qualifying. The prospect of Ronaldo, one of the games best and most entertaining players, not featuring in the World Cup would have been very real

WASHINGTON -- Tanner Roark has rewarded Washington for returning him to the starting rotation this season and hell go for his 13th win when the Nationals and Braves close out their three-game series on Sunday.After posting a 15-10 mark as a starter in 2014, Roark was shuffled back and forth between starting and relieving a year ago. This year, hes become a vital part of the rotation.Roark (12-6, 2.88 ERA) has won his last three starts and has allowed one earned run or less in four of six. Last time out, he went seven innings in a 1-0 win over the Giants.On Sunday, hell face an Atlanta lineup thats scored 14 runs in the first two games of this series, including Saturday nights 7-6 loss, when they rallied for four runs in the ninth but fell just short.We kind of put ourselves in a hole so we had nothing to lose, Freddie Freeman said. We came out swinging and put together a rally and came up a little too short.Freeman homered for the second straight game, matching his career high of 23.Washington built a 7-1 lead behind rookie starter Reynaldo Lopez, who picked up his first win.As an offense, we grinded out some at-bats tonight, got traffic on the base paths and kept pressure on the Braves, said Daniel Murphy, who hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs.Roark is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 13 games, including eight starts, against the Braves. Hes allowed one run or fewer in six of those starts.Freeman is hitting .360 against Roark in 36 at-bats. A.J. Pierzynski is 7-for-10 with two homers and five RBI, while Matt Kemp is 3-for-6 with two homers and five RBI, and Nick Markakis is 1-for-10.Atlanta right hander Tyrell Jenkins (2-2, 3.92 ERA) looks for his third straight win when he makes his first career start against the Nationals.In his last three starts, Jenkins, 24, has given up three runs -- two earned -- on 10 hits over 18 innings. His control has been a problem as hes walked 11 and struck out nine in that span.Washington picked up 11 hits, including three triples and two homers off Atlanta pitching Saturday night.Twenty-three year-old second baseman Trea Turner finished a double short of the cycle. Along with Murphy and Ben Revere (two triples), the first three hitters in the lineup finished 6-for-12.Just put the ball in play, get on base and let the guys behind you have some success and we did that tonight, Turner said.Washington got some good news on right fielder Bryce Harper on Saturday. Though he missed his fifth straight game with a stiff neck, an MRI came up clean so he hasnt been placed on the disabled list and remains day-to-day.Atlanta, which continues to do more than just play out the string, has won five of its last eight.Thats kind of what weve been doing. Were never out of the game, Snitker said after watching his club battle back on Saturday night. It was a really good rally. A lot of really good at-bats. Guys battling to the very end as they always do.Kendall Sheffield Womens Jersey . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Calvin Ridley Womens Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. http://www.thefaclonsshoponline.com/Youth-Deion-Sanders-Falcons-Jersey/ . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Tony Gonzalez Youth Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Kaleb McGary Jersey . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club.Portugal revived its World Cup qualifying campaign by beating Russia 1-0 while Mario Balotelli was red-carded for Italy in a 0-0 draw at the Czech Republic that put the four-time world champions closer to next years finals. Helder Postigas ninth-minute winner in Lisbon lifted the Portuguese from third to first in Group F, boosting the chances of football fans seeing Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Brazil next summer. While Portugals qualification is still far from secure, Italy is now four points clear of Bulgaria in Group B with four matches left -- three of which are at home -- after the Azzurri held on for a draw in Prague following the hot-headed Balotellis sending-off for two bookings. On a low-key night of qualifying in the European zone, Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina both won to consolidate top spots in their groups but Group H leader Montenegro lost 4-0 at home to Ukraine to put second-place England back in control of its own destiny. Perhaps the biggest celebrations came in Armenia, where Maltas players held hands and danced in celebration after recording a 1-0 win in the other match in Italys group -- only the tiny nations second ever victory in World Cup qualifying. The prospect of Ronaldo, one of the games best and most entertaining players, not featuring in the World Cup would have been very real had Portugal failed to sink a Russia side coming into the match on the back of four straight qualifying wins. Ronaldo lacked the sharpness he usually demonstrates at club level so it was left to Postiga to come to the rescue, tapping in Miguel Velosos free kick at the far post to clinch a huge win for the hosts, who moved two points clear in the group. Fabio Capellos Russia dropped to second but has two games in hand and will still be confident of claiming the one automatic qualifying berth. Italy will head to the Confederations Cup in Brazil knowing only a major collapse will stop them from being back there next summer, too. The Italians needed a couple of good saves from Gianluigi Buffon to secure a point after being forced to defend in the latter stages thanks to Balotellis 72nd-minute dismissal. "Balotelli was nervous," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said of the striker, who argued with opponents, fellow Italians and the referee during the match. "It is his problem and he has to cope with thatt.dddddddddddd" "The point is of great importance for us," Prandelli added through an interpreter. Belgium seized the initiative in Group A by beating Serbia 2-1 through goals by Kevin de Bruyne and Marouane Fellaini and seeing Croatia, which started the night level on points with the leaders, surprisingly lose 1-0 at home to bottom-place Scotland. Belgium is three points clear with three matches remaining. Ukraine roared back into qualifying contention by condemning Montenegro to a first group loss in an action-packed game in Podgorica featuring three red cards and four second-half goals. The visitors went down to 10 men in first-half injury time when Roman Zozulia was given a straight red but Denys Garmash still put them ahead in the 52nd minute. Yevhen Konoplyanka made it 2-0 either side of sending-offs for Montenegro pair Vladimir Volkov and Savo Pavicevic before Artim Fedetskiy and Roman Bezus completed the rout. Montenegro stayed top but England is two points behind in second with a game in hand. Ukraine is a point further back, with two of its remaining four matches coming against last-place San Marino. Poland drew 1-1 at Moldova to drop to fourth and dent its hopes of a top-two finish. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece claimed contrasting wins in Group G to keep the race top spot bubbling. While Greece, the 2004 European champions, eked out a 1-0 win at Lithuania, the Bosnians thrashed Latvia 5-0 away with Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko one of five different scorers. Bosnia-Herzegovina has a three-point lead over Greece with four qualifiers left. In Group C, Austria threw the three-team race for the runner-up spot behind Germany wide open by beating Sweden 2-1 in Vienna. The Austrians are level on points with Ireland, which eased past the Faeroe Islands thanks to a hat trick on his record 126th appearance by Robbie Keane, with Sweden three points further back but having a game in hand. Iceland and Albania missed the chance to provisionally climb above Switzerland to the top of Group E by losing 4-2 to Slovenia and drawing 1-1 against Norway, respectively. Switzerland hosts Cyprus on Saturday and can pull four points clear with a win. Finland beat Belarus 1-0 in Group I through Kasper Hamalainens 57th-minute goal to keep alive its slim hopes of catching the top two of Spain and France. ' ' '