Clan-Members » of TSN.ca Raptors blogger Tim Chisholm ( @timpc

PITTSBURGH -- Making his return after spending nearly a month on the disabled list to rest his right elbow, Milwaukees Junior Guerra knew he was on a pitch count against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.When the count ran out earlier than he anticipated, the Brewers expanded bullpen more than picked up the slack.Six Milwaukee relievers shut down the Pirates over the final 5 2/3 innings and Scooter Gennetts RBI-double in the sixth provided all the offense the Brewers needed in a 1-0 victory.A nine-inning shutout using seven pitchers, which is probably only in September baseball, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. But they did great. They all pitched tough innings.Guerra reached his 70-pitch limit with runners on first and second and one out in the third. Jacob Barnes, who was also activated from the disabled list on Friday after dealing with his own right elbow issues, got Jordy Mercer to fly out and struck out opposing pitcher Jameson Taillon.Blaine Boyer (2-3) pitched a scoreless fifth to pick up the win. Tyler Thornburg worked the ninth for his seventh save.Guerra was hardly crisp while allowing five hits and two walks but said he felt healthy.He generally gets stronger as he goes, Counsell said. And he started to kind of get his split going, and then he ran out of pitches.The Pirates swept four games from the Brewers in Milwaukee last weekend to bolster their playoff hopes but have now dropped four straight and failed to get a runner to third base at the beginning of a pivotal 10-game homestand. Pittsburgh remained 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the National League.Andrew McCutchen had three of the Pirates seven hits and Taillon was stellar after getting knocked around by the Brewers last week but Pittsburgh couldnt take advantage of the few opportunities afforded by the Brewers.The Pirates best chance to tie the game came in the eighth when Josh Harrison led off with a single. Carlos Torres tried to pick Harrison off first but the ball sailed past Hernan Perez. Harrison raced to second and kept on going but Perez threw a strike from across the diamond to third, where Jonathan Villar easily applied the tag in plenty of time.In a split second, in the thick of things it looked like I was going to be safe, Harrison said. Next thing, I wasnt. Nothing you can really do. If I stop at second and the ball doesnt kick back to him, I could have been at third.TAILLONS TIMEPitching in a meaningful September for the first time as a professional, Taillon put together a solid bounce-back performance after the Brewers touched him for five runs last Saturday. Taillon surrendered three hits and one run over six innings, striking out four without issuing a walk and needing only 76 pitches to get 18 outs.His only hiccup came when he hit Martin Maldonado leading off the sixth. Maldonado moved to second on a groundout and scored when Gennetts drive to deep center was just out of McCutchens reach. The 24-year-old Taillon, just two years removed from reconstructive elbow surgery, said he felt fresher than he has in some time and understands the team is carefully monitoring his workload.If I can help contribute in any way, thats great, the rookie said. Im aware of the standings. Im aware of where were at. Im aware whats at stake.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: P Gerrit Cole did some flat ground work on Friday as he continues his rehab from inflammation in his right elbow. Cole, on the DL since Aug. 25, is hopeful to return this season.UP NEXT:Ivan Nova will try to keep his Pittsburgh renaissance going when he makes his sixth start with the Pirates since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Yankees. Nova is 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA since the coming to Pittsburgh, including a 3-1 win over Milwaukee in his last start. Milwaukees Jimmy Nelson is still searching for the form he had in April and May. The right-hander is 2-10 with a 5.87 ERA in his last 16 starts dating to June 3.Lafayette Pitts Jersey . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Isaiah McKenzie Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. http://www.wholesalebillsjerseys.com/?tag=youth-rafael-bush-jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Garrett McGhin Jersey . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Denzel Rice Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca.Each and every second round series in the NBA Playoffs has produced a split of the first two games. The Five-Man Weave crew takes a look at which teams have the advantage going forward as best-of-seven becomes best-of-five and home court advantage shifts to the underdogs. 1. Oklahoma City vs Memphis Grizzlies - who wins and how many games? Tim Chisholm: Memphis in 6. While Kevin Durant has been terrific acting as a one-man show since Westbrooks injury, Memphis is too good a defensive team to not adapt to what OKC is trying to run, and at the end of the day the Grizzlies simply have more that they can throw at the Thunder than the Thunder have that they can throw at the Grizzlies. Itll be a fun, competitive series, but I gotta give this one to Memphis. Duane Watson: This series could have easily been the Western Conference Finals. How different would this be if Russell Westbrook was healthy? But hes not and Mike Conley is emerging as a top-level point guard in the NBA. The Grizz stole one in OKC and their defensive, grindhouse basketball in addition to their overall balance on the squad is too much for a Thunder squad that has gotten by for a while on the mere talent of Durant and Westbrook. They will continue to be outcoached and outplayed and fall to Memphis in six games. Josh Lewenberg: Thunder in 7. Generally the NBA playoffs are about two things: star power and defence. Thats what wins at this time of the year and thats precisely what makes this series – even without Russell Westbrook – so intriguing. Both teams were among the top four in defensive efficiency during the regular season but neither club has been especially imposing in the playoffs, where they rank in the middle of the pack in that category. Ultimately, Kevin Durant could and should be the difference maker in close games… and for the record, I expect this series to produce seven closely contested games. Mitch Ward: Im sticking to my guns and saying Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant is just that good. Its a gven that he is going to perform, so as long as Kevin Martin doesnt continue to pull complete disappearing acts (2-for-11 field goals and six points in Game 2 and OKC nearly still won) and Serge Ibaka steps up at least a little, I think this team should reach the Western Conference Finals. Durant doesnt need much help, but he still needs some. Thunder in 6. Will Strickland: Griz in 6. Mike Conley has made the leap in these playoffs, slaying Chris Paul in the first round. With no Russell Westbrook to contend with, Conley may have just become the closer the Grizzlies need vs OKC and thats said with utmost respect to Zack Randolph and Marc Gasol. 2. San Antonio vs Golden State - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: San Antonio in 7. The Warriors are the darlings of these NBA Playoffs and for good reason, but they are prone to late-game collapses and they cannot be assured of such torrid shooting from their backcourt all series long. San Antonio came into this series forcing Golden State into taking bad shots and the Warriors have simply hit them. It says here that the Spurs adjust to that reality and make it a lot harder for the Warriors to get space on their mid-range and long-range game. Watson: From the outset, I pegged the Spurs with their experience and depth to be too much for the young lions of Golden State, but the Splash Brothers - Steph Curry and Klay Thompson - are a match-up nightmare, averaging 44 points ppg between them in the Playoffs. Head Coach Mark Jackson has done an incredible job of motivating his team and getting the most out of his bench. He is also benefitting from the timely resurrection of Andrew Bogut. They almost won both games and are returning to the comfort of home. I like the Ws in 6... not that Im flip-flopping or anything. Lewenberg: Spurs in 6. Throughout the regular season, Raptors coach Dwane Casey reminded us how difficult it can be for an inexperienced team to close out games. Its especially difficult against elite, veteran competition in the playoffs. The Warriors are a talented young group paced by a point guard, in Steph Curry, who has proven to be a nightmare for opposing defences. To win this series theyll have to execute down the stretch, something theyve failed to do despite all their postseason success. They were remarkably fortunate to get away with a series of late-game lapses against the Nuggets but the Popovich-led Spurs are a different animal, evident in the Game 1 thriller. Ward: Golden State in 6. In each of the first two games, the Warriors have raced out to huge leads over the Spurs... in San Antonio! If not for a defensive meltdown in the final minutes of Game 1 and a complete zero to hero turn from Manu Ginobili, this series would be headed back to the Oracle 2-0 for Golden State. I think the Warriors defend home court, lose in San Antonio for Game 5 and then clinch at home. Strickland: Cant believe Im saying this... kinda, but... Golden State in 7. The Splash Brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, are the engine that drive this high-powered sports car, but the presence of the former Human Injured Reserve List, Andrew Bogut, has been and will be vital to the Warriors taking that step toward the Western Conference Finals. Goldens State serious... They are more than Kid & Klaying! 3. Miami vs Chicago - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: Miami in 5. Chicago caught Miami out of rhythm and out of character in Game 1, and they should be commended for that, but, as Game 2 demonstrated, the Heat are capable of operating on a different level from Chicago simply by virtue of the fact that they are healthier and possess the greatest player of his generation. Chicago will do all they can to leave Miami bruised and battered, but they wont get another win off of them in these Playoffs. Watson: Derrick Rose is not walking through that door! But if he is, he wont be a difference maker. You cant miss the entire regular season and expect to be effective jumping back into the Playoffs, against the Heat no less. The game 1 defeat woke up LeBron and company, whom I expect to put a beating on the Bulls for the rest of the season, despite the heroic efforts of Noah, Robinson and Belinelli.dddddddddddd Miami will take this in 5 games. Lewenberg: Heat in 6. For 48 hours Miami trailed in a best-of-seven series. For 48 hours we experienced what it might feel like to have parity restored in our beloved NBA. It was a magical time. Then the Heat had to go and ruin it, crushing Chicago to the tune of a 115-78 Game 2 victory. Give the Bulls credit, theyre resilient and could conceivably steal another game against the defending champs. However, the reality has not changed. On occasion Miami is beatable, but in a seven-game series… I just dont see them going down. Ward: Heat in 6. Game 2 proved that the Heat are simply too much better than the Bulls for Chicago to have a realistic shot in this series, even if they did shock the Heat in Game 1. Ill give the Bulls credit for one more gutsy win at home, but even thats pretty unlikely. Too bad, I was really starting to enjoy the Nate Robinson takeover show. Strickland: Heat in 5. 4. New York vs Indiana - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: Indiana in 7. This is a tight series played by two teams with vastly different styles. The ultimate issue I see facing New York is that they generally need J.R. Smith to be on his game consistently if they want to take a best-of-seven series, and he still looks out of sorts since his one-game suspension in round one. Plus, if Amare Stoudemire comes back as anticipated, it is just as likely that he throws the teams rhythm into disarray and further weakens the teams defensive stopping power. Watson: Carmelo Anthony has to continue to keep shooting the ball well and sharing it if the Knicks have a chance to win this series. The same could be said for David West and Paul George on the Pacers side, as they go down, so does their squad. Amare returns to the line-up in Game 3, but he wont be much of a difference maker at this point. This series has become a bit of Jekyll & Hyde, with teams playing great from one and poorly to the next. Indiana hasnt been playing like the team that was challenging in the playoffs this time last year, so it will be Knicks in 7. Lewenberg: Pacers in 7. Two teams, two contrasting styles. The Pacers are a big, physical, defensive oriented club while the Knicks play a boom or bust style of basketball, launching from long range and relying heavily on a great, albeit inefficient scorer. Although postseason play tends to favour Indianas more dependable brand of basketball, the Pacers propensity for offensive lapses (see Tuesdays fourth quarter collapse) opens the door for Melo and company. Despite the expected return of Amare – who should be limited in terms of playing time and production – New Yorks fate rests on Melos shoulders. 39 per cent shooting wont get the job done. Ward: This is pretty much a toss-up for me. If the Knicks shooters can get (and stay) hot, they have the edge. But as they say, if you live by the three, you die by the three. If the Knicks go cold, the Pacers physicality can take over. Ultimately I see this series going the distance with Indiana eventually wearing down the Knicks. Pacers in 7. Strickland: New York in 7 tough games. Melo has to show and prove with a floundering Earl Smith, Jr. and will finally get his team to the Eastern Conference Finals with the oldest team in NBA history to face Miami. Joy! 5. Who has been the playoffs MVP thus far? Chisholm: There is no doubt that the chic answer is breakout star Stephen Curry, who has burst onto the scene in a very loud fashion. He is scoring better, and more efficiently, than he did in the regular season. Hes passing the ball better and hes proven to be the kind of player that opposing teams not only need to account for, but gear their defences toward stopping because traditional schemes dont account for his range or brazen shot selection. Watson: Hes averaging 33.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 6.4 apg. No, its not LeBron James, but Kevin Durant who has single-highhandedly carried the Thunder through the playoffs. Durant has done everything to make up for the loss of injured guard Russell Westbrook, filling the stat sheet and making clutch baskets, unfortunately it wont be enough to get the Thunder back to the NBA Finals. Lewenberg: Kevin Durant. Just because we expected this level of performance from KD after Westbrook went down doesnt make it any less impressive. Serge Ibaka has been a disappointment, Kevin Martin has produced inconsistently and Kendrick Perkins has become a punch line. All the while Durant has carried OKC in basically every way imaginable. His rebound rate is up, his assist percentage is higher than ever (regular season and playoffs) and hes still scoring with efficiency despite the increase in attempts with Westbrook sidelined. The Thunder will go as far as KD takes them… this is where he proves his worth. Ward: Kevin Durant. In the absence of the Robin to his Batman, Durant has put the Thunder on his back. The fact that the Thunder could lose one of the top-15 best players in the NBA and still be a legitimate contender in the playoffs speaks to just how good Durant is. His averages for the six games since Westbrook went down are just ridiculous: 35.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Ridiculous. Strickland: Steph Curry is must-see TV right now. His ability to create and score in a myriad of ways is almost disheartening for the Spurs trying to guard a man who looks like he should be playing in their kids middle school hoops tournaments. Nate Robinson is in the convo, especially with what he and the Bulls have done with spare parts and Carlos Boozer, but... Kevin Durant is on that radar as well. He alone will not be enough to overcome the Grizzlies. Gotta love this game!!! The Five-Man Weave is made up of TSN.ca Raptors blogger Tim Chisholm ( @timpchisholm), TSN Radio 1050 Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050), Duane Watson (@sweetswatson) and Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) from TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, and TSN.ca NBA Editor Mitch Ward (@jmitchw).Cof TSN.ca Raptors blogger Tim Chisholm ( @timpceys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '