PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Liriano showed up at PNC Park on Tuesday afternoon in a suit with his suitcase packed for a trip St. Louis. The message reverberated through the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse. After 21 years away from the playoffs, it was time for the best story in baseball to become something more than a novelty act. Liriano tossed seven dominant innings and the Pirates roared past Cincinnati 6-2 in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night then headed to St. Louis for the NL division series beginning Thursday. A.J. Burnett will start for the Pirates in Game 1 against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. "He had the expectancy to win," Pittsburgh centerfielder Andrew McCutchen said. "When he showed up with his suit on, that got me hyped up." St. Louis likely wont face Liriano until Game 3 at the earliest, though Lirianos teammates believe his performance set the tone for what they hope is an extended October stay. In front of a black-clad crowd savoring its first post-season game since 1992, Russell Martin hit two home runs, Marlon Byrd also connected and McCutchen reached base four times. "Were for real," McCutchen said. "Were definitely for real." You wont hear the Reds arguing after Liriano continued his mid-career renaissance. The left-hander scattered four hits, struck out five and walked one to win his first playoff game and serve notice the Pirates have no intention of going quietly after spending two decades at the bottom of the standings. "We didnt talk about one and done, we talked about one and run," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Win one and run to St. Louis." Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto struggled in his third start since coming off the disabled list last month. Cueto gave up four runs in 3 1-3 innings and appeared rattled by a raucous ballpark that taunted him by chanting his name. "He couldnt get the ball where he wanted," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Usually he can throw that ball through the eye of a needle. Tonight he was up." The 36-year-old Byrd, acquired by the Pirates in late August from the New York Mets, celebrated the first post-season at-bat of his 12-year career -- 1,250 games -- by sending Cuetos fastball into the seats to give the Pirates the lead in the second inning. The shot sent another jolt through an already electric crowd, which began singing "Cue-to, Cue-to" in unison when Martin stepped in. "This is 20 years of waiting. Youre seeing it all come out in one night," Martin said. "Hopefully we can keep this atmosphere till late October." The catcher followed with a drive into the bleachers in left field. The Reds never recovered, ending a 90-win season with a six-game losing streak. Three of those losses came at home against the Pirates in the final series of the season that determined the site of the win-or-die game. "Its unfortunately been a bit like deja vu," first baseman Joey Votto said. "Really disappointing." Baker backed Cueto before the game, saying his ace "thrives on this environment." Maybe, but the right-hander never looked comfortable at a place where he has been nearly unhittable. Cueto, who came in 8-2 at the ballpark by the Allegheny River, even lost his grip on the ball while standing on the mound as the crowd serenaded him. A moment later, he lost his grip on the game. Martins 405-foot shot to left-centre gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead and all the momentum Liriano would require. Signed on the cheap in the off-season after a mediocre 2012 split between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox, Liriano has been reborn in Pittsburgh. He went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA during the regular season, his devastating slider nearly unhittable against left-handers. The Reds proved no match. Votto went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Jay Bruce produced an RBI single in the fourth but Cincinnati never really threatened on a night baseball officially returned to Pittsburgh. "Its definitely a good feeling," Martin said, "but weve still got work to do." Shin-Soo Choo homered in the eighth, a drive to right field that was upheld by video review. It did little more than slightly delay a party 7,660 days in the making. Pittsburghs 94-win regular season reignited a relationship sullied by years of mismanagement and miserable play. When the gates opened two hours before the first pitch, fans -- most of them dressed in black at the urging of McCutchen, an MVP candidate -- sprinted to their seats in anticipation of the clubs first post-season game since Atlantas Sid Bream slid into home ahead of Barry Bonds throw in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the 1992 National League championship series. The victory sent the Braves to the World Series and the Pirates into an abyss that took an entire generation to escape. The first step came with victory No. 82 on Sept. 9. The next came two weeks later when a win over the Chicago Cubs assured a wild-card spot. The most thrilling yet lifted the team with the 26th-highest payroll in the majors ($73.6 million) into a showdown with baseball royalty. The Reds, meanwhile, head into an off-season that could be eventful. Baker has led Cincinnati to the playoffs in three of the last four years but the Reds failed to advance each time. They fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games -- after leading 2-0 -- in the division series in 2012 and were swept in the same round by Philadelphia in 2010. This time, they didnt even make it that far. Cincinnati spent most of the season as the third team in a three-way race with the Pirates and the Cardinals for the NL Central title. Theyll end the year as the first one heading home. "Its very difficult to come down to one game, especially the way we played," Baker said. "We got outplayed big time." Cueto, who made three different trips to the disabled list this season with a strained lat, was pressed into service when projected starter Mat Latos discovered bone chips in his right (throwing) elbow. On the surface, it seemed like an upgrade. It wasnt. The Pirates made it 3-0 on sacrifice fly in the third by Pedro Alvarez and Cueto was pulled when Starling Marte doubled with one out in the fourth. Marte sprinted home on local boy Neil Walkers double off reliever Sean Marshall and Walker scored on a fielders choice by Byrd to make it 5-1. When Martin hit a drive to left off Logan Ondrusek in the seventh, the party seemingly unthinkable for a team that lost 105 games in 2010 began. Martins long ball marked only the second multihomer playoff game in team history. Bob Robertson hit three in Game 2 of the 1971 NLCS. NOTES: Martin is the first catcher to homer for three different teams in the post-season. He previously connected for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and the New York Yankees in 2012 ... Liriano is the first Pittsburgh left-hander to win a playoff game since John Candelaria in Game 3 of the 1979 World Series ... The Reds have lost four straight playoff games and 11 of their last 13 ... Pittsburgh is the first home team to win since the new wild-card format was introduced last season ... The Pirates went 10-9 this year against St. Louis. ... Byrd is the oldest player to homer in his first post-season at-bat, according to STATS. Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Premium nere/bianche/grigie Training scarpe . Medlen was struck on the back of the leg, just below his knee, on a hard-hit ball by Emilio Bonifacio in the second inning Wednesday. Nike Air Max 2015 Uomo .C. - Olympic skicross athlete Julia Murray is retiring from the sport following a long recovery from knee injuries. http://www.uomoscarpe2015.it/roshe-run-nike.html . Higuain was greeted by about 100 jubilant Napoli fans waving club scarves and Argentina flags when he arrived for the medical exam, and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis said on Twitter later that both players had passed. Donna Nike Air Max 90 KPU scarpe blu cielo blu . -- D.J. Williams is preparing for his first start since Jan. 2015 Donna Nike Roshe Run Flyknit:Rose rosse marina Running Scarpe . The Liverpool captain had netted in the 87th minute at Anfield in a match his team would lose 3-1 to lowly Aston Villa."I feel well and I dont doubt my decisions. The red card to Nani was correct. People will see that is the case in time." – Cuneyt Cakir, March 5, 2013. Having spoken with a Spanish media outlet on Thursday - the three sentences above are about all Sir Alex Ferguson can chew the fat on as the globally renowned Fergie Hairdryer recovers from its latest outing. A hairdryer, believe it or not, thats given more years of service to Old Trafford than even Ryan Giggs. The hot air this time is directed foursquare at a 36-years-young insurance agent from Istanbul. Better known as the referee - who some reports want to have you believe was Real Madrids best player in that thoroughly absorbing second-leg round-of-16 encounter between two of world sports greatest institutions. Cakir wasnt even close to the reason why Real Madrid ran out of Old Trafford as worthy winners. Whether or not everyone - from Sir Alex, his assistant Mike Phelan, a sarcastically clapping in the refs face Rio Ferdinand or each and every one of the 75,000-plus in attendance - felt Cuneyt Cakirs decision to send off Nani was right or not is utterly irrelevant. The fact of the matter is Cakir did send Nani off. Manchester United Football Club has absolutely no one to blame for this latest defeat but themselves. To a man they did not even come to dealing effectively in either the tactical or psychological sense with the new set of circumstances Nanis dismissal presented to both players and coaching staff. On a night where truly they could have earned fully the grotesque sums they are paid, they failed miserably on all counts. Jose Mourinhos tactical switch introducing Luka Modric and pushing Gonzalo Higuan out wide right was Real Madrids almost immediate response to the stimuli that was the Nani red card. Game over. Where was Manchester Uniteds leadership? Where was their Chelsea or Inter Milan batten-down the hatches-type response? Mourinho, of course, played a starring role as Inter went down a man early on during the second leg of their 2010 semi-final clash with Barcelona. The San Siro club overcame the deficit, going on to claim their first European club crown in well over four decades. Last year, once more during a semifinal second-leg match at the Camp Nou, Chelsea went down a man when captain John Terry was sent off. Oh my, we see Cuneyt Cakir was the referee that night too. Even ex-Manchester United captain Gary Neville remembers vividly and very verbally the outcome that night. With Chelsea - like Inter Milan before them - went on to be crowned Champions of Europe. See the pattern, Fergie? The legend of the English game knows full well that its in adversity and how you react to it that ultimately defines you. That long-held theory holds true for everyone, including a football club. Fight or Flight is how they describe peoples psychological response to any perceived terror they may face. It is certainly correct, then, to state that Manchester United opted for flight Tuesday night. Fergusons so-termed too distraught to face the media post game state of mind was likely brought upon realizing at the final whistle his club had let a glorious opportunity slip away and they had no one really to blame but themselves. The runaway Barclays Preemier League leaders had, up to the point of the early second half dismissal, controlled the most important aspects.dddddddddddd None more so than with a 1-0 lead Manchester United, leaving United in control of the ultimate destiny of the tie. When Mourinho revealed his tactical revisions it was at that point United should have focused all resources in the cause of pushing back the Madrid Marauders and not allow for even one moment the emotion and bitterness of how they felt about the referee affect their performances. Cristiano Ronaldo does not need an open invitation. Neither did any of his teammates. Whilst at the other end, Diego Lopez had his most defining 90 minutes to date in a Real Madrid shirt. No matter how awfully colour-hued his shorts were. The Old Trafford crowd had their part to play too. Yes, they got behind their club in a most vocal and passionate way but you could clearly see during breaks in action the unacceptable face of football as many in the crowd could clearly be seen venting their anger and animosity towards Cakir. The Manchester United players would have both felt and observed it. In doing so the fans fury clouded their on-pitch judgements. Before the final whistle, Mourinho felt comfortable enough to begin the walk from the visitors dugout towards the dressing rooms - coy and crafty enough along his walk not to display even the hint of triumphalism on his well chiselled features. Mourinho chose instead to provide an abject lesson to Uniteds players. He completely ignored the animosity and rude finger gesturing that some in the most expensive hugging the touchline seats chose to direct his way. Eye-contact avoided, he was likely rehearsing his well scripted post match bon mots. Yet again beating Sir Alex at his own game - no manager in English or European football has a better head-to-head and or winning percentage record against Ferguson than Mourinho. Yes, Im talking to you Rafa. El "Special One" may well have been auditioning in the role of becoming the Old Trafford legends replacement as he set out the case for Fergusons right to monopolize the fury and distraught stakes. His coup-de-grace was stating that "the best team lost" on the night. This was as close as well ever get to Mourinho publically bowing down to the Ferguson Altar. Job interview: over. Now for Ferguson his immediate thoughts turn to a real pantomime villain, at least in the eyes of numerous Chelsea supporters and season ticket holders, Senor Benitez. The European Champions who so meekly surrendered that crown without so much of one bead of sweat falling from El Ninos well blushed brow now put their FA Cup on the line Sunday lunch time at Old Trafford. Ferguson is fully aware he will play no role at Wembley on May 25. Instead, he will be more determined now to ensure Manchester United can at least compensate in some way for missing out on yet another Champions League Final by reaching the FA Cup summit on May 11. Little compensation, we know, but at this point any Wembley date is better than no date at all. Besides, Ferguson can help keep a Wembley bench seat warm for when his dear old, Portuguese, red wine-drinking friend likely brings his Madrid side to Wembley exactly two weeks later. cheap nfl jerseys cheap soccer jerseys ' ' '
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