Inland Waterways » Toronto needed that goal as they were unable to get

TORONTO -- A reflective J.P. Arencibia says he has been his own worst enemy in the past. "A lot of my struggles were from doubts and trying to do too many things," the former Blue Jay told reporters Friday upon his return to Rogers Centre with the Texas Rangers. The 28-year-old Arencibia also admitted he had heaped pressure on himself by worrying about all the permutations of what might happen when he stepped into the batting box. Now he has come to the realization that simple is best, it seems. "God gave me abilities to do something special on the field. What are those?" he said. "So I can say All right, I need to work on those things. And not worry about everything else. And when I get into the plate, think of one pitch at the time. Not hey, if I take this pitch, is it going to affect this pitch?" Arencibia endured a horror show of a 2013 season with Toronto, hitting .194 with 148 strikeouts in 474 at-bats. He did hit 21 homers and 54 RBIs. He said it was a year of pressure, his mind going a mile a minute. "Fortunately I was able to put the ball in play at times but I wasnt good," he said. "I was fighting myself," he added. "I was in my own way. That was the biggest thing. I had to go down (to the minors) and kind of get out of my own way." It seems to be working. He slammed a three-run homer off R.A. Dickey in the seventh inning Friday. Arencibia signed with Texas as a free agent, hitting .133 with a .182 on-base percentage in 20 games before being sent to the triple-A Round Rock Express in mid-May. He was recalled Thursday. With three other catchers (Robinson Chirinos, Chris Giminez and Geovany Soto) on the Rangers active roster, Arencibia has been getting a crash course in playing first base. He hit .279 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs in triple-A. He got the start Friday at first base, becoming the eighth Ranger this season to start there. Asked if he was a first baseman or catcher now, he said that wasnt his decision. "Obviously they know I can catch and they have a lot of catchers on the roster. So right now if playing first is best for the team, thats what Im doing. Ill work hard to be the best first baseman I can be." The stint in the minors helped slow the game down, he said. "I 100 per cent needed it," Arencibia said. "It was something that was necessary. I went back and had to iron something out and be who I can be. "That was really the main thing -- changing my mentality and really understanding myself ... Obviously you dont want to be down there, and at the beginning it was tougher but more and more as I was down there, I realized there was good purpose behind it. And I was proud of myself to get past that and bounce back." Arencibia said his struggle was to be himself. "A lot of times I tried to be somebody I wasnt. I tried to be maybe what baseball or whatever I thought needed to do statistically to be a better player. And by doing that, by not being myself, I went backwards. "Im the player I can be (now). I went back to triple-A and really tried to be that." That mindset included being aggressive at the plate "and looking to do damage as opposed to worrying about swinging at a pitch in the first or making this mistake or that mistake." Arencibia was warmly received by some of the Rogers Centre staff before the game, with hugs and handshakes. He said he was not worried about how the crowd might react. "I know the people that cared about me and the people I impacted," he said. "Whatever may be the reaction, good or bad, I wish everybody well. Obviously I cant control that stuff." He received a smattering of boos when the Rangers starting lineup was announced. The fans were far more vocal at his first at-bat -- a strikeout that turned the boos to cheers. Arencibia was far more cutting in Texas in May when quizzed by the Toronto Star about his time in Toronto. "I learned the media controls a lot of things and the only question that you guys were writing in the off-season was what they were going to do behind the plate, when obviously the pitching was something that needed to be addressed," he told the newspaper. "But I was the only question because I was the villain of the team." Asked Friday whether he regretted such comments, he said: "Im not really here to talk about any of that stuff. We all said what we needed to say. Im excited to be back in the major leagues." Arencibias life has also changed off the baseball field. In June, he married Band Perry singer Kimberly Perry in Greeneville, Tenn. Paul Coffey Jersey . The question is how many minutes will be available to them and can any of their defence or goaltending provide value? Top Picks: Following a down year in 2011-2012, Matt Duchene rebounded with his highest points-per-game (0. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/ .ca. In addition to the game being aired in its entirety on CTV Two Vancouver Island and TSN.ca, TSN2 will also have coverage of Whitecaps FC immediately following NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Toyota Owners 400. Leon Draisaitl Jersey . -- Falcons running back Steven Jackson, who has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, is expected to practice on Wednesday. Bill Ranford Jersey . - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around.HOUSTON -- A week after Toronto FC came from two-goals down to earn a two-goal victory over the Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC saw themselves down a goal twice in the first half. This time Toronto was not able to get a win, but they were able to get a much-needed point on the road to extend its unbeaten streak to three games with a 2-2 draw Saturday night. First half goals by Gilberto and Dominic Oduro were enough for Toronto (7-5-5, 26 points) to earn the draw. "Id rather get three points than a goal, but we showed we are a strong team right now," said Oduro. "We fought hard. In this heat, to get a point on a road -- any time you get a point on the road is good. We showed we had character today. Thats what the coaching staff has been trying to tell us, and thats what we are trying to learn." Toronto missed a chance to tie the score at two in the 28th minute as Michael Bradley missed a penalty kick off the right post. Toronto was awarded the penalty kick a minute earlier as Nick Hagglund was brought down in the box by Corey Ashe. Oduro, however, was able to tie it in first half stoppage by chesting a Luke Moore pass into the right net from the centre goalkeepers box after Moore was able to beat A.J. Cochran down the left endline. "We know we have the ability to score goals," Toronto head coach Ryan Nelsen said. "I think it was fatigue in that second half that probably dampened our attacking flair. Obviously, that penalty didnt help when that misses. That kind of deflates the team, but they kept going and going and going. I couldnt be happier for the boys, especially when you have to back up a Wednesday and come to Houston in July. Thats tough." Oduro scored his second goal in three games -- both in first half stoppage agaiinst his former team.dddddddddddd Oduro said his goal was critical and motivated the team going into the locker room. "Its always good to score against my former team, but thats not the idea of it," said Oduro said. "It kind of helps. It boosted our spirits. I want to score against any team no matter what. Just sometimes, scoring against a former team is a bit bittersweet." Toronto needed that goal as they were unable to get much going in the second half, with only two shots on net. Gilberto tied it at one in the 18th minute, taking a pass in the center box from Justin Morrow, dribbling to his right and striking a right-footed shot through traffic and into the left net from 16 yards out. The goal was Gilbertos second of the season. "Im very happy with the result," Gilberto said through a translator. "Happy I scored. I want to continue working hard and providing for the team and to increase my work ethic so I can help on the field." Giles Barnes put Houston (5-11-4, 19 points) back up in the 26th minute at 2-1, shooting from 25 yards out in the middle and getting it just inside the near post. Will Bruin gave the Dynamo a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a Toronto turnover and beating Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik to the ball on the right side of the goalkeepers box and hitting it into the left net. Michael Bradleys header back to the Toronto defence went to Bradley Orr, who tried to back pass it to Bendik, but Bruin was able to knock it free to set up the goal. Houston, which saw its winless streak stretched to eight games, nearly doubled its lead seconds before Gilbertos goal as Brad Davis headed the ball to himself and turned and fired from the upper left box, but was stopped by Bendik. ' ' '