night. Story leads all major league rookies in home runs (21) an

NEW YORK -- A series that began Thursday with the New York Mets hoping to close the gap on the Washington Nationals in the National League East will end Sunday with the Mets merely hoping to get back to where they were Thursday -- and the Nationals striving to return to where they were 12 days ago.The Mets and Nationals will close out the first half Sunday with the finale of a four-game series at Citi Field. Washington won its second straight game Saturday, when former New York second baseman Daniel Murphy went 3-for-4 with four RBI in a 6-1 victory.With the win, the National League East-leading Nationals (53-36) increased their lead over the second-place Mets (47-40) to five games. Even if New York wins Sunday, Washington will have the same four-game lead it maintained entering the series.Really excited about where were at right now, said Murphy, who belted his 16th homer of the season Saturday, two more than his previous career high set with the Mets last season. Try to finish the first half off the right way (Sunday).A win by the Nationals, meanwhile, will give them the six-game lead they had following a sweep of the Mets in Washington, D.C. on June 29. After Sunday, the Mets and Nationals have just six head-to-head games remaining, all in September.Theyre keyed up coming in here trying to open up a big lead, Mets manager Terry Collins said. Weve just got to get back (Sunday) and grind it out. Weve got one more chance to finish up and even the series, which would be a good finish for us going into the break.A pair of slumping left-handers will take the mound Sunday, when Steven Matz pitches for the Mets against the Nationals Gio Gonzalez.Matz, who will be starting for the third time on the Mets season-long 11-game home stand, is winless in his last seven starts, a stretch in which he is 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA. He took a hard-luck loss in his most recent start Tuesday, when he carried a shutout into the seventh before giving up a two-run homer to Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton in what turned out to be a 5-2 defeat.Matz earned his most recent win in his lone career start against the Nationals on May 25, when he threw a career-high eight shutout innings in the Mets 2-0 victory.Gonzalez, meanwhile, is just 1-7 with a 7.66 ERA in his last nine starts. He took the defeat on Tuesday, when he gave up three runs over six innings as the Nationals lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2.Fortunately for Gonzalez, he will be pitching in a place he has enjoyed plenty of success. Gonzalez is 7-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 12 career starts at Citi Field, where he allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in earning the win in his most recent outing May 18.Gonzalez is 10-5 with a 3.04 ERA in 19 career starts against the Mets. Black Friday Shoes China . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Fake Black Friday Shoes . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. https://www.shoesblackfriday.com/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Black Friday Shoes Store . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Wholesale Black Friday Shoes . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. DENVER -- Trevor Story broke out of a slump in grand fashion.Story tied an NL rookie record for most home runs before the All-Star break, homering twice and boosting his total to 21 while the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Thursday night.Story, one of five players on the ballot for the last NL All-Star spot, had a three-run drive in the third and a solo shot in the fifth. He snapped an 0-for-17 skid that accompanied playing through a bruised middle finger and thumb suffered when he was hit in the hand by a pitch June 26 against Arizona.The last couple of nights, I felt good out there, Story said. I just havent had the results. You just simplify, keep working, trust your preparation in the cage and how its going to translate to the field.It translated well enough for Story to join Dave Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only NL rookies to hit 21 home runs prior to the break.Any time youre with guys like that, its an honor. To have done what theyve done, its pretty cool, Story said.Rockies manager Walt Weiss saw Story making strides at the plate as his hand injury improved.Its good to see him swinging the bat, Weiss said. I felt like even though he hadnt gotten many hits the last few games, I saw better at-bats. He really hit those two balls tonight. Its been an unbelievable first half, quite a way to start a career.Mark Reynolds also homered and doubled to drive in four runs for the Rockies, helping to back Chad Bettis (7-6), who kept the Phillies in check while pitching into the seventh. DJ LeMahieu added three hits, including an RBI single in the Rockies five-run seventh.Ryan Howard had a home run for the Phillies in the second, his 12th of the season and 369th of his career to tie Ralph Kiner and former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton for 78th place on the career list. Maikel Franco doubled and singled but had his home run streak snapped at four games.The Rockies scored runs in the first three innings, starting with Nolan Arenados RBI double in the first off Adam Morgan (1-7). Morgan allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings and dropped to 0-7 in his last nine starts. After the game, Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.ddddddddddddYou never like to send anybody out, Phillies manager Peter Mackanin said. He knows what he has to do to improve.Morgan was told of his demotion during a postgame meeting with his manager.It was a good conversation, Morgan said. They shot me straight. Thats all you can ask for as a player. It was good, it was the truth and I needed to hear it. My point of view right now is I can only go up from here.Reynolds led off the second with his ninth home run, and in the third, with LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez aboard, Story drove a 3-2 offering from Morgan into the left-field bleachers for his first homer of the game and a 5-1 Rockies lead.Story put the Rockies up 6-2 in the fifth with his second homer.Reynolds keyed Colorados five-run burst in the seventh with his bases-loaded double.Bettis allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.GET OUT THE VOTEWith fan balloting for the final NL All-Star berth nearing a close, Story made his pitch for last-minute votes with his big night. Story leads all major league rookies in home runs (21) and RBI (55).TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: RHP Andrew Bailey (left hamstring strain) should be activated Saturday when he is eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. ... RHP Aaron Nola, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday to give him a breather before the All-Star break, was scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game Saturday.Rockies: With RHP Christian Bergman nearing a return from a strained left oblique that has sidelined him since May 20, team officials are discussing whether to insert him into the rotation or use him in long relief.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (7-2) has won his last two starts since being reinstated June 27 from the 15-day disabled list. He spent time on the DL because of a right biceps strain.Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (5-4) is slated to make his seventh start this season at Coors Field, where he has gone 3-0 with a 5.05 ERA.---This story has been corrected to show that Ryan Howard has hit 369 homers, not 370. ' ' '