e notes Vanek didnt score a goal in his final 1 | Forum

CHICAGO -- Most of the swings looked a little off, and many missed the ball entirely. Martin Caceres Juventus Jersey . The infielders gobbled up the grounders, and the outfielders had an easy afternoon. This was Bronson Arroyo at his baffling best. Arroyo pitched seven crisp innings, Todd Frazier homered and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game series sweep. "Its unbelievable the way he pitches," Frazier said. "I just cant understand how he does it and everybodys off balance and I know Im going to get ground balls so Im ready all the time and he starts striking guys out. "Its pretty cool to watch and see a guy like that just work his craft." Arroyo (11-9) allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked none in his second straight win. The sneaky right-hander retired his first nine batters and faced the minimum through six innings. Frazier also had one of Cincinnatis four run-scoring doubles as the Reds (68-52) earned their fourth consecutive win to move a season-high 16 games over .500. They improved to 13-3 against the Cubs this year, including a 9-1 mark at Wrigley Field. The defending NL Central champions have won seven of eight since an embarrassing 15-2 home loss to St. Louis on Aug. 4. They trailed division-leading Pittsburgh by 3 1/2 games at the start of the day, with the Pirates scheduled to face the second-place Cardinals on Wednesday night. "Sometimes a team has to hit rock bottom before you can start rolling," manager Dusty Baker said. The Cubs wasted a solid start by Chris Rusin (2-2) in their fourth straight loss. The left-hander allowed two runs and three hits while throwing just 76 pitches over six innings. "I was able to keep the ball on the ground for the most part and when the balls were hit in the air, besides Fraziers, the wind knocked it down," Rusin said. With Chicago struggling to score against Arroyo, manager Dale Sveum had Starlin Castro hit for Rusin with two out and none on in the sixth. Castro flied out to left, and Zack Cozart hit an RBI double off Carlos Villanueva in the seventh to give Cincinnati a 3-0 lead. David DeJesus rolled a leadoff single into centre field in the fourth for Chicagos first hit, but was promptly erased when Darnell McDonald bounced into a double play. McDonald singled off the glove of second baseman Brandon Phillips in the seventh and was stranded when Arroyo retired the next two batters. Alfredo Simon worked a perfect eighth and Jonathan Broxton finished the two-hitter for Cincinnatis 13th shutout of the season. "To get shut out and get nothing going at all today, its frustrating," Sveum said. "Its frustrating for the guys in the clubhouse, too. Theyre plugging away the best they can." Arroyo improved to 13-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 30 career games against the Cubs, including wins in each of his last four starts. He has been quite good at Chicagos cozy neighbourhood ballpark, with an 8-3 record and a 2.83 ERA in 15 appearances. "Ive been comfortable in this ballpark for a long time for some reason, definitely the last probably seven years," he said. "Its just a lineup that a lot of times Im comfortable against." Frazier helped the Reds get off to a fast start when he drove Rusins third pitch over the wall in left and onto Waveland Avenue. It was Fraziers first homer since July 1 against San Francisco and No. 11 on the year. "Start the game off with a little bang, thats always a good look for me to get going for the day," he said. Frazier and Joey Votto had consecutive RBI doubles in the eighth to cap the scoring. NOTES: Chicago has been shut out 10 times this season. It managed just six hits in a 2-0 loss in the series opener on Monday. ... Reds CF Shin-Soo Choo got the day off. Baker said he wanted to give him some rest, and hes also dealing with a hand issue. Baker declined to specify which hand is bothering Choo. ... RHP Jake Arrieta will come up from Triple-A Iowa to start Chicagos game against St. Louis on Friday. The move put Villanueva in the bullpen. ... Baker said hes not counting on the return of LHP Sean Marshall, who went on the disabled list May 24 with a sore pitching shoulder. "You cant expect things, that way youre going to be disappointed," Baker said, "and if you get them back, then youre elated." ... The Cubs are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series against the Cardinals. ... The Reds send LHP Tony Cingrani (5-2, 2.87 ERA) to the mound on Thursday for the opener of a four-game series at Milwaukee. RHP Kyle Lohse (8-7, 3.26 ERA) is expected to start for the Brewers. Leonardo Bonucci Jersey . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Romulo Juventus Jersey . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. http:///...nco-juventus-jersey/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning followed a strong offseason with an impressive comeback win.Tyler Johnson scored a go-ahead power-play goal off a nifty pass from Steven Stamkos midway through the third period and the Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 in the season opener for both on Thursday nightYoud like to not give up four goals but all you can ask for is a win, Johnson said. We have a lot of confidence in this team. Weve been through a lot together.The Lightning beat Detroit in the first round of the playoffs each of the last two years en route to the Stanley Cup final in 2015 and the Eastern Conference final last season.Tampa Bay also got goals from Jonathan Drouin, Cedric Paquette, Brian Boyle, Alex Killorn and Valtteri Filppula.Johnson was positioned at the right circle and redirected Stamkos feed past Petr Mrazek at 8:34 to put the Lightning up 4-3, just 5 seconds after Detroit was called for too many men on the ice.As that game went on, we got stronger, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman kept a talented nucleus intact in the offseason, beginning with re-signing Stamkos to an eight-year, $68 million contract.Defenseman Victor Hedman received an eight-year, $63 million deal. Forward Nikita Kucherov on Tuesday signed a three-year contract worth an annual average of $4.766 million.Thomas Vanek scored two goals for the Red Wings. Frans Nielsen, signed to a $31.5 million, six-year free agent deal by Detroit, had a goal and an assist.This is a game we could have won, should have won, Vanek said.The Red Wings were without Pavel Datsyuk at the start of a season for the first timee since 2000. Giorgio Chiellini Youth Jersey. He left the NHL to return to Russia to continue his career near his family.Boyle tied it at 3 during a 2-on-1 early in the third. Killorn added a late power-play goal before Danny DeKeyser cut the Red Wings deficit to 5-4 when his center-ice shot went off the glass along the left wing boards and shot past Ben Bishop with 2 minutes left.Filppula secured the win with an empty-netter.Vanek continued his career-long success against Tampa Bay by scoring twice, including a power-play goal, in the opening 8:26 of the game. He has 27 goals and 45 points in 41 games against the Lightning.He knows how to score, and you saw that tonight, Detroit left wing Henrik Zetterberg said.The Red Wings signed Vanek to a one-year, $2.6 million deal shortly after Minnesota bought out the last year of the forwards three-year, $19.5 million deal. Vanek had a career-low 18 goals last season.After Drouin scored on the power play midway through the second, Nielsen made it 3-1 just 55 seconds later.Paquette scored from a tough angle later in the second.If that was your first hockey game, that was a pretty good one to go to, Cooper said.Game notes Vanek didnt score a goal in his final 14 games last season. ... Detroit D Niklas Kronwell (knee) didnt play. ... Tampa Bay RW Ryan Callahan (hip surgery) could return early next month.UP NEXTRed Wings: Wrap up a two-game southern swing Saturday night at Florida.Lightning: Host New Jersey on Saturday night in the second game of a season-opening four-game homestand. 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