Dein erstes Forum » son-saving 51-yard burst, but darn clos

CHICAGO -- Yadier Molina had a simple goal for his ninth-inning at-bat with the bases loaded and the score tied on Sunday. "I was looking not to strike out," he said. After fouling off some tough two-strike pitches, Molina hit a ground-ball single up the middle to drive in two runs and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped out of an offensive funk with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. "I got a little lucky that they were playing me to pull," Molina said. "It was a good at-bat. I was able to put the ball in play and good things happened." The defending National League champions had lost four of five to fall a game below .500. The Cardinals scored all their runs with two outs. Molina, moved into the No. 2 spot to jump start the lineup, was 0 for 4 before coming through in the ninth. But it was a wild pitch in the seventh inning that allowed the Cubs to tie the score at 3 that had Molina more frustrated. The pitch from reliever Carlos Martinez was in the dirt and trickled through Molinas legs, allowing Luis Valbuena to score. "I was there," Molina said. "I dont know. Its one of those things. I was ready for it and the ball still goes through my legs." Kevin Siegrist (1-1) got the win in relief, while Trevor Rosenthal picked up his eighth save in as many opportunities despite a scare in the ninth inning. Hector Randon (0-1) took the loss for the Cubs, who were attempting to win four straight games for the first time since July. While Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had looked for Molina, one of his hottest hitters, to get the offence going, it was a couple of struggling batters at the bottom of the lineup that got things started early. With two outs in the second inning and Jhonny Peralta on first base, Randal Grichuk drilled a triple into the right-centre field gap for a 1-0 lead. Mark Ellis, who went 3 for 4, followed with a double to left-centre to make it 2-0. Both Grichuk (.167) and Ellis (.143) entered hitting well below .200. St. Louis stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third as Matt Adams doubled home Matt Holiday. The Cubs pulled within 3-2 in the fourth with some clutch two-out hitting. With one out, Ryan Kalish singled and John Baker walked. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third, Cubs starter Jason Hammel singled to right to drive in both. Molinas go-ahead single to centre came on the sixth pitch of the at-bat from Randon. "I thought I made a good pitch today, but something happened," Randon said. Molina seemed more relieved that the wild pitch wasnt a factor than he drove in the game-deciding runs. "(Molina) does a good job of not wearing his emotions and how frustrating that is for him," Matheny said. "Its hard to count the number of balls he keeps in front of him, the number of runs he saves. Its something we dont take for granted." Valbuena doubled in a run with two outs in the ninth to make it 5-4, but Rosenthal got Anthony Rizzo to ground out to end the game. "Guys kept grinding it out," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "We just fell a little short." NOTES: The ESPN broadcast team of Dan Shulman and John Kruk worked from the bleachers. ... While making a rehab start Sunday with Double A Springfield, LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) was hit by a pitch on the left elbow and left after two innings and 28 pitches. "I think they went in and took precautionary X-rays," Matheny said. "I havent heard anything back yet." ... In the same game, RHP Jason Motte threw a scoreless inning, striking out three, in his first rehab outing. ... Rizzo entered with a .429 on-base percentage, which was fifth-best in the National League. ... The Cards open a series in Atlanta on Monday, with RHP Shelby Miller (3-2) facing RHP Aaron Harang, while the Cubs host the crosstown White Sox with RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-3) going up against LHP Jose Quintana (1-2). Jesse Lingard Jersey . -- Jacksonvilles offensive makeover is just getting starting. Paul Pogba Jersey . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer....nited-jersey/.2 million in 2012, according to tax returns the league has submitted. Jesse Lingard Manchester United Jersey .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch. Marcus Rashford Jersey . Ramirez is still hitting behind Puig, only now they are in the third and fourth spots, and the change is starting to generate positive results for manager Don Mattingly.SAN FRANCISCO -- Frank Gore saw a huge hole with the clock ticking down and his team trailing, and went for it with everything he had. Maybe not a season-saving 51-yard burst, but darn close to it. The San Francisco 49ers are far from ready to hand over their two-year division reign -- and certainly not on their home field, where they rarely lose against the NFC West. Phil Dawson kicked a 22-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining and the Niners held off the Seahawks 19-17 on Sunday, denying Seattle a chance to clinch the division at Candlestick Park. "Were playing for our lives," wideout Anquan Boldin said. "Were playing playoff football right now. Its win or go home." Gore broke for his big gain with just more than four minutes left, sparking the key 11-play, 76-yard drive that helped the 49ers (9-4) stop the playoff-bound Seahawks (11-2) from grabbing away the West in San Francisco. Dawsons fourth field goal gave him 20 successful attempts in a row, a franchise record topping Joe Nedneys 18 consecutive kicks in 2006-07. Russell Wilson threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Luke Willson and Marshawn Lynch ran for an 11-yard score for Seattle, denied a franchise-best sixth road victory in its fifth straight loss at The Stick. "I dont know if it was their Super Bowl, but they played a great game," Seahawks defensive end Red Bryant said. The 49ers are unbeaten at home against the West since losing to the Seahawks on Oct. 26, 2008. In an emotionally fueled afternoon of missed chances and costly penalties, this rivalry game more than lived up to the hype. "Enjoy it? Not the word I would use. Its like going to the dentist chair for 3 1/2 hours and getting a root canal," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "These games are only for the tough." Eric Wright, who briefly left the game with a head injury, intercepted a last-ditch deep pass by Wilson with 9 seconds left to seal it. The two young quarterbacks finished with nearly the same stats. Wilson went 15 of 25 for 199 yards and a touchdown with one interception, while counterpart Colin Kaepernick threw for 175 yards and completed 15 of his 29 passes with a TD and an interception. Vernon Davis caught an 8-yard touchdown pass just before halftime to give San Francisco some momentum. After a home rout of New Orleans on Monday night, the Seahawks were trying too make it two mammoth wins over NFC powers in seven days.dddddddddddd They hurt themselves several times down the stretch. Golden Tate helped put the Seahawks ahead midway through the fourth quarter with a 38-yard punt return. Wilson then hit Jermaine Kearse for a 14-yard gain and first down from the 24. But on third down from the 13, Wilson was forced to throw out of bounds under pressure. Seattle settled for Steven Hauschkas 31-yard field goal that stayed just inside the left upright with 6:20 remaining. While Lynch went over 1,000 yards rushing for the third straight season and fifth in his seven-year career, he slowed down in the second half. He wound up with 72 yards on 20 carries -- just 22 yards in the second half -- as the 49ers defence kept intact its streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher this season. "Its December and were playing our best football," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. "Theres something about this game that required a full 60 minutes of football." Kaepernick recovered from an interception late in the third quarter with the 49ers deep in Seattle territory. Momentarily helped by Donte Whitners 15-yard taunting penalty against Lynch, it came right back three plays later on Michael Robinsons facemask flag and Seattle punted. With LaMichael James catching the punt, OBrien Schofield bumped James and received a 15-yard fair catch interference penalty. That started San Franciscos drive at the 48 but the 49ers went three and out. The Seahawks had won seven in a row since an Oct. 6 loss at Indianapolis. They also had taken their last two meetings with the 49ers, both at home, by outscoring San Francisco 71-16 -- 29-3 in Week 2. Boldin had six catches for 93 yards for his fourth straight game with at least five receptions. Now, the Niners realize they probably will have to make another trip to the Pacific Northwest and get by the Seahawks to return to the Super Bowl. "If we keep doing our thing and they keep doing their thing, no question," Gore said. NOTES: Seattle coach Pete Carroll expects LB K.J. Wright to miss six weeks with a broken bone in his foot. ... The 49ers didnt target CB Richard Sherman until 9:44 remaining in the second quarter and the incompletion still drew a 5-yard holding penalty and automatic first down. ... Seahawks C Max Unger sustained a second-half chest injury. ' ' '