round win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers ace Yu Darvish could get back in the Texas rotation without making a rehabilitation start after he is eligible to come off the disabled list. General manager Jon Daniels said before Mondays season opener that Darvish "appears to be healthy and strong" after consecutive days of throwing over the weekend. Darvish was scheduled to start the opener against Philadelphia until neck stiffness during training camp about two weeks ago. "Very, very encouraged," manager Ron Washington said. "The report I got, it was just as good as it was before he got hurt." The Rangers put Darvish on the disabled list Sunday while setting their 25-man roster, but the move was retroactive to March 21. He would be eligible to return Saturday. Daniels said the Rangers havent committed to when Darvish will return to the rotation. But the GM also said Darvish wouldnt necessarily have to pitch in a rehab game before making his season debut. "I think well probably accomplish a lot of that on the side, extended bullpen so to speak," Daniels said. "Were going to sit down and meet before we lay out a plan." Darvish last faced hitters March 16 in a spring training game. He threw a 32-pitch bullpen session Sunday, a day after throwing off flat ground. He will throw again Tuesday. Darvish finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season when he led the majors with 277 strikeouts. The Rangers are also without left-handers Matt Harrison (back) and Derek Holland (left knee). Harrison could be return before the end of the April. Colby Lewis, who missed all of last season recovering from elbow surgery and then having hip surgery, is making a minor league start Tuesday after a solid spring. "We are going to get a few of these guys back pretty soon," Daniels said. "Its an opportunity for other guys to step up, and when were healthy and we get Colby and Yu back in a week or whatever it is, and get Matt back two weeks after that, I think youll look up and be like weve got some tough calls to make with other guys who have stepped up, and have stepped up and seized that opportunity. I dont buy into all the doom and gloom stuff," he said. Tanner Scheppers made his first career start for Texas on opening day, and is to be followed by Martin Perez, Robbie Ross and Joe Saunders. None were in the Rangers rotation at the start of last season -- Scheppers and Ross were relievers. The fifth starter is expected to be right-hander Nick Martinez, a right-hander who has never pitched about Double-A and isnt yet on the 25-man roster. The Rangers have said Martinez is the scheduled starter Saturday night at Tampa Bay. "Just because Darvish comes off on the fifth doesnt mean Martinez is going to get kicked out," Washington said. Myles Straw Astros Jersey . The San Angelo, Texas product, who was a high school and college quarterback sensation in the Lone Star State, will start his first CFL game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4) on Friday at Mosaic Stadium against the leagues top team, the Calgary Stampeders (11-2). Cy Sneed Jersey . -- The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets will forever be tied together for making the same spectacular misjudgment on budding NBA sensation Jeremy Lin. https://www.cheapastros.com/143o-jose-cr...sey-astros.html. HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart. Jim Umbricht Jersey . Granato was an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last five seasons, and he was also part of Team USAs staff at the 2014 Olympics. Mike Cuellar Astros Jersey . Yet coming off consecutive series losses at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Los Angeles needed some sort of spark as August approaches. The Dodgers found it in the ballpark of their biggest rival, and left the Bay Area in first place following an emphatic three-game swing.BEIJING - Eugenie Bouchard lost her second-round match Tuesday at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. Bouchard, the eighth-seed from Westmount, Que., fell in two sets to unseeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-2, 6-4. On Saturday, Bouchard had reached the final of the Wuhan Open China, but lost in two sets to third-seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Kvitova had earlier defeated Bouchard in women`s final at Wimbledon. Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic advanced with ease at the CChina Open, while Agnieszka Radwanskas late-season slump continued with another early loss.dddddddddddd The fourth-seeded Sharapova saved seven of nine break points she faced in a 6-2, 6-2 second-round win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a semifinalist last week at the Wuhan Open. Shes sort of an up-and-comer. But playing really well. Has had some big results this year against top players, Sharapova said of Svitolina. Maybe the scoreline was a bit easier than the match showed. ' ' '