MANCHESTER, England - Wayne Rooney scored twice in the first half as resurgent Manchester United easily beat Newcastle 3-1 Friday to strengthen its grip on third place in the Premier League.Rooney was set up well by his teammates for both goals as Radamel Falcao met a long cross into the area in the 23rd minute, sliding to reach the ball at the far post and square a perfect pass for Rooney to tap into an empty net.Falcao then helped United win possession just outside the Newcastle area in the 36th, and Juan Mata laid the ball off for a wide-open Rooney to slot a low shot inside the post.Rooney then helped set up the third by pinging a 35-yard pass to Robin van Persie, who headed past Jak Alnwick, before Papiss Cisse scored a late consolation for the Magpies from the penalty spot.Louis van Gaals decision to cancel Christmas Day training did not backfire. United was the best team for most of the match.Falcao had one of his best performances in a United shirt up front while Mata was a constant threat, threading dangerous passes through Newcastles stretched, unorganized defence.Rooney again excelled in a midfield role, although Newcastles defending for all three goals was sloppy as Alan Pardews team fell to its fourth straight loss.United, on the other hand, remain 10 points behind leader Chelsea thanks to its seventh win in eight matches.Newcastle created the best chances early on, but United finally sparked into life when Rooney found Van Persie with a pin-point pass, but Alnwick raced off his line and forced the Dutchman wide.David de Gea then saved United with an acrobatic dive to deny Daryl Janmaat, who had surged forward from the back. Despite the pressure from Newcastle, the hosts took the lead with an impressive team goal.Rooney started the move, laying the ball off to Mata, who chipped toward the back post after the Newcastle defence backed off. Falcao hooked the ball back across the box and Rooney tapped in from close range.Mata again played a key role for the second goal, sliding the ball through the away defence to the England captain, who tapped in past Alnwick.Eight minutes after the break, the game was all but over as Rooney looked up and floated a 35-yard pass over the away defence to find Van Persie, who nodded past Alnwick.It didnt matter that Phil Jones tripped Jack Colback as he entered the box and Cisse slotted the penalty perfectly into the top right-hand corner. Craig Smith Predators Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange. Custom Nashville Predators Jerseys . He had even more fun Friday. Coming off a sensational rookie season, Spieth opened the new year by never coming close to bogey and making a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 7-under 66. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Rya...ators-jersey/.Y. - Geno Smith shouted a couple of mighty expensive expletives. Dan Hamhuis Predators Jersey . No pretty goals on this night, just get to the front of the net and fight for a chance. Miikka Salomaki Predators Jersey . While plenty of statistics illustrate Torontos turnaround in the second year of manager Ryan Nelsens tenure, stopping goals is not one of them. ATLANTA -- John Buck had three hits, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning that gave Seattle the lead, and the Mariners rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-5 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win. The Braves led 4-0 in the first inning and 5-2 in the second before falling to the Mariners comeback. Bucks homer, his first of the season, came off Alex Wood (5-6), Atlantas third pitcher. The shot to right field drove in Dustin Ackley, who had a two-out single. The Turner Field air, normally thick with humidity, was unusually dry and that helped the teams combine for four homers in the interleague matchup. Seattle pinch-hitter Stefen Romero hit a three-run homer in the fourth that tied the game 5-all. Evan Gattis and B.J. Upton hit homers for the Braves. Dominic Leone (2-0) had four strikeouts in two perfect innings. Fernando Rodney had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances. Buck had three hits and scored three runs in only his 14th start this season. The catcher played for the Mets and Pirates in 2013 following two seasons with the Marlins and has ample experience in Atlanta -- but little of it was positive. He began the night with a .150 career batting average at Turner Field with only two homers in 60 at-bats. Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, recalled from Triple-A Tacoma before the game for his seventh start with Seattle, gave up five runs on eight hits, including two homers, in only three innings. The Bravees led 4-0 before Ramirez recorded his second out.dddddddddddd Freddie Freemans single drove in Jason Heyward, who led off with a double. Gattis followed with a three-run homer, his 12th. Uptons second-inning homer to centre field gave Atlanta a 5-2 lead. Gavin Floyd, still looking for his first win in his sixth start with Atlanta, couldnt hold the lead. A two-base throwing error by third baseman Chris Johnson set up run-scoring singles by Brad Miller and James Jones in the second. Romeros three-run homer tied the game in the fourth. Floyd left the game after giving up singles to Buck and Miller in the sixth. With one out, Luis Avilan walked pinch-hitter Cole Gillespie to load the bases. Avilan pitched out of trouble by striking out Michael Saunders and ended the inning on Robinson Canos grounder to second base. Floyd gave up 10 hits and five runs, three earned, in five-plus innings. NOTES: Cano had three hits. ... The Braves are 0-5 in interleague games. ... Seattle IF Nick Franklin was optioned to Tacoma. ... Braves RHP Jordan Walden, a key setup man on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, threw in the bullpen before batting practice. Waldens next step will be a minor league rehab assignment. ... Rookie 2B Tommy La Stellas strikeout in the third inning was his first in his 17th at-bat. ... Braves LHP Mike Minor will face Mariners RHP Hisashi Iwakuma as the two-game series ends on Wednesday. ' ' '