seemed promising after beating a few of its uppermost interregional opponents

MILWAUKEE -- Although Jimmy Nelson hadnt won a game in more than a month, he kept insisting he wasnt pitching as poorly as it seemed.Nelson provided proof on Monday night, winning for the first time in seven starts and not issuing a walk for the first time this season as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2.We focused on quality pitches. Even the misses were small, Nelson said.Nelson (7-13) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings while striking out four. He hadnt pitched past the fifth in any of his previous six starts.I honestly felt really good, like I could have gone back out there, he said. With the tempo and effort of my delivery, I felt like I didnt really get tired out there.Nelson threw 71 of 95 pitches for strikes.He was pounding the zone very well tonight, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.Chris Carter homered for the Brewers and Tyler Thornburg got the last three outs for his fifth save in nine chances.The Rockies got a run in the first when David Dahl scored on a wild pitch by Nelson.The Brewers tied it in the bottom of the inning when Jonathan Villar scored from third on an error by Colorado shortstop Daniel Descalso. Kirk Nieuwenhuis added a two-run single.Carters solo homer to left in the third, his 30th of the season, off Chad Bettis (10-7) extended Milwaukees lead to 4-1.Bettis gave up four runs and four hits. He struck out three and issued a career-high seven walks. He walked multiple batters in the first, second and fifth innings. He threw 111 pitches, second only to his career-high 114 on April 25 against Pittsburgh.DJ LaMahieus run scoring single in the fifth brought the Rockies within two runs.Dahl finished with two singles and two stolen bases for the Rockies.KEY CATCHIt was only the second batter of the game, but Nieuwenhuis diving catch of LaMahieus tailing shot down the right-field line prevented the Rockies from a potentially big inning.They had a big inning working, for sure, Counsell said. If that ball gets through, the middle of their lineup is obviously very dangerous. That catch was the play of the game, really.Nieuwenhuis said he felt the ball begin to pop out of his glove as he crashed to the ground. I knew I was going to be able to get there but it ended up being a little further than I thought, he said. I was able to pin it to my chest.CARTER CRUSHESCarter became the first Brewer to reach 30 home runs in a season since 2012 when Ryan Braun hit 41 and Corey Hart had 30. He has hit 21 home runs at Miller Park.I always love coming back here and hitting, Carter said.VILLAR SWIPES 50thJonathan Villar stole bases in the first and second innings, giving him 50 for the season. Hes the first Brewers player to reach that mark since Scott Podsednik stole 70 bases in 2004. Every pitch Im ready, Villar said.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: RHP Scott Oberg was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 20, with axillary artery thrombosis in his right arm. (Oberg) went for some tests yesterday. It showed some clots, manager Walt Weiss said. Scary situation. RHP Carlos Estevez was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. ... CF Charlie Blackmon was not in the starting lineup for the fourth straight game because of a bruised right toe. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth.Brewers: RHP Junior Guerra, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 8 with right elbow inflammation, will make a minor league rehab start before rejoining the Brewers.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Jon Gray (8-6, 4.69) will start against the Brewers for the first time. The rookie hasnt pitched more than five innings in any of his last four starts.Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (7-10, 4.97) is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts. He is 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in nine career starts against the Rockies. Dominique Wilkins Hawks Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Allen Crabbe Hawks Jersey . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. https://www.thehawkslockerroom.com/Deandre-Bembry-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. Jabari Parker Hawks Jersey . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Jeremy Lin Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Even after a dramatic Dota 2 offseason filled with roster swaps and retirements, the dust still hasnt settled since the conclusion of The International 6. Theres been precious few international LANs to gauge the performance of the new lineups, and there are still a good number of unknowns going into the 2017 season. The Boston Major set at the Wang Theatre will be the venue to quell doubts and establish the tone of the 2017 season. After so many of the traditional favorites fell to new faces in the Boston qualifiers, a new balance of power has arisen in Dota 2. If you havent watched any Dota since August, a lot has changed.Still, theres been just enough interregional play and major LANs to start drawing lines. Whos a favorite for the title in Boston? Who will need to make some miracles happen?1. Wings GamingThe reigning champs of The International, Wings Gaming were one of the few teams to stick together in the offseason, and for good reason. No other squad looks as consistent or solid as Wings. Watching recent matches, you would think a day hasnt passed since August, as key players like Chu shadow Zeyu and Zhang Faith_bian Ruida continue to put up impressive performances. Wings have been humbled a couple times in the months since TI6, falling to EG at The Summit 6 to finish third, but its still hard to bet against them. Even in losses, teams have to work uphill to earn the victory against this team, and you can never really count these five out of any match.2. Evil GeniusesQuestions about Evil Geniuses capability without Peter ppd Dager may have been exaggerated, as Andreas Cr1t- Nielsen has stepped up to the captains role with aplomb. Evil Geniuses have been one of the most consistent teams coming out of the offseason, winning the MarsTV Dota 2 League 2016 Autumn and finishing third at The Summit 6. Even in a single-elim, best-of-three format, EG have a history of excelling. This squad is 9-1 in Game 3 situations, and have only been swept 2-0 three times in the last couple months. A solid bet for a top-three finish in almost any tournament, and certainly for the major.3. Virtus.ProEven a few weeks ago, I would have questioned placing Virtus.Pro so high. After The Summit 6 though, theres little doubt in anyones mind that VP are going to be a team to beat in Boston. Virtus.Pro are aggressive, in the way most CIS-region squads are known for, but their offensive-oriented mindset masks crisp, clean execution. This team clicks together like few others do, with well-timed rotations and pristine team fights. The fact that VP was under-the-radar for so long makes it a challenge for most teams to adjust as well; analysts and coaches will likely be picking apart VPs Summit matches in a hurry to dissect the team before Boston. VP may be a qualifier team, but its one of the most daunting matchups for any team bar-none headed into the main event.4. OGThough the green dream looked shaky, theyve since got their feet underneath themselves and started to sync up, most notably at The Summit 6. Rookie mid-laner Anathan ana Pham was a big question mark, as he was filling some big shoes on the roster while veteran mid Gustav s4 Magnusson was working up confidence in the offlane. Both have since proven their mettle in their respective roles, and as the team begins to shake some of its nerves, OG may prove to be a force to be reckoned with again. For now, theyre still in the upper-tier, but just outside the top three.5. Newbee After a low placement at The International, Newbee have since bounced back and looked competitive in their precious few interregional tournament appearances. Though Newbee have not competed in any significant international LAN in the last few weeks, you cant discount the talent and prowess already shown, even within the Chinese region. Undefeated runs in brackets are not uncommon for this team when playing other Chinese squads, and under captain Hu Kaka Liangzhi, theres no question that Newbee will be a strong contender in Massachusetts.6. Team NPThe trend of pro players forming their own organization has been fairly successful in the past year or so, and Team NP is the newest poster child for it. Made up of many talented North American pros, this team harkens back to the glory days of Cloud9 Dota 2, and not just because of lineup similarities. The balance of baffling brilliance and unpredictability of this team is something to watch, and keeps every NP game exciting from start to finish. Where other teams might need consistency headed into Boston, Team NP may need just the opposite; surprise picks, aggressive play and executing specific lineups has worked well for NP in the past, and could mean the difference between finishing in or out of the top three.7. EHOMEA more recent success story to hail from China, EHOME have had mixed results in recent LAN showings. A few losses to some upper-tier teams have snubbed EHOMEs runs early, but in-game, this team shows promise. The talent of players like Wang old chicken Zhiyong can lead to some explosive matches for the team, but the sticking point will be consistency. EHOME need reliable showings, and to avoid major lane implosions, which have allowed teams to steal away the game early from EHOME in the past.8. Digital Chaos The runner-up at TI6 has had a few stumbles in the months since August. Precious few LAN matches have doubled those concerns, as its sole pre-Boston appearance at The Summit 6 resulted in a less-than-desirable fifth-sixth finish. There may be too little data to determine whether DC has truly deteriorated frrom its top-two finish, but as it stands, Digital Chaos are not a clear favorite for the top spot at Boston, and given results from the Summit, barely cuts into the top eight.dddddddddddd.9. Team Faceless Made up of veterans and fresh faces, Team Faceless have some of the most potential of any qualifier team headed into Boston. Led by Daryl iceiceice Koh Pei Xiang, eyes should be on Dominik Black^ Reitmeier in the hard carry role. Not only one of the best Anti-Mage players outside of BurNIng, Reitmeier has been a playmaker for this team in the carry role. Having already pulled off some significant upsets in the SEA region, the team looked a little less promising at The Summit 6, landing in the bottom two at the tournament. Still, potential exists here for Faceless to make a run in the tournament, as one of the most promising dark horses among the qualifier teams.10. Ad Finem Hailing from Greece, Ad Finem have tried and failed twice to make the cut for a major: Manila, and again for TI6. Third time seems to be the charm for Ad Finem though, finally making it into Boston, and this team looks like a promising candidate for some upsets in the main event bracket. These are five talented players who have stuck it out since the teams inception in 2015, and most recently took games off NP and FDL. Ad Finem might be easy to overlook, but thats more than likely an advantage here, as this EU squad took a qualifier spot over lineups like Team Liquid and Secret while flying under the radar.11. LGD Forever Young Despite securing a first-place finish over top Chinese teams to get into Boston, more recent results have cast some shadows on LGD Forever Youngs chances for the top. A strong showing in the group stages of the Dota 2 ACE Provisional tournament was followed by a quick two-and-out exit from the bracket, courtesy of Vici Gaming J. Never count out captain Zhang xiao8 Ning, who earned his title of Director 8 for a reason. LGD.FYs Boston hopes will rest on the captains shoulders, and though it may not look promising, Zhang has captained TI-winning squads before, so anything is possible for this uneasy lineup in Boston.12. MVP Phoenix A top team at most international LANs, MVP Phoenix have had some trying times as of late. After losing key players to Team Secret in the offseason, MVP didnt look quite like the team that took fifth-sixth at TI6. The recent substitution of Lee Forev Sang-don back onto the team is the X-factor, as the teams Boston hopes will rest squarely on his shoulders in the one-role core position. MVP Phoenix could once again pull off an incredible LAN run, like it often does at major Valve events, and make a real contest for a top spot. Given recent performances in the SEA region, though, its hard to do anything more than speculate what-ifs.13. Warriors Gaming UnityA surprise to anyone not well-versed in the region, WG Unity came out of the SEA qualifiers looking solid, edging out Fnatic and Mineski to take the second spot. In the past, this team had some impressive wins on its resume, including several over Execration. It remains to be seen if this team has the talent needed to edge out other competitors, but going off its SEA performances, WG Unity could be looking at some quality wins coming into Boston.14. Complexity A team that looked promising coming into Boston, especially in a highly competitive North American region, recent incidents have introduced a lot of variables into coLs Boston prospects. The sudden departure of Justin jk Rosselle shook up the Complexity lineup, and now there is some ambiguity as to whether new sub Jaron monkeys-forever Clinton or offlaner David Moo Hull will fill Rosselles spot. The team has exhibited the ability to compete at a high level, and to take teams like EG and NP to full sets, but with so many question marks and unknowns, its hard to know what version of Complexity will show up in Massachusetts.15. Execration What was one of the more surprising direct invites to the Boston Major, Execration certainly looked strong out of the gate coming into the 2017 season. After a third-place finish in the TI6 wild cards, the team seemed promising after beating a few of its uppermost interregional opponents, a status boosted further by a direct invite to Boston. But while Execration can take games off other SEA teams, this lineup struggles against international competitors. A recent second-place finish at ROG Masters masks the fact that Execration didnt face a team that had been to a major or International until the grand finals, where it got swept 3-0 by Team Secret. Even within the region, Execration has often fallen to teams like WG Unity and Fnatic. Despite their status as direct invite, Execration doesnt have much on their resume to assure theyll make a dent in the Boston bracket.16. Invictus Gaming Vitality The second-place qualifier for the Boston Major from the Chinese region, Invictus Gamings Vitality lineup has had precious few triumphs this season besides the qualifier win. Besides emerging victorious to make it to Boston, Vitality has otherwise fallen to many other Chinese competitors, including a last-place finish at the Nanyang Cruise Cup and only one win overall at the MarsTV Dota 2 League 2016 Autumn. This team has often floated around the middle of the pack in regional LANs, but Vitality will need to seriously up its game and focus to make it past the first round of eliminations in Boston. ' ' '