able to lead the American League in losses and strikeouts

These are the tough weeks for Alabama -- in a manner of speaking.Coming off a thrilling 48-43 comeback win over Ole Miss, Alabamas players must refocus and avoid any type of letdown on Saturday when the Crimson Tide host Kent State at noon ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.Its human nature to let off the gas against lesser opponents, but Alabama coach Nick Saban doesnt want to allow that to happen.Saban doesnt want top-ranked Alabama to fall victim to some of the pitfalls that trap other ranked teams in these types of games.The Mid-American Conference is sort of known for being able to come up against really good teams and come up with some wins, Saban said, citing arguably last weeks biggest upset and Central Michigans upset of Oklahoma State the week before as examples of what can happen to teams when they dont focus.Obviously, North Dakota State beating Iowa, which is a ranked team, this happens every week, and it happens because the teams that they are playing dont have the proper respect.They dont prepare correctly. They dont play very well and the other team has players, too, that are very capable. They need to be respected, and we need to focus on what we need to do to get better as a team and play to our standard, and that certainly is going to be the message for this week.Kent State comes into the game off a 27-7 victory over Monmouth, its first win after losses to Penn State 33-13 and North Carolina A&T 39-36 in four overtimes the first two weeks.The Flashes have struggled on offense, producing only 897 yards rushing and passing in their three outings for an average of less than 300 yards a game. But they also have held their opponents to an average of just 320 yards a game in total offense.Coach Paul Haynes says his players wont be intimidated as they prepare to meet the nations No. 1 team.We are just going to work on our execution, said Haynes. Weve been to places like Ohio State and LSU, so well be all right.What Saban wants to avoid is a duplication of the effort of both his players and coaching staff in the second week of the season when the Tide beat Western Kentucky 38-10. Saban went as far as to say that he was embarrassed at how the team played in that game.Alabamas leadership group is being more vocal this week in hopes of keeping everyone locked in and focused as to not disappoint Saban and the fans.There are no downshifts, Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson said. Were going to practice this week like were preparing for the national championship. Thats the only way were going to get better as a team.You cant downshift and then pick it back up. You just cant do it.Saban expressed some unhappiness with the way the Tide finished its win over Ole Miss. After outscoring the Rebels 45-6 over one stretch to take a 48-30 lead, the Tide gave up two quick scores to let the Rebels back within five points.All these things catch up with you if you dont fix them, correct them, focus on every play and get things executed properly, that leads to a lot of problems, he said. You dont ever want to beat yourself, and when you do things like that you give yourself an opportunity to beat yourself.Its one thing to get beat physically -- you cant cover them, you cant block them upfront -- thats different and that may happen someday. All this other stuff, you beat yourself, and that is what we have to get fixed.The game against Kent State does have one distinctive aspect to it. Kent State is Sabans alma mater, and the coach recalled a conversation with his wife about that angle.I was telling Terry this morning, I watch these games and these tapes and look out on the field and I played there, Saban said. And I cant remember too many games that I played in there.I guess Im getting old.Saban is 2-0 against his alma mater. In addition to the 48-7 win over Kent State his Alabama team recorded in 2011, Saban also owns a 28-14 win over Kent State in 1990 when he was at Toledo. Jim Brown Womens Jersey . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Joe Thomas Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.footballbrownsnflprostore.com/Youth-Sione-Takitaki-Elite-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- St. Odell Beckham Jr Womens Jersey . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Greedy Williams Browns Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The final month Tampa Bay pitcher Chris Archers season is an ongoing effort to avoid too many dubious records as the Rays host his personal nemesis, the white-hot Boston Red Sox, to open a three-game series Friday.Boston won its eighth in a row, completing a four-game sweep in Baltimore on Thursday, and leads Toronto by 5 1/2 games in the American League East.Archer (8-18, 4.05 ERA) already has a share of the Rays record for losses in a season -- Tanyon Sturtze also had 18 in 2002 -- and is tied for the major league lead with former teammate James Shields. He has two starts remaining, so hes in jeopardy of becoming baseballs first 20-game loser since Detroits Mike Maroth in 2003.Hell try to avoid all this while facing a team in which hes lost 10 straight decisions, leaving him 1-10 with a 5.56 ERA in 15 career starts against the Red Sox. Seven losses came at Tropicana Field, and this season, hes 0-4, 6.65 in four starts versus Boston.An odder distinction could come if hes able to lead the American League in losses and strikeouts, something that hasnt happened since Nolan Ryan did so in 1976.The Rays have been solid in finishing series -- 4-1 in the final game of their last five -- but are 3-9 iin the rest of the games.ddddddddddddWeve got them figured out on getaway days, manager Kevin Cash said after Thursdays 2-0 victory against the Yankees. We cant quite figure it out before that, but well take this one for sure.On Friday, the Red Sox turn to left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who is 2-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 12 starts since joining the Red Sox before the trade deadline from San Diego.Pomeranz has been sharper against the Rays -- hes 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four games (three starts), including a hard-luck 2-1 loss Aug. 25 in which he struck out a season-high 11 batters while holding the Rays to two runs on seven hits.Boston has significant momentum going into the final week and a half of the season, and the Rays can do little to spoil the position the Red Sox have put themselves in with their latest surge.I just think we put ourselves in a better position, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. told the Boston Herald before Thursdays 5-3 victory over Baltimore. I feel like everybodys playing relaxed. Everybodys mentally and emotionally invested. Everything just seems to be clicking right now. ' ' '