HOUSTON -- Seeking their third consecutive series sweep of their American League West rivals, Houston sends right-hander Mike Fiers to the mound against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, with Fiers recent struggles playing a contrasting role in the Astros overall aspirations. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-J...k-Draft-Jersey/ .Fiers (6-4, 4.75 ERA) is 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA against the Angels this season, having allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings in a 7-2 loss on May 27, the Astros lone loss in the season series. He is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.How Fiers has pitched recently is cause for speculation. Over his last four starts, Fiers is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA with batters posting a .939 OPS against him during that stretch. Fiers failed to escape the fourth inning in each of his last two starts, and with former starter Scott Feldman thriving as a reliever (4-1, 1.62 ERA), clamoring has begun for Feldman to replace Fiers which in turn has sparked assumptions that Sunday could mark Fiers last shot to keep his spot in the rotation.I dont know if I would title it make-or-break, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. This time of year as the rumors start creating about what type of players we can add internally or externally, the players probably have a little added adrenaline and added importance to their outings. Mike Fiers has been a good pitcher in this league and has had a number of good games this year. So I wouldnt title anything make-or-break because decisions arent made that absolute prior to starts.Wed like him to throw well and pitch a little bit deeper into games and part of that is being efficient in the first couple of innings and getting into the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Wed like him to do well, but itd be unfair to him to put that much attention on his start.The Angels (43-54) counter with right-hander Tim Lincecum (2-3, 6.59 ERA), who will make his seventh start of the season. In his third start June 28, Lincecum allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-1 loss to the Astros at Angel Stadium.In 10 career starts against Houston, Lincecum is 5-1 with a 1.60 ERA.The most pressing issue for the Angels is their extended losing streak against the Astros (53-44), which reached 10 games with their 7-2 setback on Saturday night. The streak is the Astros longest against a single opponent since a 12-game run against the Phillies and Reds spanning the 2004-05 seasons. The last team to win 10 consecutive games against the Angels was the Red Sox from July 19, 1993-July 4, 1994.I dont know. Its kind of a spell of bad luck, Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun said. They play well against us, and we are not swinging the bats here like we should be. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-C...s-Draft-Jersey/ . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-D...d-Draft-Jersey/ . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-L...t-Draft-Jersey/ . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. PITTSBURGH -- Down two goals -- and even worse, down two defensemen -- after two periods on Thursday night against San Jose, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan offered his players a much-needed reminder.You can win ugly in this league, Sullivan told them.The Stanley Cup champions responded with 20 minutes of grit against an opponent only too familiar with how deep the Penguins can dig when the moment requires.Evgeni Malkin, Scott Wilson and Patric Hornqvist scored in a 7:15 span in the third period to lift the Penguins to an unlikely 3-2 victory in a rematch of last Junes Stanley Cup Final. Hornqvist and Malkin both finished with a goal and an assist while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots to buy the Penguins time until the offense finally got going.We played right, Malkin said. We moved the puck quickly. We shot the puck. . We did the right things. There were lucky goals, off the post, off the goalie. Its not pretty, but its important goals.Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks, who controlled the first 40 minutes and appeared well on their way to a one-sided victory before falling apart late. Martin Jones made 17 saves but saw the play in front of him break down in the third.This league is really a race to three goals, thats pretty much how it works, and we couldnt get the third goal, San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. Again, let them hang around, which is something weve done lately.The Penguins captured the franchises fourth Stanley Cup in an entertaining final last June, finishing off the Sharks in Game 6 in San Jose. If San Jose wanted a glimpse at just how close it came to its first title, they need only look toward the rafters at PPG Paints Arena during warmups to get a look at the banner the Penguins raised last week.San Jose insisted Thursday had nothing to do with revenge or any sense of payback. Last June is gone. For now the Sharks are still trying to find an identity even with nearly the same roster back for another run.Theyre off to a hot start and certainly looked fresh playing for the third time in four days on the road. Not so much Pittssburgh, which failed to generate anything in a shutout loss in Montreal on Tuesday. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-S...n-Draft-Jersey/. It looked like more of the same 48 hours later with captain Sidney Crosby (concussion) and defenseman Kris Letang (upper body) out of the lineup.Hertl gave San Jose a 1-0 lead 5:04 into the second thanks to a strange sequence in which Fleury lost control of his stick when a shot from Brent Burns smacked off the handle. The puck was briefly cleared but as Fleury tried to chase the stick down, the Sharks rushed back into the zone and Hertl eventually jammed a rebound off a shot by Joe Pavelski past the stickless goaltender.San Joses lead doubled shortly after Hornqvists goal was overturned, stripping Chris Kunitz to create a 2-on-1 that ended with him taking a pass from Logan Couture and burying it by Fleury.Things changed quickly even with Derrick Pouliot and Olli Maatta unavailable after leaving with undisclosed injuries.Malkins second of the year -- a shot from between the circles 6:47 into the third -- got Pittsburgh started. Wilson tied it 2:14 later when he collected the puck from the corner and darted to the net before slipping a backhand by Jones.Hornqvist completed the comeback by slamming a rebound by Jones on the power play to give the Penguins the lead. Sullivan praised his defensemen while also giving credit to Malkin, Kunitz, Hornqvist and Phil Kessel for fueling an improbable comeback.They played inspiring hockey, Sullivan said. They played the right way in the third period and they were hard to handle because of it. When those guys play that way, they give us a chance to win.Game notes Crosby did not skate Thursday, a scheduled day off. ... The Penguins also scratched Conor Sheary (eye). ... San Jose scratched Fs Michael Haley and Ryan Carpenter and D Dylan Demelo. ... The Penguins went 1 for 5 on the power play. The Sharks were 0 for 3.UP NEXTSharks: wrap up a five-game road trip Saturday at Detroit.Penguins: visit Nashville on Saturday. 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