n single to centre. Donnie Murphy added a two-out RBI single to make it 3-0. Chicago had been shut out in four of its past five home games. "We

CHICAGO -- In his second game with the Chicago Cubs, Jake Arrieta showed exactly why theyre putting him in the rotation for the rest of the season. The hard-throwing right-hander dominated the potent St. Louis Cardinals lineup for seven innings to lead Chicago to a 7-0 victory Friday. "Thats the kind of stuff the power arms can do when theyre throwing strikes and making pitches and you have a 91 mph cutter, slider or whatever you want to call it," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "He made some really good pitches in some key situations of counts. When you thought you might be losing good hitters, he made some key pitches on the black at 95, 96 mph." Arrieta (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out seven. After yielding an infield single to Carlos Beltran in the second, he got rookie Kolten Wong to ground into a double play. That started a streak of 13 straight outs (including five strikeouts) until Arrieta walked St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook (7-8) in the sixth. The next batter, Matt Carpenter, also walked to give the Cardinals their first threat of the game. But Jon Jay grounded into a fielders choice and Matt Holiday struck out looking to end the inning. In his only other start with Chicago, Arrieta allowed one run and two hits in six innings July 30 against Milwaukee. Hes thrown 13 innings in a Cubs uniform and allowed one run. Thats a far cry from the struggling pitcher who went 1-2 with a 7.23 ERA for Baltimore this season before he was traded to the Cubs on July 2. So which one is the real Jake Arrieta? The struggling power arm or the dominant pitcher he was on Friday? "Thats what Im capable of," Arrieta said. "Its just a matter commanding the ball and limiting my walks. Thats really whats gotten me in the past was too many free passes, letting guys get away when Im in favourable counts and pretty much keeping my foot on the gas and staying on the attack. "Ive made a conscious effort to get better at certain things and its starting to show." The Cubs got Arrieta all the runs he needed in the first inning. After Westbrook walked the bases loaded, cleanup batter Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run single to centre. Donnie Murphy added a two-out RBI single to make it 3-0. Chicago had been shut out in four of its past five home games. "We got some big hits. I think the biggest was Nates," Sveum said. "Weve had chances like that this year when we couldnt come away with one (run) and to come away with the big hit there and then Murphys two-out hit ... to get three runs on the board there was key in that game." The 27-year-old Arrieta should be entering the prime of his career, but hes still trying to establish himself in the majors. He thinks the trade to the Cubs has given him a fresh start free of his struggles of the past. "For me, theres no question that this change of scenery and this trade was huge for me in my career -- not only for me, but for the Cubs as well," he said. "I couldnt be more excited to be here and Im thankful to the front office for wanting me and bringing me into this organization." The Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak and are 7-7 this season against the Cardinals, who began the day trailing first-place Pittsburgh by two games in the NL Central. Westbrook finished with five walks but managed to grind through 6 2-3 innings to save the bullpen. He allowed seven runs -- six earned -- and eight hits with two strikeouts. "I was pretty much all over the place and the walks hurt you, especially when theyre in a row with no outs," Westbrook said. "It wasnt very good. Its always frustrating when you dont give your team a chance to win and do your job, which I havent been able to do the last couple outings." Since coming off the disabled list June 14, Westbrook is 5-7 with a 5.86 ERA. After the loss, he said his arm feels fine. Asked if Westbrook is certain to make his next start, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was non-committal. "Well see how he feels tomorrow," Matheny said "Thats not what any of us were looking for," he added. "Talked about it before: Sometimes he just has trouble finding the release point for his sinker and he couldnt find it today until it was too late." NOTES: Wong started at 2B and went 0 for 3 in his major league debut. His arrival relegated 3B David Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP, to the bench. All-Star leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter moved from second base to third. "I would say its a day-by-day situation," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "Im not saying (Wong) has to play every day. There are going to be times when we want to get David back in the lineup, so I imagine theres going to be some split playing opportunities." ... Cubs RHP Matt Guerrier was scheduled to have surgery on the flexor mass (near his elbow and forearm) of his throwing arm Friday. The surgery, performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek, is expected to sideline Guerrier six to eight months. ... Joe Kelly (3-3) faces Cubs LHP Travis Wood (7-9) in the second game of the series Saturday. Nike Air Max Danmark . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Nike Air Max Udsalg . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. http://www.danmarkairmax.com/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Nike Air Max Køb . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Billige Nike Air Max . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals World Series hopes took a serious blow Tuesday when All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee.Ramos is out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, taking one of the most valuable players and a consistent power bat out of Washingtons lineup. He was hitting .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI and was one of baseballs best offensive catchers.Its unfortunate, general manager Mike Rizzo said. Wilsons having an All-Star season and really a breakout season for himself. So its disappointing. I feel bad for him.Manager Dusty Baker said Ramos will have surgery to repair the ligament, which he tore during an awkward landing while catching a relay throw from Ryan Zimmerman on Monday nightIts the same knee Ramos had two surgeries on in 2012 to repair a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament. The injury is a double dose of pain for Ramos given the proximity of the postseason and that hes set to become a free agent after the World Series.Theres never an opportune time, Baker said. This was the most inopportune time for this to happen.The NL East champions will go with a combination of Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino behind the plate in Ramos absence. Lobaton is also a little banged up with an ankle injury, so the Nationals called up Spencer Kieboom as a third catcher.Baker is confident that Severino and Lobaton can make up for Ramos absence defensively but will count on reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and others to make up for the loss of a big bat.Well really miss his offense, Baker said. I told him: `Hey man, you and Daniel Murphy, particularly you two guys, carried us to this point. Now its up to some of the other guys to take us to the next level and then the next level after that.Murphy is dealing with a strained glute and Harper a left thumb injury. Baker expects Harper back thiis week as Washington tries to shore up home-field advantage and figures Murphy will be ready by Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct.dddddddddddd. 7.Along with Ramos, Washington is unlikely to have pitcher Stephen Strasburg in the first round and potentially beyond because of a strained flexor mass in his right elbow. Rizzo said Strasburg threw from 90 feet Tuesday and is making progress, but the Nationals cant realistically expect the 15-game winner to be ready to face the Dodgers.I think it would be kind of pushing it, Rizzo said. Just the calendar, its unlikely that hed contribute in that first series.Baker is reluctant to use Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer on short rest in the playoffs unless its a dire emergency.Not having Ramos is close to a dire emergency for the Nationals. Baker went to work immediately after a 14-4 loss to Arizona on Monday night putting together lineups without Ramos.Ramos was having a career season going into free agency, with career highs in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. Baker told Ramos, who he described as upbeat, that other athletes have come back from tearing an ACL twice in the same knee.I told him about (Minnesota Vikings running back) Adrian Peterson. He didnt really know who I was talking about, Baker said. Im positive as strong and as positive as he is and the way he works that hell be back stronger than ever.The timeline for recovery and rehab from ACL surgery puts Ramos start of the 2017 season in doubt and makes his free agency a giant question mark.Hes a big part of the team, the year he was having and him obviously not going to finish the year like he wanted to, Zimmerman said. I feel worse for him than I do for us. ' ' '