What a difference a fortnight makes.Holdens Jamie Whincup is the toast of Supercars after claiming Sundays Gold Coast 600 final race, keeping alive his hopes of an unprecedented seventh series title.Whincup finished nine seconds ahead of Holden teammate Shane van Gisbergen with Volvos Scott McLaughlin third in the second and final 300km race on the tourist strip.Not so long ago it was a different story.The Holden star was painted as the villain after his team protested a time penalty that cost him a fifth Bathurst 1000 win two weeks ago.Whincup crossed the line first at Mount Panorama but was relegated to 11th due to the penalty.Their failed appeal rose the eyebrows of critics, including Supercars boss James Warburton who described it as un-Australian.But it seems all is forgiven for Whincup.He went from zero to hero on Sunday with his eighth Gold Coast win.I wasnt out here to make amends for what happened a fortnight ago, Whincup said of his Mount Panorama drama.The criticism (after Bathurst) didnt really affect me. It did upset my team and family a little bit though.But I was having too much fun to worry about what the minority think.And after the drama at Bathurst it was good to see everyone was still driving hard here - nothing had changed, it was go hard or go home.Whincup reduced van Gisbergens Supercars series lead to 148 points with two rounds - and a potential 600 points - left this year after a popular victory on the treacherous Gold Coast street circuit dubbed concrete canyon.Asked about his title hopes, Whincup said: Weve had some bad luck the last couple of rounds so it will be a tall ask from here but we will race hard until the last lap in the last round in Sydney.However, van Gisbergen did enough to claim the 2016 Enduro Cup with co-driver Alex Premat after also winning Saturdays opening 300km race.Flying Kiwi van Gisbergen had claimed he would not open up on his title hopes until after the Gold Coast round and finally broke his silence after collecting the Enduro Cup with Frenchman Premat.I have to talk about it now dont I? But look, anything can happen. We just have to make sure there are no mistakes from now on, he said.Only two cars in the 25-strong field failed to finish in a largely incident free second race that featured just one safety car.Even Fords Fabian Coulthard completed the 102 lap event despite his Falcon all but being written off in a race one incident with Holdens Garth Tander on Saturday.Remarkably his DJR Team Penske outfit worked throughout the night to ensure Coulthard fronted for race two qualifying on Sunday morning.Coulthard finished 15th in race two.Tander was 11th after copping a 10 spot grid penalty for the spectacular Coulthard crash.The next round will be held in Auckland from November 4. Fake Air Max 270 Black . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Nike Vapormax Wholesale . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-paul-george-shoes.html . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Nike Vapormax Outlet .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Paul George Shoes Wholesale . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. CINCINNATI -- Reds manager Bryan Price made one tweak to his lineup and then watched his most reliable player come through again.Joey Votto extended his post-All Star break surge with a three-run homer, and Dan Straily pitched six innings on Friday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks.Price moved Billy Hamilton back to the leadoff spot -- he had batted lower in the lineup most of the season while he struggled at the plate. Hamilton led off the first inning with a single and scored when Votto connected off Archie Bradley (3-6).To finally get another chance up there is good, said Hamilton, who had two hits, a walk, and three steals off Bradley. I think I did a little bit to deserve another chance. The main thing is I want to get there and stay there.Votto has hit safely in all seven games since the All-Star break, going 12 for 23 with a double, three homers, eight RBI and seven walks.Tucker Barnhart added a solo homer in the sixth off Randall Delgado. Brandon Phillips later singled home a run, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Zack Cozart had an RBI double in the eighth.Straily (5-6) made his fourth straight quality start, settling down after a rough first inning. Jean Segura opened the game with a homer, and Michael Bourn doubled and scored on Welington Castillos sacrifice fly. Straily gave up five hits in six innings.The second inning was big for me, said Straily, who gave up only three more hits during his six innings. I went out there with a lead. It helped me settle in.Bradley gave the lead right back with an even worse opening inning. Hamilton singled, Cozart walked, and Votto followed with his 17th homer before the Reds made an out. Cincinnati had three hits, two walks and a hit batter during the inning.Its the walks, Bradley said. They say if youre going to play with fire, youre eventually going to get burned. Tonight I did. Time after time, I keep putting myself in bad situations.The game got heated in the third inning. In his next at-bat following his homer, Segura was plunked in the lower back by Strailys first piitch.dddddddddddd Segura motioned toward the mound with his left hand and said something to the pitcher. Plate umpire Carlos Torres got between Segura and catcher Barnhart and restored calm.The Reds got the better in a matchup of last-place clubs. The Diamondbacks began the day with second-year manager Chip Hale hearing reports that the team had considered changing managers. Arizona has dropped 16 of 20.Hales only comment: I would just say youre never surprised in this game about anything.BIG CHANGEHamilton opened the Reds first with a single and was called out at second base on a steal attempt. A video review showed he got his hand on the base before Seguras tag, and the call was overturned. Hamilton scored on Vottos homer.STATSThe Diamondbacks have won eight of their last 11 against the Reds. They had won five straight at Great American Ball Park before the loss on Friday. ... Bradley had a 1.57 ERA in his four previous road starts. ... It was Seguras fourth career leadoff homer, his third this season. ... Hamilton is 9 for 22 during a five-game hitting streak. His three steals gave him 30 for the season. His career high is 57 last season.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: RHP Zach Greinke will have a full bullpen session on Saturday and the Diamondbacks will decide whether hes ready to pitch in a simulated game. Greinke has been on the DL since July 3 with a strained left oblique.Reds: RHP Homer Bailey will make another minor league rehab start on Monday and the club will decide if hes ready to be activated. Bailey had Tommy John surgery a year ago.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (5-8) pitched seven shutout innings in a win over the Dodgers in his last game. Hes faced the Reds one other time, taking the loss last year while giving up three runs in six innings.Reds: RHP Keyvius Sampson (0-1) makes his first start of the season after seven relief appearances. Hes 2-6 career as a starter with a 6.66 ERA.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay ' ' '
