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WASHINGTON -- Max Scherzer allowed two hits over eight innings, Bryce Harper had a two-run double and the Washington Nationals avoided a four-game home-and-home sweep with a 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. Fake Vans For Sale .Scherzer (14-7) struck out 10 and did not walk a batter. He retired 12 straight after Adam Jones fourth-inning double and 21 of 22 before Mark Trumbos leadoff single in the eighth.Jayson Werths solo home run staked Washington to a 1-0 lead. Daniel Murphys RBI double in the eighth came before Harpers second hit helped the Nationals pull away.The Nationals had lost four straight including three in a row to the Orioles, who won twice in Baltimore before the teams shifted to Washington.Ubaldo Jimenez (5-11) allowed one run and five hits over six innings.Trumbo stole second base with two outs in the eighth, but J.J. Hardy flied out to deep center field on Scherzers 95th and final pitch. Mark Melancon allowed one hit in the ninth.METS 10, CARDINALS 6ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright lost his glove trying to tag out Yoenis Cespedes and lost the game, too, when Alejandro De Aza homered and drove in five runs for New York.Seth Lugo (1-2) pitched five scoreless innings for his first big league win. The Mets took two of three to win their first series at Busch Stadium since 2008.Brandon Moss hit two home runs for the Cardinals and Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty also connected.The Mets led 3-0 in the fifth when Wainwright (9-8) and Cespedes were involved in a bizarre play.Cespedes tried to go from first to third on a bloop single by James Loney. When several Cardinals chased the ball, Wainwright covered third base. Cespedes slid and his cleat pinned Wainwrights glove to the bag -- he wouldve been out, but when Wainwright pulled away his hand, the mitt stayed stuck under Cespedes foot. Because Wainwright didnt control the ball, Cespedes was called safe in a ruling upheld by replay. Moments later, De Aza hit a three-run homer to make it 7-0.ANGELS 6, BLUE JAYS 3TORONTO -- Albert Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark for the 13th time, the fifth player in history to achieve the feat, Mike Trout had three hits and drove in four runs, and Los Angeles beat Toronto.Jered Weaver pitched 5 2/3 innings to snap a three-start losing streak and help the Angels win consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 2-3.The Angels also prevented J.A. Happ from becoming the first 18-game winner in the majors. After winning 11 straight decisions, Happ (17-4) suffered his first lost since June 10 at Detroit. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.One day after his 584th home run moved him past Mark McGwire into sole possession of 10th place on the career list, Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth as the only players with 100 or more RBI in 13 seasons.RANGERS 9, INDIANS 0ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cole Hamels allowed only two singles over eight innings for his 14th victory, Carlos Gomez hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat with Texas and the AL-best Rangers beat Clevelandin the opener of a four-game series matching division leaders.Hamels (14-4) retired 19 straight batters after Francisco Lindors two-out single to left in the first. The only other baserunner for the Indians was Carlos Santana after a leadoff hit in the eighth, though he was stranded at second after advancing on a passed ball.Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor also homered for the Rangers (75-53).Josh Tomlin (11-8) lost his fifth consecutive start in August.ROYALS 5, MARLINS 2MIAMI -- Alcides Escobar homered and drove in two runs to lead surging Kansas City past Miami.Salvador Perez and Kendrys Morales also drove in runs. The defending champion Royals have won 15 of 18 to pull within four games of the second AL wild card spot.Edison Volquez (10-10) pitched five innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, and three hits.The Royals bullpen, which has been a successful formula for the reigning two-time AL pennant winners, pitched four scoreless innings to push its franchise-record scoreless streak to 38 2/3 innings -- the best in the majors since 2002-03 when San Francisco tossed 39 1/3 straight.Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.Tom Koehler (9-9) was the loser.PIRATES 3, BREWERS 2, 10 INNINGSMILWAUKEE -- Andrew McCutchen hit a home run and a pair of RBI singles, including the tiebreaker in the 10th inning, and Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee to stop a nine-game skid at Miller Park.McCutchen has 44 RBI in 56 career games at Miller Park, his highest total at any opposing park.McCutchen homered into the second tier of seats in left field off Wily Peralta in the first for his 18th home run of the season. He then hit an RBI single that beat the shift in the third.Pinch-hitter John Jaso blooped a single off Carlos Torres (2-3), advanced on a sacrifice, took third on a ground out and scored on McCutchens liner through the right side of the infield.Antonio Bastardo (2-0) picked up the win in relief, and Tony Watson pitched a scoreless 10th for his eighth save.RAYS 2, RED SOX 1ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Enny Romero earned his first major league save, relieving with two outs in the ninth inning and fanning Boston slugger David Ortiz to give Tampa Bay a four-game split.After Tyler Sturdevant struck out Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. to begin the ninth, Romero was summoned. Romero sent Ortiz to the ground with a high-and-tight 1-2 fastball, then got him to look at strike three. A day earlier, the 40-year-old Ortiz reached 30 home runs and 100 RBI. Ortiz was rested for the final day of an 11-game road trip that saw Boston go 7-4. The Red Sox, who began the day tied with Toronto for the AL East lead, lost the final two games of the series.Mikie Mahtook ended a stretch of 34 hitless at-bats with a go-ahead double in the seventh off Drew Pomeranz (10-10). Jake Odorizzi (9-5) improved to 6-0 in eight starts since the All-Star break. He gave up one run and five hits in seven innings.WHITE SOX 7, MARINERS 6CHICAGO -- Todd Frazier tied it with an RBI single in the seventh inning and lifted Chicago past Seattle with a line drive down the left-field line in the ninth.Adam Eaton led off the ninth with a bloop single off Nick Vincent (3-4) and went to second on Tim Andersons sacrifice. Jose Abreu was walked intentionally before Fraziers liner over third scored Eaton, leading to a pileup of players behind the pitchers mound.David Robertson (4-2) worked around a walk and two incidents of fans running on the field in the ninth that delayed play for several minutes.Robinson Cano hit his 29th home run and the Mariners wasted a solid return off the disabled list by James Paxton in their third straight loss.TIGERS 8, TWINS 5MINNEAPOLIS -- James McCann had a three-run homer and finished with four hits, Daniel Norris pitched into the seventh inning and Detroit completed a sweep for Minnesotas seventh straight loss.The Tigers are 10-2 against the Twins this year. They have won eight in a row at Target Field.Norris (2-2) struck out five in 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits without a walk in his longest and strongest start this season. He took a shutout in the sixth, surrendering RBI singles by Robbie Grossman and Eduardo Escobar over his last two innings.Francisco Rodriguez struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 35th save. Jose Berrios (2-4) was the loser. Fake Vans Online .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Fake Vans Store . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. http://www.fakevans.com/fake-vans-slip-on/ . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006.MARTINEZ BOLD CHANGE It is the morning after the opening day of the Premier League season and a national sports radio station in England is taking calls from football fans on the changes they witnessed and didnt like on day one of the season. Some replies are funny, such as a fan of lower league team, Hartlepool, who said he was disgusted at his sides decision to not score goals this season, while others, like the Arsenal fan complaining at the price of wine going up inside their stadium, failed to get much sympathy. At least something went up in value at The Emirates during the summer, I thought. In the end the overriding message was football fans had to embrace change because there is an awful lot of it taking place.Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Luis Suarez would argue his constant mind changing has changed very little this summer but if Shaw was alive today he most certainly would have written an equally clever phrase about the Uruguayans current plight. He would also have relished Saturdays action as the Barclays Premier League turned the page on a new chapter, with an unprecedented four new managers taking charge of the best six clubs from last season. David Moyes at Manchester United, Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea will certainly receive their fair share of ink this season but at Everton, new boss Roberto Martinez shouldnt go unnoticed as he goes about molding a team into his way of thinking.During their 2-2 draw at Norwich City on Saturday, seen live on TSN, Martinez wasted no time in making a significant adjustment to his side immediately. On paper it looked like a team that could have been drawn up by Moyes last season. They featured a back-four including attacking wingbacks Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, a midfield three of Leon Osman, youngster Ross Barkley and Marouane Fellaini, with Steven Pienaar on the left wing, Kevin Mirallas on the right, flanking Nikica Jelavic up front. Under Moyes, Belgian Fellaini would have played as the attacking member of the midfield three, a position he excelled in last season when he went on to lead the club in goals(11) and shots(90). One of his best performances, in fact, came in week one, at home to Manchester United, when he scored the games only goal and was a menace all night to the opposition. (Click for larger image) The towering 25-year-old went on to score five headed goals in the 2012/13 campaign, just one behind Swanseas Michu for the league lead, in a season so successful many expected him to be at a different club by now. At Norwich on Saturday, still dressed in the blue of Everton, Fellaini started a Premier League match for the first time not under the guidance of Moyes. Martinez responded by immediately placing him alongside Osman in a much deeper role, a position he has adopted for Belgium internationally and periodically for his club in his early days under Moyes. On the surface it appeared the decision may have come from a lack of depth at that position as Darron Gibson was injured, but Fellainis performance in the role, along with his wishes and the managers plans for the team going forward, could mean the Belgians time as a number ten, off the striker, has come to an end. In May, when discussing hiss future, Fellaini showed his cards on what he really feels about being versatile: "Sometimes I look at myself and ask, What is my best position? But I think its a defensive midfielder, thats the best one. Fake Vans Old Skool. The manager might like it sometimes when I play up front because I can cause trouble for the defenders, but for me my best position is defensive midfield, stopping the opposition and then looking to impose myself on a game," he said. A year on from his commanding showing against Manchester United, on day one of this season, the stats were very different from the ones that night at Goodison, with many aerial duels won much deeper in his own half. (Click for larger image) Everton are a side whose full backs play very high up the pitch, so it is no surprise that many of Fellainis winning headers are done so deep as on several occasions, particularly against long balls or fast pace counter attacks, he is one of the four deepest Everton players, alongside Osman and the two centre-backs. However, this does not mean he cannot make a statement as an attacking threat from that position, quite the opposite in fact. Fellainis deeper position allows him to read the game better, and in a team that treasures the ball well (a trait that will likely improve more under Martinez), he can make penetrating runs from deep without worrying about being caught out in a transition. Against Norwich not only did he lead the game in passes attempted (88) and passes completed (77), more importantly he led the game with 26 successful passes in the attacking third, with many accurately finding Evertons wide players whose overlaps cause opponents constant problems. (Click for larger image) Fellainis placement as a defensive midfielder did not come without problems and when he was guilty of allowing Steven Whittaker to easily go by him on his way to scoring Norwichs opening goal of the game, it was clear he was a man who was still unsure when to be overly physical and take a sensible yellow card. His reservations are not surprising considering he has spent the best part of the last three seasons defending his own poor disciplinary record. That is an area he will need to improve on but there seems to be a common ground between club and player that this position change could work out for both parties. It is no secret that Fellaini wants to play Champions League football for a bigger club and playing in the second band of a four band system, rather than in a 3 of a 4231, showcases his talents to technical teams unlikely to ever adopt such a direct style where a big man is needed further forward. Everton, meanwhile, may grow into a side that will soon deploy the 3-4-3 style Martinez used at Wigan, a system where a forward is required to come deeper with his back to goal into the space a further advanced Fellaini would occupy. If Martinez gets his wish and Fellaini stays for another season, his box-to-box style will be essential in the centre of a midfield 4. Either way, change is certainly taking shape already at Everton, yet the only one that will get the fans to call into radio shows will be if he is sold. More commanding performances in a deeper role will ensure it will be a matter of when, not if. For the good of the club, it appears that is a gamble Martinez is willing to take. George Bernard Shaw would have been proud. ' ' '