Archiv » League success for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid was the best

PITTSBURGH -- Travis Snider is no longer a regular in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup. The arrival of Gregory Polanco in June means right field is no longer an option for Snider -- or anybody else -- for the next six years. Relegated to part-time status, Snider isnt sulking. Hes thriving. Sniders major league-leading 11th pinch hit of the season, a sinking liner off Matt Belisle, in the eighth scored Neil Walker and sparked the Pirates to a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. "When you dont see (reserves) on the bench, were not hanging out eating sunflower seeds, were actually doing something," Snider said. "We really just try to feed off each other in that sense and have a routine you can stick with it." Coming through is becoming routine for Snider, who is 11 for 39 (.282) as a pinch hitter. "One of the things we continue to talk about with all the pinch hitters is ... theres no downside," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Youre trying to perform one of the toughest acts in the game and hes gotten to a good place with it." All-Star reliever Tony Watson (6-1) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning. Mark Melancon got Troy Tulowitzki, representing the tying run, to ground out to third to end it for his 17th save. Starling Marte tripled and drove in two runs before leaving late in the game shortly after taking a fastball to the head. Hurdle called the decision to remove Marte "precautionary" and he will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Charlie Culberson and Corey Dickerson had two hits apiece for the Rockies but Colorados bullpen couldnt give starter Jorge De La Rosa his fifth consecutive victory. The Rockies left 11 runners on base while losing their third straight. "We couldnt put it away," manager Walt Weiss said. "We got a few big outs there but the final analysis is we werent able to put that game away." Walker singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on Gaby Sanchezs single to centre. Snider followed with a hard drive that Gonzalez couldnt track down, the low point on a night the slugger also struck out five times. Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano worked five innings as he tries to bounce back from a difficult first half in which he managed just one win in 15 starts and spent a month on the disabled list with a back injury. The left-hander returned in four shaky innings last weekend against Cincinnati, but Hurdle threw Liriano right back out there on Friday hoping to get him into a comfortable rhythm. The early signs were encouraging. Liriano laboured through the first two innings -- needing 27 pitches to get out of bases-loaded jam in the first -- but got better as the game wore on. Colorado managed only an RBI fielders choice by Dickerson in the second against him as he retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. Liriano allowed one run on three hits, walking three and striking out eight. "When I started hitting my spot with my fastball in, things started to get better," Liriano said. De La Rosa was just as effective while keeping the Pirates off balance for six innings. Poor decision making by Marte helped. The left fielder tripled to left with two outs in the fifth, scoring Polanco all the way from first. Marte then ran through third baseman Nick Leyvas stop sign and was out by a good 15 feet trying for an inside the park homer. Colorado went back in front in the seventh when Pedro Alvarezs throwing error with two outs snowballed into an RBI single by Drew Stubbs. Pittsburgh evened it in the seventh after loading the bases off Rex Brothers. Adam Ottavino came in and got ahead of Marte 0-2 before hitting the outfielder in the helmet with a 93 mph fastball. "It was a bad pitch, I wish it didnt happen," Ottavino said. "It got away from me." NOTES: Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole threw 30 pitches on Thursday without incident as he recovers from a sore back. Cole was eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday but the team remains uncertain on when he will return. ... Colorado RHP Tyler Chatwood will have undergo reconstructive elbow surgery for the second time in his career. Chatwood hasnt pitched since going on the 60-day disabled list on April 30. The 24-year-old is 20-22 with a 4.34 ERA in 70 major league games. He is expected to miss 12-18 months. ... The series continues on Saturday when Pittsburghs Charlie Morton (5-9, 3.32 ERA) faces Colorados Brett Anderson (0-3, 4.95). Jalyn Holmes Jersey . - The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent centre Brian de la Puente. Brian ONeill Jersey . Calgary finished atop the CFL standings with a 14-4 record and earned the right to host the West Division final at McMahon Stadium on Nov. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Mike-Remmers-Vikings-Jersey/ .ca MLB Power Rankings, the third consecutive week that the As have held top spot and the third straight week that they have been one ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Kirk Cousins Jersey . Reyes, 26, was traded from Atlanta to Toronto in July 2010 and spent the remainder of the season in the minors. He began 2011 in the majors and made 20 starts with the Blue Jays, going 5-8 with a 5.40 earned run average before he was waived on Aug. Sheldon Richardson Jersey . - Mathew Barzal scored 3:47 into overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds downed the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 on Tuesday in Western Hockey League playoff action.MADRID, Spain -- Perhaps the Champions League success for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid was the best thing that could happen to Barcelona -- at least as far as the domestic title race is concerned. The Madrid clubs stumbled in the Spanish league on Sunday as they looked sapped of energy following their wins in the Champions League semifinals to set up a city derby in the final. That has provided Barcelona with renewed hope after the defending champion wrote itself off. Leader Atletico lost 2-0 at Levante, while Madrid needed a stoppage-time goal from Cristiano Ronaldo to draw 2-2 against Valencia at home. That came after Atletico beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and Madrid routed Bayern 4-0 in Munich in midweek. Chelsea went on to draw 0-0 on Sunday against Norwich to virtually fall out of contention in the Premier League race. "Specifically on the physical front. Atletico and Chelsea had the same problem (as us)," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the teams draw. "You cant give your maximum intensity like that and not pay the price for it." Atletico is still the front-runner as it needs only four points from its final two games -- against Malaga at home this Sunday before the trip to Barcelona on May 18. Atletico leads with 88 points and Barcelona is second with 85. Madrid has 83 points but with three games remaining, starting with Wednesdays match at Real Valladolid that will see the standings set for the last two rounds. "We cant forget that we depend on ourselves," Atletico captain Gabi Fernandez said. "Were 115 days from tasting glory, so weve got to keep fighting.dddddddddddd." Atletico holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Madrid, so even wins for Real at Valladolid, at Celta Vigo, and home to Espanyol wouldnt be enough unless Atletico drops points. "I only trust in Madrid and no other team. We have to do our job and see what happens," Madrid defender Marcelo said. "First off, we have to win our games. We cant worry about other teams, we need to worry about ourselves, win, and then see." Ronaldos turn-of-his-boot volley to stab in a 92nd-minute cross allowed Madrid to remain in the race. "Cristianos goal was very, very important because if we had lost it would have meant we lost any chance of winning the league," Ancelotti said. "It was a key play. Weve got three games left, and on Wednesday well play better." Barcelona looked to have given up on winning a fifth title in six years after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer to relegation-battling Getafe in a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Now, suddenly, Barcelona remains in the hunt, but needs Madrid to drop points to have a chance to avoid a first season without a major trophy since 2007. If Atletico and Barcelona end up tied on points, Barcelona will hold the head-to-head advantage as that scenario will arrive only with the titleholder beating Atletico on the final day. "One day someone said this league was boring, and now its very fun," Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said. "What we have left is a couple of rounds of pure football." 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