Im happy we won but were trying to build something here

MILWAUKEE -- Chris Stewart quickly has become familiar with the repertoire of tough Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez. Jesse Lingard Jersey . It paid off for the backup catcher Wednesday night. One night after grounding out in a nine-pitch at-bat against Rodriguez, Stewarts single keyed a three-run burst in the ninth inning and sent the Pirates past Milwaukee 4-1, ending the Brewers three-game winning streak. "I saw quite a few pitches from him (Tuesday) night, so I think that helped going into the at-bat," Stewart said. "He stayed away from me (Tuesday) night, so it gave me a read on what he was going to try and do in that situation." Rodriguez (1-1) threw two quick strikes to Stewart, but left a changeup high on the outside corner of the plate on his third pitch and the Pirates catcher belted it to centre, allowing pinch-runner Clint Barmes to score from second with the go-ahead run. "It was a big swing of the bat for us," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. Rodriguez had given up only one run in 21 innings in his first 21 games. But the Pirates tagged the Milwaukee closer for four consecutive hits to beat the Brewers for only the second time in nine games. Rodriguez said he was having a trouble with all his pitches and left both his fastball and changeup high in the strike zone against the Pirates. "Unfortunately, it wasnt my day," he said. "I didnt perform at the level I was expecting or everyone else was expecting. You just have to turn the page quick and be ready for the next day." Milwaukee managed only six hits and went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position minus Carlos Gomez. The star centre fielder dropped his appeal Wednesday and began a three-game suspension for his part in a bench-clearing fracas at Pittsburgh on Easter Sunday. "We didnt swing the bat that well," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. Ike Davis singled past diving first baseman Mark Reynolds in the Pittsburgh ninth and Jordy Mercer singled sharply to centre. Stewart, making only his eighth start of the season, then singled to centre. The throw from Gomez replacement, Elian Herrera, was wide of the plate, allowing pinch-runner Clint Barmes to score without a play and snap a 1-all tie. Starling Marte, playing for the first time since exiting Saturday with tightness in his back, then hit a two-run double to the centre-field wall. Tony Watson (4-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his fifth save in six chances. Pittsburgh won for just the fifth time in 16 road games. Pirates starter Francisco Liriano rebounded from two straight mediocre outings, but remained winless in nine starts. He received his fifth consecutive no-decision after allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven in six innings. "I expect the best is yet to come from Frank," Hurdle said. "Its just what I believe. Its the time of the year for him when he normally makes his move." Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta had another strong outing, giving one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four in seven innings. The right-hander received a no-decision but lowered his ERA to 2.05 in eight starts. Herrera, Gomezs replacement, went 0 for 4 and grounded out to strand Khris Davis at third in a 1-all game to end the seventh. NOTES: Brewers LHP Tom Gorzelanny threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab start for Single-A Brevard County against Fort Myers in the Florida State League. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one while coming back from off-season surgery on his left shoulder. ... Trainers examined Liriano in the fifth inning, but the left-hander stayed in the game. He said he slipped on the mound but didnt suffer any injury. Ander Herrera Jersey . In the opener of the World Group first-round series, world No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont. Matteo Darmian Jersey . Martin Reway and David Griger both recorded four points with a goal and three assists each. Mario Lunter, Daniel Gachulinec and Stanislav Horansky also scored for Slovakia (1-0). Dominik Kahun had both goals for Germany (0-2), who lost its opening match to Canada 7-2 on Thursday. http://www.manunitedfcpro.com/Kids-Phil-Jones-Jersey/ . The Canadian skicross racer appeared to have the bronze medal locked up in the mens final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, only to wipe out while trying to make a pass in the biggest moment of his career.BOSTON - With just under 40 seconds to go, the game tied at 105, Kyle Lowry poked the ball away from Celtics rookie Marcus Smart, igniting the signature play of the evening. I just sat on the crossover, said the Raptors point guard. If he got by me he wouldve gotten a layup but I anticipated it well and I know that DeMar [DeRozan] is always going to trail me. So I was just hoping he was hurrying up. Leading the fast break, Lowry flipped the ball back to DeRozan - following behind him as predicted - who finished it off with the go-ahead, one-handed slam. Thats our thing, DeRozan boasted. Whenever hes on the fast break he knows Im trailing and Im finding an opening gap where I can catch it and go through and try to get a foul or something. So thats just how we play. He knew I was coming. The play of the game was the steal [Lowry] had at the end, Dwane Casey said. As the whistle blew - DeRozan would go to the line to cap off a three-point play - Lowry turned to face the Garden crowd, arms spread at waist level, and let out a roar. At the moment, he had that look in his eyes. He had that same look, or variations of it, from the second quarter on. Most of the NBA is familiar with it by now and it doesnt usually bode well for whomever is on the other side. Hes got that angry face, said Patrick Patterson. Thats what he always looks like. There was no way Lowry was letting his team lose that game. Yesterday they said I wasnt aggressive enough and with us missing [Jonas Valanciunas] and [Amir Johnson] I had to be more aggressive tonight, said Lowry after scoring 35 points - his highest as a Raptor - on just 17 shots in Torontos comeback 110-107 road win over the Boston Celtics Wednesday. The Raptors were without their starting frontcourt. Valanciunas sat out nursing a couple injuries - namely a sore hand - after taking a beating in a game the night before. Johnson stayed back in Toronto, missing his third straight contest with an ankle injury. For Lowry and the rest of Wednesdays starters it was the same story on a different night. Plagued by slow starts to begin the season, Toronto allowed the host Celtics to shoot a whopping 79 per cent in a 35-point first quarter. It got ugly, and fast. Boston hit its first eight shots, going nearly half the period without a miss. They made 11 of their first 12 until, before you knew it, the Raptors were stuck in a 16-point hole and Lowry was having deja vu. Our starting unit, we havent been playing up to par, he had said after a similarly crushing slow start soured Tuesday nights win over the Thunder. I think… I know we need to play a lot better. Its one of them things weve got to fix internally. Midway through the second quarter, Lowry and company finally delivered on that promise. With that same starting unit on the floor, the Raptors closed the opening half on a 20-7 run putting a dent in their well-earned deficit. They decided to compete, said Casey. Thats the thing. You take the whip out in the derby and just keep cracking the whip, cracking the whip, cracking the whip. We cant be that way. It shouldnt have to come from me to crack the whip at every turn to get us gooing. Cheap Manchester United Jersey. But they decided to get going. To be a playoff or championship calibre team we shouldnt have to say giddy up. As the half ended, with momentum starting to turn in favour of the visitors, the ball was in Lowrys hands once again. Unhappy with a foul he committed on the other end, sending Rajon Rondo to the line, he drove into the body of the Celtics All-Star point guard, took a step back and drained the buzzer-beating jumper. Without breaking stride or watching the ball splash through the mesh, Lowry walked straight to the locker room. No roar that time. Just business. Rajon, hes got good hands so I had to get my step back and get freed up, he said. It was kind of a momentum push for us. He just got the two free throws so I wanted to make up for the dumb foul I did. Lowry was pissed off. Competition, as it usually does, fuelled him. A battle with Rondo, who finished with a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. A dog fight with Smart, who he went head-to-head with a couple occasions in the pre-season. But more than anything else he was ticked off at himself and at his team. They had let themselves down again. Toronto has allowed 30 or more points in the first quarter of each of its last three games. Opponents are shooting 71 per cent over that span. I call us drama queens, honestly, DeRozan said of the slow starts. Were like a suspenseful movie. Weve got to get out of that habit. I dont know. Were just a group of guys that love a challenge for some reason. I dont know why. Despite their 4-1 start to the campaign - Torontos finest in 10 years - weve yet to see the Raptors at their best for anything even close to a 48-minute interval. Theyve yet to face elite competition, sure, but theyre also coming off a stretch of four games in five nights without their two most important defenders and interior players for the second half of it. We cant be satisfied with that, Casey said. Im happy we won but were trying to build something here. Weve got to develop a playing personality starting the game. Starting the game. We cant wait till we get punched in the mouth. [We have to] understand that teams are coming after our necks and respond accordingly. The good news, and its not insignificant, is that Lowry is already looking like the All-Star that the Raptors hoped he would be when they committed to him this summer. Prior to Wednesdays contest, the Raptors became the first team to record 10 or fewer turnovers in four straight games to open a season since the NBA began tracking the stat in 1970. They gave the ball away just seven times in Boston, forcing the Celtics into 28 turnovers. Lowry has been the catalyst, with the ball in his hands more than any other Raptor player. The point guard did not commit a turnover on Wednesday. Its the fourth time in five games hes gone without one. Hes committed just two in 171 minutes. Help is also on the way. Although the Raptors have decided to err on the side of caution in regards to Valanciunas and Johnson, Casey believes theres a reasonable chance one or both could be back in the lineup to face the Wizards at home on Friday. Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys Cheap Clippers Jerseys Cheap Lakers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Rockets Jerseys Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Cheap Spurs Jerseys ' ' '