ' ' '