Grüße und Vorstellung » he felt for his former teammate Ben Scrivens

PITTSBURGH -- Solid starting pitching. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey . A couple of defensive gems. Just enough hitting to make a difference. For a night, the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates managed to recapture a little bit of their 2013 magic. Do it a few more times and maybe their miserable start to 2014 will become a memory. Edinson Volquez allowed one run in six sharp innings, Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison made a splash both at the plate and in the field, and the Pirates edged the Washington Nationals 3-1 Thursday night. Volquez (2-4) ended a three-game losing streak by limiting the Nationals to three hits, walking two and striking out four. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his eighth save. McCutchen drove in two runs for the Pirates and made a sliding grab with two on in the ninth to end the game. Josh Harrison added two hits for Pittsburgh and added a run-saving catch of his own for the Pirates. "Thats what were known for, just playing routine baseball, not doing anything too out of the ordinary," McCutchen said. "(Just) getting in scoring position, getting some runs home and having pitching shut it down for us." Ian Desmond hit his eighth homer of the season for the Nationals, but Washington left 10 runners on base. Rookie Blake Treinen (0-2) struggled with his command in his second career start, giving up two runs on four hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking five. The Nationals have lost three of four. "Our approach was fine," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "They made some really nice plays. That happens. Its big league baseball. They get paid to do that." Volquez had been a pleasant surprise during the seasons first month, but scuffled through his previous four starts, going 0-3 with a 10.19 ERA as part of a slide that had the Pirates well off the pace in the NL Central a year after making the franchises first post-season appearance in more than two decades. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle wondered if Volquez -- who led the National League in walks per nine innings last season -- was suddenly throwing too many strikes. The former All-Star did a better job mixing location and speed against Washingtons patchwork lineup. His only real miscue came on a 2-0 fastball in the fourth that Desmond sent into the seats in centre field that briefly tied the game at 1. It was the 10th home run Volquez has surrendered this season, but he responded by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. "Just keeping the ball in the strike zone, keeping the ball in the ballpark," Volquez said. "I did it for a couple innings and Desmond hit a homer. A solo shot cant beat you, its only one run. You stay in the game and keep pitching." Treinen, who faced Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw in his previous major league start, wasnt quite as crisp. He retired the first eight batters he faced thanks in part to a sinker that topped out at 97 mph before getting loose in the third. He loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and a single by Harrison before hitting McCutchen with an 80 mph changeup to force in a run. Trouble surfaced again in the fifth thanks in part to Harrison, who has provided a spark in right field even as the Pirates mark time until the likely arrival of highly touted prospect Gregory Polanco next month. Harrison walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a fly to centre before streaking home on a sharp single up the middle by McCutchen. Harrison is 13 for 37 (.351) since being moved into the leadoff spot earlier this month. Washington loaded the bases in the eighth off Tony Watson, but the left-hander retired Scott Hairston on a fly to shallow left field to get out of it and Melancon survived despite putting two runners on with McCutchens sliding grab on a sinking liner by Anthony Rendon sealing it. NOTES: The Pirates claimed right-handed reliever Josh Wall off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Wall is 1-1 with a 15.15 ERA in 15 career major league games. To make room for Wall on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated RHP Phil Irwin for assignment. ... Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche went 0 for 2 in a rehab start for Class A Potomac on Thursday night. LaRoche has been on the disabled list since May 10 with a strained right quadriceps. LaRoche is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday. ... The series continues Friday night when Washingtons Jordan Zimmerman (3-1, 3.70 ERA) faces Pittsburghs Charlie Morton (0-6, 3.45). Allen Iverson Jersey . -- The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. Denver Nuggets Jerseys .C. -- When Michael Jordan speaks, people still listen. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-wilson-chandler-nuggets-jersey/ . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended Brazilian forward. EDMONTON -- The Los Angeles Kings are looking very much like a team that has hit its stride heading down the stretch. Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Alec Martinez and Trevor Lewis also scored for the Kings (37-22-6), who are now on their longest win streak since taking nine in a row in 2010. "It feels good to feel like you are contributing on an individual level, but the most important thing is that we are winning games right now," Martinez said. "This is the crunch time of the year and we have to be playing playoff hockey. Its been good to be getting these two points consistently." Kings forward Jarret Stoll said the wins dont always have to be pretty. "Tonight wasnt our best game by any means, not even close, but we found a way and just stuck with it," he said. "We didnt really have our legs at some points, but you have to find ways to win. Dirty ways, ugly ways, whatever. Thats the biggest thing right now. We are getting timely saves from our goaltenders like we usually get and we are finding goals." Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner responded for the Oilers (22-35-8), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins said that the game wasnt as one-sided as it may have seemed and his team was somewhat the victim of bad luck with two goals going in off of odd deflections. "I thought our guys were in the battle, they were sticking together, they were playing hard," he said. "There was no standing around watching them play. We made our mistakes and then they had two goals like that. The first one is a heart-breaker, its not a good way to start, it goes off a guys foot. That gets you down against a team I consider one of the best in the league." Los Angeles was all over Edmonton, outshooting the Oilers 50-27. Gagner tried to downplay the stat. "If you look at the shot differential you draw conclusions from that, but I didnt think it was as one sided as the shots suggested," Gagner said. "I thought it was one of those games where we battled against that team and we held our own physically. Were obviously not happy with the result, but we have to move forward." Kings goalie Jonathan Quick said he felt for his former teammate Ben Scrivens in the Edmonton net, but said his 46-save performance only shows the kind of goalie the Oilers acquired when they traded for him in mid-January. "He has done it all year, he did it with us too," he said "I think he is just what this team needed here in Edmonton. He consistently gives you a solid effort and a chance to win evvery night. Alex English Jersey. We put 50 shots on him and they still had a chance at the end there. "For a few years now I think it is an area the Oilers needed improvement, not to knock the goalies they had before. The team defence could be better as well. But (Scrivens) has really stepped in since he came here and given them a chance to win every night." The Kings got off to a quick start, scoring a gift goal on the games first shot 1:36 into the contest as a Carter shot that was going wide hit the skate of defender Philip Larsen and got past a surprised Scrivens in the Oilers net. Edmonton tied the game seven-and-a-half minutes into the opening period as David Perron made a nifty no-look backhand pass to Hall, who made a move before sending a backhand shot through Quicks legs. It was Halls 22nd goal of the season and 60th point. Los Angeles outshot Edmonton 12-5 in the first period. Scrivens continued to be tested, making a huge kick save on a Marian Gaborik blast eight minutes into the second period -- the Kings 20th shot of the game. Los Angeles took the lead less than a minute later as a Martinez point shot seemed to hit something in front on its way into the Edmonton net. Carter got another odd goal midway through the second period as Scrivens blocked an Anze Kopitar shot, but the rebound caromed off of the back of Carters leg and in. It was Carters 24th goal of the season. The Kings made it 4-1 with four minutes left in the second as Carter fed a pass to a hard-charging Lewis, who fluttered a shot that Scrivens could only wave his glove at. It was just Lewis third goal in 56 games this season. The shots favoured the Kings 33-19 after 40 minutes. It was Edmontons turn to get a lucky bounce early in the third with the teams playing four players a side. Gagner tried to feed Ryan Smyth at the side of the net, but it hit defender Drew Doughty in front and went into the Kings net to make it 4-2. It was Gagners first goal in 16 games. The Kings conclude a three-game road trip in Calgary on Monday. Edmonton embarks on a four-game trip, starting in Minnesota on Tuesday. Notes: It was the third of four games this season between the Oilers and Kings. The Kings won the two previous encounters, both played in Los Angeles. The Kings held a 13-1-4 in their past 18 games against Edmonton. ... The Oilers have had their troubles against Pacific Division opponents, coming in with only four wins against them this season, two of those wins coming against Calgary. ... Los Angeles has been a very strong defensive team all season, allowing a league-low 2.05 goals per game. ... Remaining out for the Oilers was defenceman Anton Belov (partially torn oblique). The Kings had no injuries to report. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys China Wholesale Baseball Jerseys China Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys Near Me Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic MLB Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Throwback Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '