DENVER -- Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard led the way out of the Philadelphia Phillies offensive slump. Rollins homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that sent the Phillies past the Colorado Rockies 10-9 Sunday. Rollins finished with three hits as the Phillies averted a series sweep. Ryan Howard added four hits, including a homer and triple while driving in three runs. "It was good, it was something that was needed," Rollins said. "All those runs were needed. Every time we come here, they find a way to put up some runs. Weve played some interesting series. Today, it was needed to get back in the left column." Philadelphia had gone four games without an extra-base hit before breaking loose. They had scored a total of only two runs in dropping the first two games to Colorado. "It was well overdue," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Just some good at-bats. Howard really broke out in a good way. It was good to see that good contact. Hitting balls to left centerfield is a good thing for him. He broke out in a big way." Howard finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle. He actually ended up on second on a seventh inning drive to right field that got past a charging Brandon Barnes but the official scorer ruled the RBI hit a single and an error. Sandberg questioned the ruling and Howard said he hopes it will be overturned. "He went for a shoestring catch there, and to me, the ball got by him for a double," Sandberg said. "He went for the catch. Thats not a guarantee that he knocks that down and makes it a single. He went for the catch on a tough ball, for me." Howard hung on to the ball just in case the hit is eventually ruled a double. The last Phillies player to hit for the cycle was David Bell on June 28, 2004, against Montreal. Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez exited early because of a sore left knee. He appeared to tweak it running out a high chopper to end the sixth inning. He is listed as day to day with left knee tendinitis by the Rockies but Gonzalez said hes been dealing with the issue for more than a year off and on and hopes to be back in the lineup on Monday. "At the moment, it feels bad, but after a while it gets better," Gonzalez said. "Im planning to play (Monday). Its something I have deal with. I just have to be smart about it, and I want to keep playing, so thats what Im planning to do." Justin Morneau homered and drove in five runs for the Rockies. The teams combined for 30 hits, 15 for extra bases. Jake Diekman (2-1) got the win despite allowing two runs in 1 1-3 innings. Jonathan Papelbon earned his fifth save in six chances. Matt Belisle (0-2) gave up Rollins single that broke an 8-all tie. After Rollins put the Phillies ahead in the eighth, Chase Utley added an RBI grounder. Charlie Blackmon homered in the bottom half for Colorado. Philadelphia missed adding an insurance run in the ninth when Rockies manager Walt Weiss challenged the ruling that Freddy Galvis had beaten out a grounder. The replay showed that second baseman Josh Rutledges throw to first arrived an instant before Galvis stepped on the bag. The Phillies used a three-run seventh inning to go in front 8-6 on sacrifice flies by Utley and Domonic Brown and an RBI single by Howard. Colorado evened the score in its half of the seventh when Troy Tulowitzki doubled ahead of Morneaus homer, his second in as many games. The Rockies went up 4-3 with a three-run third that included Tulowitzkis run-scoring double, Morneaus RBI groundout and a tiebreaking RBI single by Nolan Arenado, who extended his hitting streak to a career high 11 games. Howard hit his fourth homer, a two-run shot off Juan Nicasio in the third. NOTES: Sandberg won a replay challenge in the sixth when the review showed pinch hitter Corey Dickersons foot had slipped off the bag when he was tagged at second. ... Rockies OF-INF Michael Cuddyer missed a third consecutive game with a sore left hamstring. Weiss said before the game that while Cuddyer has shown some improvement, his return is still up in the air and the team expects to know in the next day or two whether hell need additional recovery time that would require a stay on the disabled list. ... Three weeks into the season, Rollins has hit three home runs, already equaling half of his total for all of last season. Anaheim Ducks Jersey Black Friday . As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger. Custom St. Louis Blues Jersey Black Friday .K. Subban. The Norris Trophy-winning defenceman is a restricted free agent coming off a two-year bridge deal worth $5.75 million and is looking at a sizable raise in the neighbourhood of the NHLs elite defenders. http://www.hockeygo.net/new-york-rangers-james-patrick-Jersey/ . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs. Jason Spezza Jersey Black Friday . He played like an All-Star when the Pacers really needed it. After 48 hours of questions and criticism, Roy Hibbert scored a season-high 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two shots and altered a handful of others to help the Pacers get even in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 86-82 victory over Washington. Chris Chelios Jersey Black Friday . According to MLB.com the Rays have agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal to bring back first baseman James Loney. ST. LOUIS -- The overflow crowd at Rams Park did not intimidate Michael Sam. He seemed almost eager for the attention and scrutiny. The first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team was confident and engaged Tuesday as he was formally introduced by the St. Louis Rams, handling questions and scrutiny with aplomb well beyond that of a typical seventh-round pick. "Im determined to be great," Sam said. "I understand that right now you guys want to make a big deal of it." Sam put his arm around coach Jeff Fisher after sharing the podium with other late-round picks. He joked that hed never before heard the term "tweener" and even rose in his chair in mock intimidation of fellow Missouri draftee E.J. Gaines, a sixth-rounder whod been asked what the SEC co-defensive player of the year was like as a teammate. Sam, who came out to teammates and coaches before his senior season at Missouri, disagreed that his sexuality had been a secret. "Apparently, everybody else makes a big deal out of it," Sam said. "But my teammates and my school didnt." "Its OK to be who you are," he added. "Whether youre gay, straight, black or white, its OK to be comfortable in your own skin." After getting the go-ahead from owner Stan Kroenke and making the pick Saturday, Fisher called it a "second historic moment" for a franchise that signed running back Kenny Washington in 1946 as the NFLs first black player in the modern era. Just as in his post-draft teleconference with St. Louis media that was sprinkled with salty language, Sam was feisty. Hes had a few months to get accustomed to the role of trailblazer instead of a silent star. Sure, hes a role model. Right now hed much rather be the Rams description of "designated pass rusher." "I will always support equality, period," Sam said. "But my job is to focus on football and help this team win a championship." The appearance of perhaps the most famous seventh-round pick in NFL history attracted a massive amount of people. A half-dozen TV trucks lined a crammed parking lot at Rams Park, an hour before the teams two first-round picks were due at the podium. About 80 media members attended the news conferences. Three days earlier when the Rams chose Sam with the No. 249 overall pick, the media contingent was in single digits. "Theres some energy here," general manager Les Snead said with a smile between rounds of interviews. "But I dont think this is a circus. This deserves attention, but well get it over and well get to work." Sam shared the dais with five other players taken in the sixth and seventh rounds Saturday as the draft came to a close.dddddddddddd Snead joked that Tennessee State centre Demetrius Rhaney, taken one pick after Sam at 250th overall, should get the first question after it got lost in the hubbub Saturday. "Im not sure anybody knows we drafted Demetrius," Snead said, adding that he hoped someday that pick 249 will someday be a footnote in sports history, and not such a big deal. For Sams subsequent solo session with reporters, he was flanked by Fisher and Snead, with Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff joining the group. Everyone seemed eager to embrace Sam. Second-round pick Lamarcus Joyner, a cornerback from Florida State, has never had an openly gay teammate. He applauded Sams decision. "Hes a courageous young man," Joyner said. "Hes a brave young man that we need in this organization." The teams two first-round picks were first to the podium. Offensive tackle Greg Robinson, chosen second overall, sported a bow tie. Both got their due. Both welcomed Sam to the family. Robinson and Sam did a TV commercial together for a credit card company. Aaron Donald met Sam at ceremonies for the Lombardi and Nagurski awards. "Hes a cool guy," Donald said. "Hes a football player, he works his butt off and thats what you want. You want playmakers around you and hes a playmaker. Third-round pick Tre Mason, a running back from Auburn, said Sam was a "man of his own and hes entitled to do that." "Were a team and hes also a family member to me now." Sam will put on the pads later in the week when the team holds a three-day rookie orientation, much, if not all of it, closed to the media. The Rams drafted Sam even though they didnt need help at defensive end, where they have a pair of first-round picks as starters. Robert Quinn was second in the NFL with 19 sacks last season and Chris Long has been a standout since getting chosen second overall in 2008. But the Rams were well-stocked with picks, finishing with 11 selections, putting them in unique position to make history. "Shortly before we got to our pick, Michaels value as a football player was off the charts," Fisher said. "He has an opportunity now to come in and compete to try to make our team." Sam realizes its up to him to make the most of this chance, and he bristles at the naysayers who contend hes in the NFL only because he came out. "Will I make the cut?" he said, repeating a question. "You want to find out in a couple months, huh?" cheap nfl Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys cheap nfl Jerseys wholesale Jerseys ' ' '