NEWS » enceman Marek Zidlicky are also eligible to

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Early run support went a long way to helping Texas Rangers right-hander A.J. Griffin produce his best outing of the season and outpitch the best road pitcher in the major leagues this season.Mitch Morelands grand slam capped a bizarre, five-run first inning and Griffin pitched six strong innings as the Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 7-0 Saturday night.I kind of tried to put my blinders on a little bit and execute my game plan, Griffin said of the early lead. That was a big grand slam Mitch hit, for sure.Griffin (6-3) allowed five hits while winning for the first time since Aug. 4. In making his first scoreless start of the season, Griffin didnt allow a home run for the first time in 12 starts.Griffin has routinely lost effectiveness in the middle innings but kept hitters off balance throughout his 95-pitch performance.With A.J., we understand the pitch count, Texas manager Jeff Banister said. He elevates a little bit when hes trying to go down, not as sharp. I was proud of him tonight `cause he stayed sharp.The Indians were unable to get more than one hit in any inning.If you stay close, we felt we could string a couple hits together, Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. But once they spread it out, that makes it tough.Carlos Carrasco (9-7) allowed seven runs -- four unearned in the first -- and eight hits in four innings while striking out eight. He went into the game with a 1.74 road ERA this season, the best in the majors.After Ian Desmonds one-out single in the first, Carlos Beltran snapped a career-worst 0-for-32 hitless streak with an infield single to the left side against a shift. The runners moved up on a balk when Carrasco began a pickoff throw to first base but halted because first baseman Carlos Santana was 20 feet from the bag.On Adrian Beltres sharp grounder to third, Desmond dove back and beat Jose Ramirezs tag to load the bases. Rougned Odors hard grounder to first bounced off Santanas glove for a run-scoring error and Moreland pulled a first-pitch slider just inside the right-field foul pole with two out for his second career slam.Elvis Andrus doubled in two runs in the third inning after Moreland was intentionally walked with two out.Texas has the American Leagues best record, two games ahead of Cleveland. The Rangers increased their West lead to 7 1/2 games.A BLOOP AND NO BLASTBeltran also dumped an opposite-field hit just inside the left-field line that eluded Ramirez and left fielder Abraham Almonte. Before the game, Banister lamented that the 39-year-old was hitting in bad luck during the hitless streak that tied a franchise record.Hey, anything can happen when you put the baseball in play, Banister said. That gets him back on that positive train.DARVISHS BAT TAKING A RESTRangers RHP Yu Darvish is scheduled to start Monday at home vs. Seattle after hitting his first big-league home run in his previous start last Wednesday in Cincinnati. Darvish said he wont lobby to bat in the AL game.I dont want to get tired, Darvish said. So, no, thank you for that.SHORT HOPSRHP Jeremy Jeffress spent his second day on the restricted list as Major League Baseball continued to look into the pitchers arrest on a drunken driving charge early Friday morning in Dallas. ... OF Carlos Gomez is 0-for-11 with six strikeouts since homering in his Texas debut at-bat on Thursday.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: Manager Terry Francona said theres no timetable for when C Yan Gomes (right shoulder separation) will begin a rehab session.Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (right lat strain) is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Monday for Double-A Frisco. He last appeared in a major league game on June 21.UP NEXTIndians: RHP Danny Salazar (11-5) has compiled a 10.41 ERA over six starts in July and August, lasting only 11 total innings in his last four outings.Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (5-6) returned from the disabled list last Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits in six innings in a loss at Cincinnati. Roger Craig 49ers Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Steve Young 49ers Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Steve-Young-49ers-Jersey/ . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Ronnie Lott Youth Jersey . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Steve Young Womens Jersey . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.Patrik Elias is staying in New Jersey after the Devils forward signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract on Thursday, one day before he was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. Elias agent, Allan Walsh, announced the terms of the deal on Twitter. Elias has spent his entire 15-year career with the Devils. He leads the franchise with 375 goals, 555 assists and 930 points in 1,090 career games and holds team playoff records with 45 goals, 80 assists and 125 points. He has led the Devils in points in eight seasons, including this past year when he finished with 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games. Selected by New Jersey in the second round of the 1994 draft, the Czech-born Elias has topped 70 points in a season five times. That includes the 2011-12 season when he had 78 points (26 goals, 52 assists) in 81 games. New Jersey also re-signed veteran forward Dainius Zubrus to a three-year, $9.3 million contract. A person familiar with the deal revealed the terms to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Deevils didnt release those numbers.dddddddddddd Zubrus is a 16-year NHL veteran, who has spent the past six seasons with New Jersey. Zubrus had two goals and seven assists in 22 games last season. He missed 26 games after having surgery to repair an injured left wrist. New Jersey is expected to lose forward David Clarkson, who will test free agency on Friday. Forwards Steve Sullivan, Alexei Ponikarovsky and defenceman Marek Zidlicky are also eligible to become unrestricted free agents. The person also revealed the Devils placed veteran backup goalie Johan Hedberg on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract. Hedberg is a 12-year NHL veteran who has become the odd-man out in New Jersey. Longtime starter Martin Brodeur has one year left on his contract, and the Devils made a move to secure his successor by acquiring goalie Cory Schneider in a trade with Vancouver during the NHL draft on Sunday. Hedberg went 6-10-3 with one shutout last season. Overall, he is 161-143-36 with 22 shutouts. ' ' '