PITTSBURGH -- Michael Wacha heard the chants. Then again, when 40,000 people clad in black scream your name relentlessly for the better part of three hours, its kind of hard to miss. The goal was to rattle the St. Louis rookie, remind him that 22-year-old pitchers arent built to withstand the pressure of an elimination game. One problem. Wacha doesnt really do rattled. He doesnt do pressure, either. The louder PNC Park grew, the more unhittable Wacha became. "I kind of like it," Wacha said. "It kind of gives me adrenalin. I kind of use it in my favour." And the Pittsburgh Pirates -- not to mention anyone else he might face in the post-season -- "kind of" need to get used to it. Wacha took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning and the Cardinals showed off their October poise, edging the Pirates 2-1 Monday to force a winner-take-all Game 5 in the NL division series. St. Louis is 7-1 over the last three years with its season on the line. "I think you take high talent and high character people that are motivated and support each other, and they dont give up," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Thats a tough combination." One the Pirates are still trying to master. Pedro Alvarez hit his third home run of the series, connecting with one out in the eighth for Pittsburghs only hit in Game 4. It wasnt enough for the Pirates to advance to the NL championship series for the first time in 21 years. "I guess thats why we play five," star centre-fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "Well be ready for the fifth one." The Pirates werent quite ready for the fourth one, not with the way Wacha was dealing. He walked two and struck out nine before giving way to the bullpen in the eighth. Matt Hollidays two-run homer off Charlie Morton in the sixth was all the offence required on a day the Cardinals tossed the first one-hitter in the clubs lengthy post-season history. Trevor Rosenthal worked around a two-out walk in the ninth, retiring McCutchen on a popup to shallow centre field for his first post-season save. "It was a good pitch for him," McCutchen said. "I wish it got a little more of the barrel. It would have been a great story." Instead, a taut series will head back to Busch Stadium. Game 5 will be Wednesday, with ace Adam Wainwright starting for the NL Central champion Cardinals and rookie Gerrit Cole going for the wild-card Pirates. Both pitchers won last week in the NLDS. The Cardinals finished with only three hits, and that was enough. Holliday got two of them, including his homer in the sixth after Morton walked big-hitting Carlos Beltran to start the inning. "You could go back and look at pitches over and over again and second guess yourself," Morton said. "I dont know where that pitch was. It was outer third somewhere, thigh-down and he went out and got it, hes strong." So was the 6-foot-6 kid on the one, the one barely a year removed from a standout college career at Texas A&M. Wacha didnt permit a runner until walking Russell Martin leading off the sixth. Wacha nearly no-hit the Washington Nationals in his last start on Sept. 24, surrendering only an infield single by Ryan Zimmerman with two outs in the ninth. Working so quickly the Pirates never had time to get settled, he breezed through Pittsburghs revamped lineup like he was in extended spring training. Mixing his fastball and changeup masterfully, Wacha overwhelmed the Pirates from the moment he stepped onto the mound. Alvarez got the fans at PNC Park roaring with his homer, and Wacha followed by walking Martin on four pitches. Carlos Martinez relieved and Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina made a key play, throwing out pinch-runner Josh Harrison after a botched hit-and-run attempt. Martinez struck out Jose Tabata to end the eighth, and Rosenthal took over to begin the ninth. Neil Walker drew a two-out walk before McCutchen made the final out. "Thats what its all about," Rosenthal said. "Thats what you dream of, you dream of two outs in the bottom of the ninth, you know ... bases loaded, the best hitter up, and getting out of that spot." One the Cardinals rarely found themselves in on a day Wacha showed hes just a big a part of his teams present as he is its megawatt future. McCutchen came into the game hitting .538 in the post-season but looked at a 97 mph fastball for strike three in the first. Marlon Byrd, Pittsburghs most consistent player since being acquired from the Mets in late August, watched a full-count heater in the second that sent him walking back to the dugout in disbelief. It was a look repeated time and again by Byrd and the rest of his baffled teammates. Wacha struck out five of the first seven batters. "He went out and hit his spots and it seemed like everything we were hitting, we were just missing, just missing," McCutchen said. Martin remained Pittsburghs lone baserunner until the eighth. Wacha fell behind 3-1 and Alvarez hit a 93 mph fastball at the knees onto the concourse in right-centre. The jolt, however, faded when Molina nailed Harrison at second minutes later to set up a 24th -- and final -- meeting between two teams that have been shadowing each other all summer and into the fall. NOTES: Wacha was the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft. He earned his first major league win on June 11. ... A.J. Burnett pitched Game 1 for Pittsburgh, but manager Clint Hurdle picked Cole to move ahead and start Game 5. Rafael Montero Rangers Jersey . -- Barry Bonds is all set to return to the San Francisco Giants. Kyle Bird Rangers Jersey . -- Wide receiver Sidney Rice should be fully recovered from a torn knee ligament by the time the Seattle Seahawks start defence of their Super Bowl title, general manager John Schneider said Wednesday. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/1262h-al-oliver-jersey-rangers.html . With one week left in the regular season, Cornish - voted The Toughest Player To Bring Down - is a leading candidate for the CFLs Most Outstanding Player award. He has rushed for 1,799 yards and could break Willie Burdens club record for rushing yards in a single season with a 98-yard performance against the B. Ronald Guzman Jersey . And, just for good measure, lets say the lottery team finishes the game short-handed because two starters come down with the very same injury. Jim Sundberg Jersey . Consider it received. Attacking on offence early and often, the Penguins topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series.Morgan wins gold at Commonwealth Games@ THE CANADIAN PRESS@ GLASGOW, Scotland -- Gymnast Scott Morgan of North Vancouver, B.C., won gold in the rings competition Thursday at the Commonwealth Games to add to the silver he won earlier in the day in the floor event. It was a 1-2 finish for Canada in the rings as Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont., took the silver. "It was spectacular to get up there on the podium and hear the Canadian anthem," said Morgan."Its something you dream about as an athlete." Lytwyn admitted he had some doubts about how competitive he would be coming into the Games because of nagging injuries and a hand infection, but a vote of encouragement from coach Canadian national team director Tony Smith paid off. "I competed with some pain in my hand but with all the adrenalin pumping it didnt really hamper me," said Lytwyn, who was the last competitor in the rings finaal.dddddddddddd "Its nerve wracking competing last but exciting. Im eager to get out there and do it again." Daniel Purvis of Scotland won bronze. Max Whitlock of England won gold in the floor event and David Bishop of New Zealand earned the bronze. Canada also won a silver in the womens vault competition at the SSE Hydro venue. Ellie Black of Halifax finished second behind Englands Claudia Fragapane. Indias Dipa Karmakar won the bronze. "Ive been a little bit disappointed with my previous performances but that always helps you to keep going and be stronger," said Black, who also finished fourth in the uneven bars final. "I just tried to have a good attitude coming in to the finals today and it definitely worked." Rounding out the Canadian results, Maegan Chant of Waterdown, Ont., was fourth on vault and Anderson Loran of Saskatoon, finished seventh on pommel horse. ' ' '
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