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.
AP
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Orlando Hernandez has a new pain-free windup that looks like the high-kicking El Duque of old. Now the right-hander must wait to find out whether he has pitched well enough to secure the fifth spot in the New York Mets’ starting rotation.
Starting for only the second time this spring training, Hernandez allowed four hits and a run in five innings in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
The game may have been the Orioles’ final appearance at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. Proposed improvements to the facility, which has housed the Orioles for 13 years, have been held up awaiting approval of the Federal Aviation Administration. Baltimore could move to Vero Beach, Fla., which will be vacated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009 if their new spring site in Glendale, Ariz., is completed on schedule.
Showing no signs of the bunion on his right foot that troubled him earlier this spring, Hernandez walked one and struck out two. He credited a new version of his old windup — now he pushes off flat-footed with his right foot instead of with the point of his toe — with the improved mechanics.
“I feel better. I feel more comfortable in my delivery. ... I feet great,” Hernandez said.
Mets manager Willie Randolph will meet with his staff to determine the fifth starter.
“I always feel comfortable with Duque. He’s an excellent pitcher. He’s been a great pitcher for a long time,” Randolph said. “If he’s healthy and strong then I feel very comfortable with him, yes.”
Right-hander Mike Pelfrey, one of Hernandez’s competitors for the spot, breezed through two innings then wasted a 3-1 ninth-inning lead and took the loss, his ERA rising to 8.14. Baltimore tied the game on Jay Payton’s two-out single and won it when Eider Torres blooped a hit behind third base, allowing Payton to score from third.
Greg Aquino got the win with two innings of scoreless relief.
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“He pitched OK, but he’s got to stay away from the walks, especially with two outs,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said.
Notes: The Orioles sent OF Tike Redman outright to Triple-A Norfolk after the game. Redman has 72 hours to accept the assignment or declare free agency. ... The Mets returned RHP Steven Register to Colorado, optioned INF Anderson Hernandez to Triple-A New Orleans and announced that 2B Ruben Gotay had been claimed on waivers by Atlanta.
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.
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.
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