NaD Meckerecke » d it would have been nice to be playing

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pat Shine joined the Miami Marlins to be their go-to guy for evaluating and monitoring replay scenarios. On Saturday night, Shine left AT&T Park with a souvenir game ball for his heads-up performance behind the scenes in a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. It saved Miami from giving up an early run that could have swung the momentum. Marlins manager Mike Redmond requested a review of whether Brandon Hicks touched first base on a second-inning double. The play was overturned in 2 minutes, 42 seconds, and became a putout from the pitcher to first baseman. That left Hector Sanchez on third base with two outs, and Brandon Crawford ended the inning on a deep fly to centre. "That was unbelievable. In my mind, Pat Shine won the game today," winning pitcher Tom Koehler said. "I looked at the replay to see how close it was. Second inning of the game and if youre wrong you burn your challenge in the second inning. Hes been doing a great job all year and thats why he got the game ball today when we came in from the field. Thats no joke. He got the game ball." Giancarlo Stanton homered and tripled to back Koehler (4-3) in his first road win. He struck out seven in seven innings to finally win in five tries away from South Florida after coming into his outing 0-3 on the road to start the year. He allowed four hits and walked two in his first road victory since Sept. 22, at Washington. Garrett Jones hit an RBI triple, Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a sacrifice fly and Adeiny Hechavarria singled to drive in a run for Miami. The Marlins improved to 11-2 at AT&T Park since 2011. Tim Lincecum (3-3), coming off his best start of the year with an 11-strikeout performance in a season-high 7 2-3 innings to beat Atlanta on Monday, never found his groove. On a night thousands in the sellout crowd donned orange giveaway Fedoras, the Giants were handed consecutive home losses for just the second time all year and first since April 9-10 against Arizona. San Francisco figures it missed a scoring opportunity in the second via a replay review. Giants coach Shawon Dunston, who works the replay room in the clubhouse, said the right call was made -- though Hicks thought he glanced the bag. He didnt plan to watch the replay, ready to move on from the mistake. "The umpires were right," Dunston said. "He didnt touch it. They got it right." Stanton, whose career-high 17-game hitting streak ended with an 0 for 5 on Friday, hit a two-out triple in the third -- his first since Sept. 15, 2012, off Cincinnatis Johnny Cueto. Stanton hit his 12th homer in the seventh. Kevin Slowey, Miamis third pitcher, got into trouble in the ninth and Steve Cishek entered to finish the six-hit shutout with his ninth save. San Francisco went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. "Ive said this many times, when you dont hit and score runs, you look flat," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That was the game. We couldnt knock in runs." Suspended infielder Miguel Tejada was quoted as telling ESPN Deportes he had signed a minor league contract with the Marlins pending a physical. He served 41 games of a 105-game suspension last year for testing positive for an amphetamine. Tejada would be eligible to play in the Marlins 65th game, which barring rainouts would be June 10 at Texas. He could appear in minor league games at Double-A or lower on May 31. NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey had the night off until grounding out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. ... Giants RHP Tim Hudson tested his strained left hip with an up-tempo throwing session on flat ground and was scheduled to throw a bullpen Sunday. Hes on target to make his next start Thursday at Colorado. He made 30-40 throws from up to about 80 feet. ... Both managers were still talking about two exclamation-point catches a night earlier -- Stantons grab of a fly by Michael Morse at the StubHub! sign in right field and San Francisco CF Angel Pagans over-the-shoulder catch of a ball by Derek Dietrich at the YAHOO! sign in left-centre. Pagan landed hard on his left shoulder trying to make a diving catch Saturday. ... Giants athletic trainer Dave Groeschner remains optimistic of 2B Marco Scutaro returning from a back injury this year. "Thats our goal," Groeschner said. Scutaro is working with a physical therapist in Arizona. Tony Esposito Jersey . Ribery, who won UEFAs best player in Europe award for the 2012-13 season, helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League and Bundesliga and German Cup titles. Messi, winner of the last four Ballon dOr awards in voting by coaches, team captains and media, was injured late in the season and could not prevent Barcelona from being beaten by Bayern in the Champions League semifinals. Jonathan Toews Jersey . It certainly isnt a coincidence that Dwight Howard has scored at least 20 points in each game of the winning streak. http://www.authenticblackhawkspro.com/Ed...ckhawks-jersey/. Toronto FC hosts the three-time Italian league champions in a friendly Aug. 7 at BMO Field, a game that Roma CEO Italo Zanzi said falls within a key part of their pre-season. Clark Griswold Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos retired John Elways No. John Hayden Jersey . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion.EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers returned to the ice Wednesday after 12 days off for the Olympic break, several of them with red faces either from sun tanning or the hard bike riding that was part of the mini training camp/conditioning session they were put through. "It feels a lot shorter than it was," said veteran defenceman Andrew Ference, who spent part of the break with his family in Canmore, Alta., visiting former Olympians Thomas Grandi and Sara Renner. "But its a really good chance to get rid of all the little aches and pains." Ference said it has to be remembered that with back-to-back condensed seasons - last year because of the lockout - players need the break both mentally and physically. "The last calendar year I think I played 110 or 120 games, so its a much welcomed break." It was a break that came with the Oilers suddenly having found their game in the midst of another disastrous, non-playoff season. They went into the Olympic break having won five of their previous seven games - one of the losses was in overtime - and outscoring their opponents 18-12. Their previous 10 games before the break - the statistic the NHL keeps - showed them at 5-3-2, a record that put them in the middle of the pack, unlike the 29th place they are in with their overall record of 20-33-7. "It is tough from that aspect," forward Jordan Eberle said of the untimely break. "Some of the GMs around the league have been complaining, some of the teams were going well and then you get this break. Its almost like a new season starting. "But, for me personally, I feel you get re-energized, with a little more jump and a little more excitement to play, like you didd in camp.dddddddddddd I feel really energized and ready to play." Like many of the players, Eberle took a vacation away from the game, away from Edmonton and away from winter. But not away from working out. "Yeah I went away but I definitely worked out," he added. "I knew today was going to be a tough day. It was just a bit of a skate but most of the stuff was in the gym and it was tough." Ference said the players were put through a tough physical that included a hard bike ride but said everybody looked fine. "Nobody was puking." Veteran Ryan Smyth said it would have been nice to be playing in the Olympics again, but he appreciated the great family time he had in Mexico. And as a player turning 38 on Friday, he said "any time you get some rest for the body to recuperate, it will really help." While players made sure they stayed physically active and in shape, they were able to mentally turn off the game and enjoy some rare family time. "Your mind is a little off on vacation so you give yourself a break there," said Eberle, second on the Oilers scoring with 45 points. "But as far as your body you have to make sure youre still able to come back and play 22 games. So everyone took their mind away from the game, which is a good thing. "I went on vacation somewhere hot and your mind is so out of it that you think, wow, I have to come back and play hockey? But as soon as you get to Edmonton, see the snow on the ground, it changes pretty quickly. I got on the ice, felt pretty excited to get back. Its almost like a new season here." The Oilers resume play Feb. 27 at home against the Minnesota Wild. 20:11ET 19-02-14 ' ' '