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SACRAMENTO - Regardless of how the rest of the campaign shakes out, when its all said and done December 8 will be a date that jumps out as a turning point, not only for the Raptors but for Rudy Gay himself. Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. "But its happened before and itll happen again." Rightly or wrongly, Gay has and will continue to shoulder most of the blame for Torontos 6-12 start, the same way his exodus will be credited for the teams remarkable turnaround. Theres no avoiding it. In Toronto, Gay was the offence, more or less. He was taking more shots than ever before, shooting the lowest percentages of his career and as a result the team was losing. The numbers are pretty conclusive, the Raptors are a better team without him on the roster. However, Gay has also taken off since the trade to Sacramento, which goes to show you that finding the right fit - although its easier said than done - can make a big difference. "I think here theres just more space [in the offence]," said Gay, who is averaging more points and taking fewer shots with the Kings. "Obviously with the kind of season Kyle (Lowry) is having and with DeMar (DeRozan) sometimes it would be a little cluttered out there, especially at the guard position. Here theres just more space for me to do what I do." Gay has shot 50 per cent or better in 17 of his 25 games with the Kings after doing so in one of 18 contests to begin the season in Toronto. Overall, hes hitting 53 per cent of his field goal attempts since the trade, having shot 39 per cent before it. "It just wasnt working up there for whatever reason," said Kings first-year head coach Mike Malone. "But when we made the acquisition we looked at Rudy as a complete player and his whole history, including his years in Memphis and you see how efficient and effective hes been for us." He credits most of that improvement to a system thats more conducive to his style of play, a system that revolves around dominant centre DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is one of just three NBA players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. The attention he attracts in the paint has created space for Gay to operate on the perimeter. "You look at Torontos roster and no disrespect to Jonas (Valanciunas) or Amir (Johnson) but they dont have a true low-post presence," Malone said. "When Rudy was in Memphis he had two [frontcourt] guys that he could play with in Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph) and we just thought the idea of putting him on the perimeter with the inside presence of [Cousins] could really allow him to showcase his abilities." "So it is a fit and guys have to compliment each other and thats what putting together a roster is all about," he continued. "Up there, for whatever reason, DeMar and Rudy on the court maybe wasnt a mesh, maybe [there] wasnt enough shots to go around. Im not sure what it was but all I can tell you is that the games that weve had Rudy hes been a great fit." The marriage between Gay and the Raptors, which lasted less than a full year, was flawed from the outset. He and DeRozan had repetitive skill sets that clashed on the court, restricting Lowry from playing to his strengths and stunting the growth of Valanciunas. Dwane Casey tried his best to fit square pegs into round holes until the inevitable split up freed his team and their most expensive player. The pieces just didnt fit. Though his pre-trade numbers may suggest otherwise, Gay never threw in the towel or lost hope that they would figure it out. "I think we had a chance to be a really good team," he said, two months removed from the deal. "I mean obviously theyre a really good team now but I still dont feel we had a lot of time to build and become a big threat in the East." Without Gay the Raptors have a record of 20-10, third best in the Eastern Conference behind only Indiana and Miami. They have recorded 20 or more assists in 24 of those 30 games, averaging 22.9 per contest, ninth-best over that stretch after ranking last in that category before the trade (averaging 17.3). They have gone from the 19th ranked three-point shooting team (34 per cent) to the fifth best (38 per cent) and find themselves in the top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (fifth) efficiency since Dec. 8. "I think the trade helped both of us," Gay said. "Im here, I have more room and they have a solid bench. [Theres] no hard feelings. I love the fact that those guys are winning." Meanwhile, Gays reprisal hasnt translated to team success in Sacramento, at least not yet. The Kings are 11-19 since the trade, tied for the worst record in the West overall. Theyre last in the NBA in assists since Gays arrival but its been their defence, among the worst in the league, that has held them back more than anything else. Yet with Gay on board, paired with a young core of Cousins and breakout point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Kings are optimistic about the future. They have reason to be. "We couldnt be happier with Rudy and hes shown that hes much more than just a scorer," Malone said. "Hes proven to everybody that he can be a very efficient player so thats been a bonus." Logan Allen Indians Jersey . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. Oscar Mercado Indians Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/1318u...ey-indians.html. Numbers Game looks at the As getting Jon Lester from Boston, sending Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox along with a deal involving the As and the Minnesota Twins. The Athletics Get: LHP Jon Lester, LF Jonny Gomes, OF Sam Fuld and cash. Cory Snyder Jersey . With his father watching from the stands, Harrison homered, doubled, single and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pirates to a 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Jose Ramirez Jersey . Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports.HOUSTON -- Carlos Carrasco extended a string of solid pitching with his best start of the season. The right-hander threw a two-hitter with a career-high 12 strikeouts to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Houston Astros 2-0 Wednesday night. Yan Gomes had an RBI single in the fourth inning and a run-scoring triple in the sixth. Carrasco (8-5) walked one in his first career complete game. His previous best for strikeouts was 10 on Sept. 2 against Detroit, and his longest outing had been 8 2-3 innings on Sept. 7 against the Chicago White Sox. "He was so good," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "He pounded the strike zone and he had a bunch of at-bats where it was three pitches or less. Hes commanding everything, so then they started to try to get a little aggressive and he got some first-pitch outs. He pitched with so much confidence and he just attacked the entire night." Carrasco became the second pitcher in major league history to strike out 12 batters on 98 pitches or fewer in a shutout. He joined Sandy Koufax, who threw a no-hitter on June 4, 1964, on 97 pitches. Carrasco retired his first seven batters before walking Jon Singleton in the third, and did not allow a hit until Jose Altuves infield single leading off the fourth. Altuve had another infield single with two outs in the ninth, snapping a streak of 17 straight batters retired by Carrasco. Carrasco said he did not think about the possibility of throwing a no-hitter -- he was just thinking about getting outs. "I felt great," he said. "I think my changeup was really good. I was throwing it for a strike. The best ones were the last three changeups I threw for strikeouts. I think everything was good. I had great command of the fastball, curveball and slider." In eight August and September starts since returning to the rotation, Carrasco has allowed seven runs in 54 innings -- including four in his previous start Friday at Detroit. He has not permitted a run in four of those eight starts..dddddddddddd "They put me back in the rotation and gave me the opportunity," Carrasco said. "I dont want to let it pass. I have a different mentality." Altuve leads the majors with 213 hits, which ties Dustin Pedroia for the most by a second baseman since 1975. Pedroia had 213 hits for Boston in 2008, when he won the AL MVP award. Altuve said Carrasco threw an incredible game, and he felt lucky to get the two hits. "The two hits I got, I didnt hit the ball past the infield today," Altuve said. "One to shortstop, a strikeout and two groundballs. If you were able to get two hits, you feel good." Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer (5-12) gave up two runs and seven hits with three strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings. The left-hander retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before Carlos Santana got the games first hit with a double in the fourth. "I felt pretty good with everything," Oberholtzer said. "My fastball command was pretty good to both sides of the plate. I would like to throw in a little bit more to righties to keep them off balance on some of the changeups." Gomes reached on an error in the second. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: OF Ryan Raburn had an MRI on his left knee that revealed a meniscus injury, Francona said. Raburn will have season-ending surgery. "He needs to get the meniscus fixed, so we are in the midst of having that set up to have the scope, and it will be done sooner rather than later," Francona said. "Hopefully real soon. Ligaments are good, all intact." Astros: RHP Brad Peacock, scratched from his scheduled start Monday with lower back tightness, will start Friday against Seattle. UP NEXT The Indians will send RHP Danny Salazar (6-7) to the mound Thursday in the finale of the four-game series. Salazar is 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA in seven starts in August and September. Houston will counter with RHP Scott Feldman (8-11), who allowed two runs in six innings Saturday. ' ' '