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EDMONTON -- Its two games into the 2014 season and the Edmonton Eskimos have already racked up half of their wins from the entire 2013 campaign. But as Edmontons first-year head coach Chris Jones sees it, it wasnt easy. Grant Shaw made a pair of field goals in the final two minutes of play and the defence came up with a dramatic final stand as the Eskimos equalled their home win total from last season in just one game, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-24 in their home opener on Friday. Shaw had previously missed on two other fourth-quarter three-point attempts. "We were fortunate to get out of there with a win because of many things that we did wrong," said Jones. The Eskimos, who went 1-8 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in 2013, improved to 2-0 in total this year. Edmonton also eclipsed its win total from its first 10 games last season when it got off to a 1-9 start before finishing with just four wins. "It was a team effort," said Eskimos defensive end Odell Willis. "We just had to pick it up. Our offence was struggling a bit. We had to come out there are do what had to be done." Shaw went from being the goat to earning the winning points, which made his earlier misses easier to swallow. "He made enough for us to win the football game," Jones said. "And thats what were worried about. He did a good job." The Tiger-Cats dropped to 0-2. "The turnovers at the end of the game just killed us," said a visibly upset Hamilton head coach Kent Austin, who was seen booting a water bottle in the hallways shortly after the game. "Its an extremely tough way to lose a football game. Our guys had a good opportunity to win, even with the three turnovers at the end of the game. We just didnt get it done. We didnt deserve it." The Edmonton defence set the tone on just the second play of the game, as Aaron Grymes sacked Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros. Grymes then picked off a Collaros pass on the Ticats next possession, giving the Eskimos the ball on the Hamilton 14. The play eventually led to a three-yard touchdown pass from QB Mike Reilly to Nate Coehoorn to put Edmonton up 7-0 midway through the first quarter. Hamilton caught a big break with five minutes left in the first, as Edmonton receiver Adarius Bowman, who had dropped a sure TD pass the play before, fumbled the ball away to Erik Harris. Harris brought the ball back 48 yards into Edmonton territory. The big turnover ended up turning it into a tie game, as backup QB Dan LeFevour came in to run for a two-yard touchdown strike. Edmonton regained the lead seven minutes into the second as a 43-yard pass to Fred Stamps set up a Shaw field goal to put the Esks ahead 10-7. Moments later, Collaros was flattened by a helmet hit to the chin by Edmontons Odell Willis and was taken out of the game. He did not return. A series of bad penalties by the Eskimos put Hamilton deep in Edmonton territory and allowed them to tie the game again on a 22-yard Justin Medlock field goal for a 10-10 score at the half. The Tiger-Cats jumped in front early in the third as a 46-yard passing play from third-string QB Jeremiah Masoli to Cary Koch led to a seven-yard touchdown run by C.J. Gable. The Eskimos responded with a 32-yard Shaw field goal on the next series to make it 17-13, a score that stood up heading into the fourth. Hamilton took an 11-point lead three minutes into the final frame as a 39-yard passing play to Luke Tasker set up a 10-yard TD catch by Gable to make it 24-13 for the Tabbies. Edmonton was unable to capitalize on a 62-yard kickoff return by Patrick Robertson to the 40, and ended up with just a single point on a missed Shaw field goal attempt. However, the Eskimos would still make a game out of it with just under nine minutes left as Masoli took off on a QB keeper, only to have the ball ripped out of his hands by Edmonton defender Patrick Watkins and taken 50 yards into the end zone to make it 24-21 for the Ticats. "That was really the turning point of the ball game," Jones said. "From then on we regained the momentum and knew we were going to win the ball game." A minute later Masoli fumbled a snap and then held up Edmontons Marcus Howard in his attempt to recover it, earning a loose ball interference call and turning the ball over to the Eskimos on the Hamilton 33. Once again, though, the Esks squandered the opportunity as Shaw missed a 38-yard attempt. Edmonton got back into field goal territory one more time with 1:30 left to play and this time Shaw was good from 43 yards out to put the Eskimos up 25-24. Hamilton got the ball back one more time, but LeFevour was picked off by Joe Burnett who took the ball down to the Tiger-Cats 17, leading to another Shaw field goal, this one from the 15-yard-line. However, the fireworks continued as the Tiger-Cats got the ball back and marched down field in the final minute all the way to the Edmonton five-yard-line, but the Eskimos defence was able to come up with a pair of big stops to earn the win. "There are positives we can take from the game," Austin said. "Our effort was unbelievable and we got better as a football team this week. That said, we arent good enough to win because we are making too many mistakes. We have to get those corrected and then we will get on a winning track" The Eskimos return to action next Friday when they host the expansion Ottawa Redblacks. The Tiger-Cats have a bye before visiting Calgary on July 18. Notes: The defending Eastern Conference champion Tiger-Cats had a tough start on the offensive line in their opening week 31-10 loss to Saskatchewan, allowing 10 quarterback sacksa The Eskimos started the season as the only team in the CFL to open with a road win, defeating the B.C. Lions 27-20. With that win, the Eskimos remained the leagues greatest all-time season opening club with a 41-26-1 record.a Eskimos starting safety Ryan Hinds missed the game and has been placed on the six-game injured with a lower-body injury. However, Edmonton had some good news as linebacker J.C. Sherritt returned to the lineup for the first time this season. Edmonton was 0-8 last season without Sherritt, who set the CFL single-season record for tackles two years ago with 130a Edmonton came into the game with a league-best 46-17-2 record in home openers. Cheap Nike Air Max 98 For Sale . 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De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, Todd Helton homered and the Colorado Rockies snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers six-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night. PORTLAND, Ore. -- There is something about returning to Portland that brings the best out of Memphis forward Zach Randolph. Randolph did another number on his former team Tuesday night, finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies to a 98-81 victory over the Trail Blazers. Mike Conley had 19 points and seven assists, and Marc Gasol added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Grizzlies (23-20), who won their third straight and seventh in eight games. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Blazers (33-13) suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season. Portland registered a season low for points scored and had their home winning streak snapped at five games. Randolph registered his 27th double-double of the season as a franchise record-setting 190th for the Grizzlies, who never trailed. Portland fell to 18-5 at home. Randolph, who played his first six seasons with the Blazers, averaged 22.7 points on 52.9 per cent shooting in seven previous visits. "Its always fun to come back," said Randolph, who scored 13 of his 23 points in the first half as the Grizzlies opened a 61-46 lead. "This is where I started, man. Thats just the kind of player that I am." The Grizzlies, picking up where they had left off in Saturdays 99-81 home win over Houston, shot 58.3 per cent in the first quarter against the Blazers and jumped in front 31-22 behind Randolphs 11 points. "It was important for us to get off to a fast start and we did," Randolph said. "We had great offence during the game, but our defence was the key." The Grizzlies held Portland, averaging a NBA-leading 109 points a game, to 34.5 per cent shooting two nights after the Blazers shot a season-low 33.7 per cent in a 103-88 loss at Golden State. "Memphis saw blood and they lunged at our jugular," Blazers centre Robin Lopez said. "I really think we kind of slashed our own throat in a way, which kind of let them run away with it." Aldridge was 6 of 7 in the first quarter and Nicholas Batum converted a three-point play that pulled Portland within 24-22, but Memphis outscored the Blazers 7-0 over the final 2:20 of the period to open a nine-point cushion. "We were in attack mode on booth ends of the floor," Grizzlies coach David Joerger said.dddddddddddd "Most of the night, we were the aggressors." Memphis connected four times from 3-point range in the second quarter, including one by Courtney Lee that extended the lead to 57-39 with 3:39 to play in the half. Damian Lillard connected from 3 for Portland to start the fourth quarter, sparking a 23-13 run that cut the deficit to 94-81 with 2:27 to play. "It was a disappointing game, needless to say," said Blazers coach Terry Stotts, whose team was playing its ninth game in 14 nights. "We got off to a slow start. We caught a team thats trying to put it together. Theyre on a roll and theyre playing very well. They showed that in the first half." Lillard finished with 16 points, Lopez had 14, and Batum 10 for the Blazers. "Were in a rough patch right now," Lillard said. "Were not shooting the ball very well and weve got to defend better. Weve played so well, we were due for a rough patch and a little bit of adversity." The Grizzlies remain in fourth place in the Southwest Division but are gaining ground. "Were getting our chemistry right," Randolph said. "I dont want to say were right there or that were hitting our peak, but its coming. As long as we keep working hard and playing 48 minutes, we give ourselves a chance to compete with anybody." NOTES: Aldridge recorded his 22nd game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, second most in the league behind Minnesotas Kevin Love (26). . With his 15th point Tuesday, Aldridge passed Cliff Robinson for third among Portlands all-time leading scorers with 10,406 points. Aldridges 27 point brought his career total to 10,418. . Memphis guard Tony Allen, whose last appearance was on Jan. 3 at Denver, was not in uniform and missed his 11th consecutive game with a sprained left wrist. Allen was averaging 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds at the time of his injury. . Randolph went into Tuesdays game with 384 career double-doubles, ranking eighth among active players. . Randolph won the 2003-04 NBA Most Improved Player Award while in Portland and was the only player in club history to lead the team in scoring and rebounding in four consecutive seasons. ' ' '