of collective groans as the big video board showed three replay

NEW YORK -- In their first game since trading longtime catcher Carlos Ruiz, the Philadelphia Phillies looked like a team without its quarterback.Wilmer Flores launched a grand slam, Asdrubal Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate and even Bartolo Colon had two helpful hits while pitching the New York Mets to a 9-4 victory over the Phillies on Friday night.Hours before the game, there was a message from Ruiz to his ex-teammates written on the white grease board in Philadelphias clubhouse, signed with his nickname:I will miss all of you guys. Good luck the rest of the season. Love you all, Chooch! Gracias.Ruiz was sent with cash to the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, a day off for the Phillies. In exchange, they received veteran catcher A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named.The 37-year-old Ruiz spent 11 seasons with the Phillies and helped them win five straight NL East crowns (2007-11), two pennants (2008-09) and the 2008 World Series championship. He had been in the organization for more than 17 years since signing out of Panama in 1998.Its tough. Im trying to think of the right words. The thing about Chooch, he was the quarterback, in a sense, said first baseman Ryan Howard, now the only remaining player from Philadelphias 2008 title team.The way he handled the pitching staff, the way he prepared himself for games with the pitchers from a defensive standpoint, and just kind of knowing different situations, Howard added. And then just the way he played the game. He was a fireball. He was a fireball out there. Im definitely going to miss him.Ellis is expected to join the Phillies in time for Saturday nights game against the Mets. Cameron Rupp started behind the plate Friday and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.Jose Reyes and Cabrera opened the Mets half of the first inning with consecutive home runs, just the second time the franchise has accomplished that feat.The 43-year-old Colon (12-7) carried a two-hitter into the eighth and took over the team lead in wins as New York began a pivotal 10-game homestand by winning for the fifth time in its past six.Colon is different than any pitcher you see nowadays. You dont see too many guys throwing 88 (mph), just fastballs, just sinking it, Phillies outfielder Peter Bourjos said. Hes kind of a rare bird.He does a good job of locating the ball, changing speeds on his fastball and working quick.At the plate, the pudgy pitcher lashed two sharp hits that delighted the crowd, a leadoff double in the fifth and a line-drive single in the sixth. He scored both times, first ahead of Flores third career slam and then in front of Cabreras second homer of the night.The switch-hitting shortstop became the first Mets player to go deep from both sides in one game since Carlos Beltran at Colorado on May 12, 2011.A tiring Colon gave up four straight hits to start the eighth but walked off the mound to a warm ovation. The only other time he got two hits in a game was in August 2002 with the Montreal Expos against Milwaukee.Colon just seems to own us, Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said. We cant square the ball up off of him.Phillies starter Adam Morgan (1-8) gave up two homers on his first five pitches but soon recovered. He was trailing 2-1 when Neil Walker worked a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth.Flores reached down and lofted the next delivery over the fence in left-center.Morgan, who has dropped eight straight decisions, allowed eight hits and matched a career high with eight strikeouts in five innings. He was unable to build on a strong outing his last time out against St. Louis.Itll happen. Im definitely not giving up on myself or this team, Morgan said.The left-hander was fortunate to avoid a serious injury, too, when he barely ducked out of the way of Yoenis Cespedes screaming line drive.Morgan, hit by a liner earlier this season, spun around and crouched in front of the mound as he caught his breath. The crowd let out a trio of collective groans as the big video board showed three replays of the ball whizzing just above Morgans head.I just know that Im learning. I see improvements. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different, but I see improvements, Morgan said.QUICK LOOKBefore the game, the Phillies called up touted catching prospect Jorge Alfaro from Double-A Reading. Alfaro, acquired from Texas last year in the trade for Cole Hamels, did not play and probably wont stay long. He is expected to be sent back down when Ellis arrives.UP NEXTPhillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (10-7, 3.60 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Saturday night against Noah Syndergaard (11-7, 2.61). Hellickson, set to make his fourth start this season against the Mets, has won four consecutive decisions overall and six of his last seven. Syndergaard, who is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three career starts against Philadelphia, is coming off eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball Sunday at San Francisco. Anthony Mason Jersey Large .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Allan Houston Jersey Large . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.customknicksjersey.com/custom-willis-reed-jersey-large-229w.html . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Tracy McGrady Jersey Large .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Custom Mark Jackson Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. SALT LAKE CITY -- Offense was hard to come by from both the Bulls and Jazz on Thursday night, but when Chicago needed baskets down the stretch, they turned to All-Star Jimmy Butler and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.Butler scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Bulls defeated the Jazz 85-77.We found a way. We hung on, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. On offense, youre going to have games like this over an 82-game schedule. Its going to come and go. Your constants have to be defense and rebounding. We did that all game long to give us a chance to win.The Bulls have won four straight, including three on the road.Chicago used 9-0 runs to start the third and fourth quarters that Utah never recovered from. Nikola Mirotic had a dunk, a steal and an assist during the fourth-quarter run that put the Bulls up 75-58.The Jazz cut the lead to 80-75 late, but Wade and Butler hit jumpers to put the game away.Wade scored 18 points for the Bulls and Robin Lopez posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.The way were playing right now, man, its fun, Butler said.The Jazz have lost two straight at home after going 4-1 during the preceding road trip.Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Jazz as Gordon Hayward added eight points and 12 rebounds.The Jazz led 43-41 at halftime despite the Bulls shooting just 28.8 percent from the field. What the Bulls lacked in accuracy, they made up in volume -- taking 52 shots to Utahs 38 in the first half as the Jazz turned the ball over nine times.I dont know if its a one-game thing, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of the offense. We werent very good, thats clear. Weve had bad games before offensively. We had some open shots, we didnt make them. ... Sometimes when youre missing shots you let it impact everything.dddddddddddd You just get stagnant.I dont see any reason, because we played this way tonight, that sirens are going off for our offense. ... Im not despondent. ... We didnt play well tonight and lost to a really good team.TIP-INSBulls: Doug McDermott missed his second consecutive game due to a concussion. ... Rajon Rondo missed his second consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. ... Butler scored at least 20 points and had five assists in his previous five games. He only had three assists Thursday.Jazz: Rodney Hood returned to the starting lineup after missing last game with an illness and scored 12 points. ... Boris Diaw started in place of injured Derrick Favors. ... George Hill missed his sixth consecutive game with a sprained right thumb.FAVORS OUTFavors had an MRI on Wednesday and is out for an undetermined amount of time with a left knee bone contusion. The knee has been bothering him since the preseason and hes been in and out of the lineup, missing all but one preseason game. Snyder doesnt think he returned too quickly. Its been a challenge for him, Snyder said. The main point is, you reach a point where youre not effective. That is where he has been, or youre less effective to the point where you need to address the situation in a different way.QUOTABLEWe just didnt push the pace enough, Hood said. I think we defended well. Theyre a good team, theyre playing well right now. But we just didnt play with enough energy offensively.UP NEXTBulls: Chicago travels to Los Angeles for a back-to-back with the Clippers and Lakers on Saturday and Sunday.Jazz: Utah travels to face the Rockets on Saturday. ' ' '