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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates remain in contention for a playoff spot, but not without continued uncertainty regarding their rotation.Right-hander Gerrit Cole (5-6, 2.99 ERA) will try to get back to .500, far below what the Pirates expected from him, on Wednesday when Pittsburgh closes out a two-game series with the Seattle Mariners.After a day off, the Pirates scheduled starter for Friday at Milwaukee is TBD -- a fellow who has gotten quite a bit of face time on the Pittsburgh schedule of upcoming starters.The Pirates are dealing with a shoulder injury to promising young starter Tyler Glasnow and less-than-stellar results from Cole and Francisco Liriano, the latter two expected to anchor the rotation. The team is being cautious with another rookie, Jameson Taillon, although it looks as if he might be sticking in the rotation.Jonathan Niese, Juan Nicasio and now Jeff Locke have pitched their way into the bullpen, although Locke -- who made his first relief appearance Tuesday, allowing a hit but no runs in two innings -- for now is expected to miss just one start.Liriano looked to be breaking out of a funk when he struck out 13 batters Thursday in a 5-3 win over the Brewers. On Tuesday, though, he reverted to early-season form, struggling with his control and allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to Seattle.So it is Coles turn to try to give the Pirates another in a series of what have seemed to be turnaround performances, although many of the previous ones have not stuck.On Saturday, Cole took the loss as Pittsburgh fell 4-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was encouraged about his outing, his second since coming off of the disabled list. He missed a month due to a right triceps strain.It was a good step in the right direction, he said after giving up one run on six hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.I thought there were a lot of pitches that were thrown really well that they couldnt pick up. Its good to see stuff like that. Hopefully, we can build on it.Coles opponent Wednesday will be James Paxton (3-4, 4.18 ERA). The Seattle left-hander will start against Pittsburgh for the first time in his career.Paxton ended a run of three starts without a win Saturday when he pitched seven innings in a 2-1 victory at Toronto. He allowed the lone Blue Jays run on three hits. His nine strikeouts were one shy of his season best.I know he and (pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.) have been working on a couple of things, and it certainly was evident with his ability to spin it, manager Scott Servais said of Paxton. That was the best curveball hes had all year.It was an adjustment Paxton took to happily.I was creeping down a little bit and getting too sidearm, getting on the side of the ball, he said. It wasnt allowing me to get on top of the curveball. Bringing my arm up a little bit more has allowed me to get on top of that curveball.The relief crew behind Paxton on Wednesday might include the newest member of the Seattle pitching staff.After Tuesdays game, the Mariners announced they acquired reliever Drew Storen and cash considerations from Toronto for pitcher Joaquin Benoit. Storen, 28, is 1/3 with a 6.21 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 38 relief appearances with the Blue Jays, who designated him for assignment Sunday.In his first six major league seasons, all with Washington, he was 21-13 with 95 saves and a 3.02 ERA.Obviously, this has not been Drews best season, but he is closely linked to a run of great success pitching in the back end of very good bullpens, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. Hopefully, this serves as a change of scenery and over the next two months we can get him back on track. Air Force 1 Cheap Near Me . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Air Force 1 Womens Uk . 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With no competitive matches in Europe, its the intrigue about the futures of Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Cesc Fabregas that is largely filling the void during the off-season. European clubs could be on the verge of completing hundreds of millions of dollars in transfer business before the Sept. 2 cutoff, defying the economic climate on the continent and UEFAs relatively new Financial Fair Play rules. Or, quite possibly, very little money could change hands. Instead, the leading players will stay put and the European footballing landscape will remain largely unchanged. Its a situation that would become far clearer with public clarity from the players, who have gone very quiet recently. One of the biggest transfers to be mooted in the off-season has been for Bale, with Real Madrid the most active in the chase for the Tottenham forward. Leaving north London would seem logical. Financial considerations aside — the weekly pay packet in Madrid would likely be worth at least $300,000 a week — Bales chances of lifting a trophy would be significantly enhanced, and he would be able to display his talents in the Champions League again. While there has not been an official bid, Marca — the Spanish sports newspaper renowned for its close links to Madrid — has ramped up coverage of "Operation Bale," claiming in recent weeks that a transfer exceeding $100 million is imminent. So has Bale reaffirmed his loyalty to the team that turned him into one of Europes hottest properties? Not quite. "Im hoping to improve from last season," is one of the few vague public comments from the speedy Wales star this month. And in an usual move, Bales agent, Jonathan Barnett, went on Marcas television station in May to declare that they would listen to an offer from Madrid. Not that Bale and his agent have much say in the matter, since there are three years remaining on the players Tottenham contract. "The player is under contract at Tottenham," Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said Friday, confirming that talks over extending that deal are ongoing but unresolved. If Bale wanted to leave why not hand in an official transfer request? Its a question many have been asking of Rooney, who wants to end his nine-year Manchester United career, and Suarez, who wants to upgrade Liverpool for a more competitive club. "Its a bit of a red herring, theres no requirement you submit a transfer request," sports lawyer Ian Lynam said in a telephone interview. "Most players who move dont move on the back of a transfer requests." Suarez is one of the few leading players to publicly agitate for a transfer. Taking to the airwaves in his native Uruguay, the striker made it clear in repeated radio interview he wants to leave Liverpool despite having with three years to go oon his contract.dddddddddddd Madrid is his preferred destination — a move that could hinge on the Spanish sides pursuit of Bale — but the only offers so far have come from Liverpools Premier League rival, Arsenal — the latest worth 40 million pounds ($61 million). That Suarez is keen on joining Arsenal, which is in Europe next season unlike Liverpool, seems to be at odds with comments in May that escaping the English media "who are trashing me unfairly" is his reason for wanting to exit Anfield. In this, what price loyalty? Liverpool stood by Suarez when racially abused Manchester Uniteds Patrice Evra in 2011, an incident and eight-match ban that damaged the global standing of the 19-time English champions. That reputation was harmed further when Suarez bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game in April, and was banned for 10 matches. Such incidents make it seem even more baffling that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, a proponent of high moral standards in football, would pursue Suarez, who still has six matches of his ban left to serve. Suarezs departure would leave Liverpool without its most prolific scorer. With Rooney, though, Manchester United, is steadfastly refusing to release an increasingly peripheral player. Bids from Chelsea have been rebuffed despite Rooney falling behind striker Robin van Persie in the United pecking order. Lynam disputes the notion that knowing a player is officially up for sale prevents clubs from extracting the highest transfer fee. "Technically the clubs dont have to sell a player and they can keep him," said Lynam of London-based law firm Charles Russell. "But the reality is there is a lot of power with the players and clubs are loathed to hang onto a player who really wants to move ... when you compare it to American sports, the level of power the players have in European football is significant." Rooney has not spoken publicly on the situation since Alex Ferguson disclosed before retiring as United in May that the disenchanted striker wanted out of Old Trafford. At the same time as denying Rooney an escape route, United has pursued Fabregas at Barcelona, while also being heavily linked with a highly ambitious bid to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Madrid. Seeking a big-name signing to start his managerial reign, David Moyes has embarked on a highly public quest to prize Fabregas from the Spanish champions with a series of hostile bids for the former Arsenal captain. "Its logical that weve had offers for Fabregas because he is a quality player," Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu said. "But he is not for sale." The same "not for sale" sign has been placed over Rooney by United, Suarez by Liverpool and Bale by Tottenham. The departure of one could set the wheels in motion for a series of blockbuster summer moves. For now, the transfer merry-go-round is barely moving. ' ' '