PITTSBURGH -- Jake Arrieta, last seasons NL Cy Young Award winner, goes into his final start of the regular season Wednesday night with a 2.85 ERA that would be the best of any starter on 26 other teams.With the Chicago Cubs -- owners of baseballs best record for the first time since 1945 -- he ranks only third behind Kyle Hendricks (1.99) and Jon Lester (2.28).Against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team Arrieta defeated in last seasons NL wild card game, he has certainly been the Cubs ace -- going 9-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 14 starts. The most memorable, of course, came when he threw eight shutout innings as the Cubs eliminated the Pirates from the postseason, 4-0, on Oct. 7, 2015.The atmosphere inside PNC Park wont be nearly as electric Wednesday night, when Arrieta (18-7) attempts to take a strong finish to the season into the postseason against the Pirates (77-80), who wont reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012.Arrieta is coming off one of his best starts of the season: seven scoreless innings, with 10 strikeouts and five hits allowed, in the Cubs 5-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.I dont need anything to convince me I can sustain this, said Arrieta, who, despite being the NLs best pitcher in 2015, figures to start the postseason behind Lester and Hendricks in the Cubs rotation.That figures to put him on the road for his first postseason start, which probably wouldnt be a bad idea given his 11-2 record and 3.11 ERA in 14 road starts this season.The Pirates dont need any convincing of how good Arrieta is, even if he hasnt been able to sustain the 1.46 ERA he had in his first 12 starts against them. In his last two starts against Pittsburgh, Arrieta is 0-1 while allowing six runs in each game.Pittsburgh starts rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon (4-4), who began the season in the minors but might end it as their top starter. The 24-year-old Taillon has a 3.00 ERA in 10 career starts at PNC Park and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 17 starts to date.In his most recent start, Taillon gave up three runs in five innings but didnt get the decision as the Pirates came back to beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Friday. He gave up three runs and four extra-base hits in the second inning, the only inning in which he allowed any scoring.Thats a really good lineup, Taillon said of the NL East champion Nationals.Hell face another really good lineup in the Cubs (101-56), who are doing little more than counting down to October -- they have five games remaining, two in Pittsburgh and three in Cincinnati. Their first 100-win season since 1945 is partly a byproduct of their uncharacteristic domination of the Pirates.The Cubs 101 wins, including seven in their last eight games, are the franchises most since the 1910 team won 104. Of those 101 wins, 14 are against the Pirates.Their record speaks for itself, Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer said. Its pretty evident theyre one of the top teams in baseball and theyve got a chance to make a run at it. Soccer Jerseys Ireland Outlet . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. Stitched Soccer Jerseys Ireland . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. 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OAKLAND, Calif. -- A towel over his head in the waning moments and Kevin Durants spectacular, statement-making night in the books at last, he could finally breathe and briefly forget the constant chatter about his departure from Oklahoma City.It came from everywhere. It came for months. A matchup -- and rematch -- circled from the moment he joined the Golden State Warriors way back in July. KDs big decision that left a fan base and a franchise feeling scorned.Durant got the last word in the first reunion against Russell Westbrook and his old Thunder teammates, going off for 39 points and matching his career high with seven 3-pointers in Golden States 122-96 dismantling of previously unbeaten OKC on Thursday night in a rematch of the thrilling seven-game Western Conference Finals .I dont want to say any part was strange. Ive moved on, Durant said. Im part of the Golden State Warriors. Im excited to be part of this team. What I did those last eight years was special and something Im never going to forget, but Im trying to look forward. I just try to separate those emotions and feelings and also try to do my job.That meant no greetings at tipoff or pregame pleasantries needed between KD and old pal Russ.Nah. Theres no love lost between these superstars who went their separate ways after their summer ended empty-handed -- having squandered a 3-1 lead in the West Finals to Durants new team.When I go on the court, I dont talk to anybody but my teammates, Westbrook said afterward. He had reason to be a little grumpy: His rough 20-point outing on 4-for-15 shooting dropped him from the NBAs leading scorer, with a 38.7 average coming into the night, to second at 34.2.Westbrook showed up at Oracle Arena donning a bright orange Official Photographer vest, and left wearing it, too. It was quickly pointed out that photography is one of Durants off-the-court passions.Theres no particular reason, theres no story behind it, its just because I wanted to wear it, Westbrook said. I dont wear anything for nobody. I wear what I want to wear, when I want to wear it.That vest came all the way from Madrid.With the hype surrounding a testy reunion, this rivalry might be here for thee long haul.ddddddddddddSubplots like this dont just go away, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.How could it?Durant left OKC for the Bay Area and a chance to play alongside two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, while Westbrook stayed put as the Thunders night-in, night-out star.The decision he made was in July, so weve all here had to move past it, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.It didnt take Durant long to get going, and when he did he was unstoppable. He finished 15 of 24 from the field, including 7 of 11 from behind the arc.He came out confident so that first shot went in and it was off to the races from there, Curry said. It was definitely fun. We knew how much it meant for him to just get out there and play with all the noise around the game.Durant knocked down a 28-foot 3-pointer on Golden States initial possession, back-to-back jumpers late in the first before a reverse lay-in and three-point play in which he breezed by Jerami Grant and let some words fly. Grant had dunked on him earlier , after all.When you get dunked on like that, as a competitor out there you want to come back and try to make a play and try to ignite your team, Durant said. He ignited his team with that dunk. I was just trying to do the same throughout the whole game.Durant hit Golden States final four field goals of the first quarter with a late 3 as the Warriors got within 32-31. He finished with his third 30-point performance and the Warriors fourth straight victory since they lost 129-100 to the Spurs in KDs debut Oct. 25.Even Kerr was about as fired up as he gets on the bench, hit with a technical in the first when a foul wasnt called on a Curry 3-point attempt -- he got mauled, Kerr said afterward. Assistant coach Mike Brown had to hold him back.Little needed to be said to Durant on this night.We knew that was a huge game for him. He wanted to win that game and if you dont want to win that game, Im questioning what kind of competitor you are, Green said. We wanted to rally around him and make sure we got that done. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '