DENVER -- The St. Louis Cardinals picked up a win before a pitch was even thrown when reserve outfielder Jose Martinez captured a playful, pregame staredown with Colorado reliever Carlos Estevez.Too bad for the Cardinals that didnt count in the standings. They sure couldve used it.Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam, German Marquez pitched five solid innings for his first major league win and the Rockies slowed the Cardinals playoff chase with an 11-1 victory on Wednesday.The Cardinals, who had won four straight, entered the day tied with New York and San Francisco atop the NL wild-card standings. The Mets and Giants both played later.Arenado broke open the game in the second with his NL-leading 39th homer of the season. His fourth career slam made it 6-1.Its a pitch that simply caught too much of the plate.Stayed straight, starter Luke Weaver said. For it to flatten out at such a big moment right there is disappointing.Weaver (1-4) was roughed up by the Rockies, surrendering seven hits and six runs in two innings. Before this game, the right-hander had allowed 12 earned runs in his last seven starts combined.The Cardinals had some early momentum when that standoff went their way just after the anthem.Heres how it unfolded: Estevez and Martinez stood near their dugouts -- with their baseball cap over their heart -- and refused to back down until the other moved first.Estevez blinked first and made a winner of Martinez, who celebrated before retreating to the dugout. Estevez said manager Walt Weiss pulled him in out of fear of being ejected.Its not fun to have one less bullpen guy, Estevez explained.Martinez was going to see this thing through to the end -- no matter the consequences.The umpire asked me, `Why you do that? Im like, `When youre a rookie and a big league guy asks you to stand up there, I stand up there, said Martinez, who had a pinch-hit single in the seventh. The most important thing is we have fun and the fans enjoyed it.This was a memorable day for Marquez (1-0), who made his first big league start after three appearances out of the bullpen. He allowed one run and struck out three.At 21 years, 212 days, Marquez was the second-youngest pitcher in Rockies history to earn his first win, the team announced. The youngest was Jamey Wright (21-206).A great pitching performance from the kid today, Weiss said. Its easy -- easy velocity. Very effortless.The hard-throwing Marquez was acquired in January as part of the deal that sent outfielder Corey Dickerson to Tampa Bay. Marquez pitched a majority of the season for Double-A Hartford, where he was chosen as the pitcher of the year in the Eastern League.Marquez worked his way out of several dicey situations against the best road team in baseball. He allowed his only run in the second, when Jeremy Hazelbaker led off with a double and later scored on Kolten Wongs sacrifice fly.The Cardinals took two of three from Colorado during a series in which their starting pitchers were brilliant at the plate. Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright and Weaver went a combined 4 for 4 with two doubles and six RBI. Weaver had a single in his only plate appearance.DJ LeMahieu got two hits and drove in two runs to raise his average to .351. He holds a slight lead over Washingtons Daniel Murphy in the NL batting race.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) is hoping to take live batting practice Friday at Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs series. ... C Yadier Molina had the day off.Rockies: Third base coach Stu Cole sat out another day after being hit in the head by a ball that caromed off another during batting practice Tuesday.THIS & THATRockies catcher Tom Murphy had a three-run homer as part of a five-run seventh. ... Arenados grand slam gives him 128 RBI this season, which leads the majors.UP NEXTCardinals: After a day off, RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.54 ERA) opens a three-game series Friday in Chicago. RHP Jake Arrieta (17-7, 2.96) goes for the Cubs.Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.13) takes the mound Thursday to begin a four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Chatwood is 7-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 11 road starts this season.Dan Issel Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Nuggets Jerseys 2020 . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/247y-dikembe-mutombo-jersey-nuggets.html . 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MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal.The NHLs Olympic decision remained unresolved after another meeting Wednesday, though theres certainly more intrigue to it all now.Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players Association, confirmed to reporters in New York on Wednesday that the NHL has offered to sign off on Olympic participation for 2018 in exchange for extending the current CBA.There have been some suggestions which could be construed that that discussion would be worth having, Fehr told reporters. Obviously we would discuss that with players. We have begun that process, but were a long way from done.The players have always maintained their desire for continued Olympic involvement, but the leagues initial offer likely wont get players all too excited, according to sources, given how eager they are to reopen the CBA and negotiate a limit on escrow, an amount withheld from players until the end of the season. A source said the NHLPA has already started to seek feedback from players on the leagues Olympic offer and will continue to do so.The CBA expires in September 2022, but both the NHL and NHLPA can choose to opt out in September 2020. The NHLs offer is to extend the CBA three years to 2025, two sources confirmed, in exchange for Olympic participation.In the meantime, the clock is running on an Olympic decision for 2018 in South Korea.We had continuing discussions on the Olympics, Fehr told reporters after Wednesdays meeting. No resolution was reached and we didnt expect one to be reached today, really. The disccussions will continue.ddddddddddddHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in an email to ESPN.com earlier Wednesday characterized the meeting as a good discussion, still no resolution.The meeting progressed the way I would anticipate it would progress today, Daly later told reporters in New York. We got a lot of information from the [International Ice Hockey Federation]. From their representatives, we asked a lot of questions. We all have a lot of work to do with our constituents in terms of next steps. As Don said, were in constant touch and thats how well continue.The NHL has participated in the Olympic Games since 1998 in Nagano, Japan, but that has come under threat after the IOC said it no longer wanted to cover certain costs such as players travel and insurance on player contracts.IIHF president Rene Fasel, however, says hes come up with the money to cover those costs, which he relayed in Wednesdays meeting.It was a good meeting but there is still work to do, Fasel told ESPN.com in a statement via email. We need to go back now and confirm what kind of support we can expect from the [member national associations], the [national Olympic committees], [the PyeongChang Organizing Committee] and the IOC before we can move forward.There is no hard deadline for a decision but all parties agree this must be resolved, either way, sometime in the New Year at the latest. ' ' '