NEW YORK -- Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Brad Knighton has been named Major League Soccers player of the week. Knighton was stellar in goal as the Whitecaps beat Seattle 2-0 on Saturday and claimed their first win over their Cascadia rivals. Knighton made seven saves to earn his second shutout in three matches and helped the Whitecaps increase their winning streak to five games. Knighton received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at BC Place in the 27th minute when he made consecutive saves to deny both Eddie Johnson and Obafemi Martins. This is the third time in four weeks that a Whitecaps player has received the award, with strike partners Kenny Miller and Camilo also being honoured in Week 16 and 17 respectively. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . LOUIS -- St. Authentic NFL Jerseys . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/cheap-jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap NHL Jerseys . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Cheap Football Jerseys . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. PITTSBURGH -- Clint Hurdle has gained an appreciation for advanced metrics during his six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The manager, though, doesnt need to dive too deeply into the numbers to figure out where his team went wrong in 2016.The game will always start with pitching, Hurdle said. Always has, always will. If you look at it any other way, I think youre confused.There was no confusion about what happened in Pittsburgh over the summer, when a bid for a fourth straight playoff berth cratered underneath the weight of a starting rotation that failed to live up to the standards set by its predecessors and a bullpen that faltered in crucial moments. The Pirates finished 18th in the majors in ERA (4.21), a full run a game higher than they allowed while winning 98 games in 2015.A.J. Burnetts retirement and the inability to re-sign J.A. Happ last winter led Pittsburgh to take fliers on erratic veterans Jon Niese, Juan Nicasio and Ryan Vogelsong in the hopes pitching coach Ray Searage could replicate the magic that rejuvenated the careers of players like Burnett and Francisco Liriano. It simply didnt work. Niese was back with the New York Mets by August. Liriano was shipped to Toronto at the trade deadline following a nightmarish loss in form. Nicasio finished the year as a reliever and Vogelsong looked every bit his age as the 39-year-old went 0-3 with a 7.48 ERA over the final month.How shaky was the rotation for the Pirates? Jeff Locke led them in innings pitched (127 1/3) and he spent the second half of the season as a long reliever.We took some chances on things early that didnt work out as anticipated, Hurdle said. Were well aware of what we need to do to improve to be a championship-caliber team.The goal over the winter will be figuring out how to get there in a typically competitive division that spent 2016 watching the Chicago Cubs become a distant spec on the horizon while they won the NL Central by an astounding 17 + games.Some takeaways from six months of middling baseball that offered glimpses of promise and concern in near equal measure.THE CUTCH QUANDRY: Pittsburghs rise to contender coincided with star centerfielder Andrew McCutchens evolution into one of the games best players. The 2013 NL MVP, however, never found a rhythm in 2016. His .256 batting average marked a career low and he struck out a career-high 143 times. Hes about to enter the final year of his contract and the Pirates front office has shown it wont hesitate to deal away favorite sons if necessary. Theey did it a year ago when second baseman Neil Walker -- entering his final season of arbitration -- was sent to New York in exchange for Niese.dddddddddddd.Asked on Sunday if expected to be back in 2017, McCutchen took a pragmatic approach.I mean Im under contract with them right? McCutchen said. So thats the way Im looking at it but like I said, I dont align the stars, Im not the person who controls all that.PROSPERING PROSPECTS: Two years removed from Tommy John surgery that threatened his development, Jameson Taillon looked like a top-end starter while going 5-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 starts. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is Taillons durability. He threw a combined 165 innings between the minors and the majors and didnt give up more than three runs in five September starts.Tyler Glasnows introduction to the majors was a bit rockier but hell have all offseason to work on his mechanics and should arrive for spring training with a spot in the rotation as h