active American driver in the IndyCar Series with 16 victories, 3

PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Liriano doesnt believe hes lost his stuff so much as hes misplaced it. The search to find it over the last few weeks sent the veteran Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher to the bullpen for lengthy sessions with pitching coach Ray Searage.Judging by the way he overpowered the Milwaukee Brewers for two occasionally brilliant hours on Thursday night, Liriano appears to be on the right path.His fastball dipping and darting like a bug trying to avoid a fly swatter, Liriano struck out a season-high 13 without issuing a walk over 6 2/3 innings as the Pirates edged the Brewers 5-3.Everything was around the plate, not way down and way up, Liriano said.Something thats been an issue most of the season. Liriano entered the game having allowed a major-league high 62 base on balls. The Brewers didnt work a free pass once as Liriano (6-9) generated some serious momentum in his bid to bounce back from a forgettable first half.The slider was electric, the changeup was disappearing, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. No walks (and) 13 punchouts. Really good stuff. Really good composure. Very good tempo.Following three effective seasons at the top of the Pittsburgh rotation, 2016 has been a challenge for the 32-year-old. Liriano went more than six weeks without a victory, a stretch that ended with a win in Oakland on July 3. He backed it up with better command in a loss to Washington last week, providing a glimpse that he was starting to figure things out.I thought he had great stuff tonight, he really did, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said of Liriano. Thats the best weve seen him in a while, for sure.Lirianos only mistake through the first six innings came on Jonathan Villars solo home run into the Milwaukee bullpen in the third. Liriano struck out the side in the sixth but was removed in the seventh following an RBI double by Perez and an RBI groundout by Scooter Gennett.Mark Melancon bounced back from consecutive blown saves to retire the side in order in the ninth for his 28th save.IN A PINCHMatt Joyce smacked a three-run homer in the first inning off Matt Garza (1-4) and later added an RBI groundout. Not bad for a player who didnt know he was playing until outfielder Starling Marte came down with flu-like symptoms a half-hour before the first pitch.Hes kind of like a fireman, hes ready to go, Hurdle said.Joyce did his best to cram for Garza -- a former teammate when both played in Tampa Bay -- but felt a bit rushed heading into the on-deck circle with two on and one out in the first. He took a couple of extra deep breaths to calm down and smacked a pitch from Garza into the seats in right field to put the Pirates up 3-0.When they ring the bell, youve got to go, Joyce said.Gregory Polanco finished with two hits for the Pirates. Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 3 to snap out of a 1-for-16 funk.BREW CREWVillar hit his seventh home run of the season. Hernan Perez added two hits for Milwaukee, which fell to 17-31 away from Miller Park, the second-worst road mark in the National League. Garza dropped his fourth straight decision, allowing five runs, four earned, in five innings with two walks and three strikeouts.I can go deep, I like to keep pitching, Garza said. You put your team in a hole and you cant do that. You just keep going and keep believing. Its there. Ive seen it. I saw it and felt it today. Its a good step. I know what Ive got to do.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: Pitching prospect Adrian Houser underwent Tommy John surgery on his right arm Thursday and will miss at least the next 12 months. The 23-year-old appeared in two games last September for the Brewers and was 3-7 with a 5.25 ERA in 13 starts for Double-A Biloxi this season.Pirates: Reliever Ryan Vogelsong voluntarily removed himself from a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis after four innings of work on Wednesday night due to neck tightness. Vogelsong, who turns 39 on Friday, is recovering from facial fractures after getting hit by a pitch against Colorado on May 23.UP NEXT:Brewers: Open a 10-game homestand on Friday with a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. Jimmy Nelson (6-7, 3.39 ERA) is coming off his first win in over a month after tossing seven shutout innings against Cincinnati last Saturday.Pirates: Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.11 ERA) will make his second start since returning from a stint on the DL with a right triceps strain. He will face Philadelphia on Friday. Cole allowed five runs in four innings in a loss to Washington last Saturday.Custom AC Milan Jerseys . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Custom Manchester United Jerseys . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. https://www.cheapcustomjerseysonline.com/custom-orlando-magic-jerseys/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Custom Cleveland Cavaliers Jerseys .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win.SONOMA, Calif. -- Andretti Autosport locked in driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and sponsor DHL Express through the 2020 IndyCar season.The contract extensions were signed Sunday before the season finale at Sonoma Raceway. Hunter-Reay had not been stressed about his future -- his existing deal ran through 2017 -- and he never considered testing the free-agent market.Still, it was a welcome development on this hectic week for Hunter-Reay. He welcomed the birth of his third son with wife, Beccy, just hours before his father-in-law was discovered dead in an apparent murder suicide. Beccys father, Baja Bob Gordon was discovered dead from a gunshot wound Wednesday evening alongside his wife Sharon, who had been strangled.Hunter-Reay had to travel to California for the season finale a day later, and hes used his time at the track as an escape to focus on only on his race car. He knew an extension was in the works, but wasnt sure it would be completed before the end of the season until he actually signed on Sunday morning.Im very happy about this, and obviously its been a lot of highs and a lot of lows, Hunter-Reay said. Just been a wild ride the last week.He praised the strength of his wife, who celebrated her birthday Friday, as well as her three siblings, which include racing star Robby Gordon.Beccy is doing an amazing. Shes strong, Hunter-Reay said. Focusing on a new baby has been a blessing at this time. Its amazing she is, how strong Robby has been, her sisters Robyn and Haylee. Its blown me away because this is nothing you can compare to, this isnt as simple as a life passing.Hes had the Andretti organization, his teammates, and a suppoortive team from DHL to keep him focused this weekend.ddddddddddddDHL has been with Andretti since 2011, and its renewal was revealed on the same day longtime IndyCar sponsor Target marked its final race after 27 years. Target has been the primary sponsor for Chip Ganassi and was considered one of the longest partnerships in sports.Now DHL will move into that role as this deal progresses. DHL first began working with Andretti in 2005 and expanded into a full-time sponsor of the No. 28 six years later.Hunter-Reay, who began with Andretti on a three-race deal, has grown into the most successful active American driver in the IndyCar Series with 16 victories, 36 podiums, a win in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 and a championship in 2012.Not too shabby for a driver who bounced around in the early part of his career, trying to make something stick.When it comes to getting in the car and opportunities, Im a fighter, he said. I was on the brink in 2006, 2007, it was maybe a month away from going and doing something else with my life. Every time I got in the car, I knew I had to prove myself immediately. It was never a two-year deal where I could take my time developing.So to have DHL and Andretti behind him through 2020 is a luxury IndyCar drivers spend an entire career chasing.You dont have to think about the pressure involved. You can just go out there and put everything on the line, he said. You can overstep the edge, or if you try to make that pass and it doesnt work out, its not going to be blowback on you. ' ' '