Plauderwelten » White Sox returned to Chicago to start a four-game, h

Chester, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of teams in desperate need of points will clash on Thursday as the Philadelphia Union welcome the Chicago Fire to PPL Park in a classic six-pointer. Philadelphia enters the match sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 38 points, three behind New York for the fifth and final playoff berth. Last time out, the Union suffered a 1-0 defeat to East-leading D.C. United which put a significant dent in the Unions playoff hopes. The games lone goal came after 10 minutes. A deflected cross found its way to United fullback Chris Korb, who quickly whipped the ball in to the top of the six. Luis Silva was waiting and deftly headed the ball past Union goalkeeper Rais MBolhi and into the back of the net. The Union suffered their first loss since Aug. 15 -- when they lost 2-0 at the Houston Dynamo -- though the defeat at D.C. United followed a pair of draws. The goals have dried up. You know, were struggling. We are getting chances. Were creating chances, maybe a little more commitment to get in the box, said Union manager Jim Curtin. We are going to have to find a way to fight through it, and we need to now win three games in a row to give ourselves even a chance at the playoffs. The Union were also shut out at the attacking end for a second consecutive match, the first time since April 19-26 they were blanked in back-to-back games. Conor [Caseys] up there fighting with two center backs and thats not good enough, Curtin said. We have to have more commitment from Chaco [Maidana], from Vincent [Nogueira], from Amobi [Okugo] to get in the box late. You saw today there were probably ten crosses that get knocked down around the 8-to 12-yard-line and we dont have anyone there to get on the end of it. Thats a commitment to getting in the box. Chicago, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo which extended its winless run to five matches. The Fire fell behind just after the quarter-hour. From the left side of the field, midfielder Ricardo Clark got the best of Fire veteran Logan Pause before firing a cross toward the back post. Omar Cummings split a pair of defenders to come sliding in for a simple finish. Houston then added a second goal in the 67th minute. Defender Kofi Sarkodie hit a cross from the right side to midfielder Brad Davis, who headed the ball back to a wide-open Boniek Garcia at the penalty spot, and he thumped home a picture-perfect volley with his left foot. Its been tough all year, weve tied 16 out of 29 games and youve got to turn some of those ties into wins and we havent, Fire head coach Frank Yallop said. So were not good enough. I guess we have something to slightly build on that we dont lose a ton of games, but we lost which is obviously a very disappointing result at this time of the season. But weve got to pick ourselves up, weve got play on Thursday, so weve got to get ready for that one. This will be the third and final meeting between the sides, which played to draws on April 5 and July 19. Ecco Mens Shoes Uk .com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again. Ecco Shoes Sale Clearance . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. http://www.cheapeccouk.com/ . Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. Cheap Ecco Shoes Online . On a hot, sweaty day, the Hall of Famer looked cool and comfortable. Ecco Shoes Clearance Uk . Louis Blues, having added Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo, remain the No.CLEVELAND -- One swing by Dayan Viciedo provided a dramatic turnaround for the Chicago White Sox. Viciedo hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning off John Axford, lifting the White Sox over the Cleveland Indians 4-3 and stopping a four-game losing streak. After the ball cleared the right-field fence, Viciedo pointed to Chicagos dugout, which erupted in celebration. "That was for the team. That was very exciting," he said. Other than Jose Abreus major league-leading 12th homer, a solo drive in the first inning, the ALs highest-scoring team couldnt manufacture any runs. Corey Kluber struck out a career-high 13 in eight innings, including a team-record seven straight. He allowed three hits and two walks, leaving with a 3-1 lead after 110 pitches. "Its good for the guys to just stay with it," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "Even though it looks bleak, you can still make a little bit of a comeback." Axford (0-2) walked Gordon Beckham leading off the ninth, but struck out Abreu. Adam Dunn walked, and Viciedo homered on a 2-2 pitch. "I was looking for a pitch I could make good contact with," Viciedo said. "He made a mistake, and I made him pay for it." Axford gave up the homer on a 96 mph four-seamer. "I fell behind in the count to too many guys, and it didnt work out," he said. "I put two guys on base without me even challenging. I just couldnt find it. The home run was on a fastball. Not a very good pitch, obviously." Indians manager Terry Francona, citing pitch count and the narrow lead, didnt second guess himself for pulling Kluber. "If anyone got on base, he was going to come out of the game, and I didnt think that was fair to him," Francona said. Kluber had no problem with Franconas strategy. "Thats not my decision. I trust Titos judgment," he said. Axford has blown two saves in 11 chances, both against the White Sox. He gave up a walkoff homer to Alexei Ramirez in the ninth inning on April 13 at Chicago. Daniel Webb (2-0) pitched the eighth, and Matt Lindstrom threw a one-hit ninth for his fourth save in seven chances. George Kottaras, the Indians backup catcher, became the first player to homer in his first two plate appearances for Cleveland.dddddddddddd Andre Rienzo allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Klubers streak began when he struck out Gordon Beckham and Abreu for the final two outs of the third. He fanned Dunn, Viciedo and Ramirez in the fourth, and Jordan Danks and Tyler Flowers struck out beginning the fifth. Leury Garcia broke the streak by walking on a 3-2 pitch, and Kluber struck out Alejandro De Aza. Kluber fell two strikeouts short of the AL record set by Doug Fister for Detroit against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012. Tom Seaver holds the major league record of 10 for the New York Mets against San Diego on April 22, 1970. Clevelands previous mark was six by Bob Feller, Bartolo Colon, Chuck Finley and Mitch Talbot. Four of Abreus five hits against the Indians this season have been homers. The White Sox broke an eight-game losing streak at Progressive Field, where they had gone 6-20 since 2013. "It hasnt been good to us here so to be able to come back and take one like this is pretty nice," Ventura said. The White Sox returned to Chicago to start a four-game, home-and-home stretch against the Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field. "It was a much-needed win, obviously," Lindstrom said. "Now we can go home and start to put together a pretty good series against the Cubs. Kottaras, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when Yan Gomes was placed on the paternity list, hit solo homers in the third and fourth. Kottaras had been 2 for 25 (.080) in the minors. Lonnie Chisenhall had an RBI single for Cleveland in the third. Indians centre fielder and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn missed the game because of tightness in his left hamstring. NOTES: Indians DH Jason Giambi (cramp in right calf) didnt play. ... The White Sox added OF Moises Sierra, claimed off waivers from Toronto, to the 25-man roster. LHP Frank De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. ... The Indians optioned LHP Nick Hagadone to Columbus. ... Chicago 3B Conor Gillaspie (bruised left hand) homered on a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment at Charlotte and could return this week. ' ' '