Der Fremde » longest winning streak in more than a year

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland has a sniff of its first Six Nations rugby title in five years after humbling defending champion Wales 26-3 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. China Jerseys Paypal . Ireland scored the games only two tries from superb rolling mauls while Jonathan Sexton kicked four penalties, his only miss from beyond halfway. By contrast, Wales only shot in anger was a second-half try disallowed, while Irelands superior discipline gave Leigh Halfpenny only one penalty kick, nearly an hour in. Wales, trying to become the first team to win the championship three successive times outright, promised to be direct and physical but was overwhelmed by a swarming defence and forced into multiple errors; 15 penalties and two free kicks, 16 missed tackles, 10 turnovers, two chargedowns. Wales paid for it with a first away loss in the championship since 2011, when it also last failed to score a try. Coach Warren Gatland, following Wales biggest Six Nations defeat in his seven-year tenure, called it his lowest moment. "We wont be thinking in terms of retaining the Six Nations, well be thinking about improving for our next game against France," he said. Gatland was taken aback by Irelands rugged defence, and his side conceding 17 penalties and free kicks. "I cant remember any occasion when they moved the ball through the backline at us," he said. "They dominated us up front and caused us a lot of problems. We have a target of 10 (penalties) or loss, so to give 17 away was simply unacceptable." After two successive wins for the first time since 2010, Ireland was in pole position for this years title, though it must win at least one of its two away games, against England next in two weeks, or France in the tournament closer next month. "Im not going to think too far ahead," Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said. "But its certainly a gathering of confidence for us." He said replacement lock Dan Tuohy may have a broken forearm. The 13-0 halftime score fairly reflected Irelands control. By the time Sexton kicked them 6-0 ahead in the 17th minute, Wales had conceded five penalties to one. The scrums were a mess for both sides but the lineout was an Irish pressure point, thanks to OConnell and Devin Toner. Even in the collisions, the Welsh came off second best. Scott Williams cut down Irish opposite Brian ODriscoll, who was winded for a bit, but it was Williams who soon walked off cradling his right shoulder. With Wales putting out a dozen Lions to Irelands nine, some big Welsh names were left in the shade: Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones by Cian Healy and Mike Ross in the front row, Sam Warburton and Dan Lydiate by Chris Henry and Peter OMahony in the loose, and George North and Alex Cuthbert by Andrew Trimble and Dave Kearney on the wings. Sexton, Paul OConnell, Toner were also Irish standouts. Wales coming off second-best everywhere was no better encapsulated than about half an hour in. Wales earned a lineout throw-in on the Irish 22, but Wales blew the lift and Toner didnt even have to jump to take the gift catch. Moments later, Wales turned over the ball near halfway and Sexton had the foresight to realize Halfpenny was up near the play, so he kicked down the line and No. 8 Jamie Heaslip forced Rhys Priestland to run the ball out. Given an attacking lineout five meters out, Toner took the catch, handed the ball to Henry, and the flanker was trailered in a fast rolling maul into the right corner for his first test try. Sexton converted from the touchline. After Sexton made it 16-0 in the 46th, Irish fans began singing, their confidence rising. When Halfpenny, on the occasion of him becoming the youngest Wales player to 50 caps at 25, finally kicked their first points, OMahony drew a second penalty for Ireland and Sexton delivered. Wales one try chance came after scrumhalf Mike Phillips tapped two consecutive penalties and replacement prop Rhodri Jones burrowed over but he was penalized for a double movement. In the last minute, Ireland expressed its power again when it rolled a maul from a lineout 20 metres out, which sucked in so many Welshman that replacement flyhalf Paddy Jackson ran in untouched, until Liam Williams dropped an elbow on his face. Jackson still had the last say, with the conversion. China Jerseys website . Altidore strained his left hamstring in the Americans opener against Ghana on June 16 and didnt play in their next two games. "We dont know how much because we need to see how hes going, but hes available," U. China Jerseys For Cheap . 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. http://www.chinajerseyspaypal.com/ . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. PITTSBURGH -- Andrew McCutchen made a "minor" adjustment in the batters box a couple weeks ago hoping to give him a fraction of a second longer to see whats coming. Consider the experiment a success. McCutchen hit his eighth homer and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. "When I get the barrel to it, good things happen," McCutchen said. "Thats basically what Im doing." McCutchen drove a two-run shot to right field in the third inning then added an RBI-double in the fifth off Edwin Jackson (4-6) as the Pirates bounced back from two tough losses to Milwaukee over the weekend in which they left a combined 18 runners on base. There were no such problems while sending Jackson to his fourth loss in his last five decisions. "I got to do a better job of mixing up instead of getting beat with same pitch twice," Jackson said. "I let the guy whos the threat on the team beat me twice and you cant do that." Charlie Morton (3-7) allowed one run over seven innings to win for the third time in his last four starts after beginning the season 0-6. Ike Davis hit his fifth homer of the season while Starling Marte broke out of a lengthy slump with three hits. Starlin Castro went 3 for 4 with his eighth home run and two RBIs for the Cubs, who fell to 10-22 on the road, the worst mark in all of baseball. "We try to figure out what it is but we havent figured it out yet," Castro said. "You go back and see those games we play good at home and we should be playing that way on the road but were not." It wasnt exactly the best way to start a 10-game road swing for Chicago, which was coming off a successful 5-1 homestand that included the teams longest winning streak in more than a year. Any momentum generated at Wrigley Field vanished on a night Morton avoided the control problems that have plagued him much of the season. The right-hander came in with a major-league high 13 hit batters while averaging nearly 2.5 walks per start. Maybe it was the extra day of rest he asked for after feeling tired following a win over San Diego last week, but Mortons wildness vanished for seven innings at least. China Jerseys NFL Authentic. He didnt walk a batter, struck out a season-high seven and needed just 82 pitches to get 21 outs. "I dont think it was great control but I got some quick outs, that helps," Morton said. "Not so many deep counts. Not as erratic, my misses were more in the zone and I got away with them." The Cubs needed a grounder deflecting off the glove of shortstop Jordy Mercer to extend the sixth inning before finally scoring on Castros long double to right. All the run did was draw Chicago within 4-1, with most of the damage done by the reigning NL MVP. Marte, who began the night 0 for his last 23, doubled home Pedro Alvarez to give the Pirates the lead in the first. McCutchen pushed it to 3-0 in the third when he patiently waited as Jackson worked him away before reaching out and sending a pitch into the first row of seats in right for his fourth homer this month. McCutchen nearly did it again two innings later, lacing a double off the wall in right to score Travis Snider and give Morton all the cushion he would need. Bothered by some bad luck early in the season, Morton lowered his ERA to 3.14. NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Neil Walker was scratched about an hour before the first pitch with abdominal pain and underwent an emergency appendectomy. The team placed Walker on the DL after the game and called up highly touted prospect OF Gregory Polanco from Triple-A Indianapolis. Polanco hit .347 with seven home runs in the minors this spring. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole threw 25 soft-toss pitches on flat ground before the game. Cole, who leads the Pirates with six victories, was placed on the DL on Sunday with what the team is calling right shoulder fatigue. ... Chicago RF Ryan Sweeney made a rehab start for Class A Kane County on Monday night. Sweeney went on the DL May 3 with a right hamstring strain. ... The series continues Tuesday. Travis Wood (5-5, 5.04 ERA) starts for the Cubs against Francisco Liriano (1-6, 4.54). Wood is 2-4 with an 8.04 ERA on the road this season. ' ' '