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PITTSBURGH -- Michael Wacha heard the chants. Claude Giroux Flyers Jersey . Then again, when 40,000 people clad in black scream your name relentlessly for the better part of three hours, its kind of hard to miss. The goal was to rattle the St. Louis rookie, remind him that 22-year-old pitchers arent built to withstand the pressure of an elimination game. One problem. Wacha doesnt really do rattled. He doesnt do pressure, either. The louder PNC Park grew, the more unhittable Wacha became. "I kind of like it," Wacha said. "It kind of gives me adrenalin. I kind of use it in my favour." And the Pittsburgh Pirates -- not to mention anyone else he might face in the post-season -- "kind of" need to get used to it. Wacha took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning and the Cardinals showed off their October poise, edging the Pirates 2-1 Monday to force a winner-take-all Game 5 in the NL division series. St. Louis is 7-1 over the last three years with its season on the line. "I think you take high talent and high character people that are motivated and support each other, and they dont give up," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Thats a tough combination." One the Pirates are still trying to master. Pedro Alvarez hit his third home run of the series, connecting with one out in the eighth for Pittsburghs only hit in Game 4. It wasnt enough for the Pirates to advance to the NL championship series for the first time in 21 years. "I guess thats why we play five," star centre-fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "Well be ready for the fifth one." The Pirates werent quite ready for the fourth one, not with the way Wacha was dealing. He walked two and struck out nine before giving way to the bullpen in the eighth. Matt Hollidays two-run homer off Charlie Morton in the sixth was all the offence required on a day the Cardinals tossed the first one-hitter in the clubs lengthy post-season history. Trevor Rosenthal worked around a two-out walk in the ninth, retiring McCutchen on a popup to shallow centre field for his first post-season save. "It was a good pitch for him," McCutchen said. "I wish it got a little more of the barrel. It would have been a great story." Instead, a taut series will head back to Busch Stadium. Game 5 will be Wednesday, with ace Adam Wainwright starting for the NL Central champion Cardinals and rookie Gerrit Cole going for the wild-card Pirates. Both pitchers won last week in the NLDS. The Cardinals finished with only three hits, and that was enough. Holliday got two of them, including his homer in the sixth after Morton walked big-hitting Carlos Beltran to start the inning. "You could go back and look at pitches over and over again and second guess yourself," Morton said. "I dont know where that pitch was. It was outer third somewhere, thigh-down and he went out and got it, hes strong." So was the 6-foot-6 kid on the one, the one barely a year removed from a standout college career at Texas A&M. Wacha didnt permit a runner until walking Russell Martin leading off the sixth. Wacha nearly no-hit the Washington Nationals in his last start on Sept. 24, surrendering only an infield single by Ryan Zimmerman with two outs in the ninth. Working so quickly the Pirates never had time to get settled, he breezed through Pittsburghs revamped lineup like he was in extended spring training. Mixing his fastball and changeup masterfully, Wacha overwhelmed the Pirates from the moment he stepped onto the mound. Alvarez got the fans at PNC Park roaring with his homer, and Wacha followed by walking Martin on four pitches. Carlos Martinez relieved and Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina made a key play, throwing out pinch-runner Josh Harrison after a botched hit-and-run attempt. Martinez struck out Jose Tabata to end the eighth, and Rosenthal took over to begin the ninth. Neil Walker drew a two-out walk before McCutchen made the final out. "Thats what its all about," Rosenthal said. "Thats what you dream of, you dream of two outs in the bottom of the ninth, you know ... bases loaded, the best hitter up, and getting out of that spot." One the Cardinals rarely found themselves in on a day Wacha showed hes just a big a part of his teams present as he is its megawatt future. McCutchen came into the game hitting .538 in the post-season but looked at a 97 mph fastball for strike three in the first. Marlon Byrd, Pittsburghs most consistent player since being acquired from the Mets in late August, watched a full-count heater in the second that sent him walking back to the dugout in disbelief. It was a look repeated time and again by Byrd and the rest of his baffled teammates. Wacha struck out five of the first seven batters. "He went out and hit his spots and it seemed like everything we were hitting, we were just missing, just missing," McCutchen said. Martin remained Pittsburghs lone baserunner until the eighth. Wacha fell behind 3-1 and Alvarez hit a 93 mph fastball at the knees onto the concourse in right-centre. The jolt, however, faded when Molina nailed Harrison at second minutes later to set up a 24th -- and final -- meeting between two teams that have been shadowing each other all summer and into the fall. NOTES: Wacha was the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft. He earned his first major league win on June 11. ... A.J. Burnett pitched Game 1 for Pittsburgh, but manager Clint Hurdle picked Cole to move ahead and start Game 5. Brayden Schenn Jersey . Rudy Gay made the tying basket in regulation and a 3-pointer in overtime that gave Sacramento the lead for good, and Fredette scored a career-high 24 points to help the Kings beat the Knicks 106-101 on Wednesday night. Michal Neuvirth Flyers Jersey . Last year, Matt Kuchar closed with a 4-under 68 to beat Kevin Chappell by two strokes for his second win of the 2013 season and sixth of his career.TORONTO -- The CFL Players Association says disgruntled receiver Chris Williams is now a free agent following an Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling. On Thursday, the court issued a ruling quashing an arbitrators decision in June that Williamss contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was binding even though the club violated the CFLs collective bargaining agreement with the CFLPA. "It is the position of the CFLPA that Chris Williams is now a free agent and able to sign a contract in the NFL or another CFL club," the union said in a statement. Dan Vertlieb, Williams agent, didnt immediately respond to an email request for comment from The Canadian Press. Williams, 25, the CFLs top special-teams player last season, went to arbitration asking to be released from the final year of his contract with Hamilton to reportedly pursue NFL offers. In June, arbitrator E.E. Palmer found the Ticats violated the CBA by negotiating with an unregistered agent but said the penalty was a fine and not the termination of the contract. However, the Ticats werent fined because the CFLPA did not request one be imposed. Palmer also found Hamilton had picked up the option on Williamss contract last October in accordance to the CBA but didnt use the exact language surrounding the renewal as laid out in the agreement. But he also ruled that wasnt enough to null the agreement. Both the Ticats and CFL said theyll appeal Thursdays ruling. The CFL informed all NFL teams on that Williams remains the property of the Tiger-Cats. "We plan to appeal todays decision in the Chris Williams case to the Court of Appeal," the CFL said in a statement. "Until that appeal is exhausted, our position is that Williams remains under contract to the Tiger-Cats." Added the Ticats: "Our position remains that Williams is under a legal and binding contract with the Tiger-Cats. We have faith that the outcome of our appeal will validate that position. We plan no further comment at this time as the matter remains before the courts." Williamss bitter contract dispute with the Ticats has spilled over into the start of the regular season as the star receiver has yet to report to the CFL club. The CFLPA contends the arbitrators decision was "quashed and set aside on the grounds that the letter purporting to exercisee Chris Williamss option was not clear and was not capable of being construed as a clear communication of an intention to exercise the option. Shayne Gostisbehere Jersey. " Williams signed a deal with Hamilton in 2011 that was negotiated by an agent not registered with the CFL Players Association. Williams reportedly contends he wasnt made fully aware of the conditions pertaining to his rookie contract and that Hamilton didnt offer him the one-year plus an option deal but rather just the two-year plus an option. "There is no clear and unequivocal language along the lines, The Hamilton Tiger-Cats exercises its option to require you to play for another year for this club," Justice Gladys Pardu said in her ruling Thursday. "The language used in the less is not capable of being construed as a clear communication of an intention to exercise the option and the arbitrators conclusion that it was clear was unreasonable. "The subjective intentions of the Tiger-Cats are no substitute for clarity in expressing the intention to exercise the option. On this ground, the arbitrators decision must be quashed." The court also ruled the Ticats must pay court costs of $8,500. Williams was reportedly scheduled to earn base salary of $48,000 this season. That pales in comparison to both the NFLs minimum salary, which is US$405,000 this year, or the roughly US$90,000 players south of the border can earn annually on the practice roster. Williams had a Ticats-record 17 TDs last season, including a CFL record six on kick returns. The five-foot-eight, 175-pound Williams was named the CFLs top rookie in 2011 after registering 70 receptions for 1,064 yards and six TDs. He also had 12 kickoff returns for 252 yards and a touchdown while returning 12 punts for 81 yards. Williams was even better last season, with 83 catches for 1,298 yards and 11 TDs. He also led the CFL in punt returns with 78 for 1,117 yards and five touchdowns while adding five missed field goal returns for 256 yards and a TD. Williams played his college football at New Mexico State and joined the NFLs Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2009 but was released with an injury settlement prior to the start of the season. He signed with the Cleveland Browns later in the year and spent time on the practice roster before being let go. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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