Abstimmungen » e loss to St George Illawarra the round before.H

CHICAGO -- John Lackey was cruising along when Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon hit for the right-hander in the eighth inning.Finding some work for his bullpen is Maddons biggest problem these days.Lackey got his first win in six weeks and Miguel Montero drove in three runs, helping the Cubs sweep the Cincinnati Reds with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night.I definitely felt like I got better as the game went along, Lackey said.Kris Bryant hit his 38th homer and Dexter Fowler also connected as major league-leading Chicago moved a season-high 42 games over .500. The Cubs (97-55) also matched their win total from a year ago and lowered their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to two over Washington.Lackey (10-8) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings in his first win since he beat the Angels on Aug. 9. The right-hander retired his last 14 batters and finished with just 87 pitches.After seven, having to get these bullpen guys some work, I had to do what we did, Maddon said, but he definitely could have gone deeper into the game.Hector Rondon got two outs and Mike Montgomery pitched a scoreless inning before Maddon went to Joe Smith for a game-ending strikeout of Steve Selsky. The Cubs clinched the NL Central title last week, giving Maddon plenty of time to take a look at various postseason possibilities.The last-place Reds lost for the seventh time in eight games. They managed just five runs and 19 hits in the three-game series.Its a challenge over the last couple of years to constantly find ourselves down in the game, especially when its by three, four or five runs and then rally and rally and rally, manager Bryan Price said. Its a comfort zone for the opposing pitchers.Robert Stephenson (2-2) was pulled with two out in the fourth inning and remains winless in four September starts. The rookie was charged with four runs and a career-high eight hits.I just couldnt get into a rhythm today, he said.Jose Peraza hit a tying RBI single in Cincinnatis two-run second, but Chicago pulled away from there. Montero hit an RBI single in the third and a two-run single with two out in the sixth. The veteran catcher also scored on Michael Lorenzens balk in the fifth.Bryant capped the scoring with a two-run shot to left in the seventh. It was Bryants 10th homer of the year against Cincinnati, tied for the second most for a single season against the Reds.Montero, Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez each had three of Chicagos 15 hits, and Fowler scored three times from the leadoff spot.ABOUT THAT ROTATIONChicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks, one of the leading contenders for the NL Cy Young Award, will start on seven days rest Monday at Pittsburgh, and the Cubs will have a bullpen day with several pitchers on Tuesday.Its to look a lot of different things right now, Maddon said. Potentially line things up, potentially look at different people in different roles. ... Theres all kinds of different things were working on right now to try to make it a constructive week and we get a really a final good look at some guys, get them a chance to possibly be in a role that they might be utilized in in the postseason.TRAINERS ROOMReds: Price said RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) could start Sunday at Milwaukee after there were no negatives following his Tuesday bullpen session. Hes looked very good to me, Price said. I think if hes 100 percent Id like to see him pitch. If Bailey cant go, Price said LHP Brandon Finnegan or RHP Tim Adleman would start.Cubs: LHP Jon Lester said he was fine a day after he had a liner go off his right wrist in the sixth inning of Chicagos 6-1 victory on Tuesday night. ... OF Jorge Soler (tightness on his right side) is doing well, according to Maddon. Probably by Friday hopefully well be able to interject him in the game, Maddon said.UP NEXTReds: Following a day off, the Reds begin a weekend series at Milwaukee. Cincinnati RHP Anthony DeSclafani (8-4, 3.15 ERA) gets the ball on Friday night.Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (17-7, 2.96 ERA) faces St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.54 ERA) on Friday afternoon. Maddon said he plans to play the weekend series straight up out of respect for the Cardinals competition in the wild-card race.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap John Stallworth Steelers Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. L.C. Greenwood Jersey . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Franco-Harris-Jersey/ . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Kevin Greene Steelers Jersey . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Carnell Lake Jersey . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Paul Gallen is a certain starter for Cronullas clash with Sydney Roosters this weekend as the Sharks seek a way out of their late NRL season woes.Sosaia Feki could also make his return from injury.The Sharks have crashed to three successive losses, putting their chances of a top-two finish in doubt despite a club record 15 straight wins earlier this season.Cronulla sit in second place, two points ahead of third-placed Canberra, and need to win both of their final games against the Roosters and Melbourne to confirm a home match in week one of the finals.Skipper Gallen sat out the Sharks 12-6 loss to South Sydney at ANZ Stadium on Monday night due to a calf injury, which had also forced him to miss the loss to St George Illawarra the round before.Hooker Michael Ennis admitted the Sharks missed Gallen in the loss to Souths.That is two big bodies we had out with him and Sam Tagataese (both not playing), he told AAP.We coould have used them against that big Souths pack.ddddddddddddI believe he will be back. I hope so.Feki missed the round 24 match with the Rabbitohs due to a groin injury picked up the week before in the loss to St George Illawarra.Prop Tagataese might not play against until the finals due to a shoulder injury.Cronulla will also be boosted by the Roosters poor recent record at Shark Park. The Tricolours have won one of their past six matches in the Shire.Sharks coach Shane Flanagan was attempting to stay positive.Its not going to be easy. We know that, he said.Were trying really hard, were trying our butts off and things just arent working at the moment.Its not hard for me to be positive about it. Thats my job to make sure we work hard and were in good shape when we get to the semi-finals. ' ' '