The veteran netminder came into camp

PITTSBURGH -- Pedro Alvarez mashed two home runs that travelled an estimated 831 feet Friday night. Dallas Cowboys Shirts . It was a series of sprints by the burly Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman, however, that ignited a 12-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Alvarez broke open a close game in the sixth by beating out a potential double play, followed it up with the fifth stolen base of his career then scored with a deft slide around St. Louis catcher Yadier Molinas tag that gave the Pirates the momentum they needed to pull away. "I thought the stolen base was key," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He puts a lot of focus on running the bases and hes arguably one of our best baserunners when hes on." It certainly looked like it, as Alvarezs outstretched left arm slid across the plate a split second before one of the games best defensive catchers could nab him. The Cardinals imploded from there as Shelby Miller (0-1) continued to struggle against Pittsburgh. Miller fell to 0-5 with a 5.92 ERA against the Pirates in his brief career after tying a career-high by allowing five runs in 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander is 16-5 with a 2.34 ERA in his 33 other major league appearances. "Its not the park. Its not the team. I just pitched poorly today," Miller said. "I guess it just lines up that way where I dont pitch well when I face them." Travis Ishikawa added his first major league home run in nearly two years for Pittsburgh. Gerrit Cole (1-0) gave up two runs in seven innings in his first start since losing the deciding Game 5 of the NL division series to St. Louis last October. Six months removed from a taut NLDS that pushed the eventual NL champions to the brink of elimination, the Pirates sent an early message they have no plans of going away. Cole is considered the ace in waiting after a stellar rookie season in which he was arguably Pittsburghs best pitcher over the final six weeks. Eager to take the next step in his development, the 23-year-old kept the Cardinals in check by mixing a fastball that consistently reaches the upper 90s with improved offspeed stuff. He also showcased some of his maturity, working out of a bases loaded situation in the fourth by getting Jhonny Peralta to fly out. His only mistake came in the fifth when Carpenter drilled a shot into the right field stands to pull the Cardinals to 3-2. Otherwise he teamed with catcher Russell Martin to keep St. Louis in check. "I think it was just a really well-played ballgame on our part," Cole said. "I cant say enough about what Russ did behind the plate. Not sure there are any other catchers in the entire world that could handle what I threw at him tonight." Pittsburghs offence -- which mustered all of 20 hits in 35 innings of a season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs -- made sure it didnt stay close for long after pounding out 16 hits in eight innings against the NL Central favourites. Alvarez began the year in a 1 for 15 slump but ended that with a home run to the gap in left-centre for his first home run of the season. He added his second two innings later with a long drive to right-centre that travelled an estimated 448 feet. His hustle down the first-base line in the sixth allowed Pittsburghs rally to continue and the Pirates pressed the advantage. Molina committed a rare error after Alvarezs slide, botching a potential rundown at third base when his throw hit Martin in the back and rolled into the stands. The miscue gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead and Pittsburgh poured it on in the late innings. NOTES: Ishikawas solo home run in the fourth was his first since May 15, 2012 while playing for the New York Yankees. ... The start of the game was delayed 1:05 by rain, the third straight game a Cardinals game was delayed by weather. ... Injured Cardinals 2B Mark Ellis is starting baseball activities but it remains uncertain when hell be ready to return from left knee tendinitis. Ellis went on the 15-day DL on March 27 and is eligible to return on April 11. ... The series continues on Saturday. RHP Joe Kelly will make his season debut for the Cardinals against Pittsburghs Francisco Liriano (0-0, 0.00). Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow. Fake Cowboys Jerseys . -- New York Yankees centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was sent for an MRI Thursday of his ailing right calf, which was negative. https://www.cowboysjerseysale.com/ . CNN and Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Tancredi Palmeri broke the news via Twitter Tuesday afternoon. Italian Football Association President Giancarlo Abete has also resigned, according to Palmeri.The story lines were predictable entering Winnipeg Jets training camp several weeks ago. Who is going to play with Kane? Is Pavelec ready for a bounce-back season? Can Morrissey assume one of the top six D spots or Ehlers the ninth forward position? And to a significant degree, Paul Mauricea€?s first training camp as the cluba€?s head coach - and the seven pre-season games recently completed a€“ answered most of the aforementioned questions. In other words, boxes were checked and the blanks filled-in regarding open roster spots, physical conditioning and line combinations. After a warning shot fired by Maurice last spring to his players to come physically prepared this autumn for a a€?mana€?s training camp,a€? the Jets, to-a-player, arrived in peak condition. As a result, training camp was up tempo and grueling at times, testing even the most physically fit of the group. Days were long with skating and new systems the focal point. But there was also the evaluation process, which provided a glimpse into the future, both for this season and beyond. In year four of the NHLa€?s return to Winnipeg, the 2014-15 campaign offers a special look into a season in which the blend of Jetsa€? draft picks and established veterans are coming together. In fact, the young players are starting to push the conversation and forcing some veterans out of spots on the 23-man roster. The emergence of centre Mark Scheifele and defenceman Jacob Trouba last year started the emerging trend of prospects fighting their way into the lineup, while this season forwards Nic Petan and Nik Ehlers showed the organization they might only be a year away from being full-time NHL players. Both were reassigned back to their major junior teams last weekend in advance of the cluba€?s season opener in Arizona on Thursday, Oct. 9. But for the second straight October the Jets will open a new campaign with a rookie holding a significant lineup spot. After just one season in St. Johna€?s with the Jetsa€? top affiliate in the American Hockey League, centre-turned-winger Adam Lowry muscled his way into that position this fall. The 6-foot-5 son of former NHLer Dave Lowry will start the season on a line with newly acquired centre Mathieu Perreault and always compelling Dustin Byfuglien. Lowry will play the left side on the cluba€?s third line, a departure from the centre position he was drafted as in 2011 and played in 2013-14 with the AHL finalist IceCaps. a€?Ita€?s pretty exciting,a€? said Lowry when asked about making the Jets out of training camp. a€?You work all summer and your career to get to this point.a€? Prior to this yeara€?s impressive camp and preseason Lowry, 21, made an earlier impression on Maurice during St. Johna€?s deep playoff run last spring, a sojourn that concluded with the club losing in the championship final to Texas Stars. a€?Watching games in the playoffs last year I knew based on his intelligence and stick that he was going to play at the NHL level,a€? said Maurice. a€?Hea€?s got a game thata€?s developed from the defensive point of view first. From what Ia€?ve seen, I have complete confidence in him to play the role wea€?ve given him. Hea€?s earned it.a€? Lowry did not win the job without some effective competition at camp. He was tested by Petan and Ehlers, the cluba€?s 2014 first-round pickk. Cowboys Jerseys China. Both showed tremendous potential for what the future holds on the Jetsa€? forward corp, especially Ehlers whose speed, puck control and positioning have fans and management excited about the future. Added into the mix is defenceman Josh Morrissey, who was also assigned back to junior last weekend for his 19-year-old season with the WHLa€?s Prince Albert Raiders. a€?Therea€?s a really good template there,a€? said Maurice, when queried about the teama€?s three teenage prospects. a€?I loved their camp, but forcing them into the lineup had absolutely no benefit to them or the hockey team. Theya€?ll go back to their junior teams and theya€?re going to get better. Theya€?ve learned something at (our) camp. a€?Ia€?d be careful with my words if I didna€?t think that all three of them were going to be Winnipeg Jets at some point.a€? When Jetsa€? training camp began there was a broad spotlight on individual conditioning. Among those under a closer eye than most was goaltender Ondrej Pavelec. The veteran netminder came into camp in excellent physical condition and when he was asked what he did as an altered off-season regimen to be so fit, he replied: a€?Ita€?s a secret.a€? Whatever he cryptically did different to prepare this summer has served him well out of the gate. Pavelec, whose performance the past two seasons has been met with frequent criticism from fans and media had an excellent preseason. The 27-year-old appeared in four exhibition games (starting all four) and produced a 2-1 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Now, putting stock behind preseason numbers isna€?t always a sage way to predict regular season success, but had those totals not reflected something as impressive as they are, a grass fire of Pavelec questions would have turned into an inferno before the teama€?s opening weekend in the American Southwest. The final chapter to Jetsa€? training camp stories was the subject of linemates for Evander Kane. Already entering his sixth season (fourth with Winnipeg), the 23-year-old was thought to be in need of better players around him in order to repeat or exceed the 30-goal season he amassed three years ago. Obviously the organization felt the same way and from Day 1 at training camp Maurice placed Kane, Scheifele and last yeara€?s scoring leader Blake Wheeler together. The trio played thrice as a unit during the preseason and appeared dynamic, quick, defensively responsible and prolific, especially in the cluba€?s final exhibition test when they combined for four points in a 4-1 victory over Calgary. Scheifelea€?s right-handed shot should put the puck easily on Kanea€?s stick all winter and the three could potentially become the teama€?s top offensive unit. But admittedly, the new combination will take some time to really reap the rewards. Under Mauricea€?s new system, defence is first but the quick-pace to puck possession and the transition to offence should result in more scoring chance and goals from that line. a€?When you throw three guys together ita€?s not instant magic,a€? said Wheeler, a newly anointed alternate captain on the team, who had 28 goals and 69 points last season. a€?We need to work at it in practice and talk about it. But we have the capability to create a lot of offence. Be patient.a€? ' ' '