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NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Indians have held sole possession of first place in the American League Central for nearly two months.Suddenly, their lead does not seem as secure.The Indians look to maintain their advantage and possibly add to it Friday night when they open a three-game series with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.Cleveland has held a share of first place for the past 54 days and 63 days overall. The Indians took sole possession of the lead June 17 and won 21 of 29 games to take a 7 1/2-game lead on three occasions.The most recent instance was July 20, but since an 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals, the Indians have dropped six of 11 at the same time the Detroit Tigers went on their biggest run of the season.Cleveland is up by three games over Detroit after favorable results Thursday. The Indians averted a four-game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins by scoring a 9-2 victory as Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered.That helps, because we got beat around the ballpark for the last three days, Indians manager Terry Francona said.At the same time as Cleveland getting its first lead in 27 innings, the Tigers had an eight-game winning streak snapped with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.Even so, the Tigers are in striking distance with one-third of the season remaining.Theres no point in rushing, Lindor said. There are a lot of games left.The Yankees (54-54) have lost six of eight games since starting the second half with eight wins in their first 12 games. New York was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position Thursday during a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets, marking the 43rd time the Yankees scored two runs or fewer.The Yankees are at .500 for the 11th time in the past two months.I know with the trades and everything that has happened, the outlook is a little different, Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. But were going to play hard and grind every day. Were not giving up.Alex Rodriguez has not started in 10 of New Yorks past 11 games, and the Yankees are unsure when his next start will be.I cant really tell you when Im going to play him, manager Joe Girardi said.Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira sat out Thursday after getting hit in the left shin Wednesday by a pitch from Mets left-hander Steven Matz. He is day-to-day.Gary Sanchez has occupied the designated hitter spot the past two games, and the Yankees plan on playing him close to every day for the rest of the season as a DH or the catcher.Cleveland will start Josh Tomlin and, he will go for his team-leading 12th win, which would equal the career high he set during the 2011 season. Tomlin (11-3, 3.43 ERA) has split his last four starts, and he allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings Saturday during a 6-3 win over the Oakland As.Tomlin did not pitch when the Indians lost three of four to the Yankees three weeks ago. He is 3-2 with a 4.82 ERA in seven career appearances against the Yankees, including Aug. 20, 2015, when he allowed a run and two hits over seven innings in a 3-2 win at New York.That victory was Tomlins first after having shoulder surgery. Over 29 starts the past two years, he is 18-5 with a 3.28 ERA.Michael Pineda will start for the Yankees, looking to improve upon a 5-10 record and a 5.13 ERA. Pineda is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break, and they have been typical of his inconsistency.In his two wins, Pineda has allowed one run and 10 hits with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings. In his two losses, Pineda has allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in 11 innings.Pineda has never faced the Indians.While the Yankees took three of four July 7-10 in Cleveland, the Indians have won five of their past seven games at Yankee Stadium.In the early-July series, Lindor was 7-for-19 (.368) with two home runs. Stitched Phillies Jerseys . 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. Cheap Phillies Jerseys .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/ . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Phillies Jerseys China . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Philadelphia Phillies Store . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Tom Pernice Jr. won the first playoff event in PGA Tour Champions history, beating Colin Montgomerie by a stroke Sunday at Sherwood in the PowerShares QQQ Championship.The 57-year-old Pernice closed with a 2-under 70 in breezy and rainy conditions, breaking a tie for the lead with Montgomerie with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 14th and adding a 15-footer on the par-3 15th.I hit two beautiful irons, Pernice said. I hit a beautiful 7-iron on 15 and it just worked out perfect. And then I couldnt have drawn it up any better, I just cut a 6-iron back against the wind beautifully on 15 and man, it turned out beautiful.Pernice bogeyed the par-3 17th and two-putted for par from 15 feet on the par-4 18th.I kind of got a little careless there at 17, Pernice said. Made it a little interesting.The former UCLA player overcame a bogey-double bogey start Friday to win for the fifth time on the 50-and-over tour, ending a drought that stretched to the 2014 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The two-time PGA Tour winner had a 13-under 203 total. He had a 69 on Friday, and shot 64 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Brandt Jobe.To be able to come back and shoot 13 to win was very special, Pernice said.Montgomerie parred the final five holes for a 70. The 53-year-old Scot won a month ago in British Columbia for his fourth tour title.Especially the start it got very breezy, Montgomerie said. First nine was very, very difficult. Just miserable.Pernice had a different take on the conditions.Whenever you get a little moisture in southern California, youd better take it, he said.dddddddddddd.Scott Dunlap was third at 10 under after a 67. The top 72 on the money list earned spots at Sherwood, and the top 54 advanced to the Dominion Charity Classic next week in Richmond, Virginia.The field will be cut to 36 for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Scottsdale, Arizona. Each dollar earned in the first two events is worth two points. At the Charles Schwab Championship, points will be reset so that the top five only have to win to capture the Charles Schwab Cup.Pernice earned $305,000 -- and 610 points -- to jump from 32nd to ninth in the standings.Its been a little bit of an up and down year, but I just kept telling myself, Keep working hard and keep plugging away.Pernice said Its not always how you start but if you finish well you can have a great year.Lee Janzen got the final spot in Richmond, edging Brad Bryant by 331 points. Janzen tied for 25th at 2 under, and shot a 66 to tie for 45th at 3 over.Charles Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer withdrew before the start Friday because of a left knee injury. The 59-year-old German star also leads with four victories and has wrapped up the season money title with $2,697,459. Montgomerie moved into second place in the standings. Jobe tied for 10th at 6 under after a 77.Fred Couples had a 77 to tie for 37th at 1 over in his first tournament in eight months. The 57-year-old Couples was sidelined by a chronic back injury. He opened with rounds of 68 and 72. ' ' '