Clan-Members » t the weekend at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, Alon

NEW YORK -- A sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series last fall sent the New York Mets to the World Series for the first time in 15 seasons. But the Cubs are the team that looks ready to return to the NLCS -- and perhaps end a far longer drought -- as the two teams prepare for a four-game series that begins Thursday night at Citi Field.The Cubs arrived in New York fresh off a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds that capped a three-game sweep at Great American Ball Park. The sweep snapped the longest skid of the season for Chicago, which lost six of seven prior to facing the Reds.This was a good series for us, said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit a three-run inside-the-park homer Wednesday.The Cubs have had a lot of good series this year. Chicago, which is looking to reach the World Series for the first time since 1945 and win it all for the first time since 1908, is now a baseball-best 51-26, with a mammoth run differential -- plus-170 -- that suggests ot should have five or six more wins.The Mets, meanwhile, continued to spiral downward Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. The loss capped a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals, who extended their lead over the Mets from three to six games.The loss ended a 2-5 road trip for the Mets, who were outscored 35-20 by the Nationals and Atlanta Braves. New York, which blew an early 4-0 lead in Mondays opener against the Nationals, went 23 straight innings without scoring until James Loney hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday.Were just not giving ourselves chances, Mets manager Terry Collins said. We just cant give our pitchers any room to work.At 40-37, New York is the closest it has been to .500 since April 24, though it is still only a half-game behind the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the NLs second wild card.Theyre struggling lately and theyre banged up, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. It is different (than last year) for both teams.The series opener Thursday begins an 11-game homestand for the Mets that could dictate the direction the rest of their season takes. After the Cubs exit Sunday, the Mets host the Marlins for three games and the Nationals for four games.Weve still got 11 before the All-Star Break, Collins said. Weve just got to go play them.Mets left-hander Steven Matz is scheduled to start Thursday against Cubs right-hander John Lackey. Matz is pitching through a bone chip in his right elbow and got an extra day of rest after struggling last Friday, when he was staked to an eight-run lead but allowed six runs over 4 1/3 innings and was lifted before he could qualify for the win in the Mets 8-6 victory over the Braves.Lackey will be looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season. He took the loss last Saturday, when he gave up seven runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Cubs fell to the Marlins, 9-6. Wholesale Yeezy . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Cheap Yeezy . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. https://www.wholesaleyeezyauthentic.com/ . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Yeezy For Sale .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Fake Yeezy . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Fernando Alonso has hinted at a future deal with Porsche for the next adventure of his career when he is finished with Formula One.Alonso has been linked with the Porsche drive for many years and had a provisional deal to drive for the German manufacturer in the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours, only for Honda to block his participation. Force Indias Nico Hulkenberg eventually got the drive and won the prestigious event on his first attempt.Speaking in a video tribute to friend Mark Webber, who bowed out from racing at the weekend at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, Alonso praised the Australian and suggested he could one day be following his route from F1 to Porsche in future.Youve had a fanttastic career and now all your success with Porsche, Alonso said.ddddddddddddYou didnt wait for me there, it could have been nice but I think you will still be around and I will ask you many things when I join your adventure. A really great man and from my heart all the best.Alonsos McLaren deal runs until the end of 2017. He has made it clear on several occasions his future beyond that will depend on whether the new regulations bring back the enjoyment for the drivers in F1, following several years as a vocal critic of the sports current guise. ' ' '