SAN FRANCISCO -- The Washington Nationals found a reliable pitcher for the ninth inning, acquiring All-Star closer Mark Melancon from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Michael Bourn Braves Jersey .Washington sent reliever Felipe Rivero and pitching prospect Taylor Hearn to the Pirates for Melancon, who supplants struggling Jonathan Papelbon as Washingtons closer. Melancon is expected to join the Nationals on Sunday for their series finale at San Francisco.Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker called Melancon on Saturday. Both Rizzo and Baker said they were impressed that Melancon told them he planned to immediately check in with Papelbon.It says a lot about his character and makeup, and that was a big reason why he was such an attractive target to us, Rizzo said. His performance level is great, but his makeup and character are a lot of the reason that we went out and got him. That tells me hes team-first and Mark Melancon second.A 31-year-old right-hander, Melancon has converted 30 of 33 saves with a 1.51 ERA this season and joins his fifth organization in eight years. He is making $9.65 million and is eligible for free agency after the World Series.Once considered a possible successor to Mariano Rivera when he broke into the majors with the New York Yankees in 2009, Melancon said during the All-Star break he knew a trade was possible, given his contract status.The move comes as the Pirates find themselves on the fringe of the wild-card race. While general manager Neal Huntington stressed the team remains committed to reaching the playoffs for a fourth straight season, the opportunity to deal Melancon -- who led the majors with 51 saves in 2015 and had 33 in 14 -- for two young arms with friendly long-term contracts was too good to pass up.Rivero is under team control through 2021 and hit 100 mph on the radar gun regularly during an extended relief appearance against the Pirates this month. If Melancon left as a free agent, Pittsburgh would have received a high draft pick as compensation.We knew full well that holding Mark Melancon would have been a good return, but at the end of the day we felt this was a better return for us, Huntington said.This was Melancons fourth season in Pittsburgh after he also pitched for Houston, Boston and the Yankees.He will move his family once more -- his wife and three kids.This has been a blast. Pittsburgh has a special place in heart. My family has been treated so well, Melancon said. The experiences weve had, just running through my mind all the wild-card games, just big games that weve been in. From where we started, to where we are now, it is an honor. It is an honor to be a Pirate. We got to go through those experiences together. My teammates are my best friends.Papelbon is 2-4 with a 4.41 ERA and has allowed eight runs and seven hits in his past three outing. Baker wouldnt say earlier Saturday whether Papelbon still was his closer. Baker pulled Papelbon from a game Thursday in the ninth inning.Rivero, a 25-year-old lefty, is 0-3 with a 4.53 ERA this season. Hearn is a 21-year-old lefty who was the Nationals fifth-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft.The Pirates will plug Rivero into a seventh-inning role, with Neftali Feliz working the eighth and Tony Watson in the ninth. Watson was an All-Star in 2014 in a set-up role and will take over a position where Pittsburgh has enjoyed plenty of success during its rise from mediocrity. Each of its previous three closers: Melanon, Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan, made the All-Star team wearing black-and-gold.Manager Clint Hurdle said he will miss Melancon but is confident in his bullpen options.I love the guy, love the family. Happy we had him. He helped us, I believe we helped him, Hurdle said. We are not giving up anything, we arent lowering the bar. We are not settling. Our organization made a baseball trade, with confidence that our bullpen is going to be in a good place. We are going to be able to compete this year, we are going to be able to add to our competition level in the years to come.Huntington hinted the team may try to take the money it will save by not paying the remaining portion of Melancons contract and use it before Mondays trade deadline. The Pirates need help in the starting rotation, which has been forced to turn to rookies Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow quickly as established players Jeff Locke, John Niese and Juan Nicasio faltered.Also Saturday, Washington recalled right-handed pitcher Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse.The Associated Press contributed to this report. David Justice Braves Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Babe Ruth Braves Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series.http://www.bravesapparelsshop.com/erick-aybar-jersey-c-28/ . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Three men were out for 110 in Sri Lankas Test last week. Was this some sort of record? asked Tushar Trivedi from India (and many others) Those 110s by Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga and Dimuth Karunaratne for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in Harare last week did set a new mark for the highest score made three times in the same Test match. The previous-highest three-peat was 99, by Dennis Amiss, Majid Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad in the match between Pakistan and England in Karachi in 1972-73. The previous-highest scored three times by the same team was 78, by Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards and Richie Richardson for West Indies against New Zealand in Port-of-Spain in 1984-85.South Africa have won their last three Tests at Perth. Has anyone else managed this against Australia? asked Mikkel de Vries from South Africa Youre right in thinking that Australia have a good record at the WACA ground in Perth - they have won 24 of the 43 matches there, and have drawn eight. Of their 11 defeats, South Africa have been responsible for the last three, in 2008-09, 2012-13 and 2016-17; the Proteas drew their only other Test there (in 2005-06), so are undefeated in Perth. England have won there only once, against an under-strength Aussie team during the World Series Cricket era in 1978-79; New Zealand pulled off their one and only victory in 1985-86, when Richard Hadlee took 11 wickets; and India won in 2007-08. But West Indies won their first five Tests at the WACA - in 1975-76, 1984-85, 1988-89, 1992-93 and 1996-97 - before coming down to earth with an innings defeat in 2000-01, and suffered another reverse in 2009-10.Apparently the Aussie collapse at Perth was the third-worst for a team whose openers put on 150 or more. What are the two entries above this? asked Stuart from South Africa In the first Test against South Africa in Perth, Australia lost all ten wickets for 86 after David Warner and Shaun Marsh put on 158 for the first wicket. The only two lower totals after an opening stand of 150-plus were both by Zimbabwe: in their second innings against West Indies in Bulawayo in July 2001 they collapsed from 164 for 0 to 228 all out, then six months later in January 2002 they reached 153 for 0 in their first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle, only to subside to 236 all out, with five wickets apiece for Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya. The lowest completed innings to include a 150 partnership for any wicket is Sri Lankas 216 against South Africa in Durban in 2000-01 - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene added 168 for the third wicket, but the other nine batsmen managed just 35 runs between them.How many players have scored more than 200 runs in a Test over two innings without being dismissed, as Kraigg Brathwaite did for West Indies against Pakisstan? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa It was a slight surprise to discover that Kraigg Brathwaite, who made 142 and 61 - both not out - for West Indies against Pakistan in Sharjah last week, comes in only 17th on this particular list. Hank Aaron Jersey. Its headed by the New Zealander Stephen Fleming, with 343 runs in undefeated innings of 274 and 69 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in April 2003; Sachin Tendulkar also made more than 300 runs over two innings in a Test without getting out, with 241 and 60 for India v Australia in Sydney in 2003-04. The most runs in a Test without getting out is, of course, Brian Laras 400 not out in just one innings for West Indies against England at St Johns in 2003-04. I was even more surprised, however, to realise that Brathwaite was the first opener ever to remain undefeated in both innings of a Test match.Who are the youngest and oldest players to appear in 100 Test matches? asked Timothy Rankin from England The youngest man at the time of his 100th Test cap was Englands Alastair Cook, who was 28 years 353 years old when he reached three figures, in Perth in 2013-14 (he undoubtedly hoped for a better result: Australia won by 150 runs). Cook beat Sachin Tendulkars previous mark - he was 29 years 134 days old when he played his 100th Test, for India against England at The Oval in 2002. All the other 62 players to date who have won 100 or more caps were over 30 when they reached their century; the oldest remains Geoff Boycott, 40 years 254 days old against Australia at Lords in 1981. Clive Lloyd (in 1983-84) and Graham Gooch (1992-93) were both 39 at the time of their 100th caps. Who has taken the most catches in his first-class career? asked Sivaraman Narayanaan from India There are nine men - eight of them wicketkeepers - who have taken more than 1000 catches in their first-class careers. All of them had long county careers in England, and top of the pile is Bob Taylor, who started with Derbyshire in 1960 and played on for them to 1988, when he was 47. Taylor, who also appeared in 57 Tests, finished with 1473 catches; 176 stumpings gave him 1649 dismissals all told, another record. The only outfielder on the list is Frank Woolley, with 1018 for Kent and England during a career that stretched from 1906 to 1938, by which time he was 51. The next man to join the list ought to be Nottinghamshires Chris Read, who ended the 2016 English season with 995 catches. Its not too fanciful to suggest that Read will be the last man ever to reach four figures - the next current player on the list is the 36-year-old Essex keeper James Foster, with 775.Post your questions in the comments below Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
