s to try and get a start the following year, Taylor said.ddddddddd

PITTSBURGH -- Two teams currently heading in opposite directions will meet again Saturday, for the second of three games in Pittsburgh this weekend.The Chicago Cubs are coming off their fourth straight loss after allowing five combined runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh and eighth innings of an 8-4 loss Friday. Meanwhile, the Pirates have won eight of their past nine games to pull within 7.5 games of the National League Central-leading Cubs.Cubs manager Joe Maddon didnt hide his frustration Friday night.Were just not able to play through our mistakes like we did at the beginning of the year, Maddon said. No excuses. Weve got to play better.Pirates right-handed pitcher Chad Kuhl will make his third MLB start after going 1-0 in his first two. He pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs and four hits in a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 6 before going six innings with two runs and seven hits against the Oakland Athletics on July 2.The Pirates won each time the 23-year-old has started, which helped bolster a starting rotation that was laboring through a dismal June.Pittsburgh relied on several young pitchers to fuel its recent turnaround, including Kuhl and right-hander Jameson Taillon. It promoted right-hander Tyler Glasnow, the Pirates top-ranked prospect by Baseball America, on Thursday before optioning him back to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.The youth movement hasnt just belonged to the pitching staff, though. First baseman Josh Bell was promoted from Indianapolis on Friday, when he pinch-hit against Jake Arrieta in the seventh inning and laced a single to center field in his first major league at-bat to help set up the tying run.Hurdle said the Pirates will use Bell as a bat off the bench during the weekend series before re-evaluating the lineup after the All-Star Break. He was impressed with Bells temperament, however, and would be confident using him in a similar position Saturday.My goodness. Big league first at-bat, that scenario? I dont know how much better it gets than that, Hurdle said. Mom and dad are in the park. Laces a ball on the first pitch off a Cy Young winner. Thats awful nice. I dont know if he had that yesterday when he woke up or this morning on the way here not he plane. Good for him and good for us.It will have to be seen if the Pirates youth can help them overcome veteran left-hander Jon Lester on Saturday.Lester has rolled to a 9-4 record with a 2.67 ERA, but is coming off his worst start of the season. He went just 1 1/3 innings and allowed eight earned runs on nine hits in Chicagos 14-3 loss to the New York Mets on July 3.In his previous three starts against Pittsburgh this season, Lester has allowed four combined runs across 18 1/3 innings pitched in three wins. He had his least impressive performance against the Pirates when he last faced them, allowing three runs in six innings, but winning 4-3 on June 18.Air Max 90 Homme Pas Cher .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Air Max 270 Femme Solde .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. http://www.maxnikepascher.fr/destockage-air-max-plus/max-plus-homme.html . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Air Max 97 Pas Cher Solde . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Air Max 97 Homme Solde . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.Jason Taylor empathises with embattled Wests Tigers star Robbie Farah, recalling how he wrote letters to coaches begging for another shot in the NRL when he was axed from first grade in his own playing days.With Farah expected to line up for his second reserve grade game in as many weeks on Saturday, Taylor on Friday admitted he felt for the out-of-favour hooker.I was dropped to reserve grade a few times through my career and that gives you an understanding and an empathy for the players that are going through it, said the Tigers coach.Taylor remembered how he was controversially dropped by Northern Eagles coach Peter Sharp late in 2000, ending what was then a record 194 consecutive games in first grade.It stood almost 15 years before it was broken by Gold Coast prop Luke Douglas in 2014.But despite the setback, Taylor, in the twilight of his career, swallowed his pride and begged for another opportunity to stay in the NRL.Then-Parramatta coach Brian Smith threw the point-scoring halfback a lifeline, and was rewarded with Taylor helping the club to its first grand final in 16 years.My career was pretty much at an end and you mightt remember I actually sat down and wrote letters to some NRL coaches to try and get a start the following year, Taylor said.ddddddddddddBrian Smith gave me an opportunity and I ended up playing in that grand final. You never know whats around the corner and often it can be a really positive outcome.Taylor praised Farah for putting in a strong performance for the clubs NSW Cup team in what was an emotional week for the 2005 premiership winner.As Robbie tweeted last week, the toughest times that you go through, those are the ones that determine where youre going to get to in life, he said.It hurts at first, but you bounce back up and you get on with it. Robbie did that really well last week and I was very impressed by that.Farah, 32, has already been linked with a move out of Concord, but Taylor said he was unaware of any negotiations that would lead to the hookers departure.Robbies got a contract for next year at this stage. That stuff will happen, Id assume, but I dont know anything about it, he said. ' ' '