KUEHTAI, Austria - Rediscovering her strength in slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin became the most successful U.S. skier in the discipline on Monday.The teenager racked up her 10th career slalom win, beating the records set in the 1980s by Tamara McKinney and on the mens side by Phil Mahre, who both had nine wins in ski racings most technically demanding event.I wasnt thinking about that today, the 19-year-old Shiffrin said. Somebody mentioned it and I was like, Ha, that is very cool. I had no idea. But I am just mostly looking forward to enjoying being fast instead of just trying too hard. If you try too hard, you often dont get what you want.Shiffrin certainly had not got what she wanted in slaloms so far this season.After dominating the discipline the past two years while winning Olympic and world titles, Shiffrin struggled during the first two months of the new season.After three races without a podium finish, Shiffrin bounced back in impressive style on Monday. It was her 11th win overall after also triumphing in the season-opening GS in October.Shiffrin posted the fastest time in both runs and finished in an aggregate 1 minute, 43.39 seconds.Second-place Sarka Strachova of the Czech Republic was 0.80 behind for her first podium in five years, and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland came third, trailing by 0.92. The rest of the field was more than a second off Shiffrins winning time.Tina Maze of Slovenia placed sixth to extend her lead in the overall standings.I am definitely satisfied, Shiffrin said. Especially the second run was really fun to ski. It was really one of my best runs I had all season, including training or anything.However, Shiffrin wasnt taking anything for granted.Many other girls skied well, too, so this is not necessarily the best projector of what the next races will be, she said.Shiffrin backtracked from her plan to compete in her maiden super-G in Val dIsere this month, and used the two-week break in technical races to put in extra slalom training in Santa Caterina, Italy.We have been working on really getting back to that feeling I had last year when I had really good timing at each gate. I was just on it all the time, the American said. Figuring out what I need to do in the morning for warm-ups so my legs are ready to go.Shiffrin also changed equipment, finding out a ski and a setup that works together and that suits my skiing.Equipment technician Kim Erlandsson said Shiffrin needs equipment that allows her to ski freely, that gives her a good feeling and lets her have fun at skiing.Strachova had a much longer wait to get back onto the podium. Then competing as Zahrobska, the 2007 world champion earned her last victory and podium place in Aspen in 2009. She later had to take a full year off after having surgery for a brain tumour.Its a really big day for me, Strachova said. Its a really happy end of one episode of my life. It means a lot for me.Strachova said thoughts of the illness propelled her back to the World Cup.Lying in the hospital was the best motivation, the 29-year-old Czech said. The support from my husband and my coach meant everything to me. I have to thank my whole team for this.The event — the last race of 2014 — was moved from Semmering because of a lack of snow in the resort near Vienna. It was the first World Cup held in Kuehtai, which hosted races for the lower-ranked Europa Cup and for the 2012 Youth Winter Olympics.The womens World Cup continues with another slalom — in Zagreb, Croatia, on Sunday. Boston Celtics Store . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. Boston Celtics Gear . A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United. https://www.cheapceltics.com/. Appearing on TSN 690 Monday afternoon, Mike Babcock said he had conversations with both P.K. Subban and Carey Price about those on-ice traits during Hockey Canadas summer orientation camp. Mike Babcock: McGill experience, P. Celtics Jerseys 2019 . Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three major league hits and drove in three runs, while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open the game in the sixth inning and lead Boston over the Houston Astros 8-3. Cheap Celtics Jerseys . -- The Val-dOr Foreurs made it to the Memorial Cup semifinal thanks to their workhorse goaltender and their ability to hang around like a bad cold.(SportsNetwork.com) - Postseason baseball returns to the Steel City for the first time in 21 years on Tuesday when Justin Moreau, Russell Martin and the Pittsburgh Pirates host Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild card game at PNC Park. There have been over 600 playoff games contested in Major League Baseball since the Pirates lost to the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the 1992 NL Championship Series. None of those games, though, have included the Pirates, who are back in the postseason for the first time since their last winning season way back in 1992. This will be the first playoff game in Pittsburgh since Game 5 of that 1992 NLCS. "Thats a long wait," said Pirates second baseman Neil Walker. "Our focus is winning games and series, and we play for each other more than anything else. But we also play for the city and the fans. After teasing its fans with two straight second half collapses, Pittsburgh put it all together this season behind NL MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen and ended the year, 94-68. The Pirates spent a good deal of time atop the NL Central and were 26 games above .500 on Aug. 8. However, they were a .500 team in 48 games after that, but won five of six to close the campaign. In fact the Pirates cemented their season by sweeping the Reds over the weekend to secure homefield advantage for the wild card game, outscoring their NL Central foes, 16-6 in the process. "Itll be electric," Bucs outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "This city, its sports fans ... they love their sports. Theyve had their Steelers and their Penguins, and have been waiting on their Pirates. And here we come. "We wanted to make sure were able to bring it back to Pittsburgh. One game. Now its time to get it done." Pittsburgh had five All-Stars at this years Midsummer Classic, but none shined brighter than McCutchen, who continued to state his case as one of the best young players in the game. McCutchen hit .317 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI, 27 stolen bases, a .404 on-base percentage and .508 slugging percentage in 157 games. He became just the fourth major league center fielder since 1947 to have consecutive seasons of hitting .300 with a .400 slugging percentage and .500 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, joining Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr. In addition to the great McCutchen, a big reason behind the Pirates success was the man that will be taking the ball on Tuesday, left-hander Francisco Liriano. Signed as a free agent this winter, Liriano missed the first month of the season recovering from a broken arm, but showed no ill effects of the injury upon his return and ended the year, 16-8, while pitching to a 3.02 ERA. Liriano, the Pirates first postseason starter since Doug Drabek, struggled against the Reds, going 0-3 with a 3.70 ERA against them in four starts. However, the Dominican hurler was terrific at PNC Park, where he has just one loss in 11 starts (8-1) with a sparkling 1.49 ERA. Pittsburgh, as a team, was 50-31 in front of its fans this season. While the Pirates are back in the postseason for the first time in over two decades, Cincinnati is making its third appearance in four years after going 90-72.dddddddddddd Like Pittsburgh, the Reds were in cruise control for the better part of September, despite being six games back in the NL Central as late as Aug. 10. Still and all, Cincinnati essentially knew it would be postseason bound in some capacity after taking three of four from Arizona from Aug. 19-22. The Reds, though, enter the postseason riding a five-game losing streak after losing three straight home games to the Pirates. "Youve got to block it out," manager Dusty Baker said of the rough finish. "Its a situation where its a new season. What you did previously, it doesnt matter. What you didnt do previously doesnt matter. Now you start the season all over." Cincinnati has something to prove this October after an awful collapse in last years NLDS. The Reds had won the first two games of that series with the San Francisco Giants, only to lose the final three at home in the best-of-five set to the eventual World Series champions. Johnny Cueto made only eight pitches in that series before leaving Game 1 with a strained oblique and will take the ball for the Reds Tuesday following an injury-plagued 2013 that saw him make three trips to the disabled list. "Its a really meaningful game for me," Cueto said via translator Tomas Vera. "This is the most important game of the season. All I have to do is keep doing my job. Baseball is still the same. I hope to do what I have to do." After missing 2 1/2 months with a lat strain Cueto returned to make two starts late in the season and allowed just one earned run in 12 innings. He ended his year 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA. "Im going to be normal. Im going to be the same guy," Cueto said. "What happened to me in San Francisco, I was excited. I was so emotional for the game and I think I overdid it too much. I really dont know what happened that day or how I got to that point." As bad as Liriano was against the Reds this season, Cueto has been the exact opposite versus Pittsburgh, posting a 13-4 lifetime mark against the Pirates with a 2.37 ERA in 21 starts. "They have a great team," Cueto said. "They have really good players so Im going to have to do my job as well." The matchup between Cueto and Liriano is just the third in postseason history between two starting pitchers from the Dominican Republic. In both 1999 and 2004, Pedro Martinez faced off against Bartolo Colon. "I want to tell my people in the Dominican Republic to follow this game," Cueto said. "There are two Dominicans on the mound. I want to give advice to all the youth in the Dominican that you have to work hard and continue working hard to do things like this." The Pirates took 11 of their 19 meetings with the Reds, including five of the nine matchups in Pittsburgh. Tuesdays winner will face NL Central champion St. Louis in the NLDS beginning on Thursday. ' ' '