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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
APYoung (9-4) was activated from the 15-day disabled list for a strained left side muscle before the start. He was fairly dominant until the Cardinals knocked him out in a four-run seventh when the first three runners reached base.
In six-plus innings, Young allowed four runs on three hits with five strikeouts and five walks, hiking his major league-leading ERA 20 points to 2.02.
Young had been 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA in his previous 11 starts since his last loss, also against the Cardinals on May 12 when he allowed five runs — one earned — in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-0 loss.
“I was a little rusty, but no problem,” Young said. “I didn’t feel like I pitched that poorly. It wasn’t my best, it wasn’t my worst.”
St. Louis didn’t have a runner in scoring position until a two-out rally in the fourth capped by Yadier Molina’s RBI single. Scott Rolen singled and Chris Duncan walked before Molina’s hit.
The Cardinals chased Young with none out in the seventh after two walks and a wild pitch on ball four to pinch hitter So Taguchi that allowed in a run.
Pineiro, acquired from the Red Sox for a minor league player to be named, made his second start for his new team and retired the side in order three of his seven innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Pineiro allowed four runs in five innings in his first start on Saturday, and said Molina, his catcher, gave him some advice before his home debut.
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“He told me from the beginning we were going to go out and have some fun, and we did that,” Pineiro said. “All around, I think it was a great win.”
La Russa batted the pitcher eighth for the sixth straight game in an effort to spark the World Series champions, who entered at 52-59. That ploy backfired in the fourth when Pineiro, batting after Molina’s RBI single, struck out with two men on for the third out in the fourth.
Notes: In a statistical oddity, the Cardinals took three of four despite scoring in only four innings. ... Adam Kennedy was hitless in four at-bats in the ninth spot for the Cardinals and is 2-for-22 against the Padres. ... Padres closer Trevor Hoffman was not used in the four-game series, remaining one save shy of a 12th career 30-save season that would extend his own record. ... Padres OF Scott Hairston strained his left side muscle while getting thrown out going for a double in the sixth, and is likely to land on the DL.
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.
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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.
