WEST POINT—After running rampant for three straight weeks, the Army triple option finally has that elusive first victory.Trent Steelman scored three touchdowns for the second straight week, including the game-winner on a 1-yard plunge with 2:49 remaining, and the Black Knights (1-2) didn’t self-destruct for a change, beating Northwestern 21-14 on Saturday.While losing its first two games to Northern Illinois and San Diego State, Army rushed for over 700 yards but turned the ball over three times in each and was a minus-2 per game in turnover margin.Steelman, who lost two of three fumbles in a 23-20 loss to the Aztecs a week ago, had two more against the Wildcats, losing one. But neither cost the Black Knights this time, thanks to a defense that held Northwestern to 10 yards offensively in the third quarter and 117 in the second half – and 62 came on the play that tied the game.Army held the ball for just over 40 minutes and finished with 381 yards rushing on 75 carries to Northwestern’s 115 yards on 27 tries. The teams entered the game ranked 1-2 nationally in total number of rushes. The Wildcats also converted 3 of 12 third downs after averaging 50 percent the first two games.Steelman finished with a game-high 108 yards rushing on 28 carries.Malcolm Brown had a 23-yard gain on a pitch right to jump-start the decisive drive for Army. Raymond Maples added a 17-yard run off a great fake by Steelman in the middle of the line, and Scott Williams had a 17-yard run around the left side to key the surge.Steelman converted a third-and-6 play from the 9 and scored two plays later.

“The difference in the game was Trent Steelman,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said.

The Wildcats had one last chance to tie, and third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian hit wideout Jeremy Ebert for 18 yards into Army territory. But the Army defense forced an incompletion on fourth down with 66 seconds left.Colter was 12 of 23 passing for 89 yards and gained 57 yards rushing on 10 carries after guiding the Wildcats to victory in the first two games of the season.

“I just had a terrible game and let my team down,” Colter said. “I’m going to come back and work hard and try to fix all of that.”

Ebert also had a 14-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter from Colter, who started his third straight game in place of injured Dan Persa, and a 62-yarder from Siemian in the fourth quarter.Persa, recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon suffered last November, warmed up before the game and had a headset on during the action. He’s expected to return Oct. 1 when NU (2-1) opens Big Ten action against Illinois.Siemian, a redshirt freshman, replaced Colter after Army’s Alex Carlton missed a 26-yard field goal just past the midway point of the fourth quarter, and the Wildcats scored in just three plays. The third was a short dump to Ebert, and he outran the only defender that had a chance to knot the score at 14 with 6:03 left.Steelman lost the handle after a snap early in the second quarter and quickly pounced on it, but he wasn’t so lucky midway through the third. He again mishandled a handoff, and linebacker Ben Johnson recovered for Northwestern at the Army 30.The Army defense forced two incompletions, and a sack by Army linebacker Steven Erzinger allowed the Black Knights to escape.Army’s triple option thrives on ball control – the Black Knights entered the game ranked second nationally in rushing, averaging 353 yards, and second in possession time, averaging 37 minutes, 35 seconds – and it couldn’t have operated much better than on Army’s first possession of the game.After forcing the Wildcats to punt, Army marched 81 yards on 18 plays on a drive that lasted nearly 9 minutes. Steelman had seven carries for 49 yards, including a 6-yard run left on a fourth-and-5 play from the Northwestern 38-yard line and scored on a pretty 17-yard scamper around the left side with 3:39 left in the opening quarter.It was the first time Army had led this season.After driving the Wildcats deep into Army territory, Colter never flinched on his first career touchdown pass after a holding call against Northwestern on a first-and-goal from the Army 9. On the next play from the 14, he hit Ebert over the middle as Ebert made a pretty leaping catch at the back of the end zone behind the Army defenders with 5:23 left in the half.

SOUTH BEND—No surprises this time for Notre Dame. Just a victory that kept them out of an 0-3 hole and showed they can finish a game when they have a lead.The Irish used two touchdown runs from Cierre Wood, an electrifying 89-yard kickoff return from freshman George Atkinson III and a key late interception from Robert Blanton to beat No. 15 Michigan State 31-13 Saturday for their first win.The Irish also showed they can stop a play off a fake field.The Spartans (2-1) stunned Notre Dame in overtime a year ago with a game-winning TD pass off a fake field goal and tried to surprise the Irish again after lining up for a field goal near the end of the first half.Notre Dame (1-2) was ready this time. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Ethan Johnson broke up a shovel pass attempt and the Irish led 21-10 at the half.Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio took the blame for the play failing.Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins, who had 11 straight completions at one juncture of the second half, was 34 of 53 for 329 yards but he was intercepted at the Notre Dame 6 with just under four minutes left by Blanton, who returned it 82 yards to the 12.The Spartans had just recovered a fumbled punt by Notre Dame’s John Goodman at the Irish 21 and were ready to set the stage for another frantic finish between the rivals. But with the Spartans trailing 28-13 and having a first and goal at the 3, Blanton came up with a juggling interception and then took off on his long return that sealed the win.Notre Dame was coming off a crushing loss at Michigan, giving up 28 fourth-quarter points and a game-winning TD pass with two seconds to go.Only two previous Notre Dame teams had started a season 0-3 and Brian Kelly didn’t want to be part of that history.

For its first 49 seasons in the majors, Houston could claim it had never lost 100 games in a year.No more.In a microcosm of the Astros’ season, they squandered a bases-loaded chance in the ninth inning and fell to Rodrigo Lopez and the Chicago Cubs 2-1 Saturday for their 100th loss.The Astros, who began play in 1962 as the Colt .45s, dropped to 51-100. Colorado and the Angels are the only remaining franchises that have never lost 100 games in a season.The Cubs, meanwhile, won for the 4,000th time since moving into Wrigley Field in 1915. Only the Yankees at the original Yankee Stadium and Red Sox at Fenway Park have won more games in one ballpark than the Cubs have taken at their ivy-covered home.Lopez (6-6) didn’t allow an earned run and held the Astros to four hits in six innings while striking out seven, a performance he’s hoping will help translate to a big league spot next year.Sean Marshall held on in the ninth for his fifth save.Barmes’ one-out double off the lefty put runners on second and third, then Marshall intentionally walked J.D. Martinez to load the bases. But Jose Altuve struck out and pinch-hitter Humberto Quintero grounded out to end the game.Bryan LaHair hit a solo homer and reached base three times for the Cubs.LaHair, who led the minor leagues with 38 homers, continued his eye-opening September audition with a drive to dead center field on the first pitch by Henry Sosa (2-5) in the fourth.LaHair also walked twice and is hitting .433 in 30 at-bats since his promotion.Sosa recovered from first-inning control problems to throw six innings, holding Chicago to four hits and two runs with five walks and five strikeouts.Sosa hadn’t walked more than three batters in any of his 36 appearances, including 17 starts, between the majors and minors this season. He walked four in the first inning, leading to the Cubs’ first run.The first free pass was issued to speedy Tony Campana, who moved to second on a groundout, stole third and scored when the throw by catcher Carlos Corporan sailed into left field.Campana also reached on an infield single in the seventh. Despite playing on a part-time basis, Campana leads the Cubs with 22 steals and has been caught only once. His 95.7 percent success rate is the best in the majors.Lopez matched his season high with five strikeouts in just three innings. He reached his season high in the fourth and finished his most whiffs since July 22, 2010.The Astros threatened in the eighth, but Kerry Wood struck out J.B. Shuck looking with runners on the corners to end the inning. It was another frustrating moment in a long season with which the Astros say they’ve already come to grips.

NOTES—The last six games played between the Cubs and Astros have been decided by one run….Starlin Castro doubled to lead off the fifth. He’s reached base in 30 straight games, the most by a Cubs shortstop since Ernie Banks in 1960….Mike Quade gave CF Marlon Byrd the day off. As he continues to mix and match between the veterans and young players on his expanded September roster, Quade said Aramis Ramirez would likely get Sunday’s game off….   Altuve did not start and later entered as a pinch-runner. Altuve was hitting .125 over his last 11 games and has drawn just four walks in 200 plate appearances since coming the big leagues….Ryan Dempster will make his 32nd start of the season for the Cubs in Sunday’s series finale and will attempt break a personal four-game losing streak. He’ll face Houston’s Brett Myers, who has a 1.19 ERA in 22 2/3 innings over his last three starts.

KANSAS CITY—Eric Hosmer delivered the game-winning hit after the White Sox opted to walk Billy Butler to face him. Hosmer had three hits and doubled in the winning run in the ninth inning to lift Kansas City to a 7-6 victory over the White Sox on Friday night that extended the Royals’ winning streak to six games. His liner over the head of left fielder Juan Pierre scored Alex Gordon, who led off the inning with a single. After Miguel Cabrera’s sacrifice bunt moved Gordon to second, Billy Butler was walked intentionally Hosmer fouled off Matt Thornton’s first pitch before his double on the next offering. It was the 12th walk-off victory for the Royals, but their first since July 23. Hosmer was mobbed by teammates on the field. The last time the Royals won six consecutive games was May 2-7, 2009. Hosmer, Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas, the fourth, fifth and sixth hitters, combined to go 9-for-13 with five RBI and scored four runs.Greg Holland (5-1) worked the ninth to pick up the victory. Thornton (1-5) took the loss in the White Sox’ sixth straight defeat.The last time the Royals won six consecutive games was May 2-7, 2009. Moustakas, who a minor league-leading 36 home runs last year, hit Philip Humber’s 2-1 pitch into the right-field bullpen for his third home run with Francoeur aboard in the fourth. After going 281 at-bats without a home run, Moustakas has hit two in his past three games. Francoeur singled home Butler in the first and Hosmer in the fourth. Francoeur led off the sixth with a single off Humber’s, advanced to third on Moustakas’ single and scored on Johnny Giavotella’s fielder’s choice grounder. Butler drove in Alex Gordon with a first-inning single.Royals starter Felipe Paulino allowed three runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out three. He left with a 6-3 lead that the bullpen failed to hold. Humber, who was 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his previous three starts, gave up six runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out four in six innings in a no-decision. That matched the most runs Humber had permitted this year. A.J. Pierzynski, who had three hits Thursday, drove in two of the White Sox’ runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a single in the seventh.The White Sox tied it at 6-6 in the eighth on Brent Morel’s two-run homer off Royals rookie left-hander Tim Collins.Alexi Ramirez had three singles and drove in a run in the fifth for the White Sox.

NOTES—The loss eliminated the Sox from the Wild Card and Post Season completly…..White Sox DH Adam Dunn is 3 for 84 against left-handers, a .036 average. He has struck out 161 times, which is the second highest total in franchise history. Dave Nicholson holds the club record with 175 in 1963. … The Royals have four players with 80 or more RBI — Francoeur 80, Butler 89, Gordon 85 and Cabrera 82 – to match a club record. It was the fifth time in franchise history they had four players drive in 80 runs. They last accomplished that in 2002 with Carlos Beltran, Raul Ibanez, Mike Sweeney and Joe Randa. … White Sox rookie RHP Zach Stewart will make his 10th start of the season Saturday. He lost his only start to the Royals on Aug. 12 at U.S.Cellular, allowing two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. … Rookie LHP Everett Teaford will make his second big league start Saturday. He threw five scoreless innings Sunday to win at Seattle.

The Cubs finally caught a break.Matt Garza pitched nine strong innings and Marlon Byrd’s 12th-inning dribbler was ruled fair, giving him an infield single and lifting the Cubs to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday.Starlin Castro set up the winning rally with a leadoff walk, went to second on Darwin Barney’s sacrifice, and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored when third baseman Chris Johnson couldn’t handle Byrd’s dribbler up the line.The Astros argued that Byrd’s hit should have been a foul ball and replays suggested they were correct.Garza was one strike from finishing off a five-hitter when Carlos Lee hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers that tied it 3-all. Garza said he decided to challenge Lee with a fastball.Nevertheless, it was a solid outing for Garza, who struck out four and threw a season-high 124 pitches, allowing seven hits and no walks. Jeff Samardzija (7-4) threw a scoreless 12th to pick up the win and send the Astros to their 99th loss.Houston has never lost 100 games in a season in the franchise’s 50-year history.Geovany Soto led off the third with his 15th homer, and Aramis Ramirez had three hits, including his first triple since July 9, 2010. Lee had three hits and three RBI for Houston. He opened the scoring with a solo blast leading off the second. Lee has hit in 22 of his last 24 games, and has 23 career homers at Wrigley Field, third among active players. Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez allowed three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking four. He is two strikeouts shy of becoming the first Astros lefty to record 1,000 in a career. Reliever David Carpenter (0-3) gave up the winning run. The Astros swung early and often against Garza, who faced the minimum in five different innings and no more than four until the ninth. After allowing J.D. Martinez’s leadoff single in the fourth, Garza retired the next 13 Astros in order.

NOTES—Castro went 0 for 4 with two walks and remains seven hits shy of becoming the youngest Cub to reach the 200-hit mark. … The Cubs opened their homestand Friday afternoon after finishing their road trip with the extra-inning loss at Cincinnati on Thursday night. It’s the kind of scheduling crunch Quade would like to avoid given the ordinance that requires the Cubs to play day games on Fridays. “I don’t know if it’s a doable deal, but obviously you’d like to play a day game somewhere else before coming home,” he said. … Actor Martin Sheen performed during the seventh-inning stretch, singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” … The Astros will send Henry Sosa to the mound on Saturday to face Rodrigo Lopez.

GROBBER’S FRIDAY THOUGHTS(Weekly NFL Picks)—Sept 16,2011

===================================================

Dallas over SAN FRANCISCO

WASHINGTON over Arizona

BUFFALO over Oakland

Cleveland over INDIANAPOLIS

NY JETS over Jacksonville

PITTSBURGH over Seattle

Baltimore over TENNESSEE

DENVER over Cincinnati

NEW ENGLAND over San Diego

Houston over MIAMI

ATLANTA over Philadelphia(Sun Nite)

NY GIANTS over St.Louis(Mon Nite)

(NFC NORTH GAMES):

DETROIT over Kansas City

MINNESOTA over Tampa Bay

Green Bay over CAROLINA

NEW ORLEANS over Bears

(Home teams in Caps)

Last week:12-4, Season total:12-4

LES

KANSAS CITY—Melky Cabrera had four hits, including a home run, and Billy Butler hit a three-run homer to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 7-2 victory over the White Sox on Thursday night.The loss officially eliminated the White Sox from the Division race.The Royals’ five-game winning streak is their longest since they won five straight from Sept. 7-11, 2009. Cabrera’s four-hit game matched a career high and his double in the sixth was his 40th as an outfielder — he has one as a DH. The Royals are the first team in major league history to have three outfielders with 40 or more doubles. Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur both have 45.Butler’s 19th home run in the sixth inning came off Mark Buehrle (11-9), who has lost five of his last six starts. Buehrle, who gave up a career high 15 hits, left in the seventh inning after being struck by a line drive hit by Alcides Escobar.Cabrera homered in the first, while Butler scored on Salvador Perez’s two-out single for the second run of the inning.Left-hander Jeff Francis, who was 1-5 in his previous seven starts, allowed two runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings. Both runs off Francis (6-16) came on sacrifice flies — by Alex Ramirez in the third and Tyler Flowers in the sixth.Every Royal had a hit except for Gordon, who walked twice. Perez’s three hits matched his career high, while Yamaico Navarro drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.The White Sox opened the sixth with singles by Paul Konerko, Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski, but Francis limited them to one run on Flowers’ sacrifice fly.

NOTES—Royals RHP Luke Hochevar is being shut down for the remainder of the season after throwing a career-high 198 innings, 90 more than last year when he missed 2 1/2 months with an elbow injury. Hochevar finishes with an 11-11 record and 4.68 ERA. The Royals are 5-0 when Navarro is the starting third baseman. White Sox C Ramon Castro, who went on the DL on July 10 with a broken right hand, is rehabbing with the team in Kansas City. RHP Phillip Humber, who starts Friday for the White Sox, pitched last year for the Royals, going 2-1 in eight games, but only one start. RHP Felipe Paulino, who allowed two hits and two runs in seven innings in beating Seattle 4-2 on Saturday, will start for the Royals.

CINCINNATI—Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer off Ja,es Russell in the 11th inning that lifted the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-6 victory against the Cubs on Thursday night. Joey Votto led off the 11th against Russell (1-6) with a double to left-center field. Bruce connected on the next pitch for his 31st home run of the season, giving the Reds their third consecutive victory against the Cubs after losing the opener of the four-game series. Nick Masset (3-5) pitched the 11th for the victory. The Cubs handed Francisco Cordero his first blown save since July 10 by scoring twice in the ninth to make it 6-6. Tony Campana led off with a pinch-hit single and scored on pinch-hitter Alfonso Soriano’s double. One out later, Darwin Barney chopped a tying single. Cordero had successfully converted 16 consecutive save opportunities since the All-Star break. Reds starter Homer Bailey, who hadn’t allowed more than two home runs in any of his previous 19 starts this season, gave up a pair in a span of four batters in the first inning.Aramis Ramirez singled with two outs and Carlos Pena followed with his 28th home run of the season, a majestic 461-foot drive on a 3-2 pitch that landed in a party area on top of the center field batter’s eye.Bryan LaHair kept the inning going with a single to center, extending his career-opening hitting streak to nine games, and Marlon Byrd hit the first pitch 414 feet into the Cincinnati bullpen in left-center field.Bailey settled down and lasted six innings, giving up six hits and four runs with three walks and nine strikeouts, matching his season high. Brandon Phillips hit his 16th home run, and fourth of the four-game series, in the third to cut the lead to 4-1. Chris Heisey hit his 17th home run, and second in two nights, in the Reds fourth.The Reds scored three times in the fifth. Bailey started the rally with a one-out single. Phillips doubled and Drew Stubbs hit an RBI single just over the glove of a leaping Starlin Castro at shortstop.Votto walked to load the bases, and Wells walked Yonder Alonso to force in the tying run. Jeff Samardzija relieved Wells and got Heisey to hit a sharp one-hopper that glanced off the pitcher’s foot to Castro, whose throw to first wasn’t in time, allowing Stubbs to score the go-ahead run. The Reds reached Randy Wells for seven hits and five runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He also threw a wild pitch. The Reds added a run in the sixth when Paul Janish drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on Stubbs’ two-out single and scored on reliever John Gaub’s wild pitch.

NOTES—Soriano’s double was the 400th of his career. … Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo, scheduled to start against Milwaukee in Friday’s series opener, is coming off the shortest start of his career. He failed to get an out in the second inning of Cincinnati’s 12-7 loss Saturday at Colorado. … Cubs Matt Garza is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA over his last three starts going into his appearance Friday against Houston at Wrigley Field.

CINCINNATI—Johnny Cueto missed the beginning of the season with an injury. Now he’s hurt again. The major league ERA leader left the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-2 win over the Cubs after 3 2/3 innings Wednesday night because of a strained muscle in the upper right side of his back.
“I wanted to stay in but it was sore and painful,” Cueto said. “I hope I don’t have to miss an outing after I’m examined tomorrow.”
Ramon Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the second inning to back Cueto, who lowered his ERA to 2.31. Cueto was visited by a trainer and pitching coach Bryan Price with one out in the fourth inning. After getting Alfonso Soriano to pop out, trainer Steve Bauman and Dusty Baker went to the mound. Baker then removed Cueto, who allowed three hits, didn’t make his first start of the season until May 8 because of irritation in his right upper arm.He is six innings short of qualifying for the ERA title and is just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who began the night at 2.36. Baker said the injury was a strained latissimus dorsi muscle. Inheriting a 5-0 lead, Sam LeCure (1-1) pitched 2 1/3 innings for the win. He allowed a pair of sixth-inning runs when Carlos Pena hit an RBI double and scored on Alfonso Soriano’s groundout. Casey Coleman (2-8) gave up six runs, six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. Since winning at Florida on May 19, he is 0-5 with a 7.98 ERA in eight big league starts and two relief appearances, a span that included three trips to the minor leagues. Francisco hit a two-run single for a 5-0 lead in the third. The third baseman also turned in a defensive gem, throwing out Marlon Byrd out from foul territory in the ninth inning. Hernandez’s 12th homer of the season but first since Aug. 5 put Cincinnati ahead. Chris Heisey added a solo homer in the eighth off Ramon Ortiz, his 16th.
NOTES—Cubs SS Starlin Castro, who had his career-high 13-game hitting streak stopped on Tuesday, went 2-for-3 to extend to 27 his streak of consecutive games in which he’s reached base at least once. …Randy Wells, scheduled to start in Thursday’s series finale, has won a career-high five straight decisions. He is 5-0 with a 3.02 ERA over his last eight starts. … RHP Homer Bailey, Cincinnati’s scheduled starter, has an 8-7 record, but the Reds are 9-10 in his starts.

In a memorable month filled with exhilarating moments, Wednesday’s comeback victory stood out for the Detroit Tigers. Carlos Guillen singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and Detroit extended its longest winning streak in 77 years, rallying past the White Sox 6-5 for its 12th consecutive victory.Guillen also hit a solo home run for Detroit, which hadn’t won 12 in a row since 1934 — when Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer and the Tigers lost a seven-game World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals’ famous Gas House Gang. Jose Valverde struck out the side in the 10th to remain perfect in 44 save opportunities this year.Closing in on an AL Central title, the surging Tigers rallied for three runs in the ninth to prevent rookie Dylan Axelrod from earning his first career victory. Ryan Raburn’s pinch-hit home run with one out off Chris Sale brought the Tigers within two. Magglio Ordonez walked, chasing Sale. Alex Avila pinch-hit for Andy Dirks and hit Sergio Santos’ second pitch into the seats in right-center to tie it.The Tigers have won 22 of their past 26 games overall and 21 of 27 against the White Sox. Guillen hit the ball hard in all five plate appearances. Axelrod struck out eight and threw six strong innings in his first career start only two years after pitching for the independent Windy City ThunderBolts. Santos (4-5) blew his sixth save of the season.
“It’s a shame,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “[Axelrod is] pitching very well and all of a sudden we just blew it for him. Very nice day, you see this kid having success in his first time in the big leagues and all of a sudden, poof, another bad day for the White Sox.”
Miguel Cabrera singled, doubled and scored a run for Detroit. Alexei Ramirez laced a two-run double and Paul Konerko added a two-run single during a four-run second. Konerko reached 100 RBI for the sixth time in his career. Tigers starter Brad Penny allowed five runs — one earned — and eight hits over six innings. Phil Coke (3-9) threw a scoreless ninth for the victory. Ramirez doubled, singled, walked and scored a run. Alejandro De Aza doubled, reached base four times, scored two runs and stole a base.The 26-year-old Axelrod was starting in place of Jake Peavy, who was shut down for the remainder of the season. He appeared to be in line for the victory until the ninth, when Leyland’s parade of pinch-hitters pulled out another victory.
“You’re starting with a kid that just came from, what’s the league, the independent league and he shut them down and all of a sudden these big league pitchers couldn’t stop them,” Ozzie Guillen said. “Look at yourself in the mirror and see how big league you are. If they’re happy the season’s over, good. But every time you lose a game like that and you have a little bit of pride, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
The mood couldn’t have been more different in the other clubhouse.
NOTES—Thw White Sox tragic number for elimination is down to one on a day Guillen hinted that the “fight” in the team was gone “a few days ago”…..The Tigers can clinch the AL Central during their four-game series at Oakland this weekend. In Thursday’s opener, Detroit will send Max Scherzer to the mound to face Brandon McCarthy. Scherzer has allowed only two runs in 14 innings this month….The White Sox travel to Kansas City for a four-games series. On Thursday, Mark Buehrle will square off against fellow lefty Jeff Francis. Buehrle has allowed 14 runs in nine innings over his past two starts.