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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
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.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
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
TORONTO - Runelvys Hernandez picked a perfect time to throw Kansas City’s first shutout by a starter in more than two years.
Hernandez outpitched Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay for his first career shutout, leading the Royals over Toronto 2-0 Saturday.
“When you are facing a guy like Halladay you have to give your best,” Hernandez said. “I tried my best. I played with my heart because he’s a competitor.”
Hernandez (4-8) allowed seven hits in his eighth start since being recalled from the minors. He struck out four and walked one in Kansas City’s first shutout by a starter since Brian Anderson did it August 4, 2004, against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals’ two other shutouts this year were combined efforts.
Hernandez threw 86 of his 121 pitches for strikes.
“He was awesome,” Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. “He wasn’t in the middle of the plate at all. He was in and out, changing speeds.”
Mark Teahen and Ryan Shealy homered for the Royals, who ended a three-game losing skid.
“We needed this too,” Bell said. “We needed this kind of a game. We haven’t had one all year, I don’t think. It was awesome.”
Teahen homered off the right-field foul screen in the first. Shealy homered to center off Halladay in the second.
“You don’t see Halladay outpitched very often so this is pretty big,” Teahen said. “You know Halladay is going to keep the score down, so your guy has to really step it up and he did today.”
Halladay (16-4) lost despite pitching a four-hitter for his fourth complete game of the season. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award retired 12 straight after Shealy’s homer. He struck out seven and walked one.
“It seems like there’s always a couple of those every year where basically you get outpitched sometimes,” Halladay said. “Those are the toughest ones. You tip your hat, swallow your pride and go back to work the next day.”
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Toronto hasn’t won consecutive games in two weeks.
Bell was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. He was upset that plate umpire Joe West didn’t call a strike on Toronto’s Alex Rios after a checked swing.
It’s the sixth ejection of the season for Bell and the second from West. Bell yelled at West that he was “awful” in a profanity-laced rant just before he left the dugout.
Notes: Hernandez has pitched six or more innings in only six of his 15 starts this season. His previous career high for innings was 8 1-3 against Detroit on Sept. 15, 2002. ... Toronto hasn’t won consecutive games in two weeks.
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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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
