Mayberry Jr. and Delmon Young werent solutions; Hunter Pence w

FRANKFURT - In the past few years, showdowns between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were the highlight matches of the Bundesliga seasons. Dortmund usually came out on top, even if Bayern claimed the title at the end.This season, it is another Borussia, the one from Moenchengladbach, which is turning into Bayerns closest challenger, holding the defending champions to a 0-0 draw last week.Dortmund, on the other hand, is languishing near the bottom following a terrible start. Less than a third into the season, Dortmund is already 14 points behind leader Bayern and faces an uphill struggle just to make it into the Champions League places.Dortmund must now travel to Munich, while Moenchengladbach hosts Hoffenheim.Here are some things to know about this weekends matches in the Bundesliga:___DORTMUNDS TROUBLESHit by a series of injuries, Dortmund has lost its last four matches in the Bundesliga and has the most defeats of all teams at six. It is one point away from the danger zone.Instead of being a title challenger, Dortmund now must fear about reaching a European competition next season.Bayern, however, produces the best in Dortmund, which has not lost in its last four visits to Munich. Bayern has started the season with six victories and three draws.___ROBBENS THREATBayern winger Arjen Robben is Dortmunds main concern, having scored five goals in the last five matches against the team, including in last seasons German Cup final. He also scored the winner in the Champions League final between the two clubs in 2013.With Robben on the field, Bayern has five victories in five league matches, without the often-injured Dutchman, Bayern has only one victory in four matches.Robben missed the 0-0 draw in Moenchengladbach and the 3-1 victory in Hamburg in the German Cup on Wednesday because of a leg injury.But I think its going to work out (for Saturday), Robben said.___KAGAWA FACTORThe return of Shinji Kagawa could also work in Dortmunds favour. The Japan midfielder has played four times against Bayern and all four were Dortmund victories.Back in Dortmund after an unhappy spell at Manchester United, Kagawa proved his worth again when he scored one and set up another in Dortmunds 3-0 German Cup victory at St. Pauli.St. Pauli plays in the second division but Dortmund will take any victory it can as it tries to shore up its shaken confidence.___MISSING LEWANDOWSKIRobert Lewandowskis departure for Bayern has severely blunted Dortmunds attack. After nine matches last season, Dortmund was second behind Bayern with 22 goals scored. It has only 10 goals at the same stage this season.Trying to fill the void, Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp has been rotating three strikers, Ciro Immobile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adrian Ramos. But sporting director Michael Zorc thinks Dortmund has a different problem.Weve made unbelievable mistakes in the defence, like never before, Zorc said.Dortmund has conceded 15 goals.___UNBEATEN RIVALSApart from Bayern, two other teams are unbeaten — Moenchengladbach and Hoffenheim. The two, along with Wolfsburg, are four points behind Bayern.Sundays match in Moenchengladbach should prove a thriller. Both teams play attractive, attacking football and both are coming off German Cup victories.Moenchengladbach was the first team to stretch Bayern this season and the champions had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank for coming away with a point.Lucian Favres team could match a club record if it stays unbeaten on Sunday. The Moenchengladbach team of the 1970-71 season went unbeaten in its first 17 matches in all competitions and Favres side is match short of the mark. Kenny Moore Womens Jersey . The 29-year-old German, the 2011 overall World Cup champion, says she has decided "to end my career now. Malik Hooker Jersey .com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Ben-banogu-colts-jersey/ . After deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would consider pulling out of Sochi if something "significant" happens before players arrive, those set to participate are trying not to worry about that scenario. Devin Funchess Colts Jersey . Ramon, 30, played in a career-high 97 games with the Goldeyes in 2013. He also matched a career-high eight home runs and posted 52 RBI. Parris Campbell Womens Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos retired John Elways No. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Marlon Byrd cashed in on his comeback season. Byrd and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Tuesday to a $16 million, two-year contract, a deal that came less than a year after he was playing in Mexicos winter league. The 36-year-old outfielder hit a career-high 24 homers last season for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh, which acquired him on Aug. 27. He batted .364 with one homer and five RBIs in six playoff games after hitting .291 during the season with 88 RBIs, one short of his career best. "Marlon adds a significant upgrade both offensively and defensively to our outfield," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. "He has been particularly productive against left-handed pitching, which was a serious challenge for us this past season." Byrd was drafted by the Phillies and began his big league career in Philadelphia. His agreement calls for $8 million in each of the next two seasons and includes an $8 million team option for 2016, The option would become guaranteed if he has 1,100 at-bats in the next two seasons, including at least 550 in 2015, or 600 at-bats in 2015. "If you dont want to give up your first-round pick, Marlon Byrd is arguably the best available outfield bat," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "We feared he was out of our price range immediately. We stayed engaged in the process, and Marlon and his agents talked about wanting to come back to Pittsburgh. He loved his time there. The environment and playing for a winner and playing in front of that fan base was something that really intrigued him." A career .280 hitter with 106 homers and 533 RBIs, Byrd was released by Boston in June 2012, then given a 50-game suspension 11 days later following a positive test for Tamoxifen, which can reduce side effects of steroid use and increase testosterone. At the time, Byrd said he mistakenly used the medication for a recurrence of a condition that earlier required surgery. He says he did not use it for performance enhancement. He played winter ball for the Tomateros de Culiacan (Culiacan Tomato Growers) and signed a minor league contract with the Mets on Feb. 1. He wound up on their big league roster for a base salary off $700,000 and earned another $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.dddddddddddd Both the dollars and the years offered by the Phillies were at a level the Pirates were unprepared to match in talks with agents Sam and Seth Levinson. "The timing really bit us, and Ruben did a great job of going out and getting his guy early -- what we did with Russ Martin a year ago," Huntington said. "We werent in a position to be able to move this quickly." Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the deal was an indication of inflation in free-agent prices. "Had you asked me the question three or four months ago, I might have been surprised, but not in the light of whats happened since the end of the season," he said. "There havent been that many signings, but this one is consistent with the others." Philadelphia had sought a right-handed hitting outfielder with power since Jayson Werth left for Washington following the 2010 season. Ben Francisco, John Mayberry Jr. and Delmon Young werent solutions; Hunter Pence was acquired in July 2011 and traded a year later. Darin Ruf hit 14 homers in 251 at-bats last season while starting 27 games in right field, 15 in left and 28 at first base. But Ruf, a converted first baseman, is hardly the defensive player Byrd is and is viewed as a role player. Philadelphias outfielders hit .259 with 57 homers and a .407 slugging percentage this year. Byrd could be a major upgrade. "He is an experienced middle-of-the-order hitter who creates some balance to our lineup," Amaro said. "With his talent and clubhouse presence, we believe Marlon will be a solid addition to our club as we address our needs and plan to contend in 2014 and beyond." Byrd was once a prized prospect in the Phillies minor league system. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 after hitting .303, but struggled the next two seasons and was traded to Washington. Byrd has also played for Texas, the Chicago Cubs and Boston in a 12-year career with seven teams. He was an NL All-Star with the Cubs in 2010 and his best season before last year came with the Rangers in 2009 when he batted .283 with 20 homers and 89 RBIs. ' ' '