for the Super Bowl title.The last time Dallas was 12-1 w

CHICAGO -- The San Francisco Giants likely need a better performance from right-hander Johnny Cueto than they got in his last outing if theyre going to split a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.Cueto, a two-time All-Star, allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in his shortest outing of the season for theGiants. He is 14-5 with a 2.98 ERA this year and 9-8 with a 3.34 ERA in 23 career starts against Chicago.I think the pitches caught up with him, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after that game. His command was a little off, he started missing his spots. It just got away from him.The Cubs (87-48), who lead the National League Central and own the best record in the majors, won the first two games of the series, 5-4 on Thursday and 2-1 on Friday. The Giants held off the Cubs 3-2 on Saturday behind Madison Bumgarners 10-strikeout performance.The victory in a playoff-like atmosphere in front of 41,250 fans boosted the Giants spirits. Theyre just 16-29 since the All-Star break.Its a tough group, Bochy said. Despite what happens, I really like the way theyre coming out and staying focused. Theyve had their backs to the wall and been through difficult times. But theyre going to keep fighting. Sure, weve had some issues in the second half, but its all about going out there every day with the same effort.The Giants (73-62) lead the National League wild-card standings but have won just five of their last 13.It was one we definitely wanted and needed, Giants catcher Buster Posey said about Saturdays win. It was good to score some runs off (Jake) Arrieta and then for our bullpen to hold the lead the last three innings.On Sunday, Cubs right-hander John Lackey (9-7, 3.41 ERA) is expected to make his first start since he went on the disabled list Aug. 15 with a right shoulder strain. He allowed an unearned run in 6 2/3 innings on Aug. 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals before he exited with the injury in his last start. He is 6-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 home starts.Lackey is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two regular-season career games against the Giants.Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and right fielder Jason Heyward were out of the starting lineup Saturday against left-hander Bumgarner but are expected back Sunday against Cueto.Veteran reliever Joe Nathan could soon make his first appearance for the Giants, who drafted him in 1995 and purchased his contract fromDouble-A Richmond on Saturday. The Giants signed the 41-year-old as a free agent on Aug. 16 after the Cubs released him on Aug. 8. Nathan previously pitched for the Giants from 1999 to 2003 before he and left-hander Francisco Liriano were traded to the Minnesota Twins for catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash in 2003.It made everything a lot more comfortable, a lot easier to come back here, a little less to have to kind of prove myself, Nathan said of returning to the Giants.Nathan went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three games with the Cubs.At that time, we just couldnt fit everybody in, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. He had one really good game up in Milwaukee where we got a couple guys on and he struck out the side. His pitches got up to the low 90s (mph) with some really good break. Nike Vapormax Dames Sale . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. Vapormax Plus Goedkoop . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. http://www.vapormaxsalenederland.com/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Nike Just Do It Schoenen Kopen . JOHNS, N. Vapormax Aanbieding . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of the teams longest winning streak in any form -- better than the carry-over run in 1968-69 after already topping the playoff-included surge from the proud franchises first Super Bowl-winning season in 1971.Theres something else a 12th straight win would do when the Cowboys return from an extended break with a visit to the New York Giants on Dec. 11. It would give Dallas (11-1) a firm hold on the No. 1 seed in the NFC.Now thats progress toward where the Cowboys hope theyre headed. Dallas could clinch a playoff spot as early as Sunday with a Tampa Bay loss or tie or a Washington loss.The plan is way bigger than being 11-1, Bryant said after Thursdays 17-15 victory over Minnesota. Its a pretty cool situation but theres more ball left. This success thing is kind of tricky. You cant get too high. Thats the beginning of falling off. Thats something that we are not going to do.The win over the Vikings was the roughest of a run that started after a season-opening loss to the Giants. Dallas had season lows in points, yards and first downs along with penalties that contributed to just one third-down conversion in nine tries.The Cowboys needed their punt coverage unit to provide probably the biggest play of the game, when Kyle Wilber forced and recovered Adam Thielens fumble in the fourth quarter. Bryant scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 8-yard catch on the next play.And Dallas won despite giving Minnesota a chance to tie when rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and center Travis Frederick botched a snap to force a punt.A play earlier, Prescott thought he scrambled for a critical first down with a brilliant slide along the sideline that kept the clock moving. The spot was overturned on review.Theres no question you can get challenged differently over the course of a 16-game season, coach Jason Garrett said Friday. And if you do have an ability to win different ways, its certainly going to make you more difficult to beat.While Prescott was liimited to 139 yards passing on just 18 attempts, fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott was slowed before a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter helped push him to 86 yards and set up Dallas final points on a field goal.ddddddddddddThe pattern for Elliott has been consistent in recent weeks -- a slow start before a late surge that gets his rushing total close to 100 yards.And now he gets ready for a rematch with the only team that contained him the entire game. Elliott had season lows of 51 yards and a 2.6-yard-per-carry average in a 20-19 loss to the Giants in his regular-season debut.Weve certainly changed as a team, theyve changed as a team, different guys have played, theres a lot of different factors that go into it, Garrett said. But theres no question well use that game extensively to prepare for this one. Were just starting that process right now.The Cowboys won 11 straight over two regular seasons in 1968-69 and two years later won the last 10 games, including the playoffs, for the Super Bowl title.The last time Dallas was 12-1 was 2007 with Tony Romo at quarterback, when the Cowboys rested regulars late in the regular season, finished 13-3 and lost to the Giants in their first playoff game.Dallas could be looking at a similar scenario this season, with Romo as the backup to Prescott after the rookie took the job and kept it following Romos preseason back injury.Owner and general manager Jerry Jones isnt interested in top seed talk.Lets dont go there, Jones said on his radio show Friday. Weve got some teams that are looking better. And then of course we know playing Philadelphia played us to the wire. And this Giant game has the makings of a playoff game itself. So, lets dont count it.Jones star receiver isnt counting anything.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler ' ' '