official team photo before Wednesdays game. Th

(SportsNetwork. Toronto Blue Jays Gear .com) - Its fair to call Mike McCarthy one of the best coaches in the NFL but its also more than objective to point out that the veteran mentor bookended the Green Bay Packers season with two, truly awful game plans in Seattle. Back on Kickoff Weekend, McCarthys stubborn insistence on staying away from Richard Sherman made his offense predictable by the second quarter after it became painfully obvious the coach had no interest in targeting the All-Pro and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to acquiesce. The result was a 36-16 Seattle rout and, more importantly, the difference between the NFC Championship Game being held in CenturyLink Field instead of Lambeau. Fast forward to Sunday where McCarthys multitude of mistakes cost the Packers a trip to the Super Bowl despite the fact that his charges dominated a sloppy Seattle team for almost 58 minutes. The Seahawks miraculously overcame five turnovers and a 12-point hole in the waning minutes of regulation to reach the big game for a second consecutive season by downing Green Bay 28-22. This is a hard one to swallow, McCarthy admitted. We had opportunities, particularly at critical times to make plays. We had plays and Seattle made some of those big plays to keep the game alive so you have to give them credit. The Packers coach can drop the self-deprecating act, though, because he deserved plenty of credit for the outcome also. Apologists for McCarthy are trying to peddle the narrative that if reserve tight end Brandon Bostick, who was supposed to be a blocker, just snared a rather easy onside kick attempt, the Packers would be during up the itinerary for Glendale. And while thats true, it doesnt address McCarthys poor decision-making throughout the game which put Bostick in the position to fail. Brandon, just like anything, you get in to one of those critical spots, McCarthy said. It is important for everybody to do their job. Unfortunately that wasnt the case on that play. And thats the result of it. The coachs ultra-conservative mindset in the first quarter -- most notably, kicking two Mason Crosby field goals from 18 and 19 yards out -- received most of the attention but his incompetence in the final frame was even more egregious, as he ran five out of six plays on consecutive three-and-outs despite possessing the presumptive MVP in Rodgers. And, on one of the three-and-outs, it was the pedestrian James Starks carrying the football not the hard-nosed Eddie Lacy. We had some chances early, had some chances late to do some things and didnt do it, Rodgers said. When you go back and think about it, at times we werent playing as aggressive as we usually are. Field goals early in the game, we knew that points were at a premium, McCarthy added. Frankly, I would have liked to have gone for it there on fourth down, but based on what we saw, on second and third down, I just felt that you had to take points. To be fair some of McCarthys shaky choices had to do with Rodgers health as the All-Pro was hardly himself because of a left calf injury but neither were Seahawks star safety Earl Thomas or Sherman, who was playing with one arm late in the game. Meanwhile, A-Rod sure seemed capable of doing some things when leading the Packers down the field to force overtime in the final seconds. Weve finished off games before in four-minute (offense), Rodgers said while treading lightly, no bout aware of McCarthys ample ego. We had a chance to do some things; didnt do it. To many, any criticism of McCarthys strategy is off base because of Bosticks miscue but that ignores nuance, and while plenty contributed to this collapse, none were more culpable than McCarthy. You cant let (the Seahawks) complete a pass for a touchdown on a fake field goal, you cant give up an onside kick and you cant not get any first downs in the fourth quarter and expect to win, Rodgers said. And thats on top of being really poor in the red zone in the first half. Put all of that together, thats how you lose games. This was a great opportunity. We were right on the cusp. Until McCarthy directed them off of it. If anything, it was the Packers coach who failed Bostick and Rodgers and Lacy and every other player you can name that was wearing the Green and Gold on Sunday, not the other way around. McCarthy is a micromanaging, joystick coach, albeit a very good one. Instead of adjusting in-game or coaching with any kind of feel, however, he walks into a contest with a plan and loathes to deviate. If you want to question my playcalling ... Im not questioning it, McCarthy boated. I didnt think it would take a lot of points to win this game. I came in here to run the ball. The one statistic I had has as far as a target to hit was 20 rushing attempts in the second half, I thought that would be a very important target to hit for our offense. Unfortunately for Green Bay fans, the target can change and sometimes you need a coach to realize it. Toronto Blue Jays Shirts . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators. Blue Jays Jerseys 2020 . Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist as Phoenix held on to snap a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ .J. - Percy Harvin is ready to go, and theres no question in his mind hell be playing Sunday.NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees are outpitching some of baseballs best pitchers. Facing the third successive Cy Young recipient in the last three games, the Yankees rode a superior performance from starter Chris Capuano and Adam Warren to a 5-1 victory over Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night, their second win in the series. Capuano allowed five hits and an unearned run with eight strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings, leaving with the game tied at 1. Warren (2-5) worked out of an eighth-inning jam created by a walk and two errors after the Yankees had taken a 2-1 lead on Brian McCanns homer in the seventh. "Ive seen him do this before and that was one of the reasons we went and got him," manager Joe Girardi said of Capuano, who has gone at least six innings in all three of his starts since being acquired from the Rockies on July 24th. "If Im not mistaken, he did it to us last year here. He does know how to pitch, and he gave us a great performance tonight." Chase Headley also homered for the Yankees, whose streak of 16 consecutive games decided by two-or-fewer runs ended when they broke out for three runs in the eighth against reliever Blaine Hardy. Mark Teixeira injured his hand when he was spiked by catcher Bryan Holaday while scoring the Yankees final run on a slide at home plate. Teixeira, called out by home plate umpire Tom Woodring but ruled safe on a review, sustained a deep cut near his left pinky and will not play in Thursdays matinee finale of the four-game set. "It (the cut) was pretty bad," said Teixeira, who was replaced at first base in the ninth by Headley. "I took one look and looked away. Steve (trainer Steve Donohue) rushed me up here, we got it cleaned up and got the stitches in there. "You play hard, thats what happens. Im just happy about the win. It was a great team win." As they did in Tuesdays 4-3 victory, the Tigers scored in the first inning via the sacrifice fly, with Rajai Davis reaching on Derek Jeters error. That was all Detroit could generate against Capuano, Warren and David Huff, who pitched a perfect ninth. "He was changing speeds, heights, location," Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos said about Capuano. "He wasnt really giving anybody the same looks two times in a row. If he thought you were leaning, kind of diving for that changeup, youd gett a heater in. Stitched Blue Jays Jerseys. Both McCann and Capuano had a great night tonight." Verlander (10-10) retired the first 11 Yankees he faced before surrendering a two-out single to centre by Jacoby Ellsbury in the fourth. Headley deposited a 2-2 fastball into the right-field stands with out in the fifth for his ninth homer and second as a Yankee to tie it at 1, and it remained deadlocked until McCann belted his 13th homer on a 1-2 pitch with one out in the seventh. "Im not going to dwell on two homers," said Verlander, who allowed five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. "Headleys was gone anywhere. McCanns probably not in a lot of places, but, overall it was a good game." The Yankees committed four errors -- two by Stephen Drew in just his sixth game at second base -- but both Capuano and Warren picked up their fielders with key outs. Jeter singled in the sixth inning and needs one hit to tie Honus Wagner (3,430) for sixth place on the career all-time list. TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: Michael Pineda, who has missed exactly half the season with a right shoulder muscle injury, will make his second rehab appearance Friday at Scranton. Girardi indicated Pinedas return might be accelerated. "Hes probably available to go somewhere between 75 to 80 (pitches). Then well see where were at," Girardi said. Tigers: Right fielder Torii Hunter was listed as day-to-day after being hit on the left hand by Dellin Betanaces pitch in the ninth inning Tuesday night. X-rays taken after the game were negative. Hunter said he had a ruptured blood vessel and had a difficult time sleeping last night, but was relieved nothing was broken. "Id rather deal day-to-day than have a couple weeks off," he said before Wednesdays game. "It (the pitch) just backed up. I guess it just slipped out of his hand or something like that and stayed in on me. Thats baseball. You cant do anything about that. None of that was intentional." ON DECK The Yankees go with rookie right-hander Shane Greene (2-1, 3.68 ERA) in the finale of the four-game set Thursday. Detroit sends right-hander Rick Porcello (13-5, 3.18 ERA to the mound. FIVE OCLOCK SHADOW: C.C. Sabathia, sporting a full beard and walking with the aid of a metal crutch, joined his teammates for the official team photo before Wednesdays game. The Yankees have a long-standing policy against beards. ' ' '