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PITTSBURGH -- Those who primarily follow the National League -- say, for instance, Pittsburgh Pirates fans -- might not have heard much about right-hander Joe Musgrove.Musgrove (1-1, 4.18 ERA) began the season with Double-A Corpus Christi and has had arguably a meteoric start to his career with Houston. He will be on the mound Tuesday when the Astros play the second of three games at PNC Park.At 6 feet 5, 265 pounds, Musgrove, 23, can look imposing, and he has pitched accordingly -- thanks to his performance and a couple of opportunities.He was recalled from Triple-A Fresno Aug. 1 because Doug Fister was going on paternity leave. He came on in relief Aug. 2, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings against Toronto and setting a major league record for strikeouts by a reliever making his major league debut with eight.The starter that day, Lance McCullers, then went on the DL, so the Astros kept Musgrove around and gave him his first start, Aug. 7 against Texas, then another and another. The statistic that jumps out: He has 23 strikeouts and three walks in 23 2/3 innings.In his first start, which turned out to be a 5-3, 11-inning Astros loss to the Rangers, Musgrove retired the first 10 batters he faced before giving up three hits in the fifth. Then he settled back down and retired seven of the last eight batters he faced as he pitched through the seventh.He tired at the end but still gutted through his performance, Astros manager A.J. Hinch told the Houston Chronicle. Thats a big step for a young kid to come up here, get his first start and finish his outing. Its really easy to nitpick at the end when youre tired, not make a pitch, and end up having me go out and get you at 6 2/3, as opposed to seven.So there was a good growth day for him. Hes got a lot of charisma, he knows what hes doing, and hes going to attack the zone. I really like what I see from his first two outings.Musgrove has gone 1-1 since that no-decision.Tuesday, he will oppose right-hander Ivan Nova (9-6, 4.83 ERA), meaning it could be a strikeout contest.Nova is 2-0 with a 4.41 ERA in three starts since Pittsburgh acquired him from the Yankees. In his most recent start, a no-decision Wednesday in a 6-5 Pirates win in San Francisco, Nova gave up four runs on six hits over four innings, with five strikeouts and no walks.Houston and the Pirates are in similar battles to try to climb into a wild-card spot, but they are moving in different directions lately.The Astros 3-1 win Monday in the series opener was their fourth win in a row and kept them 3 1/2 games behind Baltimore, which holds the second American League wild-card spot.Since falling to 11 games under .500 on May 22 at 17-28, Houston is 48-32.Winning is contagious and playing good baseball is contagious, said Mondays winning pitcher, Doug Fister. Weve been playing pretty well the last few days, the best weve played in a while.The game Monday was Pittsburghs fourth loss in a row, leaving the Pirates two games behind Miami and four behind St. Louis, which holds the second National League wild-card spot.Manager Clint Hurdle often cites an even keel as critical, and hes emphasizing it even more now.Were very consistent in what we do, and one thing I remind them of is to think with reason, not to think with emotion; make decisions with reason, dont make decisions with emotion, Hurdle said. Many of them have been there in that situation before. Ive been in that situation before. Its not for lack of effort or attitude. Youre getting attitude, youre getting effort, the game can swing back and forth sometimes.Youve got to play through it. You hold fast. These are the times when the coaching staff and myself need to show up. Somebodys got to hold the wheel, keep them positive, keep them playing forward and keep them optimistic. I believe well do that because thats the way were built, the way were wired. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Wholesale Jerseys For Sale . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. http://www.cheapnfljerseyswholesale.com/ . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Stitched Jerseys Wholesale . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. NFL Store Online . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship.HOUSTON -- Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith lost his cool in a preseason game, and its going to keep him out of the teams season opener. Smith was suspended by the NFL on Wednesday for Week 1 of the regular season and the last two preseason games for hitting Miami guard Richie Incognito with the Dolphins players helmet. Smith ripped the helmet off Incognitos head, then hit Incognito on the shoulder with it Saturday night in the teams preseason game. The two also went at it in last seasons opener, when Smith kicked Incognito, drawing an $11,000 fine. Smith later said Incognito deliberately tried to twist his ankle while holding his legs in the 2012 game. Incognito was not fined for that play. Houston general manager Rick Smith was unhappy with Antonio Smiths actions. "Thats obviously something we cant have in our game," Rick Smith said. Smith must sit out Houstons visit to San Diego to begin the season Sept. 9. He also will lose about $400,000 in salary for his seventh rules violation since 2011. "Im disappointed in myself because Ive got to make sure that my players keep their composure on the football field. Thats my job," Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. "Theyve got a job when they get out there to maintain their composure regardless of circumstances. Theres no excuses. We cant hurt the team, and I talk to our guys about that all the time. If someone is going to miss some time, that hurts the team." The Texans said league rules forbid Smith from speaking with the media while he is suspended, but Rick Smith said the player will appeal the punishment. "Theres an appeal process that has to take place and well support Antonio in that effort and participate in that as well," Rick Smith said. "I certainly believe that they will consider and theyll listen. Theyll give us a fair opportunity to present our side of it, and I think weve got a legit case to present, and hopefully they hear us." Anttonio Smith was fined three times for unnecessary roughness and three times for illegal hits before the latest incident.dddddddddddd Smith may attend team meetings before the next two preseason games, but will not participate in practice or play Sunday against New Orleans or Aug. 29 against Dallas. Beginning Aug. 31, Smith is suspended for Week 1 of the regular season and may not take part in any team activities. Incognito says respect for his teammates kept him calm after Smith swung the helmet. "Football is an intense game," Incognito said. "Its played with a lot of passion. Blood runs hot. Ive been there. Im no choirboy. People lost their cool and I just thank God nobody got hurt." Smith ripped Incognitos helmet off after a Miami pass play in the first half of Houstons 24-17 victory at Reliant Stadium and swung it at Incognito. Television replays dont clearly indicate whether the helmet made contact with Incognitos face, and he declined to provide the answer. No penalty was called on the play. "Youre faced with those situations all the time. Its been a work in progress for me," Incognito said. "Its something Ive been working on for many years now. I have too much respect for my teammates and too much respect for the hard work that we put in to retaliate and affect this team negatively." Houston defensive end J.J. Watt said the team will miss Antonio Smith if the Texans have to play without him. He was asked if he thought Incognito was a dirty player, but didnt directly answer the question. "I think a lot of people think that," Watt said. Kubiak said he spoke to Antonio Smith about the situation and the defensive end knows his behaviour wasnt appropriate. "He was very disappointed," Kubiak said. "He wants to be out there on the football field and to be there with his team. He understands the consequences that go with losing your composure in a given moment." ' ' '