ARLINGTON, Va. [url=https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/]St. Louis Cardinals Gear[/url] . -- Alex Ovechkin apologized for Russ

ARLINGTON, Va. St. Louis Cardinals Gear . -- Alex Ovechkin apologized for Russias hockey performance at the Olympics, a sentiment put in perspective by the encouraging news that his father was on the way home after heart surgery. Far more upset was Nicklas Backstrom, who remains clearly miffed that an allergy medication hes taken for years cost him a chance to play for a gold medal. The Washington Capitals held their first post-Olympics practice Tuesday, a session overshadowed by residue from the Winter Games even as they tried to focus on the resumption of their NHL schedule. Ovechkin was one of the faces of Sochi, bent on winning the gold on home ice. Instead, the Russians were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Olympics. "First of all, I want to say sorry to the fans," Ovechkin said. "Because its once in a lifetime opportunity to represent your country in the Olympics, and you didnt get the results, you didnt get any medal. Of course the fans, the media and the people who support Russia, family, was upset, but life goes on." Ovechkin took the Olympic disappointment especially hard four years ago, but this time he had to immediately turn his attention to his family. His father, who has a history of heart problems, became ill following one of his sons games and required surgery. Ovechkin wasnt told until three days later, after Russia had been eliminated. "Soon as I found out that hes in hospital and hes feeling not that good and he could be dying, I just forget the game that we lose against Finland. ... Just go there and spend time with him and saw him," Ovechkin said. "It was great feelings to see whats happening and how hes feeling. Thats most important thing." Ovechkin said his father, mother and brother were flying home to Moscow on Tuesday. Ovechkin said he understands the criticism he received for his play during the Olympics -- "I didnt score lots of goals out there" -- but the 28-year-old three-time league MVP appears ready to refocus on the Capitals, who resume play Thursday at Florida. "This is a very tough loss for me and for Russia, but Im almost 30," Ovechkin said. "I have to handle it. I have to fight through it." The lingering Olympic sting was more evident on the face of Backstrom, who helped lead Sweden to the gold medal game but was pulled from the lineup shortly before faceoff because he had failed a doping test. Without one of its top players, Sweden lost 3-0 to Canada. "Ive had allergies for seven years, since I got here," Backstrom said. "Everyone that lives in the Washington area knows how bad it is here. Ive been taking Zyrtec-D for the last seven years and I havent been doing anything differently. Ive been playing internationally, in the world championships (and) Olympics before, and so I havent done anything differently." An ingredient in the allergy medicine is on the list of banned substances for Olympic competition, but Backstrom said he was told by the Sweden team doctor that he could take one pill a day without triggering a positive test. "Who do I blame?" Backstrom said. "Well, I followed the doctors recommendation." Backstrom said he expects a two-week wait to find out whether he will be awarded his silver medal, which is being held at the International Ice Hockey Federation offices in Zurich. "Obviously, its not fun to deal with," Backstrom said. "I dont wish no one to have to go through this, if Im going to be honest with you. Its not fun. But Ive got to look forward to play next game on Thursday. Ive got to focus on Washington right now." Backstroms teammates, much like the international hockey community in general, were shocked at how his situation was handled. "Its just ridiculous that it can happen at a big tournament like this," forward Martin Erat said, "at the Olympics just before the finals when everybody is ready to go and you just want to enjoy the sport. It just happened because of some stupidity, and its just unbelievable that this can happen in the Olympics." The Capitals sent five players to Sochi, and four of them have dealt with some sort of unexpected life event that has derailed an attempt to return to normalcy after the Olympics. Ovechkin had the health scare with his father, Backstrom has the fallout from the doping test, Swedish forward Marcus Johansson is stuck in Stockholm because of an visa issue -- the Capitals expect him to join them in Florida for Thursdays game -- and Erat returned to his family in Nashville, Tenn., as soon as he could after the Czech Republic was eliminated. "We just finished our quarterfinal game, and I went for my phone, and our friend had called me and said your baby girl, Victoria Bella, is born," Erat said. "First we lost in the quarterfinal, it was hard to swallow, and when I got the news, it brought back a smile on my face." Lane Thomas Cardinals Jersey . -- Nelson Cruz has only two hits in 15 at-bats against the Kansas City Royals this season. Brett Cecil Jersey . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/564t-mike-matheny-jersey-cardinals.html . - Dolphins safety Louis Delmas has been carted off the field with a right knee injury against the Ravens. SAN FRANCISCO -- Tony Campana and Cliff Pennington made the most of their rare starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Campana drove Pennington in with the go-ahead run on an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lead the Diamondbacks to their first back-to-back wins of the season with a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. "Its just us being ready," Campana said. "We both kind of kept our routine the same. You kind of come in every day ready to play. Today we got the start and both did a pretty good job at the plate and got the win." Campana had a career-high four hits and Pennington added three, including a two-run single as both players made just their second starts of the young season. "Theyre not rookies, and they prepare themselves properly," manager Kirk Gibson said. "They were ready to play tonight." Miguel Montero also drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who won the final two games of the series. Michael Morse hit a two-run double that gave the Giants the lead, but an error by third baseman Pablo Sandoval allowed the tying run to score in the eighth and San Francisco fell in extra innings to lose their first home series since last August against Boston. Pennington hit a one-out single off Yusmeiro Petit (0-1) in the 10th and then stole second base on a 2-2 pitch to Campana with two outs. Campana then blooped a single just over the outstretched glove of second baseman Brandon Hicks to score the go-ahead run. "It took some pressure off once he got to second," Campana said. "I knew I just had to get it through the infield somehow. Got jammed and got over his head barely." J.J. Putz (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win and Addison Reed got three outs for his third save in as many chances. The Diamondbacks failed to score in the seventh after loading the bases with no outs, but got the tying run an inning later on Sandovals bad throw. Miles Mikolas Cardinals Jersey. With runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth, Campana hit a slow grounder to Sandoval, who rushed his throw to first. The ball sailed over Brandon Belts head allowing Gerardo Parra to score the tying run from second. "You have to keep your poise," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He got in a rush mode there. With the game on the line, you have to be a bit more cautious. You have to know the situation." Sandoval had a chance to make up for that mistake in the bottom half but couldnt deliver. The Giants loaded the bases with one out with help from a fly to centre that Campana misjudged to give Brandon Crawford a leadoff double. Belt hit a fly ball to left field that was not deep enough to let Crawford tag from third. Sandoval then flied out to deep right to end the inning. The Diamondbacks jumped on top early against Ryan Vogelsong with a two-run single by Pennington in the second inning and a two-run double by Montero in the third to take a 4-1 lead. The Giants hitters chipped away after the early deficit, getting a run in the third on the first bunt single of Buster Poseys career when he surprised Arizona with a two-out bunt with Angel Pagan on third. Back-to-back doubles by Morse and Crawford to open the fourth made it 4-3 and Morses double off Will Harris in the fifth gave the Giants the lead. NOTES: Arizona manager Kirk Gibson unsuccessfully challenged a play at second base in the first inning when Campana was caught stealing to end the inning after a strikeout to Paul Goldschmidt. ... The Giants held a pregame ceremony honouring their former home, Candlestick Park, which is set to be torn down later this year. ... Madison Bumgarner (1-0) takes the mound for the Giants on Friday when they open a series against Colorado. ... Brandon McCarthy (0-1) is set to take the mound for Arizona on Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ' ' '