Williams technical director Pat Symonds says it is crucial his team does not let Valtteri Bottas move to Mercedes next year.Bottas has been linked with the vacant seat at the world champions for 2017 following Nico Rosbergs retirement and is believed to be at the top of team boss Toto Wolffs wishlist. However, he is contracted to Williams for next year and is due to partner rookie Lance Stroll, who comes to the team from Formula 3 with backing from his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll.Mercedes has reportedly offered a discount on Williams engine supply in order to release Bottas from his contract, but as yet a deal has not been reached.We will have Lance Stroll making his debut, with no F1 experience, so holding on to Bottas will be crucial for our success, Symonds told Gazzetta dello Sport. Losing him would have a big impact on the team.Bottas 2016 teammate Felipe Massa retired from the sport at the end of the season and Symonds says it is essential his team has at least one driver as a reference under F1s new regulations for 2017.People often underestimate the importance of continuity in a team. The driver is the final link you need between the engineers and the data.You can replace one of them, but you need the other as a reference, especially in a season with the amount of rule changes 2017 will have.Reggie White Eagles Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Brian Westbrook Youth Jersey . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Tommy-Mcdonald-Inverted-Jersey/ . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Dallas Goedert Womens Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Wes Hopkins Jersey . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said.NEW YORK -- The New York Mets didnt have to do a thing Thursday in order to take sole possession of the second wild card in the National League. On Friday, the Mets will begin taking playoff destiny into their own hands.The Mets open up their final homestand of the regular season Friday night, when the Minnesota Twins visit for a three-game interleague series at Citi Field. New York (77-69) was off Thursday following a 1-0 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday while the Twins (55-92) beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-1, at Comerica Park Thursday afternoon.While the Twins are hoping to avoid 100 losses, the Mets will enter Friday with a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals (76-70) in the race for the NLs second wild-card spot by virtue of the Cardinals 6-2 loss Thursday night to the top wild card, the San Francisco Giants (78-68).The Mets, the defending NL champions, appeared finished four weeks ago Friday, when an 8-1 loss to the Giants dropped them to 60-62 and into fifth place in the wild-card race, 5 1/2 games behind the second wild card Cardinals.But the Mets have the best record in baseball (17-7) since Aug. 19 and will play their final 16 games against a quartet of teams -- the Twins, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins -- that enter Friday a combined 88 games under .500.We have caught up a lot in the last couple of weeks, Mets manager Terry Collins said. We have a chance to do some damage if we take care of our own business.The Mets have done damage of the past monthh thanks largely to strong pitching from three unexpected contributors: Rookies Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman as well as wise old sage Bartolo Colon.dddddddddddd The trio is a combined 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) during New Yorks run.Colon, the oldest player in baseball at age 43, is scheduled to start Fridays opener while Lugo is expected to pitch Saturday.At this time of year, (with) where were at, and you see the young guys stepping up and doing their job, you can tell how good stuff they have, Mets catcher Rene Rivera said after Gsellman threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday.The Twins, meanwhile, will look to continue playing spoiler as they try to avoid the franchises first 100-loss season since 1982. Minnesota, which needs to go 8-7 the rest of the way to finish with fewer than 100 losses, just split a four-game series with the AL wild card-contending Tigers and will play the next 12 games against four teams -- the Mets, Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals -- who are currently over .500 and within six games of a playoff spot.Rookie right-hander Jose Berrios, who has a 9.27 ERA in his first 11 big league starts, is scheduled to oppose Colon on Friday night.Were trying to finish and at the same time construct a little bit in our brains going forward, what people are in our mix, Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters Thursday afternoon. ' ' '