The New York Yankees bolted from the dugout even before the last grounder was scooped up. After waiting nine years for championship No. 27, no one would dare hold them back. "It feels better than I remember it, man," captain Derek Jeter said. "It's been a long time." Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettitte won on short rest and New York beat the…
The New York Yankees are chasing championship No. 27 by throwing their top pitchers on three days' rest. With a chance to clinch the crown, A.J. Burnett is scheduled to start on short rest against Philadelphia ace Cliff Lee in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night. CC Sabathia went on three days' rest Sunday night in Game 4, and Andy Pettitte could do the same in Game 6 if the Series…
The Orlando Magic didn't spend much time hoisting their Eastern Conference championship banner. They didn't take long to adjust to a revamped roster, either. Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 15 points and the new-look Magic rolled to a 120-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Shaquille O'Neal has learned the ropes in his 17 NBA seasons. There's one lesson that has endured since he was a raw rookie. "You can't win a championship in the first game," he said. Boston's Big Three — plus Rasheed — spoiled Cleveland's overhyped season opener on Tuesday night with a 95-89 win over the new-look Cavaliers, who may have LeBron James and Shaq but…
An hour after Game 6 of the AL championship series was postponed, there was Andy Pettitte in a nearly empty Yankee Stadium, drenched in the pouring rain. With his short hair soaked and sweat shirt dripping, the New York Yankees' pitcher played catch in the outfield and ran light sprints through thick puddles on the warning track before finally grabbing some cover in the dugout.
Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet. Heavy showers in Saturday's New York forecast are threatening to wash out Game 6 of the AL championship series, yet that's a minor drizzle compared to the high-pressure system the Angels created for both themselves and the Yankees by extending the…
Ryan Howard added another piece of hardware with three familiar letters to his trophy case. Howard was picked MVP of the NL championship series after helping the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies return to the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The big slugger already had the 2006 NL MVP and 2005 NL Rookie of the Year awards on his resume.
Alex Rodriguez limited the celebration of his latest playoff homer to a brisk trot and a few high-fives. CC Sabathia barely even pumped a fist while mowing down the Angels for eight innings. Even while they shined at a pivotal point in the AL championship series, the slugger and the workhorse starter seemed determined to stick to business.
When Derek Jeter led off Game 3 with a homer into the bullpen, this AL championship series seemed uncomplicated. Power hitting and steady pitching appeared to be driving New York to the World Series. About 261 minutes, 14 pitchers, six homers and several big blunders later, a winning hit by a backup catcher left only one thing certain in this cuckoo series: The Los Angeles Angels won't be…
Alex Rodriguez is putting all those playoff failures behind him. The Los Angeles Angels are turning the AL championship series into a defensive debacle. Coming through under pressure once again, Rodriguez hit a tying homer in the 11th inning and the New York Yankees edged Los Angeles 4-3 Saturday night on Maicer Izturis' error in the 13th for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Phillies and Dodgers are back in the National League championship series for the second straight year, making them the closest thing the NL has to a couple of dominant teams. They are the first repeat teams since Houston and St. Louis squared off in 2004 and '05, and only the third repeaters since Atlanta and Pittsburgh met in 1991 and '92.
John Lackey will start Friday night's Game 1 of the AL championship series against CC Sabathia and the Yankees, getting the nod from manager Mike Scioscia before the Angels traveled to New York on Wednesday. Lackey pitched 7 1-3 innings to lead Los Angeles to a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the division series.
The Yankees might go with a three-man rotation against the Los Angeles Angels in the AL championship series. CC Sabathia is scheduled to start Friday night's opener, with A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte as New York's other two primary starters. The shortened rotation would allow manager Joe Girardi to keep Joba Chamberlain and Chad Gaudin in the bullpen.
Alex Rodriguez finally delivered the playoff performance he needed and his talent demanded, powering the New York Yankees back to the AL championship series. During this first-round sweep of the Twins, Rodriguez's performance was nothing like all those oh-fers of Octobers past. Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit seventh-inning home runs to spoil Carl Pavano's opportunity to frustrate New…
The chase for the AL Central championship once again is going to extra innings. Trying to save their seasons, the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins both won Sunday, leaving them all even for the division lead and forcing a one-game tiebreaker. They'll meet Tuesday at 5 p.m. EDT at the Metrodome in what could be the final baseball game at the Homer Hankie haven.
Players doused each other with champagne and beer in the clubhouse and on the field. Fans partied in the stands. Manager Charlie Manuel enjoyed the celebration from his office. The Philadelphia Phillies won another NL East championship. Now they can rest and prepare to defend their World Series title. "I'll celebrate when we get to the big one," Manuel said.
Mike Brown still can't believe he is coaching two superstars. Mo Williams called it destiny. The Cavaliers don't care if destiny equals dynasty — they'd be happy to win that first NBA championship. LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal have practiced together for only two days. Despite the small sample size, Williams has seen enough to expect the 7-foot-1 O'Neal will blend nicely…
The Tampa Bay Rays will not get the chance for a second straight championship season. Jose Lopez hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Rays 4-3 Tuesday night, eliminating the defending AL champions from the postseason. "It's not the way we wanted this year to end," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.