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PEORIA, Ariz. -- Andrew Cashner was picked to start for the San Diego Padres on opening day against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres manager Bud Black said Cashner will pitch March 30 at Petco Park. Black made the announcement before Cashners fourth spring training start Thursday night against San Francisco. "I think its well-deserved, the way he pitched the second half of last season," Black said. "Youve heard me say it before: Its a feather in the cap for a pitcher to get an opening day assignment." In his first full season as a starter, Cashner went 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA last year. The right-hander appeared in 31 games, including 26 starts. Semyon Varlamov Jersey . Hes still nowhere close to throwing yet. The four-time MVP was in good spirits when he made his first public appearance on the field since having neck surgery Sept. Alexander Kerfoot Jersey .com) - St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been selected as the NHLs top players for last week. http://www.authenticavalanchepro.com/Rene-robert-avalanche-jersey/ . The 23-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., defeated Germanys Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the fourth round of the Sony Open in just 89 minutes. Teemu Selanne Jersey . The Giants chances of winning the division were dealt a serious blow by the three-game sweep at the hands of the lowly Padres. The Giants open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. San Francisco is still in good shape to clinch a wild-card berth, although it dropped into a tie with Pittsburgh in the race for the top spot. Tyson Barrie Jersey .ca MLB Power Rankings, the third consecutive week that the As have held top spot and the third straight week that they have been one ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays.ZAGREB, Croatia -- Top-seeded Tommy Haas fought hard to defeat Russian qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov and reach the semifinals of the Zagreb Indoors tournament on Friday, while Daniel Evans of Britain upset No. 3 seed Phillip Kohlschreiber from Germany. Defending champion Marin Cilic also reached the semifinals -- his fourth in Zagreb -- defeating fellow Croat Ivan Dodig. German qualifier Bjorn Phau beat Dudi Sela of Israel to reach his first semifinals in nearly five years. Haas secured a place in his first semifinals since winning Vienna last October, beating Kuznetsov 7-6 (6), 6-4. Both players kept their serve very solid during the first set and not a single game went to deuce. Kuznetsov saved two set points before losing the first set, but Haas broke in the opening game of the second set and kept the advantage, having to save two break points leading 2-1. "Winning the first set in the tie breaker was very important for the momentum," Haas said. This is the 13th career tournament for Haas being the top seed, but he has never reached the finals. After reaching the quarterfinals for the first time at any ATP event, the British No. 2, Evans, went one step further Friday ousting Kohlschreiber 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Evans had stepped in after Radek Stepanek withdrew from the tournament with a heeel strain.dddddddddddd Evans has won three matches in the main draw and is now the first British player other than Andy Murray who reached the semifinals on a tour-level tournament since James Ward reached the last four at Queens Club in London in 2011. "Its nice to be consistent. This is a good achievement," said Evans, who will face Haas in the semis. Fifth-seeded Cilic, who triumphed in Zagreb in 2009, 2010 and 2013, converted four out of five break points to beat fourth-seeded Dodig 7-5, 6-4 in just 92 minutes. Cilic now has an 18-1 record in the last five attempts here. Cilic started strong, leading 5-2 in the first set, before Dodig appeared to fight back winning three games in a row. But Cilic soon broke again before closing the first set. Things turned around briefly in the second set, when Dodig was up 2-1 with a serve, but Cilic broke back immediately. Proving to be too strong for his opponent, Cilic converted his second match point with a great passing shot. "There were some ups and downs on both sides. Some great shots and some wrong decisions," Cilic said. Cilic will face Phau, who beat Sela of Israel 6-4, 6-3. Sela won the three opening games, but Phau came back to win 10 of the next 12. Phau last played an ATP semifinal in Houston in 2009. ' ' '