Funkerstation » Charles said, It could have been better,

NEW YORK -- Thanks to a surprising comeback win Thursday night, the New York Mets snapped a four-game losing streak, but the result didnt change their approach as they try to work their way through an extended offensive drought.This is how we have to grind right now, Mets second baseman Neil Walker said late Thursday night following a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field.The Mets will host the Cubs again Friday night in the second game of a four-game series.This was a very, very good game for us, especially on the offensive side, Walker said. We got to grind out at-bats, make the pitchers work, got ourselves some opportunities.Walker was credited with the game-tying RBI in the seventh inning Thursday, when Alejandro De Aza scored from third on Walkers chopper to second base. Javier Baez tried throwing out Brandon Nimmo at third, but his throw sailed past Kris Bryant, and Nimmo raced home with the winning run.The rally was keyed by De Aza, who worked an eight-pitch walk against Joel Peralta, and Nimmo, who ended a nine-pitch battle with a single off Peralta.We have to do this, day in and day out, to have some success until we get on a little bit of a roll, Walker said of the Mets, who scored just eight runs during their losing streak.The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Cubs, who led 3-0 in the sixth inning.You never want to lose a game when you have the lead, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. All losses are pretty tough to swallow, especially the close ones.Still, the Mets (41-37) werent the only ones who left Thursday night feeling pretty good about themselves. Maddon was encouraged by how close the Cubs (51-27) came to tying the game in both the eighth and ninth innings.The Cubs had two on and two outs in the eighth, when pinch hitter Jason Heyward grounded out to end the threat. Chicago loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before Mets closer Jeurys Familia struck out Willson Contreras and induced Baez to pop out to first.It indicates the kind of tenacity our group has, and I love it, Maddon said. I actually love every second of it.The Mets are scheduled to send right-hander Jacob deGrom to the mound against Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel.DeGrom will be looking to earn his first win in two months. He is winless since April 30, a 10-start stretch in which he is 0-4 despite a 3.13 ERA. In his most recent start last Saturday, deGrom threw eight scoreless innings but didnt factor into the decision in the Mets 1-0, 11-inning win at Atlanta.Hammel is looking to snap a four-start winless streak, during which he has gone 0-3 with a 3.70 ERA as his overall ERA has risen to a season-high 2.58. He took the defeat in his most recent start Sunday, when he gave up two runs over six innings in the Cubs 6-1 loss to the Miami Marlins.Neither starting pitcher has beaten his Friday opponent. In three career starts against the Cubs, deGrom is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA. Hammel is 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in five career starts against the Mets. Jose Iglesias Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Authentic Tigers Jerseys . 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Lance Parrish Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. West Indians 166 for 7 (Pooran 47*, Charles 42, Raza 3-20, Naveed 3-20) beat Emirates Cricket Board XI 144 for 6 (Qasim 46, Badree 3-20) by 22 runsScorecard The West Indians opened their tour of the UAE by overcoming a top-order wobble against an Emirates Cricket Board XI to win the T20 warm-up fixture by 22 runs in Dubai.Opening batsman Johnson Charles made runs after West Indies chose to bat, but Nos. 2, 3 and 4 failed, leaving the team 48 for 3 in the seventh over. Charles fell in the 11th over, having scored 42 off 32 balls, and the innings was in the hands of two youngsters who were yet to make their international debuts.The Jamaican Rovman Powell, 23, contributed 38 off 31 balls, relatively sedate compared to the 20-year-old Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran, whose unbeaten 47 took only 23 deliveries. Pooran hit four fours and three sixes in his innings, leading the West Indians to 166 for 7 in 20 overs. The more experienced Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder were dismissed for 1 and 3 respectively.Charles felt the two newcomers played brilliantly: Pooran especially at the end there, coming and getting us to a solid total. Rovman also played a good innings, in that hee helped us recover.dddddddddddd Kudos to them. I would just let them know that they have to carry on and be the building block.On his own innings, Charles said, It could have been better, but the pitch was a bit on the slow side, it was very dry. So definitely there will have to be some change in the way I play. We still need to get accustomed to the conditions, theres still a bit of jet lag. We have to get past that, put in the training sessions and put in a lot of workThe defence was spearheaded by the West Indian spinners. The legspinner Samuel Badree struck in the second and fourth overs, and the offspinner Sunil Narine broke a 73-run partnership for the third wicket between Shaiman Anwar and Mohammad Qasim by striking with successive balls. UAE were 92 for 4 and their challenge fizzled when Badree had Qasim stumped for 46 off 54 balls. The home side was restricted to 144 for 6 in 20 overs.Narine finished with 2 for 21 in four overs, while Badree claimed 3 for 20, the same figures as two ECB XI bowlers - Mohammad Naveed and Ahmed Raza. ' ' '