PHILADELPHIA -- Freddy Galvis has a handwritten note stuck on his locker reminding him to keep the ball out of the air.Theres no signature. Its simply inscribed (hash)No. 20.Even Mike Schmidt (yes, The No. 20) could agree that if Galvis does put the ball in the air, it may as well soar out of the park.Galvis continued his home run surge, hitting his 19th of the season to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.Galvis connected on a two-run shot in the second inning off Steven Brault (0-3) for his 10th homer in the last 32 games. Known more as a defensive whiz since taking over for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, Galvis has been a bright spot offensively for the Phillies. He already has career highs in doubles, homers, extra-base hits, RBI and stolen bases, though his .239 average and .271 on-base percentage need considerable improvement.I dont know if Im surprised, he said. All I know is, I put in a good workout in my offseason and worked really hard to prove I could play baseball every day.The 26-year-old switch hitter changed his approach early last month after a session with hitting coach Steve Henderson. Galvis kept all his weight on his back leg during his swing and suddenly found the pop that was missing.Galvis had 20 career homers in 322 games entering this season.His newfound power could be enough to overcome his measly OBP.I remember a few years when Jimmy Rollins didnt hit a whole lot, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. You can live with a guy like that.Tommy Joseph hit his 19th homer for the Phillies. Jeanmar Gomez got the final two outs of the ninth for his 37th save.The Phillies won two of the first three in the four-game series and all but knocked the Pirates out of the hunt in the NL wild card. The Pirates were six games back entering Wednesday and appear set to have their playoff streak end at three seasons. They had the second-best record in baseball behind only the St. Louis Cardinals from 2013-15.Brault allowed nine hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. He remained winless in seven career starts.The Phillies have long been out of the playoff picture and -- like so many teams playing out the string -- are looking for any kind of positive to end the season. Galvis has been one. Joseph showed power in his rookie season. Speedy rookie outfielder Roman Quinn has been solid in September.Quinn even threw out a runner at the plate in the ninth to snuff a Pirates rally.We had two outs to play with, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. We made a bad decision there.The Phillies got a rare boost on the mound from righty Jake Thompson (2-5). Thompson, who won for the first time since Aug. 12, allowed six hits and two runs over six solid innings.Against the Pirates, he was sharp enough in front of a small and lifeless crowd to show how he went 11-5 in the minors this season and was considered valuable enough to be included in last years Cole Hamels deal with Texas.Andrew McCutchen hit his 21st homer for the Pirates.STRIKEOUTS ARE BORINGDouble-A Reading OF Dylan Cozens won the 2016 Joe Bauman award as minor league baseballs home run champion with 40. The award is named for Bauman, who set a professional record in 1954 with 72 home runs for the Roswell Rockets of the Class-C Longhorn League.OPENING UPThe 2017 schedule was released on Wednesday. The Pirates will open April 3-6 at Boston in their first trip there since 2005. The Phillies open the season April 3 at Cincinnati.FLASH A SIGNFormer Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, traded last month to the Dodgers, thanked fans with a sign of appreciation on a billboard off I-95. The billboard read: I loved playing for you. You will always be in my heart. Thank you, Philly! -- ChoochSTREAK SNAPPEDPhillies LF Tyler Goeddel singled in the second inning to snap an 0-for-21 streak.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (3-3, 4.09 ERA) will make his 11th career start. Hes lost each of his last three decisions, though the Pirates have won seven of his 10 starts.Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (10-13, 3.73 ERA) has pitched six innings in each of his last five starts and six of seven overall. Griffin Reinhart Golden Knights Jersey . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Oscar Lindberg Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. http://www.authenticgoldenknightsproshop.com/customized/ . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. William Karlsson Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. T.J. Tynan Jersey .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. I get emotional when it comes to kabaddi as I used to play the sport as a child. The feeling of watching it live helps me reconnect with the days gone by, said Venu Vulesa while his son Daniel got his cheeks painted in orange and red, the colours of his favourite team, Bengaluru Bulls.This was the environment at Bangalores Sree Kanteerava Stadium as more than 3000 people gathered to watch the citys first Pro Kabaddi match of the season, played between the home team and Telugu Titans.Seven-year-old Daniel, his cheek-painting complete, looked towards his father and said, Even I like kabaddi! The love for kabaddi, Vulesa said shyly, probably ran in the family.For a sport that rarely made a splash across the country a few years ago, kabaddi has found a foothold ever since the arrival of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014. With slickly packaged programming on prime-time TV slots and matches lasting a convenient 40-minutes each, the PKL provided the viewers an alternative for leagues like the IPL. From a largely rural and small-town following, the PKL has made its way into playgrounds, drawing rooms and city stadiums.One of the key aspects of kabaddi is that we can relate to the game. For me, it is pure nostalgia, said Avinash, a twentysometing software engineer, who was accompanied by friends Vivek, Prashant, Suhas and Prithvi for the match. Its short and crisp, apart from being full of entertainment, added Vivek.I see wildness in the game. The energy is crazy out there. You cant help but love it, said Tejaswini, a 23-year-old following the sport since the first season of the PKL. At times, I wonder if I could learn how to play too, she smiled.Along with a strong TV presence, tickets are available on the venue box office at reasonable prices, turning the league into a mini-festival to its host cities.The kind of craze the tournament has in the city is unbelievable. I came here to understand what the game is all about and why it is attracting so many people towards it, said Bharat, who came to the game with friends Sandesh and Sudarshan.Kabaddi is not that well-understood in metro cities. Even if you look at the players that we have in the teams, you will notice that a major chunk of them hail from rural (sic) cities. It then becomes important for us to know about the games that started from our roots and are now making a mark, said Sudarshan.After the PKLs success in its first two seasons, it was announced that from 20016 onwards, the league will have two seasons in a year.dddddddddddd The response from fans is mixed: Two seasons in a year is a little too much, is what I feel. It takes away the excitement that it has built so far. One season a year would keep the demand as well as the craze high, Vivek pointed out.Contradicting him was 25-year-old Vadiraj, who said, The promotions and the execution of the plans have been pretty good. The number of seasons doesnt matter as long as it is giving the game a much-needed push. People are finally getting connected to it. Im an avid follower of the sport, and it feels good when people finally recognize the rules and the players. While buying a Bulls jersey for his son Aditya, Venugopal said, This is a game you can watch with the family. It gives us an opportunity to bond over a desi sport. Having two seasons in a year would only make the loyalty grow.Part of the PKLs marketing strategy involves merchandising - accessible and affordable - as a way of connecting with the youth. While the official team jerseys sell for Rs. 300-750, the clones, openly sold within 100m of the official merchandise store, cost Rs. 150-200. It is why team colours can be easily spotted everywhere in the crowd at matches.I would choose it over any other sport, any day, said 14-year- old Lalasa. The presence of mind that the players showcase in such a limited time, keeps you at the edge of your seats throughout. Her classmate Devraj Chandu, however, differed with her saying, Kabaddi is great, but cricket is still the best.Once the Kanteerava guards sounded a whistle, indicating the game was set to begin, the crowd milling about outside the ground, rushed inside to get to their seats in time.Inside the stadium, all the varied opinions about the league were diluted as everyone came together to chant kabaddi kabaddi along with the players. Deafening cheers after each successful raid and defense followed by the theme song of the two teams was to suddenly bring the stadium to life. Even though the home team was beaten, the crowd continued to hoot, hoping for better days.So what if we lost today? As a fan, I believe we still have it in us to win the season, smiled 15-year-old Jhanvi Ramakrishna.Amidst it all, what won over them all was the unlikely yet deserving hero -- the game itself. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '