The Packers went from three kickers to two when t

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(SportsNetwork. Soldes Chaussures Salomon Pas Cher .com) - Two of the most decorated teams in the history of baseball square off on Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in Game 1 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium. These teams are certainly no stranger to one another in the postseason, as the Cardinals beat Los Angeles in a 2004 Division Series and the 1985 NL Championship Series, both en route to World Series defeats. The Dodgers, though, got the best of the Cardinals the last time these clubs met in October, sweeping them in the 2009 NLDS. Combined, the two teams have accounted for 17 World Series titles. While the Cards last won in 2011, the Dodgers are trying to get back to that round for the first time since winning it all in 1988. "Its going to be a blast," Cardinals third baseman David Freese said. "Its going to be fun. St. Louis and L.A. going at it. Obviously, theyre a great team. ... Its going to be huge. Its going to be a lot of fun." St. Louis finds itself back in the NLCS for the third straight year after a terrific regular season campaign that saw the club win an NL-best 97 games. The Cardinals, though, needed all five games to get past the upstart Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLDS. After falling behind 2-1 in that set, the Cards rallied back to win the next two backed by a pair of tremendous pitching performances. After rookie Michael Wacha flirted with a no-hitter to win Game 4, ace Adam Wainwright put the hammer down in the decisive fifth game with a little help from another postseason hero. David Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP, set the tone with a two-run home run, while Wainwright scattered eight singles and struck out six in a complete-game win. "To pitch a game like that is one of the highlights of my baseball life, no doubt," Wainwright said. "These are the kind of moments starting pitchers live for." Wainwright, who led the NL with 19 wins, wont be available until Game 3. Instead, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny will turn to righty Joe Kelly, who didnt get a decision in the NLDS, but allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of a Game 3 loss. Kelly, though, posted a 1.97 ERA after June 1, third among all major league pitchers, behind only Miami phenom Jose Fernandez (1.50) and the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (1.82). He also reeled off eight consecutive winning decisions, the longest such streak of any Cardinals pitcher this season, and he had a scoreless streak of 19 2/3 innings at one point. "My mindset was just come to the field ready every day, no matter what my job was that day," said Kelly. "Using me later in the game early in the year, and me being the long guy after that, youve got to come to the park mentally prepared to begin the game at any moment." Carlos Beltran added to his postseason legacy by driving in six runs in the five-game set. Amazingly he only hit .222, but his .944 OPS in this series was his second lowest in a playoff series. One of the top postseason performers of all time, Beltran hit his 16th postseason home run in Game 3 and surpassed Babe Ruth for the eighth-most in baseball history. Beltrans 1.247 OPS in the postseason is the highest in any players career. Los Angeles, meanwhile, found itself 9 1/2 games back in the NL West on June 22 and seemed to be close to firing manager Don Mattingly. However, the team rattled off 42 wins in 50 games and claimed its 12th division title since 1969. The team stumbled down the stretch, though, and went just 12-15 in September. The poor play, though, didnt carry into the postseason, as the Dodgers took care of the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS and are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2009. Juan Uribe delivered the big hit for the Dodgers in the Game 4 clincher, as his two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth put them ahead for good and may have saved his manager from a whole world of trouble. Mattingly left himself open to some criticism in that final game, as he opted to go back to left-hander Clayton Kershaw on short rest. Kershaw, who had never started a game on three days rest, went six innings and allowed two unearned runs. Kershaw will go in Game 2, as Mattingly will turn to another former Cy Young Award winner in Game 1 in 2009 AL winner Zack Greinke, who lost to the Braves, despite a solid outing that saw him surrender two runs and four hits in six innings. Greinke was 15-4 this season and pitched to a 1.58 ERA over his final 12 regular season starts. He also won 12 of his final 14 decisions and was 7-0 with a 1.95 ERA over his last 10 starts on the road. Los Angeles is led by the two horses atop their rotation, but their offense isnt too shabby either. They hit .333 as a team in the NLDS, including Hanley Ramirez (.500), Yasiel Puig (.471), Uribe (.375), Carl Crawford (.353) and Ellis (.333). The Dodgers were 4-3 against the Cardinals this season, including three wins in four games in St. Louis. Not having homefield advantage for this series may not matter, as Los Angeles was tied with Texas for the best road record in the majors in 2013, at 45-36. Trail Salomon Pas Cher .  Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Acheter Chaussures Salomon . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. http://www.salomonchaussuressoldes.fr/salomon-speedcross-iii-cs.html . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will likely enter the regular season having played the fewest preseason snaps of his time as a starter. Coach Mike McCarthy, quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo and Rodgers were mum on whether hell play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday in the preseason finale. Rodgers would have to play deep into the game to get his snap count up to match the previous five years, and the Packers arent going to risk their franchise quarterback. "Were going to make sure Aarons ready," McAdoo said after practice Monday, when Rodgers ran the scout-team offence along with a host of other starters, indicating he may not play at all against the Chiefs. "We have a plan for it." So far this preseason, Rodgers has played 45 snaps in five offensive series. Hes completed 17 of 24 passes (70.8 per cent) for 237 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, one sack and a passer rating of 102.3. In last weeks loss to Seattle in the third preseason game, which is traditionally when the starters play the longest, Rodgers played only one series and 10 snaps. Rodgers played six possessions and 41 snaps in the Packers third preseason game last year at Cincinnati. McCarthy wouldnt say whether Rodgers will play only one series or not at all against the Chiefs. "Not to avoid the question, (but) its important to get the work tomorrow before we set on exactly who will play," he said. But McCarthy did say he believes Rodgers is prepared to face the 49ers if he doesnt take another snap in a game. "Id say Aarons in his game ready shape. Hes been very sharp," McCarthy said. "I feel very confident that Aarons ready to go." When Rodgers ascended to the starting job in 2008 after three years behind Brett Favre, he played 16 series and 93 snaps in four preseason games. In the preseason finale against Tennessee that year, he played just one snap, throwing a 68-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings on the opening play. The past four years, his snap counts have been almost the same every year -- 77 in 13 series 2009, 78 in 13 series 2010, 75 in 12 series in 2011 and 79 in 14 series last summer -- even though McCarthy has gone a variety of ways in the finale. Rodgers didnt play at all in the 2010 finale against the Chiefs; he played one series each against them in 2011 (eight snaps) and played two seriees in 2012 (seven snaps, including three straight handoffs in the second series). Salomon XT Hawk. "What did Mike say? He thinks Im ready for the season opener? Then Im ready to play," Rodgers replied when asked if he felt he need to play Thursday night. "Its up to Mike. If Mike wants to get us another drive or two or three, then well do it. Weve taken a couple reps this week working on Kansas City stuff. Its up to him." Rodgers seemed to thoroughly enjoy working on the look team in practice Monday, reprising his role from his time as a backup, and he did get some quality work in at the No. 1 defences expense. Not only did he go over the top of defensive co-ordinator Dom Capers group for a 40-yard touchdown to wide receiver Jordy Nelson, but he also made a few adjustments at the line of scrimmage -- a no-no when youre supposed to be running the upcoming opponents plays as diagrammed on a card -- on a touchdown throw to Randall Cobb and another play. With Cobb (biceps) and Nelson (knee) having each missed the first three preseason games with injuries, Rodgers said working with them on the scout team was valuable because theyve been out so long. "Its important for us to find some time to get some reps in. Weve (only) been throwing on the side a little bit," Rodgers said. "Thats going to be our opportunities before the season starts. Were going to have to find that connection here in the next couple of weeks." NOTES: The Packers went from three kickers to two when they released Giorgio Tavecchio, who had competed with incumbent Mason Crosby throughout camp until Zach Ramirez signed Sunday. McCarthy did not rule out the possibility of Tavecchio returning, however. "I told him in a meeting really hes still part of the competition," McCarthy said. . Crosby and Ramirez will go head-to-head in practice on Tuesday, McCarthy said. ... Cornerback Tramon Williams, out since July 27 with a bone bruise in his knee, was back in action, working on the scout-team defence. "I still dont want to go out and say that I will be there Week 1 but for me to be out here now, I think its definitely a possibility," Williams said. ... McCarthy said running back DuJuan Harris, who reinjured his knee against Seattle, is getting a second opinion. ... Inside linebacker Brad Jones (hamstring) was ruled out for Thursday nights game. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap soccer jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '