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CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo congratulated Jason Hammel for his first National League win after the Chicago Cubs topped the Pittsburgh Pirates. Steph Curry Shoes From China . Only, it wasnt. Not even Hammels first this season. Hammel threw seven strong innings, Rizzo tied a career high with four hits, and Chicago won 7-5 on Wednesday night despite allowing five solo home runs. But Rizzo apparently forgot about Hammels victory last week -- or the 27 the veteran right-hander had with Colorado. "Just make sure that everybody knows that Rizzo was not there with us in Pittsburgh last week," a joking Hammel said. "Its a good one. Its a good one. "I didnt know I didnt win at all in Colorado, either." Signed to a one-year, $6 million contract over the off-season, Hammel (2-0) won his Cubs debut when he beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh. He got off to another good start in this one, retiring the first 12 batters until Pedro Alvarezs first homer of the game tied it to start the fifth. Hammel allowed three runs and three hits -- all solo homers -- while striking out six. Rizzo had his career-best fourth straight multi-hit game, Mike Olt and Junior Lake hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth against Wandy Rodriguez (0-2). Emilio Bonifacio, who entered leading the majors with 17 hits and a .515 batting average, was 2 for 5. Bonifacio had two runs for an offence that has scored 21 runs in its last three games after getting eight in its first five. "We had some well-struck balls," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "They did there at the end, too, so it was a good night to hit." The Pirates found that out as well on a night where the wind was blowing steadily out. Alvarez and Russell Martin homered twice for the Pirates, each getting their second in the ninth off Pedro Strop, and Travis Snider also went deep. It was Alvarezs second multihomer game of the season and ninth of his career, and it the eighth of Martins career, but Pittsburgh only had one hit besides its five solo home runs. "Well, were not giving up," Martin said. "Were still fighting. Thats kind of in our DNA. No matter what the score is, were going to give our best effort. Were aware some days were going to get beat, but were never really going to cave in. Today they were better than us." Once again, the Cubs were better than Rodriguez, whom Hammel and Chicago beat for the second time. Rodriguez went five innings, giving up four runs and nine hits, keeping the Pirates from clinching their third straight series win to start the season, something they havent done since 1992. Rodriguez missed most of 2013 with a left forearm injury and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle called his performance an "optimistic outing." "Youve got to remember how long hes been away from the mound," Hurdle said. "He feels healthy. The first pitch strikes were good. A little more consistency and location, just execution at times." The Cubs offensive execution was better. Other than Rizzos congratulations to Hammel. "I was excited. We had a great atmosphere in here after the game," Rizzo said. "He pitched his tail off. We got him the W, so its nice. Hes off to a great 2-0 start." NOTES: Bonifacios hot start has given Renteria an easy choice to lead off. "Typically, if you can have a leadoff guy that you can slot in, its really big," Renteria said. ... Cubs OF Justin Ruggianos RBI double was his first hit of the season. He entered the game 0-for-11. ... The Cubs scored three times in the sixth, and the third came when Lake was originally called out at first on a double-play grounder, but Renteria challenged the call by umpire Mark Carlson, getting it overturned and allowing Rizzo to score. ... Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (right oblique) went six innings and allowed two runs and five hits while striking out 10 and walking one in a rehab outing at Single-A Bradenton. Cheap Steph Curry Shoes . Sundays race will be held at the Sepang circuit, adjacent to Kuala Lumpurs main airport where the ill-fated flight took off earlier this month. Authorities now say it is almost certain it crashed in the Indian Ocean, killing all 239 people aboard. Steph Curry Shoes Outlet . Vettel only needs to finish fifth or better Sunday to wrap up the championship with three races remaining, and bettered his own lap record to claim his third straight pole at Buddh International Circuit. https://www.stephencurryshoescheap.com/ . -- Each time the Utah Jazz threatened Memphis lead, the Grizzlies responded with defensive stops.TORONTO - After taking full advantage of a friendly early-season schedule, the Raptors are set to embark on a daunting six-game road trip, their longest of the campaign and a stretch that should go a long way in determining what theyre really made of. Its been a historic start to the franchises 20th season. Sitting atop the Eastern Conference for a team-record 49 consecutive days, theyll enter the Christmas break with at least 22 wins for the first time in their existence. The caveat, if there is one, has been the degree of difficulty. Its important that we play good teams because its really going to test our character, said Greivis Vasquez following the Raptors 118-108 wire-to-wire win over the Knicks, their sixth straight victory. We havent really faced adversity and everything right now is great, but I think were ready for a couple of premium tests. A third of the way through the season, Toronto has played 17 home games - winning 14 of them - which tops any team in the NBA. Theyve seen the Western Conferences top seven teams just twice - defeating the undermanned Grizzlies and falling to Dallas. At times, the modest level of competition has allowed them to get away with some bad habits, primarily on defence, where their effort has been sporadic. Unexpectedly, Toronto features the leagues second-most efficient offensive attack but theyve fallen to 11th in that same category on the other end of the floor. While their defence tends to pick up in the second half, saving them from slow starts against inferior opponents, they know theyll need to put together more complete outings over the next couple weeks to come up victorious away from the comforts of the Air Canada Centre. Its going to be a challenge, Vasquez said. Were looking forward to this challenge. Anytime you go to the West, its not easy but I think were good enough to come out with a couple of wins and do our job. Weve got to remain humble and hungry and continue to work. Im ready for it, Dwane Casey insisted. We should be ready because weve been preaching it. Everyones all excited but reality is real and we have to be ready for adversity, whenever it hits. You go into it with positive vibes, ready to kick some behind but when adversity hits thats when you find out how close we are and how we have to stick together. The trip begins with a visit to Chicago - their only Eastern Conference stop - in the second game of a back-to-back Monday. Theyll have three days off for Christmas before heading out West, where theyll face the Clippers, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Suns as the ACC hosts the world junior hockey championship. Torontos opponents during their most recent six-game winning streak entered Sundays games with a combined record of 43-123 (.259). The six teams theyll face on this coming road trip are 106-55 (.658), while the Raptors have an all-time record of 42-80 (.344) in the buildings theyll be visiting. Tomorrow will be a game that lets us know where we are in the league, Casey said of Mondays match-up with the Bulls, a team that defeated Toronto 100-93 last month. Steph Curry Shoes For Sale. Were one of the top teams, we are in that group but tomorrow night we have to show where we fit in that sphere. As a team, their first challenge came in the form of an injury to DeMar DeRozan. In 12 games without their leading point producer, the Raptors have held together, winning nine of those contests as their nightly scoring average - almost exactly the same as it was before the all-star guard sustained his injury - remains elite. Without a timetable for DeRozans return, the Raptors will hit the road and its unlikely theyll have him back in uniform before their return home in early January. This trip wont determine their fate. In the grand-scheme of things, the six-game stretch accounts for roughly seven per cent of their regular season schedule. Its not make or break, but it should be a healthy barometer for a team with high aspirations in the spring. Its always about ourselves, Vasquez said. We dont want to prove anything to anybody. This is a family right here in this locker room. Hopefully we do well. Ive got all the confidence in the world that we can do better and that were going to continue to get better. We cant be satisfied because weve got a 22-6 record. We want more. Good teams win the games they should - the Raptors are an impressive 15-2 against losing clubs this season. But great teams are the ones that can compete with the rest of the leagues elite. What are they made of? Well find out soon enough. FIELDS SITS OUT The Raptors were without newly-minted starter Landry Fields, who was sidelined as a precaution having sustaining a head injury in Fridays win over Detroit. Fields needed eight stitches to close up a gash on the back, right-side of his head after a scary fall knocked him out of the game. He remained sprawled out on the court, surrounded by his teammates, coaches and the medical staff for several minutes, as a pool of blood collected underneath his head, before being helped up and to the locker room. Although the forward passed initial concussion tests that night, he failed a secondary examination ahead of Sundays contest. Fields had said he blacked out for a moment after hitting his head on the court but seems to have dodged a bullet. He was lucid in the locker room post-game, walking around and conversing with teammates. Hes alert, looks good, looks as ugly as hes always looked, Casey joked. But those tests are intricate so its something that you have to go through, which is great. Its the right thing to do to make sure [hes okay]. The fifth-year vet had been a pleasant surprise, starting six straight games in the absence of DeRozan, logging over 20 minutes in each of the five before his injury - his longest streak as a Raptor. James Johnson replaced him in the starting lineup Sunday, matching up with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Although Johnson picked up two quick fouls, limiting him in the first quarter, he did an admirable job on Anthony in 24 minutes of action. The Raptors - primarily Johnson and Terrence Ross - held Anthony to 28 points on 26 shots. ' ' '