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). . Henry, who missed three games with a knee injury, was charged with a handball in the penalty area in the 82nd minute as he went to block a strike from Patrick Mullins. On the ensuing penalty kick, Lee Nguyen picked up his fourth goal of the season, giving the Revolution a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon. . Campbell, playing on loan with Greek club Olympiacos, found the net with a left-footed shot in the 44th minute off a pass from second-half substitute Jorge Rojas to open the scoring at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica.
http://www.cheapbluejacketsjerseysauthe ... k-jersey.C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. . You can, too, Clay Buchholz, if we ignore the sixth inning of Game 2. Doug Fister and Jake Peavy, youre up next in Game 4 and theres a lot to live up to. . They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1.WEST BROMWICH, England -- Liverpool missed a chance to strengthen its place in the Premier Leagues top four on Sunday when Kolo Toure gifted West Bromwich Albion an equalizer in a 1-1 draw. Liverpool took the lead against the run of play when Luis Suarez set up Daniel Sturridge to poke the ball into the net in the 24th minute. But the winning position was thrown away in the 67th when Toures slack cross-field clearance went straight to Victor Anichebe, who levelled with a low shot from a central position. "Sometimes in the past I might have switched off," Anichebe said. "But today I was ready, especially against Liverpool. I was there and I finished it." The draw pushed West Brom a point clear of the relegation zone. Liverpool is fourth, three points behind Chelsea, which is at leader Manchester City on Monday. Sturridges 50th career league goal -- and his 24th in 30 games for Liverpool -- in a disjointed firrst-half performance had put his team on course to retain a four-point cushion over Everton.dddddddddddd But the draw will gave more ammunition to the critics who felt Liverpool should have strengthened in the transfer window to enhance its bid to regain Champions League football. But it was not the absence of Ukraine winger Yehven Konoplyanka, whose proposed move to Anfield broke down in final hours of the January transfer window, which ultimately cost them points but a lack of resources at the back. Toure is only playing because Daniel Agger and Mamadou Sakho are injured, but manager Brendan Rodgers insisted defensive reinforcements were not his priority. What Liverpool really need is to keep Luis Suarez and Sturridge fit and scoring -- as they did in a 4-0 rout of Everton in the Merseyside derby on Tuesday. But the duo didnt make an impact at West Brom beyond the combination that produced the first-half goal. ' ' '
