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| Different Directions
| November 05 2008 |
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Two teams from the same city moving in different directions face off Wednesday night in Staples Center as the undefeated and defending Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers play home team against the winless Clippers. The Lakers made it three in a row during the young season in Denver on Saturday when Kobe Bryant poured in a game-high 33 points and took over late in the fourth quarter as the Lakers topped the Nuggets 104-97. With the game knotted 86-all, a Bryant three-pointer sparked a 7-0 run for the Lakers that put the game away. Pau Gasol added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers...
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| Outta Here
| November 03 2008 |
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The Detroit Pistons pulled off a big deal on Monday, acquiring star guard Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for three players. Leaving the Motor City will be guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and reserve center Cheikh Samb. "We are pleased to welcome Allen Iverson to the Pistons organization," said Detroit president of basketball operations Joe Dumars. "Allen has proven he is one of the elite players in the league and we like what he adds to our roster at the guard position." Iverson is averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 assists through three games this season.
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| New Ballgame
| October 23 2008 |
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James Shields threw nearly six shutout innings and B.J. Upton went 2-for-4 with a run batted in as the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, in Game 2 of the World Series. With the win, the Rays evened the best-of-seven matchup. Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Shields (1-0) gave up seven hits and two walks, but skated around and out of trouble to keep the Phillies off the scoreboard. He also struck out four. Dan Wheeler tossed a scoreless inning of relief, while rookie David Price threw the final 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs.
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| One Win Away
| October 16 2008 |
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The Tampa Bay Rays try to advance to their first-ever World Series this evening, as they attempt to finish off the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park. Tampa has had a surprisingly easy go of it in Boston and pushed the defending champs to the brink of elimination with a resounding 13-4 win on Tuesday. Willy Aybar and Carl Crawford combined for nine hits and drove in seven runs for the Rays, who have captured the last two games of this best-of-seven set by a combined 22-5 count to go up three-games-to-one. The Rays hit four homers in a big win Monday...
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| Rays of Might
| October 06 2008 |
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B.J. Upton and these Tampa Bay Rays are headed home - to get ready for the American League championship series. Worst in the majors last year, the Rays will play for a spot in the World Series after finishing off the Chicago White Sox 6-2 Monday in Game 4 of the AL playoffs. Ray-markable! Upton homered twice, Andy Sonnanstine pitched a solid 5 2-3 innings and manager Joe Maddon's surprising Rays won 3-1 in the best-of-five series - their first trip to the post-season. Next up, the Boston Red Sox or the Los Angeles Angels starting Friday. "We feel like we belong and it's showing right now," Upton said.
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| Title Defense Begins
| October 01 2008 |
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The Boston Red Sox start defense of their second World Series title in the last four years against a familiar opponent in the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as they play Game One of the best-of- five American League Division Series at Angel Stadium. Boston got some bad news this past weekend when ace right-hander Josh Beckett strained an oblique during a bullpen session. He had been penciled in to start Game One, but will now hopefully go in Game Three. So, instead of opening this series by throwing the best postseason hurler of this generation, the Red Sox will hand the ball to lefty Jon Lester.
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| Crowning Moment
| September 30 2008 |
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The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox will meet in a one-game tiebreaker this evening at U.S. Cellular Field to determine the American League Central title. Chicago, which was swept in a three-game set by the Twins last week, caught a break when it won the coin toss, allowing the game to be played in the Windy City, where Minnesota lost seven of its nine games played this season. This is the AL's fourth tiebreaker contest and the first since Seattle beat the California Angels for the AL West title 1995. Last season, Colorado beat San Diego 9-8 in 13 innings in an NL wild-card tiebreaker game.
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| Postseason tune up
| September 27 2008 |
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With their first AL East title in team history secured, the Tampa Bay Rays continue to tune up for the postseason with the third of four games against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Even though Tampa lost on Friday, it clinched its first-ever division crown with Boston's 19-8 loss to the New York Yankees. The Rays now await the winner of the AL Central in next week's ALDS. Detroit made it two straight wins on Friday, as Gary Sheffield homered twice -- Nos. 498 and 499 of his career -- in the Tigers' 6-4 win over the Rays. Justin Verlander (11-17) fanned eight in five innings, giving up two runs on five hits...
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| Mauer Magic
| September 25 2008 |
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Joe Mauer drove in two runs and the Minnesota Twins prevailed, 3-2, over the White Sox to move to within a half- game of Chicago for the lead in the AL Central. Delmon Young had three hits and Denard Span knocked in the other run for the Twins, who have won the first two tests of this pivotal three-game series. "(Mark) Buehrle's always tough on us," said Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau. "It was good to get him to throw a lot of pitches early. He hung around for a while but we got just enough. Big win." Nick Blackburn (11-10) came away with the win after he gave up two runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
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| Aww, Shocks
| September 22 2008 |
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New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey will undergo sports hernia surgery this week, keeping the Saints' new offensive target out three-to-six weeks, the team confirmed Monday. Shockey, acquired in the offseason from the New York Giants in exchange for second and fifth-round draft choices in 2009, has recorded 16 catches for 151 yards in New Orleans' first three games this season. The 28-year-old aggravated the injury against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, when he finished with eight receptions for 75 yards. Shockey was selected by New York in the first round (14th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft. He played his first six years with the Giants...
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| Strong Start
| September 19 2008 |
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The American side took a 3-1 lead after Friday morning's foursomes session at the 37th Ryder Cup Matches at Valhalla Golf Club. Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim overcame a 3-down deficit on the back nine to halve the opening match against Europe's Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson. The first American points came from the second match when Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan toppled Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey, 3&2. Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell won the 18th hole to pull out a 1-up victory over their European counterparts Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, a somewhat controversial pick by captain Nick Faldo. Kenny Perry, a Kentucky native, stumbled into the clubhouse Friday.
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| Cooperstown Bound
| September 16 2008 |
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Former MVP and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, longtime Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, and former Dodgers shortstop and speedster Maury Wills are among 10 retired baseball players who the Veterans Committee will consider for election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame later this year. Dick Allen, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson and Luis Tiant will also be considered for enshrinement in the class of 2009. Hall of Fame members will vote this fall, and the results will be announced December 8 at baseball's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. The 10 former players considered by the Veterans Committee...
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| Mounting Up
| September 12 2008 |
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The National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers will continue their lengthy 10-game road trip tonight with the first of three straight games against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Dodgers are 3 1/2 games ahead of the floundering Arizona Diamondbacks in the division standings and have won two straight and 10 of 11 games to further distance themselves in the West. Manny Ramirez has been a huge factor for Los Angeles and owns four home runs and 11 RBI over his last five games. In Wednesday's 7-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game set at Petco Park, Ramirez homered twice and knocked in four runs.
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| Time to Regroup
| July 25 2008 |
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The Philadelphia Phillies will try to regroup against another familiar foe this evening, as they kick off a three-game series versus the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia just dropped two of three to the New York Mets to lose control of the NL East lead and is 1-4 over its last five games. The Phillies fell a game behind the Mets in the division standings following Thursday's 3-1 loss in the series finale. Jayson Werth homered for Philadelphia and Eric Bruntlett ended with three hits after starting in place of shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Rollins was held out of the starting lineup for showing up late to the stadium.
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| Hot Teams
| July 22 2008 |
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Jered Weaver will try to pitch the LA Angels of Anaheim back into the win column tonight, when the current American League West leaders resume a three-game series versus the Cleveland Indians at Angel Stadium. The Angels own an 8 1/2-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the division, but had their five-game winning streak come to an end with Monday's 5-2 loss versus the Indians in the opener of this series. Angels starter Ervin Santana surrendered four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and fanned eight over seven frames to absorb the loss. The right-hander fell to 0-6 in seven lifetime starts against the Indians.
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| Bombs Away
| July 17 2008 |
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Brandon Inge belted a key two-run homer to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a four-game series at Camden Yards. Gary Sheffield also hit a two-run homer while Marcus Thames added a solo blast for the Tigers, who had dropped three of four entering the All-Star break. Kenny Rogers (7-6) earned the win after he allowed four runs on 11 hits through six innings. Melvin Mora homered and finished with two RBI for Baltimore, which has lost eight of its last nine games. Garrett Olson (6-5) started on the hill for Baltimore and allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings with five strikeouts and four walks...
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| Boston Clutch
| July 07 2008 |
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Manny Ramirez's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner as the Boston Red Sox escaped with a 1-0 win over the scorching Minnesota Twins in a well-pitched opener of a three-game series. Daisuke Matsuzaka did not factor in the decision despite keeping the Twins off the board through a season-high 7 1/3 innings. He scattered six hits and three walks to go with five strikeouts, and has surrendered just one run in his last three starts. Hideki Okajima (2-2) came on in a tough situation in the eighth, recording the final two outs to get the win for Boston, which was coming off a mediocre 3-7 road trip. Scott Baker, who had won his previous three outings...
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