Bayern Munichs main title rivals all slipped up last weekend, leaving them more in competition with each other for European qualification places than for the German championship. Bayern continues its march at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, while second-place Bayer Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday. Third-place Dortmund gets the 19th round of games underway at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday. LEAGUE OVER?Bayern Munich was 14 minutes from its first loss of the season Wednesday, down 1-0 at Stuttgart with its league-record unbeaten run on the line, before Claudio Pizarro equalized and Thiago Alcantara sealed the sides 16th victory from 18 games. It was the manner of the Spaniards goal that stole the headlines, a spectacular overhead kick to win the game in injury time, but it also stretched Bayerns commanding lead over Bayer Leverkusen to 13 points, with Borussia Dortmund another four behind after 18 games. Bayern hasnt lost in the league in 43 games. At the same stage last season, Bayern led Bayer Leverkusen by nine points and Borussia Dortmund by 12. Jupp Heynckes side went on to clinch the quickest ever Bundesliga title. His successor, Pep Guardiola, is already well ahead of his pace. DORTMUND DEPRESSIONJakub Blaszczykowskis season-ending injury - the Poland captain tore his cruciate ligament in last weekends 2-2 draw at home with Augsburg - is just the latest serious injury blow to Borussia Dortmunds faltering Bundesliga season. Dortmund has already had to contend with long-term injuries to defenders Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcell Schmelzer, as well as influential midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, while dealing with the distraction of Polish striker Robert Lewandowskis end-of-season transfer to Bayern. German media reports suggest that Serbian attacking midfielder Milos Jojic is on the verge of signing from Partizan Belgrade, while Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg says Hertha Berlins Colombian striker Adrian Ramos is likely to be Lewandowskis replacement in the summer. HUNTELAAR RETURNSAfter a troublesome season so far, Schalkes mood visibly improved last Sunday with the return of Klaas Jan Huntelaar after five months out injured. The Dutch striker opened the scoring and his mere presence seemed to bring the best out of his teammates as they triumphed 3-0 at Hamburger SV. Adding to the new-found sense of optimism, all the sides above dropped points - with the exception of Bayern - allowing Schalke to climb to fifth, two points off Borussia Moenchengladbach in the last Champions League qualification place. Schalke hosts big-spending Wolfsburg, which is just a point behind and also aiming for fourth place, on Saturday. Huntelaar, who has 50 goals in 85 games for Schalke, is back just when hes needed most. "His presence alone does us the world of good," Schalke coach Jens Keller said. HAMBURG CRISISHamburger SV, the only Bundesliga side to have played every season, finds itself firmly in a battle against its first relegation after four defeats in succession. "Were going down if we keep going like this," Hamburg playmaker Rafael van der Vaart said after the latest defeat to Schalke left the side in the relegation play-off place. Hamburg fired Thorsten Fink as coach in September but has seen little to no improvement under replacement coach Bert van Marwijk. The Dutchmans job has been complicated by a host of injuries hitting a small squad. Standout striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga (nine goals) has been ruled out for two weeks, while defender Lam Zhi Gin is also ruled out against Hoffenheim. Defender Marcell Jansen is doubtful but goalkeeper Rene Adler could return. Last Sundays defeat to Schalke was the sixth loss in nine home games this season for Hamburg, which has conceded 41 goals. Only Hoffenheims record of 42 goals conceded is worse. A goalless draw is not expected on Sunday. LEVERKUSEN RUFFLING FEATHERSIn an effort to get more fans at games, Bayer Leverkusen has taken out advertising on public transport services in the area, but this has riled football fans in nearby Wuppertal. Since Monday, the Wuppertal suspension railway has been carrying the slogan: "Top class football: only 30 kilometres further." Wuppertaler SV chairman Achim Weber, whose side was relegated to the fifth tier because of insolvency, was not amused. "This Bayer-train goes right by our stadium all the time. Bayer are fishing in foreign waters," Weber told the Cologne-based Express newspaper. "We need every supporter. You dont do something like that." Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday, when all fans, including Wuppertals, are welcome. 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Kurt Warner Cardinals Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . ARLINGTON, Texas -- These Pittsburgh Pirates keep saying their goal this season was always bigger than just having a winning record. The American League better watch out if they are able to make it to their first World Series since 1979. Clint Barmes homered and drew a bases-loaded walk as the Pirates completed a three-game series sweep in an interleague matchup of wild-card leaders with a 7-5 victory Wednesday over the slumping Texas Rangers. "You see how close this race is, so thats the way weve been taking it every day," Barmes said. "And I dont see that changing." The Pirates (84-61), who ensured their first winning season since 1992 with a victory in the opener at Texas, finished the series with their ninth consecutive interleague road victory. They were 15-5 overall during the regular season against AL teams. "Thats a big-time record," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Theyre challenging because theyre like pop quizzes. You got to watch video and maybe youve seen them. I had a little history here with a few of the hitters. Its just been the way weve been able to show up." Swept in three games at St. Louis last weekend, the Pirates remained a game behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals, who beat Milwaukee 5-1 on Wednesday night. "The thing Im most impressed with is our consistency, our focus and our preparation," Hurdle said. "It doesnt waver. We didnt come here with sweep on our mind. We came in here to win the first game." Texas (81-64) has dropped nine of its last 12 games, a stretch in which the Rangers have lost four consecutive series. They have gone from a three-game lead in the AL West to three behind Oakland after the Athletics won 18-3 at Minnesota on Wednesday night. Oakland finishes its series against the Twins on Thursday, when the Rangers have their last scheduled day off, before a three-game weekend series in Texas between the AL Wests top two teams. "Well be fine," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Weve got an off day and then come back ready to play. Its all we can do." In the NL wild-card standings, the Pirates are two games ahead of Cincinnati, which is holding the second wild card. For the AL wild card, the Rangers are 2 1/2 games ahead of No. 2 Tampa Bay. Justin Morneau, acquired from Minnesota less than two weeks ago, snapped an 0-for-14 slump with four hits while scoring twice for Pittsburgh. " We got outplayed in every aspect of the game in St. Louiis," Morneau said.dddddddddddd "To come back and have a short memory and forget about that, I think thats a sign of a good team when you can bounce back." A.J. Burnett (8-10) struck out seven in 6 1-3 innings, though he faded late after retiring the first 13 batters he faced. Kyle Farnsworth, the fourth Pittsburgh reliever, worked the ninth for his first save since 2011. Matt Garza (3-4 with Texas, 9-5 overall) needed 89 pitches to get through four innings and left down 3-0. He struck out six, but also walked four and gave up five hits. Garza, acquired July 22 from the Chicago Cubs to bolster the Rangers rotation, is 0-2 his last four starts. "I feel fine, just didnt have location and paid for it," Garza said. Felix Pie had a leadoff walk in the third, stole second and scored on Neil Walkers single. The Pirates loaded the bases in the fourth before Barmes drew a walk, and another run came home on a fielders choice after shortstop Elvis Andrus bobbled a likely double-play grounder. Barmes solo homer in the eighth that made it 7-5 was the only home run hit by either team in the series. With his breaking ball working, Burnett struck out five the first two innings and didnt allow a base runner until A.J. Pierzynskis one-out double in the fifth. "Thats about the only time it was effective. I started to lose it toward the end," Burnett said. "My arm started dragging a little bit. But I just wanted to come out and set the tone and keep it going." That first hit by Pierzynski might have been caught if Gold Glove centre fielder Andrew McCutchen wasnt getting a day off. The ball went over the outstretched glove of Pie. Burnett gave up five hits and walked two over the last 10 batters he faced. After the bottom two batters in the Rangers lineup walked to start the sixth, they scored when Andrus got a single that ricocheted off shortstop Barmes glove into short left as he tried to make a backhanded stop. Notes: Texas was 10-10 in interleague play. ... Suspended Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz started workouts Wednesday at the teams spring training complex in Arizona with full defensive drills and batting practice. Instructional league games begin next Wednesday. Cruzs 50-game suspension, through the end of the regular season, came after Major League Baseballs investigation into the Biogenesis clinic in Florida accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. Cruz could be eligible for the post-season. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '