EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is on pace to play in his first game in 22 months.Coach Ben McAdoo is very optimistic Cruz will play Saturday in the preseason game against the New York Jets. It would be his first game since he tore the patellar tendon in his knee on Oct. 12, 2014, against the?Philadelphia Eagles.Cruz, 29, missed last season with a calf injury. He was recently sidelined by a groin problem before returning this week with two promising practices.Im ready, Cruz said. Obviously it has been a long time coming, but I had a good week of practice. Everything feels great, so Im just excited to put it out there on the game field ... for the first time in a long time.It may be the third preseason game for the Giants, but its more than that to Cruz.Playing in a game is an opportunity he had thought would happen last summer. Cruz was several days from stepping onto the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars last year when the calf problem surfaced.This time, there were no reported setbacks from practices Tuesday and Wednesday, with the latter taking place in full pads.This one is more than just a game, Cruz said. This one is crossing so many hurdles, so many barriers, so many ups and downs I had to face to get to this moment. And now Im ready to relax and go play football again.To me this is bigger than just a game, although its obviously a preseason game. But for me mentally, emotionally, physically, all of the above, its more than just a football game for me.Its only appropriate that the game is against the Jets. Two of Cruzs biggest games and many of his biggest plays have come against the Giants crosstown rival.Cruz had his welcome-to-the-NFL moment during the 2010 preseason against the Jets. He also had perhaps his biggest catch -- a 99-yarder on Christmas Eve in 2011 -- against the Jets.Its the story of my life, I guess. You cant write it any better than this, Cruz said. This is the way my career has gone. This is the way my professional career has gone. The Jets preseason game has always been a landmark situation for me, and here we go again.Cruz was active and productive Tuesday and Wednesday in team drills and came through it all in good shape, according to McAdoo.Cruz said he proved to himself he was fine on the practice field. Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan said that some of Cruzs explosion he saw off the line of scrimmage gave him visions of 2011. Wide receivers coach Adam Henry said he has seen progress from Cruz this week.It has everybody itching to see what Cruz can bring to the field in a real game.Excited to see him on game day and see him in live action, quarterback Eli Manning said.Once he gets there, the goal is simple.I would love to see him get his hands on a football and make some plays for us, McAdoo said. Michael Lorenzen Jersey .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Jose Peraza Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. http://www.redsgearshop.com/Reds-Anthony-Desclafani-Kids-Jersey/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Scott Feldman Jersey . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Tom Seaver Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. LOS ANGELES -- Kris Medlen grew up in Southern California and made frequent trips to Dodger Stadium. Saturday night, in his second career start at Chavez Ravine, the Atlanta Braves right-hander had the best of both worlds on the mound and at the plate. Medlen pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings and hit his first major league home run, Dan Uggla also went deep, and the Braves continued their recent stretch of dominant starting pitching in a 2-1 victory. "Every time I come here in a cab or on the team bus, it brings back memories of my dad or my uncle taking me to games," Medlen said. "It couldnt have been a better day. And most importantly, we got the win, which was awesome. For me to hit my first home run here, Im on Cloud 9." Medlen (3-6) scattered five hits, struck out six and allowed only one baserunner as far as third. That was in the sixth inning, when the right-hander retired Andre Ethier on a flyball to shallow centre field and fanned Scott Van Slyke after Nick Punto led off with a double and advanced on a groundout by Adrian Gonzalez. Medlen has won back-to-back starts for the first time this season, and has a 2.87 ERA over his first 13 starts. Last year he was 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 12 regular-season starts after being inserted into the rotation on July 31. Atlantas rotation has yielded just three runs in 31 1-3 innings spanning the teams last five games. "Our starting pitchings been the backbone of this team," Uggla said. "Theyve been so consistent and kept us in ballgames, and they battle. Theyve just done an amazing job, going deep into games and taking a little stress off of our bullpen." Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez, hobbled by a troublesome left hamstring, pinch hit for the third straight night and greeted Jordan Walden with an RBI single in the eighth. The unearned run was charged to Luis Avilan, after a throwing error by shortstop Andrelton Simmons on an attempted double-play relay to first base. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 21 attempts. Stephen Fife (1-1) allowed two runs and nine hits with seven strikeouts in his third start of the season and second since getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace the injured Chris Capuano in the Dodgers rotation. "I started trying to do too much in terms of effort level, and things went side to side instead of up and down," Fife said. "A hanging breaking ball to Dan Uggla, I can probably live with that one. But that mis-located fastball to a pitcher is probably one Id like to have back." Uggla led off the fifth with his 11th homer on an 0-2 pitch, and Medlen hit a 1-0 delivery just over the right field fence two batters later. "Theres no way he could have hit that homer witthout seeing me do it first.dddddddddddd Im taking all the credit," Uggla deadpanned. "He stole my thunder. But that was cool. Every pitcher wants to hit a homer. Its something that hell remember for the rest of his life, and it was fun to watch it." Yasiel Puig continued to shine for the Dodgers in his first week in the major leagues. He got two more hits along with his second outfield assist, charging Jason Heywards single to right field in the fifth and firing a seed to third baseman Luis Cruz on the fly to nab Simmons as he tried to advance two bases. "It reminds you of an Ichiro (Suzuki) or Jeff Francoeur type of arm," Fife said. "You just watch it happen and go: Wow, thats pretty good. Were definitely watching something special with him." In six games so far, the Cuban-born phenom is 10 for 23 in the leadoff spot with 10 RBIs and four home runs -- including an opposite-field grand slam. Simmons drove Fifes second pitch of the game to left-centre for a double, Heyward walked and Justin Upton advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt -- only the third of his seven-year career and first in 1,559 plate appearances since his previous one on Sept. 14, 2010. But Fife escaped the jam, throwing called third strikes past Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann. "In that situation, we had first and second with no outs and I thought I could load the bases right there with a bunt because they were playing back," Upton said. "I squared around late enough to get a base hit if I got the bunt down in the right area. And if it doesnt work out, we still have second and third with Freddie and McCann swinging a hot bat." NOTES: Upton has gone 49 official at-bats without an RBI since his run-scoring double against Dillon Gee on May 25 at New York. He has only one in 72 at-bats since his five-RBI game against the Dodgers on May 17 in Atlanta. ... The Dodgers have had 10 rookies of the year who were position players, and none of them came close to the start that Puig has gotten off to with the four homers coming in his first 19 at bats. Mike Piazza needed 96 at-bats to get his second home run, Raul Mondesi 65, Frank Howard 49 and Jackie Robinson 120. ... The Dodgers are expected to place LHP Ted Lilly on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday because of neck soreness. RHP Matt Magill will be recalled from Triple-A to start the series finale instead against LHP Mike Minor. ... The Dodgers brought Old-Timers Day back to Chavez Ravine for the first time since 1995, marking 50 years since the Dodgers four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees. A "Whos Who" of Dodgers and Yankees from World Series past were on hand -- including Sandy Koufax, Goose Gossage, Dwight Gooden and Chris Chambliss. ' ' '