HOUSTON -- Seattle Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker has enjoyed a brief history of dominance over the Houston Astros, but his lingering health concerns might cloud his start against them on Tuesday night.Walker (4-6, 3.29 ERA) has been battling right posterior tibial tendinitis for weeks, a condition that grew so severe in June that he departed starts at Tampa Bay on June 14 and at Boston five days later (despite tossing five scoreless innings) early due to discomfort.He had his turn skipped in the rotation before returning last Thursday against Baltimore, against which he allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.Walker will make his 11th career start against the Astros, roughly one-fifth of his total number of starts. He is 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA against Houston, with 58 strikeouts in 52 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in six of his previous starts against the Astros and three runs or less in three others.How effectively he pitches Tuesday night might have more to do with how Walker feels physically than anything the Astros can muster with a game plan.Well see, Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Walker and his condition. It has crept up in every start, sometimes later in the starts, sometimes earlier. He has been able to manage it. He threw the ball very well the last time out. Were looking for the same thing (Tuesday).The Astros (44-39) will counter with ace left-hander Dallas Keuchel (5-9, 5.13 ERA), whose up-and-down season has included two starts against the Mariners (43-40) with a 0-1 record and 4.85 ERA.Keuchel is 4-5 with a 3.09 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against Seattle. Given the Mariners left-handed-leaning lineup (including regulars Seth Smith, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Adam Lind), Keuchel would seem perfectly positioned to enjoy a rebound.Keuchel is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA over his last two starts, outings that followed a solid performance against Cincinnati when he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over seven innings while getting a no-decision.With six starts of at least seven innings on his ledger, Keuchel would serve Houston well to pitch efficiently. The Astros bullpen worked two scoreless innings on Monday in support of right-hander Lance McCullers and entered the Mariners series with the best ERA (2.54) in the American League since May 1.Right-handers Luke Gregerson and Will Harris combined for two strikeouts while retiring the six batters they faced. If Keuchel hands the bullpen a lead late on Tuesday, the Astros will like their chances to win.This is what they do, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I had (right-hander Ken) Giles up in the seventh, Lance didnt need it as he got out of it. And then Gregersons settled into the eighth-inning role. I feel confident that Luke could close any game and he probably will soon if Will needs a day off. Will continues to come in (and pitch well). Joe Flacco Broncos Jersey . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Dre Mont Jones Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. http://www.thebroncosstoreonline.com/Youth-John-Elway-Broncos-Jerseys/ . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Joe Flacco Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Royce Freeman Womens Jersey . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p.CHICAGO -- J.J. Hoover put together his own birthday party at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night. He grabbed another scoreless outing for a present, and the Cincinnati Reds got a big win. Hoover provided terrific relief work on his 26th birthday and Shin-Soo Choo hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 11th inning, leading Cincinnati to a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. "The bullpen did a great job again," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Hoover did an outstanding job, got a much-needed win considering how he started the season. You know, we just played good baseball." With no outs and the bases loaded, Choo jumped on the first pitch he got from Eduardo Sanchez (0-1) and lined it into the gap in right-centre. Ryan Ludwick and Devin Mesoraco came around to score. Sanchez walked the first two batters of the inning and Cesar Izturis reached on an error by third baseman Donnie Murphy to set up Choos clutch hit. "I tell myself (be) aggressive (for) last at-bat, so I just swing at the first pitch," Choo said. Nate Schierholtz, Dioner Navarro and Murphy homered for Chicago, which was shut out in each of its previous three home games. Schierholtzs two-run drive in the second snapped a franchise-record home scoreless stretch at 33 innings. "Obviously we didnt play really good baseball tonight again," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. Hoover (3-5) allowed one hit in a career-high 2 1-3 innings, running his scoreless streak to 21 appearances and 24 2-3 innings. The surge, which began with one inning in Chicago on June 13, has lowered his ERA from 5.40 to 2.81. "It was just a small mechanical adjustment that I made mid-year, and its helped me out," he said. Aroldis Chapman finished for his 29th save in 33 chances, closing out Cincinnatis third consecutive win and sixth in seven games. The Reds also improved to 14-1 in their last 15 games at Chicagos cozy neighbourhood ballpark. David DeJesus had a leadoff single in the 10th for the Cubs, but Junior Lake popped up a sacrifice attempt and Hoover turned Anthony Rizzos comebacker into an inning-ending double play. Brandon Phillips had three hits and stole two bases, helping Cincinnati build a 4-2 lead. But Navarro led off the fourth with a drive just past the foul pole in right for his career-high 10th homer, and Murphy tied it with another leadoff shot in the seventh. The three homers allowed matched a career high for Homer Bailey, who gave up six hits and walked three in 6 1-3 innings. He had won each of his previous two starts. "My command was just terrible tonight,"; he said.dddddddddddd "Just one of those nights, I just didnt have good stuff at all. Never really felt like I was in a groove." Jeff Samardzija yielded six hits and walked four in six innings, extending his winless stretch to five games. The right-hander was coming off a disastrous outing at Philadelphia, when he gave up nine runs and 11 hits in just 3 1-3 innings in a 12-1 loss. "I felt good out there. If I had to go back to anything, it was the first-pitch strike," Samardzija said. "I felt like I was behind the count a lot tonight. Even when they are taking a pitch. Thats a big pitch, the first of an at-bat. You want to jump ahead in the count and be aggressive." The unseasonably cool night began with the Cubs holding a pregame ceremony to honour Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a November ceremony at the White House. Its Americas highest civilian honour for contributions to society. Fellow Hall of Famer Billy Williams paid tribute to his longtime friend with team chairman Tom Ricketts standing nearby, and the 82-year-old Banks waved to the crowd as it saluted "Mr. Cub" with a long ovation. "Its amazing," Banks said. "It means everything to me. Life if is just wonderful. When you do things to help people and share things then it comes back to you. I just worked hard and to try to do my best, loved the players, love Wrigley Field, love all the players." Banks joins an impressive list of baseball players to receive the honour, including Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Buck ONeil and Stan Musial. NOTES: It was Ludwicks second appearance since he tore cartilage in his right shoulder while sliding headfirst into third base on opening day. ... It looks as if Jorge Soler, one of Chicagos top prospects, could be done for the season. The Cuban outfielder is sidelined with a stress fracture in his left leg. "Fall leagues still very much a possibility," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "Minor league season is looking like it might not happen at this point." The 21-year-old Soler signed a nine-year, $30 million contract with the Cubs last year. ... RHP Jake Arrieta, who was acquired in a July trade with Baltimore, could be back up with the Cubs soon. "Yeah, were getting close to that point," Epstein said. Arrieta is 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA in seven starts with Triple-A Iowa. ... Cubs LHP Chris Rusin (2-1, 3.08 ERA) and Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo (10-9, 3.51 ERA) are scheduled to pitch on Wednesday. ' ' '