Despite having a starting rotation riddled with injuries, the Atlanta Braves have still managed to ride their stellar starting p

Despite having a starting rotation riddled with injuries, the Atlanta Braves have still managed to ride their stellar starting pitching to top spot in the TSN. Phil Esposito Jersey .ca MLB Power Rankings, ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics. Early-season surprises can shift the rankings dramatically, but the Braves have been getting lights-out stuff from Aaron Harang, Ervin Santana, Alex Wood and Julio Teheran. The Brewers, ranked at 12 in the preseason, are up to two, with their own impressive pitching, including closer Francisco Rodriguez, who is striking people out, despite decreased velocity. Like the Braves, the Oakland As have injuries to deal with in their starting rotation, but they have also received four strong starts from 30-year-old journeyman Jesse Chavez. If Chavez is for real, he could be one of the great stories of this season. Moving from 22 in the preseason to four, the Colorado Rockies have been raking like nothing else at home. As a team, they have a .985 OPS at Coors Field, compared to just .662 on the road, but they also have the second-best run differential in the National League. The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the pleasant surprises, following a disastrous 2013 season, and decent pitching has lifted them from 25 in the preseason to 12. Coming into the year, the rankings were not optimistic for the New York Yankees, pegging the pinstripers at 16, but early returns from starting pitchers Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka have given the Yankees hope, despite a lineup full of holes. The Yankees rivals, the Boston Red Sox, have stumbled out of the gate and, as a result, are at 21, after opening the season in second spot. Hopes were higher for the Cleveland Indians too, ranked 11 coming into the season, but they sit at 23, with some of their highly-touted young players struggling. Following last years breakout season, the Pittsburgh Pirates came into the year ranked fifth, but quiet bats leave them at 24 with this update. Finally, no team can compare to the Arizona Diamondbacks for disappointment. They werent necessarily going to be great, ranked 19th coming into the season, but they are on pace for 35 wins. They even found a way to get ranked below the Houston Astros! Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Tuukka Rask Jersey . -- Rory McIlroy birdied his last two holes Thursday for a 7-under 63 to take the lead after one round of the Honda Classic. Austin Czarnik Jersey . Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. Tampa Bay currently holds the last of the Atlantics three automatic bids to the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs are just one point behind. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/zdeno-chara-hockey-jersey/ .com) - The Calgary Flames were again involved in a game in which a team was held scoreless, only this time they came out on the winning side. Liverpool signed Italy striker Mario Balotelli from AC Milan for 16 million pounds ($26.5 million) on Monday, taking a calculated gamble on a headline-grabbing player known as much for his controversies as his goals. Nineteen months after ending a 2 1/2-year spell with Manchester City to play for his boyhood club, Balotelli will return to the English Premier League as a replacement for Luis Suarez -- another of world footballs talented but disruptive stars. "Im happy to be back because I left England and it was a mistake," Balotelli said. "I wanted to go to Italy but I realized it was a mistake." Balotelli, who has signed what Liverpool said is a "long-term deal," spent his first day with his new team watching the Reds lose 3-1 to City in a Premier League game at Etihad Stadium later Monday. He wasnt registered in time to play. Liverpool has been looking to strengthen its strikeforce after selling Suarez to Barcelona for $130 million but left it to the last week of the transfer window to secure one of the summers most high-profile and intriguing signings. During his time at City, in which he won the league title, Balotelli was sent off four times, threw a dart at a youth-team player and was involved in an incident that saw fireworks explode in his bathroom. Days before news of the fireworks incident emerged, Balotelli had revealed a T-shirt under his City jersey with the question, "Why Always Me?" after scoring in the teams 6-1 win over Manchester United. Balotelli, with his physique, technical ability and qualities as a finisher, is one of the worlds best strikers and, at 24, the best times of his career could still lie ahead of him. At Milan, he scored 26 goals in 43 league matches and he is the Italian national teams top striker, scoring 13 goals in 33 games. But with trouble always seeming to follow him, some are questioning whether Balotelli is worth the risk for Liverpool, which has fostered a strong team spirit under manager Brendan Rodgers that helped it finish second in the Premier League last season. Jose Mourinho described Balottelli as "unmanageable" during their time together at Inter Milan, which the striker left in 2010 to join City. Danton Heinen Jersey. . "He knows himself this is probably is last chance," Rodgers said. "Mario is someone we can improve both as a footballer and as a person." "He has a reputation but we hope he can curb that behaviour," Rodgers added after the City game. "He knows his flaws and faults and he is looking for someone to help him. There is no better club for him. Of course it is a risk." Rodgers, however, got the best out of Suarez and current first-choice striker Daniel Sturridge, who both had turbulent pasts before arriving at Anfield. Sections of the British media have reported that Balotelli has had to agree to behaviour clauses being included in his contract with Liverpool. "I believe we have the infrastructure, culture and environment to get the best out of him and help him achieve his true potential," Rodgers said. "We are a strong group here, committed to hard work and he will benefit from being around it. "I am looking forward to working with him and helping him learn more, improve and progress as a player." Rodgers attempts to bring in a striker has seen him look at France forward Loic Remy of Queens Park Rangers, whose switch to Anfield broke down at the last minute, and former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea star Samuel Etoo. Last month, during Liverpools tour of the United States, Rodgers was linked with a bid for Balotelli but said "I can categorically tell you that he will not be at Liverpool." The U-turn was completed on Monday. "This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here," Rodgers said. "There is no doubting Marios ability; he is a world-class talent and someone who, for such a young age, has vast experience of playing at the very highest level." Asked what his targets at Liverpool were, Balotelli said: "I want to take this team to the Champions League." 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