Pirate Galaxy » 29 2/3, and it allowed one hit and

A look at whats happening all around the majors Thursday:---CHAMPAGNE ON ICEChasing their first World Series championship since 1908, the Chicago Cubs are beginning to clear some hurdles along the way. After clinching a playoff spot Wednesday, the Cubs can wrap up their first NL Central title since 2008 with a win at home over Milwaukee or a St. Louis loss in San Francisco. Chicago has the best record in the majors at 93-52.LETS GET WILDAll-Star arms are on the mound at AT&T Park for the opener of a critical, four-game series between NL wild-card contenders. Adam Wainwright (11-8, 4.45 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Johnny Cueto (15-5, 2.90) and the skidding Giants, just swept at home by San Diego. San Francisco leads the wild-card race by a half-game over the Mets, with St. Louis another half-game back.BUMPY ROADThe path to the playoffs is about to get a lot tougher for the Yankees. New York begins a rugged road trip when Masahiro Tanaka (13-4, 3.04 ERA) starts at Fenway Park against Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.70). The Yankees play four games in Boston, three at Tampa Bay and four in Toronto on an 11-game trek that matches their longest in 10 seasons. New York has dropped three of four and is two games behind Toronto for the second AL wild card.UH, OHDesperately trying to stay in the wild-card hunt, the Houston Astros are hoping Jose Altuves injury isnt too serious. A top contender for AL MVP, Altuve left Wednesday nights game against Texas with right oblique discomfort. The star second baseman began the night leading the league in hitting with a .340 average to go with 24 home runs, 94 RBI, 27 stolen bases and 99 runs.HOT CORNERToronto third baseman Josh Donaldson is waiting for results of an MRI on his sore right hip. Last years AL MVP has missed three straight games but said he hopes to play in the series opener at the Los Angeles Angels. J.A. Happ (18-4) starts for the slumping Blue Jays, who have lost seven of 10. They are three games behind first-place Boston in the AL East and hold a slim lead for the leagues second wild card.PERFECT ENCOREDodgers lefty Rich Hill (12-3, 1.80 ERA) starts at last-place Arizona as Los Angeles continues its 10-game trip with a five-game lead in the NL West over San Francisco. Hill has won nine straight decisions, and was pulled with a perfect game in progress after seven innings at Miami in his most recent outing because of concerns about a recurring blister. Jonathan Huberdeau Panthers Jersey . 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. Aaron Ekblad Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/ian-mccoshen-hockey-jersey/ .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Vincent Trocheck Panthers Jersey . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. MacKenzie Weegar Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. ARLINGLTON, Texas -- Yu Darvish looked playoff-ready with a season-high 12 strikeouts in six innings as the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Friday night and clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.The Rangers can be tied by only the Cleveland Indians and they own the tie-breaker by winning the teams season series. The AL owns home-field advantage in the World Series thanks to its win in the All-Star Game.Darvish (7-5) allowed one run, three hits and one walk. His 28th career game of double-digit strikeouts is the second-most in a pitchers first 100 major league starts, topped only by Dwight Gooden (31). Darvish will likely start Game 2 of the Division Series following Cole Hamels.Shin-Soo Choo returned to Texas lineup after missing 39 games with a fractured left forearm. Choo pulled a single to right in his first plate appearance since Aug. 15 and went 1 for 4.Matt Andriese (8-8) gave up three runs and seven hits, including solo home runs to Carlos Beltran and Rougned Odor.Darvish went into the game averaging 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings this season, best in the league. In his final four starts of the season, he fanned 38 in 24 2/3 innings.Beltran homered just inside the right-field foul pole, his 29th of the season and seventh since joining Texas at the non-waiver trade deadline.Odors homer was his 33rd, tying Adrian Beltre ffor the team lead this season.dddddddddddd The only Texas second baseman to hit more in a season is Alfonso Soriano, with 35 in 2005.Sam Dyson earned his 38th save. Four Texas relievers worked three scoreless innings, running the bullpens streak to a club-record 29 2/3, and it allowed one hit and one walk.Evan Longoria had two doubles, one driving in the Rays run, giving him career highs of 171 hits and 80 extra-base hits this season.SHORT HOPSTexas 53rd home win set a club record. . The Rays are 10-18 in September, the most losses in one month for the team since going 7-20 in July 2007. . Logan Forsythe, who has been the Rays leadoff hitter in 123 games this season, appeared as a pinch-hitter and will return to the lineup on Saturday night. . Ian Desmond increased his majors-leading total of outfield errors to 12 with two dropped fly balls.UP NEXTTampa Bay: Jake Odorizzi (9-6) hasnt won since Aug. 30. The Rays have lost in his last four starts, during which he has had a 5.40 ERA.Texas: Colby Lewis (6-4), who figures to start Game 3 of the Division Series, is 0-3 with a 9.75 ERA in three September starts after missing two months with a strained lat muscle. Lewis lasted only 1 1/3 innings in his previous start last Sunday at Oakland. ' ' '