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Todd Blackadders reign as Crusaders coach has ended in familiar fashion, with a 42-25 loss to the rampant Lions in their Super Rugby quarter-final in Johannesburg.The home side were always in control after racing 15-0 up inside 15 minutes.They finished strongly to ensure there wont be four New Zealand teams in the semi-finals, with the Hurricanes and Highlanders having already qualified.The Lions, the leading team in the African group, will host the Highlanders next week.Playing a compelling brand of counter-attack rugby, they scored five tries to three to end a seven-game losing streak against the Crusaders.It capped a muted finish to the season for the visitors, who lost three of their last four games. It also marks the end of eight seasons in charge for coach Todd Blackadder.The former All Blacks captain guided them to the play-offs seven times but they never pushed on to add to the seven titles won prior to 2009.Captain Kieran Read refused to use travel or altitude as an excuse.We just let them get off to a flyer and this team (Lions) have played well all year, he said.You cant fault their game plan against us. Were gutted we couldnt send the (departing) players and Toddy off but thats footy.The Crusaders lacked the speed and energy of a ell-rested Lions side, having fielded a virtual B-side in their final round-robin game against the Jaguares last week.The hosts opened with a brilliant 50m solo try to wing Courtnal Skosan in the second minute and were 12 points clear when centre Rohan Janse Van Ransburg crossed.The Crusaders were back in the contest through a Ryan Crotty try but Lions hooker Malcolm Marx put his team 22-10 clear with a try on the stroke of halftime which Read admitted was deflating.Five-eighth Elton Jantjes, who finished with 13 points, landed a dropped goal and a penalty before the Crusaders pulled within eight points through a slightly fortuitous try to reserve halfback Mitchell Drummond.However the Lions made the game safe through tries to winger Ruan Combrinck and reserve Ross Cronje before the Crusaders snared a late consolation through Ben Volavola.Lions captain Warren Whitely, back from an injury spell, said they targeted a fast start.That was crucial. When we played them last time, they got off to a flyer.?Tonight we really capitalised and they were chasing the game. How we finished the game was amazing. Lou Whitaker Jersey .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Willie Hernandez Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. https://www.cheaptigers.com/ . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Bill Freehan Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. John Hiller Jersey . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. CHICAGO -- Matt Szczur scored on A.J. Ramos wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 5-4 comeback victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.The Cubs scored three runs in the inning to sweep the three-game series.Miguel Montero led off with a double to right and went to third on Javier Baezs single. Ramos (1-1) then walked pinch-hitter Szczur to load the bases. Dexter Fowler made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to right, and all the runners advanced.Kris Bryant struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch for the second out. Anthony Rizzo was intentionally walked to load the bases again, and Ramos walked Zobrist and then unloaded a wild pitch with Willson Contreras at the plate. It was Ramos second blown save of the season in 33 chances.Jeff Mathis hit a two-run home run, and Christian Yelich homered and drove in a pair of runs to help the Marlins take a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth.Chicago cut it to 4-2 in the eighth when Fowler scored on Fernando Rodneys wild pitch.Justin Grimm (1-0) pitched the ninth inning for the victory. Chicago has won seven of eight.Miamis Ichiro Suzuki lined out softly to shortstop as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning against John Lackey. The Japanese star remained at 2,998 career hits.YANKEES 9, METS 5NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira hit a tiebreaking, three-run drive off Steven Matz in the second inning for his first home run against a left-hander in more than a year, then got hit by a pitch that sparked a bench-clearing dustup in the Yankees Subway Series victory.Chad Green and Matz (8-8) both struggled at the start, and Luis Severino (1-6) came out of the bullpen with 4 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. Another of the Yankees Kiddie Korps, 23-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez, was called up before the game and got his first big league hit.In a season-long slump, Teixeira came to the plate in the second with the score 3-all. Following two-out singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Rob Refsnyder, the switch-hitter lofted the ball over the right-field scoreboard and into the first row of seats at Yankee Stadium for his 10th home run this season and first batting right-handed since July 31 last year against Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox.When Teixeira batted in the fifth, Matzs first pitch hit him below the left knee. Teixeira got up, started yelling and was walled off by catcher Rene Rivera. Players from both teams came onto the field, but there were no scuffles. Then, during a three-run seventh that opened a 9-4 lead, the Mets had repeated mound meetings with reliever Hansel Robles when Teixeira was on second base, apparently thinking he was trying to steal signs. When Robles walked toward the dugout, he appeared to mutter at Teixeira, who pointed to the side of his helmet.NATIONALS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 3PHOENIX -- Max Scherzer struck out 11 in eight innings and had a two-run single in Washingtons victory over Arizona.Washington earned its fourth road series sweep of the season and first since May 30-June 1 at Philadelphia. Arizona lost its fourth straight and sixth in seven games.Scherzer (12-6) allowed three runs on four hits, giving up two homers, and walked one. He is 3-0 in four starts against the Diamondbacks, the team that drafted him 11th overall in 2006.Daniel Murphys sixth-inning solo home run broke a 1-1 tie before Scherzer bounced a single up the middle with the bases loaded and two outs, driving in Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa.Arizonas Zack Godley (3-2) allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings.CARDINALS 5, REDS 4CINCINNATI -- Brandon Moss singled home two runs in St. Louis four-run first inning, extending his season-long streak against Cincinnati.St. Louis sent nine batters to the plate against Cody Reed (0-6) in the first inning, with Moss and Greg Garcia each driving in a pair of runs with singles. Stephen Piscotty added a solo homer, the Cardinals fifth in two games.Michael Wacha (7-7) gave up a pair of runs in five innings as he won his fifth straight decision. Seung Hwan Ho gave up a hit in the ninth while earning his eighth save in 10 tries.The NL Central rivals conclude the series Thursday. The Cardinals have won 18 of their past 22 series, including eight of 11 at Great American Ball Park.ORIOLES 3, RANGERS 2BALTIMORE -- Kevin Gausman outpitched Cole Hamels, and Baltimore rode a three-run first inning to a victory over Texas.Matt Wieters had two RBI for the AL East-leading Orioles, a major league-best 39-16 at home. Baltimore will seek to complete a three-game sweep on Thursday in a series between first-place teams.Gausman (3-8) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one. Darrren ODay worked a perfect eighth, and Zach Britton finished for his 33rd save in 33 tries.ddddddddddddHamels (12-3) yielded three runs and three hits in a rocky first inning, then retired 13 of the next 14 batters without allowing a hit. He gave up three runs, four hits and four walks over seven innings.TIGERS 2, WHITE SOX 1DETROIT -- J.D. Martinez broke an eighth-inning tie with a pinch homer on the first pitch he faced since June and Detroit beat Chicago for its eighth straight victory.Playing for the first time since fracturing his elbow June 16, Martinez hit for James McCann leading off the inning and launched Chris Sales first pitch into the shrubs above the centerfield fence.Shane Greene (2-2) got the win after pitching out of a seventh-inning jam, and Francisco Rodriguez finished for his 30th save. Sale (14-5) allowed two runs on six hits in an eight-inning complete game. He walked one and struck out 10.Justin Morneau homered for Chicago.RAYS 12, ROYALS 0ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Odorizzi had his third consecutive scoreless start, Steven Souza Jr. homered for the first time in two months and Tampa Bay routed Kansas City.Brad Miller and Kevin Kiermaier also homered for the Rays.Odorizzi (6-5) allowed two singles, walked two and had six strikeouts in six innings. The right-hander hasnt given up a run in 20 2/3 innings over the three-start stretch. Enny Romero and Ryan Garton completed a two-hitter.After Evan Longoria had a sacrifice fly, Souza put the Rays up 4-0 on his three-run shot off Edinson Volquez (8-10) in the first. Miller made it 5-0 during the third on his 18th homer. Kiermaier hit a three-run drive off Chien-Ming Wang in a five-run sixth to put the Rays ahead 11-0.TWINS 13, INDIANS 5CLEVELAND -- Joe Mauer had four hits and four RBI, Brian Dozier hit a three-run homer and Minnesota continued its mastery over Cleveland.AL Central-leading Cleveland fell to 4-8 against last-place Minnesota. The Twins have outscored the Indians 35-16 in winning the first three games of the series. The Indians lead over Detroit in the AL Central lead has shrunk to two games.Tyler Duffey (6-8) allowed five runs in six innings. Eddie Rosario had three hits and three RBI, and Max Kepler had two hits and drove in two runs.Trevor Bauer (7-5) gave up eight runs -- seven earned -- in 2 2/3 innings. Mike Napoli homered for the fifth straight game while Tyler Naquin also went deep for Cleveland.BRAVES 8, PIRATES 4ATLANTA -- Ender Inciarte broke a tie with an RBI single in the fifth inning and offensively challenged Atlanta had 15 hits in its victory over Pittsburgh.Atlanta improved to 17-39 at Turner Field, the worst home record in the majors. Pittsburgh, which began the day two games out of a wild-card spot, has lost four five.Pirates starter Jeff Locke (8-7) blew the four-run lead and was chased on Inciartes single.Atlanta scored two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh off Juan Nicasio, taking an 8-4 lead on Adonis Garcias RBI single, Matt Kemps sacrifice fly and Erick Aybars RBI triple.Braves starter Rob Whalen (1-0), making his first career appearance, gave up four hits, four runs, four walks and struck out five in five innings. Whalen put himself in a 4-0 hole on Matt Joyces 11th homer, a three-run shot, and a run that scored on a wild pitch.BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 1HOUSTON -- Josh Donaldson hit two home runs, and Marco Estrada threw seven solid innings in Torontos victory over Houston.Jose Bautista hit his second home run in two nights in the sixth as he and Donaldson went back-to-back. Donaldson led off the fourth with a home run to right field before hitting his 27th home run of the season in the sixth. It was Donaldsons third multi-homer game this season.Estrada (7-4) won his second straight start, allowing one run and four hits with seven strikeouts. Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 23rd save. Collin McHugh (7-8) took the loss.PADRES 12, BREWERS 3SAN DIEGO -- Edwin Jackson pitched seven scoreless innings and had an RBI double, and Jabari Blash hit his first major league home run to help San Diego rout Milwaukee.Jackson (2-2) retired the first 11 batters he faced, and the Brewers didnt put a runner in scoring position until Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled in the fifth. Jackson signed a minor-league contract with the Padres in June after starting the season in Miamis bullpen. He gave up three runs -- two on Ryan Brauns homer -- on eight hits and struck out five over eight innings.Yangervis Solarte also homered for San Diego.Junior Guerra (7-3) was the loser. ' ' '