nt on to suuffer a shock loss to St Kilda | Forum

SEATTLE -- One of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season happened in April and is about to take place again at Safeco Field. NFL Jerseys Store .Anticipated in Japan, anyway.Japanese pitching stars Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees and Seattles Hisashi Iwakuma, former teammates with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japans Pacific League, will go at it again after Tanaka and the Yankees beat Iwakuma and the Mariners 4-3 in April.Iwakuma was something of a mentor to Tanaka in Japan, as he was the ace of the staff when Tanaka joined the Golden Eagles out of high school. Now their roles have reversed, as Tanaka is one of baseballs most popular Japanese imports while Iwakuma has quietly toiled in Felix Hernandezs shadow for most of his five major league seasons.Numbers-wise, theyre very similar this season. Tanaka (10-4, 3.24 ERA) has won three starts in a row and is living up to his billing, while Iwakuma (14-8, 3.78 ERA) has been a pleasant surprise after being cast off by the Dodgers due to injury concerns last winter.Theyve both come a long way since their April duel, which left Tanaka saying he was just extremely satisfied being able to get that win.The stakes are a little higher this time around, as the Yankees (64-61) try to make one last push to climb back into playoff contention and the Mariners (67-58) try to stay there. New Yorks 5-1 win on Tuesday night left Seattle two games back in the American League wild-card race.Its really important for us to win the series tomorrow, Mariners manager Scott Servais said late Tuesday night. Weve had a pretty good homestand, weve swung the bats well, its just that (Tuesday starter CC Sabathia) got to us.With just 37 games remaining, and two upcoming series against the AL West-leading Rangers, the Mariners cant afford to lose many more games against non-contenders if theyre going to stay in the wild-card race.Every game is big for us, especially when youre behind other teams, said Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano, a former Yankee. You want to keep winning, battling.The Yankees have even less gray area when it comes to winning games down the stretch.Tuesdays win put them five games back in the wild-card race, so theyre skating on thin ice.Many people thought New Yorks chances at the postseason were dashed when the team started trading veterans like Carlos Beltran and Aroldis Chapman, but the young Yankees have surprised people with a respectable 12-9 record in August. Young prospects like catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Aaron Judge have come in and given the Yankees new life despite their slim postseason chances.Its exciting, veteran pitcher CC Sabathia said of the Yankees resurgence. Its fun. You want to watch Sanchez hit every time. You want to watch Judge hit every time. Its been a lot of fun, and its fun to be around the clubhouse.The Yankees have an off day Thursday after the afternoon game. Discount NFL Jerseys . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Cheap China Jerseys . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.cheapnfljerseysstore.net/ . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Geelong are on the verge of unleashing Mitch Clark against Sydney, with the key tall doing everything coach Chris Scott has asked of him in his return from a debilitating calf injury.Clarks last AFL game for the Cats was in round nine last season, but Scott said he had been tempted to bring him into the side that went on to suuffer a shock loss to St Kilda before the bye. NFL Wholesale Jerseys. Second-placed Geelong host the fourth-placed Swans at Simonds Stadium on Friday night in a clash that promises to be the match of the round. ' ' '