ager Brian Snitker said before the game that Vizcaino wont immediately reclaim the closers role. Jim Johnson has the job for now. ... RHP Jason Hursh was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.ROUGH PATCHAtlantas bul

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- NHL owners havent made a decision yet, in regards to sending players to the 2018 Winter Olympics, but at least one star has a green light from his owner to participate.Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has said in the past that hes playing in the Olympics for Russia, regardless of whether the NHL participates.On Friday, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis gave his full support of that decision.He knows I have his back on this one. If this is whats so important to him and he wants to go to the Olympics, he should be able to do that, Leonsis told ESPN.com. Alex has meant so much to us. He doesnt ask for much back. ... Im not shy about saying it, I would support the player in this instance.Leonsis emphasized that this is all a hypothetical at this point. For one, the NHL and the NHL Players Association?have not worked out a decision about player participation in the next Olympics. Leonsis also said that Ovechkin has never formally asked him to leave the Capitals to play in the next Olympics.On Thursday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said owners are suffering from Olympic fatigue and the idea of shutting the league down during the Olympics isnt one the NHL is eager to embrace right now.The league hopes to come to a decision on this issue soon, in order to finalize scheduling for the 2017-18 season.Were running out of time, Bettman said.In September, Ovechkin told ESPN.coms Pierre LeBrun that he had every intention of playing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.Its a situation where you dont know whats going to happen. But obviously I said Im going to play, Ovechkin said. I will go there.Its a decision his owner supports.Alex and his family have been incredibly supportive of Washington and the Capitals. We have a great relationship, Leonsis said. There are times when you have to say, What is in the best interests of the player? Clearance Custom Jerseys . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Discount Custom Jerseys . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. http://www.customjerseysnearme.com/ . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Custom Hockey Jerseys .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Custom Uniforms Outlet . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. ATLANTA -- Braves left fielder Matt Kemp couldnt handle a routine fly ball, a first-inning mistake that put his team in a quick 2-0 hole and set the tone for the rest of the night.I just dropped the ball. Unacceptable, Kemp said. It changed the mode of the game right there. Robbie (Whalen) pitched a great game. I didnt help him out by dropping that ball.Kemps two-base error, a muffed attempt on the warning track, was the first of several Atlanta miscues in the Braves 8-2 loss to the Washington Nationals on Thursday.Reynaldo Lopez struck out 11, and Jayson Werth reached safely in his 46th straight game for the Nationals.Werth hit an RBI double in the fifth inning to tie Rusty Staub on the Nationals-Expos franchise list for the longest streak of reaching base. Werth went 2 for 4 and has 43 hits and 32 walks during his string, the best in the majors this season.After rain delayed the start for 1 hour, 16 minutes, Lopez (2-1) struck out eight of the first nine batters. He had 10 whiffs through his first 4 2/3 innings.Washington broke it open with five runs in the eighth, scoring three runs on a hit batter, a walk and a passed ball. The Braves dropped to 10-30 against the Nationals since June 21, 2014.Atlanta has been outscored 58-28 in losing seven of its last eight.Weve had chances to win games, Kemp said. Weve just got to play better, show these teams were capable of winning games.Whalen (1-2) allowed three hits and one earned run in a career-best six innings. The rookie didnt blame Kemp for the loss.Its not the first time its happened in a game and it wont be the last, Whalen said. Its no big deal. Youve just got to go get the next guy and refocus.The Braves made it 2-1 in the fourth on Nick Markakis sacrifice fly. Kemps RBI groundout cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth.Werths streak is the longest in the majors since Cincinnatis Joey Vottoo reached safely in 48 straight games last year.ddddddddddddSECOND NIGHT IN THE SHOWAtlanta SS Dansby Swanson went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his second major league game. Swanson, the No. 1 overall draft pick of 2015, went 2 for 4 in Tuesdays 10-3 loss to Minnesota.HAPPY AND HEALTHYBraves ace Julio Teheran is ready to return from the 15-day DL and start Friday. Hes been sidelined since July 31 with strained lat, but is in good spirits after his son Jordan was born Tuesday.Ive got another motivation to play, the two-time All-Star said. They just got home today before I got here. Its good.ROSTER MOVESNationals: Recalled RHP A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse to work from the bullpen. OF Brian Goodwin was optioned to the same affiliate.Braves: RHP Arodys Vizcaino, activated from the DL after missing 30 games with a right oblique strain, faced four batters to begin the eighth. He gave up one hit, four runs and walked two. Interim manager Brian Snitker said before the game that Vizcaino wont immediately reclaim the closers role. Jim Johnson has the job for now. ... RHP Jason Hursh was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.ROUGH PATCHAtlantas bullpen had an NL-best 2.49 ERA in August before allowing 15 earned runs in its last 8 1/3 innings. Braves relievers began the night with a 4.69 ERA, second-worst in the majors.TRAINERS ROOMNationals manager Dusty Baker said theres a good chance that 1B Ryan Zimmerman (bruised left wrist) and backup C Jose Lobaton (left elbow tendinitis) will be activated from the DL Friday.UP NEXTNationals: Tanner Roark (13-6) is 5-1 with a 1.73 ERA in nine career starts and five relief appearances against Atlanta.Braves: Teheran (3-9) is 3-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 13 career starts against Washington. ' ' '