HOUSTON -- After their pitching carried them to a pair of victories this week and set the stage for a series sweep of the Seattle Mariners, the Houston Astros turned to their offense to seal the deal in a 9-8 win Wednesday night.Entering Wednesday, the Astros owned the second-best ERA (3.43) in the American League since May 1. Despite an off night on the mound in the finale against Seattle, Houston (46-39) generally is showcasing impressive pitching depth.We have a lot of guys that are pitch executers and are really good at it, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. Sometimes that comes with some disrespect (from the opposition). I feel like our guys can stand their own, and when we go out and pitch our game, we have every opportunity to win (that) game, which is the role of the starting pitcher.You have to earn that over time, and sometimes the narrative doesnt follow the facts. I love our pitching staff, we have ways to get better, and I look forward to seeing if the script can maintain this type of consistency the rest of the season.Astros right-hander Doug Fister (8-5, 3.66 ERA) will seek to rebound against the Athletics on Thursday from consecutive losses following a career-high-tying, seven-game winning streak. Fister surrendered five runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on July 2, the most runs he allowed since April 14 against the Kansas City Royals.Fister has enjoyed success against the Athletics this season and throughout his career. He is 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two starts against Oakland in 2016, allowing one earned run over 12 2/3 innings. For his career, Fister is 7-6 with a 3.17 ERA over 15 starts against the As.Athletics left-hander Rich Hill (8-3, 2.31 ERA) will make his 10th career appearance and sixth start against the Astros, against whom he is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA.Hill will make his second start since his return from the disabled list. Sidelined for the entire month of June due to left groin discomfort, Hill allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings against the Pirates on July 2, a game the Athletics lost 4-2.Everything was good command, Hill said. Breaking ball was good, changeup was good, slider was good. I just expect more out of myself going out there. When we go out there and score two runs we (need) a shutdown inning to keep us ahead and let them work. Thats one thing that didnt sit well with me.The 36-year-old veteran had won five consecutive starts before landing on the DL.The Athletics (36-49) have lost six of seven games and were swept in three games in their last visit to Houston. Perhaps the only recent bright spot for Oakland was the Wednesday performance of ace right-hander Sonny Gray, who allowed one run over six innings in a 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cheap Jerseys USA . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. http://www.cheapcnjerseystousa.com/ . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Cheap NHL Jerseys . 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. China Jerseys Authentic . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well.Steve McClaren has been dismissed by Newcastle just nine months after taking charge at St James Park. The club confirmed the news on Friday morning and Sky Sports News HQ understands Newcastle are in advanced talks with Rafa Benitez over a three-year deal for him to replace McClaren, who left with the Magpies 19th in the Premier League and one point from safety. McClaren was relieved of his duties by Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley - SSN HQ understands he chose to take the news over the phone rather than meet face-to-face - after toiling through a campaign which saw his side win just six times in 28 Premier League, including just two of their last 12. Skys Keith Downie brings us the news that Newcastle have sacked Steve McClaren A statement from Charnley on the clubs official website read: After the defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday the club has spent some time considering its position and has today concluded that Steve McClarens employment with the club will end with immediate effect. Five games which cost McClaren Newcastle sack Steve McClaren: Five games which cost him his job We acknowledge that reaching this decision has taken a number of days and that this has caused uncertainty for everyone involved, in particular for Steve and the players, for which we apologise. However we felt that this time was necessary to ensure the right decisions were reached with the best interests of the club at heart. Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez could be next up for Newcastle I would like to thank Steve personally for his services to Newcastle United. He is a man of integrity and class and he has conducted himself with great dignity during this difficult time.Steve worked tirelessly to try and bring success to Newcastle United. He has the utmost respect of all the players, staff and management and he leaves with our very best wishes and sincere thanks. McClaren in quotes Steve McClarens managerial highs and lows in quotes We feel that a change is now needed in order to give the club the best possible chance of securing its Premier League future. A further announcement on a successor to Steve will be made in due course. Paul Merson says the way Newcastle United have sacked Steve McClaren is poor and disrespectful Benitez, who has been without a club since being sacked by Real Madrid in January, has been told that he will be able bring his own backroom staff to the club.dddddddddddd He arrived in Newcastle on Friday afternoon for face-to-face talks with the club and Sky Sports News HQ understands there very good chance the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss will be in charge in time to take training at the weekend and be in the dugout for the Monday Night Football clash with league leaders Leicester City. The relegation run-in Premier League relegation battle: Newcastle, Sunderland, Norwich and Aston Villas run-ins analysed McClaren was appointed last June as a replacement for John Carver and was expected to improve on the clubs 15th-place finish last season.He was allowed to invest in his squad and has spent £78m during his time on Tyneside, including £29m in January. As Steve McClaren looks set for a Newcastle exit, we look back at where it went wrong in the Newcastle managers own words That made Newcastle the Premier Leagues biggest spenders in the mid-season transfer window but it has had little impact.Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksander Mitrovic, Florian Thauvin, Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend were all recruited by McClaren for eight-figure sums. We take a look at Rafael Benitezs career since he arrived in England back in 2004 Of those, only Wijnaldum and Shelvey have been seen as successes by the clubs fans, with the latter appointed as captain in the injured Fabricio Coloccinis absence.Alan Pardew had been manager at Newcastle for more than four years until January 2015 following a period which saw the club have six other managers in as many years from 2004 to 2010. Also See: Five games which cost McClaren McClaren in quotes Shelvey: We let McClaren down Rafas ups and downs Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '