Unsere Haustiere » on could be for the AFC South title for a franch

WASHINGTON -- It was clear going into this season that starting pitching would be a strength for the Washington Nationals, who won the National League East division in 2012 and 2014.In the midst of an even-numbered year, what may be a surprise is that the Nationals have become a Murderers Row of sorts on the offensive side of the equation.The Nationals enter Saturday nights game with the last-place Cincinnati Reds -- who have a 5.45 team ERA and a battered bullpen -- with an NL-most 107 home runs this season.The challenge of trying to shut down the Nationals on Saturday will fall on right-hander Dan Straily, who is 4-5 with a 4.38 ERA this season in 17 games (14 starts).One of the reasons I think he is capable of being successful is because his arsenal is complete even when he is behind in the count and that is a difference maker, Reds manager Bryan Price said. He has had stretches, recently, where he has lost command of the strike zone.Straily, in his only appearance against the Nationals, gave up two runs and two hits in seven innings and did not figure in the decision as the Reds won 6-3 on June 4 in Cincinnati.He made his big league debut in 2012 with the Oakland Athletics.He will oppose Joe Ross (7-4, 3.30), who did not pitch when the Nationals played in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Ross, called up to the majors in June 2015, has never faced the Reds.While Ross pitches Saturday, the starter for the Nationals on Sunday is up in the air. It could be Stephen Strasburg (10-0) if he comes off the disabled list or rookie Lucas Giolito (0-0), who made his big league debut Tuesday.I talked to Strasburg yesterday and he said hes feeling pretty good. Hes expecting to take it, but we will see, manager Dusty Baker said Friday.Washington receives pop from throughout the lineup as shortstop Danny Espinosa hit two home runs and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman hit one in a 13-4 thrashing of the Reds on Thursday.They have some components that are good, with one of them being Espinosa hitting eighth with 15 home runs, Price said Friday.The Espinosa two-homer game came one night after second baseman Daniel Murphy hit two homers against his former team, the New York Mets.The Nationals have six players with at least 10 homers: right fielder Bryce Harper (16), Espinosa (15), Murphy (14), catcher Wilson Ramos (12), Zimmerman (11) and left fielder Jayson Werth (10).Murphy has already tied a career-high for homers in a season, set last year when he was with the New York Mets. Ramos got the night off Friday as Jose Lobaton made the start at catcher though Ramos did enter the game as a pinch-hitter.In order to keep Ramos productive, we have to give him days off, Baker said.The Nationals hit .276 as a team in June with a .346 on-base average and a .465 slugging mark. Washington scored 149 runs in the month (5.5 per game) and gave up 112.The Washington pitching staff has allowed just 77 homers while the Reds pitchers have given up 137.The Nationals are at the halfway point of the season after they played game 81 on Friday against the Reds. They are in the midst of a 10-game homestand -- the first of more than seven games this season. Zach Allen Womens Jersey . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Byron Murphy Jersey . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/zach-allen-cardinals-jersey-wj/ . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Pat Tillman Youth Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Adrian Wilson Womens Jersey . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey wouldnt even answer when asked about Tennessee ending its stretch of futility against the Colts, simply shaking his head to ignore the question in the locker room.Thinking about possibly ending the skid against their AFC South rivals can wait.The Titans want to spend a few extra hours enjoying their biggest win in recent seasons.They will turn their attention officially to Indianapolis on Wednesday because routing the Green Bay Packers 47-25 earned players their first Victory Monday off this season. Its a well-deserved break for a franchise second in the AFC South and at .500 this late in a season for the first time since 2011.Tennessee coaches started Monday trying to figure out how to beat the Colts in Indianapolis where the Titans havent won since 2007, and coach Mike Mularkey expects most players will either work or study on their own. The Titans have never won in eight games at Lucas Oil Stadium and have lost 10 straight overall and 15 of the last 16.Mularkey said the Titans have to learn how to win these games.We have to do that in Indy, Mularkey said. We have to do that Week 11. We have to do that because were in the chase for a playoff spot. Those are things we have to learn how to do, and I think were learning. This is a process were going through right now. Were learning a lot about ourselves. These are the games weve got to learn how to win.The Titans (5-5) not only have turned around from a 1/3 start this season, they also have matched the win total for the past two years combined by winning four of their past six games.Tennessee is winning with an offense putting up numbers that rank with the NFLs best:- The Titans are averaging 33.7 points a game over the past six weeks, which has pushed them to eighth in the NFL in points per game. Tennessee didnt score mmore than 16 points in each of its first three games.dddddddddddd Tennessee has scored at least 35 points in three consecutive games in a single season for the first time in franchise history.- They lead the NFL with 26 touchdowns on 34 trips inside the 20, a 76.5 percent conversion rate.- Marcus Mariota currently is the AFCs second-highest rated passer at 99.6, behind only Tom Brady, and seventh in the NFL.- The quarterback also leads the AFC with 21 TD passes, trailing only Drew Brees and Matt Ryan (24 each) and Aaron Rodgers (22).- Murray is the NFLs second-leading rusher behind only Ezekiel Elliott of Dallas. Murray also is tied for third for most touchdowns scored with 10 and is third in the league for most yards from scrimmage (1,189).Putting up 47 points against Green Bay was a big confidence boost for the Titans.I think it is a high stepping-stone, you know it is getting us in the right direction, Mariota said after the win. There is still a lot of season left, a lot of things we have to go and accomplish. Hopefully, we can use this as momentum going into the rest of the year.That starts Sunday against the Colts (4-5). Tennessee lost 34-26 to Indianapolis on Oct. 23 . The Titans then visit Chicago (2-7) before finally getting their bye. They finish hosting Denver (7-3) followed by a two-game road swing at Kansas City (7-2) and Jacksonville (2-7).Their season finale Jan. 1 hosting Houston could be for the AFC South title for a