nly with the Kings for a couple months to begin the season.

BOSTON -- Strong outings are becoming a habit for Yovani Gallardo and the rest of Milwaukees rotation. In the Brewers six games this season, no starter has allowed more than three runs. "We see the guy in front of us do a great job and we want to do even better," Gallardo said after the Brewers beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Sunday, his second straight scoreless start. Milwaukee swept the three-game series against the Red Sox, who were swept just once last year when they won the World Series. That was at Texas from May 3-5. Sweeping the Red Sox in front of their passionate fans at Fenway Park is even tougher. "Any time you come in here and win a series, whether its three games or just two games, its a great series," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. The Red Sox, who never had a losing record last year, fell to 2-4 and matched their longest skid of 2013. Gallardo (2-0) pitched six innings in Milwaukees 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in the season opener. He and starters Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta have a 1.65 ERA, the bullpen has a 1.02 ERA and 12 2-3 consecutive shutout innings, and the team ERA is 1.45 with just 38 hits allowed in 56 innings. "Its been outstanding," Roenicke said. "Hopefully, this is a sign that its going to be a great year on the mound and I think it is going to be." The Red Sox had nine hits but stranded nine runners as they lost their first three home games for the first time since 1984. "When we did get people on, Gallardo was able to get the ground ball," Boston manager John Farrell said. Of the 20 batters Gallardo retired, 11 were on ground balls. Gallardo allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out three in 6 2-3 innings in the interleague game. "We dont get to come here very often," he said. "The fans cheer their team on nonstop and youve got to calm yourself down." Jon Lester (0-2) pitched well for his second straight start but received little support again. In Bostons opener, he allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, but the Red Sox lost 2-1 at Baltimore. On Sunday, he gave up two earned runs in 7 1-3 innings. "I know our hitters are up there grinding out at-bats," Lester said, "The efforts there. Obviously, they dont want to not get any runs on the board." The Brewers got all the runs they needed in the second. Jonathan Lucroy led off with a double and took third on a bunt single by Khris Davis. Mark Reynolds then singled in front of right fielder Daniel Nava, scoring Lucroy. And when the ball got by Nava for an error, Davis scored and Reynolds took second. Then Lester settled down, retiring 15 straight batters before Davis doubled with one out in the seventh. Reynolds walked, Lyle Overbay struck out and Jeff Bianchi singled in Davis, making it 3-0. Davis went 2 for 4 after getting four hits in a 7-6 win in 11 innings Saturday night, when he scored the winning run after his double. The Brewers made it 4-0 in the eighth on an RBI single by Aramis Ramirez off Edward Mujica. The Red Sox threatened in the seventh after Gallardo retired the first two batters. Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled and took third on an infield single by David Ross. Zach Duke replaced Gallardo and ended the threat by retiring Nava on a fly to centre. Tyler Thornburg pitched the last two innings. Farrell challenged a call for the first time this season, but replay showed umpire Tim Timmons was correct in calling Bradley out on a close play on a ground ball in the second. Ryan Braun reached on an infield single with two outs in the first, ending a 0-for-14 slump, but was stranded. He singled again in the eighth, stole second, took third when catcher Ross throw went into centre field and scored when Ramirez singled. NOTES: Of Lesters first eight pitches, six were strikes and two were outs. ... Boston 3B Will Middlebrooks went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf. ... The Red Sox open a three-game series at home Monday night, with John Lackey (1-0) pitching against Tanner Scheppers (0-0) of the Texas Rangers. The Brewers game scheduled in Philadelphia on Monday was postponed because of expected inclement weather. .. Milwaukees Carlos Gomez was hitless in five at-bats after going 6 for 10 in the first two games. Jorge Polanco Jersey . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Lewis Thorpe Twins Jersey . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown. https://www.cheaptwins.com/1772t-glen-perkins-jersey-twins.html . Ribery, who won UEFAs best player in Europe award for the 2012-13 season, helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League and Bundesliga and German Cup titles. Messi, winner of the last four Ballon dOr awards in voting by coaches, team captains and media, was injured late in the season and could not prevent Barcelona from being beaten by Bayern in the Champions League semifinals. Lewis Thorpe Jersey . Plata blasted a rising shot to the upper left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. He got the kick after referee Allen Chapman ruled Chris Tierney fouled John Stertzer in the penalty area. Cody Stashak Twins Jersey . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.SACRAMENTO - Some say that living well is the best revenge. At least four players on the Raptors roster subscribe to that philosophy. When Torontos Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez and Chuck Hayes return to Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena Wednesday, theyll be feeling a lot better about themselves than when they were last in the building, when they called it home. Its been nearly two full months since that fateful night in Los Angeles when a seven-player trade shook the foundation of the Raptors franchise. As reports began to circulate hours before tip-off, the timing of the deal caught everyone off guard. In exchange for the bloated contract and modest production of Rudy Gay - along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray - Toronto took back four veteran wild cards. Each of the four had experienced some level of individual success in the league. Vasquez and Patterson - the youngest of the four - were both coming off career seasons, one in New Orleans, the other in Houston. Hayes - a nine-year vet - had been a starter with the Rockets and Salmons, now in his 12th season, was a key contributor to playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee. At 34 and 30 respectfully, Salmons and Hayes immediately became the elder statesmen on a young Raptors squad. Each of them had started in at least one of Sacramentos first 18 games. They were rotation players for a team that was 5-13 at the time of the trade. "Coming from here in Sacramento, things werent that great," Salmons said, candidly reflecting back on the trade after wrapping up practice in the Kings gym Tuesday. "So when we got the opportunity to come here we just wanted to take advantage of it. Losings not fun and this team had a chance to make a run at the playoffs." Without Gay, who was shooting 39 per cent and hoisting just under 19 shots per game, most anticipated there would be at least some addition by subtraction but no one - even internally - knew what to expect from the incoming Kings players. Likewise, they didnt know what to expect from a Raptors team that had a 6-12 record prior to that game in LA on Dec. 8. "I mean you hear stuff about other teams, but the only thing you really know is their record," Salmons added. "You know their record, you know their roster but you dont know the whole story. So coming in all we saw was the record, we didnt know that the locker room was full of good guys." Toronto has gone 19-10 since the trade was made official, 19-9 since the acquired players made their Raptor debuts, good for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. Not only did the trade improve the Raptors bench, it made their bench. On most nights, Dwane Casey has settled into a strict nine-man rotation, using the four ex-Kings as his primary reserves. Torontos bench combined for 35 points on 52 per cent shooting in Mondays win over the Jazz. They have scored 30 or more in three of the last five contests and are averaging 26.6 points since the trade. Casey has entrusted them to be on the floor in key situations. Quite frankly, theyve earned it. "I feeel like we got four veteran, solid players that really helped us in a lot of different ways and gave us some toughness off the bench," the Raptors coach said.dddddddddddd. "Right now, obviously [Toronto is] playing at a very high level," said Kings coach Mike Malone. "I think all four of our guys are helping them at different points." The newcomers have each put their stamp on the teams run. Often the first player off the bench, Patterson is logging fewer minutes than he was in Sacramento, yet averaging three more points per game, contributing nearly 10 as a Raptor. Hayes has carved out a niche as a reliable, savvy and hardworking stopper and rebounder. Salmons, a two-way player, has become Torontos third ball handler. Of the four, Vasquez is the only one who has seen his scoring average dip since coming to the Raptors. Still, hes not complaining. "Im in a different situation right now and Im pretty happy," said Vasquez, who has stepped in as a reliable backup to Kyle Lowry, something the team was desperately searching for early in the season. "I think winning really makes everything so much better. Id rather be in a winning program right now than going through a tough time [in Sacramento]." You would have to be naive to think that Wednesdays return to Sacramento is just another game for those four. The Kings are 11-19 since sending them to Toronto and the statement theyre hoping to make has more to do with their collective success than individual performances. "You always look forward to playing the team that traded you," said Vasquez, averaging seven points and four assists with the Raptors. "More than that its about winning. At the end of the day, whether I play well, whether I dont play well, I just want to go back to Sacramento with a win." Vasquez was only with the Kings for a couple months to begin the season. For Salmons, his connection with the Sacramento franchise goes back seven years. In 2006, the Philadelphia-native pulled out of a deal with the Raptors to sign in Sacramento. After being moved to the Bulls, then to the Bucks, Salmons eventually found his way back to the Kings but became expendable when new ownership decided to take the team in a different direction. The trade to Toronto was Salmons fifth since being drafted out of Miami in 2002 but he took this one more personally than the others. He felt slighted by an organization that he had spent most of his career playing for. "When I got traded I had mixed feelings, strong mixed feelings," he admitted. "Im not going to say I was totally mad at the [Kings] organization it was just, I dont know, it was just a little tougher this time." Now, as he and his teammates get set to make their much-anticipated return, that animosity is water under the bridge, more or less. Salmons, like the other three, is sincerely happy to be a Raptor. Winning is the best medicine. "Guys enjoy winning," said Salmons. "Theres the old saying, winning cures everything so the more we win the more people want to sacrifice to continue winning." ' ' '