uys need the exposure to those type games, and I enjoy all that, N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway said. But I dont lik

A look at whats happening all around the majors Friday:---PITCHING INTwo of the NLs ERA leaders square off when the Cubs Jason Hammel (7-4, 2.58) faces the Mets Jacob deGrom (3-4, 2.67). Hammel has lost three of his past four starts despite a 3.70 ERA, including a hard-luck 6-1 loss to Miami last time out in which Hammel allowed two runs in six innings. Luck hasnt been on deGroms side, either. The right-hander hasnt won since April 30, and New York lost 1-0 to Julio Teheran and the Braves in his last start.RELIEF NEEDEDAfter losing two straight to the Yankees on game-ending plays in the ninth inning, the Rangers and their struggling bullpen continue a 10-game road trip at Minnesota. Texas leads the majors with nine walk-off defeats, and no other team had more than five entering Thursday. Despite boasting the best record in the AL, Texas has the highest bullpen ERA (4.88) in the league. Despite all of that, the Rangers are an impressive 17-6 in one-run games.NO PLACE LIKE HOMECorey Seager and the Dodgers begin a season-high 10-game homestand with three games against the Rockies. Los Angeles banged-up rotation took another hit Thursday with news that Clayton Kershaw was headed for the disabled list , and newly acquired Bud Norris is expected to start the opener against Colorado. The Dodgers have been buoyed in the meantime by blossoming shortstop Corey Seager, who hit .337 with seven home runs and a 1.053 OPS in June.POWERLESS ANGELSThe Angels are 32-47 entering a three-game series in Boston, putting them on pace for the worst record in franchise history. Manager Mike Scioscia held a closed-door meeting after the team lost for the ninth time in 10 games Wednesday, and although everybody described the meeting as relatively upbeat, the Angels didnt emerge with any big ideas on how to slow a season going south. Among the reasons for Los Angeles struggles: the Angels rank in the bottom third of the AL in home runs and slugging percentage. We know weve seen some guys performing at their absolute worst for the first half, and we know theyre better than that, Scioscia said. Thats going to be our goal, to get those guys going in the right direction. ... I dont think these guys are taking losing in stride. I think thats a positive.WELCOME BACKAnthony DeSclafani (2-0, 1.52) looks for another solid start in a game against the Nationals. DeSclafani has been mostly dominant for the Reds since making his season debut in early June after recovering from an oblique injury. Last time out, the 26-year-old right-hander threw eight innings of five-hit ball in a 3-0 win over San Diego. Washington counters with right-hander Tanner Roark (7-5, 2.96).NFL Store Online . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Clearance NFL Shop . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. http://www.cheapnfljerseyswholesale.com/ . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Stitched Jerseys Wholesale . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Wholesale Jerseys For Sale . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night.(STATS) -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough and his players are going into their MEAC opener hoping the worst is behind them.Most of the other conference teams have similar feelings.Only one of the 11 teams has a winning record and seven of them are winless after an opening three weeks of the season in which the MEAC posted a 4-23 record in out-of-conference games.South Carolina State, a perennial title contender in the conference, has had the worst of it, losing to three FBS opponents, including shutouts against UCF and Clemson.North Carolina A&T, ranked 21st in the STATS FCS Top 25, has come out looking the best at 2-1, having beaten FBS (Kent State) and Division II (St. Augustines) opponents. Overall, the MEAC is 1-14 against FBS opponents, 0-8 versus FCS teams and 3-1 against D-II programs.I think weve scheduled in a lot of ways heavily against the teams that were probably better than us, South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough said. The league as a whole, I think is pretty representative of what they were last year. I think we have a lot of young teams.The sorting out process in the conference starts to take shape on Saturday. There are four conference matchups, including South Carolina State at Florida A&M, in addition to Delaware State playing an impossible game at Missouri -- one of only four out-of-conference games remaining for MEAC teams.FAMU is very similar to us, Pough said. Theyve played three games and hadnt gotten a win yet. I guess the big talk sounds like to me is everybody talking about the guarantee deal (against FBS teams) and theyve played a game or two that way, too. Of course, we both need a win at this point. Its imperative that we move intto our conference race now on a positive note.ddddddddddddA tough start to the season is not new to the MEAC. September is usually reserved for playing FBS opponents, and wins over them are few and far between. But the paydays with such games, which generally go into the hundreds of thousands, are viewed as necessary for the athletic budgets.All 11 MEAC programs except Norfolk State are playing at least one FBS program. South Carolina State went to the extreme with three FBS opponents (Louisiana Tech was the other). UT Martin from the Ohio Valley Conference is the only other FCS team playing three FBS opponents, but one is Hawaii, so its doing so in a 12-game schedule.I like the idea of playing some of those guys and I think our guys need the exposure to those type games, and I enjoy all that, N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway said. But I dont like the idea of why we play em. I think thats a different story.Guarantee games that everybody is playing now, Norfolk State coach Latrell Scott said, were doing it because we have to, not necessarily because we want to. When youre given a challenge, you have to embrace those challenges.The challenge now is in the conference race. Hampton has the early jump with a victory over Howard last Saturday.N.C. A&T was installed as the favorite by a preseason vote of MEAC coaches, with Bethune-Cookman picked second and North Carolina Central third. Those three teams tied for the title last season, and A&T represented the conference in the inaugural Celebration Bowl, where the Aggies beat SWAC champion Alcorn State. ' ' '