I think there is nothing really like coming to play the Rogers Cup.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Travis Wood did more than just pitch his way out of trouble. He also hit his way to victory. Wood homered and pitched four-hit ball over seven innings in helping the Chicago Cubs complete a three-game sweep in San Francisco for the first time in 20 years, beating the Giants 2-1 Sunday. "He threw one in there and I was able to put a good swing on it and hit it out of the park," Wood said. "Im always surprised. Im not trying to hit home runs." Welington Castillo also homered for the Cubs, who won their third straight and five of seven despite playing without Alfonso Soriano, who was traded to the New York Yankees on Friday. "Its tough to lose him," Wood said. "He was the leader of this team, hes been here the longest and he was swinging a hot bat. Guys just have to step up and fill in." The Cubs clubhouse broke into spontaneous cheering when Soriano homered for the Yankees and later learned of his game-winning hit. "Hes our boy," Castillo said. "He just needs to keep doing what hes been doing." For one series, at least, the Cubs found a way to win without their popular ex-teammate. Pablo Sandoval drove in a run for the Giants, who have lost four straight and seven of eight. Tim Lincecum (5-11) had two hits in addition to pitching seven innings. He gave up two runs and four hits. He walked two and struck out 10. "Tim did a great job," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Not only did he pitch well, he got a couple of hits there. Its a shame he couldnt get him the win. "In all my years Ive never seen a team go through such a hard time getting runs in like were having right now. Its a shame because were getting such great pitching." Wood (7-7) allowed an unearned run while walking four and striking out seven. Wood was 1-4 over his previous nine games. Hes been involved in 10 one-run decisions. "Early on it was kind of a grind but it was that way for both of us," Wood said. "I was able to settle down quite nicely." Pedro Strop threw a scoreless eighth, his 12th consecutive scoreless outing (10 2-3 innings) since joining the Cubs on July 2. Kevin Gregg recorded the final three outs for his 22nd save in 25 chances, and his third straight of the series. Wood ended the scoreless tie with his third home run, a solo shot with two outs and on a 2-2 count, in the fifth. It was the first career home run Lincecum has allowed to an opposing pitcher. Lincecum survived a shaky start to retire 13 of 14 batters until Wood took him deep. "It was just a couple of location mistakes," Lincecum said. "Except for the two home runs everything seemed to come out of my hand better." The Giants left the bases loaded in the third and had the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth. Buster Poseys grounder to Luis Valbuena turned into a 5-2 double play before Sandoval doubled to tie the game. "Thank goodness we got another weird grounder to third we could turn into a double play," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "You dont see a force and tag like that too often." Castillo hit his third home run with two outs in the seventh, giving the Cubs a 2-1 advantage. "He was behind in the count and I was looking for a fastball," Castillo said. "He gave it to me." The Giants, who have committed a major league-leading 76 errors, took fielding practice instead of batting practice before the game. NOTES: The Giants activated RHP Guillermo Moscosco, whom they acquired in a trade from the Chicago Cubs last week. RHP Yusmeiro Petit was designated for assignment to make room for Moscosco. ... The Giants are scheduled for a White House visit on Mondays day off before starting a series at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays was asked to accompany the team to Washington D.C. and missed the Hall of Fame ceremonies. ... Woods three HRs and eight RBIs are the most by any pitcher this year. ... The first inning lasted 31 minutes and the pitchers needed a combined 58 pitches to complete it. ... Cubs RHP Scott Baker (Tommy John surgery), who has not appeared in a major league game since Sept. 24, 2011, when he was with the Minnesota Twins, will make his fourth rehab start on Monday. Hes 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his first three starts. ... RHP Jeff Samardzija (6-9, 3.94) starts for the Cubs when they open a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. ... LHP Barry Zito (4-7, 4.92) starts Tuesday nights game at the Philadelphia Phillies. Hes 0-6 with a 9.89 ERA on the road. Alonzo Mourning Jersey . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. Tim Hardaway Jersey . JOHNS, N. https://www.heatlockerroom.com/Justise-Winslow-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. KZ Okpala Heat Jersey . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Kelly Olynyk Jersey . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. TORONTO -- Rogers Cup fans got a glimpse of whats been touted as the next big thing in American tennis for some time. Sloane Stephens debuted at the womens tournament Monday with a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Frances Kristina Mladenovic in the opening round. The world No. 17-ranked Stephens has been labelled the natural successor to Serena and Venus Williams in the American womens game. This year shes proving why, with a semifinal showing at the Australian Open and quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon. Stephens insists she doesnt let the hype affect her game. "Obviously most of the attention I get is pretty positive," said Stephens. "Its because people want to see me do well and Im American and thats awesome, but I mean theres a little downfall of that too. There is a lot of pressure ... and things like that. "You just have to deal with it and play hard and imagine what (Andy) Murray deals with in England and what Serena has dealt with for so many years. Its definitely tough but people have done it before." The 20-year-old Stephens battled back from down 5-3 in the second set to win the match in 90 minutes, 40 seconds. She looked strong from the first game as she broke Mladenovic twice to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The No. 39-ranked Frenchwoman tried to play aggressive by attacking the net, but Stephens blew a forehand by her to make it 4-0. "She comes in a lot and volleys really well," said Stephens. "I knew probably she was going to press a little and make me play more balls. But I tried to stay with it and hit a lot of angles and move her and it seemed to work." Mladenovic had a chance to break and make it 4-2 but returned the ball long, then wide before Stephens reversed momentum to win the game and pull ahead 5-1. Mladenovic appeared en route to forcing a third set with a 5-3 lead in the second, but Stephens won three straight games before closing out the match in a tiebreak. "She upped her game a lot in the second set," said Stephens. "Some nights its going to be up and down, but I thought I stayed pretty solid and got through it." Stephens will next face Germanys Mona Barthel, who advanced with a 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(1) win over Chinas Jie Zheng. Carol Zhao, meanwhile, became the first Canadian ousted from the tournaments main draw. The 18-year-old qualifier from nearby Richmond Hill, Ont., lost 6-1, 6-3 to Russias Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Zhao, making her first appearance in the Rogers Cup main draw, looked overpowered by the Russian in the first set but fought back for a 3-0 lead in the secoond.dddddddddddd "I think I just tried to simplify my game plan (in the second set), and I think it rattled her a little bit," said Zhao. "I think the next step for me is trying to maintain that level of play for a longer period of time." Pavlyuchenkova rallied back to make it 4-3 before winning the match on serve. Shell meet four-seed Li Na of China in the second round. Zhao says the experience of playing her first Rogers Cup will be a lasting memory. "I think there is nothing really like coming to play the Rogers Cup. This is a tournament I grew up watching," said Zhao. "Getting an opportunity to play in the main draw is a dream come true." Most of the pre-tournament buzz has been around her fellow Canadian Eugenie Bouchard who lost in doubles on Monday with partner Kirsten Flipkens of Germany. The duo fell to Oksana Kalashnikova and Alicja Rosolska 4-6, 6-3, 10-7. Bouchard, a Westmount, Que., native who is the main draw on a wild card, will play her first singles match on Tuesday night against Russias Alisa Kleybanova. Bouchard turned heads at Wimbledon this year when she advanced to the third round with victory over former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic. Flavia Pennetta and Yanina Wickmayer were among the early winners in Mondays opening round. Pennetta of Italy became the first player through to the second round after she eliminated Urszula Radwanska 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while Belgiums Wickmayer ousted American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Mattek-Sands was called upon shortly before the match after Britains Laura Robson pulled out with a right wrist injury. Known for her eye-catching fashion sense, Mattek-Sands sported black socks and wrist bands with a streak of green in her blonde hair. The world No. 32-ranked Robson -- set to make her Rogers Cup debut -- joins a list of injured players who withdrew from the tournament, including top-5 seeds Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. Robson was coming off a strong performance at Wimbledon where she reached the fourth round -- the first British woman to do it since 1998. In other early results Monday, Dominika Cibulkova knocked off fellow Slovakian Jana Cepelova 7-5, 6-4; Romanias Sorana Cirstea moved on with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Ukrainian qualifier Olga Savchuk; 10-seed Roberta Vinci of Italy beat Germanys Julia Goerges 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands defeated American Alison Riske 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Varvara Lepchenko of the U.S. won 6-3, 6-1 over Ayumi Morita of Japan; and Klara Zakopalova was a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 winner over fellow Czech Lucie Safarova. ' ' '