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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had 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.
AP
NEW YORK - A.J. Burnett and the New York Yankees are turning into the $201 million juggernaut they were supposed to be this season.
Burnett won his fourth straight decision and Nick Swisher had a big game with his bat and glove, leading New York over the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Wednesday for its sixth consecutive victory.
“It’s the best we’ve been and we need to continue that. We need to continue to grind out these games,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It has been very professional the way these guys have gone about their business. Every day you come in and expect to win.”
The Yankees (57-37) woke up alone in first place Wednesday, the first time that’s happened this late in a season since they won the division in 2006.
They played as though they plan to stay there.
Jorge Posada homered and drove in two runs, Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single and Mariano Rivera earned his fifth save in six days. The AL East leaders scored four times in the first inning and sent rookie Jason Berken (1-8) to his eighth loss in a row.
The Yankees are 6-0 since the All-Star break after opening 8-0 in the second half last year. They’ve won 19 of 26 to move 20 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 94-68 in 2007 and have opened a season-high, two-game lead over second-place Boston in the AL East.
New York is poised to extend the surge, too. Next up, a four-game series against another last-place team (Oakland) to conclude this 10-game homestand.
“I think we’re right where we need to be,” Swisher said. “We’re all feeling really good right now.”
Swisher capped the early outburst with a two-run single and made three fine plays in right field, making up for a third-inning error. Baltimore botched a key defensive play, when second baseman Brian Roberts mishandled Robinson Cano’s RBI infield single with two outs in the first.
Adam Jones, the Orioles’ lone All-Star, homered and had four hits. He and Nick Markakis connected for consecutive solo shots with two outs in the ninth off Brian Bruney, prompting Girardi to call on Rivera.
The 39-year-old closer threw a called third strike past Aubrey Huff to convert his 24th consecutive save and 28th in 29 chances this season.
“Personal success has its place, but I’d rather have won the series,” Jones said. “Some of the mistakes we made, they’re not making. They’ve definitely turned their season around from the first month.”
Derek Jeter got New York started with a leadoff double, and Posada’s RBI double in the eighth made it 6-2. It appeared the four-run cushion would provide Rivera with a well-deserved rest, but Bruney couldn’t close it out after fanning his first two hitters.
Burnett (9-4) took a four-hit shutout into the seventh, improving to 9-1 in 11 career starts against Baltimore. The right-hander is 4-0 in his past five outings overall and 7-2 with a 2.31 ERA in his last 10.
Converted starter Phil Hughes, emerging as a reliable setup man, worked a scoreless eighth that included a strikeout and a double-play grounder.
“He’s been very good,” Posada said. “Finding him to do that setup role is the reason why we’re here.”
Baltimore stranded seven runners through the first four innings and lost its 10th straight in the Bronx. The Orioles dropped to 1-14 in road games against division opponents this year and 2-25 dating to last season.
Making his first start against the Yankees, Berken fell to 0-8 in 10 outings since beating Toronto 7-2 in his major league debut May 26.
“After that first inning, things went well and that was a step in the right direction,” he said.
Swisher missed Roberts’ fly ball for a two-base error to start the third. But with runners at second and third, Burnett struck out Huff before Swisher ran down Ty Wigginton’s drive into the right-field corner.
The fun-loving Swisher, adorned with tattoos and a semi-mohawk, scaled the wall with his spikes after making the grab. Appreciative of the effort, Burnett pointed to him with both hands.
“I was just happy as hell I caught it,” Swisher said. “I just think with every win that we get, the fun is building up and building up.”
Swisher also held Luke Scott to a second-inning single on a shot off the wall and mini-jumped at the fence to catch Scott’s drive in the sixth.
Notes: Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he’ll probably speak Friday in Boston with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail before deciding whether to remove struggling LHP Rich Hill from the rotation. ... Hughes has a 0.81 ERA in 16 relief appearances this year. He has thrown 20 straight scoreless innings and not allowed a run in his past 14 outings.
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.
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 |
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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.
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.