specialist Victoria Arenas had a team-high 13 digs, and

PITTSBURGH -- John Lackey fielded phone calls from plenty of interested teams in the offseason. Yet the veteran pitcher opted for the Chicago Cubs.Sure, the money was good. The opportunity was even better.I had some pretty good offers from other people and I chose this one for a reason, Lackey said. Its all here.Looks like it.Lackey worked through five innings, Chris Coghlan hit a three-run triple and the Cubs held off the staggering Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 on Tuesday night. Coghlans second-inning drive off the wall in right-center against Ryan Vogelsong (3-7) gave the NL Central champions all the offense they would need to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Chicago improved to 101-56, the clubs highest victory total since it won 104 games in 1910.Pittsburgh was eliminated from postseason contention when San Francisco won later Tuesday, ending a run of three-straight playoff appearances.Dexter Fowler added an RBI double for the Cubs. Lackey (11-8) worked around five hits and three walks to win his last regular season start. The 37-year-old finished his 14th season 11-8 with a 3.35 ERA and has looked fresh since a stint on the disabled list to rest his right shoulder. Lackey is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA since coming off the DL earlier this month.The rest was good for him, manager Joe Maddon said. Hes going into the postseason well rested. Just got to keep these guys sharp.Lackeys next start will be in the playoffs, a time of year the two-time World Series champion knows well. Hes 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA in the postseason and doesnt think Maddon will need to do anything too extravagant to keep him engaged during the lengthy downtime.I dont know about (simulation) games, Lackey said. I can throw a bullpen and be just fine. I dont need to see somebody up there. I know how to throw the ball over the plate.Felix Pena recorded the final two outs for his first career save after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run single off Justin Grimm to get the Pirates within two. Pena struck out Sean Rodriguez with the bases loaded to end it.Overall we did play pretty well, Maddon said. We got everybody involved, which is good. Theres a lot to be happy with.Vogelsong allowed four runs in five innings and fell to 0-3 with a 9.55 ERA in September. The 39-year-old managed to get out of a two-on situation in the first but couldnt in the second. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases for Coghlan. The outfielder narrowly missed his first career grand slam when the ball landed just below the top of the fence. He sped to third for his second triple since rejoining Chicago in a trade with Oakland in June.Just an unacceptable start, Vogelsong said. No excuses. Just unacceptable.Lackey made sure it stood, though not without some shaky moments. He needed a double play to thwart a potentially big inning in the second and his defense bailed him out when Jordy Mercers line drive with the bases loaded in the fourth went straight to second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who flipped to second to double off Rodriguez.The Pirates went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position -- both hits coming in the ninth -- and left 11 men on base.STREAK ENDSPittsburgh reliever Juan Nicasio gave up two runs in the ninth and failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 34 appearances, ending his club-record streak.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler remained in Chicago while dealing with tightness in his side but could rejoin the team in Cincinnati on Friday. Maddon said an MRI on Soler came back negative, but with the division already clinched theres no rush to get Soler back on the field. Side bothers him, nothing horrible, nothing to be highly concerned about, Maddon said. I dont know what we think right now, except that it wasnt bad.Pirates: LF Starling Marte remained out of the starting lineup with back stiffness and grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the fifth. The All-Star has just three plate appearances -- all as a pinch hitter -- since Sept. 5. My brothers are out there battling and I wish I could get out there with them, Marte said.UP NEXT:Cubs: Jake Arrieta (18-7, 2.85 ERA) makes his final start of the regular season. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner is 9-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates.Pirates: Rookie Jameson Taillon (4-4, 3.49) faces the Cubs for the second time this season. Chicago touched him for four runs in four innings of a 10-5 loss on June 19. LeVeon Bell Jets Jersey . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener. Quinnen Williams Youth Jersey . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Trevon-Wesco-Jersey/ .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Trevon Wesco Womens Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Curtis Martin Womens Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. BATON ROUGE, La. - Texas A&M stormed back after a sluggish first set to defeat LSU, 22-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-6 in Southeastern Conference action tonight at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.Texas A&M improves to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in SEC matches as the Aggies win their fourth consecutive match against the Tigers in matches played in Baton Rouge. It was the fifth consecutive loss for LSU, which falls to 5-9 overall and 0-3 in SEC matches. The Tigers also fall to 0-7 in home matches as they were held to their three fewest set points of the season.Junior outside hitter Kiara McGee led the Aggies with 16 kills while hitting a career-high .519. Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers and freshman outside hitter Hollann Hans pitched in 10 kills apiece, marking Hans team-leading sixth consecutive match with double-figure kills. Junior setter Stephanie Aiple tied her career high with eight kills and dished out 42 assists while directing the Aggies offense to a .344 hitting efficiency.Defensively, Babers had a season-high 10 blocks to record her first double-double of the year and lead the Aggies to a 15-4 lead in blocks. Senior defensive specialist Victoria Arenas had a team-high 13 digs, and the Aggies held the Tigers to a .074 hitting efficiency, the third lowest hitting percentage by an A&M opponent this season.LSU took advantage of a slow start by the Aggies and jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the opening set. Texas A&M attempted a comeback, scoring six unanswered points to get within 12-11, but LSU ended the run with three consecutive kills.Texas A&M, which was narrowly outhit A&M, .265 to .262, continueed to mount a comeback and stayed within striking distance, later overcoming a 20-16 deficit to tie the score at 21-21 on a kill by Emily Hardesty.ddddddddddddA&M tied the score again at 22-22 following a block by Babers and Aiple, but the Tigers put down three consecutive kills to close out the frame.The Aggies held a 16-14 lead in the second set before catching fire. Texas A&M, which outhit the Tigers .382 to .139 in the set, reeled off nine consecutive points to take the set, 25-14.?A&M spotted LSU a 4-0 lead to start the third set and trailed 7-3 before Hans ignited a 16-1 run, posting her six kills of the set and adding two blocks during the rally. McGee was six-for-six in the set, including the kill that put the Aggies at set point, 24-12, and then getting the set-wining kill as A&M outhit LSU, .378 to .029.A&M continued its domination in the fourth set, scoring runs of points and outhitting the Tigers, .389 to -.267, with senior setter Kaysie Shebeneck replacing Aiple at 15-3. The Aggies were up 20-5 when Hans put down her 10th kill, marking the start of a 4-0 run by the Aggies. Freshman middle blocker Maddie Douglas, who subbed in for Babers late in the frame, teamed with junior opposite Ashlie Reasor for a block that put the Aggies at set point. A&M then had an attack error before Shebeneck set up Reasor for the match-winning kill.For the match, Texas A&M led LSU in total kills (59-39), assists (51-35) and digs (62-49) and had a season-high 28 block assists. ' ' '