the old format of an opening-round leading into the big tour

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros arent getting too ahead of themselves after opening the season 2-0. Still, taking the first series of the year from the New York Yankees is a pretty big deal for a team that has lost 324 games in the last three seasons combined. "Obviously no one expected us to come in here and win a series from the Yankees and no one really expected much from the Astros period," starting pitcher Jarred Cosart said. "If we keep playing together like this and keep finding ways to win games, who knows what can happen." Dexter Fowler homered and tripled, and Matt Dominguez added a home run late to help the Astros earn a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night. Houston won the opener 6-2 on Tuesday and put a damper on the first series of Derek Jeters final season. Jeter was 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. "They played well, they pitched well today," Jeter said. "It would be nice to score some more runs, but sometimes the other teams are going to have games like that." Fowlers leadoff homer put Houston up, and he scored the second run after his triple in the third. The Yankees scored in the seventh before the Astros added an insurance run with Dominguezs homer in the bottom half. Cosart (1-0) allowed four hits in five scoreless innings, and Josh Fields pitched a perfect ninth for the save. Hiroki Kuroda (0-1) yielded three hits and two runs with five strikeouts in six innings. The off-season trade for Fowler has paid immediate dividends for Houston. The longtime Colorado player had a pair of doubles on Tuesday and is now the first player in franchise history with two extra-base hits in each of his first two games with the team. "Being a leadoff guy youre a catalyst, and thats what Im always trying to do, just get on base and let the other guys do their jobs," Fowler said. "If we work together as a team well win a lot of games." Fowler had a lucky charm on Wednesday night as his infant daughter Naya Iman, attended her first regular-season game. "It was awesome," he said breaking into a huge smile at the mention of his daughter. "I was looking for them, but I didnt see them. Shes probably in there sleeping. Just for her being here is awesome, thats all you can ask for." The Astros were up 2-0 in the seventh when Yangervis Solarte grounded into a double play, with runners at first and third, and Brett Gardner scored on to cut the Yankees deficit in half. It was the first major league plate appearance for Solarte. The two-out homer by Dominguez off David Phelps landed about three rows up in the right field stands to stretch Houstons advantage to 3-1. Carlos Beltran doubled off Matt Albers on the first pitch of the eighth inning before Albers struck out the next three Yankees. Cosart allowed just two singles through four innings. He ran into some trouble in the fifth, and after consecutive one-out singles by Gardner and Brian Roberts. He escaped the jam when Kelly Johnson grounded into a force out before he retired Jacoby Ellsbury. Jerome Williams made his Astros debut when he replaced Cosart for the sixth. He walked Jeter on four pitches, and Brian McCann singled on a sharp grounder with one out to leave runners at first and third. But he retired the next two to end the threat. Albers, Williams and Chad Qualls have performed in the first two games after being brought in to reinforce a bullpen which blew 29 saves last season. New York went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, but Beltran said its too early to be concerned about the offence. "Were going to be fine," Beltran said. "We havent been able to put anything together, but this team has what it takes to play better and win ball games. We dont need to worry about it." Fowlers leadoff homer came a day after he started his Astros career with a leadoff double. Houstons next hit came on Fowlers standup triple that bounced off the wall in right-centre with one out in the third. Robbie Grossman reached on an error by first baseman Teixeira when his grounded bounced off Teixeiras glove, allowing Fowler to score and make it 2-0. New York turned a double play to end that inning, and Houston didnt have another baserunner until Grossman hit his first career triple with one out in the sixth. But Kuroda ended his night by retiring the next two to end the inning and leave Grossman stranded. The Yankees intentionally walked Jose Altuve to load the bases with two outs in the eighth. Houston came up empty when pinch-hitter Carlos Corporan grounded out. NOTES: Andy Pettitte threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game. ... Jeter, who announced in February that he was retiring, got a pair of cowboy boots with Yankees pinstripes, a 10 gallon cowboy hat, and a set of golf clubs as the Astros honoured him in a pregame ceremony. Former teammates Pettitte and Roger Clemens participated in the tribute. Custom Baltimore Ravens Jerseys .com) - Ryan Johansens creative moves and hometown appeal highlighted Team Folignos successful night at the NHL All- Star Skills Competition. Iman Marshall Youth Jersey . Linemates Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist in the first period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves to lead the Blue Jackets past the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night. http://www.cheapravensshoponline.com/Youth-ben-powers-ravens-jersey/ . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. Iman Marshall Womens Jersey . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. Justin Tucker Jersey .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft.DAYTON, Ohio -- D.J. Evans is charitably listed at 5-foot-9. His coach and teammates tease him that he looks a foot shorter. Yet he stood awfully tall for Albany on Tuesday night. Evans scored 22 points, including two clinching free throws with 12.6 seconds left, to lead the Great Danes to their first NCAA tournament victory, 71-64 over Mount St. Marys in the First Four. Evans, an often overlooked component in Albanys lineup, belied his height with nine rebounds to go with three assists. "Hes about 4-foot-8, so hes really impressive," laughed his running mate at guard, Peter Hooley, who had 20 points. "I dont think theres another 4-8 guard who could go in there and get that many boards. He did what he needed to do to get this win." It was a signature victory for the America East Conference tournament champs, who had come up empty in three previous trips to the big dance. "It means a lot," said an emotional coach Will Brown. "Theres no better feeling. Like I told our kids, were going to be in the history books at the University of Albany forever." The Great Danes (19-14) advance to meet overall No. 1 seed and top-ranked Florida on Thursday in Orlando. But that was a concern for another day. It was a wild game of incredible turnarounds, with the Great Danes bolting to leads of 13-0 and 21-2, only to have The Mount (16-17) bounce back with a 21-2 run of its own to pull even. Hooley, one of three Australians on the Albany roster, hit two free throws with 2:43 remaining to stretch the lead to 65-62. After Julian Norfleet countered with a bucket, Hooley again pounded his way to the basket and lofted a shot over a defender for a 67-64 lead at the 2-minute mark. It stayed that way with the teams missing big shots. Rashad Whack and Norfleet each missed potential tying 3s -- Whacks rolled almost inside the rim and then bounded away. "When it hit the rim, I thought it was going to go in," Whack said softly. Evans was fouled with 12.6 seconds left and hit both shots to increase the lead to five points -- and out of reach of another long-range shot. Evans was most proud of his rebounding. "They shot a lot of 3s and there were a lot of long rebounds," he said with a grin. "I was just at the right place at the right time.dddddddddddd" After playing two years of junior-college ball and sitting behind a senior starter a year ago, Brown told Evans his day would eventually come. "Hes the happiest kid in the world right now," Brown said. Norfleet then missed another 3 and Albany finally could call itself an NCAA winner. Will Miller, a freshman who came off the bench, led The Mount with 21 points, all on 3s. But he didnt get off a shot in the last 3:32 after making back-to-back 3s to draw the Mountaineers within a point. Whack added 16 points and Sam Prescott 14 for The Mount, which electrified the crowd at the University of Dayton with 3-point fireworks. The Mountaineers hit 12 of 37 shots behind the arc to time and again come back from deficits. The glut of 3-pointers was nothing new for the Mountaineers. They came in with an offence heavily dependent on shots behind the arc. They averaged 9 of 25 on 3-pointers coming in. Albany had made some racket in the NCAAs before, but had never come out on top. In 2006, the Great Danes led by double figures in the second half but lost to Connecticut, 72-59. A year later, they held their own before falling Virginia, 84-57. A year ago, as a 15 seed, they battled Duke throughout before coming up short, 73-61. Mount St. Marys was also making its fourth NCAA appearance, although it had won once before -- a victory over Coppin State in 2008 in the old format of an opening-round leading into the big tournament. Albany led 35-31 at the break, but that didnt tell the story of one bizarre half. The Mount couldnt do much right for the first 8-plus minutes. The Great Danes raced to a 13-0 lead. The Mountaineers missed misfired on their first 11 shots from the field, including six behind the arc. "A lot of teams would have folded," said Mount coach Jamion Christian. "Our guys didnt do that. They took the punch and they bounced back." Things quickly turned around, with Mount going on an 18-0 run. Like a couple of sparring partners, the teams kept trading flurries in the second half. Down 45-41, Albany went on a 10-1 run. Trailing 60-53, the Mountaineers scored nine of the next 12 capped by Millers two 3s to cut the deficit to a point. That set the stage for Evans to play like a giant. ' ' '