MLS Cup Playoffs: Dynamo Get Shot At Red Bulls After Dominating Frustrated Eight-Man Impact

At Houston:

Will Bruin scored twice (16', 72') while Oscar Boniek Garcia converted a penalty kick in the 27th minute as the Houston Dynamo ruined the Montreal Impact's first MLS Cup Playoff appearance Thursday night with a 3-0 Eastern Conference Knockoff Round home victory.  The Impact ended the game with ten men as Nelson Rivas (70'), Andreas Romero (89'), and Marco Di Vaio (89') all were ejected via the red card.

The Dynamo will next face the New York Red Bulls in a two-game Eastern Conference semifinal series which starts Sunday afternoon in Houston.  The return match takes place Tuesday night at Harrison, New Jersey.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Sounders Blank Visiting Rapids, Get Shot At Timbers

At Seattle:

In the opening match of the Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, Brad Evans (28') and Eddie Johnson (90'+3) provided the scoring as the Seattle Sounders----despite finishing the game with ten men----blanked the visiting Colorado Rapids 2-0 in a Western Conference one-match knockout playoff.

The Sounders will host their Cascadia arch-rivals, the Portland Timbers on Saturday (7:00 PM, Pacific Time, NBCSN) in the opening game of a two-match Western Conference semifinal series, with the return contest to be played at Portland next Thursday (8:00 PM Pacific Time, NBCSN).

RED SOX SMOTHER CARDINALS, WIN THIRD WORLD SERIES TITLE IN TEN YEARS; CLINCH WS TITLE AT HOME FOR FIRST TIME SINCE '18; BIG PAPI NAMED SERIES MVP

At Boston:

Shane Victorino delivered a three-run double of the Green Monster as the Boston Red Sox dominated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 on Wednesday night to win game six of the World Series and capture their third world championship in the last ten years four games to one.  It marked the first time in 95 years that the Red Sox locked up the World Series title at Fenway Park.  David Ortiz was named the series' Most Valuable Player. During the Series, Big Papi, the only remaining member of Boston's 2004 World Series championship team (their first since 1918), batted .688 (11 for 16), hit two homers, delivered six runs batted in and received eight walks---four in Wednesday's finale.  Here's Boston relief pitcher Koji Uehara celebrating with catcher David Ross after striking out the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter to end the game and the series.

USA Today photo

2013 World Series: Red Sox Top Cards In St. Louis, Take 3-2 Series Lead; Have Two Shots Of Wrapping Up Series At Fenway

At St. Louis:

Jon Lester and relief pitching surrendered only four base hits, and David Ross hit a tiebreaking RBI double in a two-run seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in Monday's fifth game of the World Series.  The Red Sox, who lead the series three games to two, have two chances to wrap up the World Series title (their first since 2007) at home at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918, starting with game #6 on Wednesday night.

2013 World Series: Jonny Gomes Delivers The Runs That Square Series At Two Games Apiece For BoSox

At St. Louis:

Jonny Gomes (that's him greeting David Ortiz at home plate)hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday night as the Boston Red Sox squared the World Series at two games apiece following their 4-2 game-four road win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sports Illustrated photo by David E. Klutho

Ducks Overtake Seminoles And Now Are #2 In BCS Rankings (Still #2 In AP, Coaches Polls); Beavers Drop Down In BCS, Still Have Media, Coaches Support

After Saturday's big win over UCLA, the Oregon Ducks moved past Florida State into second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings (trailing only Alabama).  The Ducks remained ranked second in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls that were released on Sunday. The Ducks have three first-place votes in the AP poll, six in the Coaches' rankings.

Meanwhile, the Oregon State Beavers, who saw their six-game winning streak snapped by Stanford, still had support in the AP poll, where they would be ranked #32 and the Coaches' poll, where they would be ranked at #29.  The Beavers dropped seven spots in the BCS standings to #32.

Niners Skin Jags At Wembley

At London:

Colin Kaepernick threw for a touchdown and ran for two more on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers (6-2) throttled the still-winless Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8) 42-10 in a National Football League contest played at London's Wembley Stadium (this was designated a Jags "home" game).  The Niners have now won five consecutive games and will take next weekend off.

Stanford Foils Beavers Comeback Bid, Ends OSU's Winning Streak At Six

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Tyler Gaffney carried the ball 22 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday night as the Stanford Cardinal (#6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings; #8 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 7-1 overall, 5-1 in Pac-12 play) held off the Oregon State Beavers (#25 in BCS; 6-2, 4-1) 20-12 on the road, ending the Beavers' six-game winning streak.

TIMBERS DEMOLISH HAPLESS GOATS, WIN WESTERN CONFERENCE TITLE

At Carson, California:

Diego Valeri scored twice (16', 29') and assisted on Rodney Wallace's goal in the 34th minute on Saturday night as the Portland Timbers laid claim to the Western Conference's regular-season championship (and the conference's top playoff seed) with their 5-0 demolition of Chivas USA in the Major League Soccer season finale for the struggling Goats.

The Timbers will play in a Western Conference two-game semifinal series against the winner of this coming Thursday's opening round match (which will involve two of these three clubs:  Seattle, Los Angeles, and Colorado).  The Timbers will open their conference semifinal two-game series on the road next weekend.

Stampeders Hold Off Riders, Win West Division Title

At Calgary, Alberta:

Jon Cornish ran for 109 yards and a touchdown on Saturday as the Calgary Stampders (14-3) clinched the Canadian Football League's West Division regular-season title (and a first-round bye in the Grey Cup Playoffs) with a 29-25 home win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-6).

World Series: Obstruction Call Helps Cards Win Game Three And Take 2-1 Series Advantage

At St. Louis:

Pinch-hitter Allen Craig scored the winning run from third base on an obstruction call when Will Middlebrooks (that's him and teammate Dustin Pedroia arguing with umpires) kicked both legs up to try to prevent him from coming home after catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's bad throw as the St. Louis Cardinals took a two-games-to-one lead in the World Series after Saturday's wild 5-4 game-three win over the visiting Boston Red Sox.

USATSI photo

Ducks Wear Down Bruins In Second Half, Win By 28

At Eugene, Oregon:

Byron Marshall ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns as the Oregon Ducks (#3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, ranked second in both the Associated Press and USA Toady/Coaches polls; 8-0 overall, 5-0 in Pac-12 play) broke open a game that was deadlocked at 14-14 at halftime and scored 28 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 42-14 home thumping of UCLA  (#12 in BCS standings and AP Poll, #11 in Coaches' poll; 5-2, 2-2) on Saturday.

Hal Needham, Stuntman Turned Director of Burt Reynolds Movies, R.I.P.

Hal Needham, a top Hollywood stuntman who turned to directing action movies, including the Burt Reynolds movies "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Cannonball Run," passed away on Friday at Los Angeles at age 82.

2013 World Series: Cardinals Square Series At One Game Apiece

At Boston:

Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly that led to a pair of runs, then Carlos Beltran hit an RBI single to cap off a three-run seventh inning on Thursday as the St. Louis Cardinals took advantage of two Boston Red Sox errors in the aforementioned seventh inning and squared the World Series at a game apiece following their 4-2 game-two road victory.  That's the Cardinals' Matt Holiday scoring in the seventh inning being shown here.

Sports Illustrated photo by Chuck Solomon

2013 World Series: Red Sox Massacre Sloppy Cardinals In Series Opener

At Boston:

Mike Napoli (that's him and his teammates celebrating) delivered a first-inning three-run double and David Ortiz whacked a two-run homer while Jon Lester pitched 7 2/3 innings of five-hit, one-walk, eight-strikeout shutout baseball as the Boston Red Sox ran all over the visiting error-plagued St. Louis Cardinals 8-1 in Wednesday opening game of the World Series.

USATSI Photo

Bud Adams, Original AFL Owner (Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans), R.I.P.

Bud Adams, the Texas oilman who co-founded the American Football League in 1959 (the league began play in 1960, forced a merger with the NFL in 1966 [which was completed in 1970]) and who was from the beginning, the owner of the Houston Oilers, who moved to Memphis in 1997 and became the Tennessee Oilers, then to Nashville in 1998 before changing the club's name to the Tennessee Titans in 1999, passed away on Monday at his Houston home from natural causes at age 90.

The Houston Oilers, with George Blanda at quarterback and Billy Cannon at halfback, won the first two AFL titles in 1960 and 1961 (in both years against the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers) before losing the 1962 title game in double overtime to the Dallas Texans, who moved to Kansas City the following year and became the Chiefs (they were owned by AFL founder----and fellow Texan Lamar Hunt).

During the mid-to-late 1970s, Mr. Adams' Oilers (by now in the National Football League) became perenial winners again, this time under (recently-deceased) head coach Bum Phillips.  In 1978 and 1979, the Oilers, who featured Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell, lost the American Football Conference championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers (who went on to win Super Bowls XIII and XIV).

The Oilers, with Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon at the helm, and coached by Jack Pardee, made the playoffs several times in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In 1997, after an unsuccessul attempt to get a new stadium built in Houston to replace the Astrodome, Bud moved the Oilers to Memphis, which was to be used as a temporary home until their new stadium in Nashville was completed.  Poor attendance at the Liberty Bowl Stadium forced the Tennessee Oilers to move to Music City one year earlier than planned, using Vanderbilt Stadium as their home until Adelphia Coliseum (now LP Field).  The Oilers were renamed the Titans in 1999.

It was during that season that the Titans, under head coach Jeff Fisher, made their magical run to what is still their only Super Bowl appearance, losing that contest in Atlanta in heartbreaking fashion to the St. Louis Rams.

With Bud's passing, Ralph Wilson, who has owned the Buffalo Bills from the beginning, is now the last remaining original AFL owner.

Niners Cruise Past Titans At Music City

At Nashville, Tennessee:

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for 199 yards and ran for another 68 (including a touchdown run of 20 yards) while Frank Gore added a pair of 1-yard TD runs on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers (5-2) picked up their fourth straight National Football League victory with a 31-17 road win over the Tennessee Titans (3-4).

Ducks (Ranked Third In First BCS Rankings) Still Ranked Second In Media, Coaches Polls; Beavers Continue To Gain Support In Both Rankings (Ranked #25 In BCS Standings)

After Saturday's home win over Washington State, the Oregon Ducks remained ranked #2 (behind Alabama) in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls that were released on Sunday.  In the first Bowl Championship Series rankings of the season, also released on Sunday, the Ducks are placed third, behind Alabama and Florida State.

The Ducks received three first-place votes in the AP poll, four in the Coaches' rankings.

The Oregon State Beavers, now riding a six-game winning streak after their Saturday beatdown of California in Berkeley, are ranked #25 in the BCS rankings while continuing to gain support in both polls.  They would be ranked #28 in the AP rankings, #27 in the Coaches' poll. 

Beavers Whack Cal Bears In Berkeley

At Berkeley, California:

Quarterback Sean Mannion completed 35 of 45 passes for 481 yards and four touchdowns while Brandin Cooks caught 13 passes for a career-high 232 yards and a TD as the visiting Oregon State Beavers (6-1 overall, 4-0 in Pac-12 play) buried the California Golden Bears (1-6, 0-4) 49-14 on Saturday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

Ducks Coast To Easy Win Over Visiting Cougs

At Eugene, Oregon:

Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns (and he ran 57 yards for another score) on Saturday night as the Oregon Ducks (#2 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 7-0 overall, 4-0 in Pac-12 play) coasted to a 62-38 home win over the Washington State Cougars (4-4, 2-3).

Timbers And RSL Battle To Scoreless Draw In Portland; Both Clubs In Playoffs

At Portland, Oregon:

In Saturday Major League Soccer action, both clubs had their chances at scoring, but in the end, the Portland Timbers, who earlier in the day clinched their first-ever MLS Cup playoff berth because of Seattle's fourth straight defeat (2-0 at FC Dallas), battled visiting Real Salt Lake to a 0-0 stalemate, enabling the guests to lock up their sixth consecutive postseason berth.

The Timbers, who still led the Western Conference standings as of Saturday night, will close out the regular season next Saturday night at Carson, California against Chivas USA (ROOT Sports Northwest, 7:30 PM, PDT).

RED SOX FINISH OFF TIGERS, WIN AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT; FACE CARDINALS IN WORLD SERIES FOR FOURTH TIME

At Boston:

Shane Victorino delivered a grand slam home run in the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox defeated the visiting Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Saturday night to win their 13th American League pennant four games to two.  The Red Sox will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth World Series encounter between the two clubs, with the Redbirds winning in seven games both in 1946 and 1967 and the BoSox sweeping St. Louis in 2004 for their first world title since 1918. The Sox have won their last eight World Series games (they swept the Colorado Rockies in 2007). The Series starts at Boston's Fenway Park this coming Wednesday.

Riders Dominate Visiting BC Lions, Will Host Playoff Game

At Regina, Saskatchewan:

Weston Dressler caught three passes for 107 yards and a touchdown while Kory Sheets carried the ball 23 times for 144 yards and another major score as the Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-5) assured themselves at least of hosting an upcoming Grey Cup playoff game with their third straight Canadian Football League triumph on Saturday, 35-14 at home over the British Columbia Lions (9-7).  The win prevented the Calgary Stampeders from clinching the Western Division regular-season title.

CARDINALS DEMOLISH DODGERS, WIN 19TH NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT

At St. Louis:

Michael Wacha put on another brilliant pitching performance (seven innings of two-hit, one-walk, five-strikeout shutout baseball) as he once again outpitched Clayton Kershaw while Carlos Beltran delivered an RBI single during a four-run third inning as the St. Louis Cardinals demolished the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 9-0 on Friday to win the National League Championship Series four games to two.  This marked the Cardinals' 19th National League pennant and they will gun for their second World Series title in three years as they open the Fall Classic this coming Wednesday at Boston or Detroit (the Red Sox have a chance to finish off the Tigers at home on Saturday in game six of the American League Championship Series).  The Cardinals have won two of their three previous World Series each against Boston and Detroit.

Bum Phillips, Formers Oilers and Saints Head Coach, R.I.P.

O.A. "Bum" Phillips, who coached the Houston Oilers to three NFL playoff appearances (1978-80, including the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games) and who later coached the New Orleans Saints, and who was the father of former Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips (now the defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans), passed away on Friday at his Goliad, Texas home at age 90.

American League Champions Series: Red Sox Hold Off Tigers In Detroit; Have Two Cracks To Wrap Up Pennant At Home

At Detroit:

Mike Napoli led off a three-run second inning with a home run as the Boston Red Sox took game five of the American League Championship Series on Thursday with a 4-3 road win over the Detroit Tigers.  The Red Sox, who now lead the series three games to two, can lock up their first American League pennant since 2007 with a win back home in Boston on Saturday.

American League Championship Series: Tigers Square Series With Red Sox At Two Games Apiece

At Detroit:

Austin Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk off Jake Peavy for the opening score of a five-run second inning on Wednesday as the Detroit Tigers built a big  lead, then held on for a 7-3 game-four victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox to square the American League Championship Series at two games apiece.  Torii Hunter had a two-run double and Miguel Cabrera drove in two more runs for the Tigers.

National League Championship Series: Two Homers For Adrian Gonzalez Keep Dodgers In Series, Which Moves Now To St. Louis

At Los Angeles:

Adrian Gonzalez homered twice on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers held off the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 to cut the visitors' lead in the National League Championship Series to three games to two.  The Cardinals can still lock up the National League pennant with a game-six win back home in St. Louis on Friday.

National League Championship Series: Cardinals Double Up Dodgers; One Win Away From World Series

At Los Angeles:

Matt Holliday and pinch-hitter Shane Robinson hit the first home runs of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday as the St. Louis Cardinals doubled-up the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on the road in game four for a three-games-to-one series lead.  The Cardinals can wrap up the National League title with a game-five win in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

American League Championship Series: Red Sox Blank Tigers In Detroit, Take Two-Games-To-One Lead

At Detroit:

John Lackey pitched 6 2/3 innings of four-hit, eight-strikeout baseball as he out-dueled Justin Verlander (eight hits and ten strikeouts in eight innings), while Mike Napoli hit a solo home run in the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox blanked the Detroit Tigers 1-0 on the road in game three of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday.  The Red Sox now lead the series two games to one.

Scott Carpenter, Original Mercury Astronaut, Second American To Orbit Earth, R.I.P.

Scott Carpenter, the Mercury astronaut who, in 1962, became the second American to orbit the Earth, passed away at a Denver hospice last Thursday at age 88.

Mr. Carpenter had recently suffered a stroke.

Three months after John Glenn (who is now the last survivor of the Original 7 Mercury astronauts) became the first American to orbit the Earth, Donald K. ("Deke") Slayton was set to the next astronaut in orbit but was grounded by an irregular heartbeat, thus Mr. Carpenter (a Naval lieutenant commander at the time) got the call  to go aboard Aurora 7.

National League Championship Series: Dodgers Turn Tables On Cardinals, Blank St. Louis At Home, Cut Series Deficit To 2-1

At Los Angeles:

Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven innings of three-hit ball as he outgunned Adam Wainwright while Adrian Gonzalez delivered an RBI double as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in game three of the National League Championship Series on Monday.  The Cardinals still lead the series two games to one.

American League Championship Series: Big Papi's Grand Slam Squares Game Two, Winning Run In Ninth Squares Series For BoSox At One Game Piece

At Boston:

David Ortiz hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game, then, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Boston Red Sox erased a five-run deficit at home and squared the American League Championship Series at one game apiece with their 6-5 game-two victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.

The series will resume in Detroit on Tuesday.

Timbers Blank Visiting Sounders 1-0, Take Over Top Spot In Western Conference; On Cusp Of Playoff Berth; Whitecaps Win Cascadia Cup

At Portland, Oregon:

In Sunday lone Major League Soccer contest, Kalif Alhassan scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute as the Portland Timbers took over top spot in the Western Conference by defeating the visiting, ten-man, Seattle Sounders 1-0 in a Cascadia Cup clash, enabling the Vancouver Whitecaps to win the coveted trophy for the first time since joining MLS in 2011.

The Timbers will play their final home game of the regular season this coming Saturday when they host Real Salt Lake.

Niners Top Cardinals For Third Straight Victory

At San Francisco:

Vernon Davis caught touchdown passes of 61 and 35 yards on a day in which he wound up with 180 receiving yards, a career high, as the San Francisco 49ers (4-2) defeated the visiting Arizona Cardinals (3-3) 32-20 in Sunday National Football League action.  Quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for 252 and Frank Gore ran for 101 yards on 25 carries.

Ducks Remain #2 In Both Polls; Beavers Get Support In AP Poll, Pick Up More In Coaches' Rankings

This post is subject to updating.

The Oregon Ducks, following their Saturday road win over Washington, remained ranked second (behind Alabama) in both the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls that were released on Sunday.  The Ducks had five first-place votes in the former, three in the latter.

After their fifth straight win, a blowout victory at Washington State, the Oregon State Beavers received some votes in the AP poll, where they would be ranked #31, while picking up more support in the Coaches' poll, where they would be ranked #30.

Beavers Bust Open Close Game, Smother Cougs On Road

At Pullman, Washington:

Sean Mannion threw for 493 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday night as the Oregon State Beavers (5-1 overall, 3-0 in Pac-12 play), who had trailed 24-17 in the third quarter, scored the last 35 points---28 of them in the fourth quarter----as they ended up manhandling the Washington State Cougars (4-3, 2-2) 52-24 on the road.

American League Champions Series: Five Pitchers Combine For One-Hit Shutout At Tigers Handcuff Red Sox In Series Opener

At Boston:

Five Pitchers----Anibal Sanchez (six innings of no-hit, six-walk, 12-strikeout ball who got the win), Al Albuquerque (one inning), Jose Varas (two batters in the eighth inning), Drew Smyly (one batter in the eight inning) and Joaquin Benoit, who got the save, combined for a one-hit (which came with one out in the ninth inning) shutout while Jhonny Peralta delivered an RBI single off Boston starter John Lester in the sixth inning for the only run of the game as the Detroit Tigers blanked the Red Sox 1-0 on the road in Saturday night's opening game of the American League Championship Series.

National League Championship Series: Michael Wacha Outduels Clayton Kershaw As Cardinals Take 2-0 Series Lead To LA

At St. Louis:

Michael Wacha pitched 6 2/3 innings of eight-strikeout shutout ball and John Jay's run-scoring fifth-inning sacrifice fly held up as the St. Louis Cardinals held off the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 on Saturday to take a two-games-to-none National League Championship Series lead.  The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw pitched six innings and surrendered only two hits and one walk but still was tagged with the loss.  The series resumes in Los Angeles on Monday.

Riders Hold Off Stubborn Eskimos At Home

At Regina, Saskatchewan:

Kory Sheets ran for 106 yards and scored a touchdown while the defense came through in the clutch on a goal-line stand on Saturday as the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-5) held off the Edmonton Eskimos (3-12) 14-9 at home in Canadian Football League action.

Ducks, Despite Being Held Under 50 Points, Still Too Powerful For Huskies In Seattle

At Seattle:

Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 366 touchdowns and three touchdowns and ran for an additional 88 yards and an additional TD as the #2 (both in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls) Oregon Ducks (6-0 overall, 3-0 in Pac-12 play), again minus the injured De'Anthony Thomas,  defeated the Washington Huskies (#16 AP, #19 Coaches; 4-2, 1-2) 45-24 on the road on Saturday.  It was the Ducks' tenth consecutive victory over the Huskies.

National League Championship Series: Carlos Beltran Delivers All Three Runs As Cards Top Dodgers In Series-Opening 13-Inning Thriller

At St. Louis:

Carlos Beltran  hit a two-run RBI double in the third inning, then delivered the game-winning single in the 13th as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in Friday's opening game of the National League Championship Series.

MLB Playoffs (American League Divisional Playoff Series) Justin Verlander Pitches Eight Shutout Innings As Tigers Oust A's To Get Shot At Red Sox

At Oakland:

Justin Verlander pitched eight shutout innings (retiring the first sixteen batters he faced), surrendering only two base hits and one walk while striking out ten as the Detroit Tigers blanked the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on the road Thursday night in game five of their American League divisional playoff series as the Tigers took the series three games to two to advance to the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, which opens at Boston's Fenway Park this coming Saturday.  Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, which turned out to be the game and series-winning hit.

Remember, Folks, Keep It Refrigerated!

1958 commercial for Imperial Margerine.

MLB Playoffs (National League Divisional Playoff Series): Adam Wainwright Handcuffs Bucs As Cards Win Deciding Game; Get Dodgers Next

At St. Louis:

Adam Wainwright pitched a complete game on Wednesday, scattering eight hits as the St. Louis Cardinals, who got two-run homers from David Freese and Matt Adams, dominated the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 in game five of their National League divisional playoff series, enabling the hosts to end the Pirates' magical season.  The Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opening game of the National League Championship Series on Friday.

MLB Playoffs (American League Divisional Playoff Series): Tigers Top Athletics To Force Game Five; Red Sox Finish Off Rays, Advance To ALCS

Both American League divisional playoff series continued on Tuesday.

At Detroit:

Pitcher Max Scherzer pitched out of a bases-loaded-with-nobody-out jam in the top half of the eighth inning (and got the win) while the Detroit Tigers scored twice in the seventh (on Victor Martinez's disputed home run) and three times in the eighth as they defeated the visiting Oakland Athletics 8-6 to deadlock their divisional playoff series at two games apiece, with the fifth and deciding game to be played in Oakland on Thursday.

At St. Petersburg, Florida:

Shane Victorino's single in the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie and Craig Breslow came up huge out of the bullpen as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on the road and won their divisional playoff series three games to one.  The Red Sox will open their first American League Championship Series since 2008 at home on Saturday against the winner of Thursday's divisional playoff series decider between Detroit and Oakland.

Another Entry From The WTF File

Are you kidding?

?

MLB Playoffs (American League Divisional Playoff Series): A's Take 2-1 Series Win After Victory In Detroit; Ninth-Inning Heroics Keep Rays Alive Against BoSox

Both American League divisional playoff series continued on Monday.

At Detroit:

The Oakland Athletics, powered by home runs from Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick, and Seth Smith, topped the Detroit Tigers 6-3 in their divisional playoff series as the visitors took a two-games-to-one lead.  The Athletics can close out the series with a game-four road win on Tuesday.

At St. Petersburg, Florida:

Jose Lobaton hit a solo home run with two out in the last half of the ninth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays staved off elimination by defeating the visiting Boston Red Sox 4-3 in game four of their divisional playoff series.  The Red Sox, who still lead the series two games to one, can still finish off the Rays in St. Petersburg with a game-four win on Tuesday.

MLB Playoffs (National League Divisional Playoff Series): Cards Handcuff Bucs' Bats, Force Game Five; Dodgers Finish Off Braves, Advance To First NLCS Since '09

Both National League divisional playoff series continued on Monday.

At Pittsburgh:

Pitcher Michael Wacha took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as he and relief pitching held the Pittsburgh Pirates to one base hit in the St. Louis Cardinals' 2-1 game-four road win, forcing the series back to St. Louis for the fifth and deciding game, which would be played on Wednesday.

At Los Angeles:

Juan Uribe hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to overcome the visiting Atlanta Braves 4-3 and win their divisional playoff series three games to one.  The Dodgers advanced to their first National League Championship Series since 2009.

Niners Smother Sagging Texans

At San Francisco:

Tramaine Brock intercepted Matt Schaub's first pass of the game and ran it back 18 yards for a touchdown as the San Francisco 49ers (3-2), with Colin Kaepernick throwing a 64-yard TD pass to Vernon Davis and Frank Gore running 17 times for 81 yards and another score, dominated the visiting Houston Texans (2-3) 34-3 in Sunday night National Football League action.

Timbers, Caps Battle To Wild 2-2 Cascadia Cup Draw In Vancouver

Camilo Sanvezzo scored twice during a two-minute span (76', 78') as the Vancouver Whitecaps came back to salvage a 2-2 Sunday Major League Soccer (and Cascadia Cup) home draw with the Portland Timbers.  Darlington Nagbe delivered Portland's first goal in the 41st minute while Will Johnson briefly put the Timbers back in front with his strike in the 77th minute-----------smack dab in between the two Camilo tallies.

The Timbers, who remained two points in back of Western Conference-leading Real Salt Lake, will host their arch-rivals, the Seattle Sounders next Sunday night at 6:00 PM (ESPN) in a nationally-televised Cascadia Cup clash.

MLB Playoffs (National League Divisional Playoff Series): Bucs, Dodgers One Way Away From NLCS

Both National League Divisional Playoff Series resumed on Sunday.

At Pittsburgh:

Pedro Alvarez delivered the tiebreaking single in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 in game three of their divisional playoff series, which they now lead two games to one.  The Pirates can advance to their fist National League Championship Series since 1992 with a game-four home win on Monday.

At Los Angeles:

Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer and Juan Uribe added a two-run shot as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the visiting Atlanta Braves 13-6 for a two-games-to-one divisional playoff series lead.  The Dodgers can finish off the Braves and advance to the National League Championship Series with a home win in game four on Monday.

Ducks Remain Second In Both Polls; Beavers Gain Support In Coaches' Poll

Following their road domination of Colorado, the Oregon Ducks remained ranked #2 in both the Associated Press (five first-place votes) and USA Today/Coaches (four first-place votes) polls that were released on Sunday.  Alabama, following their beatdown of Georgia State, still tops both polls.

Despite being idle, the Oregon State Beavers, riding a four-game winning streak, actually picked up some additional support in the coaches' poll, where they would be ranked tied for #32 with Rutgers.

No De'Anthony Thomas? No Problem As Ducks Buffalo Colorado At Boulder

At Boulder, Colorado:

Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 355 yards and five touchdown (and ran for two more) as the #2-rated (in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls) Oregon Ducks (5-0 overall, 2-0 in Pac-12 play), minus the injured De'Anthony Thomas, made hamburger out of the home-standing Colorado Buffaloes (2-2, 0-2) 57-16 on Saturday.

MLB Playoffs (American League Divisional Series): Big Papi Helps BoSox Take 2-0 Series Lead; A's Win In Bottom Of 9th Inning, Square Series With Tigers

Baseball's American League divisional playoff series continued on Saturday with two games.

At Boston:

David Ortiz hit two home runs as the Boston Red Sox defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 7-4.  The Red Sox, who now lead the series two games to none (the only series in this round not deadlocked at a game apiece) can finish off the Rays with a game-three victory on Monday in St. Petersburg, Florida.

At Oakland:

Stephen Vogt delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning while Sonny Gray pitched eight innings of four-hit, nine-strikeout baseball as the Oakland Athletics squared their divisional playoff series a one game apiece with a 1-0 home win over the Detroit Tigers, whose Justin Verlander pitched seven innings of four-hit, eleven-strikeout ball.

Riders Snap Losing Skid, Top BC Lions In Vancouver, Clinch Playoff Berth

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Quarterback Darian Durant threw for 234 yards and a touchdown while Kory Sheets ran for two other TDs as the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) snapped a four-game losing skid with a 31-17 road win over the British Columbia Lions (9-5) in Friday Canadian Football League action and locked up a berth in the Grey Cup Playoffs.

MLB Playoffs (American League Divisional Playoff Series): BoSox Destroy Visiting Rays; Tigers Seize Home-Field Advantage Against A's

Both American League best-of-five divisional playoff series opened on Friday.

At Boston:

John Lester pitched 7 2/3 innings of three-hit, three-walk baseball while Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in three runs as the Boston Red Sox demolished the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 12-2 in the opening contest of their divisional playoff series.

At Oakland:

Max Scherzer struck out eleven batters over seven innings of pitching as the Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the first inning, just enough to edge the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on the road in their divisional playoff series opener.

MLB Playoffs (National League Divisional Playoff Series): Pirate Club Cards In St. Louis, Square Series; Braves Square Series With Dodgers After Home Win

The National League's two divisional playoff series both continued on Friday.

At St. Louis:

Gerrit Cole pitched six innings of two-hit ball (and had a run batted in in his postseason debut) while Pedro Alvarez, who provided one of the few highlights in Thursday's defeat, hit a home run as the Pittsburgh Pirates squared their divisional playoff series at one game apiece (and grabbed home-field advantage) with their 7-1 game-two home whupping of the St. Louis Cardinals.

At Atlanta:

In his first postseason appearance, Mike Minor six strong innings while Jason Heyward delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning as the Atlanta Braves squared their divisional playoff series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at one game apiece with their 4-3 game-two home victory.

Buck 'Em!

Here's the March 15th, 1966 telecast of the syndicated Buck Owens Ranch Show, with Buck and his Buckaroos (including the legendary Don Rich), Tommy Collins, and Kay Adams.

MLB Playoffs: Cardinals, Dodgers Easily Grab NL Divisional Series Openers

Both National League baseball divisional playoff best-of-three series opened on Thursday.

At St. Louis:

Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer during a seven-run third inning as the St. Louis Cardinals demolished the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 in game one of their divisional playoff series.  Adam Wainwright pitched seven stingy innings for the Redbirds.

At Atlanta:

Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 batters while Adrian Gonzalez belted a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers seized home-field advantage in their divisional playoff series after their 6-1 game-one road win over the Atlanta Braves.

MLB Playoffs: Rays Handcuff Indians In Cleveland To Get Crack At Red Sox

At Cleveland:

Delmon Young hit a home run in the third inning, then Desmond Jennings delivered a two-run double with two outs in the fourth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the home-standing Cleveland Indians 4-0 on Wednesday in the American League Wild-Card game.  Starting with starter Alex Cobb, who pitched 6 2/3 innings, five Rays pitchers scattered nine hits in the combined shutout.

The Rays will now travel to Boston for Friday's opening game of a best-of-five divisional playoff series against the Red Sox.

Tom Clancy, Best-Selling Military Novelist, R.I.P.

Tom Clancy, a novelist best remembered for such military epics as 1984's "The Hunt For Red October," passed away on Tuesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore at age 66 after a brief illness.

Fun With Ed

Here's the July 26, 1932 NBC Network broadcast of The Fire Chief, which starred with Ed Wynn with sidekick and straight man Graham McNamee, Don Voorhees and the "Fire Chief Band" and the Fire Chief Double Quartet, as well as announcer Louie A. Witten.

MLB Playoffs: Pirates Handcuff Reds, Advance To Divisional Playoffs; Get Cardinals Next

At Pittsburgh:

Russell Martin hit two home runs while Francisco Liriano pitched seven strong innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates (in postseason play for the first time since 1992), defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-2 on Tuesday night in the National League Wild Card Game as the 2013 Major League Baseball Playoffs got under way.  Marlon Byrd got the scoring started for the Pirates in his first postseason at bat (after 1,250 regular-season games) with a solo home run in the second inning.

The Pirates will travel to St. Louis for Thursday's opening game of a best-of-five divisional playoff series with the Cardinals.