have a feel for the game and can manage players emotions

SEATTLE -- Less than a week ago, nothing was going right for Kyle Seager and the Mariners. Since then Seager just keeps hitting home runs and Seattle has started to see some wins. Seager hit a pair of homers Sunday, including a three-run shot in the eighth, to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 6-5 comeback win against the Texas Rangers. Seager has five homers in his last four games, a power surge that started with a two-homer game against the Astros on Wednesday. Before that game, Seager was hitting .156 with no home runs and two RBI, a slump that matched the teams performance -- Seattle lost its eighth straight game Tuesday. In the four games since, hes gone 8 for 15, added five homers and 11 RBI and raised his season average to .228 while the Mariners have won three of the four. Hes also had at least two hits in all four games, tying a career-best streak. "Its been a good run. I think if you continue to stay with the program and not panic, hopefully itll come around sooner or later," Seager said. "Its been feeling good for a little while. The results obviously werent what I was hoping for, but it was starting to come around." The Mariners fell behind 5-0 to Texas early before Seager led the late rally. Seager led off the seventh inning with his first home run and then gave Seattle the lead with his two-out shot down the right field line in the eighth off Alexi Ogando (1-2). "Theres nothing like positive results," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "When you start to get some positive results you feel better about what youre doing and how youre doing it." The comeback victory also gave the Mariners their first home series win against Texas since September 2012. The homers more than made up for an earlier missed opportunity, when Seager struck out with the bases loaded to end the fourth inning. "I thought we had him for a minute," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "I thought he was slumping. But I guess hes not." Danny Farquhar (1-0) pitched the eighth to earn the win and Fernando Rodney closed out the ninth for his fifth save. Rangers starter Matt Harrison made his first appearance in more than a year, giving up two runs on three hits in six innings. Harrison was activated from the disabled list before the game to make his first appearance since April 6, 2013. Harrison was the Rangers opening day starter last season but only pitched two games before going on the disabled list with an inflamed nerve in his lower back. He had two back surgeries in a nine-day span a year ago, and another surgery on his right side in September. He battled stiffness in his back and neck during spring training, starting the season on the disabled list. "Glad to be back," Harrison said. "Its been a long road." Harrison had no problems in the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced. But a lengthy top of the fourth -- the Rangers had eight batters and scored three runs to take the 5-0 lead -- seemed to affect Harrison as he came out for the bottom of the inning. Harrison walked Michael Saunders to lead off the fourth, and Robinson Cano got the Mariners first hit with a one-out, run-scoring double. Harrison gave up another single and a walk to load the bases with two outs before Seagers strikeout. Harrison gave up another run in the sixth when Cano singled and later scored on Harrisons wild pitch to cut the Rangers lead to 5-2. Seattle starter Brandon Maurer was knocked out in the fourth inning after giving up five runs on seven hits, but the Mariners bullpen -- Seattle used six pitchers on the day -- gave up just one hit the rest of the way. "They saved us," McClendon said. "Its hard to win games when your bullpen is giving you four, five innings. Its hard to win, and they shut it down. They threw up zeros." NOTES: McClendon gave his usual Nos. 1 and 2 hitters -- OF Abraham Almonte and SS Brad Miller -- the day off. Both players have been struggling offensively, with Almonte hitting .204 and Miller .174. "Well give them both some time off and hopefully theyll bounce back," McClendon said. ... Texas optioned IF Luis Sardinas to Double-A Frisco before the game. There had been speculation the Rangers would place OF Shin-Soo Choo, who hasnt played since his hurting his left ankle at Oakland on Monday, on the DL to make room for Harrison. Washington said the Rangers are waiting to see if Choo will be able to play soon. Vans Shoes Cheap Onlne . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. Vans Shoes Sale . Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex. http://www.cheapvansdiscount.com/ . - The New York Rangers have momentum, a unified locker room and Henrik Lundqvist. China Vans Shoes Wholesale . Barnard, 28, was 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA in three appearances, including two starts, with San Angel o this season. He struck out 19 batters and walked just one in 17 innings pitched. He has previous American Association experience with the Lincoln Saltdogs, El Paso Diablos and Amarillo Sox. Cheap Vans Shoes China . Andrew Luck couldnt believe his ears. Colts fans couldnt believe the scoreboard, and the Kansas City Chiefs couldnt believe their incredibly bad luck.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. I have heard a lot of unsure analysis on Ryan Keslers hit on Derek Dorsett from Tuesday night. Clearly to me it was a blown call by the referees; should have been two minutes for elbowing and possibly more for a hit to the head! Dorsett did not return in the game with a possible concussion. My question in general - is the game so fast now that officials have so much trouble to process every move, every play, every situation that miss stuff more and the game should be slowed down a bit for safety and officiating reasons? Second question and more importantly, do you think a suspension for Ryan Kesler is out of the question? If nothing much comes of the hit how are players going to get the message that it is not okay to hot above the shoulders, and you are putting players and yourselves at risk for lifetime injuries beyond your playing days? Thanks for answering this question. Jeff Martin, Victoria, BC Jeff: Ryan Kesler was asked in a post-game interview about his collision with Derek Dorsett that knocked the Vancouver player out of the game as a result of head contact. It was reported Kesler wasnt worried about supplemental discipline because he never saw Dorsett. Kesler is quoted as saying, All I know is I was going for the puck and I felt him hit. I hope hes all right. Its a fast game out there. I was just going for the puck and he kind of ran into me. It wasnt malicious at all. The game is fast, as Kesler states. In response to your second and most important question, Jeff, I have to agree with most of what Ryan Kesler said in his post-game statement. That is with the exception that he did not see Dorsett until he felt him hit. It is apparent to me that Kesler became aware of the impending contact/collision at the last second and braced himself with a right arm tuck to his side just prior to impact. Both players had assumed a lowered body posture in an opposite approach path on a play for the puck. Dorsett attempted to handle the bouncing puck through the high slot as he curled toward the blue line with intent to exit the Vancouver defensive zone. Kesler was curling from the boards toward the slot and was clearly focused on the puck that had jumped off Dorsetts stick and entered Keslers attainable space. Kesler then reached for the puck, but sensed the immediate and impending collision with Dorsett which he braced for. Keslers next defensive action was to elevate his posture slightly through the contact which caused his shoulder and tricep to accidentally catch Dorsett in the head. Kesler did not deliver a check (illegal or otherwise) but instead altered his posture at the last second as he reacted to a collision. The appearance of a Kessler elbow was a result of the impact and nott done with deliberation or intent.ddddddddddddDepending on the angle that the referee(s) viewed the play they might have determined an illegal check to the head had been delivered by Kesler and imposed a minor penalty (There is no provision for a major penalty under this rule). It is most unfortunate that Derek Dorsett was injured on this play and like Ryan Kesler, I too hope Dorsett is all right. While I am sure you wont agree with my assessment Jeff, I see this as a collision and not deserving of a penalty and certainly not supplemental discipline. In response to your general question, I do not believe we should attempt to slow the game down at this time. The better action is for the officiating to adjust and keep pace with the speed and enhanced level of play. For this to occur, the Officiating Department to must provide enhanced coaching techniques and a higher level of accountability for the current crop of officials. Several young referees that work primarily in the AHL are being assigned to NHL games. The game at the NHL level looks even faster to these young, inexperienced referees and they need coaching. We know that mistakes are made. We can even accept human error if the officials learn from their mistakes and minimize or eliminate those types of mistakes in the future. There are, however, too many repetitive errors being made on any given night. I see positioning, awareness and focus of attention (reading and reacting to potential hot-spots) as problem areas that need to be addressed. We often see an inability for some of the refs to know the difference between a minor infraction and when to impose a major or match penalty which can and does result in player suspension. Successful referees have a feel for the game and can manage players emotions with calls at key moments in the game. Zack Kassian hit Patrick Maroon into the boards from behind after the whistle blew on the shift immediately after the Kesler-Dorsett collision. This illegal hit provides an example of a key moment in the game where the refs needed to step up but didnt. Kassian delivered the illegal hit after the whistle blew and in obvious retribution for Dorsetts injury. As such, the hit was late, Maroon was in a vulnerable position facing square to and a couple of feet away from the boards. Maroon did get his hands up to defend the fall into the boards which would negate a major penalty assessment. None the less a boarding minor and 10 minute misconduct to Kassian would have been appropriate in this circumstance. The referees did not assess a boarding penalty to Kassian. Instead, Kassian received two minutes for roughing Corey Perry who jumped on the Vancouver player immediately after he hit Maroon. Perry didnt receive a penalty on the play and should have been held accountable for his actions. The wrong message was sent through this penalty assessment. ' ' '