in the playoffs.

SAN JOSE, Calif. Shane Victorino Red Jersey . -- For a team that hadnt won a single playoff game in eight years before last week, the St. Louis Blues sure are getting the hang of winning in the post-season. Brian Elliott made 24 saves, B.J. Crombeen and Andy McDonald scored and the Blues moved one win away from the second round of the playoffs, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in Game 4 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead. After losing Game 1 at home in double overtime, second-seeded St. Louis has won three straight, including back-to-back games at the Shark Tank. "I would have never thought that in a million years," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "This has been such a graveyard for most teams in the playoffs. Were learning a lot." Patrik Berglund and David Perron each assisted on both goals for the Blues, who can win a playoff series for the first time since 2002 by beating the Sharks in Game 5 at home Saturday night. "Its never easy," McDonald said. "They got a good hockey team over there and theyre battling hard. I thought they even stepped up their intensity tonight. Were handling it well I think. The inexperienced guys are learning along the way." San Jose played well for long stretches, especially in the second and third period, but once again struggled to score against St. Louis stingy defence that allowed the fewest goals ever in an 82-game season. Joe Thornton broke the shutout with 1:07 remaining, but the Sharks couldnt get the equalizer. "I thought this was our best 60-minute effort in the series," coach Todd McLellan said. "But if you look at it that way, you cant take consolation in playing well, not in the playoffs." The Sharks are in danger of being knocked out in the first round after making it to the Western Conference final the previous two seasons. They need to win three straight games against a team they have beaten once in eight tries this season. "Weve put ourselves in a corner and now we have to fight our way out," Thornton said. We had good looks again tonight and just snaked it for whatever reason." St. Louis withstood a desperate charge by San Jose early in the third to preserve the lead and then took control when Patrick Marleau was called for interfering with Kris Russell in the offensive zone with San Jose on the power play. The Blues made the Sharks pay when Berglund did a good job tipping Perrons shot, and McDonald beat Brent Burns to the bouncing rebound in the crease to knock the puck into the empty net for St. Louis sixth power-play goal of the series. McDonald has three goals and four assists through four games. "Obviously in this type of hockey, in playoff hockey, you have to be around the net and the hard areas," McDonald said. "Thats what Im trying to do, just get to the net." That goal took the life out of the Sharks and the frustrated fans in the sellout crowd who might have seen their final home game of the season. McLellan shook things up to try to spark his team following two straight losses. He dropped Marleau, who had no points in the first three games, to the second line and moved him to centre, moving Logan Couture to the top line. McLellan also suited up Michal Handzus and Brad Winchester in place of Dominic Moore and TJ Galiardi. It failed to turn the momentum of the series as the Blues scored first for the third straight game. Both goalies traded tough saves early with Antti Niemi stopping McDonald with a sprawling save at the side of the net and Elliott stoning Couture with his pad on a breakaway. But Niemi couldnt stop Crombeens shot from the slot off a pass from Patrick Berglund that opened the scoring midway through the first. The Sharks started much faster in the second period but were unable to get one past Elliott, who has been outstanding since taking over when Jaroslav Halak left with a lower-body injury in the second period of Game 2. Elliotts best save might have come after he was pushed back into his net with the Sharks on the power play but managed to make a kick save on a shot from his college teammate at Wisconsin, Joe Pavelski. "Our goaltending has been fantastic all year," Crombeen said. "Its kind of our team defence. Our whole mentality is defence first and checking leads to offence. Its something that Hitch really brought on board when he came here and its something weve had success with." The Sharks, who allowed three power-play goals in a Game 3 loss, killed off two penalties in the second to keep the deficit at one goal heading into the final period despite giving up a few good scoring chances late in the second. Notes: The Sharks have won nine playoff series since St. Louis beat Chicago in the first round of the playoffs in 2002. ... The Blues killed all four power-play chances and have allowed only two goals on 15 power plays for the series. ... Crombeen hadnt scored since getting his only goal of the regular season on Jan. 21 against Buffalo. ... Sharks F Marty Havlat turned 31 Thursday. ... Winchester played in just four of the previous 21 games, and Handzus suited up for three of the past 18. Clay Buchholz Authentic. - The Chicago Cubs say they have agreed to one-year contracts with pitchers Jason Hammel and James McDonald. Carl Yastrzemski Red Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that.Either way, good chance Encarnacion goes yard.THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014: MIKE GALLAYS BREAKING POINTIt was a lovely late afternoon in May when I rode by bicycle, short-sleeved, to the Rogers Centre. Numerous situational forces were aligned to create a fantastic night. No rain in the forecast for days, not too hot, just crisp enough to keep you foul ball-ready. The Jays, newly in first place, had won nine in a row, and a battle of aces (R.A. Dickey versus James Shields) was on tap. What commenced would live up to the billing: multiple towering homers, herculean Bautista throws conjuring memories of Jesse Barfield, the consumption of Rolling Rock tallboys, and timeless records being matched and smashed—where even the bitterness of an extra inning defeat could not diminish a fine night at the yard.Instead of basking in the exceptional circumstances, my buddy Shecky and I spent the bulk of the game cursing the teams roof policy, as an enjoyable evening was marred by a closed dome. 17,978 fans sat in a windowless room for three and a half hours wondering if theyd ever see another rainbow. The air was thick with our exhales, the yard more a convention centre with a shaggy plastic floor. Why was the roof closed?This has been a continual angst—and yawn—inducer since the SkyDomes inception, and a blight Ive attempted to expose and exorcise for years. Who is in control? Scouts, team lawyers, operational staff...not one has ever given me a straight answer.The Rogers Centre website responds to the question, "How do you decide whether to open or close the roof for an event?" with the following nebulous answer: "The decision to host an event, baseball game or football game with an open or closed roof, is based upon detailed weather information gathered by our Roof Technicians."Wait, weather-gathering Roof Technicians? According to a 2012 Toronto Star column, once reasonably warm weather has arrived, as long as the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or above, opening or closing the roof is not a risk. Then and current Blue Jays SVP of Business Operations, Stephen R. Brooks explained that "at around 10 degrees, if we were to open the roof, and the temperature then dropped, we risk not being able to close it" because the metal rails may expand and contract depending on temperature.Fine. But who decides on a day with a high of 19, a game time temperature of 17, a low of 15, and a next day high of 23, that the roof should be closed? A Roof Technician? Pish posh. Who is this Grand Arbiter of the ceiling, and why will he or she not show a face or present a name? Is it a coach or the general manager acting as The Domes Official Roof Keeper (AKA The D.O.R.K.)? Or is there a mysterious cabal, with a velvet hooded helmsman at control, operating as The Master Of Roof Open Ness (AKA The M.O.R.O.N.)?And if so, did this covert M.O.R.O.N. not survive the same winter as the rest of us—the one that ended roughly three weeks ago? Seventeen degrees is bikini season. Seventeen degrees brings non-smokers out to patios. Seventeen degrees brings all the boys to the yard. Seventeen degrees and you keep the roof open. Jim Rice Authentic. REASONS TO HAVE A ROOF OVER A BASEBALL FIELD1. The weather is truly terrible.2. It is 1989, and for a few more months this novelty will seem like a good idea.In 1989, when the team was legitimately selling out the building with over 50,000 bums in seats and thousands of outlaw bags of peanuts being sold on Blue Jay Way, team brass presented Torontonians with a seemingly paradisal venue: watch the games in the comfort of the great outdoors and, should need arise, never miss a match due to inclement weather. According to RogersCentre.coms own Q&A, "the roof takes just over 20 minutes to open or close." Wow, so our emergency hot dog consumption preparedness plan is not just total, but nimble.Except, the team has abused its privilege. It has become an anxious parent, coddling the child in the playground. Fear not, dear executives. Little B.J. must learn to scrape his knees. People will survive. They may even purchase an eighty-five dollar long sleeve shirt at one of your conveniently-located Jays shops.I know Im not alone in this frustration. There exists a website dedicated to alerting would-be attendees — www.isthedomeopen.com — and a Twitter feed with nearly 2,500 followers — twitter.com/IstheDomeOpen — to the same end (its followers consistently demonstrate understandable bias towards keeping the roof open).Listen, if this whole rigamarole relates to on-field issues, lets address it now, and I will live with the stuffiness and dead air. Trying to boost offence? Okay. Trying to help Dickeys knuckler get even knucklier? Fine. Think the Blue Jays have better juju with the lid closed (which, historically, is technically true)? Okee-do-kee. But if its not because of these reasons, lets get some easy to follow rules going.RULES FOR A CLOSED ROOF1. If it is snowing within three hours of game time.2. If the heavens have been angered, and are creating a three-inch layer of ice around Toronto within three hours of game time.3. Locusts. Maybe frogs.4. If it is raining within 45 minutes of game time or predicted to rain during the game. *caveat: If it is not raining, the roof should be opened to a fractionally open position. Just the slightest breath of wind or the sight of a small window of sky is deeply comforting to the fan who wants to feel alive. Also, a great way to keep fans awake.5. If it is below 10 degrees Celsius at game time (since roof function apparently becomes an issue). *caveat: again, a fractionally open roof would be welcome in these conditions.6. If it was actually shown to help R.A. Dickeys effectiveness which it absolutely has not.Note: If you or a loved one is the M.O.R.O.N. I seek, please get in touch. Baseball is a grand game, often simply because it is played outside during the most pleasant section of our calendar. Please, mystery decision maker, lets hash this out to develop a system fans can anticipate. These life-affirming changes could both increase beer sales and prevent post-game sleepy driving conditions.Time to rally.GALLAYS POLL #12My favourite Blue Jays games are when the dome is:A) openB) OpenC) OPEND) I watch the games on tv. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '