INDIANAPOLIS - Local driver Ed Carpenter has made himself at home on the Indianapolis 500 pole.
[b]Authentic Lorenzen Wright Jersey[/b] . The last of nine qualifiers to take the track, Carpenter bumped Canadas James Hinchcliffe from the top spot, posting a four-lap average of 231.067 mph to win the 500 pole for the second straight year. "I felt that it was harder," Carpenter said. "It was just a different position because when I made my run last year, we didnt really have anything to lose. This year, being the last guy to go out, I think there was a little bit of pressure to not mess it up." He didnt mess it up, not at all. Carpenters No. 20 Chevrolet was the car to beat all weekend, and the hometown favourite showed no signs of rust in his first IndyCar Series race of the season. He owns Ed Carpenter Racing and decided in November to run only on ovals, where he excels. He turned his car over to Mike Conway on road and street courses, and skipped the first four races of the season. He knew he had the pole secured when he nailed the final two corners on the last lap. "I could really just kind of enjoy it knowing that we were going to be on the pole for the second year," he said. Hinchcliffe, from Oakville, Ont., will start second after sustaining a concussion last weekend in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Will Power will join them on the front row. Three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves was fourth followed by Simon Pagenaud and Marco Andretti. Carlos Munoz, Josef Newgarden and J.R. Hildebrand will be on the third row. Carpenter, the stepson of former speedway executive Tony George, was 10th in last years Indy 500. He is 11th driver to earn consecutive 500 poles and the first since Castroneves in 2009-10. "Its all about the race," the 33-year-old Carpenter said. "Hopefully, we can close the deal this year." As a single-car team last year, Carpenter was unable to get help on data and much-needed setup information. He didnt want a repeat this May, so he hired Hildebrand to drive a second car at Indy for Ed Carpenter Racing. Hildebrand nearly won the Indy 500 as a rookie in 2011, but he crashed exiting the final turn and was passed for the win by the late Dan Wheldon. "I wish we could have got him up on the front row with us, but the shootouts tough," Carpenter said. "The conditions were hard today, but having him go first today also helped me because we were able to make an adjustment." Carpenter thrived in the first year of a new Indy 500 qualifying format. He posted the top qualifying speed Saturday when the fastest nine drivers advanced to Sundays shootout for the pole. Juan Pablo Montoya had the fastest four-lap average (231.007 mph) among drivers ineligible to win the Indianapolis 500 pole and will start 10th. "We have a pretty quick car," Montoya, the 2000 winner, said. "Hopefully, my guys can learn something for the Fast Nine. I think that will put us in a good spot to start the race." Montoya was followed by reigning series champion Scott Dixon and former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch. Busch is set to race 1,100 miles in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. Busch raced in NASCARs All-Star race the night before and flew back from Concord, North Carolina, on Sunday morning. Busch was humbled when he said hed never be able to duplicate a weekend like this one — "except for maybe next week." Defending 500 champion Tony Kanaan will start 16th. Hinchcliffe appeared to have no problems in the car days after he was cleared to return for his concussion. He paced as he watched Carpenter make his final run, then his chance at the pole end when Carpenter found more speed on his final lap. He was injured last weekend in Saturdays Grand Prix when debris from Justin Wilsons car flew into the cockpit, striking Hinchcliffe in the head. He was taken away from the track on a stretcher, transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. The 27-year old Canadian was cleared to drive Thursday, and took the wheel back from pinch-driver E.J. Viso. "I had to kind of pretend that I had been here all month and take the feedback my teammates had given me at face value," Hinchcliffe said. "I knew what to expect from the car and that was a huge part of it." For the first time, IndyCar awarded points based on qualifying runs. The top qualifier on Saturday earned 33 points, second place got 32 and so on, all the way to one point for the 33rd-place entrant. The pole winner earned another nine points Sunday, decreasing to one point for the ninth-place starter. Carpenter, a Butler University alum, is an avid Indiana Pacers fan and couldnt wait to watch them play the Miami Heat in the playoffs. "Racers and Pacers right now," he said. "So go Pacers, beat the Heat."
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[b]Authentic Omri Casspi Jersey[/b] . Louis Blues have returned to the top spot in the TSN.CHICAGO -- Pitching only 8 miles from where he grew up, Mike Bolsinger had more nerves than usual when he stepped on the mound at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. In front of about 20 family and friends, some of whom he hadnt seen in a long time after his family moved away when he was 10 years old, Bolsinger delivered exactly what the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks needed. Bolsinger earned his first major league win, pitching into the seventh inning and hitting an RBI single as Arizona beat the Cubs 5-2 Thursday. "Every once in a while Id look over and see my friends and family cheering me on," Bolsinger said. "It was good to get the first win, but I think it was a lot better to get a big team win, especially two in a row now. Hopefully that gets something started with this club, and we can keep it rolling." Bolsinger (1-1) allowed one unearned run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two. Bolsinger was given the traditional beer shower by his teammates to celebrate his first win. Addison Reed got his fifth save in six chances with a perfect ninth, and the Diamondbacks won consecutive games for only the second time this season. After the game, Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero defended manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers against critical comments about them and the teams 7-18 start. Montero, unprovoked, said the staff doesnt deserve any blame for Arizonas record. "Theyve been coming here with the best attitude and the best intentions and theyve been pushing us hard, very positive," Montero said. "I wanted to say that because the blame should be on us, should be on the players. We havent played the way were supposed to play. I wanted to take that off my chest." Montero hit a two-out double in the first inning off Edwin Jackson (1-2) for a 1-0 lead. Montero also had an RBI single in the eighth off reliever Jose Veras. The Cubs got that early run back right away in the bottom half of the first. Leadoff man Emilio Boniifacio stretched a hit up the middle into a hustle double, which was reviewed when it appeared he was tagged out when he overslid the base.
[b]Discount Grizzlies Jerseys[/b]. After a lengthy replay review, the call stood. Following a walk, Bonifacio scored on left fielder Roger Kieschnicks error on a line drive by Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs went on to load the bases with one out on a walk, but Bolsinger struck out Mike Olt looking and got Welington Castillo to fly out. "It was a tough (road) trip, going 3-4 on it," Gibson said. "Wed like to do better than that. Were in a very tough time, and were pressing very hard. It seemed like we came out more relaxed today, and theyre feeling better about themselves." Cliff Pennington walked in the Arizona second and scored on Tony Campanas double. Bolsinger singled for a 3-1 lead. "Early in the game, it felt like I was rushing a little bit," Jackson said. "It was one of those days when you feel like you dont have your best stuff, so you try to make it happen. You just have to take a step back and slow the game down. I let it come to me, tried to go out and take it." Despite throwing 40 pitches through two innings, Jackson settled down and posted his longest outing since Sept. 10. He allowed five hits while walking two and striking out four in seven innings. Rizzo hit a solo home run in the eighth, his third of the season. NOTES: Diamondbacks OF Mark Trumbo (stress fracture in left foot) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and Kieschnick was recalled from Triple-A Reno. Kieschnick made his Diamondbacks debut Thursday, starting in left field and going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. ... OF A.J. Pollock (neck stiffness) was not in the starting lineup for a fourth consecutive game. Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said he was much improved but not where theyd like him to be. ... Cubs top pitching prospect RHP C.J. Edwards was in Chicago on Thursday to get his shoulder examined after he experienced fatigue in a bullpen session.
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