and third, Buster Posey hit a two-out liner that third baseman Logan For

WASHINGTON - Randy Wittman learned long ago to focus on what he can control. Thats what he did over the past 2 1/2 years with the Washington Wizards. Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. Now hell have a chance to stick around following a 44-38 season, a 15-win improvement from last year, after the Wizards gave him a contract extension. "I think over the last couple of years what weve begun to establish here, continuity I think is important," Wittman said Wednesday in the hallway near the practice court at the Verizon Center. "Im appreciative of the opportunity to continue on." The Wizards reached the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and won their first post-season series since 2005. They accomplished it in the final year of Wittmans contract and under a preseason mandate to make the playoffs from owner Ted Leonsis. "I was here when it was not pretty. When you see it change, when you see the things that youve implemented begin to work, you want to continue on," the 54-year-old Wittman said. Wittman guided the Wizards to a first-round win over the Chicago Bulls before losing in six games to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in their Eastern Conference semifinal. "Over the last 2 1/2 years really, Randy has established a great culture, a hard-working culture, a defensive-oriented team," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "Weve been a top-10 defensive team in the league the last two years. Weve made good progress. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but were headed in the right direction." Asked if retaining Wittman was an easy decision," Grunfeld stated," Yes, it was." Having already coached rebuilding squads with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, Wittman took over as head coach when Flip Saunders was fired in January 2012. As was the case in those other spots, losses starting piling up in Washington. Wittman has the worst regular-season record of anyone who has coached at least 400 NBA games — 191-329, a .367 winning percentage — since the league started in 1946. "Job security is fleeting, as we all know in this business," said Wittman, who played in the NBA for nine seasons. "If you worry about it, youre not going to do your job well." With John Wall sidelined, the Wizards opened the 2012-13 season with a 4-28 record. When their point guard returned, Washington finished 24-25. With Wall healthy and turning into a first-time All-Star alongside backcourt partner Bradley Beal, Washington ended the 2013-14 season fifth in the Eastern Conference. Washington has plenty of decisions remaining. Two starters — centre Marcin Gortat and forward Trevor Ariza — are unrestricted free agents. Overall, 10 players are entering some level of free agency or the organization must decide whether to exercise a team option. Though Wittman and Grunfeld have stated a desire to the keep the core intact, the roster could certainly look different next season. But the man on the sideline will be familiar. Joaquin Benoit Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 3pm et/Noon pt. The Thunder reclaimed the home-court advantage LA took with a Game 1 win on Friday night with a 118-112 road win in Game 3. Tanner Roark Jersey . -- Ricky Romeros comeback bid hit another road bump Tuesday in an ugly 18-4 Jays loss to a Detroit Tigers split squad. http://www.cheapnationalsjerseys.com/ . Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex. Cheap Nationals Jerseys Authentic . The New York Rangers centre had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators ending a 13-game goal-scoring drought. Cheap Nationals Jerseys China .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston.SAN DIEGO -- A 21-game winner only two years ago, Ian Kennedy is starting to look more like his old self. Thats he doing it in San Diego has been a plus for the Padres. "Maybe I just needed a little change of scenery," said Kennedy, acquired in a trade from Arizona on July 31. "The coaching staff, the players, everyone has just made it really easy on me to feel comfortable." Kennedy beat an NL West opponent for the first time in 12 starts this season, pitching the Padres past the San Francisco Giants 4-1 Monday. Kennedy (6-9) gave up one run and five hits over six innings while striking out seven. He is 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA since arriving in San Diego. The right-hander improved to 1-5 with a 4.97 ERA in his starts against NL West teams this year. Huston Street worked a spotless ninth to earn his 26th save in 27 chances as the Padres snapped a three-game losing streak. "I felt like I could throw my fastball when I wanted to and when you work off that, that is how you have successful games," Kennedy said. Padres manager Bud Black noted that Kennedys strikes seldom got too much of the plate. "He got some fastballs in good spots and that was the key in a couple of big situations," Black said. "He had the fastball at the top of the zone and the fastball into the lefties, and the fastball away from them, too. His fastball was around the zone and that was what he had going today." "The changeup and curveball came into play, but not as much as weve seen him use it in other games. When he needed to throw a strike he did. When he needed an out, he got one." Barry Zito (4-11) lost his eighth straight decision. He has won only once in his last 20 starts. Zito was pulled after four innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks. He fell to 0-9 with a 10.00 ERA in his last 11 starts away from AT&T Park. "Its hard to narrow it down to one thing," Zito said of his road woes. "Normallly the splits arent really that bad in one direction.dddddddddddd" Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Zito started well, then lost his command. "He threw well in the first inning," Bochy said. "Then he had trouble finding the strike zone there and that caused all the problems. Thats what did him in." Kennedy drew one of Zitos three walks in the second. Ronny Cedeno hit an RBI single and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs. Nick Hundley hit his career-high 11th home run in the fourth when Zito elevated an 80 mph slider. "He didnt get it to where he wanted to," said Hundley, who stroked his third career home run off of Zito, his most against any pitcher. "You dont want to miss those kind of mistakes because you dont get them very often." The Giants scored in the fifth on Brandon Belts double. With runners on second and third, Buster Posey hit a two-out liner that third baseman Logan Forsythe reached high to snag. In the eighth, the Giants had the tying run at the plate, but Sandoval and Crawford failed to produce against reliever Luke Gregerson. "That was a little tap dance there, no doubt," Black said of Gregersons performance. "Sandoval is always a tough out, no matter how he is swinging or what the numbers are. Luke threw him an offspeed pitch and he had a big swing and it only went a couple feet. That was great." NOTES: Bochy said RHP Matt Cain will start Saturday against the Rockies after he threw a 90-pitch bullpen session on Monday. Cain has been on the DL with a bruised right forearm. ... LHP Jeremy Affeldt was to throw in a simulated game on Tuesday and Bochy said the team will determine his path after that. Affeldt has missed 41 games with a left groin strain. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso will undergo a MRI exam Tuesday on his ailing right hand. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley remains out of the lineup with a sore back. ... The Padres recalled RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A Tucson. ' ' '