Kritik und Lob » opt out after six years. With the league projecting fin

ATLANTA -- Adam Wainwright was dominant on the mound. He wasnt too shabby at the plate, either. Wainwright pitched eight strong innings and helped himself offensively, outscoring Atlanta all by himself to lead the St. Louis Cardinals past the Braves 7-1 on Wednesday night. Matt Holliday drove in three runs and Peter Bourjos homered for the Cardinals. Wainwright (6-2) bounced back from his worst start of the season, having surrendered 10 hits and six runs to the Chicago Cubs. He had no trouble against the struggling Braves, holding them to six hits and striking out six. He was lifted after 103 pitches. But that was only part of the story. Wainwright had two hits to raise his average to .400 on the season, and came around to score both times. "He said he was going to impress some people offensively," manager Mike Matheny said. One night after breaking a seven-game losing streak, their longest in nearly two years, the Braves returned to a familiar pattern. Freddie Freemans third-inning single drove home the lone run for an offensively challenged team that has scored more than four runs only once in its last 16 games. Atlanta went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and was held to one run or fewer for the 13th time this season. "We thought we had a little momentum after last night, then we run into a brick wall," Braves third baseman Chris Johnson said. "Hes tough. It seems like every time you go up there, he throws you something different in a different spot." Bourjos hit his first homer of the season with two outs in the second off Mike Minor. Wainwright led off the third with a double and came around to score. Holliday blew it open with a two-out, two-run single in the fourth. Minor (0-2) lasted just 4 1-3 innings, roughed up for 11 hits and six runs in his second start back after starting the season on the disabled list. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Minor had trouble with his breaking pitches. Minor disagreed, saying he got sloppy with the command on his fastball the second time through the order. Whatever the case, the Cardinals seemed to know what was coming. "It was not a very good performance by the guy on our side, and a really good performance by the guy on their side," Gonzalez said. "Thats the result you get." Minor ran into trouble throughout the Cardinals lineup. Up top, leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter reached base four times on three hits and a walk, scored twice and drove in a run. Holliday had three hits in the third spot, knocking in the final run with a single in the ninth off Luis Avilan. Further down in the seventh spot, the light-hitting Bourjos had three hits and two RBIs after coming in with a .179 average, including a drive into the seats in left-centre for his first career NL homer. Then there was Wainwright, one of the games better-hitting pitches, doing plenty of damage in the nine hole. The Braves went down meekly after their last threat in the sixth, when they failed to take advantage of runners at first and third with one out. Wainwright retired the last eight hitters he faced and wanted to go back out for a shot at his second complete game. Matheny made it clear his pitcher was done. "He had had enough of me," Wainwright quipped. NOTES: RHP David Hale, who lost his spot in the Atlanta rotation when Minor returned from the DL, retired all eight hitters he faced after taking over in the fifth. ... Braves RHP Ervin Santana threw in the bullpen with no problems after missing a start because of an injured thumb. He will start Saturday against the Cubs. ... Matheny gave struggling 1B Allen Craig the day off and started Matt Adams. "When youre not right, youre not right," Matheny said, hoping a couple of days off would help Craig snap out of it. ... Both teams are off Thursday. The Cardinals will next play a weekend series at Pittsburgh, while the Braves are hosting the Cubs. Cheap Shoes NZ . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. Wholesale Shoes NZ . After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Shoes NZ Online . The right-hander said he threw about 30 pitches in a routine bullpen session Sunday at Yankee Stadium, his final hurdle before starting Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. Shoes NZ Sale . Messis 75th-minute goal answered some of the criticism the clubs all-time leading scorer had received for his lacklustre performances in the teams recent losses in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey final.KITZBUEHEL, Austria -- Canadian skier Erik Guay has pulled out of Thursdays training run at Kitzbuehel and wont compete in Saturdays World Cup downhill race. The 32-year-old native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., said on his Twitter account that his knee was bothering him. Guay underwent knee surgery over the summer, then returned for the start of the World Cup season after an intensive rehab program. "Did everything we could but my knee is not in a place where I can push it. Kitzbuehel is a no go," Guay posted on his Twitter acccount.dddddddddddd Guay is one of Canadas top hopes for an alpine skiing medal at the Sochi Olympics. He has won gold and bronze on the World Cup circuit this season. He holds the Canadian record with 21 career World Cup medals. Thats one more than "Crazy Canuck" Steve Podborski, who will be the chef de mission for the Canadian team in Sochi. American Bode Miller was the fastest in Thursdays training run with a time of two minutes 2.93 seconds. Conrad Pridy of Whistler, B.C., was the top Canadian in 24th. ' ' '