Support » ance last week in their win over Brisbane, with JT the catalyst

PITTSBURGH -- In his second start since coming off the disabled list, Gerrit Cole felt more like himself.It still wasnt enough to outpitch Zach Eflin.Eflin threw his first major-league shutout to overshadow Coles six strong innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 Friday night.Cole allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts over six innings for Pittsburgh, which entered with the majors best record since June 24.Ive been working hard. Tonight was obviously a good step in the right direction, Cole said. Not the outcome that we wanted or necessarily the results that we wanted, but I had to make some pitches and got the ball on the ground. A good bounce-back start after Washington. That was frustrating.Cole (5-6) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings against the Nationals on July 16, the rightys first start since June 10 because of a right triceps strain.He was much better Friday but was lifted for a pinch hitter after a sixth inning in which he escaped by allowing only one run following loading the bases with no outs.He did a very good job in the sixth inning to finish that off, manager Clint Hurdle said. One walk, seven strikeouts. First-pitch strikes were 18 out of 26. I thought he pitched well.But not as well as Eflin (3-3), who had six strikeouts, allowed three hits and did not walk a batter as he threw 100 pitches for his second complete game over his past four outings. In the majors for just 39 days, the 22-year-old is one of only seven pitchers to have multiple complete games this season.I was able to stay ahead and get quick outs, Eflin said. All four of my pitches were working today.Cameron Rupp had a home run and three RBI and Odubel Herrera had three hits and scored twice for the Phillies, who entered having lost four of five.John Jaso had two of the Pirates three hits, including their only one for extra bases (a leadoff double in the second).I thought the sixth inning was going to come back to haunt us when we didnt score, said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, whose team had lost its past six at PNC Park dating to 2014.It was a good game for us; we havent won a lot of games here over the last few years so it was good to at least set the tone for this series.Jaso twice advanced to second base, but no baserunner reached third against Eflin, who has allowed 11 earned runs over his past seven outings since allowing nine in his major-league debut June 14 at Toronto.The closest the Pirates appeared to come to scoring was when Herrera made a leaping grab at the wall in center on a ball Jung Ho Kang hit in the fifth.Eflin faced 29 Pirates in collecting 27 outs.He kept the ball out of the middle, he changed locations, he changed velocity, kept it down, Hurdle said. It was a mix of everything.BEANBALLSThe clubs exchanged plunking the opponents No. 3 hitter with pitches in the first inning. Philadelphias Maikel Franco left the game during the fourth -- three innings after he was hit in the left wrist by a 96-mph fastball by Cole -- for what the team said were precautionary reasons. Eflin responded by hitting Andrew McCutchen in the bottom of the first, drawing a warning to both benches from home plate umpire Tony Randazzo. Two more Phillies, however, were hit by pitches over the remainder of the game.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: A day after being a late scratch from the lineup because of flu-like symptoms, OF Starling Marte was back in left field and batting cleanup Friday.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Aaron Nola (5-8, 4.41) is coming off an outing in which he pitched six shutout innings Monday against Miami.Pirates: Hurdle confirmed after the game that the club intends on having RHP Tyler Glasnow make his second major league start Saturday. One of the games top pitching prospects, Glasnow has a 1.94 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 102 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis. Nike Air Max 270 React Black . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Nike Air Max 270 Clearance . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. http://www.max270cheap.com/off-white-x-nike-men-s-air-max-270-black-white-ah8050-011.html . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 Ispa . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Friday, September 23Cronulla Sharks ($2.20) vs North Queensland Cowboys ($1.70), Allianz Stadium at 7:55pmTeam news: The week off has been timely for Cronulla -- the Sharks naming both explosive forward Sam?Tagataese and captain Paul Gallen; the skippers back injury has seen him on light duties but he has declared himself a certain starter after missing the qualifying final in week one.Joseph Paulo will miss the game with a knee injury while Wade Graham should play but has been monitored since suffering concussion early in the win against Canberra.Cowboys forward Ethan Lowe has already been ruled out for the season and will undergo spinal surgery this week. Co-captain Matt Scott continues to nurse a back injury but has been named, while the premiers will be boosted by the return of centre Kane Linnett. Winger Antonio Winterstein has however been ruled out with his place taken by Javid Bowen.Key head-to-head: Jason Taumalolo vs Paul GallenThis clash will be a worth the price of admission alone and threatens to shake the very foundations of Allianz Stadium.Its the young bull in Jason Taumalolo against the old warhorse in Paul Gallen. The toughness of the Sharks veteran can never be questioned but Im not sure it will be enough to get the better of the Cowboys wrecking ball.Taumalolo credits Gallen as the player he idolises more than any other and both have racked up an average of more than 160 metres with the ball each game this season.This could possibly be Gallens last big chance to ice his glittering career with a premiership and it might just be possible if he can conquer Taumalolo on Friday night.Sharks:?1. Ben Barba 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Jack Bird 4. Ricky Leutele 5. Valentine Holmes 6. James Maloney 7. Chad Townsend 8. Andrew Fifita 9. Michael Ennis 10. Matt Prior 11. Luke Lewis 12. Wade Graham 13. Paul Gallen (c)?Interchange:?14. Gerard Beale 15. Chris Heighington 16. Kurt Capewell 17. Jason Bukuya 18. Sam TagataeseCowboys:?1. Lachlan Coote 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin ONeill 4. Kane Linnett 5. Javid Bowen 6. Michael Morgan 7. Johnathan Thurston (c) 8. Matt Scott (c) 9. Jake Granville 10. James Tamou 11. Gaviin Cooper 12.dddddddddddd. Coen Hess 13. Jason Taumalolo Interchange: 14. Rory Kostjasyn 15. John Asiata 16. Scott Bolton 17. Ben HannantKey Stats:?The Cowboys eliminated the Sharks from last years finals series with a 39-0 beltingThe Sharks have a 51 percent winning record at Allianz Stadium but have won their last four there?The Cowboys have won just six of 21 at Allianz Stadium, havent won there since 2010 and lost their only clash against the Sharks at the venueUBET verdict:?$2.20 Sharks, $1.70 CowboysOne of the rare occasions where the side who had the week off (Cronulla) are at home in Week 3 of the finals and find themselves as the outsiders. The Sharks have only won four of their last 11 matches against the Cowboys, but they are a much better side this season. The Cowboys put in another wonderful performance last week in their win over Brisbane, with JT the catalyst behind that. Many think that game, and extra time played, may well have sapped the energy out of the Cowboys for this week. Interesting comments, but punters have brushed that aside as North Queensland go in as favourites.Weather:?Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of a morning shower and a temperature of 17 degrees at kick-off.Prediction:?A preliminary final isnt exactly unfamiliar territory for Cronulla but they are unfamiliar with winning them. The Sharks have lost at this stage of the finals on six previous occasions since their last grand final appearance in 1978.?The Sharks are a better side than the team that were thumped 39-0 by the Cowboys in last years finals series, but I am not certain they have improved enough to exact revenge on the reigning premiers.I believe North Queensland have too many weapons, too much big game experience and they also have the two JTs -- in my opinion Johnathan Thurston is the best back in the world and Jason Taumalolo is the best forward in the world and that alone makes it too hard to tip against the Cowboys.Tip: Cowboys by 8Enter your ESPNfootytips NRL selections ' ' '