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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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 title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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
PHILADELPHIA - This was vintage Pedro.
Pedro Martinez tossed seven impressive innings to outpitch Tim Lincecum, Ryan Howard doubled in the tiebreaking run and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Thursday night.
Martinez (3-0) struck out a season-high nine in his fifth start since signing with the Phillies during the All-Star break, allowing one run and five hits. He didn’t walk a batter and threw just 87 pitches in his longest outing since last Aug. 21 with the New York Mets.
“I flashed back to the good old times,” Martinez said. “I don’t have the power I used to have, but I always said it’s not about power, it’s about hitting your spots.”
Jayson Werth homered for the NL East-leading Phillies, who are 16-6 since getting swept by Florida at home last month.
Eugenio Velez hit a leadoff homer for the Giants, who remained one game behind Colorado in the NL wild-card race.
The 37-year-old Martinez, plagued by injuries and inconsistency during his last three seasons with the Mets, looked like the guy who won three Cy Young Awards and was one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation.
Martinez had plenty of pop on his fastball, often reaching the low 90s on the radar gun, and mixed in an effective changeup.
“He had a little more life on his fastball, good movement and he had good command,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He used his changeup well. I will admit he had a little bit more life than I thought.”
Martinez was lifted for a pinch hitter after Carlos Ruiz hit a two-out double in the seventh. Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth and Brad Lidge finished for his 28th save in 37 chances.
Lincecum (13-5) was the tough-luck loser for the Giants, who’ve scored the second-fewest runs in the NL. Lincecum struck out 11 in seven innings, allowing two runs and four hits. It was the seventh time this season the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up two earned runs or less and didn’t get a win.
“He reminds me a little bit of me, but he’s twice as good as me at this time of my career,” Martinez said of Lincecum. “It took me seven years to win a Cy Young.”
Lincecum was equally impressed.
“It’s ridiculous how nasty his stuff still is,” he said. “When you watch him, it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing out there.”
Despite scoring just three runs in the series, the Phillies took two of three against San Francisco in a potential postseason preview. They beat the Giants 1-0 in the series opener behind a two-hitter by Cole Hamels. Brad Penny tossed eight scoreless innings in his Giants debut, helping San Francisco win 4-0 Wednesday.
Lincecum got into trouble when he drilled Chase Utley in the back with a fastball with two outs in the sixth. Howard then ripped a liner to right-center to put the Phillies ahead 2-1.
Velez hit Martinez’s first pitch into the seats in right-center for his first career leadoff homer.
Werth drove a 3-2 slider a few rows deep into the upper deck in left in the second. The All-Star outfielder became the 22nd Phillies player to hit 30 homers in a season with his 435-foot drive.
Lincecum has allowed just nine homers this season and Werth was the second right-handed hitter to connect off him.
“If a guy makes a mistake, you have to capitalize on it,” Werth said.
Martinez settled in nicely after Pablo Sandoval’s one-out double in the first. He retired 13 consecutive batters before Aaron Rowand singled with two outs in the fifth. Martinez fanned seven of eight batters at one point. He struck out the side in the third, firing a 91 mph fastball past Edgar Renteria to end the inning.
The Giants wasted Velez’s leadoff double in the sixth. Renteria grounded out to shortstop, Sandoval bounced to second and Bengie Molina lined to center.
Notes: Phillies RHP Brett Myers will travel with the team to Houston and expects to be activated for the series. He hasn’t pitched since hip surgery in June. Myers, the team’s opening-day starter the last three seasons, will pitch out of the bullpen. He had 21 saves as a closer in 2007 and could spell Lidge when necessary. “I wish him well and I’m pulling for him every night,” Myers said. “If he’s sore one day or he’s thrown three days in a row or something, there’s plenty of guys down there that can jump in that spot and do it. I don’t necessarily have to be the guy that does it, but it’s always fun to do.” ... Howard was named NL player of the month after batting .299 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in August.
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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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
Jeremy Lin had the most astounding performance of his remarkable week, scoring a career-high 38 points and outdueling Kobe Bryant as the New York Knicks held off the Los Angeles Lakers 92-85 on Friday night.