ngs were pretty crisp and clean." "It just snowballe

MINNEAPOLIS - Raptors forward Patrick Patterson is expected to miss at least 7-10 days to rest a ligament injury in his right elbow, the team announced ahead of its game against the Timberwolves Sunday night. It is unclear exactly when Patterson originally sustained the injury, an ulnar collateral sprain to his shooting elbow, but after aggravating it in Fridays win over Sacramento the Raptors medical and coaching staff have decided to shut him down for the time being. "Its never a good time to lose a guy like him because he has been so important to us, offensively and defensively," Dwane Casey said, just over an hour before tip-off at The Target Center. "Its a big [loss] because of how he stretches the floor and the things he brings to the table." Patterson, acquired in a trade from Sacramento on Dec. 9, leads Raptors reserves in scoring, averaging 9.7 points in 39 games with Toronto this season. Playing a minute (per game) less than he was with the Kings prior to the trade, Patterson is averaging nearly three more points, shooting 49 per cent, up from 41 in Sacramento. Hes also grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game and shooting the three-ball at a 44 per cent clip. "Its tough, the way hes been shooting the ball, the way hes been rebounding the ball," said John Salmons. "[He] gives us that dimension coming off the bench. As a big, [he] kind of changes the opposing teams mindsets when he comes in because hes a different player from Amir (Johnson) and [Jonas Valanciunas]. Its definitely a tough loss for us." The fourth-year forward will be re-evaluated in about a week and the team is hopeful that hell be available to return shortly after that. In the meantime, Tyler Hansbrough figures to absorb most of the 23 minutes Patterson was playing nightly. Bruiser Chuck Hayes and sharpshooter Steve Novak will also be in the mix, depending on match ups. "Everybody stays prepared and guys have done a good job of staying prepared," Casey said, "but [the] next guy up has got to be ready to step in and take up those minutes and produce. "Patricks been a big part of that, that depth at that position," he continued. "For the second unit, the energy he brings to the table, his shooting, his defence, his rebounding, just his overall intensity it really adds a lot to that second unit, which is huge. But again, we still have some other quality guys. Tyler Hansbroughs played a lot of playoff games, Steve Novak is one of our best shooters. So we have different guys that can step in and give us something different. So now is an opportunity." Sneakers Shop Ireland . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Sneaker Store Ireland . Hattestad managed to avoid the carnage midway through the mens final, as a crash took out three skiers, essentially leaving two men vying for gold. The Norwegian posted a time of 3:38.39, outlasting Swedens Teodor Peterson, who took silver with a time of 3:39. http://www.cheapsneakersireland.com/.com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. Sneakers Sale Ireland . Cammalleri suffered a concussion in the Flames 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The 31-year-old forward did not travel with the team to Carolina. Cheap Sneakers Ireland . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart.ST. LOUIS -- Francisco Liriano wasnt feeling well. First came a nosebleed, then the Pirates pitcher felt dizzy at the plate before flying out to end the second inning. Liriano was getting hooked up to an IV to deal with flu-like symptoms when the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen stepped up big-time in a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday that snapped a four-game losing streak. Waiting to be taken out in the third inning, the lefty was bent over, hands on his knees. "I just feel dizzy, weak and dizzy," Liriano said after the game. "I dont know. I just feel sick." Gaby Sanchez had two RBIs in a four-run fourth inning and five relievers combined to work seven strong innings, with key outs from rookie Stolmy Pimentel and Jared Hughes against Yadier Molina. "Pimentel pitched as big an inning as weve had pitched for us all year in the third," manager Clint Hurdle said. "You had 40-plus on their feet, a 3-2 count on Molina, on jersey day. "To get the swing and miss and then carry it deeper, a big-time push from Stolmy." Matt Holliday had an RBI double for the Cardinals, who have mustered five runs in their last six games. They got three hits and a run after Liriano left and got beat by an over-shifted defence, too, when Matt Adams lined out to shortstop Jordy Mercer stationed right behind the second-base bag with a man on third in the seventh. "Were just not clicking," said leadoff man Matt Carpenter, who was 0 for 3 with two walks. "Were having good at-bats, guys are competing, but stuff just isnt falling in for us. "Its just the way its going right now." Molina was a bust on his jersey giveaway day, striking out with the bases loaded to end the third against Pimentel (2-0) and popping out with runners on second and third to end the fifth against Hughes. He entered batting .431 during a 15-game hitting streak. Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata each added an RBI off Tyler Lyons (0-2) in the fourth, with the first four runners reaching safely after the lefty opened with three perfect innings.dddddddddddd Tabata totalled three hits and is a career .345 hitter at Busch Stadium. "He continues to find a way to find hits in this ballpark," Hurdle said. "Hes really been a solid offensive ballplayer for us here." The Pirates have scored seven runs while Liriano was in the game in his six starts. They jumped into gear the inning after the lefty was taken out en route to just their third win in their last 10 games. "That one inning obviously changes the whole day," Lyons said. "The one inning, thats a killer." Hurdle said there were no health concerns at the start of the game and noted, "the first two innings were pretty crisp and clean." "It just snowballed on him," the manager added. Pittsburgh also has struggled offensively, totalling four runs during its losing streak, and got shut out 1-0 in the series opener Friday. "We got some key hits that we havent been getting," Gaby Sanchez said. "We were finally able to put something together and get some runs across. It was good to get the lead and stay ahead." Liriano walked Lyons to start the third and was behind 3-0 against leadoff man Matt Carpenter before meeting with a trainer on the mound, and then departing. Tony Sanchez added a two-run single in the ninth off Eric Fornatoro after striking out his first three at-bats. NOTES: Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright (4-1, 1.46) is set to work the finale against Edinson Volquez (1-1, 1.93) after tweaking his right knee in his last start. ... Adams made an outstanding diving catch at 1B to rob Pimentel of an opposite-field line drive hit in the fifth. ... Jhonny Peralta hit his 300th career double off Justin Wilson in the seventh. ... Allen Craig singled in four trips and is 1 for 18 against the Pirates this year. ' ' '