LOS ANGELES -- Josh Beckett and Adam Wainwright were both on their game in a pitching duel that exceeded all expectations. Sabres Jerseys China . Pinch-hitter Justin Turner delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning off Wainwright, and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 Thursday night in their first meeting since last years NL championship series. Beckett pitched seven sharp innings in his showdown with the Cardinals ace, who held the Dodgers hitless through five. Left fielder Matt Kemp helped Beckett by throwing out a runner at the plate in the seventh. Beckett scattered four hits, walked two and struck out four. The right-hander has a 1.34 ERA over his last seven starts, a stretch that began with his no-hitter in Philadelphia on May 25. His season ERA is 2.11 in 15 starts. "I knew it was going to be tough, but I dont think I deserve very much of the credit," Beckett said. "My defence really picked me up tonight, and we got a late run off of a pretty tough pitcher." Juan Uribe, just off the disabled list after missing 34 games with a right hamstring strain, led off the eighth with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Butera before rookie Miguel Rojas infield single put runners at the corners. Turner, batting for reliever Brian Wilson, came through with his 20th RBI of the season. "I think hes used to that. Hes gotten some big hits for us this year," Kemp said. "Hes always ready to hit, and tonight he got the big hit. It was a battle today. It was a battle of the pitchers -- two good pitchers going at it, and we had to wait out Wainwright." Wilson (1-2) tossed a perfect inning and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his 24th save. "Thats how playoff games usually are -- 1-0. When we play them, its always two good teams going at it," Kemp said. "I think our pitchers match up with their pitchers, and vice versa. Weve had some battles over the years, and theyve gotten the best of us the last couple of years. But hopefully we can grind it out and see them in the playoffs again this year." The Cardinals won 97 games last season, five more than Los Angeles, and beat the Dodgers in the NLCS. Wainwright won Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. This time, Wainwright (10-4) took a hard-luck loss, giving up five hits while going the distance for the 19th time in 201 regular-season starts. The right-hander was runner-up to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in last years NL Cy Young Award voting. "I think one run would have been enough tonight the way he was throwing the ball," said Cardinals second baseman Mark Ellis, a former Dodger. "He was typical Wainwright. He has four above-average pitches and throws them wherever he wants. He knows their lineup and how to throw those guys." Wainwright walked his first batter, Dee Gordon, then retired 15 in a row before Rojas led off the sixth with a clean single to left field. Beckett followed with a Texas Leaguer to right, and Allen Craig made a diving catch with the outfield playing shallow against the pitcher. Gordon followed with a bloop single to left, but Yasiel Puig grounded into a double play. Puig, the NL player of the month for May, is batting .242 with no homers, six RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 25 games since his last home run on May 28 against Cincinnatis Homer Bailey at Dodger Stadium. Craig hit a two-out double in the seventh, just beyond Puigs reach on the right-field warning track, then tried to score on Jon Jays sharp single to left. Kemp charged the ball and threw a perfect strike to Butera in front of the plate for a sweep tag as Beckett thrust both arms over his head in jubilation. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny challenged the call by umpire Vic Carapazza, but a replay review upheld the decision and the game remained scoreless. "I wasnt surprised they sent him. Right there in the late innings, its do or die," Kemp said. "I got a good jump on it, got to the ball quick and threw it. Butera made a good tag and we got the out. Defence is just as important as offence. Defence won us that game today." NOTES: Cardinals RHP Joe Kelly, on the DL with a left hamstring strain thats sidelined him for 66 games, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Memphis. ... Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez missed his third straight game with a sore right shoulder and had an MRI. ... The Dodgers flight from Kansas City didnt arrive in Los Angeles until about 2 a.m. following their 5-4 win over the Royals, and manager Don Mattingly called off batting practice. ... The Cardinals began a five-game stretch in which they will face all three pitchers who have thrown no-hitters this season, including Kershaw on Sunday and San Franciscos Tim Lincecum on Tuesday. ... The Dodgers were 20-14 in Uribes absence. ... Adrian Gonzalezs RBI streak ended at seven games, one shy of the L.A. Dodgers record shared by Puig, Tommy Davis, Reggie Smith, Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green. Sabres Jerseys 2020 . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. Cheap Sabres Jerseys . Sharper briefly appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court, where his arraignment was postponed until Feb. 20 at the request of his lawyers. They issued a statement saying he would be exonerated. Prosecutors then filed a motion to increase Sharpers bail to $10 million and outlined details of investigations involving him in Las Vegas, Tempe, Ariz.DENVER - After hitting a tough stretch in December, the San Antonio Spurs are regaining their winning form with a turnaround that has coincided with getting Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker back from injuries.Parker scored 18 points, Leonard had 17 points and 15 rebounds, and the Spurs won their fourth in a row by beating the Denver Nuggets 109-99 on Tuesday night.We were missing some players, still we didnt like what we were seeing, Manu Ginobili said of a three-week stretch in December in which the Spurs lost nine of 14 games. We didnt play well enough so we worked on it. Dont believe weve fixed the issues, its a process. Weve won four in a row but it doesnt mean were good to go now.Tim Duncan added 16 points, all in the second half, to help the Spurs beat the Nuggets for the fifth straight time.Leonard has been a big part of San Antonios recent surge, averaging 16.3 points in three games after missing the previous 15 because of a bruised right hand. Parker, too, is rounding into form after missing much of December with a hamstring strain.Its coming back, Parker said. Im still mad at myself because I missed some easy stuff (against the Nuggets). I just have to be patient. Its only my seventh game back.Leonard said he feels like the Spurs are back on track.We all felt like we gave away some of those games in December, Leonard said. We just have to win out these next games, get into a rhythm going into the All-Star break.Denver got a big game from Kenneth Faried, with 26 points and 14 rebounds but it wasnt enough to avoid their fourth straight loss, including their second in two nights. Golden State routed the Nuggets by 43 points Monday, Denvers biggest loss of the season and the seventh biggest defeat in franchise history.We tried. We brung it, but the Spurs are a championship team and theyre on a hot streak right now, Faried said. Fake Sabres Jerseys. Theyve been winning games. Their chemistry is starting to get back together, so its kind of tough, when youre in a drought, and you play a team like that. They come out and kind of school you a little bit.Arron Afflalo added 21 points for the Nuggets.Leading 66-65 in the third quarter, the Spurs used a 7-0 burst to extend their advantage to eight points before settling for an 80-76 lead heading to the fourth.Leonard then hit two 3-pointers as part of an 11-2 run by the Spurs starting the final period, stretching their advantage to 91-78 with 9:18 left for their biggest lead to that point.Denver pulled to 100-92 on successive layups by Wilson Chandler and Faried but Parker cut off the Nuggets momentum by connecting on a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining. The Nuggets could not threaten the rest of the way.San Antonio took its first lead of the game 29-27 on Cory Josephs jumper with 9:03 remaining in the second quarter. The Spurs led 51-48 at halftime, getting five points from Manu Ginobili in the last 1:25 of the period.___TIP INSSpurs: Assigned Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Developmental League. ... Marco Belinelli, out with a strained left groin, did not make the trip. ... Leonards 15 rebounds represented a season high.Nuggets: Sent Erick Green to Fort Wayne of the NBA Developmental League. ... Danilo Gallinari missed a 15th game because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. ... Arron Afflalo has scored at least two 3-pointers in 20 of 42 games this season. ... Denver has been swept in its last three back to back sets.UP NEXTSpurs: At Chicago on Thursday night.Nuggets: Host Boston on Friday night. ' ' '
LOS ANGELES -- Josh Beckett and Adam Wainwright were both on their game in a pitching duel that exceeded all expectations. Sabres Jerseys China . Pinch-hitter Justin Turner delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning off Wainwright, and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 Thursday night in their first meeting since last years NL championship series. Beckett pitched seven sharp innings in his showdown with the Cardinals ace, who held the Dodgers hitless through five. Left fielder Matt Kemp helped Beckett by throwing out a runner at the plate in the seventh. Beckett scattered four hits, walked two and struck out four. The right-hander has a 1.34 ERA over his last seven starts, a stretch that began with his no-hitter in Philadelphia on May 25. His season ERA is 2.11 in 15 starts. "I knew it was going to be tough, but I dont think I deserve very much of the credit," Beckett said. "My defence really picked me up tonight, and we got a late run off of a pretty tough pitcher." Juan Uribe, just off the disabled list after missing 34 games with a right hamstring strain, led off the eighth with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Butera before rookie Miguel Rojas infield single put runners at the corners. Turner, batting for reliever Brian Wilson, came through with his 20th RBI of the season. "I think hes used to that. Hes gotten some big hits for us this year," Kemp said. "Hes always ready to hit, and tonight he got the big hit. It was a battle today. It was a battle of the pitchers -- two good pitchers going at it, and we had to wait out Wainwright." Wilson (1-2) tossed a perfect inning and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his 24th save. "Thats how playoff games usually are -- 1-0. When we play them, its always two good teams going at it," Kemp said. "I think our pitchers match up with their pitchers, and vice versa. Weve had some battles over the years, and theyve gotten the best of us the last couple of years. But hopefully we can grind it out and see them in the playoffs again this year." The Cardinals won 97 games last season, five more than Los Angeles, and beat the Dodgers in the NLCS. Wainwright won Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. This time, Wainwright (10-4) took a hard-luck loss, giving up five hits while going the distance for the 19th time in 201 regular-season starts. The right-hander was runner-up to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in last years NL Cy Young Award voting. "I think one run would have been enough tonight the way he was throwing the ball," said Cardinals second baseman Mark Ellis, a former Dodger. "He was typical Wainwright. He has four above-average pitches and throws them wherever he wants. He knows their lineup and how to throw those guys." Wainwright walked his first batter, Dee Gordon, then retired 15 in a row before Rojas led off the sixth with a clean single to left field. Beckett followed with a Texas Leaguer to right, and Allen Craig made a diving catch with the outfield playing shallow against the pitcher. Gordon followed with a bloop single to left, but Yasiel Puig grounded into a double play. Puig, the NL player of the month for May, is batting .242 with no homers, six RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 25 games since his last home run on May 28 against Cincinnatis Homer Bailey at Dodger Stadium. Craig hit a two-out double in the seventh, just beyond Puigs reach on the right-field warning track, then tried to score on Jon Jays sharp single to left. Kemp charged the ball and threw a perfect strike to Butera in front of the plate for a sweep tag as Beckett thrust both arms over his head in jubilation. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny challenged the call by umpire Vic Carapazza, but a replay review upheld the decision and the game remained scoreless. "I wasnt surprised they sent him. Right there in the late innings, its do or die," Kemp said. "I got a good jump on it, got to the ball quick and threw it. Butera made a good tag and we got the out. Defence is just as important as offence. Defence won us that game today." NOTES: Cardinals RHP Joe Kelly, on the DL with a left hamstring strain thats sidelined him for 66 games, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Memphis. ... Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez missed his third straight game with a sore right shoulder and had an MRI. ... The Dodgers flight from Kansas City didnt arrive in Los Angeles until about 2 a.m. following their 5-4 win over the Royals, and manager Don Mattingly called off batting practice. ... The Cardinals began a five-game stretch in which they will face all three pitchers who have thrown no-hitters this season, including Kershaw on Sunday and San Franciscos Tim Lincecum on Tuesday. ... The Dodgers were 20-14 in Uribes absence. ... Adrian Gonzalezs RBI streak ended at seven games, one shy of the L.A. Dodgers record shared by Puig, Tommy Davis, Reggie Smith, Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green. Sabres Jerseys 2020 . Pierre last November, only to watch St. Pierre leave the UFC octagon with his welterweight title belt and a split-decision victory. Cheap Sabres Jerseys . Sharper briefly appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court, where his arraignment was postponed until Feb. 20 at the request of his lawyers. They issued a statement saying he would be exonerated. Prosecutors then filed a motion to increase Sharpers bail to $10 million and outlined details of investigations involving him in Las Vegas, Tempe, Ariz.DENVER - After hitting a tough stretch in December, the San Antonio Spurs are regaining their winning form with a turnaround that has coincided with getting Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker back from injuries.Parker scored 18 points, Leonard had 17 points and 15 rebounds, and the Spurs won their fourth in a row by beating the Denver Nuggets 109-99 on Tuesday night.We were missing some players, still we didnt like what we were seeing, Manu Ginobili said of a three-week stretch in December in which the Spurs lost nine of 14 games. We didnt play well enough so we worked on it. Dont believe weve fixed the issues, its a process. Weve won four in a row but it doesnt mean were good to go now.Tim Duncan added 16 points, all in the second half, to help the Spurs beat the Nuggets for the fifth straight time.Leonard has been a big part of San Antonios recent surge, averaging 16.3 points in three games after missing the previous 15 because of a bruised right hand. Parker, too, is rounding into form after missing much of December with a hamstring strain.Its coming back, Parker said. Im still mad at myself because I missed some easy stuff (against the Nuggets). I just have to be patient. Its only my seventh game back.Leonard said he feels like the Spurs are back on track.We all felt like we gave away some of those games in December, Leonard said. We just have to win out these next games, get into a rhythm going into the All-Star break.Denver got a big game from Kenneth Faried, with 26 points and 14 rebounds but it wasnt enough to avoid their fourth straight loss, including their second in two nights. Golden State routed the Nuggets by 43 points Monday, Denvers biggest loss of the season and the seventh biggest defeat in franchise history.We tried. We brung it, but the Spurs are a championship team and theyre on a hot streak right now, Faried said. Fake Sabres Jerseys. Theyve been winning games. Their chemistry is starting to get back together, so its kind of tough, when youre in a drought, and you play a team like that. They come out and kind of school you a little bit.Arron Afflalo added 21 points for the Nuggets.Leading 66-65 in the third quarter, the Spurs used a 7-0 burst to extend their advantage to eight points before settling for an 80-76 lead heading to the fourth.Leonard then hit two 3-pointers as part of an 11-2 run by the Spurs starting the final period, stretching their advantage to 91-78 with 9:18 left for their biggest lead to that point.Denver pulled to 100-92 on successive layups by Wilson Chandler and Faried but Parker cut off the Nuggets momentum by connecting on a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining. The Nuggets could not threaten the rest of the way.San Antonio took its first lead of the game 29-27 on Cory Josephs jumper with 9:03 remaining in the second quarter. The Spurs led 51-48 at halftime, getting five points from Manu Ginobili in the last 1:25 of the period.___TIP INSSpurs: Assigned Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Developmental League. ... Marco Belinelli, out with a strained left groin, did not make the trip. ... Leonards 15 rebounds represented a season high.Nuggets: Sent Erick Green to Fort Wayne of the NBA Developmental League. ... Danilo Gallinari missed a 15th game because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. ... Arron Afflalo has scored at least two 3-pointers in 20 of 42 games this season. ... Denver has been swept in its last three back to back sets.UP NEXTSpurs: At Chicago on Thursday night.Nuggets: Host Boston on Friday night. ' ' '
