Nationals head to New York for a three-game series agNationals head to New York for a three-game series ag | Forum

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Erick Fedde Nationals Jersey . -- Jeff Walzs belief his team can always play better didnt stop the Louisville coach from finding positives in a victory that welcomed another player into an exclusive club.Mariya Moore scored nine points to surpass 1,000 career and No. 4 Louisville held Chattanooga to 30 percent shooting for a 63-47 victory on Monday night to wrap up site play in the Hall of Fame Challenge.Playing their third game in as many days, the Cardinals (6-0) were never threatened in their tuneup ahead of Sundays Challenge matchup against third-ranked South Carolina. They controlled the pace, spread the ball around and held Chattanooga (3-3) to 17 of 57 shooting from the field in ending its two-game winning streak.I thought we did a lot of really good things in that first part of the game, said Walz, whose team shot 44 percent and made 18 assists on its 25 baskets. We got the pace going that we wanted, we executed well, and we passed the ball, a lot of good things.When we subbed, we kind of took a step back and thats something I talked to our bench players about. ... We should go forward. That part was a little bit of a concern for me, but overall our effort was good.Besides becoming Louisvilles 27th player to break 1,000 points, Moore had seven assists and four rebounds. Myisha Hines-Allen had 10 boards along with seven points.Moore was presented with a specially-designed ball after the game and said of her milestone, Its a blessing. It just shows hard work, I guess, but Im more happy that were 6-0.Queen Alford scored 20 points and Jasmine Joyner had 15 rebounds and seven blocks for Chattanooga. The Mocs committed 19 turnovers in its third game of the Challenge, an eight-team, round-robin competition being played at several sites. The event continues Sunday in Springfield, Massachusetts.POLL IMPLICATIONSLouisville followed up its one-spot rise in the poll with an easy win ahead of Sundays showdown against third-ranked South Carolina that will affect its ranking.THE BIG PICTUREChattanooga: The Mocs 1-of-8 start from the field helped dig 25-12 first-quarter hole that they spent the rest of the game trying to climb out of. We came out tentative in a way that surprised me, coach Jim Foster said. We played with effort, but we needed 40 minutes of effort and just got 30. For the first 10 minutes, it wasnt where it needed to be.The Mocs finished even on the boards (36-36) and blocked three more shots than Louisville (8-5) thanks to Joyner, who has 29 rebounds and 16 rejections the past two games.Louisville: The Cardinals shot 50 percent in the first half before cooling off to 44 percent for the game. While their scoring total was the lowest this season, 11 of 13 players scored while playing for the third straight day. Louisville also made all 10 free throws, its best single-game percentage with double-digit attempts going back to 2000. The Cardinals entered the game averaging 65 percent from the line.UP NEXTChattanooga: The Mocs return home from their weekend in Louisville to host Wisconsin-Green Bay on Friday.Louisville: The Cardinals face their first major test this season against No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday when the Hall of Fame Challenge moves to Springfield, Massachusetts. It will mark the first game between the schools since the Cardinals won 74-47 Nov. 29, 1991, one of just four wins over the Gamecocks in 20 meetings.---More AP College Basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org Matt Adams Nationals Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Howie Kendrick Jersey .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. https:///...ersey-nationals.html . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. PHILADELPHIA -- Just as his team has done over a grueling 20-game stretch, Wilson Ramos kept battling during a key at-bat on Wednesday night.Ramos came back from an 0-2 hole to deliver the go-ahead RBI during an eight-pitch at-bat, Jayson Werth homered and Gio Gonzalez pitched six strong innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.Wilson battled and battled, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. That was a big hit, big RBI, big at-bat.Ramos helped NL East-leading Washington set a franchise record with its ninth straight victory over the Phillies. The Nationals remained nine games in front of the second-place Mets, who beat Miami 5-2.I was mainly concentrating on putting the ball in play and just focused on that, Ramos said through an interpreter.The Nationals finished a stretch of 20 games in as many days with an 11-9 mark. Washington is idle Thursday for its first day off since Aug. 11.Im proud of these guys because thats a tough stretch, Baker said. The main thing is we finished strong. They gave me all they had.Freddy Galvis homered for Philadelphia, which has lost seven of nine. The Phillies have dropped eight of their last nine games at home to Washington.Nine hits in a three-game series isnt going to cut it, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Were just not hitting the ball. We need more offense, obviously.Gonzalez (10-9) gave up one run and two hits with four strikeouts and a walk.He kept the ball down, Baker said. That was a big game for him.Adam Morgan (1-9) lost his ninth straight despite arguably one of his best outings of the season.The game was played through a persistent drizzle.Shawn Kelley got the only batter he faced, Maikel Franco, to ground out to end the game for his seventh save. Regular closer Mark Melancon got the night off.The Nationals went ahead in the seventh. Anthony Rendon doubled with two outs. Morgan looked like he had Ramos struck out, but home plate umpire Mark Carlson didnt call a borderline 0-2 pitch a strike. Ramos battled back before eventually lining a 3-2 pitch into right field to score Rendon and end the night for Morgan.MORE ON MORGANMorgan gave up ttwo runs and three hits while striking out five and walking none in 6 2/3 innings. Tanner Rainey Nationals Jersey. He retired 13 straight at one point and produced nine groundball outs. He hasnt won since May 15.He did a great job with his offspeed stuff and really located extremely well, Mackanin said. The best Ive seen him, probably ever.Morgan credited veteran catcher A.J. Ellis for helping him simplify the game plan.Hes very, very knowledgeable, Morgan said. I think it was great to see him over here, just to see how he works and how he goes about is business is very encouraging.Morgan possesses the longest losing streak in the majors. The last Phillies pitcher with a longer skid was Kyle Abbott, who lost 11 consecutive games during the 1992 season.WERTH GOES DEEPWerth gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead with one out in the first inning when he crushed a pitch 455 feet into the camera well in straightaway center for his 20th homer of the season.It was his eighth homer in August, tying a career-high. He said it also was the longest homer hes hit in Citizens Bank Park.Ive been in some pretty cool places in this ballpark but never there, said Werth, who hit 95 homers in four seasons with the Phillies from 2007-10.FOR STARTERSWerths homer continued a dominant first-inning trend for Washington against Philadelphia this season. The Nationals have scored in the first inning in four consecutive games against the Phillies and have a total of 17 first-inning runs in 15 games this season.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: Baker gave rookie OF Trea Turner the day off to rest. Turner has been on a tear in August, tying a Nationals rookie record for hits in the month with 45 while reaching base in 20 straight games.UP NEXTNationals: The Nationals head to New York for a three-game series against the Mets that begins Friday night with RHP A.J. Cole (0-1, 4.97) against Mets RHP Noah Snydergaard (12-7, 2.55).Phillies: After a day off, the Phillies open a three-game home series against Atlanta on Friday night with RHP Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80) facing Braves RHP Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66). ' ' '