PORT LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets closer Bobby Parnell threw batting practice Saturday, facing batters for the first time since his 2013 season was cut short by a neck injury. Parnell last pitched in a game on July 30. He missed the final two months of the season and had surgery Sept. 10 to repair a herniated disc in his neck. The right-hander threw 36 pitches to David Wright, Daniel Murphy and Eric Young Jr. "You work all off-season throwing bullpens with no batters in there and it seems like you cant miss a spot," Parnell said. "You throw a hitter in there and it becomes 100 times harder. It feels good to get out there and face some guys, face some hitters and find the strike zone with some intensity turned up. It was a nice feeling today." Parnell said he was able to keep the ball down and didnt feel any discomfort in his neck or right arm. "Ive been taking a lot of baby steps," he said. "I feel great, my arm feels good, neck feels good. Everythings going well. But as far as today, this feels like a big mental hurdle. I didnt know how I would react to balls coming off the bat and I felt strong out there. I felt good and felt like I had some reaction in the neck, so everythings good." The Mets are being cautious with Parnell, but he is currently scheduled to throw a second batting practice on Tuesday. He said hell throw at least one more batting practice session before getting into a game. Kobe Bryant Shoes From China .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. Clearance Kobe Bryant Shoes . -- Athletics manager Bob Melvin is already starting to run out of superlatives to describe Scott Kazmir. https://www.cheapkobebryantshoes.com/. "I never commented to anyone that I wanted out," he explained. "My heart is with this group and making the playoffs." Kesler added that the rumours are "completely false" that he asked to be traded - recently or ever. Wholesale Kobe Bryant Shoes . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Kobe Bryant Shoes Outlet . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.HOUSTON -- After the Philadelphia 76ers tied an NBA record with their 26th consecutive loss, one of their youngest voices spoke loudest. Michael Carter-Williams, one of six rookies on the NBAs youngest team, delivered a pep talk after James Hardens triple-double led the Houston Rockets to a 120-98 victory on Thursday night. "During the game a couple of guys had long faces ... and I found myself a little bit down," said Carter-Williams, who had 10 assists. "I just dont want anyone in this locker room feeling bad for themselves ... I think thats really important that we dont get down on ourselves and we just give up just because we have a certain amount of losses. "I just felt like I needed to speak my piece and make sure that guys are upbeat every single day." Philadelphia coach Brett Brown was impressed by the leadership the 22-year-old Carter-Williams showed. "He never would have done that two months ago," Brown said. "He wouldnt have done it two weeks ago. All these things, all these small wins we find along the way, thats our road map this year. And life moves on. The group will stay together and we will finish this thing out together." Harden had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in three quarters for his second career triple-double as Houston picked up its fifth straight victory. "We did a great job of coming out tonight and taking care of business," Harden said. "No matter what their record was, we knew they were going to come here and play hard." The 76ers (15-57) stuck around early before a big second-quarter run allowed the Rockets to pull away and roll to the win. Philadelphia moved within a game of Milwaukee for the leagues worst record. Philadelphia matched the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBAs worst skid and can set the record at home against Detroit on Saturday. "We move on," Brown said. "We are on a different path. We see this whole thing through a far different lens." James Anderson led the Sixers with 30 points and made six 3-pointers. The Sixers havent won since Jan. 29 and are two games away from going winless in two straight months. There was very little visible emotion as the final seconds ticked away and the players slowly made their way off the court. Dwight Howard added 17 points with 13 rebounds for Houston. Terrence Jones had 20 points. There were a number of lowlights as the 76ers took their spot in history. One came when Howard blocked a shot by Thaddeus Young and he fell backward to the ground. By the time he got up, the Rockets were already on the other end of the court running their offence.dddddddddddd Another was when the Sixers got a steal, but gave it back seconds later when Youngs pass intended for Anderson sailed high over his head and into the crowd. Carter-Williams got in on the bad play action when, under heavy pressure from Harden, he simply threw the ball into the Philadelphia bench in the second quarter. But the game wasnt without some nice plays by the Sixers, who have continued to play hard during this terrible stretch. A highlight came when Casper Ware grabbed a steal and made a 46-foot heave as time expired in the first quarter. That shot was part of a 12-0 run which got the Sixers within 35-33 early in the second quarter. A nice reverse layup by Anderson tied it at 43-all midway through the second quarter before Houston used a 20-6 run to take a 63-49 lead at halftime. The Sixers missed nine shots, including three layups, and had four turnovers as the Rockets built the lead. Houston was up by 17 late in the third quarter when the team went on an 8-0 run to pad the lead to 96-71. Brown addressed the dreadful stretch before the game and he isnt interested in anyones pity. "I hope they feel good about themselves," he said. "I dont want anyone feeling sorry for us or hanging our head ... we are going through something and we will get through it together." He also discussed their plan for rebuilding at length, saying he knew what he was getting into when he took the job and insisted this skid hasnt been difficult for him. "I can tell you very, very sincerely that this is something that in a twisted way is enjoyable in regards to watching the young guys get better," he said. "Obviously at times its hard going through it ... (but) I feel like were heading in the right direction." None of that can erase the fact that this streak now has its place in history as one of the worst in all of the four major professional sports. According to STATS LLC, the longest streaks in the other major sports are held by: -- In the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26 losses in row, from Sept. 12, 1976-Dec. 4 1977. -- In MLB, the Philadelphia Phillies, 23 losses in a row, from Jan. 29, 1961-Aug. 20, 1961. -- In the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 18 losses in a row, from Jan. 13, 2004-Feb. 22, 2004. NOTES: Former Rockets and Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone attended the game. Malone also played for the 76ers. ... Houston point guard Pat Beverley sprained his right knee in the first half and didnt return. ' ' '