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SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Rory McIlroy took stock of his game and the shots required at Baltusrol and reached a most logical conclusion Tuesday. He believes the PGA Championship will be his best chance this year to win a major.He overlooked the obvious. It now is his only chance this year to win a major.McIlroy is not alone.Except for the three players who have achieved the ultimate in golf this year by winning majors -- Danny Willett at the Masters, Dustin Johnson at the U.S. Open and Henrik Stenson at the British Open -- the PGA Championship is all they have left.The focus starts with McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day. They began the year as the modern version of the Big Three because they had captured five of the previous six majors and took turns at No. 1 in the world ranking.But they have come up empty in the majors -- so far.Spieth is feeling it as much as anyone, mainly because he nearly won them all a year ago with a major performance that ranked among the best ever. So when a question was posed to him Tuesday that expecting 20 more years like that would probably be a tough benchmark, Spieth leaned toward the microphone and interrupted.Probably? he said.Even with two victories and a chance at the Masters that he threw away with one bad swing at the wrong time, he has been noticeable in the last two majors by his absence from the leaderboard. Spieth, who turns 23 on Wednesday, had contended in five straight majors. He finished 13 shots behind in the U.S. Open and 22 shots behind at the British Open.I set my own expectations so high, Spieth said. So have I met them this year? Not yet.He still can.So can Day, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. Stensons victory at Royal Troon surely gave hope to players who have yet to win a major, from Sergio Garcia to Lee Westwood, from Rickie Fowler to Matt Kuchar.Baltusrol was soaked with nearly 2 inches of rain overnight, though the Lower Course was in remarkably good shape for a full day of practice on Tuesday in sweltering conditions that only add to the pressure of players trying to break through.McIlroy was especially optimistic given the length of Baltusrol, exceptionally long (7,462 yards) for a par 70 that doesnt have a par 5 until the final two holes. He is among the top power players in the game, and his driving is aesthetically beautiful because of his balance.That wasnt lost on McIlroy as he blasted a 345-yard drive off the first tee in the Long Drive Competition and made his way around the course. He looks ready to go, and he will find out Thursday what kind of traction he has.McIlroy was asked to describe his season in one word, and after some thought, settled on neutral.Thats another way of saying he has been spinning his wheels.I feel theres been times where I got a little bit of momentum, and then sort of got set back a little bit, he said. Its been a little stop-start in a way. But its hard. Im trying to stay as positive as I can. I feel like I am positive because my game is in good shape. But I guess just maybe running out of patience a little bit and trying to make it happen.I dont know if theres one word to describe this year, he said. But I think you get a sense of how Ive felt about the year and trying to get better and trying to get my name in the mix, and hopefully I can do that this week.His record in the PGA Championship is in his favor. McIlroy has won the Wanamaker Trophy twice in the last four years, and he has three other finishes in the top 10. Even though he grew up in Northern Ireland, the American brand of golf suits him best. Baltusrol is big, and likely will be soft with the overnight rain, the steamy heat and the threat of thunderstorms.McIlroy won the Irish Open before a home crowd this year. That was a big deal. He still has the FedEx Cup playoffs, which he has never won, and the Race to Dubai to complete the European Tour season. He struggled again when asked for a grade to his season, settling on better than a B.I could change that into an A-plus on Sunday, he said. Theres a lot of golf left, last major of the year. I want to give it my all to get in the mix and try to win another one of these things before I have to wait another eight months. Clayton Geathers Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Billy Brown Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. http://www.cheapcoltsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-carroll-phillips-jersey . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Grover Stewart Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Reggie Wayne Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. NEW YORK -- The big-name Boston Red Sox got a lift from their unheralded Venezuelan battery to win their season-high sixth straight game.Sandy Leon homered and drove in four runs, Eduardo Rodriguez again dominated the Yankees in his return from Triple-A, and Boston beat New York 5-2 on Saturday.Leon hit his second homer this season and the third of his career in the sixth inning -- a three-run shot off CC Sabathia for a 5-1 lead. The catcher has 13 RBI in 20 games this year after compiling only eight in 75 career games before that. Hes hitting .458 through 59 at-bats this season.He looks different now, Rodriguez said. He hits the ball everywhere.Leon also helped his countryman hold New York to a run and four hits over seven innings after the Red Sox recalled the left-hander from the minors Friday. Rodriguez (2-3) improved to 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA against Bostons archrival.Rodriguez opened the season on the disabled list with a knee injury, then posted an 8.59 ERA in six starts before being demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. Boston believed Rodriguez was telegraphing his pitches and had him adjust his delivery during two starts -- one shortened by rain -- in the minors.Now, Im not thinking about the tipping stuff, Rodriguez said. I just throw the ball right where I want it.Rodriguez threw 97 pitches Saturday, working quickly against New Yorks veteran-heavy lineup. Rodriguez had previously struggled throwing to Leon, posting an 8.03 ERA in five starts, but the duo cruised early on a steady diet of fastballs and sliders.His seven innings today is potentially a major shot in the arm for our rotation, manager John Farrell said. But it was just good to see, the struggles that hes gone through, to come back after 1 1/2 starts and pitch like he did here today.Sabathia (5-7) allowed five runs, four earned, in 5 1/3 innings, giving up five or more runs for the fifth straight start. Boston chipped away at the big lefty by reaching base mostly on soft, well-placed contact and a couple of New York errors until Leons homer.I felt good, Sabathia said. Just the result is not coming.Koji Uehara closed for his sixth save.Leon added an RBI single in the fourth. His hot hitting has been timely for Boston, which has had catchers Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list this season. The 27-year-oold went into the All-Star break batting .dddddddddddd455 (25 for 55), the highest first-half average ever in the majors, with a minimum of 50 at-bats.Playing almost like four times a week, I think thats helped, Leon said.Jackie Bradley Jr. tied a season high with three hits, and Bostons 6-through-9 hitters went 7 for 16 while 1-through-5 went 3 for 21. That helped the Red Sox win their eighth in nine games and 10th in the past 13.The difference between us and potentially some other teams is the production we get out of that bottom third, Farrell said.Brett Gardner ended a stretch of 180 homerless at-bats when he lined a solo shot into the Yankees bullpen in the third. It was his first homer since May 18 and sixth of the season.Chase Headley hit a solo homer in the eighth for the Yankees against Matt Barnes.BUCHHOLZ TO THE BULLPENClay Buchholz has been moved to the Boston bullpen to clear space in the rotation for newly acquired All-Star Drew Pomeranz. The Red Sox hope to keep Buchholz stretched out with multiple-inning outings and possibly a simulated game next week. The 10-year Boston veteran is 3-9 with a 5.91 ERA in 18 appearances this season, including 13 starts.The Red Sox also expect to activate Junichi Tazawa from the disabled list Tuesday and bring up Joe Kelly from Pawtucket soon. Relief pitcher William Cuevas was sent to Triple-A to make room for Pomeranz, but Farrell said before Saturdays game that the team has yet to decide how to make room for the other arms.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: Boston will activate Pomeranz on Sunday after acquiring the left-hander from San Diego in a trade Thursday. Pomeranz was expected to meet the Red Sox in New York on Saturday night and is slated to make his first start on Wednesday against San Francisco at Fenway Park.UP NEXTDavid Price (9-6, 4.34 ERA) pitches for Boston on Sunday night a