the tackles. ... Theyre pursuing to the football, theyre playing har

CHICAGO -- It was soooo easy for those San Francisco Giants to look at the classic October baseball game that unfolded Friday evening at turbocharged Wrigley Field and chalk it up to the minuscule difference between winning and losing this time of year.When you lose a 1-0 game to the mighty Chicago Cubs on a brisk October night, its soooo easy to think it all came down to one pitch. To one swing. To one eighth-inning home run that floated through the Chicago sky and came down in a contraption that doesnt exist in any other ballpark in America.And if thats how the Giants want to look at it -- by which we mean heck yeah, they did -- it would be hard to blame them. But heres another question they might want to ask themselves: What makes them think theyre going to be able to score enough to beat the team with the best pitching staff in baseball?OK, weve noticed its an even year. And yessir, weve noticed that magical stuff happens to the Giants in even-year Octobers. But you want to know what else weve noticed?That when they face the Cubs, every night looks a lot like this night.Since the beginning of September, the Giants now have played the Cubs five times. Want to take a look at how those Giants hitters have fared in those five games? Sure you do. But you might need to sit down first and maybe pour yourself a beverage, because this wont be easy on the eyes.In those five games, the Giants have gotten a total of 20 hits. In 163 at-bats. And if you dont have a calculator handy, that computes to a terrifying batting average of -- ready? -- .123. It also includes nearly twice as many strikeouts (39) as hits (20).You can now repeat after us: Yikes!Of the 10 runs the Giants have scored in those five games, four of them came off Mike Montgomery during a Sept. 1 spot start. In the other four games, they went 16-for-98 (.163) against Jake Arrieta, John Lackey and Friday nights Cubs ace du jour, Jon Lester -- scoring a total of four earned runs in 28 innings.So is that an indicator of whats to come in this attractive little Division Series between the three-time champs and the 103-win juggernaut on a mission to end its towns fun-filled 108 years of suffering? If it is, then Jeff Samardzija, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Moore had better be ready to drop a whole lot of zeros on the scoreboard over the next three games.Asked Friday night if he enjoys hitting at Wrigley, Buster Posey couldnt help but chuckle.Sure, he said. When I get hits.Well, he did get two of them on this night. Thats the good news. The bad news is, his two forays into scoring position (which would be more than all of his teammates combined) converted into zero runs -- because the lineup around him combined to go 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position against Lester and his favorite 102 mph closer, Aroldis Chapman.When youre facing Jon Lester and Aroldis Chapman, youve got your hands full, Posey said, in the midst of an almost dead-silent clubhouse. Hey, wed love to score six off Lester. But the odds of that arent very good.Yeah, you dont need to check the tote board in Vegas to know hes got an excellent feel for those odds. But how much better do the odds get Saturday in Game 2, when the Giants have to face Kyle Hendricks, a fellow who just led the league in ERA and went 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA at Wrigley this season?Do those odds improve a whole lot in Game 3, when the Giants have to line up against the incumbent Cy Young, Arrieta, a gentleman who has allowed a grand total of seven earned runs against them in five starts as a Cub?Then next up, after him, is Lackey. His career ERA against the Giants in the regular season: 2.37. Are we allowed to mention a slightly painful Game 7 win over them in a 2002 World Series that didnt turn out so hot? Oops. We just did. Sorry!So those numbers alone tell you this is one dazzling rotation the Cubs are about to run out there. Just to make sure, we asked Posey if these guys were as good as the numbers make them look. Lets just say he didnt deny it.Yeah, theyve got good stuff, Posey said. And theyre all a little bit different. Lester has really good stuff, and he commands the ball well. And obviously, the guy weve got tomorrow [Hendricks] commands the ball as well as anybody in the game. Arrieta is a stuff guy, for sure. His ball is moving all over the place. And Lackey is going to compete his tail off. But I mean, thats what you expect this time of year.Since hes speaking as a man who is about as familiar with this time of year as any human on the planet -- from Derek Jeter to David Ortiz to Vin Scully -- you can feel free to assume hes as confident as ever that he plays on a team that will figure out how to make this work somehow or other.Am I confident of that? Sure, he said. Youve got to scratch. But its what weve done in the past.The question, however, is this: Is this lineup as good as it was in the past? The 2012 and 2014 Giants both ranked in the top six in the league in runs scored. This team finished ninth. Over the second half, just two NL lineups (the Marlins and Phillies) scored fewer runs than they scored. So its fair to wonder if what theyve done in the past even applies anymore.A lot of the second half, it felt like most of us were in a slump, first baseman Brandon Belt?said. So thats not as well as we can play. But I think you saw a team more like what youre used to seeing from us in that last week of the season. I think we played more like we should play. And I think that gives us confidence going into these next games, because yeah, were going to face a lot of good pitching, but we know that were capable of winning these ballgames.Oh, theyve slayed plenty of great pitching staffs and plenty of great teams on the road to those three parades, of course. The 2010 Phillies, 2012 Cardinals and 2014 Nationals could tell you all about it. But in Game 1 at Wrigley Field, the Giants got a textbook lesson on what can happen to even a special team when it doesnt score.What happens is this: A game gets decided on a towering fly ball that the left fielder settles under, knowing hes going to catch it -- and instead it plops into a basket that hangs over the outfield wall, because, well, its Wrigley Field. So of course, the only overhanging basket in baseball helps determine who wins and loses a pivotal postseason game.When Angel Pagan was asked afterward if hed have caught Javier Baezs game-winning home run if that basket had never existed, even he couldnt help but smile.Yes. Of course, he said. I was right under it. It looked like it was coming back. It was coming [down], but it was coming back. So I could see the ball coming back, but it was right in the back of the basket. It was right on the edge. But it was good enough.In other words, it caught the very edge and dropped in?I havent seen the replay, but thats what it looked like, Pagan said. I saw [the] baseball. Right before I got to the wall, I saw [the] baseball right there. So you could see that if it kept [going], I could catch it.Pagan uttered these words with more resignation than bitterness. This was life in October. He knew it well. He has roamed outfields in the major leagues for 11 seasons now. He knows there is nothing quite like those baskets in any of the other 29 parks.But its been there for so many years, youve got to respect those baskets, he said. Theyve been there much longer than weve been playing baseball -- or living.Now, he knows, its time for his team to find a way to overcome whatever obstacles present themselves this month -- whether its baseball-eating baskets or bat-eating aces. Or else.Theres no other way, Pagan said. Otherwise, were going to go home.Bernie Kosar Youth Jersey . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Baker Mayfield Browns Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.footballbrownsnflprostore.com/Youth-Greedy-Williams-Elite-Jersey/ .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Jim Brown Browns Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Odell Beckham Jr Womens Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year.ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins players and coaches say their turnaround from 0-2 to 4-2 is a matter of resilience.Coach Jay Gruden and cornerback Bashaud Breeland cited a strong response to adversity, and quarterback Kirk Cousins said no one hit the panic button. But this four-game winning streak isnt just about next man up, taking it one play at a time, never quitting, always believing or any other sports clich?.No, Washington has climbed back up the NFC East standings on a foundation of a balanced offense, clutch defense and improved play from Cousins over the past four weeks. The Redskins go into Week 5 at the Detroit Lions feeling good about themselves -- but not too good, knowing how quickly things can change.We know were on fire, but in order to stay on fire in this league you have to take it one day at a time, wide receiver DeSean Jackson said. You cant peak. We have the Lions ahead of us and thats a big game for us. Every game is big.After opening with home losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins have come up big in victories against the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles .Its no coincidence that three of those four wins came with a heavy emphasis on the running game. The Redskins had 89 passing attempts to 39 rushes in the first two weeks of the season, and since then Cousins has thrown the ball 138 times and handed it off 109 times.The three-headed running attack of feature back Matt Jones, rookie Robert Kelley and third-down back Chris Thompson has allowed Cousins to get a breather and given him more time to execute the offense.It benefits everybody when we have good balance, Gruden said Monday. We love that recipe, man. Its been good to us when we can run the ball as much as we throw it.Throwing it has been better, too. After one touchdown and three interceptions in the first two games, Cousins has eight touchdowns and three interceptions during the streak.His QB rating was over 100 against the Giants and Browns, and while the picks have been a problem he has been good enough to make up for his mistakes.On the other side of the ball, the defense has withstood a season-ending injury to safety DeAngelo Hall, potentially season-ending ones to safety David Bruton and nose tackle Kedric Golston and injuries to Breeland and cornerback Dashaun Phillips.ddddddddddddAfter getting torched for 38 points and 437 yards by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, and giving up 27 points to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, the Redskins defense hasnt allowed a second-half touchdown in four consecutive games.Theyre doing it a lot of different ways, Gruden said. Theyve mixed up their coverages and stunts and stopped the run game better in the second half. We give up some big plays, but they bend but dont break and hold to field goals, which is excellent.Defensive end Chris Baker said it has been a case of playing better fundamental football, which includes solving the tackling problem that had cropped up. A big difference is the defense is better rested because it has improved on third down of late.The Ravens and Eagles converted on just seven of 27 third downs over the past two weeks. And the Redskins defense hasnt allowed a touchdown since four minutes into the Baltimore game, a streak of almost eight full quarters.Defensive coordinator Joe Barry was criticized for early season struggles, and now he and the position coaches are getting some credit for the improvements and adjustmentsThose guys are doing an excellent job coaching those guys up, but the players are making plays and thats what its about, Gruden said. Theyre getting off blocks and theyre making the tackles when they have to make the tackles. ... Theyre pursuing to the football, theyre playing hard, theyre playing with confidence (and) theyre making plays.Game notesGruden said receiver Josh Doctson will be shut down for a few weeks to rest a lingering left Achilles tendon injury. Injured reserve remains a possibility for the first-round pick. ... Linebacker Sua Cravens will increase his workload this week as he tries to come back from a concussion that caused him to miss the Eagles game, Gruden said. Its unclear if Cravens will be ready to face the Lions.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno .---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '