TORONTO - Trevor Smith scored twice and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the visiting Lake Erie Monsters 5-1 on Sunday in American Hockey League play. Brett Gardner Jersey . The 28-year-old, who was recently named Torontos new captain, has had a strong start to the season as hes produced three goals, two of which are game winners, and five points in his first two outings. "So far so good," said Smith of the pair Marlies victories. "These are the good times, you got to really embrace them. Theres going to be some learning times coming this way so weve just got to embrace the wins." Knowing this seasons squad would be young and raw -- the Marlies dressed 13 players Sunday 23 or younger -- head coach Steve Spott challenged the veteran Smith to be the teams go-to guy and hes been impressed with what hes seen so far. "He knows what to say, when to say it and on the ice you can see how dominant he is," said Spott. "Hes got to be a point a game guy for us, thats the pressure. He knows that, hes accepted that and he likes that challenge." Defenceman T.J. Brennan had a goal and an assist for the Marlies (2-0-0) while Greg McKegg and Tyler Biggs scored the others. Mark Olver scored the lone goal for the Monsters (1-2-0), who were playing their third game in three days. Drew MacIntyre made 20 saves for the win as Calvin Pickard stopped 28-of-31 shots in defeat. Biggs opened the scoring early in the second with a short-handed goal when he poked home the rebound off Smiths breakaway. Biggs then set the physical tone, throwing a big hit on Lake Erie defenceman Markus Lauridsen behind the Monsters net. Lake Erie tied it 1-1 on the power play as Olver got around Marlies defenceman Petter Granberg and, despite losing control of the puck, managed to get it between the legs of MacIntyre. Smith gave the Marlies a 2-1 lead on the power play at 17:59 of the second as a floater fooled Pickard glove side. Smith made it 3-1 when he finished off a feed from Spencer Abbott early in the third. Abbott, who was a minus-2 in just over five minutes of ice time in the Maple Leafs 5-4 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday night, was reassigned to the Marlies along with Jamie Devane Sunday morning. "They gave us two different elements," said Spott of the returnees. "Spencer gives us some skill and he plays a skilled high-tempo type game. Jamie obviously gives us some physicality and grit." Brennan and McKegg scored empty-net goals late in the third to put the game out of reach. Spott admitted his team was able to take advantage of a tired Monsters team who split back-to-back games in Abbotsford on Friday and Saturday before travelling to Toronto. "We caught a break, I think, with the schedule," Spott said. "We tried to use that to our advantage today. We were able to wear them down." Toronto went 1-for-8 on the power play while Lake Erie scored once on five chances with the man advantage. An area of concern for the Marlies as they now have a week of practice is their 5-on-3 play. The club has had numerous opportunities to score while up two men in two games to start the year, but havent been able to do it. "We will work a lot on our 5-on-3 this week," said Spott. "Weve got to give their goalie some credit, but ultimately, we have to punish teams when they take those penalties." Toronto doesnt play again until next Saturday when they host the St Johns IceCaps. Michael King Jersey . -- Zach Johnson is like most players at the World Challenge, not sure whether hes still playing in 2013 or if hes in the middle of the new wraparound season that officially started in October. Aaron Judge Jersey . A receiver doesnt make the catch on a passing play and instantly motions to the ref – and everybody else – for a pass interference flag.CHICAGO -- Chris Sale knew he wasnt going the distance anyway. Even so, he felt a sense of relief when he finally gave up that hit -- the only one he allowed. Sale retired 18 of 19 batters over six scoreless innings in his return from an arm injury, and the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Thursday night. The left-hander retired the first 17 hitters after missing more than a month because of a flexor strain in his pitching arm, and Chicago hung on after New Yorks Mark Teixeira singled in two runs against Ronald Belisario in the ninth. The White Sox couldnt have asked for more of their ace. An All-Star the past two seasons, Sale (4-0) struck out 10 and didnt even come close to allowing a runner until Zoilo Almonte -- a .167 hitter entering the game -- lined a single to centre with two out in the sixth. Sale then struck out Jacoby Ellsbury and called it a night after throwing 86 pitches. "I dont think I was ever more excited to give up a hit in my life," he said. "(Manager Robin Ventura) said the same thing, You picked a bad night to do something like that. It was all in fun, we were just joking around." Sale would have been finished after six, perfect game or not. The White Sox werent about to stretch their best pitcher after about a five-week layoff, and he insisted he would not have lobbied to stay in even if it was still going. "We have a plan," Sale said. "We have something set in stone. I pitch to win. I dont pitch for no-hitters or perfect games. I would have fully understood. I wouldnt have liked it, but do I respect it? Absolutely." Zach Putnam retired the side in the seventh, and Daniel Webb worked a perfect eighth before Belisario nearly blew it in the ninth. He gave up a one-out single to pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki and walked Derek Jeter. After the runners moved up on a passed ball, Teixeira drove them in with a single up the middle. Belisario then struck out Alfonso Soriano looking at a 3-2 pitch up and in for his second save in three attempts. "I know the umpire, they have a tough job, its not easy being an umpire," Soriano said. "That ball is up and in. I never said anything to the umpire, but that pitch is a ball. Joba Chamberlain Jersey. " He said he saw a replay and added: "Its a bad call, but nothing you can do." David Phelps (1-1) was a tough-luck loser for New York, allowing two runs over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one. But one rough inning was the difference. The White Sox scored two with two out in the second on an RBI double by Alejandro De Aza and run-scoring single by Adam Eaton to go up 2-0. Chicago added to the lead in the eighth, when Gordon Beckham led off with a double high off the right-field wall against Alfredo Aceves and scored on Adam Dunns two-out single, and that was enough for the win. Sale had the Yankees lunging and looking at pitches on the corner and at the knees, doing everything but make solid contact. He struck out the side in the first and third innings along with the first two batters in the fourth -- not bad for a guy who hadnt pitched since April 17. In that game, Sale tossed one-hit ball over seven innings against Boston. He felt sore the next day after throwing 127 pitches and wound up going on the disabled list on April 22. "I dont think theres anybody he can go up against where we feel like were behind the eight-ball going in or were the underdogs," Paul Konerko said. "Theres definitely some pitchers in the league that have the same type of ring to their name and the same type of makeup and stuff. But were just fortunate weve got one of them." NOTES: Yankees manager Joe Girardi said RHP Michael Pineda, recovering from a back injury, will throw to hitters on Saturday. "Hes progressing like we want," Girardi said. "Everythings going according to plan." Pineda was suspended 10 days for having pine tar on his neck in a game at Boston and then injured a muscle in his upper back pitching a simulated game April 29, during his ban. ... Girardi also said he thinks reliever Shawn Kelley will "try to do something next week." The right-hander had a setback in his recovery from a back injury when he woke up feeling stiff Tuesday after playing catch at Yankee Stadium the previous day. ' ' '
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