Dein erstes Forum » Leonard Fournette Heisman Trophy campaign

PITTSBURGH -- Ryan Vogelsongs resilient return from the facial fractures that cost him two months in the middle of the season is remarkable.The veteran pitchers stuff at the moment, however, is not. And the 39-year-old knows it.The Chicago Cubs pushed Vogelsong around for five choppy innings and Pittsburghs ninth-inning rally fell short on Tuesday night in a 6-4 loss.Pittsburgh was eliminated from postseason contention when San Francisco won later Tuesday, ending a run of three-straight playoff appearances.Vogelsong (3-7) struggled with his command, giving up four hits, walking five and hitting a batter. He threw just 51 of his 102 pitches for strikes and fell to 0-3 with a 9.55 ERA this month, a downturn thats coincided with his teams fade out of playoff contention.Just an unacceptable start, really, Vogelsong said. Just no excuses. Unacceptable.Vogelsong managed to get out of a two-on, two-out situation in the first but couldnt in the second. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before Chris Coghlan sent an offering off the wall in right-center to clear them to give the Cubs the lead. Chicago won for the seventh time in its last eight games to improve to 101-56, the clubs highest victory total since it won 104 games in 1910.Much of that success has come against the Pirates. A year after the two reached the postseason as wild cards, Chicago is 14-3 against the Pirates this season, outscoring them 109-64 in the process.Dexter Fowler added an RBI double for Chicago. Lackey (11-8) worked around five hits and three walks to win his last regular season start.Felix Pena recorded the final two outs for his first career save after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run single off Justin Grimm to get the Pirates within two. Pena struck out Sean Rodriguez with the bases loaded to end it.Chicago manager Joe Maddon is experimenting with his lineup over the seasons final week with the Cubs already assured of home-field advantage in the NL playoffs. That means plenty of playing time for Coghlan, who has been mired in a season-long slump but is hitting .423 (11 of 26) since Sept. 16.Lackey made sure the early lead stood, though not without some shaky moments. He needed a double play to thwart a potentially big inning in the second and his defense bailed him out when Jordy Mercers line drive with the bases loaded in the fourth went straight to second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who flipped to second to double off Rodriguez.The Pirates went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position -- both hits coming in the ninth -- and left 11 men on base.NO Ks FOR NICASIOPittsburgh reliever Juan Nicasio gave up two runs in the ninth and failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 34 appearances, ending his club-record streak.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: LF Starling Marte remained out of the starting lineup with back stiffness and grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the fifth. The All-Star has just three plate appearances -- all as a pinch hitter -- since Sept. 5. Theres a chance Marte could get back in the lineup before the series with Chicago ends. Things are moving quickly and Im feeling a lot more better than things were before, Marte said after the game. Right now, Im just submitting to my trainers and what they have me doing and hopefully Ill get back and be able to bounce back as soon as possible.UP NEXT:Cubs: Jake Arrieta (18-7, 2.85 ERA) makes his final start of the regular season. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner is 9-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates.Pirates: Rookie Jameson Taillon (4-4, 3.49) faces the Cubs for the second time this season. Chicago touched him for four runs in four innings of a 10-5 loss on June 19. Rudy Gay Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Yuta Watanabe Jersey . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. https://www.cheapgrizzlies.com/ . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Dillon Brooks Jersey . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Kyle Anderson Jersey .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. If you can only watch six games this college football season, well, you should probably consider changing jobs or something because that is no way to live. If that truly is your plight, though, were here to help.Out of the more than 700 FBS regular season games (conference championships not included) scheduled to be played from Aug. 27 (Aug. 26, Australia time) to Dec. 2, these six will have the greatest impact on which teams reach the College Football Playoff:OKLAHOMA vs. HOUSTON at NRG Stadium in Houston, Sept. 5The neutral site is about a 10-minute drive from the Cougars campus, but expect plenty of Sooners support at the home of the NFLs Texans. The stakes are high for the Sooners, but Oklahoma can slip here and recover to make the playoff. This nonconference game makes the list because of its importance to Houston and the American Athletic Conference. If Tom Hermans team pulls the upset, it could vault the Cougars and by extension the entire AAC into the playoff conversation. Lose and the playoff pretty much comes off the table for the Cougars -- in week one!---OKLAHOMA at TCU, Oct. 1Since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 in 2012, every game against Oklahoma has been decided by one score. The Sooners and Frogs have split the last two, with the winner taking home at least a share of a conference title. There will still be a long way to go in the season, and the Big 12 has the feel of a conference that will produce an upset or two from the middle of the pack. But these are the best two rosters and the winner in Fort Worth has the inside track to being the leagues One True Champion -- even though it has retired the slogan.---CLEMSON at FLORIDA STATE, Oct. 29The winner of this game has won the last seven Atlantic Division titles and as Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney have grown their programs into national title contenders, it has become one of the most significant rivvalries in the country.ddddddddddddIn each of the last three seasons, the winner has gone into the postseason with a chance to win the national championship. There is certainly a possibility both the Seminoles and Tigers could be playoff teams in 2016, but only one can win the ACC and this showdown in Tallahassee could end up being a playoff elimination game.---ALABAMA at LSU, Nov. 5Since the Tigers 9-6 Game of the Century victory in 2011, the Crimson Tide has won five straight in the series. As Ole Miss can attest, beating Alabama does not guarantee an SEC West championship. But no SEC West team has won the division in college football during Nick Sabans time at Alabama without beating the Tide. Can Alabamas defense derail a second consecutive Leonard Fournette Heisman Trophy campaign? Can the Tigers keep the Tide from a third straight playoff appearance?---STANFORD at OREGON, Nov. 12The Ducks (two) and Cardinal (three) have won all the Pac-12 titles since the conference broke into divisions in 2011. The twist last season was Oregon won the head-to-head meeting and probably spoiled Stanfords playoff hopes, though the Cardinal still went on to win the conference. The Pac-12 could be looking at another season with a two-loss champion. And Washington might very well have a say, for once, in who wins the North. But until proven otherwise this is the Pac-12s most important game.---MICHIGAN at OHIO STATE, Nov. 26.Michigan State fans, feel free to be a little slighted -- the Spartans have won two of the past three Big Ten titles, after all. That said, the second Harbaugh-Meyer matchup sets up to be the first of many to decide the Big Ten East, and send the winner to Indianapolis looking to win not only a conference title but a spot in the playoff. ' ' '