as a Cub after beginning the day even with Hall of Famer Andre

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Rob Gronkowski understands growing up in Buffalo doesnt make him immune to the cold welcome reserved for visiting teams -- and that especially includes the Bills AFC East rival Patriots.For sure, you get like 50 middle fingers from people in the first three rows, Gronkowski said.On Sunday, Gronk got in the last word during a 41-25 win over the Bills .His 53-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter sparked a surge in which the Patriots scored on five consecutive possessions. And he also broke a pair of franchise records. The touchdown was the 69th of his career and 68th receiving, breaking the previous marks held by Stanley Morgan.That Gronkowski did it in his hometown and in the same stadium he once attended rooting for the Bills made it extra special.I definitely envisioned big things, but nothing on the scale of this, Gronkowski said, reflecting on his childhood. Its just an unbelievable honor.Driving up the right sideline, Gronkowski cut into the middle and caught Tom Bradys pass in stride a couple of steps ahead of cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Gronkowski then immediately turned upfield and sauntered into the end zone, where he capped the score with a hard spike.After celebrating with his teammates, Gronkowski turned and bowed in what was a tribute to his mother, Diane.She caught up with her son at the team hotel on Saturday and told him how proud she would be for him to break the record.I was like, Ive got to give her a shoutout for letting me know shes super proud of me, Gronkowski said. Hi mom, and thank you.And his father, Gordie, was enjoying the moment in a stadium suite, surrounded by about 80 family members and friends.We were all on our barstools and had a big celebration for him, Gordie Gronkowski told The Associated Press, noting he anticipated his son would score.When he comes here, he gets all wired up and hyped up and everything to play in front of his fans, he said. It was a fantastic moment for us.In finishing with five catches for a team-best 109 yards, Gronkowski continued a trend of running up his numbers against Buffalo. In 11 games, he has 52 catches for 813 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gronkowski has scored at least once against Buffalo in each of his six NFL seasons, with the exception of 2014 when he missed one of two games against the Bills because of a knee injury.Hes pretty dang good, Bills coach Rex Ryan said. That guys a phenomenal player and hes been that way for a long time.What also separates Gronkowski from most NFL players is his larger-than-life personality. Hes just as accustomed to finding the end zone as he is being on stage alongside Paul McCartney, as happened in July.Its a pleasure to get to play with that guy. His attitude toward the game, he has so much fun, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman said. Hes just a flat-out beast that goes and has fun. What a great way for him to go out and beat a record.Even the usually reserved Patriots coach Bill Belichick couldnt resist taking a moment to praise Gronkowski.I love it. I love to see his presence, Belichick said. Theres a lot of great players in this league, and there have been a lot of great players, but obviously, Gronk does a good job.Gronkowski received another surprise following the game, when Morgan called to congratulate him on breaking the record.He was an awesome player, an awesome guy, and he said, `congratulations, and it was pretty cool, Gronkowski said.Gronkowski then acknowledged hes not very familiar with Morgan, who played for the Patriots from 1977-89.It would be a great honor to actually meet him in person and actually study up on his game and see what hes all about, Gronkowski said. Im going to be looking forward to that.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Swell Bottle Sale . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Swell Drink Bottle Australia . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. http://www.swellbottlesaleaustralia.com/swell-bottle-wood-collection.html . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Swell Bottle Cheap .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Liberty Swell Bottle Australia . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. CHICAGO -- Had he accepted a trade last season, Alfonso Soriano might have played for a champion. This time around, he doesnt want to think about the possibility. A move might be a consideration if he keeps this up, though. Soriano hit a pair of two-run homers in consecutive innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. "I want to win here," he said. The Cubs arent doing much of that -- and havent in a few years, actually. Theyre still in the early stages of rebuilding, and with his eight-year contract expiring in 2014, Soriano might be attractive, particularly to American League teams looking for a designated hitter. Last season, the seven-time All-Star turned down a trade to San Francisco, a decision that cost him a World Series ring. "I dont want to think about it," said Soriano, who can veto any deal. "If they have something on the table, they want to let me know before they try outside. I dont want to think about it. I just want to come to the ballpark and play my game." He delivered in this one, and so did the pitchers. Edwin Jackson and three relievers combined on a five-hitter, and the Cubs handed the Pirates just their third loss in 14 games. Pittsburgh came in with the best record in the majors and a seven-game road win streak, but the Pirates couldnt get much going at the plate or find a way to contain Soriano. His drive off Charlie Morton in the fourth after Pedro Alvarez homered in the top half put the Cubs ahead, and he followed that with a long drive to the bleachers in left to make it 4-1 in the fifth. That was enough for Jackson (5-10), who won his second straight start. A disappointment after signing a four-year deal with Chicago in January, the veteran right-hander had one of his better outings and improved to 6-2 in 10 starts against Pittsburgh. He held the Pirates to just one run and four hits in 5 2-3 innings, leaving to cheers after he walked Garrett Jones to put runners on first and second. James Russell came in and struck out Alvarez to end the threat. Matt Guerrier worked two scoreless innings, and Kevin Gregg came on in the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances. "Every time we had a chance to maybe extend an inning or move the chains Jackson made a pitch and got out of the inning," Pirates managger Clint Hurdle said.dddddddddddd Morton (1-2) pitched six innings for Pittsburgh, allowing four runs and seven hits. He struck out six and walked three, but the long balls by Soriano were the difference. Starling Marte had two hits for the Pirates after collecting three the previous day and extended his streak to a career-high 11 games. He also had two steals, although he got caught trying to swipe third in the third inning. Pirates second baseman Neil Walker left the game because of discomfort on his right side and is day to day. Brandon Inge replaced him at second base in the fifth. Soriano put the Cubs ahead in the fourth after Anthony Rizzo doubled off the left-field wall, and he struck again with a shot in the fifth. The ball sailed to the last row of the left-field bleachers for his 12th homer this season. That gave him 32 multi-homer games in his career and two this season. He also tied Harold Baines for 59th on baseballs career home run list with 384 and took sole possession of 12th place on Chicagos list with his 175th and 176th homers as a Cub after beginning the day even with Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. "Its fun when we have a teammate swinging the bat real well," Jackson said. "Its a lot of fun in the dugout. Its positive energy and thats what this team needs." NOTES: Hurdle was a bit amused by footage showing an usher interrupting an interview with his dad by Pittsburgh broadcaster Robby Incmikoski during Fridays game. The usher told them they were blocking fans view. Hurdle said a few of his family members were upset. "Im kind of just taking the high road and chuckling about it," Hurdle said. This weekend is the Pirates annual father/son trip, where players and coaches get to bring their dads. ... The Cubs gave top prospect Javier Baez a promotion, moving him from Class A Daytona to Double-A Tennessee. The infielder was their minor league player of the month for June. "Its time for a new challenge for Javier, and I think hell respond well to it," general manager Jed Hoyer said. He also said its "highly unlikely" Baez will reach the majors this year. ... A.J. Burnett (4-6, 3.12 ERA) returns to the Pirates rotation after missing the past month with a strained right calf, and Carlos Villanueva (2-4, 3.45) starts for the Cubs on Sunday. ' ' '