Off Topic » The desperation was evident when coach Marvin Lewis fired

Another season was slipping away. There was no more time to lose.“Game day will be different for me D.K. Metcalf Jersey ,” Lewis said three weeks ago. “It will be a different approach, and it’ll be fun.”No fun. No victories. And now, virtually no hope.The Bengals (5-7) have unraveled the past three games, allowing more than 200 yards rushing twice while dropping all three and falling out of contention. A season that started with raised hopes at 4-1 has crashed with six losses in the past seven games. It’s their worst stretch of losing since they dropped 10 straight in 2010.And there’s no reason to think it’ll get much better in the final four games.The Bengals lost quarterback Andy Dalton to a torn ligament in his passing thumb a week ago. Receiver A.J. Green returned from a toe injury that sidelined him for three games, but aggravated it in the second quarter of a 24-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, likely ending his season.The offense is missing its best players and the defense is still getting flattened with Lewis and special assistant Hue Jackson calling the shots in place of fired coordinator Teryl Austin.The Broncos ran for 218 yards , the fourth time this season that Cincinnati has given up at least 200 yards rushing — a shocking statistic. The Bengals also gave up 198 yards rushing by Kansas City.It’s only the fourth time in franchise history that they’ve allowed four 200-yard games in the regular season. The club record is six allowed in 1969, their second season as an expansion team.Next up is a game on the West Coast against the Chargers (9-3), who rallied for a 33-30 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. The Bengals then host the Raiders (2-10). The finish with road games at Cleveland (4-7-1), which got four TD passes from Baker Mayfield in a 35-20 victory on Nov. 25 http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-cody-barton-jersey , and at Pittsburgh, which won 28-21 at Paul Brown Stadium on Oct. 14.The only intrigue left is how owner Mike Brown reacts to the latest debacle.The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of futility in NFL history.Lewis has gotten the Bengals into the playoffs seven times during his 16 seasons, and has lost in the first round every time for the worst postseason coaching mark in league history.There were indications that Lewis’ stay in Cincinnati was ending last season when the Bengals got drubbed by the Bears and Vikings in successive weeks, dropping them to 5-9.Even Lewis was noncommittal at that point about whether he’d be back. The Bengals won their final two games, and Brown — who has a deep aversion to change — decided that was good enough reason to give Lewis a contract extension.This time, Brown could use the team’s injuries as cover for keeping Lewis in place if he wants to do so, although they still must find a defensive coordinator and figure out where special assistant Hue Jackson fits into next year’s plans.The Packers fired head coach Mike McCarthy after a 20-17 loss to Arizona on Sunday left them 4-7-1. Brown always waits until the end of the season to decide next year’s plans, so Lewis is safe until at least then. Lewis said Monday he’s had no discussion with Brown about the future.“The least of my worries,” he said.Players understand that all the talk about turning the season around has become irrelevant.“At some point Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , it’s not even about that,” receiver Alex Erickson said. “It’s up to you to perform. If you don’t, obviously there are going to be consequences.” Vince Velasquez took a no-hitter two outs into the seventh inning, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams hit solo homers and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Thursday.

Trevor Story lined Velasquez’s 105th pitch to left for an RBI double, ending Velasquez’s bid for the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season. Velasquez (5-7) retired 20 of the first 21 batters and got a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after the hit.

The Phillies won a series for the first time since taking two of three from Atlanta on May 21-23. They’re 7-12 since.

GIANTS 6, MARLINS 3, 16 INNINGS

MIAMI (AP) – San Francisco third baseman Evan Longoria broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the Giants‘ victory over Miami.

Longoria was struck by Dan Straily. There is no timetable for Longoria’s return and he will decide in the next few days if he will need surgery. He is hitting .246 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs.

Pablo Sandoval hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the 16th inning. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer to continue his torrid month and Mac Williamson also homered for the Giants, who salvaged the final game of a four-game series and beat the Marlins for only the second time in the last 10 meetings.

Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs. Ty Blach (4-5) also pitched 6 2-3 innings for the Giants without allowing a run. Elieser Hernandez (0-4) took the loss.

It was the longest game of the season for the Giants and the second-longest for the Marlins http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , who went 17 innings in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on March 30. Colorado has lost 10 of 13.

YANKEES 4, RAYS 3

NEW YORK (AP) – Gleyber Torres hit another three-run homer and Domingo German struck out a career-high 10 for his first major league win and New York edged Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series.

Aaron Hicks also homered off Blake Snell (8-4) as New York beat the blossoming left-hander for the second time this season and ended his four-game winning streak.

German (1-4) gave up a home run to Matt Duffy on the first pitch of the game but quickly recovered to strike out the next three batters. Making his seventh start in place of injured Jordan Montgomery, the rookie right-hander allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in his 19th career appearance.

Chad Green and Dellin Betances set up Aroldis Chapman for his 19th save in 20 attempts.

RED SOX 2, MARINERS 1

SEATTLE (AP) – Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning and Boston won its fourth straight.

David Price (8-4) pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to earn his sixth victory over his past seven appearances. He gave up a run and struck out seven. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his 22nd save, pitching around two walks to open the inning by striking out Kyle Seager and getting Ryon Healy to ground into a double play..

The Red Sox got their major-league leading 48th win of the season and snapped Seattle’s four-game winning streak.

Bogaerts hit Felix Hernandez’s 2-2 fastball just over the fence in left-center field for a two-out solo shot to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

TIGERS 3, TWINS 1

DETROIT (AP) – JaCoby Jones‘ two-run homer capped a three-run seventh inning as Detroit rallied past Minnesota.

Jones was hitting .135 in his last 10 games, and had struck out in his first two at-bats before hitting Lance Lynn’s 3-1 fastball for his fifth home run..

Michael Fulmer (3-5) improved to 5-0 in five career starts against the Twins. He pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in ending a three-start winless streak. Joe Jimenez pitched the eighth and Shane Greene threw the ninth for his 17th save.

Lynn (4-5) took a shutout into the seventh but ended up allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings.

INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) – Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered Ugo Amadi Jersey , Mike Clevinger struck out 11 in seven innings and Cleveland topped Chicago.

Lindor led off the game against Carlos Rodon with his 15th home run. He also singled and scored in the seventh when Ramirez broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run drive to right-center against Chris Volstad (1-4) for his 20th homer.

Clevinger (5-2) gave up two runs and five hits.

Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances as the AL Central leaders salvaged a four-game split.

ASTROS 7, ATHLETICS 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Justin Verlander pitched five-hit ball over seven innings and Houston beat Oakland for its eighth straight win.

The winning streak is the Astros‘ longest since they won 11 straight May 25-June 5 last season on the way to their first World Series championship.

Khris Davis and Matt Olson homered for the A’s. Both home runs came off Verlander (9-2), who struck out seven, allowed three runs and didn’t walk a batter while earning his fifth consecutive win.

Frankie Montas (3-1) gave up five earned runs and 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

BRAVES 4, PADRES 2

ATLANTA (AP) – Anibal Sanchez allowed only four hits in seven scoreless innings, Ender Inciarte homered and scored two runs and Atlanta beat San Diego.

Ozzie Albies added a run-scoring double for the NL East-leading Braves.

Sanchez (3-0) did not walk a batter as he earned his first win in six career starts against San Diego. Sanchez outpitched Tyson Ross (5-4), who allowed only three hits and three runs in six-plus innings.

Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, METS 3

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