N.E.W.S » wall in left field in the fourth

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have made another move in hopes of finding a reliable backup to point guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors acquired Steve Blake from the Los Angeles Lakers for reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks on Wednesday night, adding a veteran ball-handler to their beleaguered bench. Word of the deal started to spread just before the Warriors played in Sacramento and the Lakers hosted Houston, with the three players involved saying goodbye to teammates and coaches in the locker room. Both teams confirmed the trade before halftime of their games. "We think this just bolsters the bench and gives us some more options, some more weapons and a player when you give him the ball you know you can trust him," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said during intermission in Sacramento. "We just think it was a chance to improve our roster and that was our justification." The trade gives Golden State a savvy veteran off the bench without sacrificing any of its core players or moving into the leagues luxury tax. The Warriors used a $4 million trade exception they got in the deal with Denver that landed free agent Andre Iguodala last summer. The team is about $400,000 under the luxury tax, Myers said. The Warriors were hoping Blake would be uniform when they host Houston on Thursday night in Oakland. Blake, who is making $4 million in the final year of his contract, averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 assists while starting all 27 games he played for the injury-depleted Lakers this season. The Warriors are counting on the 33-year-old veteran to improve a bench that has been searching for a solid ball-handler since Jarrett Jack left for Cleveland in free agency last summer. The Warriors acquired Jordan Crawford and Brooks from Boston in a three-team trade on Jan. 15. Golden State sent struggling backup Toney Douglas to Miami in that deal. Crawford has been, at times, a prolific scorer but is still learning how to be a better distributor and playmaker on a Warriors team that has plenty of shooters. He entered Wednesday averaging 6.3 points and 2.2 assists in his first 13 games with the Warriors after starting for the Celtics while Rajon Rondo was injured. "We like our core, and I think our core likes each other. I think its a core that can win," Myers said. "And our bench, for whatever reason, struggled early on. Anything we could do to fortify it, we tried to do without removing what we consider our core." The Lakers received some salary cap relief and a pair of young and unproven players in the deal. Brooks appeared in just seven games with the Warriors and never caught on in Mark Jacksons rotation. Bazemore, best known for his animated cheering on Golden States bench, also struggled in limited action the past two seasons. 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The victory came one day after batting coach Dave Hudgens was fired and replaced by Johnson, who had been New Yorks minor league hitting co-ordinator. Black (1-0) got four big outs in his first major league outing this season, and Jenrry Mejia pitched two innings for his fourth save. With a runner on, Curtis Granderson made an outstanding catch in the right-field corner for the second out of the ninth. Mejia then walked Andrew McCutchen and retired Mets nemesis Gaby Sanchez on a game-ending grounder. "We lined out multiple times. Some nights, thats just the way it is," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. Starling Marte hit a two-run single for the Pirates, hurt by four wild pitches in losing for the second time in seven games. With the score 2-all, Tejada drew his second walk to start the sixth. He advanced on two wild pitches by Jeanmar Gomez (0-2) and scored when Lagares flicked a single over a drawn-in infield. Murphy followed with an RBI double to make it 4-2. "Lagares had a great at-bat," Murphy said. "Got some timely hitting and I think some really good baserunning out there as well, too, so its a good win." Black struck out Sanchez with runners at the corners to end the seventh. Pittsburgh had first and third again in the eighth when Mejia got pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez to ground into an inning-ending double play. "Now Im ready for any situation," Mejia said. Handed a 2-0 lead, Mets starter Jonathon Niese let it slip away. Normally a fast worker, Niese slowed his pace considerably as he walked three batters in the sixth. Martes bases-loaded single tied it, but Black struck out pinch-hitter Ike Davis with the bases loaded to end the inning. It was a matchup that pitted two players against their former teaams.dddddddddddd Black was acquired from Pittsburgh last August, and the Mets traded Davis to the Pirates last month. Black was expected to be in the Mets bullpen at the start of the season, but was shipped to the minors after a rough spring. The right-hander got called up as the roster addition for Sundays doubleheader against Arizona, then sent back down immediately after the games. He went to meet Triple-A Las Vegas in El Paso, Texas, but quickly turned around when the Mets recalled him late Monday to replace reliever Jose Valverde, who was released. Functioning on little sleep, Black took an early flight back to New York on Tuesday and showed up at the ballpark ready to pitch. "Vic got out of it for me and he did a great job," Niese said. "The way it started off, I felt like I could go seven or eight today, kind of save the bullpen. Thats why I was angry with the sixth." Pirates starter Edinson Volquez walked five and threw two wild pitches in five innings, extending his struggles on the road. "Thats what youre supposed to do, keep the game close. But I know walks killed me tonight," Volquez said. Murphy doubled in the third and scored on Bobby Abreus two-out single. Tejada and Lagares both doubled off the wall in left field in the fourth to make it 2-0. Lagares made a leaping catch of McCutchens drive at the 390-foot sign in right-centre to end the first inning. McCutchen returned the favour with a spectacular, diving grab to rob Lagares of extra bases in the third. "They kind of traded them, didnt they?" Hurdle said. "We just couldnt find gaps. Good plays by the centre fielders, as good as youre going to see." NOTES: Hurdle said hes looking to get a day off soon for 2B Neil Walker, who has started all 51 games this season. ... After a setback Sunday, Mets RHP Dillon Gee (strained lat) is headed to the teams complex in Florida to continue his rehabilitation. He said it will probably be a few days before he tries to get on the mound again. "Were going to go with the slow-and-steady approach this time," he said. ... Mets C Travis dArnaud (concussion) went 0 for 1 with a walk in a rehab game for Double-A Binghamton. He was scheduled to catch seven innings, but the game was suspended after two innings because of rain. As long as he got his work in and felt OK, dArnaud was expected to be activated Wednesday or Thursday. ... Rap star 50 Cent was comically off target with the ceremonial first pitch. ' ' '