ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Canadian John Axford is out as the Cleveland Indians closer. Indians manager Terry Francona announced the move before Saturday nights game against Tampa Bay. He met with the Simcoe, Ont. native prior to batting practice. Axford is 1-3 with nine saves and a 4.91 ERA in 17 games in his first season with the Indians. He has really struggled in the last week, and was pulled in the ninth inning of Clevelands 6-3 win on Friday night. "We told him, for now, were going to kind of get you out of that role and try to get you in some situations where we can get him on a roll again," Francona said. "I told him numerous times, because I mean it, the goal is to get him back as our closer, and I think he understands that. I dont want him to do it in like two days because I dont want some Band-Aid. I want him when he gets it, to take it and stay there," he said. A group of four relievers that includes Cody Allen, Scott Atchison, Marc Rzepczynski and Bryan Shaw could all get opportunities to fill the role. "The one thing I assured them is that when we get to the ninth, whoevers pitching, were not going to have four guys warming up because we think youre good," Francona said. Axford was signed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract as a free agent in December after pitching for Milwaukee and St. Louis last season. The one-time Brewers closer had 105 saves from 2010-12, and converted 49 straight save chances during a stretch. The Brewers traded an ineffective Axford to St. Louis in late August. Axford became a reliable reliever for the Cardinals down the stretch and pitched for them in the World Series. The Indians hoped the 31-year-old righty would do well replacing former All-Star closer Chris Perez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Axfords rough patch started last Sunday, when he gave up a three-run homer to Dayan Viciedo in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The next day, Eduardo Escobar homered in the 10th off Axford and lifted Minnesota to a 1-0 win. Axfords latest tough outing came Friday night. He entered in the ninth with a 6-2 lead, but gave up David DeJesus RBI double with two outs and then walked Ben Zobrist to load the bases. Allen replaced Axford and got a fly ball from James Loney on a 3-2 pitch for his first save. Ben Gamel Brewers Jersey . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Jay Jackson Brewers Jersey . With his father watching from the stands, Harrison homered, doubled, single and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pirates to a 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/1999y-robin...ey-brewers.html. Speaking on TSN Radio 1050s TSN Drive with Dave Naylor on Monday, Colangelo said he had no intention of tanking the shortened 2011-12 season, but definitely wanted a high pick in the draft. "I wish that word wasnt used for headline reasons," said Colangelo, "but the story behind it was: how can we fix the system? How can we tweak the system to make it less likely that teams are rewarded for losing records? "I do believe that if youre as transparent as we were at the time - with our season seat holders, our fans, the market place and the media - everybody knew what the plan was and what we were going through. Jordan Lyles Brewers Jersey .Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end. Brent Suter Jersey . Calgary finished atop the CFL standings with a 14-4 record and earned the right to host the West Division final at McMahon Stadium on Nov.HOUSTON -- James Harden had 32 points and Chandler Parsons scored eight points in overtime to lift the Houston Rockets to a 130-125 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. Denver led by one in overtime when Houston made three consecutive 3-pointers to make it 130-122 with less than two minutes left. Parsons made the last two and high-fived with fans on the front row as he ran down the court after sinking the second one. Houston had a franchise-record, 47-point second quarter, but Denver overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to tie it at 88 entering the fourth period. The Rockets then trailed by eight late in regulation before using a 9-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Harden under heavy pressure from Randy Foye, to tie it at 117 with 7.1 seconds remaining. Foye made one of two free throws for Denver before Hardens shot. Foye had a chance to win it in regulation, but his jump shot was short. Evan Fournier scored 26 points and Aaron Brooks added 24 points and 15 assists against his former team. Brooks, who was traded to Denver on Feb. 20 for Jordan Hamilton, started for Ty Lawson, who was out with a left ankle sprain. The game was still tied with about nine minutes to go when the Nuggets scored 11 straight points to make it 106-95 midway through the quarter. Fournier made two 3-pointers in that span and Brooks had one. Jeremy Lin scored 19 points, Omer Asik had a season-high 18 points and tied a career best with 23 rebounds, and Parsons finished with 155 points.dddddddddddd Quincy Miller scored a career-high 19 for the Nuggets and Kenneth Faried added 16 points with 13 rebounds. The Rockets, who have already clinched a playoff spot, were playing without Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, who both missed their fifth straight games. Howard has missed eight games recently because of a left ankle strain and Beverley is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus in his right knee. The game was tied at 88 entering the fourth quarter. Houston was ahead by 15 when Denver took over, using a 13-2 spurt to get within 79-75 with four minutes left in the third. Miller led the Nuggets in that span, scoring the first seven points of that run. Houston missed three shots and had three turnovers as Denver cut into the lead. A 14-4 run by the Rockets to start the second quarter gave them a 36-31 lead. Omri Casspi and Isaiah Canaan both made 3-pointers in that stretch. Brooks made a layup after that before Casspi hit another 3-pointer to make it 39-33 with about eight minutes left in the first half. The Nuggets got within a basket after a jump shot by Brooks about 2 1/2 minutes later. But Houston responded with a 9-2 run, powered by five points from Harden, to extend the lead to 52-44. Lin had seven points in the last 42 seconds of the first half, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, to push Houstons lead to 69-52 at halftime. NOTES: The Nuggets made 14 3-pointers, with six from Fournier. ... Canaan had a career-best 15 points. ' ' '