might sit more against left-handers, the manager didnt commit to anythin

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - Brett Lawrie, still looking to find his offensive groove, spent Thursday afternoon taking extra batting practice. When he wasnt swinging for the fences, he was swinging back at Twitter followers expressing frustration with his slow start. "All u people who chirp when things dont go good have never done anything in pro sport .. Ever .. So shut ur mouths #LetsGetThisThingg #jays," said Lawrie in a tweet that was later deleted. He later clarified what he meant. "I expect that," said Lawrie. "I expect a lot out of myself but at the same time, Im not going to sit there and take all that from people that I dont know. So if I want to say something back, I have more than the right to. Freedom of speech. People want to come at me with something then Im not scared to say something back." As reporters meandered into the press box shortly before three oclock, Lawrie could be seen down on the field, alone with hitting coach Chad Mottola, working on his swing. First he hit off a tee; he progressed to soft toss and finally, batting practice pitching. "Just getting reps," said Lawrie. "Not necessarily working on anything, just getting reps, just getting rhythm thats about it." Surely there was more to it. "Were just trying to control him a little bit more," said Mottola. "The way hes wired his high intensity and in hitting most of the time it doesnt work. Just trying to get some things that will slow him down without saying take away his quick twitch. You know the way he plays third base, the way he hits hes got to be moving but were just working on modifying that a little bit." Lawrie was hitting .175 in 21 games; his on-base percentage a woeful .247 entering Thursdays action. Lawrie shrugs off as an "excuse" the notion hes still catching up after a spring training cut short by a ribcage injury suffered on March 6. Mottola, however, believes theres truth to it. "We were trying to change some things from the prior year as well," said Mottola. "So I think he needed spring training more than other guys so he could go through the transition period of at bats meaning nothing. And the way he wants it so bad and the way hes probably worse than the way the public wants it so weve got to protect him against himself sometimes because he wants it so bad he tends to try to go get the ball out of the pitchers hands. The way the game works you cant do that." Manager John Gibbons removed Lawrie from the leadoff spot for the finale of the series against the Rays. "Yeah he hasnt been getting on base a whole lot," said Gibbons. "Rajais (Davis) in there against the lefty, well get him there at the top because thats a good spot for Raj when hes in there." Mottola is conscious of Lawries intense nature; his inclination toward constant movement. The mechanical adjustments are minor – specifically moving Lawries hands in closer to his body – and arent meant to change Lawries approach at the plate, which Mottola doesnt believe is an issue. "Every guy is wired differently and thats the way hes wired so we cant take that away," said Mottola. "Were just trying to modify it and control it and put it in different spots of his swing. Saying, okay, you can do all this but lets not do it as much with the body. Hes seeing the ball well because hes laying off some tough pitches, hes getting in to hitters counts but hes not doing what he should do once he gets in those hitters counts so were just trying to shorten it up a little bit." "This is one of those things," said Lawrie of his slump and his effort to work out of it. "Youve just got to keep grinding it out, a lot of ABs and a lot of games to go so Ive got to stick to what Im doing, stick to my plan and just keep getting my work in and keep doing it."Diamondbacks Jerseys China . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. 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Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111.DENVER -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is giving struggling Jason Heyward the weekend off, allowing his right fielder to take a break as the team begins a road trip in Colorado.Started off by giving him a day, Maddon said of Thursdays game against Milwaukee. We have a lefty today [facing the Cubs], lefty on Sunday so ... just give him the whole weekend off. Let him chill a little bit for the weekend.Heyward, who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs last winter, is hitting .225 with a .617 OPS. He has five hits in his past 29 at-bats and just one multihit game since July 9.We had a great conversation, Maddon said. You just sit there and have a straight-up conversation between two people and both sides get it. It sounded like a good idea to him, also. He was all for it.Heyward is being pushed by hot-hitting outfielders Jorge Soler and Matt Szczur; both are in Fridays starting lineup facing the Rockies. Maddon indicated Heyyward would start on Monday against San Diego, but when asked if he might sit more against left-handers, the manager didnt commit to anything longer term.ddddddddddddWell make that evaluation as we move it forward, Maddon said. You can see right now Jorge is doing well, Matt Szczur is doing well.It was only a day ago that Maddon indicated he liked how the team looked with Heyward as a starter.If youre standing in the dugout and you dont know anything else and you look at him in right field, I cant be more comfortable with this guy on the field while were playing baseball, Maddon said Thursday. Hes such a good baseball player.Heywards offensive struggles combined with backups hitting well obviously changed Maddons mind.Come back for sure Monday in San Diego, Maddon said. Play him in an emergency only [this weekend]. ' ' '