against the lowly Cubs. Braun, who is batting .316 with six ho

NORTON, Mass. -- With an orange ribbon on his hat and nine birdies on his card, Matt Kuchar pulled within a shot of the lead Saturday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Not that he needed a reminder, but a message posted on the scoring table spoke to the emotions involved in this tournament. Players were offered a chance to donate to a trust fund for the 4-year-old daughter of Lance Bennett, his caddie. Bennetts wife, Angela, died of a seizure Wednesday. Kuchar decided to play to raise awareness and get the tour involved in helping the family. His performance certainly helped. Ryan Palmer overcame a rocky start for an even-par 71. Jason Day struggled at the end for a 68. They were tied for the lead on the TPC Boston going into the third round of a FedEx Cup playoff event that ends on Labor Day. Kuchar was a shot behind after a 66 that featured six consecutive birdies around the turn. "You never know how things will work out in the game of golf," Kuchar said. "But it felt like theres some fate working, as well. The funeral is coming up and some things that will be difficult. But right now, I feel like theres some inspiration and some fate working." On his bag is Brian Reed, a longtime friend who introduced Kuchar to Bennett several years ago. Kuchar was overcome by emotion Friday when he saw caddies -- and even some players -- wearing a black hat with the orange ribbon in honour of Bennetts wife. There were times he had a hard time taking the club back. Saturday was easier, which he attributes to the natural progression of grief. "Still felt like Angela was on my mind almost every hole, every shot," Kuchar said. The next few days might not be easy for anyone. The TPC Boston has a history of yielding low scores. Henrik Stenson won a year ago at 22-under 262, and the worst winning score since it became a FedEx Cup playoff event was 15-under 269. That seems far off given these conditions -- swirling wind and fast greens that get bumpier in the afternoon. Palmer, who started with a 63, made birdie on his first hole and thought he was off to the races. He followed with a double bogey, a bogey and then tried to hang. A birdie on the final hole put him at 8-under 134. "It could have gone the other way real quick," Palmer said. "I was glad to get that last birdie on 18 and salvage even (par)." Day, who shared the 54-hole lead last week at The Barclays, looked as though he might pull away. Day ran off five birdies on the front nine for a 31 to build a two-shot lead, only to drop four shots coming in. He caught a flyer on No. 12 that went over the green into a hazard, played a low chip through thick rough and made a big bogey putt. He still had the lead when he went from the green in two on the par-5 18th. The ball went long, and he hit a flop out of thick rough that ran through the green and into the bunker, leading to his third birdie of the back nine. Even so, he was atop the leaderboard in another playoff event. He has adjusted to a weaker grip to protect from injuring his thumb again. And his confidence is growing. So is his respect for the TPC Boston. "You get yourself above the trees, it can be very difficult to judge how much wind there is," he said. "And if you get too far below the trees, it doesnt get hit by the wind at all. It played tough today. I played good on the front nine, played kind of average on the back nine. But I got it in." Billy Horschel had a 66 and joined Kuchar at 7-under 135. A trio of players hopeful of a Ryder Cup pick on Tuesday -- Bill Haas, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson -- were among those at 6 under. U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer had a 66 and joined the group at 5 under that included Jordan Spieth. Rory McIlroy had a double bogey late in his round that slowed his momentum. He had a 69 and was five shots behind. Phil Mickelson is still playing, and looking better to play next week, too. Mickelson had a 69 and easily made the cup at 1-over 145. The top 70 in the FedEx Cup move on to Cherry Hills in Denver next week for the third playoff event. But Mickelsons work is not over. Because 80 players made the cut at 3-over 145, there will be a 54-hole cut Sunday. It will be the second straight week for a secondary cut. That has happened only two previous times in six years during the playoffs, and Mickelson has missed out both times. J. R. Richard Astros Jersey . Six years of waiting are finally over for the Dallas defenceman. Daley had a goal and an assist, Kari Lehtonen recorded his fifth shutout of the season, and the Stars clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a 3-0 victory against the St. Houston Astros Jerseys . -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/roy-oswalt-astros-jersey/ . A spokeswoman for the NLRB says its "a very incremental move" and does not necessarily indicate the board is close to a finding in the case. NFL owners filed an unfair labour charge against the players union in February, arguing that the union was not negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith. Jose Altuve Jersey .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys. Jimmy Wynn Astros Jersey . The Force had two men, including former Wallabies No. 8 Ben McCalman, in the sin-bin in the dying minutes of the match, but were able to resist a late Highlanders surge to post a four-try, bonus point win. CHICAGO -- It took a while for Kyle Lohse to get comfortable on a cold and soggy day at Wrigley Field. Once he got into a groove, the Milwaukee Brewers were well on their way to another victory. Lohse pitched seven effective innings for his first win in three weeks, and Milwaukee beat the sloppy Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Friday. "Kyle was a little bit off those first few innings and then he got it going again late," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Probably in the last inning had his best stuff and command." Lohse allowed three runs and seven hits as NL Central-leading Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games. He retired his last 13 batters in his first win since April 23 against San Diego, ending a streak of three starts without a decision. "It was a weird early going for me. I couldnt get command really much of anything," Lohse said. "But youve been around long enough you figure out how to grind through it and figure out what you need to do physically to get your body in the right spot to make pitches." Jean Segura had three hits and two RBIs for Milwaukee, which improved to an NL-best 13-5 on the road. Elian Herrera doubled twice in a spot start in right field for Ryan Braun, who got the day off as he makes his way back from a right oblique strain. Darwin Barney hit a two-run homer and Junior Lake had a solo shot for the Cubs, who have lost three straight and 10 of 12. Jeff Samardzija lasted five innings after getting off to a slow start, but is winless in his last 15 games dating to last season. "Obviously, I want to win," Samardzija said. "Being a starting pitcher, you have a big say as to how the game turns out. Obviously if my record isnt what I want it to be I need to do a better job." Milwaukee jumped on Samardzija for two runs in each of the first two innings, taking advantage of several early miscues by the Cubs. Segura singled with one out in the first, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Jonathan Lucroys base hit. Lucroy advanced when Lake mishandled his single to left and scored when Lyle Overbay reached on shortstop Starlin Castros throwing error. It was Castros second error in three games and No. 7 in 40 games this season. The 24-year-old Castro had a career-low 22 errors in 159 games last season. Segura added a two-run single in the second as Milwaukee opened a 4-0 lead.ddddddddddddWelington Castillo had a costly passed ball that allowed the runners to move up to second and third before Segura hit a liner into centre field. Samardzija (0-4) allowed two earned runs and six hits in his shortest start of the season. His ERA increased from 1.45 to 1.62. "He didnt have his best stuff today but he grinded out through five," manager Rick Renteria said. "We had a couple plays that maybe extended his innings." Barney connected in the second and Lake went deep in the third, but that was it for Chicago against Lohse (5-1). The veteran right-hander struck out two and walked one while improving to 6-6 in 21 career starts against the Cubs. Will Smith tossed a perfect eighth for Milwaukee and Francisco Rodriguez finished for his major league-best 17th save in 18 chances. It was Rodriguezs first outing since he allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Wednesdays 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. "I was itching to go yesterday. It didnt work out," he said. "But as long as I get an opportunity to go out there and pitch, theres a better chance that I am going to do better than I did three days ago." Braun was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday and played three straight games against the Pirates. Roenicke decided to rest the 2011 NL MVP for the series opener against the lowly Cubs. Braun, who is batting .316 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 25 games, did not make a rehab start before he rejoined the team. "Youre going on what the player tells you. If he comes out and feels it again, youre in trouble," Roenicke said. "So thats why we try to take it easy so were really protecting ourselves throwing him right out there and something happens and hes right back on the DL again." NOTES: It rained for much of the morning in Chicago, and the gametime temperature was 38 degrees. ... Brewers RHP Matt Garza (2-3, 4.98 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Edwin Jackson (2-3, 4.56 ERA) on Saturday. It will be Garzas first game at Wrigley Field since he was traded from the Cubs to the Rangers last July. ... Roenicke said he hopes Carlos Gomez will be able to play Saturday. The centre fielder is nursing a sore back while serving a three-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing brawl April 20 in Pittsburgh. ' ' '