In describing what the Chicago Cubs are up against Monday night in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at AT&T Park in San Francisco, manager Joe Maddon spared no hyperbole.I was a Cardinal fan growing up, and seeing Bob Gibson do what he did in the 60s and then Mr. Koufax, what he did. Its really unique. I hope the kids that are really watching right now understand how good this guy is and how it parallels throughout baseball history, what hes doing right now, he said.This guy of which Maddon speaks is San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who once again is tasked with pitching in a win-or-die environment. Thats something no pitcher of this generation does any better.In his last three games in which San Francisco had to win or go home, Bumgarner has worked 23 scoreless innings, including Wednesday nights 3-0 shutout at the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Game.The Giants need more of Bumgarners nerveless magic, down 2-0 in a best-of-5 series to an opponent that appears to have the edge in just about every category across the board.For his part, Bumgarner downplayed Maddons narrative that he compares to all-time greats like Gibson and Koufax.You cant. As soon as you start buying into that, thats probably going to take a turn, Bumgarner said. Im just going to go out there and keep going at it the way I have, and whatever happens, happens.Whats happened against Chicago in Bumgarners career has mostly been good. Hes 8-2 with a 2.25 earned run average in 12 starts, going 2-0 this year with a 1.32 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.But the Cubs arent exactly conceding defeat with their Game 3 starter. Jake Arrieta, last years NL Cy Young Award winner, won 18 games this year and is 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco.Arrieta was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Giants this year, the loss occurring against Bumgarner last month at Wrigley Field.Theres going to be a lot of adrenaline flowing, Arrieta said. The crowds going to provide a lot of that. You just look forward to moments like that.While Chicago is a game away from advancing to its second straight NL Championship Series, San Franciscos nucleus understands what it takes to wipe out a 2-0 deficit.The Giants started their dramatic 2012 run to a World Series by winning three straight games in Cincinnati after dropping the first two at home in their NLDS.This club has a history, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. Thats what you like about whats going on now, of finding a way to win that game they had to win and moving on. And that experience, thats so vital to draw on.So, too, is the pitcher who baseball fans have come to associate with clutch performances under the games brightest lights.I know theres a sense of confidence that goes over the club, Bochy said of Bumgarner. Hes such a tough competitor that thats contagious. I think good players do that. They make the rest of them better. Nike Air Max Günstig . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Nike Air Max 720 Bestellen . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. https://www.schuheshopschweiz.ch/kaufen-schweiz-nike-air-max-97-gunstig-fake-bestellen-d166.html . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Nike Air Max 720 Günstig . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Nike Air Max 720 Kaufen .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- There was a time this summer when a seventh championship seemed out of reach for Jimmie Johnson.Hendrick Motorsports was struggling and Johnson wasnt at the top of many lists to contend for the title.Then the Hendrick organization flipped a switch, built better, faster cars, and Johnson turned it up a notch. Now, that slot in NASCARs record books is absolutely within reach.Johnson earned one of four spots in next months title-deciding season finale Sunday with his ninth career victory at Martinsville Speedway . The six-time NASCAR champion will race for his seventh championship, which would tie him for the record with Hall of Famers Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.Ive been trying to ignore this conversation about seven, and now I cant, said Johnson, who doesnt particularly want to start thinking about the stakes just yet.Ill probably lie to all of you guys and say Im not going to think about it at all. But its inevitable. Fortunately, I dont have to think about it for three weeks. But were going to enjoy this and savor it. Were going to get our ducks in a row for Homestead.The victory blocked Joe Gibbs Racing from placing all four of Toyota drivers in the final round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup title . There are only three spots still open in the Nov. 20 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and JGRs hope of sweeping the final four ended Sunday.Most likely to miss the final? Carl Edwards, who had a tire problem and finished 36th at Martinsville -- lowest of the eight Chase drivers. Also in trouble: Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, who finished 20th and 22nd.Brad Keselowski, eliminated from the Chase last week , finished second and was irritated by a lengthy caution earlier in the race when NASCAR struggled to figure out the running order. Had those laps not been wasted under yellow, Keselowski absolutely believed he could have beat Johnson.We dont need to run 100 laps under yellow with the field, not trying to figure out where theyre at, and it probably cost us the race, Keselowski said.The caution took 29 laps, and left some grumbling the order still wasnt correct when the race restarted.I think the stakes are so high, I really wish we would have red flagged the race, gone, reviewed it and gotten it right, said third-place finisher Denny Hamlin. Theres a 100 percent chance it was not right at the end. It changed the running order.Hopefully, that doesnt change what happens going into Homestead. I know that NASCAR is doing everything they can with the scoring they have and things like that. But you have to get it right. It definitely was not right.JGR finished third, fourth and fifth ass Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch are inside the top-four as the series heads to Texas Motor Speedway.dddddddddddd But all was not well in the Gibbs camp after the race.Busch felt Hamlin -- finished the highest by holding up Kenseth and Busch in the waning laps. Although the teammates worked well together on restarts, Busch felt that Hamlin not getting out of the way allowed Johnson to win and Keselowski to finish second.We work so good together that we just gave the win to (Johnson). So, JGR all the way, Busch said. At the end, you had the slowest Gibbs car holding up the rest of the line, and all we did was let somebody else from another organization pass us and go up there and chase down (Johnson).Hamlin disputed Buschs view.I may have held those guys up for a little bit of that final run, but definitely dont think I was holding anyone up at the end, for sure, Hamlin said.Jeff Gordon finished sixth in his final scheduled race as the replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. It is presumably the final race of Gordons career. He retired last season, but was pressed into eight races when Earnhardt suffered a concussion.Martin Truex Jr. finished seventh and was followed by Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano, winner last week at Talladega but now the first driver below the cutline in the Chase.It was an unusually fast race for Martinsville standards, and the five cautions were the fewest since April of 1989.SCARY SCENE: A vehicle struck at least 10 pedestrians in a parking lot outside the speedway after the race.A track official said there were no life-threatening injuries, although some pedestrians had been transported to Memorial Hospital in Martinsville, Virginia.One person was taken into custody after the incident.JOHNSON VS. HAMLIN: There was mid-race aggression between Johnson and Hamlin , as Hamlin moved Johnson out of his way for a pass for position.He thinks hes a (expletive) king, doesnt do anything wrong, Hamlin radioed.Johnson didnt understand Hamlins lack of patience, and Hamlin said it stems from incidents in the first two rounds of the Chase.DEHYDRATED DRIVERS: It was the warmest fall race at Martinsville since 1999 and temperatures in the mid-80s caused overheating for at least two drivers.AJ Allmendinger and Michael McDowell had to be treated for dehydration after the race, and both were released from the care center.Michael Annett also was treated after the race, but NASCAR did not disclose his symptoms.UP NEXT: A Sunday stop at Texas Motor Speedway, where Johnson has won the last four November races. ' ' '
