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NEW YORK -- For eight innings, the New York Mets made embarrassing mistakes, squandered chances and looked almost totally adrift. That all got wiped away with a four-run bottom of the ninth. Nieuwenhuis hit a three-run homer after Marlon Byrd got it started with a leadoff shot and the Mets salvaged what had been shaping up as another sorry afternoon, startling the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Sunday. "Winning is a good feeling no matter what your record," David Wright said. "And a win is a win, no matter how it happens." Jeremy Hefner had another good start for the Mets, and it looked as if this one, too, would be for naught. He allowed one earned run, on a single by Alfonso Soriano, and struck out five in five innings. "Im happy for Kirk, happy for the team," Hefner said. "We came in intent on winning." Matt Garza pitched seven scoreless innings and the Cubs scored twice on a madcap play that featured three bad throws by Mets infielders, giving Chicago a 3-0 lead. "A win doesnt fix all your issues," Mets manager Terry Collins said. The Mets had lost 10 of 12 entering the game and appeared headed for a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs. They also went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position before Nieuwenhuis shot. Nevertheless, "if this cant be used as a spark, what can we do?" Collins said. But New York came back against Carlos Marmol (2-4) in the ninth, starting with Byrds home run. Nieuwenhuis connected with one out. "When you blow a save, you lost the game. Its tough," Marmol said. Bobby Parnell (5-3) pitched the top of the ninth after a scoreless eighth by David Aardsma and two scoreless innings from Carlos Torres, called up from Triple-A the night before. "Everyones focus is on the bullpen holding a lead," Aardsma said. "But we have to come in and keep the team in a game, cant give up another run. And today, because we did, the bats were able to come through in the ninth." Garza gave up three hits and struck out five, and was all set up for his second win in five starts this season. The Cubs had used closer Kevin Gregg on four consecutive days and manager Dale Sveum turned to Marmol, who had been unseated as closer earlier this season. Marmol continued to test Cubs fans patience by allowing a long homer to Byrd before walking Lucas Duda. After a visit from Sveum, he pitched John Buck low and away, eventually yielding an opposite-field single. Omar Quintanilla sacrificed the runners ahead and Marmol peered into the Cubs dugout. Marmol remained in the game, however, and Nieuwenhuis took him deep off the facing of the second deck in right field. Nieuwenhuis recently was promoted to the majors after slumping earlier this season and getting demoted to Triple-A. Garza bounced back nicely from his last time out, when he allowed nine earned runs and 11 hits. He got some help when the Mets ping-ponged the ball around the infield in the fifth inning. Soriano came to the plate with two outs and the Cubs up 1-0 after Starlin Castro singled and Nate Schierholtz walked. Wright made a diving stop to his left at third base on Sorianos hard grounder, then sailed his throw over the head of first baseman Daniel Murphy. The ball bounced off the wall back to Murphy and he picked it up and fired off-balance home, trying to stop Castro from scoring. Murphys throw went past Buck at the plate, bonked off a wall and caromed toward third. Omar Quintanilla was there, having come over from shortstop to back up the original play, and he sprinted in and flipped the ball toward the plate. That throw skittered wide, too, prompting the third groan in a row from the crowd, each one louder than the last. They stayed restless until Byrds at bat in the ninth, when Byrds 11th homer of the season got them back cheering again. They stayed that way all the way through to Nieuwenhuis big home run. "You dont forget about this. You build off of it, remember how much fun it is coming in the clubhouse, the celebration" Byrd said. "That plane rides going to be nice and relaxing, so you try to build off it and keep winning games." NOTES: Garza walked two and hit a batter. ... The Mets head to Atlanta for a five-game series with the Braves that will include a doubleheader on Tuesday. On Monday, RHP Dillon Gee (5-6) is expected to start for New York against Tim Hudson (4-6). The Cubs will be at St. Louis, where Travis Wood (5-5) is set to face Shelby Miller (7-4) of the Cardinals. ... A fan caught a foul ball backhanded in the second inning, pumped his fist and got a big cheer from the crowd. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Bruce-Carter-Jersey/ . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Christian-Hackenberg-Jersey/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Lac-Edwards-Jersey/ . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Ladainian-Tomlinson-Jersey/ . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/ . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd.Leicesters Premier League title charge was built on exhilarating attacking in the first half of the season, but their mean defence is coming to the fore now. Ahead of their meeting with Southampton on Super Sunday, we take a look at how the high-flying Foxes have adapted… When Leicester sat top of the table at Christmas it was largely thanks to a formidable record of 37 goals in 17 games. Jamie Vardys record-breaking scoring run had propelled the relegation-favourites to unthinkable heights, but when his goals started drying up it was widely anticipated the magic would fade and the Foxes would start to slide.Their defensive record did not exactly cry out solidity, after all. Leicester had conceded 24 times in those 17 games - the same number as relegation-threatened Swansea - and it wasnt until late October that Claudio Ranieri had to come good on his promise of pizza to reward their first clean sheet of the season. Three months on, however, and Leicesters players are dining on pizza almost every week. Last weekends victory over Crystal Palace was their fourth 1-0 win in five games, and Premier League viewers have become accustomed to seeing them at the top of the pile.The Foxes are now just seven games away from making history with a title challenge that is rapidly gathering momentum. Leicesters Premier League record before and after Christmas Leicester 2015/16 Before Christmas After Christmas Games played 17 14 Wins 11 8 Draws 5 4 Losses 1 2 Goals scored 37 17 Goals conceded 24 7 Clean sheets 3 9 Leicester remain a deadly force on the counter-attack, but the statistics illustrate how the emphasis has shifted since Christmas. Before then, the Foxes were averaging 2.2 goals per game, but they have only netted 17 times in 14 outings since then at a rate of just 1.2 goals per game.Despite the drop-off in goals scored, however, Leicesters results have remained consistent, with their average points per game only falling slightly (from 2.4 before Christmas to 2.0 afterwards) while their lead at the top of the table continues to grow. Leicesters Premier League record before and after Christmas Leicester 2015/16 Before Christmas After Christmas Goals per game 2.2 1.2 Shots on target per game 5.1 3.9 Goals conceded per game 1.4 0.5 Shots on target faced per game 4.2 3.4 Points per game 2.2 2.0 A run of four shut-outs in five games has highlighted their defensive resilience in recent weeks, but the stinginess has been apparent for months.dddddddddddd Since Christmas, and with help from midfield enforcer NGolo Kante, a first-choice back five of Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Simpson, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs has only been breached seven times.Once we got that first clean sheet, it cemented the idea in peoples heads that keeping a clean sheet is a great foundation to build upon, said back-up goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Sky Sports News HQ. Weve got players who will always score goals, so if you can keep a clean sheet when the season gets tighter and the pressure starts to mount, you can win games by the odd goal. Mark Schwarzer highlights Leicesters defence as the key to their recent form Having found defensive shut-outs so hard to come by at the start of the campaign, Leicester have now kept nine in their last 13 games. In the same period, no other Premier League side has managed more than seven. They have the look of champions about them, noted Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp in his Daily Mail column - and hes not the only one to have been impressed.They dont give a lot away, said Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew after Riyad Mahrezs first-half strike settled last weekends game at Selhurst Park. Theyre underestimated defensively. Theyve got energy and theyre up to the ball all the time. Theyre tight and its difficult to create against them. Most Premier League clean sheets since Christmas Team Clean sheets Leicester 9 Southampton 7 Arsenal 6 Manchester City 6 The two centre-halves are confident in possession, they rarely make mistakes and they dont slash at clearances. They make good clearances from their defensive third and theyre fast. They have a lovely balance to the team and you have to admire them.Leicester have also had to adapt to their opponents attempts to nullify their goalscoring threat. The Foxes thrived in the first half of the season by ceding possession to their rivals, waiting for mistakes and springing forward on the counter-attack, but since their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal the likes of Norwich and West Brom have played them at their own game. Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs have shone in recent weeks The Foxes have therefore averaged 53.4 per cent possession in the last five games compared to 40.5 per cent earlier in the season. The enforced change of approach has resulted in fewer opportunities for Ranieris attackers to get in behind, but their defensive solidity has made the difference at the other end.Leicester are now within touching distance of one of the most extraordinary achievements in football history, and while Mahrez and Vardy are likely to battle it out for the player of the year gong, they are certainly not the only individuals who are due a considerable share of the credit. Leicesters remarkable stats We look at the numbers behind Leicesters Premier League title charge Also See: Leicesters remarkable stats Leicester to slip up? Ranieri remaining grounded Mahrez: Title getting close Cheap Authentic Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Online Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '