rs tonight for the second time in his career. He won the f

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are all-in as they chase the franchises first playoff appearance in 21 years. Pittsburgh traded for longtime Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau on Saturday, hoping the four-time All Star can give the Pirates middling offence a jolt heading into the final month of the season. "We felt that this move gives us a better chance to play in October, a better chance to win the division, a better chance to advance in October," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. The Twins obtained outfielder Alex Presley and either a player to be named or cash in Pittsburghs second major move in a week. The Pirates sent a pair of minor leaguers to the New York Mets on Tuesday in exchange for outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck. "Weve got more depth, weve got more options than we had four days ago," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Were a better team. Were a stronger team." Pittsburgh entered Saturday tied with St. Louis atop the NL Central with 29 games remaining. The Pirates have been in contention all season thanks in large part to a pitching staff currently second in the majors with a 3.17 ERA. Morneaus presence could have an immediate impact on an offence that ranks 10th in the NL in runs. The 32-year-old New Westminster, B.C., native hit .259 with 17 homers and 74 RBIs this season for Minnesota and is finishing off a red-hot month in which he smacked nine home runs. "I think hes found some ways to spark some things offensively in the second half," Hurdle said. The Pirates will pick up the remaining portion of Morneaus $14 million salary, estimated at around $2 million. Its not an insignificant investment for an ownership group that has sometimes shied away from paying the tab for proven players. Yet with Pittsburgh on the cusp of its first winning season since 1992, Huntington worked aggressively after the non-waiver trade deadline to give the Pirates the pieces they need to remain in a tight three-team divisional race with St. Louis and Cincinnati. "We made Clints job a little bit easier," Huntington said. "Hes got a number of weapons at his disposal now." While Huntington believes hell be "mocked" for thinking the Pirates are true World Series contenders, he and Hurdle made a compelling case to Morneau, who had to OK the trade that ends a sometimes spectacular 11 seasons in Minnesota. Morneau won the 2006 AL MVP award and was one of the best hitters in the game until a concussion knocked him out of action in 2010. Still, he remained one of the cornerstones of the Twins clubhouse. His departure is another emotional low point in a disappointing season. "I have great respect for Morny," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He was our leader. He set the table. If there was something that needed to be said, he stepped up." While Morneaus numbers have tailed off the last three years, his power should play better at PNC Park compared to cavernous Target Field. Its just 320 feet from home plate to the right-field wall at PNC, an inviting target for left-handed sluggers. The Pirates had Morneaus No. 36 jersey ready minutes after the trade was announced and Hurdle held out hope Morneau would make it to the clubhouse in time for Saturday nights game against the Cardinals. Whenever Morneau arrives, hell give a club reaching heights not seen in a generation another proven bat and more than an ounce of legitimacy. And hell do it while taking away at-bats from longtime friend Garrett Jones. Jones has spent most of the season platooning with Gaby Sanchez at first and broke out of a lengthy slump by going 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in Pittsburghs 5-0 win over the Cardinals on Friday. Now hell likely be moved to the bench or spot duty in the outfield. Playing behind Morneau is nothing new for Jones. He was a prospect in Minnesotas farm system for years but couldnt break into the majors on a regular basis with Morneau entrenched at first. Jones called Morneau "a friend" and understands why the Pirates pursued him. Until Friday, Jones was hitting just .119 in August. "When were winning and we know we can get a good player, sometimes youve got to suck it up and know whats best for the team," Jones said. "Hopefully I can still continue to get in there and play and contribute." Joe Mixon Jersey . Thats exactly what happened. And they enjoyed every moment. Durant remained sizzling with 33 points, Serge Ibaka added 22 and the Thunder roared back from an abysmal start -- they trailed 22-4 early -- to embarrass the Miami Heat 112-95 on Wednesday night, erasing that big deficit out of the gate by outscoring the two-time defending champions by 43 points over a 33-minute span. Jordan Willis Jersey .Brooks, a three-year veteran, was slow to get up after suffering the injury during a 5-yard run by Arian Foster.Brooks limped off the field midway through the quarter and then slowly walked to the locker room a few minutes later. http://www.officialcincinnatibengalsfoot...y-womens.Bekker was added Wednesday in exchange for allocation money after two seasons with Toronto. The native of Canada had 29 MLS appearances, including 16 starts. Hes also played in 13 games for the Canadian national team. Custom Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys . Scotlands Greg Laidlaw made one of two penalty kicks and all three conversions, and Stuart Hogg added a try in the second half. "The most important thing to come out of the game is that we did not get scored against," Laidlaw said. Tyler Boyd Jersey . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.(SportsNetwork.com) - The fading Ottawa Senators have a chance to make up some ground in the playoff race on Tuesday night as they play host to the New York Rangers. The Senators are in the midst of a 2-5-2 skid, dropping them seven points behind the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, a position currently held by the Rangers. New York is tied for third place in the Metropolitan Division with the Columbus Blue Jackets, as both clubs have 76 points. However, the Blue Jackets have two games in hand to hold the current tiebreaker and push the Blueshirts out of one of the three automatic playoff bids in the division. The Senators have lost three straight and are coming off a 3-1 setback to the Colorado Avalanche. Ottawa was six seconds away from being shut out before Mika Zibanejad scored on a one-time blast. Robin Lehner stopped 19 shots in defeat. "We need wins right now, not moral victories," said Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean. Lehner was making his second straight start in place of the injured Craig Anderson, who suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime loss to the Nashville Predators last Monday. Anderson remains day-to-day and Lehner is likely to face the Rangers tonight for the second time in his career. He won the first meeting, stopping 33-of-35 shots faced. New York also is slumping, having lost six of its past nine games. That includes a tough-luck 1-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday that denied goaltender Henrik Lundqvist a piece of teeam history.dddddddddddd Lundqvist made 28 saves and remains stuck on 301 career victories, tied with Mike Richter for the most in club history. The Rangers were denied a potential tying goal in the second period. Carl Hagelin forced a shot from a severe angle along the goal line to Antti Niemis left, and after the San Jose backstop virtually glued himself to the post, the puck was obscured underneath his equipment. A lengthy replay was not conclusive enough to overturn the original no-goal ruling on the ice. "I thought defensively we did what we had to do. Offensively, we did everything but finish. We had some very good looks, but we couldnt pull the trigger," New York coach Alain Vigneault said. "Youve got to believe if we keep playing this way, well be alright." Martin St. Louis played in his sixth game with the Rangers since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning and has yet to score a goal with his new club. He has two assists and is a minus-1. St. Louis has 15 goals and 43 points in 50 career games versus the Senators, while Lundqvist is 11-14-3 with a 2.08 goals against average versus them. The Rangers snapped a five-game series losing streak to the Senators with a 4-1 win in Ottawa on Jan. 18. Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists, while Cam Talbot came up with 29 saves. The Blueshirts bested the Sens for only the second time in the last nine meetings and the recent victory snapped a three-game slide in Ottawa. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '