Fragen und Antworten » last appearance at a British Open -- provid

PHOENIX -- Davey Johnson stood in front of a tarp in the visiting managers office, keeping his comments brief but thoughtful. After a few minutes, he stepped away, hugged a few people and shook a few hands before taking a seat behind the desk. He may have ended his career on a losing note, but the 70-year-old Johnson was perfectly at ease after a big-league career that spanned six decades. A.J. Pollock beat out a run-scoring infield single in the eighth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks sent the Washington manager into retirement with a loss by beating the Nationals 3-2 on Sunday. "Time to go home," Johnson said. "Put me out to pasture." Johnson already had his career commemorated during a ceremony in Washington and was recognized by the Diamondbacks before Sundays game, doffing his cap as he stepped out of the dugout. After taking the lineup card to home plate for the final time, he spent the next nine innings as he always does, offering positive reinforcement to his players while pulling the strings to get one last win. He ended up just short in the finale. After losing the series first two games, the Diamondbacks scratched out a pair of runs off Ryan Mattheus (0-2) in the eighth inning to finish the season at .500 (81-81). Martin Prado had a run-scoring single in the inning and Pollock dove into first safely after hitting a comebacker that bounced off Mattheus. David Hernandez (5-6) pitched a perfect eighth and Brad Ziegler closed out the ninth for his 13th save for the Diamondbacks, who played 1,538 innings this season to break the major league record set by the 1964 Yankees. It was a disappointing end to Johnsons career, but the Nationals still finished 11 games above.500 at 86-76 and are set up for success long after hes gone. "A good manager builds confidence in his players and we benefited from that because he never wavered, no matter how good or bad you were doing," Nationals right-hander Tyler Clippard said. "He always put you out there and expected you to succeed and, for the most part, I think we did." Johnson leaves with quite a legacy built over 17 years as a manager and 13 as a player. He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986 and joined Billy Martin as the only managers to take four teams to the post-season when he led the Nationals to the playoffs last season while earning his second manager of the year award at 69. He also went to the post-season with Cincinnati and Baltimore. Johnson was a four-time All-Star as a player, earned three Gold Gloves and won a pair of World Series rings with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970. He goes out on a losing note, capping a season of unfulfilled expectations for Washington. The Nationals won the NL East and had the best record in baseball last season, so the bar was set high, particularly with a loaded lineup like theirs. Washington dropped below .500 after a rough stretch around the All-Star break before making a September run, but couldnt catch the surging Atlanta Braves. Johnson finishes his career 1,372-1,071. "Im not dropping off the face of the earth," said Johnson, who will serve as an adviser for the Nationals. "Ill still be around. I might even see you guys." The Diamondbacks won the NL West in 2011 and were expected to make another run after boosting payroll following a post-season-less 2012. Arizona looked like a playoff team the first half of the season, leading the division most of the way, but faded down the stretch, drifting well behind the Los Angeles Dodgers after the All-Star break and never able to make up the ground. The Diamondbacks at least ended on a good note. Arizona scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Paul Goldschmidt after pitcher Tanner Roark had a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. Zach Walters hit an RBI triple after Arizona third baseman Martin Prados throwing error in the sixth inning and Steve Lombardozzi put Washington up 2-1 with a run-scoring single. Roark allowed a run on three hits in seven innings. The Diamondbacks, like they have all season, never gave up, though, putting together a late rally that prevented their first losing season since 2010. "We as a team expected to be still paying right now," Diamondbacks shortstop Willie Bloomquist said. "I think that is where expectations need to stay. As a whole this year it has been disappointing even though we ended on a high note." Notes: Washington had won its previous four season finales. ... Johnson was 224-183 in three seasons with the Nationals. ... Goldschmidt had a single in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. He also joined Mel Ott as the only NL players 25 under to hit .300 with 35 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs in a season. ... Members of the Phoenix Coyotes watched the game from the pool deck in right field. Adam Wainwright Jersey . -- Augusta James of Bath, Ont. Jose Martinez Cardinals Jersey . -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released veteran guard Davin Joseph, a mainstay on their offensive line over the past eight seasons. http://www.authenticcardinalspro.com/cardinals-dexter-fowler-jersey/ . Pospisil, whose season-ending goal is to improve his ATP Tour ranking enough to qualify for one of the 32 seedings at Januarys Australian Open, dominated Karlovic in 59 minutes. The world No. 40 never faced a break point and limited the big mans threatening ace count to a mere eight, while striking five key aces of his own. Willie McGee Jersey . -- Arizona pitcher Bronson Arroyo is expected to miss a week to 10 days because of a back injury. Paul Goldschmidt Cardinals Jersey . "I wouldnt read anything into what happened Saturday at Torrey Pines," Woods said Tuesday after an 18-hole exhibition for past winners of the Dubai Desert Classic.HOYLAKE, England -- The ovations from the packed galleries remain as warm as ever for Tom Watson at the British Open. His scoring continues to be just as impressive, too. The 64-year-old Watson extended his record of being the oldest man to make the cut at the games oldest major when he shot a 1-over 73 on Friday. That put him at 2-over 146, just on the cut line. "Lets see what happens on the weekend," the five-time British Open winner said, with that glint in his eye. "See if the old guy can maybe get it rolling a little bit." Playing a brand of "old mans golf," as he put it, Watson outlasted Masters champion Bubba Watson as well as Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed and Harris English -- three guys looking to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team captained by Watson. The way Watson has been hitting the ball this week, he wouldnt look out of place on the team at Gleneagles in September. "Im thinking about picking the captain," he said, laughing. He needed a par 5 at No. 18 to stay at Hoylake for another two days and, to the delight of the spectators filling the horseshoe stand around the green, he avoided trouble and made it with ease. "It was pretty special playing with Tom, and the reception he got," Jim Furyk said. "And to watch him grind it out and make a birdie on the way in and make the cut was pretty cool. "I was pulling for him pretty hard on No.dddddddddddd. 18." Royal Liverpool is not among the venues where Watson lifted the claret jug between 1975 and 83, but he is as popular here as at Muirfield, Royal Birkdale or anywhere else on the Open rotation. He acknowledged that he has been looking up at the stands more this year, soaking up the tournaments special atmosphere in his next-to-last appearance at a British Open -- provided, of course, he doesnt finish in the top 10 at St. Andrews in 2015. And who would bet against that? "I am enjoying it," he said. "Today on the practice range, my swing turned around. I really started hitting the ball well. ... It was the best warm-up session Ive had all year. I felt very good going out to the golf course." When he bogeyed No. 10 after hitting his gap wedge over the green from the middle of the fairway, Watson was missing the cut line at 3 over and under pressure. He hit every fairway after that, picking up that crucial birdie at No. 14 and parring his way home. Two solid shots at No. 18 allowed him to enjoy the ovation from all sides as he approached the green. "It was a pleasure playing with a little bit of heat on me to make the cut and doing so well, especially coming down the stretch," he said. The headaches over Ryder Cup selection can wait for a few days. Watson has something else to occupy his mind at the British Open this weekend. ' ' '