Clanregeln » lief in Torontos 19-inning loss to Cleve

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul cant remember the last time the New York Giants won four games in a row.Fourth-year defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and third-year receiver Odell Beckham Jr. havent experienced the feeling of being in the postseason chase.Victor Cruz knows the playoff feeling, but its been a while.Halfway through the season, the Giants (5-3) are in the playoff hunt. Theyve won three straight and head into Mondays night game against Bengals team that is desperate. Their five-year streak of making the playoffs is in danger.While they beat Cleveland and tied Washington in their last two games, the Bengals (3-4-1) needed Washington to miss a 34-yard field goal late in overtime to avoid a loss in London on Oct. 30.Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton knows this game takes on more importance coming out of the bye week.Its big, Dalton said. Its the start of the second half of the season. Theres a lot out there for us to go take. Its the first opportunity in the second half to go take it. Its important to get a fast start.The Giants just want to keep things going. They have not won four in a row since 2013 .That long? Pierre-Paul said.That was the year Hankins was drafted by the Giants. Beckham was taken the following season.This is the first time for me and I dont want to think about it too much, Hankins said. We just have to continue doing what we are doing, taking one game at a time until we get to the point where we see who is in the playoffs and where we fall.This is new for Beckham, who has seen the Giants post 6-10 records the past two seasons despite his contributions.We have a great opportunity ahead of us, Beckham said. A position I havent been in since Ive been here. Its great to feel this way. Its great to be 5-3 at the moment. You cant sit here and be complacent with it.Cruz, who missed most of the last two seasons, is excited.It is starting to get into my belly a little bit now and it feels good, obviously, as a team to get into that mode, he said We just have to remember that it is still a long season.Some things to note for the nationally televised game:JACKRABBIT VS. A.J.: Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkin, `Jackrabbit to his teammates, has gone against the oppositions top receivers most of this season. That means he will likely travel with A.J. Green , who lead the NFL with 59 catches and is second with 896 yards receiving. The two were paired last year when the Rams, Jenkins old team, faced the Bengals and Green. He had two TD catches.NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY: The Bengals are making a familiar trip. They opened the season with a 23-22 win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Its only the second time in team history theyve played two road games in the same stadium in the same season. They also made two trips to the Meadowlands in 2008.The win over the Jets ended a streak of nine straight losses to the Jets on the road and marked their first win at the Meadowlands. Theyre 0-3 at the Giants.Yeah, thats weird, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. Im expecting to go out there and see the green, but its going to be blue, so its kind of flip-flopping with your mind. But it will be cool.MONDAY NIGHT WOES: The Bengals played two Monday night games last season and lost both, leaving them 11-22 all-time on Monday nights. Theyve never played a New York team on Monday night. They beat Miami on Thursday night earlier this season, and have two more night games scheduled: hosting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Dec. 18, and playing at Houston on Christmas eve.GIANTS LINE WOES: With left guard Justin Pugh likely to be sidelined for a month with a sprained right knee, the Giants are not saying whether Brett Jones replaces Pugh or they will make other moves. Bobby Hart, who has played right tackle since Marshall Newhouse was hurt in the second game of the season, could replace Pugh and allow Newhouse to return to right tackle. Whatever happens, the line needs to improve. The leagues worst running game has been held under 80 yards the past five games.RING OF HONOR. The Giants will induct two-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin, former general manager Ernie Accorsi and defensive lineman Justin Tuck into their Ring of Honor at halftime.---AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and -http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Mecole Hardman Jersey Large .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Cheap Custom Chiefs Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. http://www.customchiefsjersey.com/ . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Authentic Custom Chiefs Jersey . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Custom Mecole Hardman Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. TORONTO -- J.A. Happ got hit hard the last time he faced Detroit.This time around, he tamed the Tigers with an effective high fastball.Happ and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout, Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 6-0 victory over Detroit on Friday night.Happ did an excellent job against us, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. We have a lot of trouble with him.In his final start before the All-Star break, Happ (12-3) matched his career-high in wins by giving up six hits, striking out nine and walking none in 5 2/3 innings. The left-hander, who went 12-4 for Philadelphia in 2009, has won six consecutive starts.Its definitely nice, Happ said of his 12th victory. Its a testament to the team and our bullpen. I feel good about how this first half has gone.Happ allowed six runs in five innings in an 11-0 defeat at Comerica Park on June 6. He hasnt lost since.He did make a few adjustments, Detroits James McCann said. He used his fastball up in the zone a little bit more than he did at our place.Jesse Chavez worked 1 1/3 innings and Bo Schultz finished as Toronto won for the seventh time in nine meetings with Detroit.Tigers right-hander Mike Pelfrey (2-8) allowed one run and six hits in six innings. He has won just once in seven starts.My command wasnt really that great tonight, Pelfrey said. I was pretty excited to pitch and I know how good of a lineup that is so I knew I had to bring it. I probably had too much adrenaline.Torontos only run against Pelfrey came in the fifth. Darwin Barney hit a leadoff double, advanced on Ezequiel Carreras single and scored when Josh Donaldson grounded into a double play.The Blue Jays added four more in the seventh against relievers Kyle Ryan and Bobby Parnell. Kevin Pillar hit an RBI double off Ryan, who left after walking Carrera. Parnell came on and got Donaldson to pop out before Encarnacion drilled his 23rd home run, a blast into the center field party deck.ddddddddddddddie is having a heck of a year, manager John Gibbons said. He crushed that ball.Encarnacion leads the majors with 80 RBI.Detroit has lost four of five.NIFTY FIFTYToronto (50-39) won its 50th game before the All-Star break for the first time since 1992. Its the fourth time the Blue Jays have hit 50 wins before the break.MAN OF THE PEOPLEBlue Jays OF Michael Saunders became an All-Star after winning the AL Final Vote contest. Saunders collected 17.7 million votes.ROSTER SHUFFLEToronto optioned RHP Drew Hutchison to Triple-A Buffalo and recalled INF Andy Burns from the Bisons. Hutchison started against Detroit Thursday in place of RHP Marco Estrada (back).TRAINERS ROOMTigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann, on the 15-day DL since July 4, has been diagnosed with a strained muscle in his neck and expects to resume throwing over the All-Star break.Blue Jays: INF Ryan Goins, who went on the DL with a strained forearm after pitching an inning of relief in Torontos 19-inning loss to Cleveland on July 1, is taking ground balls but has yet to resume throwing.UP NEXTTigers: Former Blue Jays farmhand Matt Boyd will start for Detroit Saturday. The left-hander was acquired in the July, 2015, deal that sent David Price to Toronto. Boyd is 0-2 with a 6.44 ERA in six games, five starts, for the Tigers this season. Parnell was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to make room for Boyd.Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (9-1, 2.94) has allowed one run in eighth innings in each of his past two starts, posting victories over Colorado and Kansas City. Sanchez allowed two runs in eight innings in a 3-2 defeat at Detroit on June 7. He has not lost a decision since April 22 against Oakland. ' ' '