PHILADELPHIA -- Jake Westbrook is having a season to savour. Ray Lewis Camo Jersey . He wants to keep it going deep into October. Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer and Westbrook won his fifth straight start to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. The World Series champion Cardinals are in the thick of the wild-card hunt and Westbrook gave them a needed 7 2-3 strong innings. Westbrook (12-8) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three and has won five straight starts for the first time in his career. The Cardinals are trying to make a run at defending at their championship and Westbrook has helped keep their playoff dreams afloat. Hes showed his durability with 12 straight starts of at least six innings, and matched his win total from 2011 (12-9) in 10 fewer starts (33 in 2011; 23 in 2012). "He was as good as weve seen him," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "His sinker was falling off the table." Jason Motte struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 26th save. Cliff Lee (2-7) retired 12 straight batters before the Cardinals tagged him for consecutive hits to open the sixth inning. Holliday followed with a shot to right for his 22nd homer of the season. "The way Jake pitched, he deserved to win," Holliday said. Lee has allowed eight homers over his last three home starts and 19 overall on the season. Lee gave up 18 homers in 232 2-3 innings last season. He remained winless at home this season. Staked to a 1-0 lead, Lee was cruising and had his first home victory since September 5, 2011, in sight until Holliday took him deep. Carlos Beltran added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 4-1 and chase the lefty. Lee allowed 10 hits, walked none and struck out four in 7-plus innings. He left two runners stranded in the first inning and stranded another runner at third in the second. Lee, a 17-game winner last season, was expected to form a trio of aces with Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels that would keep the Phillies in contention for a sixth straight playoff spot. It hasnt worked out that way and the Phillies have disappointed. "I had the game in hand," Lee said. Westbrook left after allowing a two-out single in the eighth. Marc Rzepczynski retired Chase Utley on a pop up to end the inning. "I got a lot of ground balls and the defence was working for me," Westbrook said. Westbrook allowed his only run in the first inning on Ryan Howards fielders choice. Utleys hard slide into second rattled shortstop Rafael Furcal on his throw to get Howard, allowing Dom Brown to score from third. The Phillies never had a runner reach third after the first inning. "Our offence was really weak tonight," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. Holliday gave Westbrook all the run support he needed with a homer that barely cleared the right field wall and gave him 79 RBIs. Beltran leads the National League with 82 RBIs. "Those two guys have been carrying the load," Matheny said. NOTES: The Phillies honoured stars of their past, including Bob Boone, Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt. Tim McCarver threw the first pitch to Steve Carlton. Brent Musburger was the guest umpire. Musburger was a minor league umpire for McCarvers first professional game for Waterloo in 1959. ... 3B Placido Polanco, on the disabled list since July with lower back inflammation, will travel with the team on next weeks road trip and will likely need a rehab assignment before he returns to the Phillies. ... Cardinals 2B Ryan Jackson made his major league debut. ... Philadelphia sends Vance Worley (6-7) to the mound against Lance Lynn (13-5) in Sundays finale. Justin Tucker Jersey . The player, who had stops at three different schools while in college before being drafted by the Rangers, is now in his seventh season with Texas. His new deal begins in 2013 and includes a club option for 2018. "I had one backpack, one pair of shoes, hiked from college to college. Haloti Ngata Youth Jersey .J. -- Dave DeGuglielmo made it clear that if it were up to him, there would be no rotation at left guard on the New York Jets offensive line.http://www.officialusravensshop.com/arthur-jones-jersey . -- Mariano Rivera sat on a chair in the corner of the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, his right knee tightly wrapped Friday night and crutches resting against a nearby locker. Ray Rice Camo Jersey . Victorias Ryan Cochrane followed up his 2008 Olympic bronze medal with a silver in the same event, the mens 1500-metre freestyle, on Saturday. Haloti Ngata Authentic Jersey . With record-tying power backing a superb start by CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees have first place all to themselves with two games to go and hope theyll have a real party before this series against the Boston Red Sox is over. LAS VEGAS -- Middleweight fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could be stripped of his $3 million purse, depending on the explanation he offers to Nevada boxing regulators about a positive test for marijuana after his first professional loss last weekend in Las Vegas, officials said Wednesday. Top Rank Inc. spokesman Lee Samuels said promoter Bob Arum was aware the 26-year-old Chavez tested positive for the banned substance. "Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will have the opportunity to explain the situation to the Nevada State Athletic Commission," Samuels said in a statement he read to a reporter. Samuels declined further comment. Commission executive Keith Kizer wouldnt immediately provide the name, but said only one of 32 fighters who took part in bouts at two Las Vegas venues last Saturday tested positive for a banned substance, marijuana. Kizer said the commission was awaiting results of pre-fight tests for banned steroids, diuretics and masking agentts before releasing all pre-fight and post-fight test results for all 32 fighters. Ray Rice Womens Jersey. The commission can ban a fighter for one year and penalize him for up to 100 per cent of his purse for a failed test, Kizer said. Chavez was guaranteed $3 million for the WBC title fight against Sergio Martinez. Martinez dominated the first 11 rounds in the 160-pound fight at the Thomas & Mack arena, but had to withstand a frenzied 12th round effort by Chavez to win a unanimous decision. Martinez ran his record to 50-2-2. Chavez fell to 46-1-1 with 32 knockouts. He was suspended before, for seven months, and his 10-round unanimous decision win in November 2009 over Troy Rowlands was changed to a no-contest after he tested positive for a banned diuretic. Chavez was arrested on drunken driving charges Jan. 22 in Los Angeles, and struggled to make weight for a championship bout in February against Marco Antonio Rubio in San Antonio, Texas. ' ' ' |
