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It was barely a month ago that the scoring drought of Mario Balotelli was being cited as the chief reason for Liverpools problems this season.Now, the critics are turning their sights away from the maverick Italian and fixing them on manager Brendan Rodgers.A few months ago I was manager of the year, Rodgers said Friday, and now I am favourite to get the sack.Lauded for reviving one of Englands great clubs and steering Liverpool to an unexpected title push last season, Rodgers has found life at Anfield a whole lot tougher over the last four months.After 12 matches in the Premier League, Liverpool is in 12th place and without a win in four games. The team has won just one of its last eight matches in all competitions and needs a victory in its final Champions League group game against FC Basel to qualify for the last 16.There are problems throughout the team.Deprived of the departed Luis Suarez and with Daniel Sturridge out injured since August, the vibrancy and spark that marked Liverpools attacking play last season has disappeared. Balotelli was signed as the big-name replacement for Suarez but he is yet to score in the Premier League and is currently out injured.Liverpools defence continues to be shaky, keeping just two clean sheets in 19 matches this season, and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has been under scrutiny, with his latest mistake coming in the 2-2 draw with Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League on Wednesday.Rodgers spent more than 100 million pounds ($156 million) over the summer, using the proceeds from the sale of Suarez to Barcelona, but not one of his big-money signings has worked out — yet.The goodwill from Rodgers impressive first two years in charge at Anfield is fading fast.Its a different challenge because everything has been hunky-dory for about 18 months and on the up, Rodgers said. But its a different deck of cards we have this year. Its a different hand that we have been dealt.We havent been on a good run but let that be the making of us. In sport, you get the chance to go again.Some believe Rodgers wont be given time.One British bookmaker has odds of 4-1 for the Northern Irishman to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job. Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar told the BBC that Rodgers has three weeks to turn things around, otherwise the clubs American owners — Fenway Sports Group — could act.Its part and parcel of this wonderful life working in football, said Rodgers, speaking ahead of Saturdays league game against Stoke. Very short-termism thinking. All you can do is focus on the immediate job.If the Premier League reaches Dec. 7 without a managerial change, it will be the third-longest period from the start of a season without a coach moving jobs. Richard Seymour Jersey . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Watch the 2014 NBA Draft on TSN, Thursday at 7pm et/4pm pt. 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"Despite his efforts to play through it, the injury has not responded as we had hoped and Logan has made the decision to undergo a surgical procedure to repair the problem.HOUSTON -- The Miami Marlins know what they need to do to get back into the National League post-season picture. With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros. Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run double, and Jordany Valdespin added a two-run home run to power the Marlins to a 7-3 victory over Houston on Saturday night. Stantons double in the second inning broke a 2-2 tie. Christian Yelich had two hits, including an RBI single as part of the four-run frame. Valdespin hit his first homer of the season in the ninth off Chad Qualls. The Marlins have won six of seven. "To come here and to keep going and to keep competing and keeping that good feeling going, Im very happy," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "Were going to be tested. A lot of good teams left to play and a lot of ground to make up, but Im very happy with where were at right now." Stanton said a sweep against the Astros would put the Marlins in a good position. "We have to get sweeps in series like this," Stanton said. "You always say you sweep guys like this, and you stay afloat against the guys on the top. A sweep is three games gained instead of one." The Marlins were able to capitalize on starter Jarred Cosarts wildness when he walked the bases loaded in the second, setting up the run-scoring hits by Yelich and Stanton. "Its just who is able to capitalize the most is who is able to stay afloat and win games," Stanton said. "You arent always going to be able to capitalize, but the more you do, the more you are going to be in good shape. Weve been doing all right lately." Tom Koehler (7-7) gave up three runs and nine hits with two strikeouts in five innings. "I walked that tight rope that whole day and fortunately enough, I stayed balanced enough to get through five," Koehler said. "I handed it over to the bullpen who did a great job." Jason Castro had two hits, including a two-run home run in the first that put the Astros up 2-1. Jose Altuve added three hits for Houston, which lost its fourth straight and fell a season-high 20 games below .500 (42-62). Cosart (9-7) allowed five runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 5 2-3 innings.ddddddddddddThe right-hander has struggled in July, allowing 21 runs in 21 1-3 innings over four starts. "Tale of two innings, obviously," Cosart said. "Pretty self-explanatory. Its the same as always when I have a bad game. I just didnt throw strikes." Carter cut the lead to 5-3 with an RBI single in the fifth. Casey McGehee gave Miami a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first. Houston left runners in scoring position in each inning from the second to the seventh. Altuve and Marwin Gonzalez started the third with singles before Carter lined a ball to Koehler that went off the right-handers back and was caught by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. Koehler struck out Castro and Matt Dominguez to end the inning. "It was kind of weird," Koehler said of the out. "It used my back as a ramp to get to (Hechavarria). We looked, and after icing my shoulder, my shoulder was redder than my back. There is not really proof that I got hit, which is good." The Astros went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position against Koehler and finished 1 for 12 overall. "We had some opportunities and, you know, had the right guys out there," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "We hit one line drive off the pitchers back or shoulder and the short stop catches the ball. Its just one of those things. We had some opportunities. We were just not able to get the big hit." NOTES: After the game, Houston placed RHP Josh Zeid on the disabled list with a left foot injury. The Astros also optioned RHP Brad Peacock to Triple-A Oklahoma City to work on his fastball command, Porter said. LHP Brett Oberholtzer will start in Peacocks place Monday against Oakland. ... Houston RHP Collin McHugh will be activated from the disabled list to start on Sunday. McHugh, 4-8 with a 3.28 ERA, has been out since July 7 because of an injury to his right middle finger. McHugh, who last started in the majors on July 6 in a loss at the Los Angeles Angels, threw five innings in a rehab outing Tuesday for Oklahoma City. Miami will start RHP Jacob Turner, 3-6 with a 6.03 ERA. ... Gonzalez returned to the lineup after missing Fridays game because of soreness in his right hamstring. ' ' '