NEWS » rd on Jordy Mercers groundout and score

PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Liriano has won twice as many games as he did a year ago and theres still two months to go in the season. Liriano continued his recent dominance with seven strong innings, and Jose Tabata homered and drove in two runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. Liriano (12-4) allowed only two hits to offset his five walks and had six strikeouts. The left-hander improved to 7-1 with a 1.65 ERA in his last eight starts for the NL Central leaders. Last season, Liriano was a combined 6-12 with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox. He has a hard time explaining his turnaround, which is a big reason why the Pirates hold a 1 1/2-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. "What can I say?" he said. "Everything is going good for me and good for the team. Im not really thinking about it too much. Im just going out and pitching and trying to be aggressive and get people out. Its working out well for me and it is working out for well for the team because were winning." Tabata hit his first home run since May 11 -- a span of 112 plate appearances -- and also tripled while going 3 for 4 to raise his average to .266. Tabata has hit just three homers this season, which is why general manager Neal Huntington tried to trade for an outfielder before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, though without success. "Weve seen Jose swing the bat like this before and be productive over the last few years," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Hopefully, he will get hot." The Rockies put men on base in six of Lirianos seven innings but they went 0 for 9 against him with runners on, including five hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position. "When I walk people its because Im overthrowing," Liriano said. "When guys got on base, I told myself to slow down and make pitches, not try to do too much." Colorado lost for the fifth time in six games. "We had some opportunities early but like most of the good ones once he settled in he was tough," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He had a good changeup and his command was pretty good even though he walked some guys." Gaby Sanchez had two hits and two RBIs for Pittsburgh, while Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen added two hits each. Fill-in closer Mark Melancon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save. Jorge De La Rosa (10-6) pitched four-plus innings and gave up three runs on six hits while striking out three and walking two. The outing came a day after Rockies owner Dick Monfort said Colorado would exercise De La Rosas $11 million club option for 2014. "Jorge didnt have very good command," Weiss said. "It was a struggle for him from the start." The Pirates scored one run each in the third through seventh innings to take a 5-0 lead. In the third, Starling Marte led off with a single, stole second, took third on Jordy Mercers groundout and scored on Andrew McCutchens double. Tabata led off the fourth by homering over the 375 sign in right-centre for his third of the season. Sanchez hit run-scoring singles in both the fifth and seventh innings, while Tabata led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Josh Harrisons squeeze bunt. Colorado finally scored a pair in the eighth on consecutive RBI singles by Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer, who returned to the team after missing the previous two games because of a family emergency. NOTES: Colorado LF Carlos Gonzalez was not in the lineup for a fourth straight game with a sprained right middle finger but hopes to play Sunday. ... Rockies 1B Todd Helton, who has normally been rested twice a week, played in nine straight games until being rested Saturday. ... Colorado RHP Roy Oswalt, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, was forced to cut short a simulated game because of tightness in the leg. ... Pittsburgh C Russell Martin sat out for the second time in three games because of left knee soreness. ... The Pirates will start RHP A.J. Burnett (4-7, 2.86 ERA) on Sunday against RHP Juan Nicasio (6-4, 4.92) in the three-game series finale. Cheap Jordan 11 Canada . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Air Jordan 11 For Sale Cheap . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. http://www.cheapairjordan11canada.com/ . PAUL, Minn. Jordan Retro 11 Canada . -- 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. Jordan 11 Sale Canada . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad sustained a broken fibula during Sunday nights game against the Florida Panthers and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks.The injury occurred when Zibanejads feet got tangled up with the Panthers Reilly Smith while circling around the net in overtime. He was helped off the ice by teammates.Zibanejad had scored one of the Rangers two regulation goals, his fifth of the season, in a game Florida won on a shootout.ddddddddddddZibanejad is in his first season with the Rangers after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in an offseason trade for Derick Brassard. ' ' '