|
The Toronto Blue Jays arent quite ready to concede. cheap nfl jerseys . The hosts can complete a sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs and remain on the fringes for the second American League wild card playoff berth with a victory on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series at Rogers Centre. Torontos Tuesday night win over the Cubs was its second straight in the series, third in a row overall and eighth in 10 games. The Blue Jays are 4 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers, who currently hold the second of two wild card positions. The Blue Jays have won four straight at home and have been boosted over recent weeks by the hot bat of Jose Bautista, who stretched his personal hit streak to 13 games on Tuesday. He has a .333 average, eight home runs and 19 runs batted in during the stretch. "Jose has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last few years," manager John Gibbons said. "Hes got the knack of doing something big when it counts, when we need something." Toronto has outscored the Cubs, 17-2, in the first two games of the series, but will encounter rookie right-hander Kyle Hendricks, whos in the midst of his own streak. The Cubs have won Hendricks last seven starts and nine of 10 overall. He was dinged for four runs in Chicagos 6-4 loss to Cincinnati in his big-league debut on July 10, but hes surrendered only 10 earned runs in 56 1/3 innings since. Kendricks previous outing came last Wednesday and he yielded two runs and nine hits in a 6-2 defeat of Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Cubs are batting just .218 while dropping five straight games. They face Torontos own hot pitcher, Drew Hutchison. Hutchison has given up just two runs in his last 21 2/3 innings over three home starts. In his last home outing, on Aug. 30, he tossed seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a 2-0 defeat of the New York Yankees. He last pitched on Friday against Boston and allowed three runs in six innings of a game the Blue Jays ultimately lost, 9-8, in 10 innings. Hutchison has never faced the Cubs. On Tuesday, Bautistas three-run double in the seventh inning led the Blue Jays to a 9-2 victory. Bautista finished with four RBI, Munenori Kawasaki and Jose Reyes each brought in two runs and Kevin Pillar and Edwin Encarnacion supplied three hits apiece for the Blue Jays. Mark Buehrle (12-9) gave up 10 hits and two runs with three strikeouts over seven innings for the win. Javier Baez had two hits and two runs scored, while Welington Castillo supplied three hits and an RBI for Chicago. Neil Ramirez (2-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs in the seventh. Starter Jake Arrieta allowed two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts across 6 1/3 frames. The Jays and Cubs are meeting for the first time since 2008, when Chicago took two of three games north of the border. cheap jerseys . Doneil Henry, the man who scored Toronto FCs last-gasp game winner Saturday, knows that probably better than anyone. jerseys from china . LOUIS -- St.ROME -- Roger Federers focus appeared to drift away from the Foro Italico. And that was understandable. After all, the 17-time Grand Slam winner was playing for the first time since the birth of his second set of twins last week. Federer let a lead to slip away and was beaten 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open by 47th-ranked Jeremy Chardy of France. When Federers boys, Leo and Lenny, were born, the fourth-ranked Swiss player withdrew from last weeks Madrid Open. He only decided to come to Rome a few days ago. "This one is totally OK if it doesnt hurt," Federer said. "I tried everything. I cant do more than that on the court." Federer had a match point in the tiebreaker but Chardy saved it with an improbable cross-court forehand on the run when it looked like Federer was about to close the match out. "That passing shot is a tough one for me to take, because hes not going to make that very often," Federer said. "But it happens and credit to him to fight his way back into the match and get it." Later, top-ranked Rafael Nadal also faced stiff resistance from his French opponent before ultimately wearing down 30th-ranked Gilles Simon for a 7-6 (1), 6-7 (4), 6-2 win that lasted 3 hours, 18 minutes -- opening his bid for an eighth Rome title. Nadal hit 32 winners but just three with his backhand, which has become a point of concern recently. Also, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray eliminated Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-2, 7-5. Womens title-holder Serena Williams showed no problems -- and no taping -- from a left thigh injury that forced her to withdraw from Madrid. The top-ranked American beat 28th-ranked Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-2. "Im not 100 per cent but Im getting there," Williams said, adding that the conditions at the U.S. Open prepared her for the heavy wind gusts at the Foro Italico. "If I can play in New York, I can play anywhere." Maria Sharapova, the 2011 and 2012 Rome champion, had to rally in the second set to get by Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig 6-3, 7-5. After cruising through the first set, Federer began to commit unforced errors at an alaarming rate and Chardy quickly took advantage. wholesale jerseys. "I wasnt able to stretch the lead when I had it," Federer said. Federer committed 43 unforced errors -- 20 in the second set alone -- to Chardys 28. Federer also struggled to dictate play with his first serve. "But at the end, it was shot here or there that decided the match," Federer said. Chardy hadnt beaten a top-10 player since defeating Juan Martin del Potro in the third round of last years Australian Open. Federer and wife Mirka also have twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, who turn 5 in July. But even with all the family distractions, Federer didnt appear worried about his preparations for the French Open, which starts in 11 days. "Everything is under control," Federer said, recalling that he reached the final of the Monte Carlos Masters last month. "I still feel good, my body is good, my mind is good and its just unfortunate for one passing shot today I dont get another opportunity to play this week." Also advancing was 11th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who edged Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6 (14), 7-6 (5); and 12th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who eliminated Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (3), 6-4; and 15th-seeded Tommy Haas, who defeated Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands, 7-6 (6), 6-1. In womens play, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska beat Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 6-3, 6-2 and will next face 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone, who rallied past Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Fourth-seeded Simona Halep rallied past American opponent Madison Keys 5-7, 6-0, 6-1 then withdrew from the tournament due to abdominal muscle injury. Tenth-seeded Sara Errani swept aside Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-3; and 13th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro beat 1999 champion Venus Williams 6-4, 6-2. Suarez Navarro then advanced to the quarterfinals upon Haleps withdrawal. Also, Varvara Lepchenko upset 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-2 in an all-American match; American qualifier Christina McHale rallied to beat Italian wild card Camila Giorgi 1-6, 6-3, 6-1; and Australian veteran Sam Stosur defeated Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-2, 6-3. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
