Wichtige IC-Infos und Ankündigungen » but he has been disappoin

CHICAGO -- Already assured a playoff spot, the Pittsburgh Pirates are pushing for even more. Josh Bailey Jersey . Gerrit Cole threw six strong innings and the Pirates took over the NL wild-card lead, beating the Chicago Cubs 8-2 Tuesday night. The Pirates moved one game ahead of Cincinnati, which lost to the Mets 4-2. Pittsburgh remained two games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis. One night after clinching their first post-season spot in 21 years, Cole and the Pirates showed no signs of losing momentum. Cole hit a two-run single against Chris Rusin (2-6), Pedro Alvarez drove in three runs and Jordy Mercer homered. "I had every confidence that wed go out and play a good ballgame," manager Clint Hurdle said. "The men are focused, theyre having fun and the opportunity to gain this kind of experience, weve been getting in all year long, this has added to it." Pittsburgh is trying to add to whats already been a breakout season, and Cole did his part. Cole (10-7) won his fourth straight start, giving up two runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked one and became the first Pittsburgh rookie since Josh Fogg in 2002 to win at least 10 games. "It just kind of felt like I had different stuff every inning. It was weird," Cole said. "The pace of the game was slow. Im not going to complain about scoring a lot of runs, thats for sure, but it was definitely a new challenge with the cold weather and the long innings. I had to do some different things in there. "It was great to be able to learn from that and take that into some really meaningful games," he said. Chicago started the bottom of the second inning with three consecutive hits from Dioner Navarro, Nate Schierholtz and Donnie Murphy, but a baserunning error and double play helped Cole hold the Cubs off the scoreboard. Schierholtz was tagged between first and second on his single when Navarro stopped at second, and Brian Bogusevic grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep the Cubs scoreless. The Cubs tried to rally in the sixth, scoring when Mercer mishandled Anthony Rizzos bases-loaded grounder to shortstop and cutting Pittsburghs lead to 6-1. But Cole struck out Navarro and pinch-hitter Luis Valbuena before Donnie Murphy flied out deep on Coles 34th pitch of the inning and his last one of the night. "Those are the experiences for growth you can only get by getting the opportunity to compete, and to get the last fly ball out. He spilled the tank out there and it again it shows that theres fight in that young man," Hurdle said. "He doesnt have to show up with every weapon sharp to go out and pitch competitively and pitch good enough to win," he said, The Cubs, meanwhile, havent been good enough to win for most of this season. They lost for the 11th time in 14 games, and their 50th defeat at home set a team record. Chicago plays its Wrigley Field finale Wednesday. "To lose that many games at home, its something you got to stay away from. For whatever reason, we got to score more runs at home and do something at home," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "This year has just been tough, just seem to do more things on the road than we have at home." Rusin lost his third straight decision. Alvarez opened the scoring when his second-inning double to right got stuck in the ivy, driving in Marlon Byrd. With two outs, Cole singled home Gaby Sanchez and Alvarez. Mercer hit a solo shot in the third, connecting for his seventh homer and first since Aug. 22. "Were still trying to win our division. Thats what were shooting for, so were trying to win out here and just keep going for the next four games," star outfielder Andrew McCutchen said. NOTES: Hurdle said struggling All-Star Jeff Locke wont pitch Sunday against Cincinnati, and said Cole could "potentially" start that day while RHP Charlie Morton would be on his regular rest Saturday. But Hurdle didnt formally announce his starters after A.J. Burnett on Friday. Locke is 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in four September starts. ... Logan Watkins started at second base, and Sveum said Darwin Barney was just getting a day off and would be back in the lineup Wednesday. Barney is hitting .156 in 20 September games. ... McCutchen didnt seem to enjoy too much of the champagne from Monday night. "After a while, its a little too cold for me, but Ill take it," he said. "I think next time, we should just leave it hot." ... The pitching matchup Wednesday is Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (16-7, 2.88) against Chicago RHP Jake Arrieta (3-2, 3.94). New York Islanders Jerseys . His stated reason for abruptly resigning as head coach of Canadas Olympic womens hockey team was he felt there were doubts about his ability to coach the team to Olympic gold in February. Jordan Eberle Jersey . The D-Backs came into being in 1998 and appear destined to finish second in the AL West after the Tsunami that is the Los Angeles Dodgers swept over them. I thought it might be interesting to see what the D-backs have done over their 16 years compared to what the Blue Jays have done over their past 16 campaigns. http://www.nhlislandershockeystore.com/denis-potvin-jersey/ . Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match.Paul Nicholls is not concerned about the Crabbies Grand National trip for Silviniaco Conti at Aintree on Saturday. The 10-year-old is 10-1 second-favourite with Sky Bet for the race over the extended four-mile-two-furlong course in Liverpool, fully a mile further than the Dom Alco gelding has ever raced.However, the seven-time Grade One winner certainly has the class and hes well-handicapped too, officially 6lb well-in following his latest top-level win at Ascot that was achieved after the National weights were released. With the ground set to be perfectly acceptable for him whatever the weather does over the next five days, the major question mark hanging over him is the trip - but his trainer is confident hell stay.From the day I had him in the young days hes always been a stayer, Nicholls told At The Races.Hes by Dom Alco, like Neptune Collonges and theyre all stayers.Throughout his career in the Betfred Bowls, the King Georges weve always wanted to make plenty of use of him and make every post a winning post as staminas his forte, always has been.With the distance not a concern to Nicholls, what about the fences? Silviniaco Conti has never run over the Aintree spruce, but his handler has tried to prepare him for the experience the best he can.Nicholls continued: We put some spruce on our fences here and he jumped them with Unioniste the other morning when Noel [Fehily] was very happy with him.You need an awful lot of luck in the National but of course were excited by his chance.Silviniaco Conti isnt Nicholls only chance in this years National, with Unioniste, Just A Par, Wonderful Charm and Rocky Creek also set to run from the Ditcheaat yard. Anthony Beauvillier Jersey. Unioniste appears to be heading that list for owner John Hales, who won the race in 2012 with Neptune Collonges, another grey son of Dom Alco also trained by Nicholls.Last year Unioniste fell in the National, but hes come down the handicap since and ran well behind Many Clouds at Kelso last time.Nicholls said: Last year he probably wasnt quite right, he lost his confidence jumping but hes got that back and he ran very well at Kelso behind Many Clouds where he stayed on.He is in the mould of Neptune Collonges and if he is anywhere near them jumping the third last hell gallop all the way to the line, hes got a chance.As for the rest of his team, Nicholls was upbeat about the chances of Just A Par, but less so Rocky Creek who has been well beaten on his last three starts.He ran his best race first time up behind Don Cossack but he has been disappointing since, said Nicholls of Rocky Creek.Id be more sweet on the chances of Just A Par and even Wonderful Charm.I havent run Just A Par all winter because of the ground and that last run at Exeter was just what he needed.Last year before he won the bet365 Gold Cup he had the same prep at Chepstow three weeks beforehand and hes in good shape.Hes got the right profile and he stays. If he can get into a good rhythm and jump hell give Sean [Bowen] a great ride.Paul Nicholls is 9/2 to train the Grand National winner with Sky Bet. Click here for all of Sky Bets Grand National specials. Also See: Live results service Full racecards ￡10 free bet Get Sky Sports Stitched Jerseys Jerseys NFL Cheap Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic ' ' '