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SAN FRANCISCO -- Everyone seemed to be of the same mind that Thursdays series opener between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants was an important game.More important, they all agreed, is the series.The Giants got the jump on the Cardinals with a 6-2 win Thursday night behind Johnny Cuetos complete game.Cueto seemed to challenge his teammates after the win, boasting, Every game I will pitch from now on, I will pitch like a playoff game. Thats the way we need to play, like its a playoff game.The Giants and Cardinals are well versed in playoff-type games, dating back to the Giants run at their first of three World Series championships in 2010.But neither of Fridays starting pitchers has been a part of it.The Giants Matt Moore, acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Cardinals Luke Weaver, who has only six games of major league experience, will duel in Game 2 of the series.The night will begin with the Giants (78-68) leading the New York Mets (77-69) by one game and the Cardinals (76-70) by two in the race for the two National League wild-card spots.Also at stake in the Cardinals-Giants series is home-field advantage in a possible wild-card tie-breaker should they finish the regular season in a tie.Home field will go to the team that has the better head-to-head record during the regular season. The Giants win Thursday evened that count at 2-2.Im not trying to downplay (Thursdays) game, but we do have time left, losing pitcher Adam Wainwright insisted. We have plenty of time left to make this thing happen. We just have to play good games and have good starting pitching and play good defense and get timely hits. Thats what were going to try to do going forward.The Giants had all of the above in the opener. Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer off Wainwright, Buster Posey had a four-hit game, and Denard Span, demoted from first to eighth in the batting order, contributed a key two-run single in support of Cueto.The Cardinals, meanwhile, got a subpar effort from Wainwright (four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings), hit poorly in general (seven 1-2-3 innings), and stranded four baserunners in the two innings in which they scored single runs.No doubt, the spotlight was on, and the Giants responded best on the first night.There was added intensity with who were playing, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of the playoff-type atmosphere. Were both fighting to get there. We knew we had to go out and play well, and we did that.The Cardinals welcomed back a potentially key player for their stretch run when former closer Trevor Rosenthal was activated from the disabled list before Thursdays game.He could play a role in the series before weekends end. Vapormax Plus Wholesale . 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Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said he is focused on performing the role assigned to him in the side with bowling as his first priority, but has admitted he would prefer batting higher up the order. Holder has taken 22 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 44.27 and scored 675 runs at 29.34, with a century and four fifties. So far, he has played all his Tests as a bowling allrounder, and has never batted higher than No. 7.In his most recent Test, against India in Kingston, Holder bowled 34.2 overs, conceding only 72 runs but picking up only one wicket, and scored an unbeaten 64 to help West Indies save the match on the last day.For me, I just try to do whatever the team requires, Holder said on the eve of the third Test against India in St Lucia. Currently, Im playing as a bowling allrounder, I think my first priority is to bowl. I was very pleased with the way I bowled in the last Test, particularly. I didnt think I got enough wickets, the wickets column wasnt as fruitful as I wanted it to be.Having said that, the beauty about my spell, for me, was remaining patient. I think on another day, you may get two or three more wickets. For me, [its important] just contributing to the teams cause, just make sure every time I bat I score some runs, at least steady the ship. Most of the times, when Ive batted in recent times, Ive been under a bit of pressure, I think that brings out the best in me. I like those situations when I am being heavily relied on. You just knuckle down and play a memorable innings.Ideally, I would love to move up the order and bat higher up for the West Indies in the future.dddddddddddd I guess I have to just keep doing my job and when I get the opportunity, make the most of it.Expecting the pitch in St Lucia to provide pace and bounce, Holder said West Indies were likely to play an extra seam bowler.If you look at the pitch here, there seems to be a little bit of grass, Holder said. Theres a strong possibility that we may have a change in terms of our bowling department, we may think about the extra seamer. Thats pretty much it.This wicket here, over the years, has played quicker than most pitches in the Caribbean. For me, I think its the best cricket pitch in the Caribbean in terms of carry and assistance for the quicker bowlers. So, theres a strong possibility that you may see an extra seamer.In West Indies second innings in Jamaica, each of the batsmen occupying the four slots from No. 5 to No. 8 went past 50, with Roston Chase scoring an unbeaten hundred. The top order, though, failed - and not for the first time in the series - leaving West Indies 48 for 4 at one stage.For me, if I look back at the first two Test matches, the difference is that the top order hasnt really been getting in, Holder said. I think they need to work a little harder in getting in. Once they get in, the likes of [Darren] Bravo and [Kraigg] Brathwaite and [Marlon] Samuels, we all know what they can do once they get a start. Its just about just getting a start, and get themselves going and carry it on from there. ' ' '