missed four others during that stretch recovering from injuries.

PITTSBURGH -- Josh Bell gave his veteran manager goose bumps. He fired up a sellout crowd at PNC Park, too.Bells grand slam in his second major-league at bat was one of four homers by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 12-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.Bell slugged a 1-1 pitch from Adam Warren (3-2) over the seats perched above the 21-foot wall in right for his second pinch-hit in two games since being recalled from Triple-A on Friday.What a fantastic sequence, said the Pirates Clint Hurdle, who has more than 1,000 managerial wins. I got goose bumps. Ive got them probably a dozen times since Ive been a coach or a manager.Chills went down my spine. ... Seemed like the stadium was pretty excited, too.Jordy Mercer followed Bells slam with a home run to make it a five-run fifth for the Pirates, who have won nine of 10 and 12 of their last 15 to move within 6 1/2 games of Chicago in the National League Central.Andrew McCutchen and Sean Rodriguez homered earlier off suddenly struggling Cubs starter Jon Lester, the National League pitcher of the month for June. Lester has allowed 13 runs in 4 1/3 innings in July, including five in three innings Saturday.Terrible. Unacceptable. Letdown, Lester said, describing his outing. Offense gives me two runs early and then gives me runs again -- and then I give it right back. Obviously a letdown, not only for myself but for the team.Ben Zobrist had a two-run homer and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for Chicago, which has lost nine of 10 and seen its division lead dwindle to as small as its been since May.I feel like were fortunate to be (up 6 1/2 games) right now, actually, manager Joe Maddon said. I dont believe its a negative; I think its a positive.Chad Kuhl lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his third major-league start, surrendering Zobrists 13th home run among seven hits allowed. But Pittsburghs bullpen was much better as Arquimedes Caminero (1-2) struck out three in 1 2/3 innings and Jared Hughes earned his third major-league save by pitching three scoreless innings.At least one run was scored during eight of the first 11 half-innings played on a night in which the city of Pittsburgh celebrated its bicentennial. A 25-minute fireworks display set off just a few hundred yards away at the citys Point State Park provided a soundtrack of regular rumbling booms throughout the fifth inning in which Bell and Mercer thrilled the Pirates third sellout crowd of the season even more.Over the past 10 days, the Pirates have scaled more than half of the 14-game hole it had dug in the NL Central. Before Saturdays game, Maddon said that he learned from former mentor John McNamara long ago that once a division lead became fewer than seven games, it was no longer safe.We werent walking away with our heads down, feeling sorry for ourselves when we were getting beat through June, Hurdle said, and were not going to do backflips now. Were going to keep playing.ALL-STAR COMINGS AND GOINGSCubs OF Dexter Fowler backed out of playing in Tuesdays All-Star game as a precaution as he recovers from a strained right hamstring that has him on the disabled list.Pirates OF Starling Marte was announced as one of the NL roster replacements along with the Reds Jay Bruce for Fowler and the Mets Yoenis Cespedes.ROSTER MOVEThe Cubs recalled INF Munenori Kawasaki from Triple-A and Saturdayand optioned INF Jeimer Candelario to Iowa. Maddon said the move was made to give the team a more experienced bat off the bench.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Maddon said Fowler did not experience a setback in a minor-league rehab appearance Friday. He also said he would have had no problem if Fowler had made his return from the disabled list in the All-Star game and not for the Cubs -- as long as he was well enough to play, and then we got him on Friday.Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco did not play a day after being removed from a win because of an aggravation of nagging left hamstring tightness. Manager Clint Hurdle indicated Polanco likely wont start Sunday, either. ... 2B Josh Harrison was lifted from the game in the third inning. The team termed the reason as left foot discomfort. Harrison drove in a run the inning prior when he was hit with a fastball in the foot.UP NEXTCubs: Sunday starter RHP John Lackey has gone 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA in his past three starts after going 7-3 with a 2.78 ERA in his first 14 startsPirates: LHP Jonathon Niese has lost his past two home starts, allowing 13 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings during them. Air Max Tn Black . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Air Max Plus Se Sale . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. http://www.airmaxplusstoresale.com/air-max-plus-tn-cheap.html .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Air Max Plus Cheap .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Air Max Plus 97 Cheap .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not.GULLANE -- The stretching routine that Miguel Angel Jimenez goes through before each round may look a bit ridiculous. Its sure working out, though. The fun-loving Spaniard, again showing how much experience matters at golfs oldest major championship, scrambled for an even-par 71 on Friday that was good enough to lead midway through the British Open at baked-out Muirfield. He can hardly relax. Tiger Woods was among four players just one stroke behind, a group that also included English favourite Lee Westwood, long-hitting American Dustin Johnson, and Swedens Henrik Stenson. Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera and first-round leader Zach Johnson were another stroke back, still in the game despite tough finishes. The course was the real winner on this day -- dry as a bone and firm as a snooker table, giving up only four scores in the 60s. Another warm, sunny day along the Forth of Firth had nearby beachgoers frolicking in the surf, like this was Southern California instead of Scotland, but it made things miserable out on a course that is more brown than green. There were balls scooting all over the place. They wound up behind grandstands, in knee-high grass, up against the face of pot bunkers. Dustin Johnson had to intentionally hit a sideways shot into the rough just to escape a bunker. Phil Mickelson four-putted a hole. Darren Clarke made a quadruple-bogey. And get this -- they were all still in contention for the claret jug. Leading the way was Jimenez, a cigar-smoking, wine-loving golfer nicknamed "The Mechanic" who is perhaps best known outside Europe for the unique way he gets ready for a round. Upon arriving at the range, hell put his knees together and gyrate his hips both clockwise and counterclockwise -- silly looking enough as it is, but especially for a guy with a hefty belly and even heftier ponytail. Then hell pull out a couple of clubs to help stretch his legs and loosen up his arms, though none of it looks very strenuous. "Im amused by his warm-up routine," Mickelson said. "I would hurry to the course to watch it." But this golfer is all business out on the course. Jimenez has bounced back from missing four months recovering from a broken right leg sustained in a skiing accident last winter. If he can keep it going through the weekend, he might take a run at Julius Boros, the oldest major champion in golf history when he won the PGA Championship at age 48. Heck, Tom Watson nearly won this tournament a few years ago at age 59. "Why not?" asked Jimenez, whose was at 3-under 139 through two days. "Theres two more rounds to go. You never know whats going to happen. Im just going to have fun on the golf course. When I finish here, Ill have a glass of red wine later on. Im just going to keep doing the same thing." Hes not exactly leading the conventional way, far down in the rankings for fairways hit and greens in regulation. But no one has done a better job scrambling for pars. Jimenez ranked first in the putting, seeming to always find a way to get the ball up close to the hole even during the frequent times he ran into trouble. "Im playing very solid," Jimeenez said.dddddddddddd "In these conditions, its not easy. With these pin positions, its very, very tough to get in close." Woods plodded along most of the day, lipping out a putt from 2 1/2 feet, missing another short putt and settling for a bunch of pars -- 12 in a row until his final stroke of the round. Then, he looked like the Tiger of old, rolling in a 15-footer for birdie on Muirfields tough closing hole. He raised his putter toward the blue sky with a flourish, fully aware he was positioned again to break the longest major drought of his career. "It will be a fun weekend," said Woods, who also shot 71. "I was kind of fighting it." Everyone was. Westwood was among that minuscule group putting up a score in the 60s, but even he was staggering a bit by the end. After a brilliant front nine -- he carded five birdies -- the 40-year-old bogeyed three of the last six holes to finish with a 68. The last English golfer to win the British Open was Nick Faldo in 1992. Westwood wants to end that streak with his first major title. "Why not enjoy it out there?" he said. "Its tough for everybody. So smile your way through." Woods is trying to break a drought of his own. Hes 0-for-16 at majors since the 2008 U.S. Open, and missed four others during that stretch recovering from injuries. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., the lone Canadian in the field, will be around on the weekend. DeLaet, playing in his first major, shot 1-over 72 Friday to sit at 6 over after two rounds. Whoever wins this one will have to earn it. While the conditions look perfect for scoring, nothing like the miserable weather that struck the Open the last time it was at Muirfield in 2002, there werent many chances for going low. The greens were just too slick, the pin placements just too tough. It was too much for old-timers such as Mark OMeara, the 1998 Open champion who started with a surprising 67 that left him one stroke behind Zach Johnson after Day 1. The 56-year-old lost his ball at No. 6, leading to a double-bogey, and stumbled to the finish with a 78. "Its pretty simple: If you dont hit it good in an Open championship with the rough the way it is out there, youre going to make some bogeys," OMeara said. "The short game is key. You have to putt well. I did none of those well." Tom Lehman soared to 77 after opening with a 68. Todd Hamilton followed up a 69 with an 81. The young werent spared, either. Jordan Spieth, the 19-year-old who last weekend became the PGA Tours youngest winner since 1931, made only two bogeys through his first 32 holes and was 3 under. Then came a double-bogey at the 15th, back-to-back bogeys at the next two holes, and a missed chance at No. 18 when a 4-footer for birdie slid by the cup. Just like that, the youngster found himself at 1-over 143. He bent over in frustration alongside the green. Rory McIlroy wont even be around for the weekend. He finished at 12-over 154 after two miserable rounds, missing the cut. So did Luke Donald and U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, two British favourites who never got anything going. Maybe they should try Jimenezs routine. ' ' '