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NEW YORK -- As the last-place team in the National League East, the Atlanta Braves can afford to let someone learn on the job, as right-handed pitcher Ryan Weber will begin to do Wednesday night.Their opponents, the New York Mets, are in the thick of the NL wild-card race, and veteran right fielder Jay Bruce may not have any time left to snap out of a nearly two-month slump.Bruces place in -- or out -- of the lineup is sure to be a central topic Wednesday night, when the Mets try to avoid being swept by the Braves in the finale of a three-game series at Citi Field.Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran threw seven strong innings Tuesday, when the Braves withstood a late Mets comeback to eke out a 5-4 win. The result, coupled with wins by the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, dropped New York into a three-way tie with the Giants and Cardinals for the two NL wild-card spots.The Giants, Cardinals and Mets are all 81-70.The Mets looked as if they might be mounting a dramatic comeback during a three-run eighth inning Tuesday, when Eric Campbell -- a .172 hitter who had not batted in the majors since May 30 -- produced the second run of the frame with a pinch-hit RBI single. He batted in place of Bruce, who led the NL in RBI prior to an Aug. 1 trade to the Mets.Bruce, who didnt start either Sunday or Monday, went 0-for-3 Tuesday and is batting just .176 in 39 games with the Mets. He is 3-for-37 (.081) dating back to Sept. 5.Manager Terry Collins said it was a difficult decision to pinch-hit for the left-handed-hitting Bruce against southpaw Ian Krol but that he did so in the best interests of the team.Its one of the worst things you can do as a manager -- pinch-hit for a star, especially one of the elite power hitters in the game, Collins said. But you know, my job is to try to win the game.Bruce -- a three-time All-Star with 237 career homers -- said it was the first time he could remember being lifted for a pinch hitter but that he understood Collins decision.He didnt need to explain that to me, said Bruce, who actually was replaced by a pinch hitter eight times previously. I obviously get how the game is played, and you know what his thought process was there. I dont deserve any explanations from the manager. Hes the manager, he makes the decisions.Perhaps Bruce will get a chance to redeem himself against Weber, who will be making his second start of the season and his first since Sept. 5. Overall this year, he is 1-1 with a 5.46 ERA in 15 outings.Weber earned the opportunity to return to the rotation by throwing 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief in place of right-hander John Gant last Friday against the Washington Nationals.He did such a good job the other day, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said Monday. (He) was efficient and extended it so well, and hes somewhat stretched out. Just get the bird off the ground and get us in flight, see where we end up.Weber is 0-0 with a 7.56 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Mets.The Braves (60-91) look increasingly likely to end up with fewer than 100 losses, something that seemed inconceivable when manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired following a 9-28 start that had the club on pace to lose 120 games.Atlanta is 51-63 under Snitker and needs to win just three of its final 11 games to avoid the franchises first 100-loss season since 1988.They are big (games) for us -- thats why were going out there to win, not to show up, Snitker said. Were going out to try to win the ballgame.Ageless right-hander Bartolo Colon (14-7, 3.14 ERA) will look to serve as the stopper for the Mets. The 43-year-old veteran, who needs one more win to become only the fourth pitcher to ever win at least 15 games at age 43 or older, is 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 14 career starts against the Braves.In three starts against Atlanta this year, Colon is 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA. Discount Yeezy Store . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Wholesale Yeezy China . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. https://www.yeezychina.us/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Wholesale Yeezy Shop .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. 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Hawthorns 2016 premiership campaign is over but their golden era of success wont end with Friday nights semifinal loss to the Western Bulldogs, says Alastair Clarkson.The Hawks were overrun by the Bulldogs in the second half at the MCG, Luke Beveridges side thwarting Hawthorns bid to equal the record of four premierships in a row, set by Jock McHales Collingwood from 1927 to 1930.I know what the papers are going to say ... theyll say that its the end of an era, Clarkson said after the 23-point loss.Theyre too old and too slow but well just have a little bit of a break, reload and get going again.Theyre a proud group and we know weve got some improving to do as a side ... but theyve always been a group that rolls the sleeves up and tries to improve every day.The Hawks looked set to break the game open at 23 points up early in the second quarter but the Dogs clawed that deficit back to just one point at halftime.Then Hawthorn were powerless to stop a run of six goals in the third quarter that set up the Dogs preliminary final clash against Greater Western Sydney.Premiership stars like Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson and Jordan Lewis didnt have their usual influence but Clarkson believes his club - having blooded seven new players this season - wont have to rely so heavvily on those veterans to keep his team in premiership calculations in 2017.ddddddddddddClarkson also pointed to the possible return of full-forward Jarryd Roughead from cancer treatment next season as one of several reasons for optimism and added the Hawks would look to improve their list through the trade period period.Young Gold Coast star Jaeger OMeara could prove a huge boost, but Clarkson admitted there was much water to go under the bridge before he arrived at the club - labeling that trade process difficult.Hawthorns vaunted pressure on the ball carrier was still very much on display, but Clarkson felt his players werent rewarded for their efforts that saw them lay 42 more tackles than the Dogs.We laid 104 tackles and got how many free kicks do you reckon for holding the ball? Three, he said.So what can you say to your players? Its not that the endeavour isnt there.Thats where the game has changed a little bit. They want the game to keep moving, so well need to change some things that we do because that is a significant change in the way the game is being umpired.Thats a lot of tackles to lay for bugger all reward isnt it? ' ' '