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jcy123 Sep 15 '19
PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Locke didnt have his best stuff Sunday. Terrell Owens Cowboys Jersey . He didnt need it to shut down the majors worst team. Locke allowed three hits over seven innings, Pedro Alvarez homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates won for the eighth time in 10 games, 1-0 over the Houston. Locke (4-1) won his fourth straight decision and gave up one run or fewer for the fifth time in his past eight outings. He struck out four and walked three. "Pitched is the imperative word," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Locke. "He was behind a number of counts, his first-pitch strikes were below 50 per cent... but, that being said, he didnt give up anything. He was able to put a foot down, get balls on the ground when we needed them." In his past six outings, Locke has allowed 21 hits and seven earned runs over 37 innings (1.70 ERA). Despite allowing the leadoff man to reach four times, Locke permitted a runner to reach second base only once. "There were some pitches early on that were real good pitches that I felt I had real good command of, but there were times in the game that I fell behind 1-0, 2-0 and put them in some pretty good hitters counts," Locke said. "But I was able to make pitches and use the defence." The notoriously streaky Alvarez pushed his average above .200 for just the second time since the second game of the season. His eighth home run came on the first pitch and was an opposite field line drive down the left field line in the fifth. Alvarezs most recent homer was Friday -- a titanic shot that reached the Allegheny River. Hurdle quipped that his third baseman followed up arguably his longest career home run with perhaps his shortest. "I just remember hitting it and knowing that it was going to be fair," said Alvarez, who also walked in the second and flied out to the wall in centre in the seventh. "But I didnt know if it was going to carry as much as it did." Alvarezs longball -- his third in eight games -- was the lone mistake by Astros starter Lucas Harrell, who lost his third consecutive decision despite allowing four hits and one walk in seven innings. Through 6 1-3 innings, Alvarezs home run and Sniders double were the only balls to leave the infield off Harrell (3-5), who had a single in a rare plate appearance for an American League pitcher. "Today felt like the first game this season that I dominated both sides of the plate with my sinker," Harrell said. "(Catcher Carlos Corporan) did a great job with his homework. He had a really good game plan and I just followed along." Pittsburghs other chance at scoring came the prior inning, when Travis Snider was thrown out at the plate by centre fielder Brandon Barnes on a two-out single by Gaby Sanchez. The throw easily beat Snider, who had doubled, and Sniders shoulder to the chest of Corporan did not jar the ball loose. Off to their best 44-game start since 1991, the Pirates (26-18) have the National Leagues third-best record. They won despite the absence of outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who was a late scratch because of soreness in his right knee. McCutchen said he was put at ease after an examination by medical personnel Sunday and that he expects to play in the Pirates next game Tuesday. Hurdle said he could have used McCutchen in an emergency. A day after his 13-game scoreless streak came to an end, Mark Melancon worked a perfect eighth and Jason Grilli finished with a 1-2-3 ninth for his majors-leading 17th save. The Astros, who won in 11 innings Saturday night, did not have an extra-base hit. "Their guy (Locke) did a good job," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "He changed speeds, pitched to both sides of the plate and kept us away from the barrel. Sometimes youve got to tip your cap and give credit to the other guy." NOTES: Astros SS Ronny Cedeno was scratched from the lineup late Sunday morning because of a sinus infection. ... Houston has won three of its 11 series played this season while Pittsburgh is 8-2-2 in its past 12 series. ... The Pirates are off Monday but then play on 16 consecutive days. They open up a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Tuesday. ... Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel will make his third start of the season in the opener of a three-game series in Kansas City on Monday. Roger Staubach Jersey . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Amari Cooper Jersey .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/tony-pollard-jersey/ . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Return games for departed franchise players have become an awkward tradition in this NBA era of star player fluidity. The latest comes Thursday when Dwyane Wade will play in front of Miami fans in a Chicago Bulls jersey.Wade has been a part of many of these spectacles during his 14-year career. Shaquille ONeal and LeBron James both had dramatic Heat comings and goings, for example. As Wade put it: Ive seen a lot of video tributes.Yet this one feels different. Wade can still play at a high level and wanted to stay in Miami, which typically is the ideal situation for the home team.And over the past several years, teams have rewarded franchise players with a final payday both for services and as a thank-you on their way into the sunset. Kobe Bryant got his two-year, $48 million contract. Dirk Nowitzki got two years and $50 million, $30 million guaranteed. Even Kevin Garnett, who was at the end of the line, got two years and $16 million from Minnesota. Wade is younger and less run-down physically than all of them, so his request last summer of something in the Bryant/Nowitzki ballpark wasnt unreasonable.But the Heat prioritized younger free agents Hassan Whiteside, whom they retained, and Kevin Durant, whom they did not land. They had plausible deniability for not giving Wade the $47 million Chicago did. The Heat offered Wade all of their available cap space after getting Whiteside and then turned their pockets out.But they had ways of getting more cap space. They were willing to do it for Durant; they werent for Wade. He walked -- simple and not simple.I dont think a lot of people understand. If youre not in this business its hard to understand, Wade said. I dont really want [fans] to understand. I want them to appreciate what we accomplished.Funny, thats what Heat president Pat Riley wants, too. Dont bring up the acrimonious ends to the James, Wade and Bosh eras -- or the ONeal era while youre at it. Instead celebrate the banners and enjoy the video tributes as everyone focuses on the future.Only Wade and Riley truly know what happened last summer, and theyre not ready to talk it out. Wade said Wednesday that he hadnt talked to Riley since rejecting a two-year, $41 million offer. In September, Riley said hed written a lengthy email to Wade but hadnt sent it: Hes going to have to read through the lines, but hell get the point at the end. I have it in my save drafts. So Ive just got to hit send, thats all. I will.Heres one reason its hard to understand, unpleasant and complicated: The Heat might have wanted Wade to walk.Riley knew it was long shot for Bosh to return from his blood clot issues and was ready to sever that relationship. The Heat knew Wade was about to turn 35 and had a history of bad knees. They knew Durant, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are among those in the free-agent class next summer. At the time, Russell Westbrook was slated to be as well. Riley always believes he can land the big one, no matter the perceived odds.The Heat knew they had young players Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson to develop. They believve Winslow is going to be a star. Larry Allen Womens Jersey. . Hes a rugged 20-year-old defender with a faulty shot (hes shooting an ugly 31 percent so far this season), and they envision molding him the way the San Antonio Spurs turned the defensively gifted Kawhi Leonard into an MVP candidate with a few years of heavy seasoning.They believe next years draft could be deep, and they actually have their first-round pick. Thats not an insignificant fact: Theyve traded away eight first-round picks -- theirs or others they owned -- since 2010. (They also traded up in the first round twice.)They believe they have one of the best in-season coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra. Scouts compare him to a mechanic who gets under the hood between October and January, toiling with rotations, positions and pet plays, before emerging with game plans that overachieve by spring. Hes the leagues second-longest-tenured coach after Gregg Popovich, and hes done some of his best coaching jobs with his least-talented rosters. Then again, hes never had a team without Wade.If Spoelstra cant make magic, and the Heat look as if theyre headed for the lottery by midseason, they might be able to flip Goran Dragic for a prospect or another first-round pick in next summers draft.Riley prefers to build through free agency, but he and general manager Andy Elisburg have traveled this road before. In the past 15 years, theyve had just three losing seasons. Theyve averaged a 19-win improvement after those seasons. These improvements probably dont work with Wade on the roster and on the books.They couldnt chase a big free agent with his desired salary next to Whitesides. Wades still good enough to perhaps carry them to the playoffs, making it harder to chase a draft pick or trade Dragic if that route ends up being a real option. And hes a danger of having injury issues. With Bosh still on the payroll for this season, thats a lot of exposure.When he knew it was time, Riley traded former cornerstones Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning when other teams were ready to offer richer contracts (Mourning later returned and won a title). He traded ONeal. He traded Shawn Marion. He told Bosh it was over in a news conference. He held the line on Wade and watched him leave.Most of the time, its worked out for Riley in the long run. Sometimes in the short run, too. And if theres one thing hes better at than team-building, its hugging it out. Hardaway and Mourning ended up working in the front office. ONeal is coming back to have his jersey retired this season. Bosh and James will someday, too -- probably. Wade should be back for a statue. He might even come back to play; theres precedent after all.But for now, saying goodbye might have been prudent if not popular. Riley isnt afraid to do it, even if it means the occasional uncomfortable night. I know who Pat is. Its no secret to me, Wade said. I know how he is. If youre not with him, youre against him ... and Im cool with it. ' ' '