Wilkommen bei den Schatten » , Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa, in the first

PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Mets continue to hang in the National League wild-card race. The Philadelphia Phillies can only hope to get there.The Mets opened the second half of their season with a 5-3 victory over the Phillies on Friday night to improve to 48-42, and remain tied with Miami for the second wild-card berth.The Phillies, winners of 10 of their last 14, are seven games out. While they are rebuilding with a young roster after finishing a major league-worst 63-99 in 2015, manager Pete Mackanin is hopeful to get a little something more out of this season.Im setting my sights high, because we still have to let guys play and find out, but we might as play for something, have a target, he said.He will send his best pitcher, right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, to the mound Saturday against the Mets, as the teams continue their three-game series. Eickhoff (6-10, 3.80) was hit hard in a loss to Colorado his last time out, but in seven starts prior to that went 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA.He will be opposed by righty Logan Verrett (3-6, 4.34), who took the loss while making a spot start on July 9 against Washington, going a season-high 6 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked a career-high five.Verrett, who has made six starts among his 24 appearances, is 0-4 with a 9.33 ERA over his last four starts. He is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in four career appearances against Philadelphia, two of them starts.The Mets have lost right-hander Matt Harvey for the season following surgery to repair thoracic outlet syndrome, and fellow righty Noah Syndergaard departed his July 8 start against Washington after 4 2/3 innings with what has been described by the team as arm fatigue.Syndergaard, who has bone chips in his elbow, threw off flat ground for the second time in a week Friday, according to MLB.com, and is expected to throw off a mound Sunday. He is scheduled to start next Tuesday in Chicago, against the Cubs.Another starting pitcher, lefty Steven Matz, has also been plagued by bone chips in his elbow. In addition, third baseman David Wright (disk surgery) and first baseman Lucas Duda (back) are out, and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes missed his third straight game Friday with a strained right quadriceps.Bartolo Colon and Neil Walker held the fort for the Mets. Colon worked 5 2/3 innings to improve to 8-4, and Walker hit his 16th homer, a three-run shot, matching his total for all last season in Pittsburgh.Walker said afterward that the first game after the All-Star break is one of the hardest games of the year, since players often struggle to regain their rhythm.But sometimes if you can get a big hit, like a home run, he said, it eases the tension a little bit.Walker victimized Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (6-7), who is the subject of trade speculation with the July 31 non-waiver deadline approaching.Yeah, its on my mind, just when I see it on Twitter and talk to you (media) guys about it, he said. Other than that, Im focused every day on doing what I have to do for the next start. Like Ive said all along, I love it here and would love to be here the rest of the year, but obviously Ive been through it before and know that side of the game.He was traded after the 2014 season from Tampa Bay to Arizona, and after last season from the Diamondbacks to the Phillies. New Orleans Saints Jerseys .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. Bobby Hebert Jersey . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. http://www.shoptheofficialsaints.com/Elite-Morten-Andersen-Saints-Jersey/ . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Archie Manning Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Sam Mills Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Novak Djokovic will face 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the Olympics in a rematch of the 2012 bronze medal match.Del Potros ranking has fallen to 145th after he endured three operations on his left wrist. But at his first Grand Slam in 2 1/2 years, he upset fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon last month. The Argentine beat Djokovic for bronze in London four years ago.The top-ranked Djokovic, a 12-time major champion, is seeking his first Olympic title. A potential semifinal opponent in Rio de Janeiro is third-seeded Rafael Nadal, who hasnt played since withdrawing from the French Open because of a left wrist injury.Reigning gold medalist Andy Murray could face fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori in the semifinals. The Wimbledon champion will meet 35th-ranked Viktor Troicki in the first round in the 64-player draw, which was announced Thursday.Hes one of the better players thats not seeded, Murray said. He likes the hard court. Good competitor, good mover. Definitely a tough opening match.In the womens draw, top-ranked Serena Williams, the reigning gold medalist, could face older sister Venus in the semifinals. Also on her half of the draw is Spains Garbine Muguruza, who beat the 22-time major champion in this years French Open final. And a potential quarterfinal opponent is Italys Roberta Vinci, who stunned Williams in last years U.S. Open semifinals to end the Americans Grand Slam bid.The Williams sisters, coming off a Wimbledon title, are seeded first in doubles as they seek their fourth gold medal together.The tournament starts Satuurday, though Murray, who will be Britains flag bearer at Fridays opening ceremony, doesnt play until Sunday.dddddddddddd. He is also seeded second in doubles with older brother Jamie, who won this years Australian Open title with regular partner Bruno Soares of Brazil. Andy Murray said he considered his Olympic singles and doubles competitions to be of equal importance.The Murray brothers face two other Brazilians, Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa, in the first round.Im sure the crowd will be pretty lively, Jamie Murray said.Its going to be a tough team, he added, and obviously inspired to play in their home Olympics. Expect them to perform well.Wawrinka and Roger Federer were expected to contend for another doubles gold medal for Switzerland, but both pulled out of the Olympics because of injuries, leaving the Rio Games without two of the top four men in the rankings. Overall, half of the top 20 wont be in Brazil for various reasons, though the draw still has the star power of Djokovic, Murray and Nadal.Murray noted that if not for injuries to Federer and Wawrinka, every mens Grand Slam champion of the past decade-plus would be in Rio.It is unfortunate. The Olympics in London was very strong, Murray said. Because of a few injuries and some of the potential health problems, its made it a little bit weaker this time around.Everyone views things differently. For me, the Olympics is the biggest sporting event by far, and Im proud to be here representing my country. ' ' '