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.
AP
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Joba Chamberlain gives up the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Mariano Rivera throws away a bunt in the 10th. Alfredo Aceves allows the winning run in the 11th.
What in the name of the New York Yankees’ bullpen is going on?
Manager Joe Girardi’s winning streak in the postseason came to a crashing halt Monday when the Los Angeles Angels beat New York 5-4 to cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven AL championship series.
The 44-year-old Girardi was only the second manager to win his first five postseason games after leading the Yankees to a major league-best 103-59 record in his second season.
But the second-youngest manager in the majors made some curious moves in the late innings of Game 3.
The Yankees used seven pitchers after starter Andy Pettitte allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Chamberlain lasted one-third of an inning, and gave up a triple to Howie Kendrick and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis that put the Angels in front for the first time, 4-3.
Then came left-hander Damaso Marte, followed by rookie Phil Coke and Phil Hughes, who pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings.
Hughes allowed Jeff Mathis’ leadoff double in the 10th before Girardi went to Rivera, who tossed 2 1-3 innings in New York’s 4-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday night. The All-Star closer escaped a sticky jam — the Angels had the bases loaded with one out — while throwing 17 pitches.
|
David Robertson got two quick outs in the 11th, then was pulled for Aceves.
Moments later, the game was over.
Aceves gave up a single to Kendrick and a long RBI double to left-center by Mathis. That left an obvious question: Why did Girardi lift Robertson with two outs and nobody on?
“As far as Robertson, we like the matchup with Ace better, the two guys,” Girardi said. “And it didn’t work.”
Girardi has played matchups with his pitchers and made several quick moves throughout the postseason, wearing out a path from the dugout to the mound.
He said the only way Rivera would have stayed in the game was if the Yankees had a save situation and they had scored earlier.
Rivera threw away a bunt by Erick Aybar trying to get a runner at third, leaving the closer flat on the grass yelling at himself, reminiscent of him throwing away a key bunt in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against Arizona.
After he went to Aceves, Girardi was busy consulting a binder of stats in the dugout.
“We have all the matchups, and all the scouting reports, and we felt that it was a better matchup for us,” he said.
It didn’t work for the Yankees.
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 |
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.
