for the annual intersectional rivalry gam

DENVER -- The Atlanta Braves have gone more than two years at Coors Field without walking off the field, exchanging high-fives and savoring a victory.Indeed, the Colorado Rockies, who beat the Braves 7-3 in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night, have won seven straight games against the Braves at Coors Field, dating back to June 11, 2014. The Rockies seven-game winning streak against the Braves at Coors Field is the longest in franchise history.Julio Teheran will try to put an end to all that winning and continue his mastery over the Rockies when he makes his second consecutive start against them Friday night.On Sunday, Teheran pitched seven scoreless innings against the Rockies at Turner Field but wasnt involved in the decision when the Braves scored in the ninth to win 1-0.Teheran, who is 3-8 with a 2.79 ERA in 19 starts, is 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA against the Rockies in six starts.Jon Gray, who matched Teheran with seven scoreless innings Sunday, will again oppose him. Gray is 5-4 with a 4.33 ERA in 16 starts. He has a team-leading 103 strikeouts and 32 walks in 95 2/3 innings. He leads the Rockies with 11 quality starts and has pitched at least seven innings a team-high seven times. This will be Grays eighth start this season at Coors Field, where he is 3-0 with a 4.71 ERA and has allowed nine walks and 37 hits in 42 innings with 47 strikeouts.The latter statistic is a crucial indicator at Coors Field to Gray, 24, who is in his first full season in the big leagues.I think thats really the way you have to live here, he said. I dont necessarily think its a sinker thing or a ground ball thing. I just think you have to miss bats and be unpredictable. Dont let guys eliminate (the possibility of seeing) pitches.Gray has gotten considerably more comfortable as the season has gone on with his curveball, a pitch he started throwing in spring training.Even just show them the curveball first pitch for a strike -- they havent my slider yet and Ive already got a strike on them, Gray said. So Ive only got two more to go. Im looking for a quality pitch and with two strikes, its put-away time.In addition to a mid-90s fastball, a sharp-breaking slider and his curveball, Gray also throws a changeup.I feel like every pitch is there right now, he said. I feel like every pitch is a weapon.One of the Braves hitters Gray will oppose is Nick Markakis, who had a rather unusual streak end Thursday night. On his final at-bat in the ninth inning, Markakis struck out, swinging and missing strike three from Jason Motte.Markakis had gone 32 plate appearances without having swung and missed a pitch, a streak that began July 10 in the final game before the All-Star break and went seven full games and most of an eighth.Markakis hasnt reached 100 strikeouts in a season since 2008 and entered this season averaging one strikeout every 6.9 at-bats, which is good in todays game. This season, Markakis is hitting .260 in 94 games with 23 doubles, five homers and 47 RBI. He has 58 strikeouts and is averaging one strikeout every 6.2 at-bats.Hes got such a great eye at the plate, interim Braves manager Brian Snitker said. He doesnt expand the strike zone. Hes as disciplined a hitter as Ive seen. Its almost like if he takes a pitch, it probably was a ball.Hes got a really good eye, a good feel for the strike zone. Its like his at-bats, he really slows everything down to where he stays with balls a long time. Doesnt go out of the strike zone, obviously. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Cheap Calgary Flames Jerseys China . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. http://www.cheaphockeychina.com/ .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Hockey Jerseys China . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. Cheap Arizona Coyotes Jerseys China . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. LOS ANGELES -- Although Clay Helton is beginning his first full season as Southern Californias head coach, this transplanted Southerner has been around the West Coasts most glamorous college football program long enough to know its already time to start winning again.At USC, the bar is set high, Helton said. Its about championships. And if you dont like that bar, dont take the job.After six years as a steadying influence on the perpetually troubled Trojans during the tenures of fired coaches Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, Helton is finally in charge of a program that hasnt won a Pac-12 title since 2008.Thats the longest drought since the leagues genesis as an eight-team circuit in 1968, and the Trojans thirsty fans arent eager to wait through another rebuilding season. Neither is new athletic director Lynn Swann -- who took over after Helton had been given the permanent job by departing Pat Haden.Luckily for them, USC already has plenty of pieces in place for a resurgent season, including its usual stockpile of blue-chip talent. The Pac-12 Souths lack of a clear-cut favorite leaves the Trojans with ample reason to believe they can reach the Pac-12 title game -- where Stanford routed them last year.Helton doesnt have much of a rebuilding job to do. His offense is stocked with a veteran offensive line, JuJu Smith-Schusters fleet of receivers, and tremendous tailbacks Justin Davis and Ronald Jones II.Returning defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast also has plenty of five-star pieces, but Pete Carroll was the last coach to turn all that talent into a powerhouse when it really mattered. Helton realizes hell be compared to those dynastic teams of the past decade until he creates his own identity for the Trojans.The clock is already ticking.Heres what to know about USC:PICK A PASSER: Helton should make his choice on a starting quarterback by next weekend -- about two weeks before the season opener. Max Browne is in his fourth season on campus, finally out of Cody Kesslers shadow. Redshirt freshman Sam Darnold has made Heltons choice tougher than expected. No matter who is chosen to go first, the other quarterback will be ready to step in.CAMS BACK: One breakout star on last seasons defense was playmaking linebacker Cameron Smith, but the freshman missed the last four games with a knee injury.dddddddddddd He returns to provide steady play on a unit that must replace several major parts, including a defensive line missing six of its top seven players from last year.SHARING IS CARING: The Trojans will share the Coliseum for at least the next three years with the Los Angeles Rams, who only have four home games before the Trojans regular season ends Nov. 26. Theyll play back-to-back home games twice -- but since the Trojans play on Saturdays, they wont get the worst of any chewed-up turf. The Coliseum groundskeepers also appear to have stepped up their game, so the arrangement could be no problem.SEASON OPENER: After losing his final two games last season as the Trojans permanent coach, Helton will continue his tenure on Sept. 3 with a trip to Arlington, Texas, to play defending national champion Alabama at the Dallas Cowboys palatial stadium. It sounds like a foolproof recipe for a third straight defeat, but Helton only sees it as an opportunity for the memorable moments expected by any player with college footballs elite programs.KEY GAMES: Even after Alabama, USCs schedule is rough on a first-year coach. September alone includes visits to Stanford and Utah, and the Trojans have back-to-back road games at Washington and UCLA in November before returning for the annual intersectional rivalry game with Notre Dame. Sounds tough -- and sounds great to Helton. Play Alabama, play Notre Dame, play the Pac-12 schedule, he said. Its what dreams are made of.PREDICTION: After the ridiculous tumult of the past six seasons, USC could benefit from a calm, sensible fall of steady growth, even if it doesnt culminate in a Pac-12 championship. Helton knows all about the Trojans lofty expectations, and he realizes Swann will be looking closely at a coach he didnt hire. Given their sadistic schedule, it would be optimistic to expect more than eight wins from these Trojans -- but that still might put USC in position to win its division. ' ' '