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The Turning Point, a Marlton, New Jersey, brunch spot, is an homage to its state. On one wall, a canvas print trumpets Garden State cities -- Marlton! Hoboken! Manalapan! -- in block letters. On another, black-and-white photographs showcase local landmarks in sharp relief. And squirreled away in a booth in the back, the reigning FIFA Womens World Player of the Year, a New Jersey product herself, picks at a pesto infusion skillet, pondering the match that she says changed everything.Last summer Carli Lloyd scored three times in the first 16 minutes of the World Cup final against Japan, the fastest hat trick in World Cup history by a man or a woman. Now, seven months later, she recalls her third goal -- an improbable 54-yard kick from midfield -- with assuredness and bemusement.When I got the ball at midfield, I took a touch. I looked up and saw the keeper off her line. I took another touch to prep. I just hit it. As perfect as could be. When it came off my foot, I knew it was perfect.Then she laughs. It was a play that could never go right, except on the one day when nothing could go wrong.Lloyd finally stepped to the forefront of womens soccer on that afternoon in July, but here, at the Turning Point, she practically recedes into the background. She is not Serena Williams, granite sculpture of biceps and triceps. She is not Ronda Rousey, bulk and power. At 5-foot-8, her hair piled into a messy bun, and sporting an unremarkable all-black warm-up suit, she could just as easily be your fitness-conscious roommate as a World Cup Golden Ball winner. Lloyd grew up about 10 miles north in Delran, is engaged to her high school boyfriend, Brian Hollins, and still calls South Jersey home. But when the waitress swings by the table to offer refills, she does not seem to realize she is sharing the room with the best womens soccer player in the world.The thing is, Lloyd goes on, those 16 minutes were 13 years of hard, hard work.So call the prayer from midfield a happy accident if you like. Just dont call Lloyd one. She is, shell tell you, more than the sum total of those 960 seconds. And she is over being overlooked for all that came before.I have scored some big-time goals, Lloyd says, almost defiantly. Ive done well in Algarve Cups. Ive done well in World Cup and Olympic qualifiers, Olympics. In big games when were playing top-five teams. But yet you never see my face or my name out there. And it has frustrated me my entire career.It seems implausible that Lloyd, now 33, could ever fly under the radar. Since making her national team debut nearly 11 years ago, she has become the teams most prolific scoring midfielder ever, a remarkable 69 international goals coming from center mid. She has started 24 of 25 matches in the past two World Cups and two Olympics combined, and her 222 caps ranks eighth in U.S. womens national team history. And yet, after the 5-2 World Cup win over Japan, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati declared that generations of fans had a new hero in Lloyd, giving voice to the idea that her hat trick, the first in a womens final, represented a breakthrough for the veteran. Indeed, just after that long ball arced its way from midfield toward Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori, beneath the collective jubilation was a prevailing puzzlement.Finally. And then: What took her so long?THE CHASM BETWEEN Lloyds appraisal of her career pre-2015 World Cup and the referendum offered by outside observers makes the Grand Canyon look fun-size in scale. She was either the national teams most effective contributor the three years prior, or a turnover-prone, shoot-first-pass-much-much-later liability. She was its most consistent grinder, or its most inconsistent playmaker. She was clutch personified, or choker incarnate. So when Gulati dubbed Lloyd a new hero last summer, it made both perfect sense, and none whatsoever.Gulati now says that starring in a game of that magnitude would make anyone a new hero, regardless of prior work. A performance like that changes things, he says. Still, last summer was not the first time Lloyd dabbled in big-game heroics: In 2008 and 2012, she scored the Olympic gold game winners. If there was any doubt from 2008 and on, there is no doubt that from 2012 until today she has been the most impactful player on the team, says James Galanis, Lloyds longtime personal coach.Yet right up until the round of 16 in last years World Cup, when the U.S. emerged with a 2-0 victory over Colombia, there was a small but insistent call for Lloyds outright removal from the starting 11. There were some analysts, co-analysts of mine in the studio, saying that she should be benched in the World Cup, says former USWNT coach Tony DiCicco, now a broadcaster for Fox Sports. In fairness, in all the ways Lloyd was transcendent in the knockout round -- she scored six of the teams 10 goals in those four matches -- she was pedestrian in the group stage. She would come on, and explode, only when midfielder Lauren Holidays yellow-card suspension gave way to Morgan Brians insertion into the lineup, moving Lloyd back up to her natural attacking position. Lloyds tournament was a microcosm of the ways she has both dazzled and confounded for years.Carli ... shes an interesting player, DiCicco says. [A few years ago] there would be moments of greatness surrounded by mediocrity. Shed make errant pass after errant pass. Shed force shots instead of slipping the ball through. Then shed have a moment of greatness again, he continues, and youd say, Mmm, theres some genius in this player.So is the question what took her so long? Or what took everyone else so long? For Lloyd, the answer is simple: She is not a late bloomer. She is a casualty of late-blooming recognition. Way late, in her words.Im not going to go and pose for a swimsuit edition because thatll just ruin my reputation right off the bat, Lloyd says, picking up steam. So I guess what Im getting at is, you know, its just really been about how many jerseys they can sell. Ive kept to myself, Ive put my head down, Ive gone to work. And I have felt undervalued.She doesnt utter Alex Morgan by name, but the reference feels like an unspoken presence. Despite logging 13,943 minutes in international play before 2015, it took the World Cup for Lloyd to land a rash of big sponsorships -- Comcast, United Airlines, EA Sports, Whole Foods. The 26-year-old Morgan, by contrast, skyrocketed to fame, scoring more goals (41) in her first three years than any other U.S. player, landing knee-deep in endorsements almost immediately and posing for Sports Illustrateds swimsuit issue twice. Its funny to me, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo says. People dont always turn their heads, because shes not in swimsuits and shes not posting on social media. But, you know, people should have known about Carli for a lot longer than 2015 and beyond.In some ways, her fame was a product of her circumstances. She shared the field with scene-stealers in now-retired Abby Wambach, then Morgan, and for a long spell, both. Even her prowess in back-to-back Olympics had a short shelf life. She scored two winning goals in the Olympics; those were terrific goals, two gold medals, but it didnt resonate in the same way as this World Cup did, Gulati says. The Olympics are different because its a multisport event, so youre not the only one onstage, so to speak.But what one person sees as circumstances, another can see as oversight. Lloyd would look up at the JumboTron to see a promotion for an upcoming game but would never see a photo of herself as the selling point. And one source close to the U.S. team recalls going to the federations online store before the 2015 Womens World Cup to look for a Carli Lloyd jersey, only to find noncustom options limited to Wambach, Morgan and Sydney Leroux. Even within our own federation, she hasnt been pushed to the forefront, the source says. That says a lot in terms of what we valued.Says Galanis: Shes been a hero over and over again. But U.S. Soccer has failed to recognize that. Over and over again.BEFORE SHE WAS overlooked, Lloyd was discarded. In March 2003, still a junior at Rutgers University, she sat across the table from her U21 WNT coach, Chris Petrucelli, in a hotel conference room in Carson, California. He told her that, yes, she could strike the ball better than anyone, but she showed little interest in defending. Her fitness level was subpar. And there were times in games when she seemed to disappear.She had been cut.Lloyd retreated home to Delran certain that besides her upcoming senior year at Rutgers, soccer was in her rearview mirror. Then her father found James Galanis.A native of Preston, Australia, Galanis sports a chin-length mop of hair and thick-framed glasses that make him look more laid-back Aussie surfer than hard-nosed trainer. But he has created a name for himself in the New Jersey soccer scene, starting a private coaching practice in nearby Lumberton, and had trained Lloyds younger brothers soccer team. My daughter needs you. Shes on the brink of quitting, her father told Galanis. Can you help her?Before taking her on, he evaluated her mentally and physically and came to two conclusions: First, Carli Lloyd could be the best soccer player in the world. And second, at 21 years old, she needed to start over.Lloyds movements on the field were thoughtless. Shed plant her foot at an angle when passing; that foot needed to stay straight. Shed strike the ball and her leg would cross over her body; it needed to follow through in a line. A million minuscule gaffes, when taken together, amounted to a crisis. So Galanis broke down and refined and re-refined her mechanics. Its a dance, he says, and Lloyd did not yet know the steps.As they wiped her slate clean, Galanis devised an outline for Lloyds career. Three phases, four years apiece. Phase one: Get her foot in the door. Prove that she belonged not just on the U21 WNT -- she earned back her spot before the Nordic Cup that July -- but also on the senior team. On a field in Beijing in 2008, she did just that, scoring the U.S.s lone goal in its Olympic gold medal match against Brazil. Phase two: Make herself indispensable to the team. Become a starter. An impact player. She completed that too, accounting for both goals in a 2-1 Olympic gold medal victory over Japan in London in 2012. Phase three: Take over and finish. Become the best player in the world. The culmination of this final phase, and her career, they circled in red for August: Rio 2016.There were, of course, setbacks. High-profile collapses -- a penalty kick that sailed over the crossbar in the 2011 Womens World Cup final. Unforeseen complications -- a demotion to the bench to start the 2012 Olympics after that blown PK and erratic play throughout the World Cup tournament. Up-and-down relationships with coaches -- Pia Sundhage, reminiscing last summer on her time as the national team coach from 2008 to 2012, called Lloyd a challenge to coach. Her appetite for taking risks was both the best thing and hardest thing, Sundhage says now.Still, for a player accustomed to feeling ignored, her greatest accomplishment might be the most overlooked of all: She achieved the goal of phase three one year ahead of time, Galanis says. Enter a new, and final, quest. Phase four: Become the best player of all time. Target date, 2020.In that time, she has three major tournaments in which to make her case: Rio this summer, the 2019 World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics a year later. If she impacts each, if she is the margin of victory for the U.S. like she was in 2008, 2012 and again last year, Galanis says that is enough for her to lay claim to best ever. I want to be known as the best center midfielder that has ever played this game, Lloyd says.This fourth phase, of course, was made possible only because she sped up Galanis original time frame. So what took so long? The question is inherently flawed in Lloyds eyes. She wasnt late, or even right on time. She was a damn year early.ON A LONG stretch of Hainesport Mount Laurel Road in early April, Lloyd is lost in her music. Shes midway through her 50-minute run when she starts to visualize the Rio Olympics. First she sees the national team falling behind by two goals in the final. Then she envisions scoring four to spark a comeback.And that was it, she says with a shrug. We walked away with another gold medal.Lloyd does this often, playing out in her mind how she expects her performances to transpire. Its unbelievable how much the mind is so, so important, she says. Its part self-therapy, part Lloyd against the world, a trope she returns to often.Lloyd does more than just feed off slights, real or imagined. She seeks them out. (Witness: Her memoir, coming out in the fall, is titled When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to Soccers Summit.) She trains like a rec player because she wants to feel more than uncomfortable, she wants to feel broken. Ten days after spraining her MCL in April, she Instagrams a photo of herself, head down, knee wrapped in ice, with a caption superimposed: Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. She can at once be relentlessly certain of her status in the game and consumed by how that status has been marketed to the masses.Its a preoccupation that seems to gnaw less at several others in her position. Mia Hamm was U.S. Soccers unquestioned ambassador for years but insists assuming that role was not on her radar. Its not like we all got into a room and said, Hey, Mia, this is what we want to do and we want you to be the face of it, says Hamm, who played for the U.S. from 1987 to 2004. I just focused on playing. Even former U.S. striker Michelle Akers, whom Galanis sees as Lloyds kindred underappreciated spirit, either did not realize she was snubbed in her 15-year tenure or chose not to focus on it. Ive had people say that to me, and they were mad about it. About, you know, other players getting a lot more recognition and that I had more success on the field, Akers says. But who cares?Lloyd cares. And so perhaps the question of whether she has gone underappreciated is less vital than the fact that she needs to believe that to be so. The notion of disrespect both weighs on Lloyd and propels her forward. You know, I feel like if that spotlight had gone to Carli years ago, I dont think we would have seen the performance that we did last summer, says U.S. coach Jill Ellis. I really feel that way.Untangle the knot of motivation that drives her and the unraveling will inevitably lead back here. On March 30, five of the national teams biggest stars, Lloyd among them, filed a wage-discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against U.S. Soccer. Lloyd, Solo, Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn lent their names to the complaint, demanding equal pay for equal play. Two days later, the women explained to espnW what they hoped to achieve by taking action.Equality, Solo said. Equal pay, echoed Sauerbrunn. The dream is, of course, equality, Morgan reiterated. Respect, Lloyd said.A SWARM OF fans -- 75, then 100, then 125 -- packs the tunnel beneath Section 101 in Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania. A father wearing a blue Carli Lloyd jersey, No. 10, hoists his daughter a little higher, hoping to give her a better view. Another, in a red Adidas jacket, yells at his own daughter, stationed some 20 feet away, Yo, Liss! Get loud! He wants her to get an autograph. Children are screaming, but so are grown men and women, and at the epicenter of all this mayhem is Lloyd, walking toward the sea of manic red, white and blue.The U.S. has just dispatched Colombia, and its a homecoming of sorts for Lloyd, with Delran just 30 miles away. Some 100 of her friends and family came out on this mid-April afternoon, and when she tries to visit her cheering section, the fans take notice, and it quickly escalates into an all-out event.Liss! Shes coming over! Get louder! She wont hear you! father No. 2 yells.Its a lovefest, theres no other name for it, and Lloyd takes in the moment, signing jerseys, magazine covers, even cleats.Liss thrusts her soccer ball and a pen in Lloyds direction. There she is!Carli Lloyd is on her way.And that was it, she says with a shrug. We walked away with another gold medal.Lloyd does this often, playing out in her mind how she expects her performances to transpire. Its unbelievable how much the mind is so, so important, she says. Its part self-therapy, part Lloyd against the world, a trope she returns to often.Lloyd does more than just feed off slights, real or imagined. She seeks them out. (Witness: Her memoir, coming out in the fall, is titled When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to Soccers Summit.) She trains like a rec player because she wants to feel more than uncomfortable, she wants to feel broken. Ten days after spraining her MCL in April, she Instagrams a photo of herself, head down, knee wrapped in ice, with a caption superimposed: Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. She can at once be relentlessly certain of her status in the game and consumed by how that status has been marketed to the masses.Its a preoccupation that seems to gnaw less at several others in her position. Mia Hamm was U.S. Soccers unquestioned ambassador for years but insists assuming that role was not on her radar. Its not like we all got into a room and said, Hey, Mia, this is what we want to do and we want you to be the face of it, says Hamm, who played for the U.S. from 1987 to 2004. I just focused on playing. Even former U.S. striker Michelle Akers, whom Galanis sees as Lloyds kindred underappreciated spirit, either did not realize she was snubbed in her 15-year tenure or chose not to focus on it. Ive had people say that to me, and they were mad about it. About, you know, other players getting a lot more recognition and that I had more success on the field, Akers says. But who cares?Lloyd cares. And so perhaps the question of whether she has gone underappreciated is less vital than the fact that she needs to believe that to be so. The notion of disrespect both weighs on Lloyd and propels her forward. You know, I feel like if that spotlight had gone to Carli years ago, I dont think we would have seen the performance that we did last summer, says U.S. coach Jill Ellis. I really feel that way.And that was it, she says with a shrug. We walked away with another gold medal.Lloyd does this often, playing out in her mind how she expects her performances to transpire. Its unbelievable how much the mind is so, so important, she says. Its part self-therapy, part Lloyd against the world, a trope she returns to often.Lloyd does more than just feed off slights, real or imagined. She seeks them out. (Witness: Her memoir, coming out in the fall, is titled When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to Soccers Summit.) She trains like a rec player because she wants to feel more than uncomfortable, she wants to feel broken. Ten days after spraining her MCL in April, she Instagrams a photo of herself, head down, knee wrapped in ice, with a caption superimposed: Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. She can at once be relentlessly certain of her status in the game and consumed by how that status has been marketed to the masses.Its a preoccupation that seems to gnaw less at several others in her position. Mia Hamm was U.S. Soccers unquestioned ambassador for years but insists assuming that role was not on her radar. Its not like we all got into a room and said, Hey, Mia, this is what we want to do and we want you to be the face of it, says Hamm, who played for the U.S. from 1987 to 2004. I just focused on playing. Even former U.S. striker Michelle Akers, whom Galanis sees as Lloyds kindred underappreciated spirit, either did not realize she was snubbed in her 15-year tenure or chose not to focus on it. Ive had people say that to me, and they were mad about it. About, you know, other players getting a lot more recognition and that I had more success on the field, Akers says. But who cares?Lloyd cares. And so perhaps the question of whether she has gone underappreciated is less vital than the fact that she needs to believe that to be so. The notion of disrespect both weighs on Lloyd and propels her forward. You know, I feel like if that spotlight had gone to Carli years ago, I dont think we would have seen the performance that we did last summer, says U.S. coach Jill Ellis. I really feel that way.When I got the ball at midfield, I took a touch. I looked up and saw the keeper off her line. I took another touch to prep. I just hit it. As perfect as could be. When it came off my foot, I knew it was perfect.Then she laughs. It was a play that could never go right, except on the one day when nothing could go wrong.Lloyd finally stepped to the forefront of womens soccer on that afternoon in July, but here, at the Turning Point, she practically recedes into the background. She is not Serena Williams, granite sculpture of biceps and triceps. She is not Ronda Rousey, bulk and power. At 5-foot-8, her hair piled into a messy bun, and sporting an unremarkable all-black warm-up suit, she could just as easily be your fitness-conscious roommate as a World Cup Golden Ball winner. Lloyd grew up about 10 miles north in Delran, is engaged to her high school boyfriend, Brian Hollins, and still calls South Jersey home. But when the waitress swings by the table to offer refills, she does not seem to realize she is sharing the room with the best womens soccer player in the world.The thing is, Lloyd goes on, those 16 minutes were 13 years of hard, hard work.And that was it, she says with a shrug. We walked away with another gold medal.Lloyd does this often, playing out in her mind how she expects her performances to transpire. Its unbelievable how much the mind is so, so important, she says. Its part self-therapy, part Lloyd against the world, a trope she returns to often.Lloyd does more than just feed off slights, real or imagined. She seeks them out. (Witness: Her memoir, coming out in the fall, is titled When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to Soccers Summit.) She trains like a rec player because she wants to feel more than uncomfortable, she wants to feel broken. Ten days after spraining her MCL in April, she Instagrams a photo of herself, head down, knee wrapped in ice, with a caption superimposed: Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. She can at once be relentlessly certain of her status in the game and consumed by how that status has been marketed to the masses.Its a preoccupation that seems to gnaw less at several others in her position. Mia Hamm was U.S. Soccers unquestioned ambassador for years but insists assuming that role was not on her radar. Its not like we all got into a room and said, Hey, Mia, this is what we want to do and we want you to be the face of it, says Hamm, who played for the U.S. from 1987 to 2004. I just focused on playing. Even former U.S. striker Michelle Akers, whom Galanis sees as Lloyds kindred underappreciated spirit, either did not realize she was snubbed in her 15-year tenure or chose not to focus on it. Ive had people say that to me, and they were mad about it. About, you know, other players getting a lot more recognition and that I had more success on the field, Akers says. But who cares?Lloyd cares. And so perhaps the question of whether she has gone underappreciated is less vital than the fact that she needs to believe that to be so. The notion of disrespect both weighs on Lloyd and propels her forward. You know, I feel like if that spotlight had gone to Carli years ago, I dont think we would have seen the performance that we did last summer, says U.S. coach Jill Ellis. I really feel that way.When I got the ball at midfield, I took a touch. I looked up and saw the keeper off her line. I took another touch to prep. I just hit it. As perfect as could be. When it came off my foot, I knew it was perfect.Then she laughs. It was a play that could never go right, except on the one day when nothing could go wrong.Lloyd finally stepped to the forefront of womens soccer on that afternoon in July, but here, at the Turning Point, she practically recedes into the background. She is not Serena Williams, granite sculpture of biceps and triceps. She is not Ronda Rousey, bulk and power. At 5-foot-8, her hair piled into a messy bun, and sporting an unremarkable all-black warm-up suit, she could just as easily be your fitness-conscious roommate as a World Cup Golden Ball winner. Lloyd grew up about 10 miles north in Delran, is engaged to her high school boyfriend, Brian Hollins, and still calls South Jersey home. But when the waitress swings by the table to offer refills, she does not seem to realize she is sharing the room with the best womens soccer player in the world.The thing is, Lloyd goes on, those 16 minutes were 13 years of hard, hard work.Hallie GrossmanGrossman is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine.join the conversation follow @HallieGeeGeefollow @ESPNJoe Namath through the years 00 of Lerentee McCray Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Wells Jersey .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.cheapjaguarsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-michael-hughes-jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. James Onwualu Jersey . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Leon Jacobs Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. PITTSBURGH -- Dan Straily knew before he went to work on Tuesday night his next start wouldnt be in the majors. The All-Star break and a quirk in the Oakland Athletics schedule means the AL West leaders wont need a fifth starter for a couple of weeks. Before hopping a plane for Triple-A Sacramento, the rookie right-hander left a little something to remember him by. Straily (6-2) allowed two hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out seven and walking three to win his fifth straight decision. "I could have thrown a perfect game and I was going to get optioned out," Straily said. "Its nothing personal. Its the situation were in. It is what it is." The As called up right-hander Sonny Gray to take Strailys spot, hoping the 2011 first-round draft pick can get some work out of the bullpen over the next couple of weeks. That apparently wasnt an option for Straily. Oakland manager Bob Melvin called having someone at the back end of the rotation with Strailys talent a "luxury," one the team can apparently live without until later in the month. "Thats the life of a fifth starter," Melvin said. Even if Straily isnt exactly pitching like one at the moment for the As, who have won 10 of 13. He tossed seven shutout innings in a victory over the Chicago Cubs in his previous start, then backed it up by silencing the quickly cooling Pirates. Straily credited a much-improved curveball for keeping the Pirates off balance. "(Pitching coach) Curt (Young) said in passing in my last bullpen that he thought my curve was good and that I should use it more in games," Straily said. "Its something Ive worked on a lot and youre always trying to get better, but last year I put the curve on the shelf because I was working on the changeup so much." Straily threw just one changeup against the Pirates, and Pedro Alvarez sent it 448 feet to centre in the second for Pittsburghs lone run. "I didnt throw another one after that, so the curveball gave me a third option," Straily said. Grant Balfour worked the ninth to remain perfect in 24 save chances this season. Brandon Moss slammed a two-run homer in the fourth off Gerrit Cole (4-2) to supply all the offence Oakland required. Moss spent parts of three seasons with the Pirates between 2008-10, with Pittsburgh hoping his raw left-handed power would help him pound balls off -- or over -- the Clemente Wall in right field. It never really happened. Moss hit all of 13 homers in 195 games for the Pirates before eventually making his way to Oakland, wwhere hes become a key cog in one of baseballs biggest surprises.dddddddddddd Moss provided a glimpse of what could have been in Pittsburgh in the fourth when Cole wobbled for the briefest of moments. The right-hander had retired nine straight when John Jaso doubled with two outs. Moss followed with his 16th home run of the season, though he hardly viewed it as some sort of revenge. "I had a lot of opportunities here and I didnt do anything with them," Moss said. "Its my fault that Im not here anymore." Pittsburgh had hoped to break loose against Straily, who has struggled starting on four days rest during his brief major league career. Straily came in 0-3 with a 7.16 ERA when not given at least five days between starts. Yet he had no issues dealing with Pittsburghs suddenly punchless offence. The Pirates have scored just six runs during a 2-6 slump that has dropped them behind first-place St. Louis in the heated NL Central race. Alvarez provided Pittsburghs lone run with his drive to the bushes in centre leading off the second. The home run made him the third player in team history to reach 23 homers before the All-Star break, joining Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell. The Pirates didnt get a runner to third base over the final six innings. Their best chance to tie the game came in the seventh when Alvarez led off with a walk and moved to second on Russell Martins sacrifice bunt. Oakland reliever Sean Doolittle replaced Straily and struck out pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez before getting Jordy Mercer to pop up to first. Jose Tabata led off the ninth with a single off Balfour, but Andrew McCutchen and Alvarez struck out before Martin grounded out meekly to first as Balfour extended his club record for consecutive save chances converted to 42, dating to last season. NOTES: The start of the game was pushed back due to the potential of inclement weather. While lightning flashed several times during the 1:42 delay, it never actually rained. ... Oakland LF Yoenis Cespedes was selected to the American League team for the Home Run Derby next Monday night in New York. Cespedes, who has 15 home runs this season, is the first As player to be chosen for the Home Run Derby since Jason Giambi in 2001. ... McCutchen went 0 for 3, ending his 10-game hitting streak. ..icmlb.com/]Wholesale Baseball Jerseys[/url] ' ' '