Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
The Boston Red Sox have had a flair for the dramatic lately.
After yet another victory in their last at-bat, the Red Sox look to regain sole possession of first place in the AL East when they wrap up a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians Thursday at Fenway Park.
Mark Loretta hit a two-out double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday, leading the Red Sox (64-42) to a 6-5 victory. Boston’s last three wins have all come in its final at-bat — David Ortiz hit a game-ending single to beat the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday and a three-run walkoff homer against Cleveland on Monday.
“We’d rather be up by one,” manager Terry Francona said. “But in this ballpark, crazy things happen.”
Ortiz has five game-ending hits this season and 12 in four seasons with Boston, but went 0-for-4 Wednesday.
“I didn’t think we’d be able to get to Ortiz. After two outs, I didn’t think I’d get up,” Loretta said. “I think the fans realize now that anything’s possible.”
The Red Sox, who are 5-6 over their last 11 games, remained percentage points behind the New York Yankees for first place in the division.
Manny Ramirez and Wily Mo Pena each hit solo homers Wednesday for Boston. Ramirez’s homer gave him 30 for the ninth straight season and was the 465th of his career, tying him with Dave Winfield for 26th on the career list.
Fausto Carmona, who gave up Ortiz’s homer on Monday, struck out the first two in the ninth Wednesday before hitting two batters and walking one prior to Loretta’s double. The Indians (46-60) have not recorded a save since closer Bob Wickman was traded to Atlanta on July 20.
“He did a real good job against those first two hitters,” said manager Eric Wedge, who added he would stick with Carmona as the closer. “Then he just looked like he got in a hurry to get the third out instead of trying not to do too much. ... It just kind of dominoed from there.”
Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez homered for Cleveland, which has dropped four of five. Hafner’s drive gave him 30 for the second year in a row.
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Westbrook has received just one run of support in each of his last two outings, but has a 5.09 ERA during his losing streak. He is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox.
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With a victory, Beckett can match Detroit rookie Justin Verlander for the major league lead in wins. However, he has given up 28 homers already this season, 12 more than his previous career high set in 2004 while with Florida.
Beckett made his only career start against the Indians on April 27, and allowed a career-high nine runs and three homers in just 3 2-3 innings of a 15-3 loss.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
