hting.The Blue Jackets just returned from a four-game trip out West, and coach John Tortorella said it can be difficult to get players energized once theyre back on home ice.Our first period was just a bad period, but I thoug

ATLANTA -- The overpowering version of Justin Verlander pitched a lot of big games for Detroit. The revamped version of the former American League MVP and Cy Young winner starts the biggest game of 2016 for the Tigers on Sunday.Verlander, who is reborn at age 33, faces the Atlanta Braves in the final game at Turner Field with the Tigers flickering wild-card hopes on the line.The Tigers (86-74) trail Baltimore and Toronto by 1 1/2 games and cant lose either to the Braves or in a makeup game at home against Cleveland on Monday. They also need Baltimore or Toronto to lose Sunday.Detroit has just the pitcher on the mound it would want in such a difficult situation. After a down season and then an injury-plagued one, Verlander is making another Cy Young bid.You can make the argument that he might even be better in some ways, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said in comparing to the two versions. Hes certainly had a renaissance. Hes doing some things better than even when he was in his Cy Young prime. Hes made some adjustments that have born fruit. Hes been one of the best in the league, quite frankly.Although Verlander no longer throws quite as hard, the right-hander leads the AL in strikeouts (246) and WHIP (1.00) while going 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA. He has held opponents to a .176 average in the second half and had a 1.93 ERA in five September starts with 48 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings.Verlander is 33-16 in regular-season games in September and October during his career and Atlanta starter Julio Teheran knows he will have to be on the top of his game if the Braves are to play spoilers and bid farewell to their ballpark of 20 years with a victory.Hes one of the best and Im sure hell be lights out for a game like this, Teheran said. Ill have to be good to give us a chance. Itll be exciting.Verlander is 8-2 with a 2.00 ERA since the All-Star break, and had a pair of 11-strikeout games in September as well as one with 12 in his most recent start.Verlanders not just blowing fastballs by hitters now, though.Hes a different pitcher than a few years ago, Ausmus said. I think everyone in the organization thought hed be able to pitch even when his velocity declined because hes got four pitches and command. But hes also made some adjustments with the slider and his arm slot and preparation. Plus, hes healthy.How impressive has Verlander been?His strikeout rate of 28.1 percent is the best for someone 33 or more since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson fanned 30.1 percent in 2004, and his WHIP is the best in the American League since Gaylord Perry, also in the Hall of Fame, finished at 0.98 in 1972.Teheran has never faced the Tigers, but Verlander has pitched against the Braves twice -- both times at Turner Field. He is 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA, the last start coming in 2010.Teheran, the Braves representative in the All-Star Game, tries to close the season with a rare home victory. He is 1-6 with a 3.84 ERA at home this year compared to 5-4 with a 2.69 ERA on the road.Teheran tied his season high of six runs allowed Tuesday against Philadelphia, giving up 10 hits in four innings. He has a 4.86 ERA since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 19 after a lat strain.After splitting the first two games of the series, the Braves (67-93) have won 11 of their past 13 games and are 36-35 since the All-Star break. Air Max 97 2020 .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Air Max 97/1 For Sale . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. http://www.outletairmax97.com/nike-air-max-97-just-do-it-white-black.html . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Discount Air Max 97 . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Air Max 97 Ultra 17 Red . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sergei Bobrovsky helped the Columbus Blue Jackets hang around just long enough for Sam Gagner and Seth Jones to win it.Gagner tied it with 16 seconds left in the third period and Jones scored 46 seconds into overtime, lifting the Blue Jackets over the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Tuesday night.Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots, and Nick Foligno also scored.The first period wasnt our best, and Bob really kept us in it, Gagner said. Hes been doing that a lot.Tyler Seguin scored his team-leading fifth goal for Dallas early in the third for a 2-1 lead. Columbus pulled Bobrovsky for an extra skater on a power play in the final minute, leading to Gagners slap shot from atop the left circle that beat goalie Antti Niemi.Jones then won it with a wrist shot through traffic from above the circles.Jason Spezza also scored for the Stars, and Niemi made 25 saves.We did a lot of good things in the first period, set the tone, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said. We knew theyd have a little bit of push in the second, but its a tough one to swallow because I felt that last minute we had played the type of game were going to win most nights.The Blue Jackets improved to 4-3-1 and swept the two-game season series with Dallas.After a scoreless first period, Foligno got his second goal when he snapped a wrist shot from the left circle 3:50 into the second. Zach Werenski picked up his seventh point with an assist, tying him for the team lead. Brandon Saad also assisted.The Stars tied it later in the second on Spezzas third goal, a charging shot from the top of right circle past Brobrovskys glove hand.Dallas went ahead 1:13 into the third when Seguin buried the puck from a sharp angle just to the left of the net.Both goalies were solid in the first period, especially Bobrovsky, who endureed Dallas 18-shot barrage while his teammates took half that many.ddddddddddddThe Blue Jackets couldnt muster a shot until Gagner managed one with 11:44 left in the first period, which was highlighted by a helmetless Foligno pummeling Dallas Antoine Roussel after Roussel just missed an aggressive check on Alexander Wennberg. Both players were penalized for fighting.The Blue Jackets just returned from a four-game trip out West, and coach John Tortorella said it can be difficult to get players energized once theyre back on home ice.Our first period was just a bad period, but I thought as the game went on we got better, said Tortorella, who is above .500 for the first time in his tenure with the Blue Jackets. Bob gave us a chance to get our legs underneath us. Its a step in the right direction for the team in finding a way to win a type of game like this.Game notes Stars D Dan Hamhuis returned to the lineup Tuesday after being a healthy scratch Saturday in a 4-0 loss against the Minnesota Wild. He replaced Patrik Nemeth. ... Blue Jackets D Ryan Murray returned to the lineup after missing the past four games because of injury. He caught an elbow to the head against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 21. Dalton Prout was scratched to make room. ... D Scott Harrington also was a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets. The Stars scratched D Jamie Oleksiak, LW Curtis McKenzie, as well as Nemeth. ... After a 2-1-1 West Coast swing, the Blue Jackets began a stretch of playing eight of 11 games at home.UP NEXTDallas: Play St. Louis at home Thursday night.Columbus: Host Montreal on Friday night.---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy ' ' '