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.
Reuters
WASHINGTON - His club lost a game on the field and lost ground in the standings Sunday, yet Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel chose to look on the bright side: At least his top relievers got some rest for the stretch run.
The Washington Nationals, meanwhile, were thrilled to benefit from a bullpen blowup and beat the Phillies 5-3, a perfect send-off for the last major league game at RFK Stadium — and another chance to hurt a club fighting to make the playoffs.
“Definitely, our time is running out,” Manuel said. “Today’s game was a big one.”
Philadelphia entered having won nine of 10 games, but its loss, coupled with New York’s 7-6 victory at Florida in 11 innings, dropped the Phillies to 2½ games behind the first-place Mets in the NL East. Philadelphia stayed a half-game behind wild-card leader San Diego, which lost 7-3 to Colorado.
“Every pitch, every inning, every at-bat is important,” Phillies second baseman Chase Utley said.
The Phillies get Monday off, then finish with six games at home, three with the Atlanta Braves and then three with the Nationals.
“The day off is very important — especially to our relief pitchers,” Manuel said.
He finally gave his top three ’pen guys a rest Sunday, but it didn’t quite work out. Closer Brett Myers and setup men Tom Gordon and J.C. Romero all pitched the previous five days, so they were only going to be used if the Phillies led late.
Instead, Antonio Alfonseca and Geoff Geary came in when Cole Hamels was finished, and the Phillies failed to finish off a sweep.
Hamels made only his second start since being on the disabled list with a strained pitching elbow, and he was removed after 74 pitches, with Philadelphia ahead 2-1. He gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the first inning. His line the rest of the way? Four innings, zero runs, zero hits, six strikeouts.
When Hamels was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth, Manuel said the decision was an easy one. No need even to consult the All-Star lefty.
|
Hamels’ take?
“I definitely had 10 or 15 more pitches in me,” he said, adding that he didn’t feel it was his place to argue about being removed. “I know my body better than anybody else. That’s the whole point of asking.”
The Nationals went right to work on Alfonseca (5-2).
D’Angelo Jimenez led off with a double and took third when right fielder Jayson Werth failed to pick up the ball cleanly, drawing an error. A walk and an out later, Austin Kearns grounded a single up the middle to tie the game at 2. Alfonseca walked another batter to load the bases, and was lifted in favor of Geary.
How did Geary fare? He hit the first batter he faced, rookie Jesus Flores, to force in a run and put Washington ahead 3-2. Flores left the game with a bruised left elbow and was listed as day to day.
“That’s probably the most beneficial hit-by-pitch he has gotten in his short career,” Nationals manager Manny Acta said.
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.
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
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.
