ERST LESEN! » second base tryi

MILAN -- Who needs Gonzalo Higuain, the record goalscorer in Serie A, when you have Dries Mertens?Mertens emergence has eased the pain caused by Higuains departure in the off-season. Not content with bagging a hat trick last weekend, the diminutive forward netted four on Sunday to help Napoli to a 5-3 win over Torino.Mertens completed a hat trick in nine first-half minutes and then saved the best until last -- a sublime chip into the far corner in the 80th minute.Mertens is an extraordinary player, but the team makes it easier for him with the type of football they are playing, Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. But we have to grow mentally. It should have been a match that was definitively over once we went 3-0 up and it wasnt.We conceded goals with three stupid mistakes, carelessness that we absolutely cant commit, but it was a very high level performance.Napoli leapfrogged above AC Milan into third, a point behind second-place Roma. It can be joined on 34 points by Lazio if the capital team beats Fiorentina later.Higuain transferred to Juventus for an Italian-record 90 million euros ($100 million) after breaking a 66-year-old Serie A record with 36 goals for Napoli last season.Arkadiusz Milik was signed to replace him and scored seven goals in eight matches, but tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Poland in October.As a result, Sarri has been relying on a three-man forward line with Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon flanking Mertens -- and the trio is starting to gel.Napoli opened the scoring in the 13th minute. It had taken short corners many times this season but to little dividend. However, this time it worked as it was played for Callejon, who crossed for Mertens to fire in on the bounce.Mertens doubled his tally five minutes later, winning and converting a penalty after being pushed over by Antonio Barreca.The 29-year-old forward completed his second successive hat trick in the 22nd minute.Torino goalkeeper Joe Hart did brilliantly to keep out a powerful shot by Callejon, only for Mertens to fire in the loose ball at the second attempt after his initial effort was cleared off the line by Luca Rossettini.Andrea Belotti got Torino back into the game shortly before the hour. It was the Italy forwards 12th league goal of the season and moved him level with Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi and Romas Edin Dzeko at the top of the scoring charts.Napoli restored its three-goal advantage in the 70th when Callejon rolled a low cross across face of goal and Vlad Chiriches tapped it in at the far post.Torino again reduced the deficit when Pepe Reina spilled Adem Ljajics free kick and Rossettini was on hand to prod it in. But Mertens scored his fourth four minutes later.Iago Falque converted a penalty in the 84th for Torino.---LAZIO 2, FIORENTINA 1Lazio continued its good run of form as it moved level on points with Napoli in third place, while Fiorentina fell to its second successive defeat.Lazio took the lead in the 23rd minute with a well-worked move. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic collected Felipe Andersons through-ball before passing it on for Keita Balde Diao to sweep into the far corner of the net.Lucas Biglia doubled Lazios lead with a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Nenad Tomovic bundled over Milinkovic-Savic.Fiorentina should have got back into the match immediately after halftime but Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti saved Josip Ilicics penalty after Biglia had fouled Sebastian Cristoforo.It did pull one back in the 64th minute through substitute Mauro Zarate, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes.Fiorentina thought it had leveled seven minutes from time but the goal was ruled out for handball and any thoughts it had of snatching a point evaporated when Stefan Radu sealed the result.Fiorentina slipped to eighth and faces Napoli on Thursday in its final match before the winter break. Lazio visits Inter Milan on Wednesday.---GENOA 3, PALERMO 4Palermo remarkably fought back from two goals down in the second half to end a run of eight successive defeats.Robin Quaisons brilliant solo goal for Palermo canceled out Giovanni Simeones opener to leave it all even at the break.Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, headed in a second and also set up Genoas third for Nikola Ninkovic in the 65th.But Edoardo Goldaniga pulled one back for Palermo four minutes later and Andrea Rispoli leveled two minutes from time. Genoa players were furious as Rispoli appeared to be offside.Genoa pushed forward for the winner but it was Palermo that snatched all three points as Aleksandar Trajkovski finished off a counter attack.Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin was sent off for pushing Ilija Nestorovski over when the forward tried to delay a free kick in stoppage time, completing a miserable night for the hosts.---OTHER MATCHESInter Milan is finding its feet under new coach Stefano Pioli and won 1-0 at Sassuolo for its fourth win in five matches -- between Serie A and Europa League.Antonio Candreva scored the only goal of the match two minutes into the second half. Inter midfielder Felipe Melo was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.Bologna ended its goalscoring drought by winning 3-0 at 10-man Pescara, which played with 10 men for an hour after Valerio Verre was sent off for a dangerous tackle.Elsewhere, Chievo Verona beat Sampdoria 2-1 and Cyril Thereau scored twice as Udinese beat Crotone 2-0. Custom New York Mets Jerseys . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Fake Mets Jerseys . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/ . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. New York Mets Gear .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Stitched Mets Jerseys . 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. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Athletics used a steady stream of big hits from three rookies and one big blast from a veteran slugger to end their latest losing skid.Its not enough to take the sting out of Oaklands worst season in nearly 20 years, not by any stretch.Given all thats gone on over the week with his ballclub, manager Bob Melvin gladly welcomed it.Khris Davis hit a three-run homer and scored three times while rookies Chad Pinder and Bruce Maxwell recorded their first career RBI, and the As beat the Cleveland Indians 9-1 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.Its fun to watch, Melvin said. Guys getting their first RBI, playing full games, not subbing guys out, not hitting for guys. You think back and remember what your first RBI and so forth was like so it adds a little bit more to it.Davis had struck out in six consecutive at-bats before hitting his 33rd home run of the season off starter Danny Salazar, an opposite field shot that gave the As an early lead. Thats the most by an Oakland player since Jack Cust hit 33 in 2008.Danny Valencia added two hits in his first game back in the As lineup after being fined following a clubhouse fight with teammate Billy Butler while rookie Ryon Healy had three hits including two doubles.Weve been focused on a lot of negatives lately, and we dont have a lot of wins, Valencia said. But actually weve had a lot of positive things, especially with the younger guys.One of those younger guys is left-hander Sean Manaea.Manaea (5-8) allowed three hits and one run over seven innings for his second win since June 29. Manaea walked two and fanned eight to become the first As rookie pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts since Dan Straily in 2013.Chris Gimenez homered for the Indians, who went into the day with the best record in the AL.One day after being shut out for the eighth time this season, Oakland bounced back with one of its best offensive games in weeks to end a four-game losing streak to Cleveland.Eight As had at least one hit while six had one RBI or more.Yonder Alonso had a sacrifice fly in the second inning and Pinder added a run-scoring singlle to push the As lead to 5-0.ddddddddddddSalazar (11-5) left after giving up a leadoff double in the fifth. The right-hander allowed six runs to match a career high and walked three with two strikeouts in his second start since coming off the disabled list.I thought he was up with too many fastballs and because of that it didnt really seem like they had to respect his off speed pitches, Indians manager Terry Francona said. The hope is that he gets some repetition including side days and stuff and gets back to the Danny we saw in the first half.Manaea didnt allow a hit until Mike Napolis two-out single in the fourth. Napoli was thrown out at second base trying to extend the hit into a double.Gimenez homered leading off the sixth.DEFENSIVE GEMSValencia made the first of two big defensive plays when he hustled to chase down Napolis single to right then threw him out at second base. In the eighth, As center fielder Jake Smolinski made a spectacular diving catch to rob pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall of extra bases.I didnt think he had a chance at it, Melvin said of Smolinskis catch. When I turned and looked up he was basically full speed then made a complete headlong dive to get it. First out of the inning, thats a big play.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: Former closer Sean Doolittle (strained left shoulder) will make one more rehab appearance for Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and could rejoin Oakland shortly thereafter. ... SS Marcus Semien will miss the next two days to be with his wife and newborn child. Melvin expects the team to make a roster move to replace Semien, who could wind up on the paternity list.UP NEXTIndians: RHP Trevor Bauer (9-5) faces Oakland for the second time this season on Wednesday. Bauer left with no decision after allowing two home runs over 5 1/3 innings against the As on July 29.Athletics: Kendall Graveman (9-8) pitches for Oakland and has eight wins in his last 10 decisions but the right-hander is winless in three career starts against the Indians. ' ' '