Dein erstes Forum » Weal is playing at his original position

DENVER (AP) — It was Jameson Taillon for Pittsburgh and Chad Bettis for Colorado on Tuesday night at Coors Field.An intersection with special significance.Taillon beat Bettis in a matchup of pitchers who battled testicular cancer last year Cheap Josh Allen Jersey , and the Pirates hit three homers in a 10-2 victory over the Rockies.“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re best friends and we talk on the phone all the time but we’ve both gone through something that is extremely similar and we both go through something similar starting pitching in the major leagues,” Taillon said. “There’s an understood bond there, something we’ll share for life.”Taillon (9-8) allowed 10 hits in his second complete game of the season. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out three and walked one, helping the Pirates stop a three-game slide.He became the first visiting pitcher to toss a nine-inning complete game in Denver since Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw shut out the Rockies on July 2, 2013.“I’ve watched 1,300, 1,400 ballgames here, you don’t see a lot of complete games,” said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle, who managed the Rockies over eight seasons. “He finished strong.”Taillon threw 107 pitches, 70 for strikes. He needed just 15 to get the final three outs in his second career complete game.“You always hear closing out games is tough Authentic Josh Allen Jersey , weird things happen in the ninth so I told myself it’s a 0-0 game, let’s close out this inning,” Taillon said.Starling Marte hit a solo drive in the first and Jordy Mercer connected for a three-run shot against Bettis (5-2) with two out in the fourth. Josh Harrison capped Pittsburgh’s five-run fifth with a two-run homer off Jake McGee.Bettis allowed nine runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in his first start after missing five weeks with a blister on his right middle finger.“The problem was those two walks in the fourth and the home run by Mercer,” Bettis said. “It really came down to those three at-bats where I didn’t really execute the pitches like I wanted to.”Taillon was diagnosed with cancer last year and missed six weeks after surgery last May.Bettis was diagnosed in November 2016. He was cleared to report to spring training before tests revealed he had cancer in his lymph nodes and he underwent treatment. He made his season debut on Aug. 14 and started nine games last year.Colorado made it 10-2 on Carlos Gonzalez’s two-run double with one out in the sixth.REMEMBERING DONTuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of former Rockies manager Don Baylor. Baylor was Colorado’s first manager and held that position for six seasons. He gave Hurdle his first job on a major league staff.“I’m forever grateful,” Hurdle said. “There’s times during the season or other times I’ll remember things he did or things he said that resonate, that have meaning. There’s still enough people within the game that I’ll see from time to time that we were connected. His spirit lives.”ARRIVALShortstop Adeiny Hechavarria joined the Pirates in time for Tuesday’s win. His plane landed at Denver International Airport at around 5 p.m. local time and made it to Coors Field 25 minutes before the first pitch.He was acquired Monday in a trade with Tampa Bay.CENTURY MARKRockies star Charlie Blackmon singled in the sixth inning for his 1,000th career hit. He received a short standing ovation from the crowd.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: INF Sean Rodriguez was placed on the 10-day DL – retroactive to Monday – with a strain to the left abdomen.UP NEXTPittsburgh right-hander Chris Archer (3-5, 4.40 ERA) will make his second start since he was acquired in a trade with the Rays. He will face Rockies right-hander German Marquez (9-8, 4.70 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday. The Vegas Golden Knights were not only the top story in the NHL last season. They were a top story across the entire sports landscape, and arguably the history of all sports.Now, the expansion team from a year ago has the main objective of avoiding a hangover from their magical season, which extended all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Washington Capitals.Article continues below ...Their second season starts Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights go into the season full of expectations http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-josh-allen-jersey , and they must do so after settling on new talent because of free agency and trades.“It’s not like the situation we had last year,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. “It’s a whole different scenario.”Veteran goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury, whose efficiency sparked the Golden Knights last season, added, “I think there’s more expectations from the players, the staff and the fans.“I think everybody expects us to do as well. At the same time, though, if you want to have success, we can’t be thinking about all that stuff (from last season). You’ve just got to be worrying about playing your game the way you can and success will come.”Can Vegas continue its production from last season? Twelve returning players set NHL highs for points in 2017-18, including the top line of William Karlsson (78), Jonathan Marchessault (75) and Reilly Smith (60). Second-line forward Erik Haula (55) and defensemen Colin Miller (41), Nate Schmidt (36) Cheap Tre'Davious White Jersey , Shea Theodore (29) and Deryk Engelland (23) are also included on that list.Fleury’s 2.24 goals-against average and .927 save percentage were the best of his 14 NHL seasons.The second line has new faces with the Golden Knights signing center Paul Stastny and acquiring right wing Max Pacioretty in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens during the offseason. They replace forwards David Perron and James Neal, who left in free agency.Perron led Vegas in assists last season with 50 and Neal scored 25 goals.The Flyers, who lost in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to Pittsburgh, were one of the youngest teams in the league last season, but that youthful talent was significant to their success.Travis Konecny, 21, is one of the team’s top players and will join captain Claude Giroux and Selke finalist Sean Couturier on the first line. Nolan Patrick is part of a formidable line that includes Wayne Simmonds and Jacob Voracek.One of the main objectives for Flyers coach Dave Hakstol is deciding on the vacant third-line center role that was occupied last season by Valtteri Filppula, who signed with the New York Islanders.Jordan Weal and Scott Laughton are top candidates. Weal is playing at his original position after skating on a wing in recent years. Laughton may open against the Golden Knights on left wing if he does not play in the middle.“I think playing in the league a couple years now, I kind of have more confidence with the puck,” Laughton said. “I work with an elite skills coach back home and try to work on the little things that I wouldn’t work on — a lot of stuff with your head up. “Goaltending remains a major concern for the Flyers. The tandem of oft-injured Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott was ranked in the bottom 10 of the NHL last year in save percentage. Elliott posted a .909 save percentage in the last two seasons, and Neuvirth has been at .912 when healthy.