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ST. New Balance 574 Mens Shoes . PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Carlos Pena thrust his arms in the air, rounded first base and headed right into a wild celebration in the middle of the Tropicana Field infield. Pena defied long odds against CC Sabathia and did it again against Mariano Rivera, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a thrilling 7-6 season-opening victory over the New York Yankees on Friday. Pena hit an early grand slam off Sabathia, then completed a ninth-inning comeback with an RBI single off Rivera. Pena finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs in his return to the Rays after a year with the Chicago Cubs. All that after a spring in which he hit .107 and struggled so much that manager Joe Maddon initially penciled him into the No. 7 spot in the batting order for the opener. Maddon had a change of heart Friday, shifting the slugger into the sixth spot. "Your heart starts racing in that moment and you try to control yourself as much as possible," Pena said. "I tried to slow myself down and breathe and take it one pitch at a time, as easy as you can possibly make it. Instead of building the situation up you try to bring it down." Rivera (0-1) had been 60 of 61 in save chances against the Rays. But after Desmond Jennings opened the ninth with a single against baseballs career saves leader, Ben Zobrist tripled home the tying run. The 42-year-old Yankees closer intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases and struck out Sean Rodriguez. Pena, who was 0 for 11 lifetime against Rivera, won it by driving a 1-2 pitch off the base of the wall in left-centre field for his fifth RBI of the game. Pena hit his slam in the first. Evan Longoria hit a solo homer in the Rays third, and it stayed 6-5 until the ninth. "Hes the greatest closer in the history of the game and we all know that," Pena said of Rivera. "He has that illusion in his ball. You swing where the ball is at and its not there anymore. He has perplexed hitters throughout his career. Hes the best closer in baseball, and thats for a reason." Riveras rough outing was the latest in a recent series of bad outings by big league closers. Jose Valverde, Chris Perez and Bostons Alfredo Aceves all struggled a day earlier. "My fault. I felt good. I dont make excuses," Rivera, whose other blown save against the Rays came in 2005. "I just left the ball up," he said. Rivera, beginning his 18th major league season, had converted 27 consecutive opportunities against the Rays. "When you see him blow one, its shocking. Its going to happen. It happened. Its baseball," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He got a couple pitches up. He got one up to Jennings, and he got one up to Zobrist. That kind of led to the inning." Sabathia yielded both of Tampa Bays homers, but later worked out of a couple of tight spots to cling to the lead the defending AL East champions took on newcomer Raul Ibanezs three-run homer in the third. Reliever David Robertson escaped a jam in the eighth inning, striking out Stephen Vogt, Jose Molina and Matt Joyce with runners at the corners, seemingly setting up Rivera to close it out. Fernando Rodney (1-0) struck out one in a perfect ninth to earn the win in his debut for Tampa Bay. The Rays, whove made the playoffs three of the past four years, raised a 2011 AL wild-card banner to the left-field catwalk before the game and Pena brought the sellout crowd of 34,078 to its feet again in the bottom of the first when he sent a 3-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his eighth career grand slam. Tampa Bays career home run leader entered the day 4 for 35 with two homers and 19 strikeouts lifetime against Sabathia, who walked Rodriguez intentionally -- just the fourth intentional pass of the young shortstops career -- to get to Pena. "It was the right move. If I make the pitches, then we have nothing to talk about," Sabathia said. The Yankees battled back with two runs in the second and four more in the fourth, when Ibanezs put them ahead 6-4. The off-season free agent acquisition was 0 for 12 against Rays starter James Shields, including a grounder to second base that drove in New Yorks first run, before getting his first hit for his new team. With the 30-year-old Shields making the fourth opening day start of his career, the Rays used a starting pitcher 30 or older for the first time since May 24, 2007, at home against Seattle. Shields made a start in Chicago the following game, beginning what evolved into a major league record stretch of 764 consecutive games started by pitchers under 30. Shields allowed six runs and nine hits, walked three and struck out three in five innings. The right-hander, who set Rays records for complete games (11) and shutouts (4) while becoming a first-time All-Star in 2011, also hit a batter and unleashed a wild pitch that allowed a run to score in the second. Sabathia, a 19-game winner a year ago, wasnt sharp, either. The 31-year-old lefty struck out Pena twice to help himself through jams in the third and fifth innings but wound up throwing 104 pitches in six innings. The Yankees ace allowed five runs and eight hits, walked three and struck out seven. Alex Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks and scored two runs for the Yankees. Hes hit safely in all eight opening day games hes played for the Yankees. NOTES: Some the Yankees sported T-shirts in the clubhouse before the game with the slogans "Yankees 1" accompanied by a degree sign on the front and "Mind Heart Guts" on the back. ... With Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth beginning the season on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon plans to fill his role by committee. RHPs Joel Peralta and Rodney are among the candidates to get much of the work. ... Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte is scheduled to face Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguers in extended spring training on Monday, his second game action since ending a one-year retirement. Meanwhile, RHP Michael Pineda, whos on the disabled list because of right shoulder tendinitis, played catch Friday for the second straight day. ... Looking to give his starters a regular break from playing in the field this season, Girardi is expected to have Rodriguez or Derek Jeter DH on Saturday. Nike Air Max 2015 Mens Shoes . -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a case for saving coach Greg Schianos job with a strong second-half turnaround. Nike Air Max 2015 Womens Running Shoe . No way, absolutely no way. If you do, where do you go from there? If you want to progress as a team and as a club you have no chance if you sell players like that. SALT LAKE CITY -- Tyrone Corbin oversaw Utahs transition from Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams to a youth movement, one he wont get to see to fruition. The Jazz are in the market for a new coach after deciding not to offer Corbin a new contract Monday. Corbin went 112-146 in three-plus seasons in Salt Lake City. He took over on Feb. 10, 2011, following the resignation of Sloan, for whom he played three seasons and served as a longtime assistant. Corbin reached the playoffs in the strike-shortened 2011-12 season, but his team was swept by San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz went 43-39 the next season and dumped a number of veterans. This year, they went 25-57, the worst season by the Jazz since 1979-80, when Utah was 24-58 following the franchises relocation from New Orleans. Still, it wasnt easy to cut ties with a classy man who steered the franchise through the difficult stretch and whos worked for the organization for more than a dozen years. "Tys a man of dignity, class, integrity and well do nothing now in this press conference or moving forward that will disparage him or his coaches in any way," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said. "Today, were grateful for a period that they saw us through and following coach Sloan in many ways ... is like following John Wooden." Lindsey said he doesnt have a short list of preferred coaching candidates nor does he have a deadline for hiring Corbins replacement. Corbin was the seventh coach in franchise history. He served as an assistant under Sloan from 2004-11. He also played for nine teams during a 16-year NBA career, including three seasons with the Jazz from 1991-94. Lindsey left open the possibility of Corbin returning to the organization in some capacity. "I dont want to speak for Ty and understand his range of emotions, from disappointment to anger to everything in between, but (hes) a good man who was a very good player, very good assistant thatt led us well through a tough three-plus years where there was significant change of personnel," Lindsey said. Adidas Originals Superstar 2 Sneaker. "So, I wouldnt rule anything out, just because hes that high of character. "And Ill say this, as well: I think Ty is ... going to be a better coach or is potentially going to be a better head coach for his experience, and it wouldnt surprise me at all to see him land on his feet to be a head coach and to do very well going forward. If that doesnt happen and he were to want to come back in some fashion, I dont think theres anybody within the organization that would prevent that." Owner and CEO Greg Miller said in a statement that Corbin "has always represented the Jazz franchise in a first-class manner both on the court and in the community. He did a wonderful job of building relationships with the players and encouraged their growth throughout the season." After jettisoning veteran salaries last summer, the Jazz started 1-14 amid injury woes, but improved as the season progressed. Rookie point guard Trey Burke started the season on the bench with a broken finger, pressed through a shooting slump and ended with a season-high 32 points in the final game. He averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 assists. Despite the losses, the team never splintered. Players pointed to Corbins positivity and the veteran influence of Marvin Williams and Richard Jefferson, who resurrected his career, shooting 41 per cent from 3-point range and scoring 10.1 points after rarely playing at Golden State last year. A lottery pick, another first-round choice and sizeable salary cap flexibility will benefit the Jazz and Corbins successor this off-season. And theres plenty of promise in Enes Kanter, Derrick Favours and Alec Burks. The two big men improved in all statistical areas. Burks became a go-to scorer and ended up as the second-leading scorer despite playing as a reserve most of the season.cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '