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SEATTLE -- Matt Shoemaker turned his head just enough to avoid taking Kyle Seagers 105 mph line drive square in the face, then stumbled before falling to the infield grass.That was probably the scariest thing Ive ever seen on a baseball field, Seager said.Shoemaker was hospitalized with a small skull fracture and small hematoma from the line drive during the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.Shoemaker was struck on the right side of his head with one out in the second inning, getting his face out of the way but failing to get his mitt up in time to stop the hard-hit ball.After the game, the Angels announced that a CT scan revealed Shoemaker suffered the small fracture and hematoma. He was to be seen by a neurologist and remain in Seattle overnight for observation.It just gives you that feeling where you have a pit in your stomach, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.Shoemaker was down for several minutes and bleeding from the spot where he was hit. Teammates knelt around the mound and Seager anxiously watched while Shoemaker was tended to. Shoemaker never lost consciousness.He was tended to in the Angels clubhouse for a short time before being taken to a local hospital.The fact of the matter is he was conscious and at least all his reactions were what they were supposed to be on the assessment. I think we could exhale a little bit, Scioscia said. Just to get him up and walking off the field let you feel a little bit better about what could have been happening. Its tough.Shoemaker is in his third full season with the Angels, emerging as a rookie in 2014 when he went 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA. Hes struggled at times this year but went into Sundays game having won his last three decisions.I had a good view of it and when you see it square someone up like that its scary, Angels catcher Jett Bandy said. First thing first, you forget about baseball and you think about his health.Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and six relievers combined to shut down Seattle after Shoemaker was struck.Pujols hit his 29th homer of the season off Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma (14-11) with two outs in the first and Cron followed with his 15th home run moments later. The Angels hit seven first-inning home runs in the three-game series.Pujols added an RBI single in the sixth inning off Iwakuma, and Andrelton Simmons had an RBI single in the eighth inning off reliever Dan Altavilla. Iwakuma went seven innings, giving up eight hits and the three runs.After Shoemaker walked off the field with trainers on both sides, the Angels leaned on their bullpen. Deolis Guerra (3-0) was the first of the relievers to enter, followed by Jose Alvarez, Mike Morin, Cody Ege and JC Ramirez. Robinson Cano hit his 31st homer off Ege in the sixth and Nelson Cruz hit his 35th in the eighth off Ramirez, both solo shots.But that was all the Angels allowed, and Andrew Bailey pitched the ninth for his first save.Those guys all went out there and took the ball and did a great job, Scioscia said. Your thoughts are elsewhere at that point until you can understand exactly what is happening with Matt.PLAYOFF PICTUREThe Angels took two of three in the series, providing another damaging blow to Seattles fleeting postseason hopes. The Mariners have dropped seven of eight with AL West-leading Texas coming in for a four-game series starting Monday, likely Seattles last opportunity to get back into the wild-card race.ROSTER SHUFFLESeattle added depth to its overused bullpen by activating RHP Drew Storen and recalling LHP David Rollins on Sunday. Storen had been sidelined by shoulder inflammation, and the pair gives manager Scott Servais a few more options for the later innings with Seattles starters struggling to get deep into games of late.UP NEXTAngels: Jered Weaver (10-11) makes his 27th start as the Angels open a series in Oakland. Weaver got the win in his last start against Cincinnati.Mariners: Felix Hernandez (9-5) looks to rebound from one of his worst outings of the season as Seattle opens a series against Texas. Hernandez allowed six earned runs in four innings in a loss to the Rangers last Wednesday. Seattle Mariners Shirts . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. Custom Seattle Mariners Jerseys . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. https://www.cheapmariners.com/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Seattle Mariners Pro Shop . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Cheap Mariners Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. From the general feeling in the British and Irish isles, the task awaiting Warren Gatland in New Zealand is a thankless one.Their first tour match is just seven days after the Aviva Premiership and PRO12 finals, the players will have reached breaking point and then come the worlds best side who havent lost at home since 2009. As Wales coach, Gatland has faced the All Blacks 10 times and lost on each occasion.It is rugbys version of Mission Impossible; the expected 20,000-strong army of Lions fans may as well save their time and watch from the comforts of living rooms and pubs.But if anyone can pull off the most unlikely of victories against the All Blacks, it is Gatland. One of their own, he knows the opposition inside out, he thinks like them, has their very DNA in his own rugby bones and every sinew of his being must be strained to breaking point if the Lions are to beat Steve Hansens side.Amid the rolling, undulating hills of New Zealands north island lies the Gatland household on the banks of the Waikato River where his wife Trudi lives. Brought up on Hamiltons Laurence Street by his parents Kaye and Dave, he went to school 10 minutes drive away at Hamilton Boys High School and captained their first-team in both cricket and rugby.An abrasive hooker, he made a record 140 appearance for Waikato and would have won full All Blacks Test honours but for the presence of Sean Fitzpatrick.His coaching career is a joint love affair between Waikato and the British and Irish isles.His first gig was at Taupiri in 1989 on the eastern bank of the Waikato river and later that year he headed to Ireland to take charge of Galwegians in a player/coach capacity. Following five years there his stock rose. After a short spell as assistant coach back in New Zealand with Thames Valley in 1996, Connacht then came calling later that year and in 1998 he replaced Brian Ashton as Ireland coach.He left Ireland in 2001 and then came the move to London Wasps in 2002 -- complete with three Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup. He then headed back to the familiar surroundings of Waikato and the Chiefs but in 2007 got the call from Wales and two Grand Slams, a further championship and a World Cup semifinal followed.This rooting in home union rugby has brought home the importance of the Lions to Gatland. In 1993 he was part of the Waikato side that thrashed the Lions 38-10, an appearance he marked with a try, at Hamiltons Rugby Park.Sixteen years on and he was part of Ian McGeechans backroom staff for their tour of South Africa. McGeechan, who was on his seventh and final Lions tour as a player and then coach, was impressed by Gatlands respect for the jersey. He understood why these quadrennial jaunts against one of the big three, where a bunch of players weere charged with forging lifelong unity in a matter of hours, were no rugby anachronism.ddddddddddddI remember when I was head coach in South Africa in 2009 and he [Gatland] was an assistant coach, and I asked him to speak to the team before one of the early provincial games, McGeechan wrote in his column for the Telegraph. He said no. He said he had not earned the right to do that at that stage. It showed great respect.Four years on, in 2013, and Gatland masterminded the Lions first series win since 1997 with a 2-1 triumph over Australia. He attempted to bring back much of the traditional touring aspects of the Lions with an emphasis on off-field bonding and also showed he is not one to shy away from making controversial calls when he dropped Brian ODriscoll for the third Test.Though his decision was vindicated with a 41-13 triumph, the vitriolic backlash from ex-players and armchair pundits shocked Gatland. At one stage he thought he could do without reprising the role in 2017 but the lure of the Lions proved too much, as did the temptation of gate-crashing his motherlands party.With the role confirmed, now comes the task of moulding his backroom staff. It wont be a case of jobs for his chums; in 2013 he chose then England coach Andy Farrell over his long-time Wasps and Wales ally Shaun Edwards. Its about the bigger picture so expect him to pluck a name from left-field and he may look to tempt Scotland coach Vern Cotter, who interviewed for the top Lions role, to join the brains trust.Then comes the task of assembling the squad. A total of 51 players ran out for Sir Clive Woodward on the Lions ill-fated 2005 tour but Gatland is likely to favour a smaller group like his class of 2013. His choice of captain will be fascinating. He could stick with 2013 Lions and Wales captain Sam Warburton or go for Englands Dylan Hartley; the latter moulded in Gatlands image, an abrasive New Zealand-born hooker.Gatlands gameplan will also be fascinating. His direct approach with Wales, one focused on forcing space through physicality, is likely to be tweaked to counter the All Blacks threats. Winning the collision area and coping with the New Zealand counter-attack will be top of his list. Then will come the task of drawing together the most effective 15 possible from Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland.The Lions have already been written off. But this canny Kiwi thrives off winning and baring his teeth as the underdog. Mission Impossible? With Gatland at the helm its more improbable. He will have plenty of tricks up his sleeve and judging by how difficult a task it is to win on New Zealand soil, theyll need them. ' ' '