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MILWAUKEE - Rickie Weeks hit a two-out RBI single after Jonathan Lucroy moved to third on a balk, Francisco Rodriguez earned his league-leading 15th save and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a three-game skid with a 5-4 win Saturday over the New York Yankees. Michael Wilhoite . Lucroy, Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez each homered off Yankees starter CC Sabathia. Weeks chopper skipped through the hole into left in the seventh off Alfredo Aceves (0-1), who was called for a balk two pitches earlier. Rodriguez allowed two flyouts to the warning track in right in a scoreless ninth. The veteran closer hasnt allowed a run in 19 appearances this season. Zach Duke (3-0) got the win after escaping a seventh-inning jam by getting Carlos Beltran to bounce into a double play. Lucroy and Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs in the third, and Gomez hit a solo shot to the upper deck off Sabathia, who allowed eight hits in 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander allowed at least four runs in a game for the sixth time this year. Still, the Yankees rallied from two-run deficit on Mark Teixieras solo shot in the sixth and pinch-hitter Alfonso Sorianos RBI single off Duke that tied the game at 4 an inning . It put runners on first and second for the power-hitting Beltran. But Duke got him to bounce into the inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play. Weeks then came through for his first RBI of the season. He is the right-handed hitting half of a second-base platoon with Scooter Gennett, but he hasnt played much with Gennett. Weeks helmet flew off his head as he raced toward first on the single and he pointed to the dugout as the crowd showered him with cheers. It was enough cushion for the Brewers bullpen. Will Smith had two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth. Rodriguez got three flyouts in the ninth, though the outs by Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson made the hometown fans nervous after sailing close to the wall. Sabathia only wished he was that lucky in his first start at Miller Park since Sept. 28, 2008. With the Brewers after a midseason trade from Cleveland, Sabathia tossed a complete-game victory against the Cubs to clinch the NL wild card. Gomez gave Sabathia a rude welcome back leading off the bottom of the first after sending a 1-1 pitch high over the left-field fence. The ball caromed off the window of a restaurant filled with spectators dining in the third deck. Three runs off Sabathia were unearned because they followed an error. NOTES: Ramirez left the game in the fourth with a strained left hamstring after fielding a bouncer. ... Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said RF Ryan Braun (right oblique strain) feels good. He is eligible to come off the disabled list in time for the start of a three-game series Tuesday against Pittsburgh. "Still not probably there, so we are (hopeful) for Tuesday but Im not sure," Roenicke said. "Maybe there is a little bit of tightness but it is not really bothering him." Braun took full cuts at batting practice Saturday, including a homer to dead centre. ... The Yankees send David Phelps (0-0) to the hill Sunday afternoon against the Brewers Matt Garza (2-3) to wrap up the three-game series. Jeter will be honoured in a pregame ceremony. Womens White Steve Young Elite Jersey . The 24-year-old piloted the No.06 Sprott Inc. Newman/Haas Racing entry to nine top-ten finishes, including three season-best fourth-place finishes, all on wildly different tracks - at Long Beach (street course), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (short oval) and Kentucky Speedway (1. Vernon Davis 49ers Jersey . T.J. Brodie scored at 2:26 of the extra session to lead Flames to a 5-4 win over the slumping Blackhawks, whose overtime record fell to 0-6 this season.MONTREAL -- Tomas Plekanec had no problem Saturday night shutting down Sidney Crosby. Plekanec was matched up with Crosby, and kept the Penguins star without a point as the Montreal Canadiens edged Pittsburgh 3-2 at the Bell Centre. "You want to make sure hes not on the score sheet, and thats what weve done," said Plekanec. "When hes not on his game, when the game doesnt go his way, hes frustrated. "Thats what you want to accomplish. We wanted to get under his skin and make sure he wasnt on his game. When Crosbys slashing guys, jumping guys, you know hes off his game." Crosby had four shots on the night, a minus-1 rating, and finished with a 22 per cent success rate from the face off circle. Plekanec said Crosby trash-talked all game long. "He was talking all the time," said Plekanec. "I didnt say anything. I was just listening. Im a good listener." Unlike Crosby, the Czech forward scored on the night, his seventh of the year, and finished 16 for 21 from the face-off circle. "Every aspect of his game was excellent," said head coach Michel Therrien of Plekanecs performance. "Hes a smart player. Hes playing the right way. Hes always in a good position on the ice. Hes doing a lot of good things. Im confident putting guys like that on the ice. "Its always a challenge to face the leagues best player, but he was up for the challenge." Pacioretty scored twice for the Canadiens (13-9-2) to extend their win streak to three games, and Carey Price made 29 saves, including a big one on Crosby early in the first period. "When you make a couple of stops early, it definitely helps you get comfortable," said Price, who now has a 2.05 goals-against-average and a .935 save percentage. "Were just trying to get a win. In order to do that, we have to play well against (Crosby). But they have a lot of other guys who can put the puck in the net." Pittsburghs (15-9-0) James Neal, beat Price twice in the third period. With the score 3-0 early in the final period, Neal reduced the deficit when he rifled a shot over Prices glove and intto the roof of the net on the power play. Deion Sanders 49ers Jersey. He added another late in the game, sidestepping Price and sliding his fourth of the year in the back of the net on the backhand at 17:07. Despite the two third-period goals, Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma thought Price was the difference in the end. "In the third period, in the last four minutes, we had some flurries around the net, some pucks in there, and he was strong," said Bylsma. "We werent able to crack him there. In the first period, he gave us three or four real good saves that were the difference." After a scoreless first period, Pacioretty scored his sixth of the year at 1:53 of the second to put the Habs ahead 1-0. Pacioretty intercepted a weak clearance by Pens defenceman Olli Maatta in the neutral zone, skated across the blue-line, and snapped a quick, low shot off the post and in. "They go in sometimes, and sometimes they dont," said Pacioretty. "And when youre feeling good, they do. I have that shot in my bag, and when Im doubting myself, it probably doesnt go in. But Im feeling good right now." Plekanec added to the Canadiens lead when his wrist shot beat Marc-Andre Fleury between the legs, and Pacioretty scored his second of the game, the eventual game-winner, a minute later after stealing a bouncing puck from Evgeni Malkin on the Pens blue-line. Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins. Montreal has now outscored its opponents 12-6 during its three-game win streak. The Habs are coming off a 3-2 victory against the Capitals on Friday in which they scored three times in less than five minutes in the first period to secure the victory. The Canadiens travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Wednesday. Notes: This was the first of three matchups between the Habs and Penguins this season. The teams meet again In Pittsburgh on Jan. 22. ... Sidney Crosby leads the league with 30 points. a P.K. Subban leads the Canadiens in points with three goals and 17 assists. a Habs defencemen have now gone seven games without scoring. a Pittsburgh sits first in the Metropolitan Division. ' ' ' |
