CHICAGO -- The Cincinnati Reds used a lot of little hits to achieve a very big
milestone.
NFL Jerseys China Authentic . Cincinnati
rapped out 12 hits -- nine singles -- and cruised to a 9-4 win over the Chicago
Cubs on Friday for the 10,000th win in franchise history. "When you look at 30
different teams and being one of six, its a pretty cool thing," said outfielder
Drew Stubbs. "To be a part of it is pretty special." Harsh winds and chilly
temperatures didnt slow Cincinnatis offence. Stubbs drove in three runs for the
Reds, who joined the Cubs, Giants, Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals as the only
teams to reach the 10,000 win plateau. The Cubs dropped their sixth straight and
fell to 3-11 on the year. Winds were blowing in, gusting up to 27 mph, and the
game-time temperature was 35 degrees with the wind chill. Chris Volstad (0-2)
laboured through a four-run, 41-pitch first inning. He gave up run-scoring
singles to Joey Votto and Chris Heisey, and an RBI-groundout to Willie Harris as
the Reds batted around for the first time this season. "It breeds confidence the
more hits you get," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "So it was good for us to get
those hits." Starlin Castro and Marlon Byrd didnt help Volstad by committing
errors in the inning, but only one of the runs was unearned. Fielding woes were
contagious as Heisey was unable to haul in Castros fly ball in the third inning,
which led to two unearned runs. The teams combined to make five errors. The Reds
tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth on Stubbs double into the right-field
corner. He finished with three hits and two stolen bases. "I stayed on every
pitch," said Stubbs. "Leading up to that I had been kind of pulling off of some
sliders, especially, but I got a lot of them today and was able to drive one to
right field." Homer Bailey (1-2) pitched seven solid innings for his first
victory of the year. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned. Bailey
struck out two and walked none. He also drove in a run with a groundout in the
sixth. "Especially with the wind, its here it is, hit it as hard as you can,"
said Bailey. "Its probably not going to go anywhere." The Cubs sent several
balls into the teeth of the wind, blowing in from left field, including Castros
third- inning fly ball and a ninth-inning blast off the bat of Geovany Soto. But
none went beyond the warning track. "This park plays like polar opposites, as
different as any park Ive ever seen," said Stubbs. "When the winds blowing out,
its hard to keep the ball in the yard. When the wins blowing in, you can give it
all you got." " You try to stay more on top of the ball, hit more line drives
because anything in the air is going to get held up." Volstad gave up six runs,
five earned, on seven hits over five innings. He was lifted for pinch-hitter
Blake DeWitt in the fifth. DeWitt doubled and came around to score on
Darwin Barneys groundout to cut the Reds lead to 6-3. "(The first inning) put me
in a huge hole, put the team in a big hole," said Volstad. "Thats not the
momentum you want to put the team in right off the bat." The Reds added a run in
the eighth inning on Stubbs single to score Devin Mesoraco, and on a
ninth-inning pinch-hit triple by Todd Frazier. Mesoraco finished 2 for 3 with
two runs scored. Aroldis Chapman struck out a pair in a scoreless eighth, and
Jose Arredondo pitched a flawless ninth to close the door. Bryan LaHair had two
more hits for the Cubs. Hes batting .375 on the year and has a base hit in every
game hes started. Game Notes: The Cubs placed RHP Kerry Wood (right shoulder
fatigue) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled LHP Scott Maine from Triple-A
Iowa . Brandon Phillips was held out of the lineup due to the cold weather and
lingering hamstring soreness . Ryan Dempster (strained right quad) is
questionable for his start on Sunday. RHP Randy Wells will be recalled from Iowa
if Dempster is unable to go. . Paul Maholm takes the mound for the Cubs on
Saturday in the second game of the series against Mike Leake. Both are in search
of their first win of the season.
Cheap
Jerseys .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern
Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt
complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy
for anything.
Cheap NFL Jerseys China . - From his perch
atop Regan Smiths pit box, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.TORONTO -- The Toronto
Raptors were set to depart for a gruelling four-game road swing after Wednesday
nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The trip couldnt come at a better time, as
its homecourt that proving a disadvantage to Toronto this season. Kemba Walker
hit a buzzer-beating jump shot in overtime to lift the Charlotte Bobcats to a
104-102 overtime victory Wednesday, handing the Raptors their eighth loss at
home this season. "Its one of those things that whatever it is, were not
generating enough focus. . .," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey, at a loss to
explain the discrepancy between playing at home and on the road. "We have far
more focus on the road than we do at home, and that is a concern. I talked to
the team about it today. We have great fans, great crowd, warm building, hot
building, so theres no reason why we cant come out with that type of fire and
intensity and dont wait until you get hit in the mouth, punched in the mouth
until we turn it on." The Raptors are 5-6 on the road this season, and just 4-8
at the Air Canada Centre. Walker scored 29 points, including his 18-footer that
sealed the victory for Charlotte (12-14). Al Jefferson added 24 points. "It
hurts, everyone who loses a game by a buzzer beater, youd rather get blown out
by 50 than lose on a buzzer beater," said Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who had 17
points and six assists. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 30 points for Toronto
(9-14), while Amir Johnson had a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 10 points.
Newcomer John Salmons finished with 11 points, while Jonas Valanciunas added 10.
The Raptors led by as much as 16 points midway through the third, but the
Bobcats closed the quarter with a 25-9 run to send the game into the fourth
locked at 70-70 in front of an Air Canada Centre crowd of 15,201. It was a
see-saw battle through the fourth quarter, and the Raptors trailed by three
points twice in the last 21 seconds -- the difference negated the second time by
Lowrys three-pointer with 12 seconds to go to tie the game 95-95. DeRozan then
stripped Walker on the Bobcats last possession to guarantee overtime.
Valanciunas, Johnson and DeRozan had the Raptors only three field goals in a
sloppy five minutes of overtime that saw the Raptors miss on their first six
shots.
NFL Jerseys China. But DeRozan made
one-of-two free throws with a second left to tie it up 102-102. Walker, guarded
by Valanciunas -- who was slow to get to him -- was open when he made the
winning buzzer-beater. "Tough, tough one second," Valanciunas said. "He made a
tough shot. Could make a better job on defence, but it happened. Could be
earlier, maybe he wouldnt make that, but what happened happened." Now the
Raptors depart for a tough four-game road trip that takes them through Dallas,
Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and New York. The Raptors play eight of their next
10 games on the road -- a good thing, perhaps. "I dont know, I have no idea,"
Lowry said, on the poor home record. "I really cant explain it, I cant put my
foot on it, weve really got to find a way to change it around." Lowry doesnt
agree with Casey assessment that its a lack of focus. "Naw. . .weve just got to
find a way to win at home, make the homecourt more of an advantage for us." The
Raptors shot 43 per cent from the floor to Charlottes 46 per cent. The Raptors
outrebounded the Bobcats 50-40. It was another strong game for Johnson, who
injected some desperately-needed energy into one of the ugliest quarters of
basketball by either team in a while. The Raptors two assists were the only
assists in the quarter, and both teams shot just under a lowly 32 per cent. The
Bobcats led 18-15 heading into the second. The Raptors pulled away in what was
an only slightly more exciting second quarter, outscoring their visitors 32-19.
DeRozan had 11 points in the frame, and Lowrys driving layup with 23 seconds
left put the Raptors up by 12. They took a 47-37 lead into the halftime break.
Walker scored 11 points in the third quarter as the Bobcats chipped away at
Torontos lead, tying it up on a Jefferson layup with two minutes to play. NOTES:
Chuck Hayes dressed for Toronto for the first time since last weeks trade. Hayes
had missed four games because he had to undergo baseline cardiac testing.
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