PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs arent going to panic. Not over their suddenly struggling starting staff, and not over their dwindling division lead, either.Josh Bells grand slam in his second major-league at bat was one of four homers by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 12-6 win over Chicago on Saturday night.The Pirates have won nine of 10 over a stretch coinciding with the Cubs losing nine of 10, meaning Chicagos lead in the National League Central is down to 6 1/2 games.I feel like were fortunate to be (up 6 1/2 games) right now, actually, manager Joe Maddon said. I dont believe its a negative; I think its a positive.Jordy Mercer followed Bells slam with a home run of his own off of Adam Warren (3-2), and Andrew McCutchen and Sean Rodriguez homered earlier off Jon Lester. The National League pitcher of the month for June, Lester has allowed 13 runs in 4 1/3 innings in July, including five in three innings Saturday.Terrible. Unacceptable. Letdown, Lester said, describing his outing. Offense gives me two runs early and then gives me runs again -- and then I give it right back. Obviously a letdown, not only for myself but for the team.Ben Zobrist had a two-run homer and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs, whose division lead is as small as its been since May.The biggest reason why? Starting pitchers that have a majors-best ERA but have allowed 41 earned runs in 41 innings during July.It seemed like early on we couldnt do anything wrong, Lester said. And Ill be the first one to tell you that what we were doing early on was pretty impressive. But just like with how we were playing overall and the pace we were on to win, what was it, 120 games or whatever, we all knew that that was not realistic.But at the same time, weve got to be better as a staff, weve got to be better as a whole and that starts with me tonight.Bell slugged a fifth-inning Warren pitch over the seats perched above the 21-foot wall in right for his second pinch-hit in two games since being recalled from Triple-A on Friday.What a fantastic sequence, said the Pirates Clint Hurdle, who has more than 1,000 managerial wins. I got goose bumps; Ive got them probably a dozen times since Ive been a coach or a manager.Chills went down my spine. ... Seemed like the stadium was pretty excited, too.Chad Kuhl lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his third major-league start, surrendering Zobrists 13th home run among seven hits allowed. But Pittsburghs bullpen was much better as Arquimedes Caminero (1-2) struck out three in 1 2/3 innings and Jared Hughes earned his third major-league save by pitching three scoreless innings.At least one run was scored during eight of the first 11 half-innings played on a night in which the city of Pittsburgh celebrated its bicentennial. A 25-minute fireworks display set off just a few hundred yards away at the citys Point State Park provided a soundtrack of regular rumbling booms throughout the fifth inning in which Bell and Mercer thrilled the Pirates third sellout crowd of the season even more.ALL-STAR COMINGS AND GOINGSCubs OF Dexter Fowler backed out of playing in Tuesdays All-Star game as a precaution as he recovers from a strained right hamstring that has him on the disabled list.Pirates OF Starling Marte was announced as one of the NL roster replacements along with the Reds Jay Bruce for Fowler and the Mets Yoenis Cespedes.ROSTER MOVEThe Cubs recalled INF Munenori Kawasaki from Triple-A and Saturdayand optioned INF Jeimer Candelario to Iowa. Maddon said the move was made to give the team a more experienced bat off the bench.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Maddon said Fowler did not experience a setback in a minor-league rehab appearance Friday. He also said he would have had no problem if Fowler had made his return from the disabled list in the All-Star game and not for the Cubs -- as long as he was well enough to play, and then we got him on Friday.UP NEXTCubs: Sunday starter RHP John Lackey has gone 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA in his past three starts after going 7-3 with a 2.78 ERA in his first 14 startsPirates: LHP Jonathon Niese has lost his past two home starts, allowing 13 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings during them.Schuhe Online Bestellen Günstig . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Schuhe Billig Kaufen . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. http://www.schuheoutletschweiz.ch/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Günstige Schuhe Kaufen Online .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Schuhe Kaufen Schweiz Online . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career.Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Saturday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EST:- NEW YORK -- ACC quarterbacks Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Deshaun Watson of Clemson are the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Announcement about 8:50 p.m.- BALTIMORE -- Navy puts its 14-game winning streak on the line against rival Army in a series dating to 1890. President-elect Donald Trump is to attend. Game starts 3 p.m.- NFL showdown time: Houston at Indianapolis, both sharing first with Tennessee in the AFC South; and Dallas at New York, with the Cowboys able to nail down the NFC East and more by beating the Giants.- A look at the remaining candidates and complicated clinching scenarios for the NFL playoffs, with the fourth quarter of the 2016 season having just begun.- MOSCOW -- The former head of the Moscow anti-doping lab is the star witness for the investigator whose report accused Russia of operating a state-backed doping program.- The new chair of Russias revamped anti-doping agency is Yelena Isinbayeva, the pole vault great who has spent the past year thumbing her nose at all the evidence.- CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers try to extend their winning streak to four when they host the Charlotte Hornets in a game between division leaders. Game starts 7:30 p.m.- MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Golden State Warriors, with the NBAs best record at 20-3, go for their fifth straight victory when they play the Grizzlies. Memphis has won five in a row. Game starts 8 p.m.- TORONTO -- Toronto FC, led by midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, hosts a Seattle Sounders team that made an improbable run to the MLS Cup title game.dddddddddddd Game starts 8 p.m.- HOUSTON -- Stanford looks to repeat as national champion when the Cardinal meet Wake Forest in the title game of the College Cup on Sunday. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 5 p.m.- Notable mens college basketball games: No. 1 Villanova-No. 23 Notre Dame (noon); No. 2 UCLA-Michigan (8 p.m.); No. 16 Butler-No. 22 Cincinnati (4:30 p.m.).- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Traditional womens basketball powers Tennessee and Texas are struggling heading into Sundays game in Austin, Texas.- SESTRIERE, Italy -- Tessa Worley wins her second straight World Cup giant slalom after first-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin struggles in her second trip down the 2006 Turin Olympics course and finishes sixth.- VAL DISERE, France -- Frances Alexis Pinturault overcomes a hand injury on an icy course to win another World Cup giant slalom, heightening the pressure on Austrian rival Marcel Hirscher.- MARSEILLE, France -- Russian teen Evgenia Medvedeva is favored to keep her Grand Prix Final title. On the mens side, Japans Yuzuru Hanyu is on course for a fourth straight title in this competition.- MANCHESTER, England -- Unbeaten Anthony Joshua of Britain makes the second defense of his IBF heavyweight belt when he faces Eric Molina of the U.S.- LOS ANGELES -- Argentinas Jesus Cuellar defends his WBA featherweight title against former three-division champion Abner Mares. ' ' '