Sam Freeman and Pat Neshek worked a scoreless inning

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Deron Williams took a moment to snap a few photos of Brooklyn teammate Jason Collins at their shootaround in Portland. He couldnt help it: The NBAs first openly gay player was surrounded by a throng of cameras and microphones, and at least for the next week or so, Collins will be the face of the Nets wherever they go. The 7-footer was signed to a 10-day contract on Sunday. He played in a 108-102 victory over the Lakers that night, with two rebounds, five fouls and a steal in just under 11 minutes. Before Wednesday nights game against the Trail Blazers, Collins said he accepted the both the interest and scrutiny that has come with his return to the league. "Im back playing basketball, so of course Im enjoying this," he said. Collins quietly played seven minutes in the 124-80 loss to the Blazers on Wednesday night, entering after Nets coach Jason Kidd had pulled his starters in the fourth quarter and many of the fans had already headed for the exits. He attempted one field goal. After Portland, the Nets visit Denver, where the attention will become even more intense. The family of slain Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard is expected to make the drive for the game Thursday night against the Nuggets. Shepard was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was gay. Collins wears his No. 98 jersey in Shepards honour. He wants to keep the details of any meeting with Judy Shepard to himself. "Obviously, its extremely special and Im very much looking forward to meeting them," he said. Collins wore the No. 98 with both the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards for Shepard even before coming out. The jersey wasnt yet ready for the game against the Lakers (he wore a spare jersey with his name hastily added), but he wore No. 98 against the Blazers. "We were very touched," Judy Shepard told the New York Daily News about the jersey. "For him to make that tribute to Matt was meaningful to us." The jersey was already the biggest seller of the day Tuesday on NBAStore.com, and the NBA said it was selling well again Wednesday. The league didnt provide the number of jerseys sold. For all the attention hes getting, Collins is not a distraction for the Nets, who are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, inside the playoff cutoff. "He understands how to play the game the right way, and we saw that in L.A.," Kidd said. Collins publicly announced he was gay last May, and he joins several other athletes to come out, including Robbie Roberts of Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, Brittney Griner of the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury, and NFL draft hopeful Michael Sam, an All-American defensive end who played at Missouri. Since coming out, Collins has become an advocate for LGBT rights. He was in Portland just last week, appearing before a group thats advocating to get a measure on the November ballot that would legalize gay marriage on Oregon. In 2004, voters passed a measure that amended the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Campaign organizers hope to make Oregon the first state to overturn a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. Collins said for now, however, he just wants to focus on the Nets. "There are only so many ways you can write the story or tell the story," he said, "and then it will just be about basketball." Zapatillas Baratas España .com) - The Buffalo Bills will return to the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday when they welcome the upstart Cleveland Browns to town. Zapatillas España Baratas Online . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. http://www.barataszapatillas.es/ . Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans No. 1 pick in the draft, was on the field Tuesday for the first time with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. Zapatillas Baratas Online . LOUIS - Two-thirds of the St. Zapatillas España Baratas . As Valanciunas was whistled for a rare technical toward the end of the third quarter - a result of waving his hand at an official after being called for a foul - Lowry pulled the Raptors sophomore aside, corralling him by his jersey and patting him on the back.ST. LOUIS -- Michael Wacha wasted no energy pondering the weather. The St. Louis Cardinals pitcher concentrated on shutting down the opposition, waiting for the big swing that decided the outcome. "I felt going out there and felt good going back out there after the rain delay," the 22-year-old right-hander said after a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. "Its pretty crazy how much it rains, actually. Im pretty used to it." The experience was brand new for rookie Oscar Taveras, who made the Giants pay for a hanging curveball, then made a curtain call during his major league debut. "What a great day for him, one Im sure hell never forget, and neither will we," manager Mike Matheny said. "For him to come up and do it in that situation, its kind of mind-boggling." Wacha worked six innings of three-hit ball in his fifth rain-delayed start of the season and Taveras homered in his second career at-bat. "Everybody knows its gone," Taveras said. "That was a good swing right there. Im so happy right now." Yusmeiro Petit (3-3) gave up two hits in six innings for the Giants, but one of them was Taveras 418-foot drive in the fifth. Petit subbed for injured Matt Cain, placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, for the second straight start. "Our guy did a good job," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We just didnt do anything offensively." The Cardinals have piled up 6 hours, 30 minutes of idle time in Wachas starts, with delays of 51 and 47 minutes Saturday. The total includes a 61-minute weather delay before the first pitch against the Yankees his last start for a storm that failed to materialize, and the Cardinals lost in 12 innings. Wachas debut a year ago against the Royals was delayed more than 4 1/2 hours after the bullpen gave up the lead and finished at 3:14 a.m. "This guys going to be tough as nails, if hes not already," Matheny said of last falls NLCS MVP. "You cant put a young pitcher through much more than what hes been put through." Jhonny Peralta added an RBI double off George Kontos in the seventh for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing streak and snappeed the Giants four-game winning streak.dddddddddddd Rain began to fall heavily during Taveras at-bat with one out in the fifth while fans opened umbrellas or headed for cover. The game was halted for the first time after the 21-year-old outfielder, the teams prize prospect, hammered a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall. "That kids a stud," said Wacha, whos just one year older. "Everyone knows what hes capable of. That was a big-time homer for us." Petit was impressed after seeing Taveras for the first time. "Hes got a good swing, you know," Petit said. "He pulls everything. I tried to stay away and I missed one." Wacha (4-3) gave up one hit and dealt with just one base runner the first five innings, a double by Michael Morse leading off the second. He returned after a 47-minute delay to work a scoreless sixth, allowing two-out, two-strike hits to Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval before striking out Morse, the cleanup man, on three pitches -- the last a changeup. The St. Louis bullpen retired the last nine in order. Sam Freeman and Pat Neshek worked a scoreless inning apiece, combining for three strikeouts, and Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for 16th save in 18 chances. Matt Carpenter had a single and walk and is batting .367 (21 for 57) during a 13-game hitting streak, the longest current run in the National League. Matt Holliday walked in the eighth and has reached base in all 27 home games. NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey missed his third straight game with tightness in his lower back. Bochy said Posey could return Sunday or get another day with the team off Monday. ... Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner was 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA in May with 48 strikeouts in 39 innings. ... Tim Hudson (5-2, 1.92) opposes Lance Lynn (6-2, 3.13) in the series finale on Sunday. Lynn shut out the Yankees in his first career complete game his last start and Hudson has worked seven or more innings in all but two of his 10 starts. ... Peralta had been 5 for 46 with runners in scoring position before his RBI double. ... Neshek has thrown 20 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings his last 22 outings. ... Sandoval has hit in 11 straight. ' ' '