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CHICAGO —Chris Volstad had to wait through a couple of rain delays while he
worked on his first victory in more than a year, and it seemed like an eternity
to the tall right-hander as he moved closer to the end of a 24-start winless
streak. Andrew Luck Blue Jersey . “Its only fitting
that the day took pretty long,” a relieved Volstad said Sunday after pitching
the Chicago Cubs to a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. The start of the game
was delayed 2 hours, 23 minutes by rain, and there was another weather
interruption of 30 minutes after the eighth inning before the game was called.
Then the 6-foot-8 Volstad really did get a shower—a celebratory one from his
teammates with a clubhouse beverage. “The tarp being pulled in the ninth inning,
I was, Come on, just get this over with,” Volstad said. “I got a pretty big
welcome, reception whatever you want to call it when they called the game.
Everyone was pretty happy. I was pretty happy, as well. ... There is a little
sense of relief to get it over with.” Volstad allowed just three hits over 6 2-3
innings in his first win since he helped the Marlins to a 5-4 victory over
Houston on July 10, 2011. He was traded to the Cubs over the winter for
Carlos Zambrano. He said he hadnt been dwelling on the streak. “Maybe a little
bit of bad luck for me over the last year and a month or whatever it was. Thats
baseball. You got to keep going,” Volstad said. “Sometimes you throw well and
dont get that win or you get that loss and sometimes you dont and do get a win.
Just the way it goes. I think thats why the streak, whatever you want to call
it, to me wasnt a huge issue.” The major league record for consecutive winless
starts is 28, shared by Jo-Jo Reyes, Matt Keough and Cliff Curtis. Volstad (1-9)
was taken out to an ovation in the seventh after former Cub Tyler Colvin doubled
with two outs and Chris Nelson walked. Manny Corpas then retired
Jonathan Herrera on a fielders choice grounder to end the threat. Volstad, who
made 12 starts in the minors this season and was recalled Aug. 1, struck out
three and walked three in a 101-pitch effort. Shawn Camp pitched the eighth for
his second save in five chances, completing a four-hitter. “Since hes been back,
he hasnt been that bad. Hes had some good outings,” Chicago manager Dave Sveum
said of Volstad. “Hes pitched much better with a lot more conviction.”
Starlin Castro scored three times and Darwin Barney had two RBIs as the Cubs
took two of three from the Rockies. Colorado right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (1-4),
making just his second start since returning from the disabled list, gave up a
run and five hits in five innings. “It was bad weather, rainy and very humid.
When I was pitching all the sweat came to my hand and it was really tough to
grab the ball, but I still didnt make the pitch when I needed,” Chacin said. “I
couldnt get a grip on my sinker. I was just really using my fastball and my
slider because I couldnt throw my changeup for a strike.” But the Rockies just
couldnt muster anything offensively. “We didnt hit today,” manager Jim Tracy
said. “You certainly would have liked to have those baserunners and force Chris
to pitch out of the stretch a little more often than he did.” Volstad, who was
0-14 during the winless streak, has received little run support this season.
During his previous 13 starts, the Cubs had scored one or fewer runs eight times
and he hadnt received more than three runs in any of those outings. This time
they gave him an early lead and he went from there. “The biggest thing was me
giving up zeroes. Thats always nice,” Volstad said. “The defence backed me today
and they did a great job at the plate.” Castro doubled in the second, went to
third on a fly ball and scored when Barney beat out a potential double-play
grounder. Castro walked in the sixth, moved up on two grounders and scored on
Barneys flare single to right-centre. The Cubs then tacked on three more runs in
the eighth. Pinch-hitter Joe Mather had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly,
Brett Jackson raced home on Will Harris wild pitch and David DeJesus tacked on
an RBI single. NOTES: Sveum said it was the right decision to call the game
after eight because the field had become unplayable. “The dirt was beyond kitty
litter repair as I call it,” he said. ... Barney entered in a 3-for-31 slump
over his previous 10 games. ... Announced attendance was 32,346, many of whom
had departed by the time the game had started. ... Colorado heads home to play
the new-look Dodgers with Josh Beckett making his first start for L. A. since
the trade from Boston and Jeff Francis pitching for the Rockies on Monday night.
The Cubs stay at Wrigley to face Milwaukee with Chicagos Justin Germano going
against Marco Estrada. Reggie Wayne Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. T.Y. Hilton Womens Jersey . Williams played
through a bad back that forced her to get treatment and reduced her second serve
to 63 mph (101 kph) in the third set. http://www.coltsteamstore.com/pat-angerer-jerseys
. McCoy started at second base for Saturdays game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Nix played second base in Fridays 6-4, 11-inning win over the Rays but came out
of the game in the second inning after Sean Rodriguez slid into him in breaking
up a double play. Pat Angerer Womens Jersey . Andre Iguodala
scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half, Samuel Dalembert had 11 points,
18 rebounds and five blocks, and the 76ers rallied for a 91-87 victory over the
New Jersey Nets on Saturday night. Andrew Luck Colts Jersey . The Blainville,
Que., native will face top-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the next round. In mens
doubles play, the top-seeded team of Daniel Nestor of Toronto and Max Mirnyi of
Belarus defeated Dutchman Robin Haase and Finlands Jarkko Nieminen 6-3,
6-4.PHILADELPHIA—Michael Schwimer wanted to jump into the stands to
celebrate. He settled for an animated fist-pump instead. Ty Wigginton and
Carlos Ruiz homered to back Vance Worley and the Philadelphia Phillies held on
for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Worley (4-4)
allowed three runs and six hits in six-plus innings. Schwimer pitched out of a
jam in the seventh, Antonio Bastardo worked the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon
finished for his 18th save in 19 tries. Papelbon allowed a solo homer to
Michael McKenry in the ninth. Schwimer came in with runners on second and third,
no outs and the Phillies clinging to a 4-3 lead. He retired Jose Tabata on a
sharp bouncer to the mound. Then Neil Walker lofted a fly ball to shallow left
and John Mayberry Jr. nailed McKenry trying to score with a perfect one-hop
throw to the plate. “I was trying to stop myself from jumping in the crowd,”
Schwimer said. “Im an emotional person. You have to be who you are. My plan of
attack was just to execute pitches and go from there. Those are situations I
love. Ive gotten in trouble in the past by getting too excited. Ive learned to
channel that.” Ruiz hammered an 0-2 pitch to deep left for his career-best 10th
homer to give the Phillies an insurance run in the eighth. Ruiz, a career .265
hitter coming into the year, leads the majors with a .361 average after his 10th
three-hit game. Pirates starter Erik Bedard (4-8) gave up four runs and eight
hits in six innings. Pittsburgh came in with the best record in the NL since May
25 at 18-10. “There were some good things going on,” Pirates manager Clint
Hurdle said. “Hes probably like the changeup back to Wigginton, but he kept us
in the game.” The Phillies have won two straight to climb out of last place, and
the five-time defending NL East champions could have some help on the way.
Chase Utley was 2 for 5 with a homer in a game for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The
five-time All-Star second baseman could make his season debut on Wednesday. He
has missed the first three months because of chronic knee problems. Meanwhile,
former NL MVP Ryan Howard will start a rehab stint at Class A Lakewood on
Thursday if all goes well with an examination on his left Achilles in
Philadelphia on Wednesday.. Pat Angerer Youth Jersey. Trailing 4-2 in the
seventh, the Pirates rallied against Worley. Clint Barmes walked and McKenry
singled. Pinch-hitter Drew Sutton followed with an RBI double down the
left-field line. But Schwimer entered and closed the door. “He got out of a
tough jam,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “The more you succeed and leave that
game on a positive, that helps your confidence.” The Pirates squandered another
opportunity to tie it in the eighth after Andrew McCutchen led off with a double
off Bastardo. Josh Harrison, pinch-hitting for cleanup hitter Garrett Jones,
popped up a bunt that Ruiz ran down. Casey McGehee popped out and Pedro Alvarez
struck out. Wigginton gave Philadelphia a 4-1 lead in the third when he hit a
two-run shot to left-centre with two outs. McGehees two-out RBI single in the
sixth got the Pirates within 4-2. McCutchen doubled and scored on the hit. The
Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Ruiz. Hunter Pence hit
a triple off the scoreboard in right-centre with two outs. Ruiz then hit a hard
grounder to left on an 0-2 pitch. Alvarez led off the second with a double,
advanced to third on a grounder and scored on McKenrys sacrifice fly to tie it.
Placido Polancos two-out RBI single to left put the Phillies ahead 2-1 in the
bottom half. Worley escaped a first-and-second, no-out jam in the first, helping
himself with an excellent defensive play. Worley charged off the mound, fielded
Jones slow roller and flipped the ball with his glove to Ruiz to retire Tabata
trying to score. Notes: Phillies C Brian Schneider had an MRI that revealed a
high ankle sprain. Hell miss three to five weeks. ... Sutton joined the Pirates
earlier in the day after being claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on Sunday. LHP
Doug Slaten was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the roster.
The Pirates also called up C Eric Fryer and optioned INF Matt Hague. ... Alvarez
is 8 for 18 with four homers and nine RBIs in last three four road games. ...
Worley has a 2.70 ERA in five starts since returning from an elbow injury. ...
The Phillies have sold out 259 straight games, including post-season. ...
James McDonald (6-3, 2.19) starts for the Pirates on Wednesday against an
undetermined starter for Philadelphia. ’ ’ ’