Hilfestellungen » do anything today, Vesnina said.Se

CHICAGO -- David Ross got fired up when Cubs manager Joe Maddon walked to the mound with two out in the seventh inning, ready to argue for Jon Lester to stay in the game.Maddon and Lester had a different plan.Joe looked at him and said `Have you ever been a part of where the catcher gets taken out of the game before the pitcher? Lester said, describing the scene with a big grin. You can just see him, its like the kid at the candy store when you tell him he can pick out whatever he wants.It was just like the disbelief in his face and slams his mask back over his face and all he can say is `I love you guys. I love you guys. I love you guys.Ross then walked off to another standing ovation from a raucous crowd of 40,859 at Wrigley Field, part of a heartwarming Sunday night for the backup catcher in his last season. He also hit his 10th homer and teamed with Lester for another scoreless performance, helping the Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.It was an amazing night, Ross said.Ben Zobrist had three hits and scored two runs as Chicago finished with a major league-best 57-24 home record. Its the most home wins for the Cubs since they went 58-19 at the West Side Grounds in 1910.The Cardinals lost for the third time in four games, wasting a chance to improve their playoff positioning. They remain a half-game back of San Francisco for the second NL wild card after the Giants lost 4-3 at San Diego earlier in the day.I think were in a good position right now, pitcher Carlos Martinez said through a translator. I also think we have a great shot at winning the World Series.Ross, Lesters regular catcher, was greeted with a long standing ovation when he came to the plate in the second inning. St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina walked halfway to the mound, forcing the unassuming Ross to take in the moment, and he took off his batting helmet to acknowledge the cheering crowd.Ross then struck out, but he got another chance in the fifth and drove Martinezs second pitch over the wall in left for 1-0 lead. Ross clapped his hands as he rounded first on his 10th homer and the cheers continued after he reached the dugout, prompting a curtain call.It was just fitting that David would hit a home run, isnt it? Maddon said. I mean it had to have happened tonight.Lester (19-4), one of the top candidates for the NL Cy Young Award, struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed three hits and walked one while improving to 10-0 with 1.34 ERA in his last 13 starts.It was Lesters idea to pull Ross in the middle of an inning.Hes like a brother to me and for him to give me that was pretty cool, Ross said.The Cardinals pulled within one on Jhonny Peraltas two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Brandon Moss flied to center with runners on the corners. Willson Contreras responded with an RBI single in the bottom half and Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 16th save with the NL Central champions and No. 36 on the year.Martinez (15-9), pitching with a heavy heart after the death of Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez in a boating accident, allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked four.He had lots of juice, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. Its probably the hardest sinker Ive ever seen him throw. A couple of those were 97 (mph). He was locked in. He wanted it bad today, and he was good enough for us to win.RESTING AND MOURNINGSt. Louis shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who is dealing with some arm fatigue, got the day off. Diaz also was a childhood friend of Fernandez.Matheny said he would have scratched Diaz had he been in the lineup. Diaz declined an interview request through a team spokeswoman.Hes pretty stoic. You see how he goes about his business, Matheny said. Thats kind of how hes handling this right now. He was a close, close friend, so hes trying to figure out how to mourn for his friend right now and take all the information in. None of that is easy.UP NEXTCardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (10-12, 4.59 ERA) faces Cincinnati RHP Tim Adleman (2-4, 4.06 ERA) on Monday night in the opener of a seven-game homestand. After four against the last-place Reds, the Cardinals finish the regular season with a three-game series against Pittsburgh.Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (15-8, 2.06 ERA) pitches for Chicago in the opener of a four-game series at Pittsburgh. RHP Chad Kuhl (5-3, 3.73 ERA) gets the ball for the Pirates on Monday night.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenapLyle Alzado Jersey . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Clelin Ferrell Womens Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. https://www.raiderssportsgoods.com/Womens-John-Matuszak-Inverted-Jersey/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. 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The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents.LONDON -- Instead of the ninth all-Williams final at a Grand Slam tournament, there will be a rematch of another sort to determine the title at Wimbledon.And so as Serena Williams again stands one victory from her record-tying 22nd major title, she will need to beat a woman who already stopped her once this year in that pursuit, Angelique Kerber.After Williams needed all of 48 minutes to overwhelm Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0 at the All England Club, older sister Venus failed to join in the family fun, losing to Kerber 6-4, 6-4 in Thursdays second semifinal.Since winning her sixth Wimbledon trophy a year ago to raise her career count at Grand Slam events to 21, Serena has come quite close to pulling even with Steffi Graf at 22 -- the most in the Open era, which began in 1968 (Margaret Courts all-time mark is 24). But the American lost to?Roberta Vinci in the US Open semifinals last September, then to Kerber in the Australian Open final in January and Garbine Muguruza in the French Open final last month.Reaching the final at each of a years first three major tournaments might sound good to other players.Not to this one.For anyone else in this whole planet, it would be a wonderful accomplishment, Serena said. For me, its about, obviously, holding the trophy and winning, which would make it a better accomplishment for me. For me, its not enough. But I think thats what makes me different. Thats what makes me Serena.Yes, she is one of a kind.When a reporter asked what she makes of it when others talk about her as one of historys greatest female athletes, this was the reply: I prefer the word, one of the greatest athletes of all time.Hard to argue.And the case will be even stronger if she can do what she couldnt in Melbourne: solve Kerbers left-handed game.I know, Kerber said, she will go out and try everything to beat me right now.That Australian Open victory gave Kerber her first Grand Slam title in her first Grand Slam final.She insisted Thursday shes more relaxed and more confident on court, thanks to that big moment.She didnt necessarily look that way at the outset against Venus, who at 36 was the oldest major semifinalist since Martina Navratilova was 37 at the All England Club in 1994.Venus is a five-time Wimbledon champion but hadnt been to the semifinals since she waas the runner-up to Serena seven years ago.ddddddddddddSteps away from making it to the end, Venus said. Thats the position I want to be in, is playing in the semifinals, playing for a space in the final.Against Kerber, Venus was broken the first four times she served and never recovered.A very shaky match from her. She was fighting hard, but she was frustrated. I could tell, said Venus coach, David Witt. Her concentration was up and down. The focus was up and down. That made her game up and down.Perhaps the accumulated court time during this fortnight simply took a toll on Venus, who revealed in 2011 that she had Sjongrens syndrome, which can cause fatigue and joint pain.She was a half-step slow to some balls, was breathing heavily after longer points and wound up with 21 unforced errors, 10 more than Kerber.I was trying to [move] her, as well, the fourth-seeded Kerber said. That was the plan.After a running cross-court forehand winner capped the 19-stroke exchange that ended her victory, Kerber tossed aside her racket and dropped to her knees at the baseline.That match managed to be more competitive than what transpired earlier, which more closely resembled a training session for the No. 1-ranked Serena -- except she probably gets more of a workout when she practices.I couldnt do anything today, Vesnina said.Serenas serve was in fine form, reaching 123 mph and producing 11 aces against the 50th-ranked Vesnina, who was making her major semifinal debut. Serena won 28 of 31 points she served, including the last 17.An almost perfect match, said Serenas coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.Serena had Vesnina looking defeated after all of 12 points. Thats when, after sprinting for a forehand that landed in the net, the Russian leaned over, sighed and slumped her shoulders.There would be plenty more of that sort of body language from Vesnina, a two-time Wimbledon runner-up in doubles who later Thursday went out in the quarterfinals of that event and lost to Serena a second time.The Williams-Williams pairing beat Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-2.That means Venus still has a chance to leave Wimbledon with a trophy, just like her sister. ' ' '