ekansekans's blog: "df"

CLEVELAND -- Pedro Alvarez had one of his best games yet. Still, it was a win by the Pittsburgh Pirates that had him really excited. Alvarez drove in a career-high six runs with his second two-homer game in two days, powering Pittsburgh past the Cleveland Indians 9-5 Sunday. "Im just glad to help us win the series," Alvarez said as music blared in the clubhouse following the Pirates second victory in three games, giving them a sixth series win in their last seven matchups. Alvarez seemed unfazed by his own accomplishment -- hitting three-run homers in the fourth and fifth innings for his fourth career multihomer game. He also doubled, for his first game of three extra-base hits. His previous two multihomer games also came in consecutive games, July 20-21 against Milwaukee. "Its just coincidence," Alvarez said of homering twice in consecutive games once again. Manager Clint Hurdle said Alvarez has worked hard to lift his average to .207 with a team-high 12 homers and 34 RBIs, three behind team leader Andrew McCutchen. Alvarez has 10 RBIs in four games after going 10 games without any. "Hes worked hard to get to a better place," Hurdle said. "He drove one ball to right, then took advantage of a mistake and hit another. He had a very good day at the plate." Tony Watson (4-0), the second of five Pirates pitchers, worked 1 2-3 innings of relief for the win. Jeanmar Gomez (4-6) allowed eight runs -- four earned -- over 4 1-3 innings for Cleveland, which lost for the fifth time in six games. Eight runs came directly after three errors by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. "It was a bad day for me," Cabrera said. "We lost the game right there on the errors I made." Pittsburgh scored nine runs for the second straight game after totalling 13 runs during a four-game losing streak. Alvarez became the first Pirates player with six RBIs in a game since Andy LaRoche did it Sept. 28, 2009, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clevelands Jason Kipnis had three hits and scored twice. He put the Indians ahead with two outs in the first inning by hitting his team-leading 11th homer, off Pirates starter Brad Lincoln. Casey Kotchmans run-scoring single made it 2-0 in the second. Alvarez put the Pirates up 3-2 in the fourth. His line drive into the right field seats came after Cabrera fielded a two-out grounder by Casey McGehee, but threw it away. Shin-Soo Choo sent Cleveland back in front with a two-run double in the bottom half. Hurdle thought left fielder Alex Presley should have caught line drive hit just over his head. "We gave them a gift run," Hurdle said. "It should have been a sacrifice fly. That ball needs to be caught." Presley came back in the fifth with his fifth homer, and second in two days to tie it at 4. Later in the inning, Cabrera made two errors on a potential inning-ending double play grounder by McGehee with the bases loaded. Cabrera ranged near second base and lifted his glove too soon on the play. The ball trickled away as one run scored. Cabrera then tried to scoop it to Kipnis at second for a forceout, but rolled it past him instead, as another Pirate crossed the plate. "That was a perfect groundball for a double play," Cabrera said. "I missed the ball so I tried to get it to Kipnis." Esmil Rogers then replaced Gomez and Alvarez hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for his 12th homer and 9-4 lead. "That made me feel bad, too, but theres nothing I can do," Cabrera said. "It (the errors) already happened. You have to finish the game." Cabrera had only three errors in his first 55 games and had not made a miscue in 33 games since May 7. "You are not going to see that team make three errors in a game often," Hurdle said. "We made them pay. We were able to add on and thats usually a difference maker." With one out in the ninth, Cabrera lined a ball off the wall in right, but wasnt running full speed around first base. He tried to hustle to second for a double, but was thrown out by right fielder Garrett Jones. Cabrera said he thought the ball was going to be caught. Michael Brantley, whose 22-game hitting streak was snapped Saturday, doubled home Kipnis in the seventh. NOTES: Pittsburgh won a series for only the second time in their last 21 road interleague matchups. ... Pirates RHP Daniel McCutchen (strained oblique) had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Indianapolis from Class A Bradenton. ... Indians RHP Derek Lowe is scheduled to start Monday against Cincinnati -- his first outing since being brushed back by a pitch from Reds RHP Mat Latos. Reds manager Dusty Baker admitted he ordered the pitch. He and Lowe have feuded for a few years. ... Kipnis has a streak of 15 consecutive stolen base attempts. He is 17 for 18 overall. ... The last Cleveland player with three errors in a game was 3B Andy Marte, June 10, 2010. ... Cleveland released RHP Hector Ambriz from Triple-A Columbus to clear room for LHP Scott Barnes, optioned out on Friday. Baltimore Ravens #55 Jersey . Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. Youth Joe Flacco Jersey . - If the Phoenix Coyotes make a playoff run, they will need the scoring of winger Radim Vrbata. http://www.ravens-jersey.com/vonta-leach-jersey/ . The defending Super Bowl champions reached the quarter pole of their follow-up season at a respectable 2-2 and just a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, but an eye on a daunting horizon does nothing if not create a sense of urgency. Courtney Upshaw Jersey . Citys unbeaten league start looked under threat when Steven Caulker headed Tottenham in front, but goals from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko clinched a 2-1 win. As the champions fell two points behind United, Chelsea dropped a point further back in third after being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Dennis Pitta Jersey . The National Football Foundation announced on ESPN that Detmer will be part of a class of 14 former players and three former coaches who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in December.OKLAHOMA CITY -- When Kevin Love drilled the most dramatic of his career-high seven 3-pointers during his first 50-point game over Russell Westbrook, he gave his former UCLA buddy a good ribbing. At the end of the night, it was Westbrook who got the win. Westbrook scored a career-best 45 points, Kevin Durant added 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame Loves franchise-record 51 points to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 149-140 in double-overtime Friday night. "Theres a lot of great performances throughout this game but the good thing about it was our team victory," Westbrook said. Westbrook set the tone in the second overtime, stealing the ball on Minnesotas opening possession and racing to the other end for a layup that resulted in a three-point play. The West-leading Thunder never trailed in the period and put it away with nine straight points after Nick Collison blocked Loves shot that would have tied it at 140. Westbrook and Durant became the first tandem in NBA history to have two games in the same season with 40 points apiece. "Thats going to be a game thats going to be played for a while now," Durant said. "It was fun to be a part of. ... We made some big plays. Guys trusted each other and thats what good teams do: make the right basketball play." Love, who beat Durant in the 3-Point Contest on All-Star weekend, also pulled down 14 rebounds while becoming the third player to eclipse 50 points this season. Durant (51) and New Jerseys Deron Williams (57) previously passed the half-century mark. "It doesnt matter. We lost," Love said. "We needed this game, especially the last game of our road trip against a very good team. This could have definitely been a driving force for us in these last 17, 18 games." Love, whose previous career-high was 43 points, was 16 of 27 from the field and went 7 for 11 on 3s, hitting his first five attempts. J.J. Barea complemented him with his first career triple-double -- and the first for Minnesota since Kevin Garnett did it in 2007. He had a season-high 25 points a career-best 14 assists and matched his best rebounding total with 10. Anthony Tolliver chipped in a season-high 23 points for Minnesota, which was without second-leading scorer Nikola Pekovic (left ankle) and Michael Beasley (left big toe) and fell to 2-6 since point guard Ricky Rubio was lost to a season-ending knee injury. "Everybody made plays when it counted," Love said. "There was just a concerted effort from their team in that second overtime. The ball bounced their way with a little bit of luck and they made stops." Love answered Durants tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in regulation by hitting his own over Westbrook with just 1 second left to force overtime. "Thats my man, my main guy. Definitely talking trash out there, especially after he hit the one right in my face," Westbrook said. "He said, In your face, He just kept pointing, like, In your face, in your face.&qquot; Love then scored Minnesotas first eight points of the first overtime, but the Wolves couldnt close it out after taking a 129-124 lead on Tollivers three-point play and fast-break dunk with 46.dddddddddddd seconds left. Westbrook hit a jumper in the lane and, after Love was called for travelling, Durant drilled a 3 over his outstretched arm with 10 seconds left. Barea missed a potential game-winning 3 and Durants heave from the opposite free-throw line hit the backboard and rim. Love couldnt keep it up in the second overtime, and the Thunders tandem of All-Stars were finally able to put away their first consecutive wins in more than two weeks. After Loves shot at the tie was swatted, Durant hit a step-back jumper from the left side and Westbrook followed with a two-handed slam to for a 144-138 lead with 1:15 remaining. "The stars were stars tonight. Theres no question about it," said Derek Fisher, who logged 36 minutes in his second game with Oklahoma City. "Thats why those three guys were All-Stars in the Western Conference. I think they showed in every way why theyre three of the best players in our game right now. "Fortunately, we had two on our side and they only had one." James Harden scored 25 off the bench and Kendrick Perkins contributed a season-high 12 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter or overtime for Oklahoma City. Minnesota coach Rick Adelman expressed before the game that he was concerned how his team would respond at the end of a franchise record seven-game road trip that came right after losing Rubio. The Timberwolves lost 15 straight to end last season and were 1-23 down the stretch the previous year. "I worry about it a lot. I think the thing you worry about with this group is theyve really struggled in the last couple years and you cant give into the situation. You cant give in to the tough schedule, you cant give in to the fact that youve lost players or lost games," Adelman said. That was never an issue. The Timberwolves didnt lead between the end of the first quarter and the start of overtime but stayed in striking distance before rallying in the final minute to tie it, first when Westbrook tried to save a ball from going out of bounds and instead threw it to Barea for a layup to tie it at 113 with 27.3 seconds left. "Theres still a lot of fight in us. We might be down but were not out, if we can just continue to get better," Love said. "We need to have more games like this." NOTES: After spending the past 12 days on their longest road trip in franchise history, the Timberwolves dont get much of a reprieve: a single game at home on Sunday afternoon before four of their next five on the road. "We get to go home for, what, 36 hours?" Adelman said. ... F Ryan Reid, who was waived Wednesday so Oklahoma City could sign Derek Fisher, rejoined the Thunder organization Thursday by signing with the franchises NBA Development League affiliate in Tulsa. ... Love had never previously made more than five 3-pointers in a game. ' ' '