Kreativecke » acquisitions, getting RHP Lupe Chavez from the Blue J

Tony Johnson spent Labor Day weekend burying his younger brother, who killed himself a week ago.The heavyweight mixed martial artist will spend next weekend fighting in the main event of Bellator 161, believing William Johnson wouldnt want him to miss an opportunity that both fighting brothers craved.I had to go through my grieving really fast, Tony Johnson said in a phone interview from Cincinnati, his parents home. I have beautiful daughters Ive got to take care of. I cant just sit there and wallow in my sorrow. I have to get over it. Theres no other way. Ive always been the backbone of my family. Im very strong. My family leans on me a lot for support. Ive always grieved in private to be strong in public for my family.Johnson takes on French MMA veteran Cheick Kongo on Sept. 16 just outside Austin, Texas. A victory would change Johnsons career, which has been following a winding path from college football to big-money fights.The winner seems almost certain to get a shot at Bellators heavyweight title, which Johnson has been seeking for two years. At 30 years old, he is still relatively young by the wizened standards of MMA heavyweights, but this is his first headlining bout for the promotion.Just days after his father phoned him to inform him of Williams death, Tony immediately told Bellator he would fight anyway.Bellator said, We understand if you dont want to take this fight, Tony Johnson said. There will be no repercussions. Were going to back you 100 percent. Thats all I wanted. Ive got their support, but I told these guys Im going to be there. I dont know if Im going to have another opportunity to fight Cheick Kongo. Im ready now. Im ready to go.Tony Johnson said William Johnson, who lived in Cleveland, was a 27-year-old aspiring fighter with two young children. Although he knew William had a tumultuous relationship with his fiancee, he didnt realize the depth of his younger brothers depression.Every time we would talk, everything was fine, Tony Johnson said. I was trying to give him direction. I was trying to be a big brother to him, trying to lead him toward the right path. Hed listen, but of course hes young. He would fall off course, and I would have to put him back on course, but that was our relationship.Johnson attended last weekends viewing for his brother, but he will skip a memorial service at their high school this weekend.My parents want me to stay focused on the fight and winning the fight for my brother, he said.Johnson acknowledges his pain and confusion are still fresh and raw, but he is focusing on family and fighting.I guess he had been going through a lot, Johnson said. I never thought there was an issue. I never saw it. We still dont know. Theres still no closure to figure everything out.Although they lived hundreds of miles apart, the brothers spoke regularly by phone and occasionally trained together. They even fought on the same card in November 2014, both earning victories in a regional Tennessee promotion before Tony returned to Bellator.But William was still an MMA prospect, while Tony has long been considered a rising heavyweight with world title potential. He scored a touchdown for Iowa State in 2004 as a 300-pound freshman fullback before moving from wrestling into MMA.After three years in smaller promotions, he made his Bellator debut in June 2011 with a decision over Derrick Lewis, now a serious contender for the UFC heavyweight title. Problems with his contract led him to take a two-year break from the cage before competing in Asias ONE Fighting Championship and in Nashville, his adopted hometown.Johnson returned to Bellator last year, and he has beaten Alexander Volkov and Raphael Butler to earn a shot at the 41-year-old Kongo, the longtime UFC veteran who moved to Bellator three years ago.Ive gone through adversity before, Johnson said. Ive lost in MMA, and that helps you be strong in life. Things dont go your way, and it hits you. I believe that Rocky Balboa quote: `Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. Victor Robles Nationals Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Frank Robinson Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. https://www.cheapnationals.com/ . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. Koda Glover Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Adam Eaton Nationals Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. HOUSTON -- Marcus Stroman pieced together his best performance of the season on Monday night.However, his offense didnt support him, striking out 22 times.Carlos Correas RBI double in the 14th inning gave the Houston Astros a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.Stroman gave up one run and three hits, while striking out a career high 13 and walking one.Thats the best I have ever seen him, Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin said. Electric fastball. Cutter-slider was awesome. Curveball was good, and he mixed in some changeups, too. Overall, he looked composed on the mound. I told him he was looking like Pedro Martinez out there. He was nasty today.Stroman said he felt relaxed, strong and had a good groove with Martin early on.I think it was the mix of pitches me and Russ had going, Stroman said. I was hitting on my slider. I also my sinker going. Everything plays off my heater. Once thats down, I can use all my other pitches.Jose Altuve, who homered earlier in the game, opened the 14th inning with a single to shallow left field off former teammate Scott Feldman (5-4), and Correa followed with his hit off the fence in right-center field.Feldman was traded from the Astros to the Blue Jays earlier in the day.It was a little different, but you see some crazy stuff in baseball, Feldman said. Ive played long enough that it doesnt really affect you. I felt fine when I was out there. I made a couple bad pitches, and unfortunately, lost that game.Martin tied the score with a leadoff homer in the ninth against Astros closer Will Harris, who has blown three of his last five save chances.We couldnt get any offense going other than that one home run by Russ, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. That was it.The 22 strikeouts by Astros pitchers were the second-most in franchise history, one shy of the record set in 2003 against the Chicago Cubs.We strikeout, Gibbons said. If you watch us, thats part of what we do. You play those extra innings against some pretty good arms, we are going to have some strikeouts. Its not ideal.Houston got its ninthh walk-off win this season, and 14th overall with its last at-bat.ddddddddddddMichael Feliz (7-1) pitched a perfect 14th inning, following Chris Devenski 4 1/3 perfect innings after entering the game in the ninth.Altuve gave the Astros a 1-0 lead with a two-out shot off Marcus Stroman into the first few rows of the Crawford Boxes for his 19th home run of the season.Astros starter Doug Fister gave up four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings. Fister has now allowed three runs or fewer in 17 of his 21 starts this season.He was coming off one of his worst starts of the season, giving up six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings on July 26 against the New York Yankees.TRADE DEADLINEBlue Jays: Toronto acquired RHP Feldman from the Astros, LHP Francisco Liriano, C Reese McGuire and OF Harold Ramirez from the Pirates and RHP Mike Bolsinger from the Dodgers.Astros: Houston made two acquisitions, getting RHP Lupe Chavez from the Blue Jays for Feldman and INF/OF Yordan Alvarez from the Dodgers for RHP Josh Fields.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: OF Ezequiel Carrera (left Achilles strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list ... INF Ryan Goins (right forearm tightness) came back from a medical rehab assignment at Triple-A Buffalo and was removed from 15-day DL ... Josh Donaldson was held out of the lineup on Monday with left hamstring soreness but pinch hit in the 12th inning and stayed in to play third ... SS Troy Tulowitzki (thumb) was held out of the lineupAstros: INF Marwin Gonzalez (right hand soreness) and CF Carlos Gomez (right hamstring strain) are day-to-day and were held out of the starting lineup.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP R.A. Dickey (7-12, 4.66 ERA) gets the ball for the Blue Jays on Tuesday looking for his first win since July 10.Astros: RHP Lance McCullers (6-4, 3.18 ERA) starts for the Astros on Tuesday coming off his second-straight double-digit strikeout performance and third in last five starts. ' ' '