Storm- News » Aviles has eight homers against the Rays

SOELDEN, Austria -- Tina Maze has improved one place on the womens overall World Cup each year -- from fourth in 2010 to winning it last season. Is there a way she could top it this season? There is; a first Olympic gold medal. Main rivals label the outspoken Slovenian as the undoubted favourite for the overall title again, two days before the ski season gets underway with Saturdays giant slalom on Rettenbach glacier, where four-time former overall champion Lindsey Vonn will be missing. "Its going to be difficult," Maze said. "Last season, I didnt focus on the points (total) or the number of podiums. I just focused on racing and thats what I want do again this year." Maze, who turned 30 in May, won 11 races last season, taking the GS and super-G titles, and racking up a record points total of 2,414. She also became only the sixth female skier to win events in every Alpine discipline, with Vonn the only other active achiever. Maze capped her season by winning super-G gold and two bronze medals at the world championships in Schladming, Austria. "Not for Lindsey or for Maria (Hoefl-Riesch, the 2011 overall champion), but it was important to me that I showed who is the best skier," she said. "Still, you can always do better." Her rise to the top started in 2008 by starting her own independent team, led by her Italian coach and partner Andrea Massi. The team lost long-term coach Livio Magoni, who joined the Italian womens team in the off-season. He has been replaced by Walter Ronconi, who previously worked with GS specialist Massimiliano Blardone. The change initially unsettled Maze, Massi said. "When Walter came, communication was difficult," he said. "For Tina it was not easy to have new people in the team. She needs continuity. Tina always wants brief information. When she won her first medal (at the worlds) in 2009, I said four words to her and that was enough. Some coaches speak too much about the weather, the turns, the position on the skis. You need to be brief." Massi said the situation "is better now" and that it didnt affect Mazes preparation too much as "we stuck to the same schedule as last year but started two weeks later to have more time for regeneration." The pair used the extended break for a 10-day trip to the Maldives, though Maze said "living without sports made me nervous. But my body needed the rest." Training during summer included practice sessions with the Austria mens speed team and with Marcel Hirscher, the two-time mens overall champion. "I always learn from people who are better," Maze said. "There are many things the men do better. They take more risks, they are more consistent, without feelings or too many emotions." Last season, Maze succeeded Vonn, who had won the overall title four times in five years. The American has recovered from her season-ending right knee injury at the worlds in February, but said she didnt feel ready to race again, postponing her return for another month. "It was her own decision," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser said. "Shes experienced enough to know what she can do and what she cant. ... If you want to race, you want to be competitive. She knew that shes missing training days -- everybody knew." Vonn returned to Colorado in Wednesday and will resume training there ahead of the first speed events in late November. Vonns teammates Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin, who finished fourth and fifth respectively in the overall standings last season, hope to gain ground on Maze, starting with Saturdays GS. "Tina is definitely favourite," Mancuso said. "We had the big rule change on GS skis last year and she proved to have figured it out. She is right there and the person to look out for and try to beat." Shiffrin, coming off her breakthrough year which included the slalom World Cup and world championship titles, said shes been "working hard on my GS and I feel like Ive made a lot of improvements, so its just a matter of racing now ... I dont have any expectations." Hoefl-Riesch was Mazes closest challenger last season, finishing runner-up but trailing the Slovenian by a massive 1,313 points. "After last season, who else could be favourite?" the German said. "Her strength was her consistency, which really lasted for the entire season. It wont be easy for her to repeat that." Connor Williams Cowboys Jersey . Among the six changes: Drivers are now eligible if they have competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR or turned 55 in the calendar year before nominating day. Previously, drivers were not eligible until they had been retired for three years, so drivers can continue to compete and still reach the hall. Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey . 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PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mike Aviles had a nice sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning that didnt result in any runs. One inning later he swung away with great results. Aviles hit a three-run homer during a five-run seventh, Corey Kluber went 6 2-3 effective innings, and the Cleveland Indians stopped a seven-game road losing streak by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Friday night. "Mikey always plays the game," Indians manager Terry Francona said. Cleveland got solo homers from Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley. Kluber (3-3) allowed two runs, nine hits and had nine strikeouts. Jake Odorizzi struck out a career-high 11 and gave up five hits in five shutout innings for the Rays, who have lost six straight at home. "Its just bittersweet that we couldnt pull it out," Odorizzi said. The Indians were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position against Odorizzi. "It was hard to get things going early in the game," Aviles said. "We werent able to get that big hit when we needed it. We were able to get it later in the game." Brantley homered off Joel Peralta (1-3) before Yan Gomes hit an RBI single and Aviles had his three-run shot off Brandon Gomes as the Indians went ahead 6-2 in the seventh. "The game score didnt really reflect the way the game was played for the most part," Francona said. "We put together one really good inning." For the fourth straight game, the Rays staged a serious ninth-inning threat. David DeJesus had an RBI double off John Axford with two outs that made it 6-3. Ben Zobrist then walked to load the bases, ending Axfords night. Cody Allen entered and got a fly ball from James Loney on a 3-2 pitch for his first save. "Its a crazy game," DeJesus said. "We get the winning run on every night and we havent been able to pull it out.ddddddddddddWe just got to keep going." Cabrera, coming off a four-hit game in Thursdays 9-4 victory over Minnesota, had a leadoff homer off Brad Boxberger in the sixth that pulled the Indians within 2-1. Cabrera finished with three hits and a walk. After Loney hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, DeJesus put the Rays up 2-0 on a fifth-inning RBI double. "Primarily, we have not hit," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I mean, you look at the bullpen and we had one bad inning tonight, but weve scored 10 runs in the last four games." Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar left after the second inning with a bruised right thumb and is day to day. X-rays were negative. Maddons challenge of a double play in the first inning resulted in the call being overturned when a video review determined that Zobrist beat the relay throw at first. NOTES: The game took 4 hours, 10 minutes. ... Aviles has eight homers against the Rays, his most off any opponent. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (strained right oblique) has been cleared to swing a bat this weekend. ... Cleveland DH Jason Giambi (strained right calf) is working out with the team and says he feels good. ... Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings, who went 1 for 15 in his previous three games, was rested. ... Cleveland INF Elliot Johnson accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. ... The Indians gave no indication of appealing to MLB a scoring call that gave Cabrera a double in the eighth inning Thursday. If he would have been credited with a triple in his final at-bat, it would have given Cabrera the cycle. "Im not too sure that it isnt a triple, but Im not positive it is either," Francona said. ... Indians RHP Zach McAllister (3-2) and Rays LHP Erik Bedard (1-1) are Saturday nights scheduled starters. Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 China Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Stitched Jerseys NFL T-shirts From China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 ' ' '