Dein erstes Forum » this season. Brandon Moss and Jedd Gyorko have a

Three storylines dominate the conversation when it comes to the 1-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they head into the Lions Den — both figuratively and literally — on Monday night, and they all surround positions of apparent weakness for the struggling club. Firstly, the quarterback play, with the team announcing the demotion of long-time starter Buck Pierce all the way down to No. 3 on the depth chart, bumping Max Hall into the primary backup role and handing Justin Goltz the game ball moving forward. “I just feel like (Goltz) is performing right around the same level, maybe just slightly better than Buck is performing,” said head coach Tim Burke on Thursday. “I feel like hes got a lot of upside potential. We just feel he can keep getting better week after week, and we feel that is going to be the case with Max (Hall) as well.” “Continuity” at the quarterback position is the word that has been used often by the team this week, and it sounds like Winnipeg is finally moving forward with the search for their signal caller of the future. “Hes hungry to prove himself and youve got to watch out for a guy like that,” said running back Chad Simpson of the new undisputed No. 1. “Hes focused. Hes getting a little irritated on some of the throws. I mean, he wants the ball, plain and simple. And I like that. Every game he plays hell get better. We havent seen the best Goltz yet, and its going to come.” Secondly, the underutilized running game, as Chad Simpson is averaging just over 11 carries per game this year after leading the league during his injury-shortened rookie season with 6.0 yards-per-carry in 2012. He finished fourth in total rushing with 1,039 yards in just 14 games. “Ideal carries for a running back is 20 carries,” said Simpson. “Again, weve got to put ourselves in a better position to run the ball as a collective unit. It is me blocking like crazy when its time to pass and helping extend drives. Once I do that, I should be able to get the ball more.” A big reason for Simpsons lack of touches is the offences lack of production on first down. “We definitely are working hard to gain more yards on first down and have more success on first down,” said Burke. “Were going to be going to more high-percentage passes on first down. Without giving away the game plan, weve definitely stepped up our first down game strategy.” Heavy doses of running the ball may help carry the load for an inexperienced Goltz in his second-career professional start on Monday. To put Winnipegs running game into perspective, over the last three games Simpson has been handed the ball a total of 34 times for an average of nearly 80 yards-per-game. He has scored four rushing majors in that span. Third, the defensive backfield, as Tim Burke says he wants to be more hands on with a secondary that has allowed the last three opposing quarterbacks they have faced — Henry Burris, Ricky Ray, and Bo Levi Mitchell — to throw at an 87 per cent clip for 1,024 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions. “The last two games we just made some terrible mistakes that were just basic mistakes,” said Burke, who has spent the last eight years as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in the CFL, including two Grey Cups wins with Montreal. “Those were really egregious mistakes. Just totally blown mistakes by a couple of DBs, and we cant do that. I mean, were talking veteran guys doing these things. Certainly theres a couple guys whose jobs are in jeopardy.” “Were trying to emphasize some coverages that we havent been playing as much just so we wont be so one-dimensional. I think weve become kind of one-dimensional on defence.” Notes: When asked about Lions running back Andrew Harris tweets this week about his team, Tim Burke served up out this beauty; “Twitter is the bane of the world — except in Egypt.”... Week 1 starter at Nickelback Desia Dunn returns this week from a hamstring injury that has kept him out the last two games, while 2012 starter Johnny Sears has been placed on the 9-game injured list and continues to sport a walking boot on his right foot ... Versatile defensive back Demond Washington is out this week with a suspected abdomen injury ... Receiver Chris Matthews will start this week after missing action since Week 3 with a nagging back injury ... Defensive tackle J.T. Gilmore (calf) returns this week but has lost his starting spot to Zach Anderson. 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LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. CHICAGO -- Both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs will be filling injury-created holes Friday when they continue their series at Wrigley Field.In the series opener on Thursday, Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday had his a right thumb fractured when it was hit by a pitch from Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery in the 10th inning.Holliday was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game, a 4-3 Cubs victory that was Chicagos 10th win in a row.Earlier Thursday, the Cubs placed right-handed reliever Pedro Strop on the DL after an MRI revealed a meniscus tear in his left knee, while the Cardinals put first baseman Matt Adams on the DL due to left shoulder inflammation.Strop, who was hurt late in the Cubs 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, is due to undergo surgery Friday, and he will be sidelined four to six weeks.He was hurt while the Cubs are also dealing with reliever Hector Rondons sore triceps, which has left him sidelined this week.Rondon, who has a 1.70 ERA, last appeared on Aug. 4, when he earned a hold in the Cubs 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.His triceps have come up a little bit sore, so I try to avoid him right now, manager Joe Maddon said earlier this week. Nobody in the training room feels anything is seriously wrong by any means. Its just being careful right now.Maddon said Thursday that right-hander Joe Smith likely would pick up more late-inning work in Strops absence. Smith was acquired in a trade with the Angels just before the Aug. 1 deadline.To help fill out the bullpen, the Cubs recalled right-hander Justin Grimm from Triple-A Iowa. Grimm threw a scoreless eighth inning Thursday night, lowering his major league ERA for the season to 4.46 in 47 appearances.The Cardinals likely outfield replacement for Holliday returned from the minors before the Thursday game when Randal Grichuk was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Twice demoted to the minors this year, Grichuk hit .272 with six homers and 18 RBI in 23 games for Memphis.Seeing immediate action, Grichuk homered as a seventth-inning pinch hitter Thursday night.dddddddddddd It was his third career pinch-hit home run. He raised his major league season stats to a .219 average with 13 homers and 36 RBI in 85 games.He had some great at-bats while he was down there (at Memphis), and its just a matter of trying how to figure out how to translate that, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. Whether its defensively or offensively, we need for him to be able to get over that hump to where he can figure out how to be a little more consistent.If he produces, Grichuk could offset the power lost by the Holliday injury. Holliday has a .242 average, 19 home runs and 60 RBI.Grichuk took the roster spot of Adams, who is batting .249 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 95 games.For the Thursday night game, Matt Carpenter moved across the infield to Adams first base spot for the first time this season. Brandon Moss and Jedd Gyorko have also spent time at first this season.While the teams may be ailing in other areas, the Friday starting pitchers are reliable workhorses. St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright (9-6, 4.34 ERA) will oppose Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta (13-5, 2.59 ERA).Wainwright is 13-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 30 career starts against the Cubs, with the victory total the most by any active pitcher against Chicago. In his two outings vs. the Cubs this year, on May 23 and June 21, Wainwright is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA.He was 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA over a six-start span before getting hit hard Sunday against Atlanta. The Braves scored six runs on nine hits in six innings en route to a 6-3 victory.Arrieta is 5-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 11 career regular-season starts against St. Louis. He faced the Cardinals on May 25 and June 22, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.In his most recent outing, he fired eight shutout innings Saturday in a 4-0 win over the As in Oakland. It was Arrietas first victory since June 27 after five consecutive winless starts. ' ' '