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Veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon is drawing strong interest from multiple clubs and expects to make a decision on his next team within 24 hours, a source told ESPN Tuesday.Red Sox?manager John Farrell said Tuesday that he has reached out to Papelbon personally, an indication that the club is serious about bringing the reliever back to Boston but not as a closer. The Red Sox are seeking a steady eighth-inning setup man in the absence of Koji Uehara, who is sidelined indefinitely by a right pectoral strain.The Chicago Cubs have also been mentioned as a potential Papelbon suitor.Papelbon broke into the majors with Boston in 2005, recording 219 saves and making four American League All-Star Games in seven seasons with the Red Sox.Theres no question hes a different pitcher now than nine years ago, Farrell said of Papelbon. Theres been a lot of saves recorded in between, a lot of pitches thrown. Hes evolved as more of a pitcher rather than relying solely on velocity and a fastball that he would attack with.Coming back into Boston, if that were to happen, hes very well-aware of the environment, the expectation. So well see where that goes.Papelbon, 35, became a free agent Saturday when the Washington Nationals released him at his request. The Nationals removed him from the closers role in late July when they acquired Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh in a trade, and the Nationals were reportedly planning to designate Papelbon for assignment when he asked for his release.WEEI-FM in Boston was first to report that Papelbon was close to making a decision on his next team.Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, Papelbons former Boston teammate, praised him in an interview with ESPNChicago.coms Jesse Rogers on Sunday and said Papelbon got a bad rap for his dugout confrontation with Washington teammate Bryce Harper last season.He is crazy, Lester said with a smile. But hes no crazier than the rest of us. He just gets a bad rap for what happened in the dugout. Knowing Papelbon, Ive always had good things to say about him as a teammate, how he respects the game and how he goes about his business.Papelbon ranks ninth in MLB history with 368 career saves in 12 seasons with the Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and the Nationals. He was 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA and 19 saves in 37 appearances with Washington this season.Because the Nationals released Papelbon, theyre responsible for the roughly $3 million that remains of his $11 million salary for 2016.ESPN Staff Writer Scott Lauber contributed to this report.Antonio Rudiger Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Ethan Ampadu Jersey . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Olivier-Giroud-Jersey/ . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Alvaro Morata Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Chelsea Jerseys . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite.SAN FRANCISCO -- Oh, Buster Posey knew all about how long he had gone without a home run.Yeah, Ive had a few reminders over the last week or two, Posey said with a chuckle.All that talk about the star catchers second-half power drought was answered with one mighty swing in a September game that mattered, and his two-run shot helped the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 Friday night in a matchup of playoff contenders.Posey drove in four runs and the Giants stayed four games back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, who won at Arizona. San Francisco maintained its one-game lead over the New York Mets for the leagues top wild card, moving three games up on the Cardinals in the wild-card standings.Left-hander Matt Moore (4-4) allowed two runs over five innings, struck out four and walked three while facing the Cardinals for the first time in his career. He won for the fourth time over five starts in his ninth outing since joining San Francisco in a trade with Tampa Bay.Posey was all smiles in the dugout after his fourth-inning drive, his first home run in 185 at-bats and exactly two months -- he last connected on July 16 at San Diego.It was a good feeling, he said.Posey also had a two-run single and followed up his four-hit game Thursday night with three more.It was great to just see him start smiling and laughing after he touched home plate, Brandon Belt said. Its kind of out of the ordinary with him. Hes pretty stone-faced most of the time. When you know what hes capable of doing and when hes had a stretch like hes had, its good to see.Belt hit a two-run double to highlight San Franciscos six-run third. Posey singled in a pair of runs that inning, when all the runs were unearned off rookie right-hander Luke Weaver (1-3).For the second straight day, Giants manager Bruce Bochy gave his team a late report time to the ballpark and the players went without batting practice. This time, it came on the heels of Thursdays 6-2 victory behind Johnny Cuetos five-hitter.A couple days off the field will serve them well, said Bochy, who is sticking with the same routine for Saturday nights game.It proved the right call again. After a demoralizing three-game sweep by San Diego earlier this week, San Francisco suddenly looks like a playoff team again. The Giants have had World Series-winning seasons in every even year this decade: 2010, `12 and `14.Weavers night was done after 2 2/3 innnings and he is winless in four starts since beating Oakland on Aug.dddddddddddd 26. He allowed five hits, struck out four and walked two.Yadier Molina drove in both runs for the Cardinals, including a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.We just have to play better, thats all there is to it, manager Mike Matheny said. The standings are the standings and we know what they are. You cant run from them, hide from them. The standings say were right there, so just keep playing the game. Thats all it is. Same as always.Denard Span hit eighth for the Giants again after his strong performance, with a two-run single among his two hits in that spot a night earlier.NINTH-INNING DELAYA fan ran on the field in the top of the ninth and a member of security who slid approaching the man had to be helped off the field with an injury.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: OF Matt Holliday will face live pitching Saturday with the hope he still might return from a broken right thumb as St. Louis makes a playoff push. The slugger hasnt played since Aug. 11, when he was hit by a pitch in an 11-inning loss to the Cubs. He had surgery to insert a screw for the fracture. Id love to play but I cant do it at jeopardizing putting my finger in a bad situation, Holliday said. Its clearly not 100 percent. Its still fractured but theres a screw in there. Its more stable than it would be if I had not had the surgery. ... SS Aledmys Diaz returned to the lineup after being held out Thursday. He came off the disabled list Sunday after he had been sidelined since July 31 with a broken right thumb, and the medical staff and Matheny are being cautious to determine if Diaz can handle playing every day.Giants: The team activated OF Gregor Blanco from the 15-day disabled list after he missed 22 games with a right shoulder impingement. ... Bochy has been looking to rest Posey and will aim to give him a break in Sunday afternoons series finale following a night game Saturday.UP NEXTCardinals: RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.60 ERA), who spent the second half of last season with San Francisco, looks for his second win in seven starts since July 29.Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (11-10, 4.07) seeks his first victory in four starts since Aug. 26. He is 4-4 with a 4.61 ERA in 20 career outings vs. St. Louis, losing to the Cardinals on June 4. ' ' '