ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baseballs trade deadline is just days away, and two teams that are believed to be dealing will showcase starters on the market -- the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees -- open a three-game series Friday night.The Yankees Ivan Nova and the Rays Jake Odorizzi have been widely mentioned as being available for contenders interested in upgrading their starting pitching, and both right-handers have pitched well in recent weeks to maximize the potential return for their teams.Nova is 7-5 with a 4.65 ERA this season, but hes 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts. Much the same way, Odorizzi is just 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA overall, but hes 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his last three. The last time he faced the Yankees was his best outing of the season -- seven innings and just one hit allowed, though it was a two-run home run by Starlin Castro in a 2-1 Yankees victory.Nova only faced the Rays this season in relief, but pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless shutout baseball.The Rays return home after a 4-5 road trip -- still a significant improvement from the disastrous stretch they finished before going on the road. Tampa Bay has scored three runs or less in five straight games, but that was enough to win in Wednesdays 3-1 win over the Dodgers, thanks to a strong outing by another pitcher on the trade market, Matt Moore.Matt Moore was outstanding, Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the win. What hes done in the last eight, nine, 10 starts is really impressive. ... He had everything going. He did a tremendous job.The Rays, at 39-61, are certainly sellers and could move any number of players, from starters like Moore and Odorizzi to key bats like the versatile Steve Pearce, who has been linked to the Giants and Indians.The Yankees this week dealt closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for a package of four players, including top prospect Gleyber Torres and reliever Adam Warren, who rejoined the team. The Yankees have now won four of six and eight of their last 11, improving to 52-49 and getting within 6.5 games of first-place Baltimore. They missed a sweep with Wednesdays 4-1 loss to the Astros, and manager Joe Girardi said his team cant let opportunities like that get away.Were trying to make up ground. Youre trying to win series, but when you have a chance to sweep, you can really help, and we werent able to do it tonight, Girardi said after Wednesdays loss.By the time the weekend series ends, both teams could have dealt away key players -- the Yankees are much more in contention, but must look to upgrade their team long-term. The Rays may avoid an outright fire sale, but even top starter Chris Archer, who has struggled to a major-league-high 14 losses this season, has been mentioned as being available, if at a high price. Buy Shoes Ireland .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Shoes Ireland On Sale . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. https://www.shoesirelandsale.com/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Shoes Ireland From China . 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. Shoes Ireland Free Shipping . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. CHICAGO -- The loaded Chicago Cubs are going to have to make some difficult decisions when they set their postseason roster.From pitcher Jason Hammels perspective, its a matter of making it as tough on them as possible.Hammel tossed seven solid innings and Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single during Chicagos three-run seventh, leading the Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.This team continues to prove as long as you hang around for a little while theyre going to put up something, Hammel said. Theyll make it exciting, so kudos to those guys (for) putting some good at-bats together late.Hammel (15-9) allowed two runs and four hits during his best outing in a month, improving to 7-0 with 0.98 ERA in his last seven home starts. The right-hander had been struggling of late, going 1-4 with an 8.61 ERA in his previous five starts overall.Hammels performance gave the franchise four pitchers with at least 15 wins for the first time since 1935. It looks as if Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are playoff-rotation locks for the NL Central champions and John Lackey has the pole position for the fourth spot, leaving Hammel in limbo as the season winds down.Weve got a good collective group here and their decisions are going to be really hard, Hammel said, so were just going to continue to do what we do, individually do our work and show up and play and then theyll put the best team out there whenever it is.Jason Heyward added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Cubs moved seven games ahead of Washington for the best record in the National League, lowering their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to five. Thats the only major goal still out there during the regular season for major league-leading Chicago after it secured the division title last week.Brandon Phillips homered for last-place Cincinnati, which has lost five of six. Joey Votto went 2 for 3 with an RBI single and a walk, increasing his batting average since the All-Star break to .416.The Reds allowed three more homers to run their season total to 242, breaking the major league record of 241 belonging to the 1996 Detroit Tigers.We just have to be better in commanding the zone, manager Bryan Price said. And I make it sounnd simple; its not.ddddddddddddWe certainly have to improve the quality of the talent. Weve got to be able to get guys that can get the ball on the ground more often than we have this year.The Cubs (95-55) were coming off a lackluster series against the Brewers, dropping three of four while celebrating their division title, and manager Joe Maddon met with his hitters before facing the Reds to talk to them about making the most of the final part of the season.There was no sign of any carry-over from the meeting before Addison Russell led off the seventh with a drive to left for his 21st homer. Willson Contreras crushed another homer with one out, tying it at 2 and chasing Tim Adleman from the longest start of his rookie year.Chris Coghlan greeted Blake Wood (6-4) with a double to right. After pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella popped out, Fowler made it 3-2 with his only hit of the game.Dexter two-out knock right there is kind of spectacular, Maddon said.Hector Rondon worked the eighth before Aroldis Chapman finished for his 15th save with the Cubs and 35th on the year. It was Chapmans first career appearance against Cincinnati, which traded the hard-throwing closer to the New York Yankees last December.PACKING THEM INThe paid attendance of 39,251 ran the Cubs season total to 3,028,965 with five home games left in the regular season. Its the franchises first time drawing more than 3 million since 2011, and the ninth time at Wrigley Field overall.TRAINERS ROOMReds: RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) is scheduled for another bullpen session Wednesday. Its still possible that hell make a start or two before the year is out, Price said.Cubs: OF Jorge Soler (tightness on his right side) could be available to pinch hit on Tuesday, according to Maddon. ... Right-handed reliever Pedro Strop, who is coming back from knee and groin injuries, is on track to pitch in a simulated game soon.UP NEXTCubs LHP Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40 ERA) faces Reds RHP Josh Smith (3-1, 4.97) on Tuesday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last 11 starts. Smith is making his first start of the season.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '
