NEWS » from Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson.Zac

CHICAGO -- When Anthony Rizzo found out the eight-year anniversary of him being declared cancer-free fell on the same day fellow cancer survivor Jon Lester was pitching, he told Lester he was going to throw a no-hitter.He came close.Lester pitched 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and settled for his second complete game of the season, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Friday to move a season-high 40 games over .500.It coincided with a Major League Baseball initiative that had players and umpires wearing gold sweatbands to raise awareness for childhood cancer.Its a little more special for me and Rizz, just with our foundations and what weve been through, said Lester, who overcame lymphoma a decade ago. He did say the other day I was going to throw a no-hitter on the kids strike out cancer day. It would have been pretty cool, but glad we got the win instead.Hunter Pence ended Lesters bid for a second no-hitter with a homer to left on a 1-2 changeup that cut over the plate. Brandon Crawford followed with a double, and Lester (15-4) got Eduardo Nunez to line to third. He then worked around Trevor Browns one-out double in the eighth.We ran into a very hot pitcher whos throwing the ball very well and he was on top of his game, manager Bruce Bochy said. Still, youve got to generate some offense.I will say we hit some balls had right at them, too. We couldve used a break on Nunezs ball. He just hit it right at him or right there the game is tied.Lester allowed three hits and walked two. The Cubs have won five straight to improve to 87-47. The last time they were 40 games over .500 was the end of the 1945 season.Its pretty incredible, manager Joe Maddon.David Ross and Dexter Fowler had RBI hits in the second off Albert Suarez (3-3).Pences second homer in two days ended a 12 2/3-innings hitless streak (0 for 40) for San Francisco. The Giants are a major league-worst 15-29 since the All-Star break.Lester walked Buster Posey with two outs in the first inning and followed by setting down 18 straight while getting some help.Third baseman Kris Bryant made a diving, backhand grab of Crawfords liner to lead off the fifth and Dexter Fowler made a sliding catch of Kelby Tomlinsons liner to center an inning later.Our defense has been fun to watch all year, and it makes our jobs a lot easier, Lester said.The 32-year-old Lester threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008, for Boston against Kansas City. That came less than two years after he was diagnosed with cancer.He acknowledged he started thinking about a second one after the first inning and added, Anybody that tells you different is lying.The rookie Suarez, in his ninth start, allowed three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings.Lester struck out Crawford looking with a runner on first for his fourth strikeout to end it on his 102nd pitch.I think the big thing was they were aggressive, Lester said. I was able to keep the ball down and keep the defense active today.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: C Trevor Brown (illness) started after being unavailable Thursday, allowing Posey to play 1B. Brown tested negative for strep throat ... RHP Matt Cain (back) was activated off the disabled list and became the 12th reliever thanks to expanded rosters.Cubs: RHP John Lackey (shoulder) came out fine after a bullpen session and will start Sunday. ... Reliever Pedro Strop (knee) vowed to be back in mid-September after a setback with a strained groin during his rehab. ... RHP Hector Rondon (triceps) is set to pitch Saturday and Monday for Triple-A Iowa.RIZZOS MILESTONERizzo reflected on beating Hodgkins lymphoma.Obviously come a long way, he said. Done a lot of good things on the baseball field, but way more better things off the field. Rizzos foundation has raised about $2 million to support families of children with cancer and cancer research.UP NEXTA showdown of stars Saturday as Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.84 ERA) faces LHP Madison Bumgarner (13-8, 2.49). Itll be an interesting day, no question, Maddon said. Air Max 90 Clearance Sale .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Nike Air Max 90 Cheap Wholesale . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. http://www.australiaairmax90cheap.com/ . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Nike Air Max 90 Australia Online . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap Air Max 90 Free Shipping . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The San Jose Sharks are off to a strong start in their quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final.Mikkel Boedker and Joel Ward scored for an early lead and Patrick Marleau had an empty-net power-play goal, leading the Sharks over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Saturday night.Martin Jones made 26 saves for San Jose, which beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in its season opener Wednesday.Boedkers goal was his first with the Sharks.It was nice to score and help a team get the lead and all that, said Boedker, who joined the Sharks as a free agent after stints with Colorado and Arizona. That was definitely a good one to get out of way.Zach Werenski and Josh Anderson each got their first goal for Columbus, which has lost its first two games this season.Boedker scored 9:22 into the first period when a dump-in play by Logan Couture led to a tricky rebound off goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The puck was deflected to Boedker, who buried it over Bobrovskys left shoulder.Brenden Dillon and Couture were both credited with assists.Just over five minutes later, a pass from the corner by Brent Burns found Ward in front of the net, and he sneaked the puck under Bobrovskys right pad. Chris Tierney also earned an assist.I had a feeling (Burns) was going to swing it across, Ward said. He was going to shoot on net, so I figured it was best to play the angle where the goalie was, or he was going to throw it across. I just tried to sneak my way in the back door.Bobrovsky made 35 saves and kept the game within reach.Bobrovsky was excellentt, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.dddddddddddd We had real quality opportunities to extend the lead and didnt. When you let a team hang around like that, youre fighting for your life down the stretch.Rookie Werenski got the Jackets on the board 3:44 into the second period on a power play. It was the first goal of Werenskis three-day-old NHL career, with assists from Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson.Zach is a guy you can see, especially tonight, how he can control the game with the puck, said Columbus coach John Tortorella. We have a lot of teaching to do with him without the puck. Thats our job as coaches. The God-given ability he has, its at a different level than a lot of players at this league.Brandon Dubinsky went off for tripping at 2:08, and the Jackets pulled Bobrovsky at 1:20, but Marleau slammed the door with his empty-netter with 33 seconds left.Anderson scored with 23 seconds left.Game notes Columbus Ryan Murray, injured while blocking a shot in the season-opening loss to the Bruins, missed his first game after playing 85 consecutive games. ... Gregory Campbell was suspended by the Blue Jackets after refusing to report to the minor league Cleveland Monsters, reported The Columbus Dispatch. ... Couture has three points in two games.UP NEXTBlue Jackets: Columbus is off until next Friday, when it faces the Chicago Blackhawks.Sharks: San Jose heads to New York to face the Rangers on Monday. ' ' '