SEATTLE -- One of the originals still around since the inaugural 2009 season, Brad Evans has witnessed many nights when the fans of the Seattle Sounders top what theyve done before. Playing before one of the largest crowds in league history and against a fierce rival on Sunday night could be the top. "You always remember certain games and get emotional with certain games," Evans said. " ... Anytime you walk out and you feel the chills, you know its going to be a special game and you play off those emotions because that pushes you through walls and thats something I thought our guys played off the crowd tonight and we won." Eddie Johnson scored his 14th goal of the season just minutes after an own goal gave Seattle the lead, Fredy Montero added another in the 62nd minute, and the Sounders raced past Cascadia rival Portland 3-0 before the second largest crowd for a stand-alone MLS game in league history. Johnsons goal in the 28th minute gave Seattle a 2-0 lead and helped the Sounders move into third-place in the Western Conference, two points clear of fourth-place Los Angeles. It was a vital three points in Seattles efforts to avoid having the No. 4 seed in the MLS Western Conference playoffs and having to play an extra playoff game against the No. 5 seed with the winner of that likely getting San Jose in the conference semifinals. So while the massive crowd was impressive and Seattle gave itself a shot at retaining the Cascadia Cup in the rivalry with Portland and Vancouver, picking up three needed points in the playoff race trumped it all. The official attendance of 66,452 was the second largest for a stand-alone match in league history. Thereve been doubleheaders featuring international friendlies to go along with a league match, but in terms of a match between two MLS teams, the only one to top what Portland and Seattle drewwas the first match in league history when Los Angeles hosted New York at the Rose Bowl in 1996 in front of 69,255. Those in attendance for the latest installment of the Cascadia rivalry included MLS commissioner Don Garber, who jumped on a plane Sunday morning just to take in the atmosphere and was headed back to New York after the match on a red-eye. "I knew this would be a historic event as it would lead in to this weekend. ... Its just another one of these great moments. Weve been saying that a lot lately, but its really true," Garber said. It was the second-largest crowd to see a Sounders match, behind a friendly against Manchester United in the summer of 2011. Seattle coach Sigi Schmid, who was featured on a large Tifo from the Sounders supporters before the match, was emotional trying to describe what the setting meant. "In my imagination of heaven, this is it. A packed house, beating Portland by three, fans going crazy, it cant get better than that," Schmid said. Seattle got the benefit of an own goal from Portland to take the lead when Mamadou Danso stepped in front of a cross intended for Montero in the 25th minute. Portland originally was charged with a second own-goal, this one by Jack Jewsbury, to give Seattle a 3-0 lead. But that goal was later changed and given to Montero with persistence likely the reason Montero earned his career-best 13th goal of the season. Montero was originally stopped twice by Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and appeared to barely get his toe on the ball at the same moment Jewsbury got to it. The result was the same, though; a three-goal lead in a match Seattle mostly dominated. "It was 10 minutes that created the result," Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson said. "Take 10 minutes out of the first half when we were absolutely horrendous defensively and didnt manage the game well at all and we were scrambling. We started to create some decent movement and created decent chances, but I think we handed it to them." While two Seattle goals at least had the Timbers help, there was nothing but skill on Johnsons finish. Johnson made a quick cut to the middle of the penalty area where he was waiting for a long pass from Evans. The pass was on target and Johnson took the short-hop and guided it past Ricketts with his left foot. "All over the field, they beat us to a lot of balls, they beat us to ball in our own box and scored," Portland defender David Horst said. "Youre not going to win games like that. I think we were very surprised with the result." Johnson, who tweeted on Friday night he had received a call-up to the U.S. national team, ran over near a section of Portland supporters holding a finger over his lips while the remaining 65,000-plus fans erupted in celebration. Johnson said after the game he couldnt comment on his Twitter message. The U.S. is scheduled to announce its roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers on Monday. "Im all for this rivalry thing now," Johnson said. "I couldnt wait to play." wholesale jerseys. -- The New England Patriots have placed the franchise tag on Wes Welker, the receiver who caught more passes than anyone else in the NFL last season but couldnt come down with one that might have clinched a Super Bowl victory. cheap jerseys. On Friday, the club announced that Jordan Binnington will start in place of Malcolm Subban. You can watch coverage of the bronze medal game live on TSN, TSN.ca (PPV) and TSN Mobile TV at 3:30am et/12:30am pt. http://www.cheapjerseysnflchina.us/. More than seven years later, the Miami Marlins are giving him a second chance. The Marlins said Thursday that they have signed Greenberg to a one-day contract, effective Oct. cheap jerseys from china. Melky Cabrera singled four times to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, Gregor Blanco drove in three runs with a pair of hits and San Francisco beat Arizona 7-3 on Sunday. cheap nfl jerseys. After earning their first walk-off win of the season Friday, the Astros followed it up with their first extra-inning win Saturday night. PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh fan would have to be well into his 20s to remember a Pirates team this good. They would have to be a little older to recall an inning quite like the one that lifted their team to yet another win on Saturday. A.J. Burnett remained undefeated at home by pitching 7 2-3 strong innings and Pittsburgh matched a season high with its fourth consecutive win, beating the Miami Marlins 5-1. The Pirates went ahead during a four-run fourth in which they did not record a hit and did not so much as record an official at-bat until their ninth man came to the plate. "Never," Burnett said when asked if hes seen an inning like the one that gave Pittsburgh a 5-1 lead. "Never, but thats the game of baseball, man. Thats why we play." The announced crowd of 39,411 was the 11th sellout of the season in a city that hasnt experienced a winning baseball season in 20 years. As if the idea of the Pirates tied for the third-most wins in baseball in late July wasnt extraordinary enough, the fifth-largest crowd in PNC Park history witnessed one of the most bizarre innings in the majors this season. Miami starter Carlos Zambrano imploded in the fourth, when Pittsburgh scored three times via bases-loaded walks and an error. "Youre not going to win many games if that happens in one inning," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. The most recent time a team scored four runs in one inning without a hit was the Oakland Athletics on Sept 23, 1998, against Seattle, according to STATS, LLC. Also according to STATS, LLC, only once in the past 28 years has an inning started with each of the first eight men going to the plate and failing to record an official at-bat: St. Louis did it against Philadelphia on June 26, 1991. "I cant remember an inning like that," Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes said. "That was a pretty crazy inning, to score the runs we did in the way we did." The fourth alone was enough for Burnett (11-3) to improve to 7-0 at home this season and for Pittsburgh (53-40) to move 13 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1992 season. The Pirates entered the day a half-game behind the Cincinnati in the NL Central. The Reds beat Milwaukee 6-2 on Saturday night. Garrett Jones had two RBIs and Alex Presley scored two runs for the Pirates, who have the majors best home record at 31-14. Brad Lincoln got four outs to earn his first save as a professional.dddddddddddd. Pittsburgh has won 20 of its past 24 at home and 15 of its past 20 overall. Justin Ruggiano led off the second with his seventh home run for the Marlins, who have lost four straight. Although he had only three strikeouts, Burnett scattered eight hits and one walk. Only four Marlins runners advanced past first base. "Whats not dominant about retiring guys, giving up eight hits but only giving up one run?" Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Thats dominant." Burnett improved to 8-1 in 12 career starts at PNC Park. Thats the same record Zambrano entered the game with at the 11-year-old park, but he was done in by a fourth in which he walked three, hit two batters and committed a throwing error on a sacrifice attempt by Burnett. Pittsburghs Rod Barajas scored on that play, Barmes came home on a sacrifice fly by Neil Walker and Burnett was forced in when Jones walked. Chad Gaudin continued the trend when he was called in to relieve Zambrano, walking Casey McGehee to force Presley home. Zambrano (5-8) was charged with five runs (four earned), three hits and six walks with two strikeouts. He has lost five of his past six decisions and has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his past eight outings after doing so in four of his first 11 starts. "Im not pitching the way Im supposed to pitch," Zambrano said. "Im not doing my job. Its terrible." Greg Dobbs and Omar Infante each had two hits for the Marlins, whose only hit with a runner in scoring position was Lees infield single. Miami entered on a 1-for-23 slide in such situations. Notes: Miami 3B Hanley Ramirez was not in the lineup for the second consecutive game due to an infected right hand. Guillen said Ramirez is expected to not be in the lineup for a few more days. Ramirez, whose infection was the result of missing a dosage of prescribed antibiotics, entered the game as a pinch-runner Friday. ... On June 26, 1991, the Cardinals walked six times and hit two sacrifice flies to begin the bottom of the first against Phillies. ... According to STATS, LLC., the previous time any team had eight consecutive plate appearances without an at-bat was Aug. 13, 2008, by the Astros in the sixth inning against the Giants. ... Sundays pitching matchup is Miami RHP Anibal Sanchez (5-6, 3.95 ERA) against Pittsburgh RHP Jeff Karstens (2-2, 4.15) ' ' '