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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Hours before John Loyer made his debut as Detroits interim coach, Chauncey Billups offered a preview. "Hes always very energetic at all times," Billups said. "I dont know what were going to do in second halves because he wont have a voice. He always loses his voice in the first half." Billups assessment was spot on, at least through one game. Loyer coached the Pistons to a 109-100 win over San Antonio on Monday, yelling out instructions in a raspy voice from the sideline on a night his team led comfortably for the entire second half. It was an immediate contrast to the mild-mannered Maurice Cheeks, the coach the Pistons fired a day earlier. Of course, sideline demeanours can be deceiving -- and Loyer was careful not to take too much credit for the teams sharp performance against the Spurs. "Its not about me," he said. "Im just glad our guys played hard." Loyer was in his third season as an assistant for the Pistons when he was abruptly promoted after Cheeks dismissal. He was a holdover from Lawrence Franks staff, remaining in the fold after Cheeks was hired last off-season. Loyer has also been an assistant for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons scored 26 points off turnovers against San Antonio and led by as many as 23. "Certain events happened that are beyond our control, but we were able to come out and focus on playing basketball," forward Josh Smith said. "We came out with a big win against a great team." Loyer takes over the Pistons at a time when patience is growing thin. Detroit signed Smith and traded for Brandon Jennings in the off-season, but the results have been mixed at best. Even after beating San Antonio, the Pistons are 22-29. They were tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference entering Tuesday night. Detroit had won four of six when Cheeks was let go, so its hard to tell if the win Monday could be attributed at all to the coaching change. Jennings played well for Loyer -- just as he did in the last couple games under Cheeks. "The last four out of six, weve still been playing the same way," Jennings said after the win over San Antonio. "Were just trying to keep it going." Cheeks, a former point guard, was given the task of mentoring Jennings, but Jennings says he can still look to Billups for veteran guidance. Jennings performance down the stretch may make or break Detroits playoff chances. Jennings made a point of saying that Cheeks was like a father figure to him, but he hopes to stay in the offensive groove hes found over the past few games. "Im back to having fun, instead of just taking everything so personally and thinking about too much," Jennings said. "Im just hooping." Detroit hosts Cleveland on Wednesday, then plays a home-and-home with Charlotte -- another team in the mix for the post-season in the East. So the Pistons will have a chance to build on their recent success and create some positive vibes right away for their new coach. "Change for changes sake doesnt do much," Loyer said. "Anybody can change. We need positive change, and I thought our guys came out and had great effort (Monday night), great determination. You try to set a little bit of a tone every day. Thankfully, our guys, they set the tone." Buy Adidas Shoes Australia . Anything less than gold for either nation is considered a disappointment. Yet for Switzerland, advancing to the semifinal might be a victory in itself. Custom Adidas Shoes Australia . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. 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Greinke pitched eight solid innings, Juan Uribe hit the go-ahead single in the ninth inning and Los Angeles beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 Thursday night. Uribe finished with three of the Dodgers six hits. Los Angeles moved into first place in the NL West, a half-game ahead of San Francisco, which lost to St. Louis on Thursday. "It feels good where were at, and its where we want to be," manager Don Mattingly said. Greinke (11-4) got the win despite giving up the lead in the eighth inning. His teammates rallied in the ninth off reliever LaTroy Hawkins to help Greinke tie for the major league lead in victories. "Anytime you can give up two runs at this park is special," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. Kenley Jansen worked the bottom of the inning to get his NL best 26th save in 29 chances. Justin Morneau and DJ LeMahieu had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have lost four straight and 15 of 17 to move within a half-game of last place in the NL West. It looked like Greinke might go the distance. He needed just 82 pitches through seven innings with Los Angeles was leading 2-1. But the Rockies rallied in the eighth. Charlie Blackmon led off with a single and one out later Morneau tripled to right-centre to tie the game 2-2. Tulowitzki, who entered the game hitting a major league-best .351, came to the plate with a chance to put Colorado ahead. Mattingly came out to talk strategy, and walking Tulowitzki wasnt considered. "We wanted to get after him," Mattingly said. "Not to give in, pitch him tough." Greinke started with a 93 mph fastball for a strike, and after Tulowitzki looked at two balls he popped out to shallow left field. "It wasnt really the plan. I was trying to get a soft grounder," Greinke said. "It worked, but it wasnt how we drew it up." After an intentional walk to Corey Dickerson, Greinke struck out Nolan Arenado with a high fastball. "It was a total ball. I got a little overly anxious," Arenado said. "I knew he was coming arouund middle-in and I just over swung a little bit.dddddddddddd. Bad pitch to swing at." Greinke went eight innings for just the second time this season. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- on nine hits, struck out eight and walked just two. It was the 37th straight game a Dodgers starter has walked two or fewer. "We were joking it was going to be tough to (keep going) in Colorado and then having to intentionally walk someone," Greinke said. "That would have been awful to lose it on an intentional walk." The Dodgers got the winning run in the top of the ninth. Matt Kemp worked a leadoff walk off Hawkins (2-2), went to second on Scott Van Slykes groundout and scored when Uribe singled under the glove of second baseman LeMahieu. "I didnt see it off the bat too well. By the time I saw it, I felt it was kind of by me," LeMahieu said. "Its a play I feel like I still (should) make." Colorado lefty Franklin Morales was making his first start since allowing six runs in 5 1-3 innings at Cleveland on May 31. He made eight relief appearances in June, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 innings. He was pressed into his 12th start after right-hander Jhoulys Chacin went on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Morales worked five innings, allowing an RBI single to Gonzalez in the third and a sacrifice fly to A.J. Ellis in the fourth to make it 2-0. He surrendered two runs -- one earned -- on four hits and struck out four. The Rockies got one back in the fifth when LeMahieu reached second when Yasiel Puig misplayed his two-out single. LeMahieu scored on Josh Rutledges pinch-hit double. NOTES: The Dodgers recalled INF Erisbel Arruebarrena from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned INF Carlos Triunfel to the Isotopes. ... Before the game, the Rockies activated Arenado from the 15-day DL and optioned LHP Christian Friedrich to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Colorado manager Walt Weiss said LHP Boone Logan could be activated from the 15-day DL "in a day or two." ... The Dodgers will send LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.04) against Colorado RHP Jair Jurrjens, whom the Rockies acquired Wednesday from Cincinnati. ' ' '