PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Liriano showed up at PNC Park on Tuesday afternoon in a suit with his suitcase packed for a trip St. Reggie Theus Jersey . Louis. The message reverberated through the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse. After 21 years away from the playoffs, it was time for the best story in baseball to become something more than a novelty act. Liriano tossed seven dominant innings and the Pirates roared past Cincinnati 6-2 in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night then headed to St. Louis for the NL division series beginning Thursday. A.J. Burnett will start for the Pirates in Game 1 against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. "He had the expectancy to win," Pittsburgh centerfielder Andrew McCutchen said. "When he showed up with his suit on, that got me hyped up." St. Louis likely wont face Liriano until Game 3 at the earliest, though Lirianos teammates believe his performance set the tone for what they hope is an extended October stay. In front of a black-clad crowd savoring its first post-season game since 1992, Russell Martin hit two home runs, Marlon Byrd also connected and McCutchen reached base four times. "Were for real," McCutchen said. "Were definitely for real." You wont hear the Reds arguing after Liriano continued his mid-career renaissance. The left-hander scattered four hits, struck out five and walked one to win his first playoff game and serve notice the Pirates have no intention of going quietly after spending two decades at the bottom of the standings. "We didnt talk about one and done, we talked about one and run," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Win one and run to St. Louis." Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto struggled in his third start since coming off the disabled list last month. Cueto gave up four runs in 3 1-3 innings and appeared rattled by a raucous ballpark that taunted him by chanting his name. "He couldnt get the ball where he wanted," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Usually he can throw that ball through the eye of a needle. Tonight he was up." The 36-year-old Byrd, acquired by the Pirates in late August from the New York Mets, celebrated the first post-season at-bat of his 12-year career -- 1,250 games -- by sending Cuetos fastball into the seats to give the Pirates the lead in the second inning. The shot sent another jolt through an already electric crowd, which began singing "Cue-to, Cue-to" in unison when Martin stepped in. "This is 20 years of waiting. Youre seeing it all come out in one night," Martin said. "Hopefully we can keep this atmosphere till late October." The catcher followed with a drive into the bleachers in left field. The Reds never recovered, ending a 90-win season with a six-game losing streak. Three of those losses came at home against the Pirates in the final series of the season that determined the site of the win-or-die game. "Its unfortunately been a bit like deja vu," first baseman Joey Votto said. "Really disappointing." Baker backed Cueto before the game, saying his ace "thrives on this environment." Maybe, but the right-hander never looked comfortable at a place where he has been nearly unhittable. Cueto, who came in 8-2 at the ballpark by the Allegheny River, even lost his grip on the ball while standing on the mound as the crowd serenaded him. A moment later, he lost his grip on the game. Martins 405-foot shot to left-centre gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead and all the momentum Liriano would require. Signed on the cheap in the off-season after a mediocre 2012 split between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox, Liriano has been reborn in Pittsburgh. He went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA during the regular season, his devastating slider nearly unhittable against left-handers. The Reds proved no match. Votto went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Jay Bruce produced an RBI single in the fourth but Cincinnati never really threatened on a night baseball officially returned to Pittsburgh. "Its definitely a good feeling," Martin said, "but weve still got work to do." Shin-Soo Choo homered in the eighth, a drive to right field that was upheld by video review. It did little more than slightly delay a party 7,660 days in the making. Pittsburghs 94-win regular season reignited a relationship sullied by years of mismanagement and miserable play. When the gates opened two hours before the first pitch, fans -- most of them dressed in black at the urging of McCutchen, an MVP candidate -- sprinted to their seats in anticipation of the clubs first post-season game since Atlantas Sid Bream slid into home ahead of Barry Bonds throw in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the 1992 National League championship series. The victory sent the Braves to the World Series and the Pirates into an abyss that took an entire generation to escape. The first step came with victory No. 82 on Sept. 9. The next came two weeks later when a win over the Chicago Cubs assured a wild-card spot. The most thrilling yet lifted the team with the 26th-highest payroll in the majors ($73.6 million) into a showdown with baseball royalty. The Reds, meanwhile, head into an off-season that could be eventful. Baker has led Cincinnati to the playoffs in three of the last four years but the Reds failed to advance each time. They fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games -- after leading 2-0 -- in the division series in 2012 and were swept in the same round by Philadelphia in 2010. This time, they didnt even make it that far. Cincinnati spent most of the season as the third team in a three-way race with the Pirates and the Cardinals for the NL Central title. Theyll end the year as the first one heading home. "Its very difficult to come down to one game, especially the way we played," Baker said. "We got outplayed big time." Cueto, who made three different trips to the disabled list this season with a strained lat, was pressed into service when projected starter Mat Latos discovered bone chips in his right (throwing) elbow. On the surface, it seemed like an upgrade. It wasnt. The Pirates made it 3-0 on sacrifice fly in the third by Pedro Alvarez and Cueto was pulled when Starling Marte doubled with one out in the fourth. Marte sprinted home on local boy Neil Walkers double off reliever Sean Marshall and Walker scored on a fielders choice by Byrd to make it 5-1. When Martin hit a drive to left off Logan Ondrusek in the seventh, the party seemingly unthinkable for a team that lost 105 games in 2010 began. Martins long ball marked only the second multihomer playoff game in team history. Bob Robertson hit three in Game 2 of the 1971 NLCS. NOTES: Martin is the first catcher to homer for three different teams in the post-season. He previously connected for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and the New York Yankees in 2012 ... Liriano is the first Pittsburgh left-hander to win a playoff game since John Candelaria in Game 3 of the 1979 World Series ... The Reds have lost four straight playoff games and 11 of their last 13 ... Pittsburgh is the first home team to win since the new wild-card format was introduced last season ... The Pirates went 10-9 this year against St. Louis. ... Byrd is the oldest player to homer in his first post-season at-bat, according to STATS. Marcus Thornton Jersey . The 23-year-old McNabb was an All-Star with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans this season, posting seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. In 12 games with the Sabres this season, McNabb has accumulated six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. He has scored one goal and seven assists in 37 career games with the Sabres, who originally selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Nate Archibald Jersey .J. -- The New Jersey Devils are so bad in shootouts, coach Pete DeBoer doesnt mind seeing his team take chances in the five-minute overtime. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/1072b-spud-webb-jersey-kings.html .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season.LONDON - After a perfect end to 2014, Real Madrid opened the new year with its first loss since September.Madrid slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Valencia to end a 22-game winning streak in all competitions. However, Barcelona failed to take advantage as it also lost at Real Sociedad to remain behind leader Madrid in the Spanish league.In England, Manchester United and Manchester City were among a slew of big clubs that needed second-half recoveries against lower-league teams for victories in the FA Cups third round.Here is a look at the action from Europe:___SPAINMadrid took the lead at Valencia when Cristiano Ronaldo extended his season tally to 26 league goals in the 14th minute at Mestalla Stadium, stroking in a penalty kick following Alvaro Negredos handball.But the hosts rallied through a goal by Antonio Barragan in the 52nd before defender Nicolas Otamendi fended off Sergio Ramos to head home the 65th-minute winner.We have been training all week for this, Otamendi said. This was a key game to start 2015.Madrid had not lost or drawn a game in any competition since a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sept. 13, setting a Spanish record for consecutive wins.Barcelona had the chance to provisionally climb above Madrid into first, but lost 1-0 at Sociedad following Jordi Albas own goal in the second minute. Star forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar came on as substitutes in the second half, but failed to inspire a comeback.Rayo Vallecano also came from behind for a 2-1 victory at crosstown rival Getafe. Eibar, meanwhile, continued its impressive topflight debut by holding on to win 2-1 at Espanyol and move into eighth place.___ENGLANDOn the day Englands top teams entered the FA Cup, world footballs most famous domestic cup competition, there were a slew of close calls for Premier League sides. But only Queens Park Rangers fell at the first hurdle.QPR lost 3-0 to Sheffield United, which is making a habit of producing so-called giant-killings in cup competitions. The team reached the semifinals of the FA Cup last season and has advanced to the same stage of the League Cup this season, where it takes on Tottenham over two legs this month.Man City looked like going the same way as QPR, only for James Milner — a midfielder playing as a makeshift striker — to score in the 66th minute and again in injury time in a 2-1 win over second-tier Sheffield Wednesday. Marvin Bagley Jersey. .Man United was also unconvincing against Yeovil, which is bottom of the third tier, and needed goals in the final 26 minutes from midfielders Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria for a 2-0 win.Stoke avoided what would have been one of the biggest shocks in the cups 144-year history, scoring three times in the final 10 minutes to beat non-league Wrexham 3-1. Chelsea also relied on a second-half revival, scoring three goals in a 14-minute burst for a 3-0 win over Watford. Christian Bentekes 88th-minute strike earned Aston Villa a 1-0 victory over Blackpool, which plays in the second tier.Arsenal had it more comfortable, with the defending champions beating Hull 2-0 in a repeat of last seasons final thanks to goals by Per Mertesacker and Alexis Sanchez.___FRANCEFourth-tier Grenoble came from behind three times before producing the first major upset in the French Cup with a 5-4 win on penalties over league leader Marseille.Other top-flight favourites avoided falling at the first hurdle as Lyon, Monaco and Bordeaux all progressed to the round of 32.Marseille and Grenoble were locked 3-3 after extra time after Grenoble captain Selim Bengriba headed home a last-second equalizer to take Marcelo Bielsas side to a penalty shootout.Former Grenoble player Florian Thauvin missed from the spot during the shootout and Nasrallah sent Brice Samba the wrong way to knock out Marseille.After a strong first half to the season that saw it climb to second in the league standings, Lyon picked up where it left off before the Christmas break and quickly built a 3-0 lead against Lens before resisting a late charge to win 3-2.Monaco was in control from the start against second-division side Nimes and won 2-0 with goals from Bernardo Silva and Valere Germain, while Bordeaux defeated Toulouse 2-1.Guingamp began its title defence with a 3-0 victory at fifth-tier side Dinan Lehon, and Saint-Etienne scrapped to a 1-0 win over Nancy. 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