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PITTSBURGH -- If this was the end of Ivan Novas brief time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he went out on a good note.The right-hander allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings Thursday night as the Pirates and Chicago Cubs played to the first tie game in the major leagues since 2005 when rain forced the teams to stop in the sixth inning with the score 1-all.The Cubs and Pirates arent scheduled to play again this season, and the game wont be made up because it doesnt affect postseason positioning. So instead of becoming a suspended game, the stats count and it was declared a tie -- the first since Houston and Cincinnati went seven innings on June 30, 2005, before rain halted them.After losing his previous two starts, Nova limited the Cubs to four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.It was the final start of the season for Nova, who went 5-2 in 11 starts after being acquired Aug. 1 from the New York Yankees in a trade. He is eligible for free agency after the World Series.I had a really, really, really good time here and hopefully we can work it out to where I can stay, Nova said. Im excited for free agency, though, and well see what happens.Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said last week that he has been in talks with Novas representative about a possible extension.I leave that to my agents, Nova said. I really know anything about it.Pittsburgh is 78-80 and needs to sweep its season-ending three-game series at St. Louis that starts Friday night in order to extend its streak of winning seasons to four. The Pirates had 20 straight losing seasons from 1993-2012, the record for major North American team professional sports.Willson Contreras had two hits and scored for the NL Central champion Cubs, who have already clinched the best record in the majors. Josh Bell hit a sacrifice fly for the Pirates.The Cubs werent around to talk about it as they were already dressed and out of the clubhouse by the time they game was officially called following a delay of 1 hour, 23 minutes.A tie, I dont remember every being involved in one at the major league level, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. Its definitely something different.Tim Federowicz hit a sacrifice fly in the Cubs second. Pittsburgh tied it in the third.Cubs rookie Rob Zastryzny gave up one unearned run in 3 2/3 innings in his first major league start after beginning his career with seven relief appearances.Manager Joe Maddon opted to use all relievers as he prepares his team for the postseason.FOOTBALL HEROMaddon wore a No. 12 Lafayette College football jersey during his pregame meeting with reporters. It was the same number he wore when he was a quarterback for Leopards.The Cubs traveling party planned to wear football jerseys for their flight to Cincinnati following the game.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: RHP Jason Hammel (elbow tightness) has been scratched from his scheduled start Friday night at Cincinnati but may be able to pitch in a simulated game Tuesday and be ready for the NL playoffs next week. .. . LF Chris Coghlan (sprained left ankle) did not play after being injured Wednesday night when he crashed into the fence chasing a fly ball but could return Friday. ... OF Jorge Soler (strained right side) will not play at Cincinnati but could participate in the simulated game.Pirates: LF Starling Marte (lower back strain) and SS Jordy Mercer (strained right forearm) will not play in the final series. . RF Gregory Polanco (strained neck) missed his second game in a row.UP NEXTCubs: RHP Jake Buchanan (0-0 9.00 ERA), who has made one relief appearance for Chicago after going 12-8 for Triple-A Iowa, will start Friday against Reds RHP Josh Smith (5-2. 4.77).Pirates: Rookie RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 4.91) faces Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (15-9, 3.15) and will be looking for his first major league win in his fourth career start. Nike Air Jordan 1 Wholesale . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Balenciaga Triple s Cheap .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-china-yeezy-boost.html .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Cheap Nike Air Max 97 China . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Yeezy Store China Website . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. PHOENIX -- Louisville coach Rick Pitino has played in the most difficult arenas in college basketball. Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina.Hes faced some of the games best guards through the years. Bobby Hurley, John Wall, Sherman Douglass.Never before had he seen a combination like DeWayne Russell and the rowdy Grand Canyon Havocs.Overcoming a dominating performance by Russell and Grand Canyons boisterous student section, No. 14 Louisville escaped with a harder-than-expected, 79-70 win over the Antelopes Saturday night.It made us a much better team tonight, Pitino said. Whether we go to Duke or Kentucky, nothing will be as tough an environment as this.Pitino agreed to this rare road game against a small, private school out of respect for GCU coach Dan Majerle.The Cardinals (7-1) won in a blowout the first game of the series a year ago at home, but faced a much more difficult challenge heading to the desert.Grand Canyons student section is secretly one of the best in college basketball, racing to their seats before the game to create a rave-like atmosphere .The Cardinals knew Russell, the Antelopes blur of a point guard, would be able to score, yet had no way of stopping him, no matter what they did.And as Russell continued to pour in shots on his way to a career-high 42 points, the students known as the Havocs pushed the Antelopes within reach of the biggest win in school history.Ive never seen anything like it, Majerle said. Ive seen some great performances and thats the most amazing thing Ive seen.After struggling to find an offensive rhythm in the first half, Louisville started to find the mark with good passing. The Cardinals hit 17 of 31 shots in the second half and had a 22-point advantage in the paint to pull away.Deng Adel scored 15 points, while V.J. King and Ray Spalding added 14 each for Louisville, which played without 7-foot center Anas Muhmoud (concussion).Our passing was great in the second half, Pitino said. That was the difference.Missing three starters, Grand Canyon (3-4) led Louisville at halftime and kept the Cardinals close until the midpoint of the second half.Russell was the reason.The wisspy 5-foot-11 senior weaved his way through Louisvilles defense despite facing constant traps and double teams, scoring on pull-up jumpers and a pair of 3-pointers for 18 points by halftime.dddddddddddd Russell closed it with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put Grand Canyon up 37-36 at halftime.Russell kept his one-man show rolling in the second half, bringing the crowd to its feet again and again, including a baseline teardrop shot that appeared to float as high as the shot clock.Coach Majerle told me where the traps were going to come from, how they were going to defend me and I just did the best I could to execute the plan, said Russell, who hit 14 of 27 shots.Louisville put together a short run midway through the second half to go up 10 and kept its cushion despite Russells performance.BIG PICTURELouisville had another rough night shooting from the perimeter and had a hard time shaking a small school that isnt in Division I yet. Not what the Cardinals had in mind on the trip to the desert, but there will be plenty for coach Rick Pitino to use in the film room and practice.Grand Canyon schedules games like this -- it also has Duke and Arizona on this seasons schedule -- to gain exposure and experience against big-time programs. The Lopes fell short, but will benefit in the long run.POLL IMPLICATIONSScraping past a the Lopes could cost the Cardinals a few spots in the poll Monday.UNEXPECTED LIFTWith the Cardinals struggling to get any kind of flow offensively in the first half, coach Rick Pitino turned to Matz Stockman.The junior from Norway played a total of 15 minutes through the first seven games, scoring five points. He came alive when given the chance against GCU, scoring 10 points and grabbing three rebounds in the first half.I never I thought Id see the day where Id call timeouts and run plays for him, Pitino said. But thats what happened and he executed it beautifully.UP NEXTLouisville hosts Southern Illinois on Wednesday night.Grand Canyon hosts San Diego State on Wednesday night. ' ' '