ASS News » "But you know when youre putting well, I start

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ben Cranes back is OK, and his putter couldnt be working much better. The combination helped him shoot a 5-under 65 on Friday to open a six-stroke lead in the St. Jude Classic before heavy rain delayed play twice and forced the suspension of play for the day. Crane birdied his final hole Thursday night for a 63 and rolled in a 44-footer for birdie to start the second round Friday morning. He had a 12-under 128 total at TPC Southwind, matching the winning score in relation to par last year. "I certainly didnt see this coming," Crane said. "But you know when youre putting well, I started to feel like I was a little more in control of my ball, just felt like I was tightening my draws and fades a little bit. I had access to some holes I havent this year and so gosh, its been an incredible two days." Crane has spent the past six months changing his swing to protect his back. A four-time PGA Tour winner, Cranes last win came in 2011 at the McGladrey Classic and his best finish this year was a tie for ninth in the Humana Challenge in January. But he was in such pain he had a therapist with him for treatment during the round. "Its been a really, really hard year, racking my brain whats going on, whats going wrong and have I changed that much," Crane said. "You start wondering, Am I going to get it back. So this is super encouraging. My wife said last night, looks like you still got it. Because you wonder. But anyway, its been a fun start." Carl Pettersson and Jason Bohn were tied for second at 6 under. Pettersson had one hole left, and Bohn had two to play. Davis Love III (70) and Billy Horschel (68) were in at 5 under. Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen were unable to start the second round. Mickelson, winless in his last 19 events since the British Open, opened with a 67 on Thursday, and Goosen had a 66. Friday got off to a slow start with 60 players needing to wrap up the first round with the second started 40 minutes later. Lightning delayed play at 1:03 for 59 minutes before play resumed for 13 minutes. Mickelson had just gotten to the tee when the horn blew again. Fans were sent home before a severe thunderstorm drenched the course, filling bunkers, fairways and cart paths with water. Finally, play for the day was suspended just before 5 p.m. Players are due back at 7 a.m. so they can make the cut for the third round. Love was glad to be done before the weather moved in even at 5 under, and he doubts Crane will run out to 24 under. This course where John Cook won at 26 under in 1996 was redesigned to a par of 70 after 2004. "So hes off to a great start and well have to run him down," Love said about Crane. "Hes a great putter, and these greens are perfect, so hes got the advantage on us right now, but just hang in there." Crane had perfect timing for most of his rounds. He played most of the first round after the lengthy delay Thursday afternoon, which left nearly perfect scoring conditions with little wind and soft greens. He was in the first group off No. 1 starting the second round, and he birdied rolling in a putt with a break of more than 4 feet for the first of 24 putts. He followed up his opening birdie by sinking a 22-footer for birdie on No. 7. He hit his approach from 147 yards out to 3 feet for birdie on No. 9 to reach 10 under through 27 holes. He sunk a 14-footer on the par-3 11th with the island green before rolling in a 9-footer for birdie on No. 13. His 8-foot birdie on the par-5 16th put him at 13 under. But Crane hit into a bunker on No. 18 and missed a 7-footer to save par on way to his first bogey in two rounds. "How do I keep this going?" Well, certainly just keep doing what Im doing, and hopefully the same game shows up, and obviously continuing to putt well helps your score," Crane said. "I think thats the key. Divots: This was the second straight round where fans were sent home early due to weather. ... Memphis hadnt had a weather delay since 2010 when the first round was suspended due to lightning. ... This is the 16th tour event this season with either a delay or suspension due to weather or darkness. Corey Kluber Jersey . The Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-1 Tuesday night, their seventh defeat in 10 games. Rasmus was put on the 15-day DL on May 15 because of a sore right hamstring. Hes hitting .222 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Brad Hand Indians Jersey . The defending champions’ roller coaster season included trading offensive star Percy Harvin in the midst of the team’s 3-3 start. That move that reportedly irked several Seahawk players, but one management saw necessary to save the team’s chemistry. http://www.indianssale.com/indians-satchel-paige-jersey/ . He had even more fun Friday. Coming off a sensational rookie season, Spieth opened the new year by never coming close to bogey and making a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 7-under 66. Trevor Bauer Indians Jersey .ca. Hi Mr. Fraser, When I was watching the Heritage Classic in Vancouver there was a play midway through the third where Ottawa crashed the Canucks net and it came off its moorings. Ricky Vaughn Indians Jersey . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura will miss his next start after an MRI exam taken Tuesday on his sore right elbow showed no ligament damage, while top prospect Kyle Zimmer has been shut down after straining a muscle in his back. Ventura, whose 100 mph fastballs have made him a rising star, was removed from Monday nights loss to Houston with discomfort in his elbow. He was diagnosed with a mild valgus extension overload, a condition in which the repetitive stress on the elbow can cause pain in the joint. "We had a pretty good idea exactly what would show up on the MRI and thats exactly what happened," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Hes totally asymptomatic today, which means he doesnt feel anything, but as a precaution well skip him one start." Trainers went out to examine Ventura in the third inning when they noticed a decrease in the velocity on his fastball. But they were confident there was no ligament damage when Ventura said the pain was on the outside of the elbow, rather than on the inside of it. "It happens. It happens to everybody. It happens to infielders, it happens to outfielders. Its just a freak thing," Yost said. "The pain was on the other side of the elbow, and he only felt it on extension on his fastball. He didnt feel it on his breaking ball orr his changeup.ddddddddddddquot; Still, Ventura said he was concerned about his first elbow injury. "It felt a little unnatural in my arm and I didnt know what it was, but thank God after the treatment I was able to feel better," he said through a translator. "Right now I dont feel any pain, and Im very grateful to God and the trainers because theyre working with me." The plan is for Ventura to rest for the next three days, and then throw two side sessions while skipping his next start. Yost believes he will then be ready to rejoin the rotation. Yost said he was still considering options for his Saturday starter in Toronto. Meanwhile, Zimmer will not play catch for at least six weeks after straining a muscle in his back. The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Zimmer was already taking a conservative approach to the start of the season because of biceps tendinitis. Zimmer was a longshot to win a job out of spring training, but the Royals were hoping he would pitch well enough in the minors this summer to get a call-up to the big leagues. "Down the road, maybe after the All-Star break if Kyle was throwing good, he might be a guy that we could bring up and help us, and even deep as into September if he was throwing good," Yost said. "Well see how it goes from here." ' ' '