Pirate Galaxy » yard games. Kansas is 110th nati

ST. LOUIS -- On one hand, sweeping the San Diego Padres at home doesnt sound like a big deal when youre the St. Louis Cardinals, who have been to the National League playoffs five straight years and 12 of the last 16.On the other hand, when you entered the four-game series with a rotten 20-28 home record and hadnt won four straight home games all year, sweeping San Diego is a big deal.We havent played well at home, St. Louis starting pitcher Adam Wainwright said. Were ready for a big (winning) streak here. Were ready to run off about a 12-spot.The Cardinals can add to this success and make up ground on two fronts in the playoff chase Friday night when they welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Busch Stadium for a three-game weekend series.Thursday nights 6-5 win over the Padres, which led 5-1 after 7 1/2 innings, boosted St. Louis to 51-44 for the year, tying its high water mark of seven games over .500. It also kept it within a game of Miami for the NLs second wild-card spot.Whats more, the Cardinals also pulled within 6 1/2 games of the idle Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central, the closest theyve been since beating them 4-3 on May 23 to move within six games of first.So in a season largely bereft of team accomplishments, forgive St. Louis for feeling good about itself for a moment or two.Who said I was joking? kidded Wainwright when asked about joking about a 12-spot. You never know whats going to be your catapult. I just know that we havent had a good long winning streak in a while, and its time for it.Los Angeles (54-43) owns the NLs first wild-card spot by a game over Miami and comes to town fresh off winning two of three at NL East leader Washington, besting previously unbeaten Stephen Strasburg 6-3 Thursday.The Dodgers will have a hot pitcher taking the mound on a hot night, as temperatures might be close to 100 degrees at first pitch. Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 1.69) is coming off six shutout innings Saturday at Arizona, allowing just three hits and fanning eight as he was no-decisioned in a 2-1, 12-inning loss.Hell be opposed by Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.55), who lasted just four-plus innings and 101 pitches Sunday in a no-decision outing against Miami. Wacha, who had his pitch count jacked up by 25 foul balls, gave up seven hits and three runs, walking two and fanning four.Wacha is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles, absorbing an 8-4 loss on May 13. Hell have to be careful against Justin Turner, who homered twice and drove in five runs against Strasburg Thursday, giving him six homers and 16 RBI in 16 games this month.Im definitely feeling comfortable again, Turner said. I feel good and am obviously getting better results.The Cardinals will send Mike Leake (7-7, 4.00) to the mound Saturday night opposite Kenta Maeda (8-7, 3.25). In Sunday nights matchup, the Dodgers will pitch Scott Kazmir (8-3, 4.30) against a St. Louis pitcher to be determined. Ethan Ampadu Chelsea Jersey . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Ross Barkley Jersey .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Emerson-Jersey/ .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Marcin Bulka Jersey . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Robert Green Chelsea Jersey . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. GAME OF THE WEEKNo. 8 Oklahoma (8-2, 7-0 Big 12) at No. 10 West Virginia (8-1, 5-1). The first matchup of Top 10 teams in the league this season, and a game that could end the Big 12 title chase. If No. 13 Oklahoma State loses at TCU earlier in the day, coach Bob Stoops and the Sooners could be playing in prime time to clinch their 10th Big 12 championship . West Virginia is eliminated from contention with a loss. The Sooners have a 14-game conference winning streak, though their last three road games have been decided by 10 points or less. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, the Mountaineers have beaten every conference team -- except Oklahoma.BEST MATCHUPMason Rudolph vs. Kenny Hill, two quarterbacks with different styles. Rudolph, a passing QB, leads No. 13 Oklahoma State (8-2, 6-1) against dual-threat Hill and the Horned Frogs (5-4, 3-3). Rudolph is second in the Big 12 with 338.7 total yards per game -- 338.4 yards per game passing (He has only 3 yards rushing this season). Hill is third in the Big 12 with 336 total yards per game -- 299 passing and 37 rushing -- and the Frogs could be looking for more designed runs for him. The Cowboys have a six-game winning streak since losing at Baylor to open conference play. TCU is coming off an open date after a 40-point win at Baylor.INSIDE THE NUMBERSBaylor has lost three games in a row for the first time since a four-game losing streak in 2012. The Bears (6-3, 3-3) play their home finale againsst Kansas State.dddddddddddd ... Texas Tech (4-6, 2-5), which has to win its last two games to get bowl eligible, has allowed at least 44 points in seven games this season. ... Gary Patterson marks his 200th game as TCUs coach, only Dutch Meyer has coached more games for the Horned Frogs (201). ... Iowa State has averaged 420 total yards per game the last seven games, a 102-yard increase over its first three games.LONG SHOTUnfortunately for Kansas (1-9, 0-7), it seems like the Jayhawks are always longshots. They have lost 19 consecutive Big 12 games and are more than three-TD underdogs at home against Texas and national rushing leader DOnta Foreman (179 yards per game), who has tied 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbells school record with 11 consecutive 100-yard games. Kansas is 110th nationally, allowing 226 yards rushing per game. The Longhorns (5-5, 3-4) get bowl eligible with a victory.IMPACT PERFORMERSKansas State defenders Elijah Lee and Jordan Willis. Willis, a senior defensive end, leads the league with nine sacks and second with 13 1/2 tackles for losses. Lee, a junior linebacker, is tied for second in the Big 12 with 8.6 tackles per game.---Compiled by AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '