Texas at Oakland in winner take all

Tuesday, the Oakland A’s beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 and after 161 games, it’s all tied up in the AL West. Today, the Rangers and A’s will play a winner takes all game in Oakland ….. the winner being division champ, the loser relegated the one-game win or go home wild card matchup. Texas will send Ryan Dempster (12-8, 3.81) to the mound to face Oakland’s AJ Griffin (7-1, 2.81). As of 11:00 AM EST there is no line or total on the 3:35 PM EST start.

Cabrera closing in on the Triple Crown

Tuesday, Miguel Cabrera went two-for-three in the Tigers 4-2 loss at Kansas City giving a virtual stranglehold on baseball’s first Triple Crown since 1967. Cabrera leads in all three Triple Crown categories with a .329 average, 44 home runs, and 137 RBIs. Average and RBIs are pretty much a done deal but Josh Hamilton trails Cabrera by just one homer. If Hamilton should go yard and the two are tied, Cabrera would still win the Triple Crown. Hamilton’s game at Oakland will be long over before Cabrera’s season finale at Kansas City starts so it remains to be seen whether Cabrera will play or sit vs the Royals.

Yanks and O’s win, Bombers still lead by a game

The Yankees and the Orioles both won last night as the Bronx Bombers remained one game ahead of the Orioles in the AL East. Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 1-0 as Miguel Gonzalez outdueled James Shields. Chrid Davis homered for the fifth straight game for the Birds. Raul Ibanez had a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and also got the game winner in the 12th as New York beat Boston 4-3. It was the first time all year (0-58) that the Yankees cam back to win after trailing going into the ninth inning.

Cards lock up last wildcard with Dodger loss

St Louis locked up the final National League wild card spot by virtue of the Dodgers 4-3 loss to San Francisco. The Cardinals had dropped a 3-1 decision to Cincinnati earlier on Tuesday. St Louis will now travel to Atlanta for a Friday 0ne-game win or go home wild card showdown with the Braves.

NFL Football News and Notes

It looks like the Jets have lost Santonio Holmes for the season with a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. The injury generally occurs mid-foot when one or all of the metatarsal bones are displaced from the tarsus. The injury is generally treated with casting for a minimum of six weeks or by surgery where screws are inserted and generally left in for a minimum of 12 weeks. Jet doctors are comparing notes and Holmes will likely learn the course of treatment today.

College Football News and Notes

Mike McQueary, the Penn State graduate assistant the reported seeing Jerry Sandusky showering with a young boy on campus to Joe Paterno, is suing the school for defamation and misrepresentation. Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, some on campus. He remains jailed awaiting sentencing next week.

McQueary’s whistle-blower lawsuit claims his treatment by the university since Sandusky was arrested in November has caused him distress, anxiety, humiliation and embarrassment. The complaint, filed in county court near State College, where the university is based, seeks millions of dollars in damages.

Dwight Howard completes first practice with the Lakers

The Lakers opened training camp in El Segundo, California yesterday with Dwight Howard participating in all offensive and defensive drills. Howard participated in dummy drills (five-on-nobody) plus light contact 3-on-3, 2-on-2 and 1-on-1 exercises. Howard stated after practice that he was hopeful that he would see some action in the Laker’s preseason opener on Sunday.

…. said Howard

“Hopefully I’ll be back for some preseason games,” Howard said. “I think I’m going to need it to get the chemistry and all that. But like I said, I’m not going to rush it.”

NHL lockout talks go nowhere

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