the Reds.DOUBLE TROUBLEAfter tying their season high by hitting into four double plays in a 5-2 loss to St. Louis on Sund

AUSTIN, Texas -- While Charlie Strong stood at a podium Monday and answered questions about whether hes about to lose his job, his Texas?football players stood behind him.The players crowded together behind reporters and cameras inside the Centennial Room at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium and listened to Strong insist his fate hasnt been decided and that he wants to return in 2017.When Strongs 28-minute news conference ended, the players gave him a round of applause. Strong hugged and thanked each of his players, who say they are upset about reports that Strongs tenure will come to an end after Texas faces TCU on Friday and that they are hopeful one more win will buy Strong another year in Austin.Texas defensive tackle Paul Boyette Jr. was moved to tears while making his passionate defense of Strong on Monday. A senior, Boyette said Strong taught him to become a man and hasnt been given enough time to turn the program around. Hes hoping for a swift resolution to all the uncertainty, too.No person deserves to be in this type of limbo at all, Boyette said.Boyette said he never thought Texas would end up in this predicament this season. He said he believes that, despite his coachs 16-20 record in Austin, Strong has built a foundation for the program and set it up for big success in 2017 and beyond.Players agreed with Strongs argument Monday that the Longhorns will play for a national championship again in the near future. They believe theyre close, even after a 24-21 overtime loss to 2-9 Kansas that made them 5-6 and 3-5 in the Big 12.Boyette praised the personal bonds Strong has build with his players and said most people dont understand what he and his team have gone through with the persistent speculation about Strongs job.I dont think youre ever going to find a head coach who loves his players like he does and genuinely cares, Boyette said. The things people see on Saturdays ... life is way more than that.Texas quarterback Shane Buechele said hes confident the team will fight hard against TCU (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) to try to save Strongs job, even if they dont know what will come next after the game.Were just trying to come together as a family, trying to support our coach and a guy we feel is really important to our family, Buechele said. I cant say enough. It shows how much support we have for him today.Texas players shot down the speculation that they might boycott the regular-season finale. Wide receiver Jacorey Warrick said Strong would never let that happen. They know how important a win would be for Strong and for his senior class clinching a bowl bid.Fellow quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and the rest of the Longhorns departing senior class have already gone through a coaching change before, when Mack Brown resigned after the 2013 season. When asked about going through this all over again with Strong, Swoopes replied, Its normal.The Longhorns players know all they can do right now to support their coach is give him a win Friday afternoon.Said Warrick: Well leave it all on the line. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. MLB Jerseys Wholesale . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. http://www.chinamlbjerseys.com/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. China Jerseys Cheap .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Wholesale Jerseys 2018 . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. CINCINNATI -- Bartolo Colon got an early start on New Yorks trip to Cincinnati, and it paid off in a big way for the Mets.Colon pitched six innings of five-hit ball and Matt Reynolds homered to the lead the Mets to a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.We had a man on the mound today, New York manager Terry Collins said. Nothing fazes him. Gave us what he always does, quality innings. Hes an amazing guy.Colon (13-7) improved to 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his last seven starts. The Reds put a runner on third with nobody out on two occasions, and Colon wiggled out of the jam each time.Kelly Johnson also went deep as the Mets won for the sixth time in eight games. It was New Yorks 12th straight victory over Cincinnati.The Mets remained one game back of St. Louis for the second NL wild card after the Cardinals won 12-6 at sliding Pittsburgh.New York had a short turnaround after a 5-1 victory over Washington on Sunday night, arriving in Cincinnati early Monday morning. Four regulars -- outfielders Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes and infielders Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabera -- were out of the starting lineup.But the 43-year-old Colon got plenty of rest after traveling to Cincy on Sunday.Never had any pressure at all. I knew a lot of the veterans were getting a day off today, Colon said through a translator. Getting ahead of the hitters was key for me.Jay Bruce went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his first game in Cincinnati since the Reds traded him to the Mets on Aug. 1.It was a bit odd, coming over to the visiting side for the first time, Bruce said. Definitely odd being on the other side, but once the first pitch is thrown, its just baseball.Robert Stephenson, one of Cincinnatis top prospects, struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs and six hits, but fell short in his bid to become the first Cincinnati pitcher since Wayne Simpson in 1970 to win each of his first three major league starts.The 23-year-old Stephenson (2-1), who beat Philadelphia and Colorado in a pair of spot starts in April, said feels less pressure in thee majors than he did in the minor leagues.ddddddddddddIts just confidence, he said. Im not trying to get back to this level. Im already here. Now Im just trying to have fun.Reynolds, recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game, hit his third homer of the season with one out in the third inning. He also had an RBI single in New Yorks three-run seventh and finished with three hits.Reynolds checked into the Mets Cincinnati hotel at 9:15 Monday morning after flying all night from Salt Lake City.Its everything I can ask for, Reynolds said. I just want to help the team win. It just happened I had a couple of big hits.Johnson led off the fifth with his 10th homer.The Mets have hit 18 home runs in their last 11 games at Great American Ball Park and 185 overall this season for their best total since the 2006 team set the franchise record with 200.GRACIOUS HOSTSThe Reds honored Bruce and his wife, Hannah, in a pregame ceremony for his contributions to the team on the field and the couples work in the community during his nearly nine seasons with Cincinnati.AMBITIOUSNew Yorks Wilmer Flores was thrown out by left fielder Adam Duvall trying to stretch hits in each of his first two at bats, at second in the first inning and at third in the fourth. Duvall is the first Cincinnati outfielder with two assists in one game since Bruce on Aug. 5, 2014, at Cleveland, according to the Reds.DOUBLE TROUBLEAfter tying their season high by hitting into four double plays in a 5-2 loss to St. Louis on Sunday, the Reds hit into double plays in each of the first two innings on Monday against the Mets.TRAINERS ROOMReds: 2B Brandon Phillips returned to the starting lineup after being scratched each of the previous two days with a sore left foot.UP NEXTMets RHP Rafael Montero (0-0) and Reds LHP Brandon Finnegan (8-10) are scheduled to start on Tuesday. Finnegan has limited opposing batters to a .132 average (9 for 68) over his last three starts. ' ' '