VAL DISERE, France -- On a day dominated by veterans, 34-year-old Mario Matt won his 14th World Cup slalom race to equal his Austrian countryman Benjamin Raichs mark while 35-year-old Patrick Thaler of Italy got on the podium for first time in nearly five years. Matt, a two-time former slalom world champion, safely protected his first-run lead while other contenders struggled on the notoriously tough Stade Olympique de Bellevarde course. "The last two years I was a few times on the podium, but always had some small mistakes on the runs and didnt win," Matt said. "I dont have the feeling Im old. Sometimes I have the problems with the back but I already had this eight years ago, and when I dont have the problems I feel fine." He beat Swedens Mattias Hargin by 0.53 seconds and Thaler -- second after the first run -- by 0.78 for his 15th overall World Cup win, with the other coming in supercombined. "You have to push your limits in order to win but I was still surprised how fast I was in the first run," Matt said. "I think no one felt too comfortable, but at least in the second run the first part felt really good so I cant complain." Matt was second in the slalom at Levi, Finland, last month and his most recent previous win was at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, in March 2011, while his first was nearly 14 years ago at Kitzbuehel, Austria. "We trained in great conditions this fall, so thats maybe why I am in good shape this early in the season," he said. It was another disappointing day for the United States when for the second straight day neither Ted Ligety, who finished the first run in 39th, nor Bode Miller, who went off course, qualified for the second run. They failed to finish the first run in Saturdays giant slalom. "It was tough conditions where it was very hard snow but very grippy," U.S. mens head coach Sasha Rearick said. "We have been trying on ice getting ready for Val dIsere, but we didnt make that transition very well today. So thats something were going to have to work on." They next head to Italy to prepare for Saturdays downhill at Val Gardena and Sundays giant slalom at Alta Badia. "It makes for a kind of interesting week, because youve got glidy, glidy, glidy at Val Garcena and youve got to be on your A game, clean skiing, for Alta Badia," Rearick said. Austrian Marcel Hirscher also failed to qualify. He won Saturdays GS but struggled on the tricky top section and finished way down in 41st. Matt, the slalom world champion in 2001 and 07, is coming into form at just the right time for Februarys Winter Olympics in Sochi. "Its still far away," Matt said. Hargin secured his first podium since finishing third at Schladming, Austria, in January 2011. "Ive been fighting a lot and it meant a lot to get the podium today," the 28-year-old said. "Weve worked really hard and we have a new coach this season." Thalers only other podium -- also third in a slalom at Kitzbuehel, Austria -- was even longer ago, in January 2009. "I think Im the oldest guy ever on the podium in the slalom," he said. "I was a bit emotional." Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Grange finished fourth, 0.04 behind Thaler, and Swedens Markus Larsson was fifth in a far-from-usual top five. Hirscher was aiming for a second consecutive podium double after winning last years GS and finishing third in the slalom, but he made a huge error on the top section and finished 4 seconds slower than Matt after an early-morning first run under clear, blue skies but with temperatures bitingly cold. After failing to make a GS second run for the first time in nearly five years, Ligety was 3.59 slower than Matt. Miller almost fell on the treacherous top section, recovered, but then lost control. Frenchman Alexis Pinturault --fourth in GS -- went off course near the bottom, while Austrias Manfred Pranger also veered off. On a brighter note for the Americans, David Chodounsky finished seventh for a career best slalom performance. "Val dIsere is really tough, steep," the 29-year-old said. "I was really happy with my first run, didnt quite have the confidence to go at it, but it was solid." MLB Jerseys .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. MLB Jerseys 2020 . Marcus Olsson, 23, joins Blackburn on a free transfer from Swedens Halmstads. He made 139 appearances and scored 17 goals in his four years with the club. He earned his first caps for Sweden this month, featuring against Bahrain and Qatar. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale...rseys-2020.html. The eighth-year point guard played in his 500th career game on Sunday, a 98-93 win over the Orlando Magic. Does he feel like hes played in that many games? "No," he said initially, before reconsidering. Jermaine Marrow Jersey . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. Authentic MLB Jerseys .com) - American Madison Keys grabbed a first- round victory on Sunday in a rainy start to the Apia International Sydney tournament. SEATTLE -- Dallas Keuchel tried to deflect the praise of his manager and teammates after his second complete game in his last three starts. But there is no denying the stellar performances Keuchel has delivered over the last month. The Houston left-hander pitched a four-hitter in leading the Astros to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Keuchel (6-2) struck out six, walked none and allowed just an unearned run that scored on a throwing error in the second inning. He went 8 2-3 innings in a victory over the Angels in his last start, the only thing keeping him from three straight complete games. "He is definitely in a groove right now. Its a joy to watch," manager Bo Porter said. Keuchel has been nearly unhittable in his last four starts. He has earned four victories, thrown two complete games, walked just one and struck out 28. Hes allowed just four earned runs with a 1.08 ERA over that span. "Hes been lights out," first baseman Marc Krauss said. "Hes been everything you can ask for and more lately." Keuchel said hes not trying to nibble at the strike zone anymore; an approach that cost him at times as a rookie last season. Instead, hes trying to be more aggressive with his pitches. "Im just trying to attack the zone," Keuchel said. "Im not trying to be too fine anymore. Thats what I did my rookie year and obviously I had more walks than strikeouts." "Im just trying to go out there and help the team to the best of my ability." Krauss and George Springer hit two-run homers off Hisashi Iwakuma (3-1), who allowed a season-high nine hits. Seattle took the early lead with a two-out rally in the second inning. Mike Zunino and Michael Saunders each singled to put runners on first and second. Cole Gillespie followed with a dribbler off the end of the bat up the third-base line. Keuchel fiellded the ball and threw wide of first base down the right-field line as Zunino scored.dddddddddddd Keuchel retired the next 14 batters and faced the minimum 22 batters after Gillespies single in the second. Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon wasnt as impressed with Keuchels outing. He called Keuchel "average" and put the onus on his offence for not getting the job done. "I saw average stuff," McClendon said. "We didnt swing the bats very good. At some point, youve got to stop giving credit to average pitchers. That becomes a broken record. At some point, weve got to start swinging the bats." Meanwhile, the Astros finally broke through in the sixth inning. Jose Altuve singled and Springer followed with a two-run blast to left field for his fourth homer in his last three games. It was also Springers seventh home run of the month. Krauss added his homer in the seventh to extend the lead to 4-1, matching the most runs Iwakuma allowed this season. NOTES: Houston optioned OF L.J. Hoes to Triple-A Oklahoma City following the game and recalled OF Robbie Grossman. Grossman is expected to return to the lineup as the teams every day left fielder. ... Houston C Carlos Corporan was the only Astros batter that failed to get a hit. ... Mariners OF James Jones had his streak of hits in his first 15 starts and last 14 straight games ended with a 0-for-4 performance. ... Seattle 2B Robinson Canos streak of reaching base in a career-high 31 straight games also ended with a 0-for-4 day. ... McClendon didnt rule out the possibility of LHP James Paxton rejoining the starting rotation following a rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday night. Paxton allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in a 62-pitch outing. Paxton has been on the disabled list since April 9 with a strained left latissimus dorsi muscle. ' ' '