warum » s skid soon.Maybe weve maxed out, I dont know

CHICAGO -- Justin Ruggianos two-out, two-run double broke a tie in the seventh inning, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. Starlin Castro had two RBIs and Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored. The Cubs had dropped four of five games before the win. Denard Span went 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Nationals. Neither starter was involved in the decision. The Cubs Travis Wood gave up three runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings and was hurt most by five walks. Washingtons Doug Fister also allowed three runs on seven hits. Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez (1-1) got the win and Hector Rondon pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save. Cubs centre fielder Junior Lake had to leave in the second inning after crashing into a door in the outside wall at Wrigley Field chasing a drive by Ryan Zimmerman. The wall is not covered with ivy. The Cubs said Lake has shown no signs of a concussion and has some bruises, including one on his head. The Cubs opened the scoring with three runs in the fourth by bunching hits. Ruggianos lead-off grounder surprisingly was scored a hit when third baseman Anthony Rendon threw well wide of first. Rizzo followed with a double. Castro, who took over the team lead in RBIs on Wednesday, added to his total with a two-run single. One out later, Welington Castillo singled to drive in Castro. Washington finally pushed across a run in the sixth. Span led off with a double and Rendon immediately drove him in with a single. It appeared the lead was about to shrink further after Wood walked Jayson Werth. But Wood got Adam LaRoche to ground into a double play. Following another walk, he struck out Ian Desmond to end the inning. Wood wouldnt be so fortunate in the seventh. He started the inning with back-to-back walks and, following a sacrifice bunt, two runs scored on a double by Span to tie the score at 3. The Cubs staged their rally in the bottom of the inning and took the 5-3 lead on Ruggianos double off reliever Craig Stammen (0-3). NOTES: Nats OF Bryce Harper (torn ligament left thumb) is on a rehab assignment at Double A Harrisburg and could be activated Monday if all goes well. "When he comes back we want him to feel good at the plate, feel good in the field and have his legs underneath him full go," manager Matt Williams said. "We dont know how the next three or four days will go, but hes well on his way." . Cubs manager Rick Renteria said he wont start catcher Castillo (rib cage inflammation) every day initially now that hes back from the DL. ... The Nats activated C Wilson Ramos (strained right hamstring). . RHP Tanner Roark (7-4) faces Jason Hammel (6-5) in the second game of the four-game series. 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Patty Mills scored 15 points, Tim Duncan had 10 points and 11 rebounds in limited minutes, and San Antonio trailed for only 11 seconds late in the first quarter of a 103-90 victory over Portland on Wednesday night.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Even with Lionel Hollins gone, the Memphis Grizzlies will always be more force than finesse as long as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are around to overpower opponents.Adding Jeff Green gives them a chance to be both.Randolph had 20 points and 14 rebounds and the Grizzlies beat the slumping Brooklyn Nets 103-92 on Wednesday night in their first matchup against their former coach.It was good to beat him, honestly, Gasol said. I know how competitive he is and he knows how competitive I am.Hollins new team dropped its seventh straight since it was 16-16 after winning its first game of 2015.Theyre a very good defensive team, a very good rebounding team and thats why theyre one of the best teams in the league, Hollins said.Gasol and Courtney Lee added 18 points apiece for the Grizzlies (27-11), who began working newly acquired Green into one of the Western Conferences top teams. Green finished with 10 points in 26 1/2 minutes off the bench in his first game since his arrival from Boston.Were never going to be a small-ball team, but we do have to be able to match up small ball with all the teams in the West, Memphis coach Dave Joerger said.Mason Plumlee had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, playing without the suspended Kevin Garnett and still without the injured Deron Williams.That left Hollins without nearly enough experience against a veteran team that enjoyed its best success under him but might be on its way to even greater heights under Joerger, his former assistant.Hollins went 214-201 with the Grizzlies franchise and his last three teams made the playoffs, but he was let go after a 56-26 finish and a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2012-13 when ownership was looking for a change.It was different going against your old coach, Randolph said. Been through a lot, made history together, did stuff together in Memphis, turned the franchise around, so it was nice to see him out there.The Grizzlies are much more versatile offensively under JJoerger than Hollins rugged defensive clubs, and they got another scoring option when they acquired Green from Boston in a three-team deal with New Orleans.dddddddddddd It wasnt approved by the league until Monday, leaving Green just one workout with Memphis, so Joerger wanted to ease him in.Averaging a career-best 17.6 points, Green was 3 of 11, missing all four 3-point attempts, but sees how he can be a perfect fit in Memphis.I mean, Im surrounded by threats, the 6-foot-9 forward said. Its a great feeling to have. Coach just wants me to go out there and just play my game and just be aggressive.Garnett was suspended by the NBA for head-butting Houstons Dwight Howard on Monday, and Williams is still unsure when he will return from fractured rib cartilage. The Nets still are in playoff position in the Eastern Conference, but that may not last much longer if they cant end this skid soon.Maybe weve maxed out, I dont know, Hollins said before the game, but thats what were striving for.Lee scored 15 points in the first quarter, going 6 for 7 and making all three 3-pointers, and Memphis led by as much as 19 in the second half.TIP-INSGrizzlies: Memphis snapped a three-game road losing streak. ... The Grizzlies are 19-2 when scoring 100 points. ... Randolph is 20 rebounds from passing Pau Gasol (4,096) for the franchise lead in rebounds.Nets: Hollins held a morning shootaround Wednesday, which the Nets havent been doing for home games. They worked out at their training facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but Hollins said hed like to do it at the arena in hopes it could improve the Nets shooting at home. Just trying to think of things to help us be better, he said.THE INSIDE STORYThe Grizzlies were 3 for 17 from 3-point range — 0 for 13 not counting Lee. But with 66 points in the paint, outside shooting was secondary.Thats what we do, Randolph said. We play inside-out.UP NEXTGrizzlies: Visit Orlando on Friday night.Nets: Visit Washington on Friday night. ' ' '