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PARIS -- Mario Balotelli missed a late penalty for French league leader Nice, shortly after appearing to aim a kiss at the Lyon bench in a dominant 2-0 win on Friday night.The win moved Nice four points clear of Monaco, which lost 3-1 at Toulouse despite scoring first, and 10 clear of Lyon.Balotellis athleticism and physical presence caused problems for Lyon throughout, even if his scoring touch deserted him.The Italian striker joined after two fruitless seasons with Liverpool and AC Milan, with many observers writing him off as a spent force.But the 26-year-old Balotelli confounded critics with five league goals in his first three league games, and almost added another from the spot on Friday after being fouled by defender Jordy Gaspar.The way he won the penalty was brilliant, receiving a pass from Younes Belhanda, sharply cutting inside the area with a superb first touch and drawing a foul from the inexperienced Gaspar, who is 19 years old.Balotelli has a reputation as an excellent penalty taker but was too casual, striding up to the ball and pausing before striking a shot to the left that Portuguese goalkeeper Anthony Lopes palmed away.Just minutes before that, Balotelli appeared to aim a kiss at Lyons bench after midfielder Jean Michael Seris 76th-minute goal made it 2-0.Balotelli seems perfectly settled on the French Riviera after some troublesome years.He got a rousing ovation when he was substituted with five minutes remaining and then playfully threw a water bottle at Nice goalie Yoan Cardinale as the players applauded the fans.Center half Paul Baysse put Nice ahead in the fifth minute with an excellent swivel finish and was involved in an incident that led to Lyon forward Nabil Fekir getting sent off in the 28th.Fekir was chasing a ball when he kicked the back of Baysses legs and walked on his arm when he fell to the ground, although it seemed unclear if that act was deliberate.I dont know if he did it on purpose, Baysse said. All I know is that he trod on my arm -- and it hurts.Although Balotelli did not score, it made little difference to Nices fans -- who had made their point to the president of bitter rival Lyon.They unfurled a banner with a message addressed to president Jean-Michel Aulas, who was in discussions to sign Balotelli before he choose Nice.Aulas: to play with Balotelli you must buy FIFA 17, the message read, referring to the popular video game.---TOULOUSE 3, MONACO 1Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite should contact his bank manager, because it is going to be an expensive season at this rate.In August, the Denmark forward pledged to donate 1,000 Euros ($1,100) to charity for every league goal he scores this season.He has six so far after scoring two late goals on Friday, and is well on course to shatter his career-best 11 from last season.Monaco led through striker Valere Germains looping header in the fourth minute.After midfielder Oscar Trejo equalized when he headed in Braithwaites pass midway through the second half, Braithwaite pounced in the 83rd and 87th to move Toulouse up to third place.It is a remarkable turnaround for Toulouse, which avoided relegation to the second tier on the final day of last season but has been the other surprise package so far, beating defending champion Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 last month. Jarrett Culver Jersey . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Andrew Wiggins Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/800j-keita-bates-diop-jersey-timberwolves.html . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. Naz Reid Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Wally Szczerbiak Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. MILWAUKEE -- Brewers manager Craig Counsell thinks the Pittsburgh Pirates have all the tools to go on a run. Meanwhile, hed like his squad to score more than just one.Jonathan Villar homered, but the Brewers only managed two runners in scoring position in Milwaukees 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.Our only hits were with two outs in the inning and we didnt have a hit with men on bases at all today, Counsell said. It was a quiet day offensively, for sure.Milwaukee has lost 10 of its last 14, but this four-game sweep was particularly painful. The Brewers came into the series 64-17 against the Pirates at Miller Park since 2007.Theyre playing well right now and they certainly have the weapons to do well, Counsell said.John Jaso and Gregory Polanco each homered in the sixth off Brewers starter Chase Anderson (7-11) to complete Pittsburghs first sweep at Miller Park since 2004. Starling Marte added a solo shot in the eighth.The command was there for me today for the most part, just got away from me in the sixth inning, Anderson said.Anderson again failed to get out of the sixth inning for Milwaukee -- for the 11th time in his last 12 starts.He worked his way out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the fourth, but grooved a pair of pitches in his final inning and was pulled after Polancos shot put Pittsburgh ahead for good.That lineup and their starting pitching is pretty good, Anderson said. Its tough to face those guys.SUPER NOVAIvan Nova threw six sharp innings before leaving early because of a hurting left hamstring and the Pittsburgh Pirates hit three solo homers for their eighth straight road victory.Nova (4-0) retiredd 10 of his final 11 batters after allowing Villars solo homer in the third.dddddddddddd He scattered three hits and struck out four before being pinch hit for in the seventh.I was trying not to think about it, Nova said of the injury. It was my first time experiencing something like that. I decided to tell the manager.Nova is pitching like a staff ace so far in Pittsburgh before he hits free agency this winter. Hes struck out 22 and walked just four in 31 1/3 innings with a 2.87 ERA over his first five starts since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Yankees.Itd be pretty silly for the manager to push him out there for one more inning and he blows his hamstring, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. We were very pleased with that effort.PIRATES MOVEPirates 3B Adam Frazier was optioned to Single-A Bristol before the game and RHP A.J. Schugel was recalled. Frazier started at third base in Saturdays 9-6 win.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: With ace Gerrit Cole out, Hurdle says his rotation plan in Chicago will be Steven Brault on Monday followed by Chad Kuhl and Ryan Vogelsong.Brewers: Brewers RHP Junior Guerra (right elbow) is expected to return to the rotation at some point after Thursdays day off. He threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his previous rehab start at Triple-A Colorado Springs.UP NEXTPirates: Brault (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. The left-hander will make his third career start.Brewers: Zach Davies (10-6, 4.06) takes the hill in the opener of a series against St. Louis. ' ' '