Updates » out swinging, Wolters stood up and started

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner is still working his way back from a concussion, clearing the way for former walk-on Conor Rhoda to start his second straight game when the Golden Gophers host Rutgers on Saturday.Leidner was listed as out by the team on Tuesday due to a concussion suffered against Iowa on Oct. 8, though that designation is open to re-evaluation later in the week. Coach Tracy Claeys said that Leidner would be able to do some light work in practice this week, but that it would be difficult to get enough work to properly prepare for the game.We put a lot more on the quarterbacks plate now than what we have in the past, and you need to practice, Claeys said. So Im not saying that he wont, but I think its extremely difficult for that.That opens the door for Rhoda, who was awarded a scholarship in the spring and has played his way up the depth chart. The long climb culminated in his first career start last week at Maryland, and he threw for 82 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in a 31-10 victory that snapped a two-game losing streak to open Big Ten play.I felt confident and comfortable going into that one, but now after going through that whole experience and getting a win, just showing our team that I can go out there and do it and we can win a Big Ten road game with me back there, just gives me a ton of confidence, Rhoda said. I know it gives the rest of the guys confidence in me, too, so its a huge help.Making things easier on Rhoda was a strong running game, with Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks rushing for 230 yards. It allowed Rhoda to ease into things in his first start, and with the defense dominating the Terrapins offense, Claeys said the Gophers went with a more conservative game plan.Conors capable of doing a lot more things than that, Claeys said.Rhoda was a standout at local football power Cretin-Derham Hall High School and had options once he graduated. But he wanted to play in the Big Ten, even though he was warned by coaches and family that the path from walk-on to starter would be particularly difficult for him.I was told by people I consulted with when I was going through that decision my senior year of high school is that its one thing to walk on to a big ten program but its another thing to do it as a quarterback, Rhoda said. Walking on as a quarterback and trying to earn that spot is probably one of the toughest things you can do in college football because they are always going to bring in a quarterback.Once he made the decision to stay close to his family and try to make the Gophers, Minnesota coaches told him not to worry about other players who were recruited to come in and play. And even when coach Jerry Kill was forced to retire last season due to medical reasons, Rhoda said he never considered transferring.There were maybe a couple of times I think it was I wasnt necessarily happy with the situation was in, Rhoda said. I dont think I ever really truly thought hard about leaving. I love the university as a whole and my family is so close to here and all my extended family is within a half-hour of the twin cities. Its really at home for me and it is the place I wanted to be.When he took the field last week, Rhoda said he made sure to look around and soak up the moment. And it will only be better in his first home game this week.Before the game I kept walking out there and looking at the field and it was an experience that I will never forget, he said. Definitely if I get that opportunity to play this week that will be a whole other experience doing it in front of a home crowd and Im sure a bunch of my family will be able to make it and there will be that much more of an experience to be able to do it at home.---Online: AP college website: collegefootball.ap.org Ted Ginn Jr Womens Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Sam Mills Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. http://www.shoptheofficialsaints.com/Elite-Sheldon-Rankins-Saints-Jersey/ . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Willie Roaf Jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Erik McCoy Womens Jersey .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. LOS ANGELES -- Keep the champagne on ice and the ski goggles on the shelf. The Dodgers were left waiting to clinch their fourth consecutive NL West title.They certainly did their part.Clayton Kershaw scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings, Josh Reddick slugged a grand slam in the seventh and Los Angeles beat the Colorado Rockies 14-1 on Saturday night to reduce its magic number to one with its fourth straight win.The Dodgers just didnt get any help from the Padres.San Diego rallied from 6-0 down but then lost at home to San Francisco 9-6 in 10 innings. The final outs were shown on the video board at Dodger Stadium, with fans booing when the Giants won.They gave us a lot of hope there, Kershaw said of the Padres comeback. But well wait until tomorrow.Los Angeles is on the brink of becoming the first team to win four straight NL West titles. The last NL club to claim four division titles in a row was the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the NL East from 2007-11.The Dodgers can wrap up the title Sunday with a victory in Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scullys final home game before he retires next weekend.Its always sweeter to clinch at home, rookie manager Dave Roberts said, adding it would be only fitting with Scully watching from his fifth-floor booth.Kershaw (12-3) struck out six and walked none to improve to 8-1 at home. The left-hander has been solid since coming off the disabled list after a herniated disk last month.Physically, I feel really good, he said. Just a little bit inconsistent with some things, sliders that didnt quite get where I wanted to go.Chad Bettis (13-8) gave up seven runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out three and walked four. The right-hander has been having one of his best seasons, with career highs in wins, starts (31) and innings (179 1/3), but he struggled from the second inning on and fell to 6-6 on the road.It was pretty embarrassing, Bettis said. I tried to set the tone early but my pitches were coming back over the plate.The Dodgers led 4-0 in the second on Joc Pedersons two-run single, a fielders choice groundout by Corey Seager and Justin Turners RBI single. Turner reached base five times, going 3 for 3, with two runs and two walks.Los Angeles tacked on two runs in the fourth to make it 6-0. Pederson scored on left fielder Ryan Raburns error and Turner singled to drive in his second run.Reddick, who went 3 for 4, added an RBI single in the sixth and Adrian Gonnzalez had a two-run single in the seventh, extending the lead to 10-0.dddddddddddd Reddicks grand slam came with two outs in the seventh, making it 14-0.Rookie Pat Valaika, from nearby Valencia, hit his first major league homer in the eighth off Jesse Chavez for Colorados run.There is thunder in that bat, Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: LHP Rich Hill was scratched from his Sunday start out of concern for a blister that forced him to miss a month earlier in the season and caused him to leave a perfect game after seven innings on Sept. 11. Hell be replaced by RHP Brandon McCarthy. Hill will start either next Saturday or Sunday at San Francisco. ... LHP Scott Kazmir is receiving treatment for rib and chest spasms that forced him out of Saturday nights game after one inning. The team doesnt know if or when he will make another start. ... Kershaw will start either Friday or Saturday at San Francisco.CATCHING FIREReddick is red-hot this month, batting .397 with five doubles, two homers and eight RBI in eight games after struggling last month.August was a mixture of bad luck and bad swings, he said.KERSHAW AT THE PLATEKnown as a good hitter, Kershaw helped himself with a two-out RBI single in the fifth, extended the Dodgers lead to 7-0.OOPSRockies catcher Tony Wolters lost track of how many outs there were in the sixth. With Adrian Gonzalez at bat, Justin Turner took off for second base. Gonzalez struck out swinging, Wolters stood up and started walking off the field only to have Turner steal second with two outs. The Dodgers went on to score a run before the inning ended.TRANSISTOR TIMESome Dodgers fans brought radios to the game in a throwback salute to Scully, who credits the transistor as the single greatest break of his 67-year career. In 1958, when the Dodgers moved west and played at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, fans toted radios to hear Scully describe the players and action that was too far away to see well in the vast stadium.UP NEXTRockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (5-6, 3.58 ERA) makes his seventh start on the road, where he is 0-4 with a 5.10 ERA. The rookie has beaten the Dodgers twice this season, but hasnt won that second victory over them on Aug. 31.Dodgers: McCarthy (2-2, 3.63) comes off a month-long stint on the disabled list with right hip stiffness. ' ' '