Neo Workxx » favourite, but he is a genuine smokey; he is

SEATTLE -- While the Oakland As enter their final series of the season in the all-too-familiar position of also-rans, the Seattle Mariners are in somewhat unfamiliar territory.The Mariners (84-74) will be on their home turf for a late September series that actually matters. Seattle trailed Baltimore by two games in the American League wild-card race and has a legitimate shot at ending its 16-year playoff draught. By taking two of three games against the Houston Astros, the Mariners have kept their postseason chances alive.We have a shot, third baseman Kyle Seager told MLB.com after Wednesday afternoons 12-4 win over the Astros. We obviously need some help. We cant control that, but we just need to continue to play as long as theyll let us.The Mariners open the four-game series against the hapless As (67-91) on Thursday needing to win at least three games to have a realistic chance of staying in contention. Adding to the complication is a Detroit team that sits between Seattle and Baltimores current spot for the second wild-card berth, meaning the Mariners are going to need two teams to stumble at the finish line if theyre going to have any kind of a shot at getting into the postseason.Seattle has not been to the postseason since winning 116 games in 2001. The Mariners own the longest playoff draught in Major League Baseball and are the only American League to never make an appearance in the World Series. Star pitcher Felix Hernandez, who is scheduled to start Sundays regular-season finale, has never pitched in a postseason game.Hernandez and fellow veteran Hisashi Iwakuma are scheduled to pitch the two weekend games, but the Mariners will rely on a pair of youngsters to keep them in the race until then. Ariel Miranda, a 27-year-old rookie, is scheduled to start Thursdays series opener, while 24-year-old Taijuan Walker is on tap to start Friday.Miranda (5-2) has been a surprising contributor to a team that acquired him at the trade deadline. At the time, Seattle was falling out of playoff contention and traded veteran starter Wade Miley to Baltimore in an effort to get younger. Miranda, coincidentally, has since joined the rotation and now might be a key to Seattle catching the Orioles in the wild-card race.Oakland will go with 25-year-old Kendall Graveman, who is about as close as the young As have to a veteran starter. Graveman (10-11) got tagged for 12 hits and eight runs in a 14-3 loss to Seattle 2 1/2 weeks ago, and hes failed to beat the Mariners in four tries this season -- going 0-3 with a no-decision. He cant expect much offense from a team that has scored an AL-low 638 runs heading into the Seattle series.The As are 26 1/2 games behind division-leading Texas and were officially eliminated from the wild-card hunt earlier this month, so the only motivation is playing the role of spoiler to a longtime West Coast rival.Theyre right in the middle of it and I think that will be good for our guys, too, Oakland manager Bob Melvin told The San Francisco Chronicle this week. Nothing is on the line for us, but whenever youre in that atmosphere, theres an intensity to it thats similar to postseason.Itll be good for us, inspirational. There will be big crowds and lots of excitement. Good for them, and hopefully good for us, too. Jerseys NFL Store . -- 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. Cheap NFL Store . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. http://www.authenticcheapjerseyswholesale.com/ . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Cheap NFL Store . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. The NRLs best team for 2016 will be decided in Sundays Grand Final, but who has been the best player?Votes went secret after round 16, since when ESPN has taken a closer look to see who will win the Dally M Medal. It is the most prestigious individual honour in the NRL but history suggests it might be seen as a positive omen NOT to win the medal. Only three players in the past 30 years,have the medal and premiership in the same year: Parramattas Peter Sterling in 1986, Manlys Matt Orford in 2008, and North Queenslands Johnathan Thurston in 2015.1. Cooper Cronk (Storm)The latest member of the 300-game club shows no signs of slowing down, no sign of complacency and no sign of letting his high standards slip.Cronk has been one of the NRLs biggest success stories since he arrived at Melbourne as a utility player before a lack of options saw him thrown in at halfback when Matt Orford left the Storm for Manly.Incredibly, the 32-year-old started the year as a $34 long shot to claim a second Dally M medal, but his excellent form saw him claim outright favouritism with UBET, at a very short $4, when votes went behind closed doors.2. Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys)Debate might rage as to whether Johnathan Thurston is the greatest rugby league player of all time, but the North Queensland captain is certainly without peer judged on Dally M medals.Among Thurstons seemingly endless list of achievements is an incredible FOUR Dally M medals -- putting him alone at the top of the list of multiple winners, one ahead of Andrew Johns, Peter Sterling and Gavin Miller.JT started the 2016 season as UBETs $6 favourite to claim his fifth medal, but he found himself relegated to the second line of betting when votes went secret after round 16, despite firming in to $5.3. Cameron Smith (Storm)Cameron Smith, like his Storm teammate Cooper Cronk, is looking for his second Dally M medal -- 10 years after he was awarded his first.Smith is the most intelligent player in the NRL, the games best schemer, and there is no smarter organiser in rugby league when it comes to executing a game plan and sticking to team structures.If he were at any other club, and didnt have to compete with the likes of Cronk, Billy Slater and Jesse Bromwich for Dally M points, he would probably already have won the award more than once.ddddddddddddSmith also started the season at a generous $34 with UBET, but he closed to $7 third favourite after round 16.4. Josh Hodgson (Raiders)Josh Hodgson was a major factor behind Canberras impressive 2016 NRL season, and the first two weeks of the finals showed his importance to the Raiders. They lost after he left the field with an ankle in jury against Cronulla in Week 1, but the Raiders regained form and confidence when he returned against Penrith a week later.Since the Dally M Medal was introduced in 1980, no Englishman has ever won the award but Hodgson will go as close as any before him.The 26-year-old started the year as a $15 outside chance but went into closed votes on the fourth line of betting at $8 -- and his form has only improved since.Smokey - Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)The Cowboys other JT could become the first running forward to win the Dally M since Cronullas Gavin Miller in 1989.?Taumalolo wont be favourite, but he is a genuine smokey; he is arguably the NRLs most explosive and hard-running forward with mesmerising footwork and superhuman strength, and he has been at the top of his game this season.And it isnt just NRL fans who have taken notice, with the 23-year-old reportedly catching the eye of several NFL franchises; Taumalolo has already stated an interest in the possibility of becoming the next NRL star to try his luck in the USA.The Cowboys back-rower was a healthy $13 with UBET when voting went secret.Brett Kimmorley says:Who I think will win: Cooper CronkCooper Cronk has been the mastermind behind the Melbourne Storm this season. He has Cameron Smith there, too, but I think Cronk has led the team around brilliantly and been their main man in 2016.Who Id like to win: Josh HodgsonJosh Hodgson could become the first Englishman to win the Dally M and I would love to see him do it. He has been a sensation for the Raiders, and I think it would be a great thing to grow the game internationally.Other notablesRyan James (Titans)Andrew Fifita (Sharks)Michael Ennis (Sharks)Darius Boyd (Broncos)Ben Barba (Sharks) ' ' '