Giants even series with Reds
CINCINNATI, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-4 with three RBI Wednesday, powering San Francisco to a National League Division Series-evening 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.
Sandoval's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning extended the Giants' lead to 5-2 and he capped the scoring with a mammoth, two-run homer in the seventh as San Francisco forced a fifth and deciding game in the NLDS.
Angel Pagan also went deep and added a run-scoring double, while Gregor Blanco clubbed a two-run shot as the Giants banged out 11 hits in the victory.
Tim Lincecum (1-0) hurled 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball after coming in as a reliever to earn the win for the NL West champions, who took a second straight in Cincinnati after dropping the series' first two contests at home.
Mike Leake (0-1) -- who started in place of injured Reds ace Johnny Cueto -- was roughed up for five runs on six hits in a 4 1/3-inning effort.
Ryan Ludwick socked a solo homer for Cincinnati, which was backed into a winner-take-all contest Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
NHL, players resume talks in N.Y. meeting
NEW YORK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- NHL executives and representatives of the league's locked-out players resumed collective bargaining negotiations Wednesday as more game cancellations loomed.
Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met at league offices in New York with NHL Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr and Special Counsel Steve Fehr, NHL.com reported.
The two sides had previously indicated the meeting would address only "non-core" issues such as playing conditions and health matters.
They remained deadlocked on the main issue of the division of hockey-related revenue, with team owners seeking a rollback of the players' share in the first year of a new deal.
NHL officials last week canceled the league's regular-season games from Oct. 11-24. The season was to have started Thursday but officials have canceled a total of 82 games.
More cancellations would be necessary if no agreement is reached by the end of next week, the Toronto Star reported.
QB Griffin returns to Redskins practice
ASHBURN, Va., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who suffered a concussion in last week's game, returned to practice Wednesday saying he feels fine.
Griffin was knocked out of Sunday's loss to Atlanta when he took a hard hit from Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon as he scrambled down the sidelines during the third quarter.
The rookie signal-caller was diagnosed with a concussion and underwent a series of tests before returning to practice.
"Felt sharp, I felt good," Griffin said told reporters. "No symptoms of a concussion or anything like that. No dizziness or off balance or things of that nature. I felt good."
Griffin's status for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, however, remained uncertain.
"I'm still not cleared by any means for full contact," last year's Heisman Trophy winner admitted. "As a quarterback you don't get hit in practice so I can still go out and practice a little bit."
Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins would likely start for the Redskins if Griffin in unavailable.
Cedric Benson out eight weeks
GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers announced Wednesday they have made running back Cedric Benson ineligible to play for the next eight weeks.
Benson, who suffered a foot injury in his team's loss to Indianapolis last Sunday, was placed on the injured reserve, designated to return list.
Being placed in that category means a player may not practice for six weeks and cannot play for an eight-week period. The earliest he could compete in a game would be on Dec. 2 against Minnesota.
Benson had 71 carries in Green Bay's first eight games this season and gained 248 yards with one touchdown.
This is Benson's first year with the Packers, having spent three seasons with Chicago and four more with Cincinnati. He was a 1,000-yard rusher during each of the last three years.
