NAPA, Calif. Lee May Jersey . -- The anointed starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is strengthening his hold on the position this training camp instead of losing it. Matt Schaub is showing signs that last years disastrous season in Houston might have been an aberration as he looks in complete command as Oaklands starter. The performance comes in stark contrast to what happened with Matt Flynn last summer. Acquired to be the starter in the off-season, Flynn lacked the necessary arm strength in training camp and ultimately lost his job to Terrelle Pryor before getting cut early in the season. Despite the presence of big-armed rookie Derek Carr, Schaub is showing no signs of giving up the starting position with the Raiders. "Schaubys getting his mojo back," said defensive tackle Antonio Smith, who was a teammate of Schaubs in Houston during his highest and lowest moments as a pro. "Hes getting his confidence back. Hes starting to believe in himself again. "Hes starting to throw with confidence. Those are things you need to be a successful quarterback. You would be surprised just much a mindset is important in this game. ... The moment you are doubting yourself is the moment you start throwing a lot of interceptions and stuff." Thats exactly what happened to Schaub last season with the Texans when he set an NFL record by having an interception returned for a touchdown in four straight games. Schaub threw 14 interceptions in all while losing the starting job to Case Keenum and posting a 73 passer rating that was his lowest in seven seasons as a starter. After starting the season with back-to-back wins, the Texans lost their final 14 games and traded Schaub to the Raiders for a sixth-round draft pick in March. "It was like a snowball effect," Smith said. "A lot of things went wrong early on even though you felt you were playing some good ball. But you had key things happen to you in key moments. Lost a few games, then everybody starting to panic trying to find something wrong. And then things just get all out of whack." Schaub has put 2013 in the past and is focusing instead on reviving his career in Oakland where he is enjoying the opportunity to learn a new offence under co-ordinator Greg Olson after spending seven years running Gary Kubiaks system in Houston. While Schaub lacks the true No. 1 receiver he had in Houston all those years with Andre Johnson, he is excited to work with Oaklands group that includes James Jones, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore and Andre Holmes. "Were still trying to mould what our offence is going to be and what each guys role in it will be," Schaub said. "Well find out what guys do well. What things work, what things we like to do against certain looks and defences. ... Its an exciting chance to get going with this football team and this organization and climb that mountain." Schaub had success during his tenure in Houston, making a pair of Pro Bowls during his seven seasons as a starter. In 2009, he led the NFL in yards passing (4,770), completions (396) and attempts (583) and was fifth in touchdown passes (29). In 2012, he threw for 4,008 yards with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to help Houston to its second straight AFC South title. The Raiders believe he can put up those kinds of numbers again and that he can be a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. "I think hes in a good frame of mind," coach Dennis Allen said. "I think hes very hungry. I think hes excited about the new opportunity. I think anytime you go into something new theres a little bit of, maybe its an increased focus, an increased intensity level, because it is new. You kind of force yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. I think hes done that." Evan Phillips Jersey .J. -- Omar Cummings helped the Houston Dynamo advance to the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Mark Belanger Jersey .C. -- The RBC Cups semifinal participants were decided by a pair of overtime games. https://www.cheaporioles.com/1208i-john-means-jersey-orioles.html . This weeks topics include his take on the Kevin Pillar incident, All-Star snubs, the firing of Padres general manager Josh Byrnes and more.BOSTON -- The run support Ryan Dempster lacked in his previous two starts came in abundance Tuesday night. Dustin Pedroia and the Boston Red Sox backed Dempster with a season-high 20 hits, giving him an early cushion that kept getting bigger in an 11-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Pedroia drove in four runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly. Mike Napoli added two RBIs and every Boston batter finished with at least one hit. Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Nava and Jose Iglesias had three hits apiece as the Red Sox built a big lead for Dempster after scoring just two runs in his past two starts combined. Dempster (5-8) allowed two runs and six hits over six innings, leaving with an 8-2 lead and picking up his first victory since June 9. "We have an incredible offence. So you just go out there and worry about doing your job. Its just making pitches and executing pitches," Dempster said. "The wins come as a team more than an individual. Thats all I care about is that when I start, we win the game. I want to give us a chance to win the game and was able to do that tonight. And we put up a lot of runs." Dempster got himself in and out of trouble in the first, walking Dexter Fowler to lead off the game. DJ LeMahieus attempt at a sacrifice bunt turned into an infield single as it rolled toward third base without a Boston player fielding it. Dempster got Carlos Gonzalez to pop out to third, then Michael Cuddyer grounded into a double play to end the threat. "I thought the key was in the first inning," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. Boston responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first and led the rest of the way. The Red Sox had at least three hits in every inning until the fifth, when they finally went hitless but still got a runner on base on a two-out walk to David Ortiz. It was also the first inning in which Boston failed to score after roughing up Juan Nicasio (4-4) early. "Its a good hitting club," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "Youve really got to command your stuff with that lineup or they make you pay." Wilin Rosario had three hits for the Rockies, including a solo homer in the second all the way out of Fenway Park. Michael Cuddyer extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, longest in the majors this season, with a single in the fourth. He finished with two hits. But those were the high points for the Rockies in a game that lasted 3 hours, 40 minutes. Nicasio had his worst start of the season, lasting only 2 1-3 innings and allowing seven runs -- six earned -- on 12 hits. Mike Flanagan Jersey. He walked two and struck out two. He had never allowed more than eight hits in a start this season and the Red Sox had that matched after two innings, taking a 5-1 lead with a pair of runs in the first and three more in the second. "He looked like he struggled to find any rhythm or tempo tonight," Weiss said. "He was in bad counts and thats a tough lineup to get through when youre in bad counts. Youre sitting in fastball counts and they know youre throwing your fastball, they dont miss it." The Red Sox tagged Nicasio again in the third, ending his night after Pedroias RBI single gave Boston 12 hits with two outs still to go in the inning. Adam Ottavino inherited runners at first and second, but got the Rockies out of the jam by striking out Ortiz and getting Napoli on a fly to centre. Boston added a run in the fourth after Stephen Drew tripled to centre field on a hit he thought was a home run when it bounced high off the top of the wall. The umpires ruled the ball was in play and Drew was stuck briefly at third. The umpires spent several minutes looking at video replays before returning to the field and signalling that it was going to stay a triple. Boston fans booed loudly at the call, but quickly forgot about it when Iglesias doubled to left and Drew trotted home to increase the lead to 8-2. Nolan Arenado had three hits and an RBI for the Rockies. Dempsters only glaring mistake came in the second inning on a 3-1 slider to Rosario, who drove it out of Fenway Park for his 12th home run of the season. The solo shot cleared the Green Monster in left field and all the signs above it, landing in a raised parking lot across the street. "I didnt see it," Dempster said. "I think it hit a car on the turnpike, probably. It happens." NOTES: The Red Sox topped their 19 hits in a 17-5 rout of Texas on June 4. ... The two-game interleague series wraps up Wednesday afternoon with RHP Roy Oswalt (0-1) facing Boston RHP John Lackey (4-5). ... Nicasio started the season 3-0, but hasnt won since beating San Francisco on May 19. ... Napolis two RBIs gave him 52 before the midway point of his first season in Boston. ... The Red Sox optioned struggling third baseman Will Middlebrooks to Triple-A Pawtucket before the game. Middlebrooks has hit .192 in 53 games for Boston this season, missing 16 with a lower back strain. ... The Red Sox also recalled right-hander Pedro Beato from Pawtucket after placing left-hander Franklin Morales on the DL with a strained muscle on the left side of his chest. ' ' '