Wir suchen Dich! » inside against Baylors zone defe

ST. LOUIS -- Carlos Martinez pitched seven sharp innings, Jedd Gyorko hit his 29th homer, Brandon Moss homered to break out of a big slump and the St. Louis Cardinals stayed in the middle of the NL wild-card race.All that, but the most memorable moment in the Cardinals 7-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on a rainy Friday night was provided by Matt Holliday.Holliday launched a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning in what could have been his final at-bat after 7 1/2 seasons in St. Louis.Holliday was given a standing ovation before he stepped into the batters box and was called out for a curtain call after he drove an 0-2 fastball into the right-field bullpen for his 20th homer.I still have chills, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. It was a great crowd and every one of them made that extremely special for him. It meant a great deal to him, probably more than what words can describe.Said longtime teammate Adam Wainwright: You cant make that stuff up.Everybody in the dugout was saying, man, it would be cool if he hit a home run. And he did it on an 0-2 pitch. You just dont see that.Holliday, out since Aug. 12 because of a thumb injury, was activated off the disabled list at his request Friday. The club informed him earlier this week that it is not planning to pick up the $17 million option on his contract for 2017, and instead will pay him the $1 million buyout.Holliday had left the clubhouse before the media was allowed in.The Cardinals began the day trailing San Francisco by one game for the second NL wild-card spot. The Giants played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers.It was special for me watching it as an outsider, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. The career for him is not over but what a reception from a baseball town.Holliday became the sixth Cardinals player to reach 20 homers this season, tying an NL record. It was the first pinch-hit homer and RBI of Hollidays career and was the 17th overall by St. Louis this year, extending its major league mark.Martinez (16-9) gave up five singles, walked one and struck out nine in his career-high 31st start. John Jaso led off the second with a single and was the only runner to reach third base against Martinez, who left with a 3.04 ERA.Im been pleased with my starts all year, said Martinez, who said he dedicated the game to his friend Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins pitcher killed Sunday in a boating accident. I feel comfortable on the mound. Its not just a physical thing but being able to go out there and be comfortable.Tyler Glasnow (0-2) finished his rookie season with his most effective start, working five innings and giving up Gyorkos homer. Glasnow did not allow another Cardinal past second.The Cardinals took a 5-0 lead in the sixth with four runs off reliever Trevor Williams. Yadier Molina and Stephen Piscotty doubled in runs and Moss hit a two-run homer, his 28th.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: LF Starling Marte (back) was not in the lineup and is not expected to play in the final two games.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (5-4, 4.25 ERA) lasted two innings in his only start against the Cardinals, a 12-6 loss on Sept. 5.Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (7-7, 4.93) has allowed 10 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings over three relief appearances since returning from the DL. He was picked to start Saturdays game against the Pirates instead of struggling LHP Jaime Garcia. Sony Michel Jersey . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston. Rob Gronkowski Jersey . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-Drew-Bledsoe-Patriots-Jersey/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Tedy Bruschi Youth Jersey . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. Kevin Faulk Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. WACO, Texas -- Baylors nonconference slate has transitioned from the Bears playing a whos-who list of college basketball powers to something that more resembles preseason exhibition games.The fourth-ranked Bears tip off Sunday against John Brown University of the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference. Baylor still has a highly-rated strength of schedule, though it will fall a few notches during its current run of less-competitive games in the leadup to Big 12 action.Baylor will be playing its second game in two different venues in less than 24 hours. The Bears defeated Jackson State 82-57 on Saturday at Abrams Gym in Fort Hood, Texas.But the Bears are committed to playing games at Fort Hood after spending time at the U.S. military post in team building two years ago. Baylor coach Scott Drew gave his postgame interview after the win over Jackson State at about 7:30 Saturday night. His message to the team and fans was simple.Dont stay out late, Drew said.Its a challenging turnaround, though the level of competition doesnt rise to the level that Baylor faced earlier in nonconference play.The Bears defeated then-No. 24 Michigan State and then-top-10 opponents Oregon, Louisville and Xavier.But Jackson State fell to 3-8 with the loss to Baylor, despite the fact that the Tigers hadnt played a top-25 opponent until they met the Bears.Next up for Baylor is John Brown. The Golden Eagles enter with a 9-4 record, but they havent defeated a NCAA Division I opponent so far this season. Most recently, Oral Roberts throttled John Brown 95-63 on Dec. 10 in Tulsa, Okla.Part of the explanation for Baylors foray into competition against an NAIA opponent is that John Broown coach Jason Beschta is a former graduate assistant at Baylor.ddddddddddddHe earned a graduate degree in pedagogy from the school and served on Drews staff early in Drews tenure with the Bears.As a coach, you like to see your former staff do well and theyve done such a great job, Drew said.Guard Ricky Roberts leads John Brown in scoring at 14.8 points per game and averages 2.9 assists. The Golden Eagles have three guards who average double digits in scoring.However, its likely John Brown will struggle to score inside against Baylors zone defense and its long, shot-swatting forwards. John Brown forwards Benjamin Smith and Miguel Martinez are the only Golden Eagles players taller than 6-5 to play significant minutes so far this season and they combine to average 13.5 points.Baylor 6-10 forward Johnathan Motley is pouring in 16.8 points per game and hes close to averaging a double-double at 8.4 boards. Jo Lual-Acuil, a 7-0 newcomer at forward, has blocked 44 shots in 10 games.The Bears are also experimenting through nonconference with a rotation of 10 players. Guards Manu Lecomte, Al Freeman, Jake Lindsey, King McClure and Chuck Mitchell have been moving the ball as well as shooting it proficiently from beyond the 3-point arc. Baylor is shooting 35 percent from 3-point range so far this season with 6.3 connections per game.Any given night it can be anybody showing up, Freeman said. Thats the great thing about our team this year is that you dont know if Im going to go off, Mots going to go off, Manus going to go off. ' ' '