Regeln » t-time Olympians.Im really sad this team didnt

PHILADELPHIA -- Freddy Galvis has a handwritten note stuck on his locker reminding him to keep the ball out of the air.Theres no signature. Its simply inscribed (hash)No. 20.Even Mike Schmidt (yes, The No. 20) could agree that if Galvis does put the ball in the air, it may as well soar out of the park.Galvis continued his home run surge, hitting his 19th of the season to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.Galvis connected on a two-run shot in the second inning off Steven Brault (0-3) for his 10th homer in the last 32 games. Known more as a defensive whiz since taking over for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, Galvis has been a bright spot offensively for the Phillies. He already has career highs in doubles, homers, extra-base hits, RBI and stolen bases, though his .239 average and .271 on-base percentage need considerable improvement.I dont know if Im surprised, he said. All I know is, I put in a good workout in my offseason and worked really hard to prove I could play baseball every day.The 26-year-old switch hitter changed his approach early last month after a session with hitting coach Steve Henderson. Galvis kept all his weight on his back leg during his swing and suddenly found the pop that was missing.Galvis had 20 career homers in 322 games entering this season.His newfound power could be enough to overcome his measly OBP.I remember a few years when Jimmy Rollins didnt hit a whole lot, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. You can live with a guy like that.Tommy Joseph hit his 19th homer for the Phillies. Jeanmar Gomez got the final two outs of the ninth for his 37th save.The Phillies won two of the first three in the four-game series and all but knocked the Pirates out of the hunt in the NL wild card. The Pirates were six games back entering Wednesday and appear set to have their playoff streak end at three seasons. They had the second-best record in baseball behind only the St. Louis Cardinals from 2013-15.Brault allowed nine hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. He remained winless in seven career starts.The Phillies have long been out of the playoff picture and -- like so many teams playing out the string -- are looking for any kind of positive to end the season. Galvis has been one. Joseph showed power in his rookie season. Speedy rookie outfielder Roman Quinn has been solid in September.Quinn even threw out a runner at the plate in the ninth to snuff a Pirates rally.We had two outs to play with, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. We made a bad decision there.The Phillies got a rare boost on the mound from righty Jake Thompson (2-5). Thompson, who won for the first time since Aug. 12, allowed six hits and two runs over six solid innings.Against the Pirates, he was sharp enough in front of a small and lifeless crowd to show how he went 11-5 in the minors this season and was considered valuable enough to be included in last years Cole Hamels deal with Texas.Andrew McCutchen hit his 21st homer for the Pirates.STRIKEOUTS ARE BORINGDouble-A Reading OF Dylan Cozens won the 2016 Joe Bauman award as minor league baseballs home run champion with 40. The award is named for Bauman, who set a professional record in 1954 with 72 home runs for the Roswell Rockets of the Class-C Longhorn League.OPENING UPThe 2017 schedule was released on Wednesday. The Pirates will open April 3-6 at Boston in their first trip there since 2005. The Phillies open the season April 3 at Cincinnati.FLASH A SIGNFormer Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, traded last month to the Dodgers, thanked fans with a sign of appreciation on a billboard off I-95. The billboard read: I loved playing for you. You will always be in my heart. Thank you, Philly! -- ChoochSTREAK SNAPPEDPhillies LF Tyler Goeddel singled in the second inning to snap an 0-for-21 streak.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (3-3, 4.09 ERA) will make his 11th career start. Hes lost each of his last three decisions, though the Pirates have won seven of his 10 starts.Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (10-13, 3.73 ERA) has pitched six innings in each of his last five starts and six of seven overall. Outlet Nike Shoes Uk . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Cheap Nike Shoes Uk . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. http://www.discountnikeshoesuk.com/ . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Nike Shoes Cheap Uk Sale . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Cheap Nike Shoes For Sale Online .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Max Holt did a little bit of everything. At the net, digging balls from just off the floor, finishing points with big, leaping swings.He and David Lee stuffed the Italians with stellar blocking. Setter Micah Christenson contributed his own blocks and even a kill to end the third set. Matt Anderson, Aaron Russell and Taylor Sander provided power hitting from every corner.Mighty Italy just had a little more in a match that will surely become an Olympic volleyball classic as the Italians ended the gold-medal aspirations for the U.S. mens volleyball team in a second straight Olympics.For nearly 2 1/2 hours Friday, the young, overachieving Americans stayed with an Italian group that U.S. coach John Speraw considers the worlds most talented and destined for gold in Brazil.The Americans, who began the tournament with an 0-2 start that included a loss to Italy 10 days earlier, ran off four straight victories before falling in a riveting five-set semifinal that Italy won 30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9.This team fought the entire time, Lee said. Losing that first set made us fight even harder. We couldnt sustain that same level we had in the second and third to put the team out in the fourth set. We had an advantage in the fourth, we had a small lull in energy and thats when they came back, and they have such good servers that team can come back at any time and be back in a game. You can never count them out.The Italians will play for gold Sunday against Brazil, which defeated defending Olympic champion Russia 25-21, 25-22, 25-17 in Fridays other semifinal. Brazil will be playing in its fourth straight final and will be looking for its first gold since 2004 in Athens. Italy won the bronze in 2012 in London.It was strange. There was a really strong force inside us telling us, `Dont give up, keep fighting, Italys Ivan Zaytsev said.His team fought, all right. Afterward, the players fell to the floor, piling on each other.Lee brought his American teammates into a huddle for an embrace.dddddddddddd Then Anderson and Sander clapped to the crowd as the U.S. waited at the net to shake hands with the winners.In the fifth set, Osmany Juantorena served an ace for a 12-8 lead and Russell let a ball drop as Holt covered his face with his shirt.After an embarrassing third-set flop, Italy forced a deciding fifth set by closing the fourth on a 6-0 run -- getting three straight aces by Zaytsev, including the next-to-last point that was initially called long but overturned on review for set point.Today, the teams have played more than a match, Italy coach Gianlorenzo Blengini said.The American men have eight first-time Olympians.Im really sad this team didnt make it because theyre so good and they deserved to be in the final, said Lee, who won gold in Beijing eight years ago and is in his third Olympics. I dont care about how old they are. Theyre fighters.The U.S. will play for bronze, just like the top-ranked American women, who lost in five sets to Serbia on Thursday.The intensity of Fridays match was captured in a wild first set in which the Americans had five set points. With the score 25-25, Italys Massimo Colaci made a lunging, one-handed get from the ground before teammate Filippo Lanza sent the ball over the net from his knees near the baseline to keep the rally going.The score was tied again, at 28. Russell signaled that Italy captain Emanuele Birarellis serve was going out and let the ball drop. Italys players rushed the net to argue to referee Arturo di Giacomo of Belgium, contending the Americans touched the ball. He overruled the call and what had gone to a 29-28 lead for the U.S. suddenly turned to 29-28 for Italy, which won the set 30-28.My players gave it everything that they could today. I couldnt ask any more, Speraw said. I almost feel today we need to mourn. ' ' '