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DUNEDIN, Florida - Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins made their respective major league debuts nine days apart last August and with just days until spring training play gets underway, the two late-season Toronto Blue Jays call ups find themselves in different situations vis-à-vis the 2014 squad. Goins is the early favourite to win the starting job at second base. Pillar is an outsider to secure a role off the bench, which becomes an even more difficult spot to win if the number of back up jobs is reduced by one. That happens if the Blue Jays decide to start the season with an eight man bullpen. Praised last week by general manager Alex Anthopoulos as the best defensive second baseman the club has had since Orlando Hudson and as "gold glove caliber," Goins hopes an offensive adjustment he made in mid-September helps to round out his game. Goins moved his hands down in his batting stance. Then, during an offseason visit to new hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in Kansas City, Goins went one step further, starting his hands closer to his body. "I have more time to see the ball," he said. "My timing is a little different than having so much movement, having to get going so much earlier, so now its a little better to see the ball and hopefully it will lead to better plate discipline, hitting the ball harder and more consistent." A safe bet to be the nine-hole hitter if he makes the team, Goins is eager to improve upon the .609 OPS he posted in 121 plate appearances over 34 games with the Blue Jays last season. His .679 OPS in 111 Triple-A games last season feeds into the all defense-not much offense narrative but Anthopoulos is more concerned with run prevention this season after watching his infield struggle with injuries and range last year. "He needs to be able to hold is own (offensively,)" said manager John Gibbons. Seitzer, during his first scrum with the Toronto media in January, said he saw Goins as a potential .275-.280 hitter. Their Kansas City rendezvous had already happened so Seitzer was speaking as someone whod watched Goins up close. "I see myself as a hitter," said Goins. "I think I can put together productive at-bats for a season and help the team win. Whatever they need me to do. If its situational hitting, hit and runs, bunting guys over. Whatever is called upon me, wherever Im hitting in the lineup, is what Im going to go out there and do everyday." Pillar, who made his debut on August 14 and went 0-17 before getting his first big league hit at Yankee Stadium, struggled to a .206/.250/.333 line over 110 plate appearances. He got away from his strength as an offensive player, an up-the-middle approach, becoming pull happy and unable to lay off down-and-away breaking pitches. Not one to mope, Pillar went home to Southern California and went to work. "I went home, took about two weeks off in the offseason and Ive been hitting three to four hours everyday just trying to get back," said Pillar. "People say, Why dont you just go back to what you did? Once its gone its gone. Like a lot of things in life, once you forget how to do it or how you felt in the box youve got to recreate that feeling." Pillar insists he isnt exaggerating his three-to-four hours a day hitting routine. His only break wasnt a break. He went to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic and had 66 at-bats, his attempt to get back in his groove. Lawrie thrilled for Team Canada Brett Lawrie, the lone Blue Jay whos Canadian born and raised, was happy to lord Canadas Olympic hockey gold medals over his teammates. After all, Lawrie is badly outnumbered in the clubhouse. "When youre the underdog youve got to keep quiet because theres too many of them," said Lawrie. "I just waited for my turn and then obviously I got my opportunities." Lawrie did his best to keep an eye on Sundays win, working around media responsibilities and warm up Sunday morning at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Kawasaki follow up One day after predicting Canada would beat Sweden 2-1 in the mens hockey gold medal game, Munenori Kawasaki was pleased with himself. "I say Canada win," Kawasaki said. When reminded he didnt pick the correct score, Kawasaki issued a pseudo apology: "My bad. Im no good." Kawasaki didnt watch the game. Satch Sanders Jersey . Nick Holden scored two goals and had an assist and the Avalanche held off the Nashville Predators 5-4 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory. Bill Sharman Jersey . The judge sternly instructed the prosecutor to restrain himself and he apologized -- then went right back to trying to pick holes in the testimony of the double-amputee runner. 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Jim Loscutoff Jersey .com) - Lloyd Sam struck in stoppage time on Wednesday as Red Bull New York hung on for a crucial 1-0 win over Atlantic Cup rivals D.CHICAGO - Preparing for the final weekend of the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals hoped to easily move past the non-contending Chicago Cubs.Instead, they ran into Chicagos buzzsaw a€” Jake Arrieta.Arrieta (10-5), coming off a one-hit shutout against Cincinnati last week, limited St. Louis to two hits and an unearned run while striking out 10 in seven innings, leading the Cubs to a 3-1 victory.Hes got swing-and-miss stuff in the strike zone and hes got the ability to get it out of the strike zone as well, and that makes him tough, Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said. Anytime you got a guy with that type of electric stuff, you kind of feel like youre on defence up there. Anytime he gets ahead of you, youre in a bad spot.Arrieta outdueled St. Louis John Lackey (3-3), both on the mound and at the plate. After Lackey intentionally walked Logan Watkins in the fourth inning, Arrieta hit a two-run triple a€” the first triple of his career and the first by a Cubs pitcher since 2012. The Cubs never surrendered the lead.Its amazing that that at-bat is the one that does it, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.Lackey gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out eight, his most since joining the Cardinals at the trade deadline.The Cardinals, who clinched a playoff berth earlier in the week, remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Central. The Pirates lost at Atlanta, reducing St. Louis magic number to three for clinching the division title.Im tired of looking up there and waiting for somebody else to help us, Matheny said following the game. Nobodys helped us all season long. Why are they going to start now?The Cardinals loss assured NL East champion Washington will open a division series at home.The Cardinals were held without a hit through four innings but managed two singles in thee fifth.dddddddddddd Yadier Molina came in to score on Welington Castillos throwing error, cutting the Cubs lead to 2-1.Molina has hit safely in seven consecutive games and 12 of his past 14.Chris Valaika had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth to extend the Cubs lead to 3-1.The Cardinals mounted a two-out rally in the ninth, but Hector Rondon worked out of the jam for his 13th consecutive save and his 27th in 31 opportunities this season.After the game, Arrieta took pride in playing the role of spoiler.To pitch well against them, at this time of the season with the implications on the game that are there, its meaningful, Arrieta said. Its just another positive thing to use moving forward into the off-season.Arrieta has allowed two or fewer runs in 19 of 25 starts this season.TRAINING ROOMCubs: SS Starlin Castro will miss the remainder of the season, according to manager Rick Renteria. Castro injured his left ankle sliding into home against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 2.Cardinals: OF Jon Jay missed Wednesdays game due to a personal matter. He will rejoin the team on Friday in Arizona.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Eric Jokisch (0-0, 1.74) will make his first career start on Friday when the Cubs open a three-game set at Milwaukee.Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.18), who missed approximated three months earlier this season with a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder, starts for the Cardinals on Friday against Arizona.WRIGLEY FACELIFTNow that the Cubs regular-season schedule is over, improvements and renovations at the 100-year-old ballpark a€” including constructing a large video scoreboard in left field a€” are expected to begin soon. The scoreboard and other outfield signs are expected to be in place by the start of next season, but the new home clubhouse isnt slated to be completed until 2016. ' ' '