Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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
LOS ANGELES - The Arizona Diamondbacks already have saddled the Los Angeles Dodgers with their fifth straight losing series — and there’s still one more to go.
Eric Byrnes and Miguel Montero hit two-run homers, Livan Hernandez recorded his first road win since May 17, and the NL West-leading Diamondbacks held off a late rally by the Dodgers for an 8-7 victory Saturday night.
While baseball history was being made on both coasts — Barry Bonds’ record-tying 755th home run down the freeway in San Diego and Alex Rodriguez’s 500th career homer at Yankee Stadium — the Dodgers and Diamondbacks continued their critical three-game series between NL West contenders.
Arizona widened its lead over third-place Los Angeles to three games with its 12th victory in 14 contests. The sputtering Dodgers lost for the 11th time in their last 15. The scheduled starters for the series finale are reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and two-time All-Star Brad Penny.
“We knew this series was big, but I didn’t think this was necessarily a make-or-break series for us because there’s almost two months of baseball to play,” Byrnes said. “But to take the series in the second game going into tomorrow, that’s big. It’s a good feeling. Hopefully we’ll come out here and play relaxed and take one more.”
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Hernandez (7-7) allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits in six innings and struck out four. It was the first time in the right-hander’s last 13 starts that he did not allow a home run. The Dodgers have hit 83, the fewest in the NL.
Juan Cruz inherited an 8-2 lead from Hernandez and surrendered four runs in the seventh, including three-run homer by Nomar Garciaparra that followed a sacrifice fly by Luis Gonzalez. Tony Pena got the last two outs in the inning, but Andre Ethier homered on the right-hander’s first pitch of the eighth to make it a one-run game.
Jose Valverde nailed it down with a perfect ninth for his 33rd save in 38 chances.
“He’s throwing strikes and he’s going at guys,” Byrnes said. “He’s got a second and third pitch now that keeps everybody off his fastball, and his cutter’s unbelievable. So when you have an arsenal like that, it’s just a matter of going out there and getting more experience.”
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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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.
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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.
