on to win the Heisman trophy for their exceptional qualities on the field do not always garner success on the professional stage of the NFL. Oftentimes, this is due to vices which hamper their mental and physical abilities on the gridiron. On the flip side, careers are also mired in turmoil due to ext

The Cincinnati Reds have climbed back to respectability in the NL Central Kendall Sheffield Jersey , thanks largely to suddenly solid pitching.

Tyler Mahle kept it up Friday by tossing one-run ball into the seventh inning and the Reds edged the Cubs 3-2 for their fifth straight victory over Chicago.

Adam Duvall and Scooter Gennett drove in runs as the Reds won for the 14th time in 18 games and ended the Cubs’ six-game winning streak. Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati’s No. 9 hitter, had three hits and leadoff man Jose Peraza had two.

Mahle (7-6) allowed five hits and struck out four over 6 2/3 innings to win his fourth straight decision. In his last seven starts, the 23-year-old right-hander has a 2.06 ERA.

”He’s just a great competitor, a very composed young man,” manager Jim Riggleman said. ”He just challenged hitters and really gave us another good ballgame.”

With a stiff wind blowing in from the north at Wrigley Field, Mahle could afford to be aggressive on a 70-degree day. Deep flies by both teams that might have carried into the bleachers in warmer conditions stayed in the ballpark.

”We had some guys who really got into some balls, and they didn’t go anywhere,” Mahle said. ”I knew being kind of a flyball pitcher that I was going to be OK.”

The Reds are 36-34 since Riggleman took over for Bryan Price on April 19 when they were 3-15.

”All of us realize that we’re a lot better than we what we were at the start http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/john-cominsky-jersey ,” Mahle said. ”We just go out and kind of expect to win at this point.”

Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati’s third reliever, got the final five outs for his 17th save in 20 chances.

Albert Almora Jr. and Ben Zobrist drove in the Cubs’ runs.

Cubs starter Mike Montgomery (3-3) allowed three runs on six hits in five innings while walking two and hitting two batters. He scuffled in the fourth and fifth as the Reds built a 3-0 lead.

The Reds swept the Cubs, he reigning NL Central champions, in a four-game series in Cincinnati two weeks ago.

”They always could hit,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ”The difference is they’re keeping the other side down now.

”It’s not just us. Their pitching is really, I think, the lynchpin of their success right now.”

The Reds jumped ahead 2-0 in the fourth after loading the bases with no outs.

Duvall lined a single up the middle to score Gennett, then Joey Votto came home on Scott Schebler’s double-play grounder.

Cincinnati tacked on a run in the fifth when Hamilton scored from third on Gennett’s sacrifice fly.

The Cubs cut it to 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning when Almora grounded into a forceout and closed to 3-2 in the eighth on Zobrist’s sac fly.

REDS ROSTER MOVE

INF Dilson Herrera was promoted from Triple-A Louisville to fill the spot vacated by LHP Cody Reed Qadree Ollison Jersey , who was sent down. Herrera had a .297 batting average and seven home runs at Louisville and was part of the Jay Bruce trade with the Mets last August.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Montgomery hit Votto with a pitch on the back of the helmet in the fifth, but Votto sprinted to first and remained in the game.

Cubs: Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) was activated off the DL and Dillon Maples was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. … Theo Epstein said Yu Darvish (right triceps tendinitis/right elbow impingement and inflammation) is feeling better and is optimistic the star right-hander will make a ”solid contribution” this season. Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations, didn’t provide a timetable for the starter’s return. Darvish is in a strengthening phase. … Epstein said INF/OF Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) had a good day in the batting cage on Friday and is nearing a return. Epstein planned to meet with Bryant on Friday to determine next steps, which might include a brief rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Reds RHP Matt Harvey (4-5, 4.91) takes the mound against Cubs RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 4.54) on Saturday. Harvey has won his last three starts, with a 1.47 ERA over 18 1/3 innings. Chatwood yielded seven runs in five innings to the Twins in his last outing, but still got a win as Chicago outslugged Minnesota 14-9. He leads the majors with 66 walks.

There are many vices that have threatened to ruin the careers of highly touted NFL players. Whether it’s an addiction to alcohol Brian Burns Jersey , drugs or gambling within the sport, these can be thought of as self-inflicting wounds. However, there are times when players are misused by the organization that drafted them and most often, coaches are the ones to blame. Careers have gone into a downward spiral due to mismanagement, as college football stars are not nurtured and groomed for a particular role. When players are immediately thrust into the limelight, the reality of stepping foot onto the biggest stage and upper echelon of professional sports may be too much to handle.With the current NFL playbook providing endless opportunities to select plays and schemes, there is also an increased risk of mismanagement by coaches. The pressure to win and succeed in the NFL is immense and there is virtually no room for error. One mistake, one injury or one infraction both on and off the field will end a career in this day and age. The value of an NFL player to each individual coach is very subjective in nature and the cutthroat approach deployed by coaches provides football players with a small window of opportunity. In essence, coaches are hired to eventually be fired and management across the NFL is not patient with coaching staffs across the league. In acts of desperation http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/greg-little-jersey , coaches sometimes don’t allow for players to grow and develop in good stead. In turn, this is the beginning of the end for many great football players who transition from college to the NFL.College players who have gone on to win the Heisman trophy for their exceptional qualities on the field do not always garner success on the professional stage of the NFL. Oftentimes, this is due to vices which hamper their mental and physical abilities on the gridiron. On the flip side, careers are also mired in turmoil due to extraneous sources such as managerial liability and negligent use of an individual’s talent. Could it be the scheme packages and play calls that are not adapted to the player’s skillset that cause their demise? What about the inept aptitude of coaches in their ability to manage player personnel? Whatever the case may be, NFL coaches have readily been the main culprits in the tailspin of careers that once looked promising. The list of players who have had their professional careers tarnished by management is endless, but here are 15 of the highest profile cases.