NAPLES, Fla. -- Cristie Kerr has had more spring in her step. She slipped on wet grass during the second round of The Evian Championship in September, and her left knee hasnt been quite right since.Im going to get it checked out when we get done with the season and see what the doctors say, Kerr said after the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship, where she is the defending champion. Hopefully its just rest.Kerr is walking around with kinesio tape and an elastic brace on the injured joint at Tiburon Golf Club, which is approximately a nine-mile trek from first tee to 18th green, although players are shuttled between some of the longest green-to-tee distances.I guess its some kind of inflammation, Kerr said. Thats why Im wearing the sleeve, to keep the inflammation down. I kind of look like a basketball player minus the height.She is only 5-foot-3, hardly imposing, but a yardstick never measured determination and, in Kerrs case, the knack for periodically turning a mallet-head putter into a magic wand.At 39, Kerr is still in the fray on an LPGA Tour that is getting younger and younger, led by 19-year-old world No. 1 Lydia Ko, who shot a course-record 62 Friday to take a three-stroke lead at 12-under 132 into the weekend of the season-ending event. Kerr got into contention with a second-round 67 that left her at 6-under 138 and in a tie for 10th place.She left the scoring tent in a better mood because she holed a 15-footer for par after hitting her approach into a bunker on No. 18. Necessary, Kerr said of the par-saving stroke on one of the greens that had been resurfaced since last years tournament. The greens are so pure that you can make a 15-footer for par when you need to.Kerr made the putt with a model of Odyssey putter that has been in her bag most of her career. Its the Two-Ball [design], Old Faithful, Kerr said. [Ive used one] off and on for since maybe my third or fourth year on tour. Same design, different putter. I have a bunch of backups. I actually got all the backups they had about two years ago. It just lines up really well and rolls the ball well. I feel the speed really well.Lisa Cornwell, a Golf Channel reporter, was behind the 18th green when Kerr finished on Friday. A few years older than Kerr, Cornwell was a talented junior golfer during the 1990s, playing in some of the same events as Kerr. I just remember this kid coming out, kind of quiet but really talented, Cornwell said. Always a great putter. And she was intense, even with her practice. She always had that razor-sharp focus.Kerr needed that mindset in 1996 when she turned professional at 18 after graduating from high school in Miami. Although in recent years it has become common -- particularly outside the United States -- for talented women to start playing for pay so soon, it didnt happen too often when Kerr bypassed college after a stellar junior career. After getting some experience on the mini-tours, Kerr tied for sixth at LPGA Qualifying School and was a tour rookie in 1997. She won her first tournament in 2002 and presently became one of the top women players.Eighteen victories, including two major championships, later, she is still chasing the dream as a wife, mother and budding wine entrepreneur with a label, Curvature, whose profits support research for breast cancer, a disease her mother, Linda, was diagnosed with in 2003.As Kerr closes out her 30s, Juli Inkster, the Hall of Famer who still competes on the LPGA at 56, is on her mind. I would love to play as long as Juli has, Kerr said. Shes always been one of my role models. Shes a grinder, a fighter, and she loves to work and practice just like I do. There arent a whole lot of things better than this to do, so were pretty blessed.Since the year of her first victory, Kerr has never finished worse than 19th on the LPGA money list. A hot weekend at Tiburon, where first prize is $500,000, would improve her current 40th position.You definitely want to model Cristies career, how she gets so much out of her game, said American Austin Ernst, 24. Shes been out here for two decades. Shes a grinder, and you cant really count her out of a tournament. She has a way of willing putts in the hole. It seems like she still loves to play.Kerr wasnt expected to overshadow Ko and Inbee Park at last years Tour Championship, but she did. Ko, who can overtake Ariya Jutanugarn in the race for Rolex Player of the Year and win her third straight Race to the CME Globe $1 million bonus with a victory, will be difficult to catch, her 10-under Friday score seeming to slam the brakes on a lull in her game during the recent Asian Swing.I would love that mini-slump, Kerr said jokingly of Kos unexpected lackluster form leading up to this week while hoping to end her own season, which has included four top-10s but no wins, on another high note. Good players are always able to call it up at some point, whether its a pressure 3-point shot in basketball or a clutch putt to make par or win a tournament. Good players find a different level of focus. Thats what Im looking for the next two days.The day might come when there are no 39-year-olds on the LPGA, when the tour is solely stocked with players who arent old enough to rent a car, who leave when players not that long ago arrived in their primes. I dont know if theyll want to play as long as Ive played, Kerr said. They keep getting younger.But the new wave would be wise to keep at least one eye on an outlier, sore knee or not. Custom Cardinals T-shirts . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Authentic Custom Cardinals Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/ . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. Cardinals Jerseys China . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Cheap Custom Cardinals Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. DENVER -- Martin Prado was happy to supply the big hit in the Miami Marlins comeback victory on Friday night.Not just happy for his team. He was happy for second baseman Dee Gordon, whod made a costly error in the prior inning that nearly cost the Marlins.Prado hit a go-ahead, two-run single during a four-run rally in the ninth inning that sent Miami over the Colorado Rockies 5-3 in a matchup of NL wild-card contenders.After a throwing error by Gordon helped the Rockies score three times in the eighth, the Marlins bounced back.To be able to come back and pick someone up -- this is why were playing a game as a team, Prado said. Thats the mentality were creating with this group of guys.Miami ended a three-game losing skid and stayed even with St. Louis for the second wild-card spot, with Colorado falling four games behind.Its fun, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. Were trying to win every day, (the Rockies) need to win every day -- were very similar clubs in my mind that were both experiencing a shot at getting in the playoffs for the first time in a while.Marlins pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki struck out on three pitches and remained two hits away from 3,000. He is in an 0-for-11 slump.The first three Marlins reached base in the ninth as Adeiny Hechavarrias RBI single cut the lead to 3-2 against closer Carlos Estevez (2-6). Prado singled with the bases loaded and Christian Yelich added a sacrifice fly.My fastball wasnt there, my command wasnt there, Estevez said. Every pitch I throw I want to have my command. Today I didnt.Brian Ellington (2-1) finished out the eighth and A.J. Ramos recorded his 32nd save in 34 chances.DJ LeMahieu had four hits for Colorado. Carlos Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 16 games and David Dahl hit safely in his 11th consecutive game in the majors.The Rockies took a 3-1 lead in the eighth. LeMahieu scored from second to tie the game when Nolan Arenado hit into a forceout and Gordon threw a potential double-play ball into the stands.ddddddddddddahl lined an RBI single off Fernando Rodney and Mark Reynolds extended the lead with a double. Dahl is hitting .356 since making his debut.These losses are always frustrating, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.David Phelps, the Marlins reliable relief pitcher, threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his first start of the season.Jorge De La Rosa gave up four hits and one run over six strong innings. Hes had a quality start in eight of his last nine outings.Gordon stole his 10th base of the season and Giancarlo Stanton drove him home with a double to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first inning.ICHIROS QUESTSuzuki didnt start Friday and manager Don Mattingly said there was no concrete decision on when the outfielder would be back in the lineup.No real plans, Mattingly said. I look at the matchups and I look at our guys. With the (Sunday) day game, it could be a better chance, but it really would depend on how (Marcell) Ozuna looks and how Giancarlo (Stanton) looks.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: 1B Justin Bour (ankle) will not to return from the 15-day disabled until after the Marlins complete their three-game series in Colorado. ... RHP Bryan Morris (back), who is on the 60-day DL, will not return to the Marlins until September at the earliest, Mattingly said.Rockies: Gonzalez started after missing Thursday with a sprained left ankle. ... Daniel Descalso (shoulder) returned to the lineup after he went head-first into the wall Thursday.UP NEXTMarlins: RHP Andrew Cashner (4-7, 4.54 ERA) held the Cardinals to two runs in six strong innings in his Marlins debut.Colorado: RHP Chad Bettis (9-6, 5.16 ERA) was 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in July. ' ' '