Yankees survive to play another day
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees still have a chance, baseball's winningest team is in trouble and there will be a showdown in the National League tonight.
There was plenty of playoff baseball drama provided Saturday, but much more should be in store today as all three of the division series still in action could come to an end. At least one is certain to do so.
The New York Yankees, trying to win a fourth consecutive championship the hard way, will attempt to fight off elimination again in Oakland. New York defeated Oakland Saturday night, 1-0, thanks to a Jorge Posada homer, outstanding pitching from Mike Mussina and Mariano Riviera and an outstanding defensive play by Derek Jeter. Oakland still leads the series, however, 2-1.
In Cleveland, the Indians shocked the Seattle Mariners, 17-2. The Indians own a 2-1 advantage and a victory today will eliminate the team that shares the record for the most wins ever in a single season.
And in St. Louis, after a rain delay of three and a half hours, the Cardinals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1.
That sets up a fifth and final game in their series tonight in Phoenix.
New York is trying to do something no team in baseball history has achieved -- lose the first two games of a five-game series at home and then come back to win the next three.
Orlando Hernandez will go to the mound for the Yankees today while Cory Lidle will pitch for Oakland.
The only two hits New York managed Saturday night came back-to-back with one out in the fifth off Oakland's Barry Zito.
On a 1-0 pitch, Posada launched a home run to left. Shane Spencer followed that blast with a double, but he was stranded at second base.
That turned out to be enough for Mussina and Riviera, who combined to allow six hits.
The play of the game, however, came in the seventh.
With Jeremy Giambi on first and two out, Terrence Long lined a shot down the right-field. The slow-footed Giambi, who was running on contact, was waved home as right fielder Shane Spencer frantically dug the ball out of the corner and launched it toward the infield.
The throw had far too much on it, however, and sailed over the head of both cutoff men -- second baseman Alfonso Soriano, who was stationed on the outfield grass, and first baseman Tino Martinez, who was near the first base bag.
Giambi seemed certain to score, but Jeter came racing across the infield from his shortstop position, grabbed the ball cleanly on a bounce and, with his momentum carrying him in the wrong direction to throw the ball in a normal fashion, backhanded it about 25 feet toward Posada as the New York catcher guarded the plate.
The ball arrived just as Giambi was taking his last stride toward the plate and Posada's swipe tag caught the inside of Giambi's right leg an instant before his right foot touched home.
Home runs from Jim Edmonds and Fernando Vina and a near-perfect job by the St. Louis bullpen carried the Cardinals to their victory. Curt Schilling will pitch tonight for the Diamondbacks, hoping he can repeat his victory in the opening game of the series.
Tonight's winner will take on Atlanta in a seven-game series beginning next Tuesday to determine the National League title and a berth in the World Series.
Omar Visquel ignited Cleveland's offense with three hits and three RBI in the first three innings alone in the Indians' smashing of the Mariners. Cleveland pounded out 19 hits, nine of them coming off reliever Paul Abbott. He was left in to absorb the punishment as Seattle manager Lou Piniella appeared to surrender early in the contest. Vizquel led the way with six RBI
Indians starter C.C. Sabathia, meanwhile, worked his way out of a first-inning jam to go innings. He gave up two runs, but after the first two Mariners had hits in the opening inning, they managed just one more hit until the seventh.
Miami proves it is No. 1
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Top Miami Hurricanes reign as the No. 1 team in Florida and by the time the season is over, they might be No. 1 in all of college football.
That is where the Hurricanes are currently ranked and they upheld that reputation Saturday by ending Florida State's decade of home domination. Ken Dorsey threw three touchdown passes and the Hurricanes scored twice on special teams and once on defense in a 49-27 blasting of the No. 13 Seminoles.
The Hurricanes scored 28 points in the third quarter to end a 37-game winning streak and a 54-unbeaten streak for Florida State on its home field. Miami, which owns the NCAA record with 58 straight home wins, had been the last team to win at Doak Campbell Stadium in 1991.
No. 2 Florida, meanwhile, saw its national title hopes suffer a significant blow Saturday night when Damon Duval kicked a 44-yard field goal in the rain with 10 seconds remaining to give Auburn a stunning 23-20 victory.
Lining up in a downpour that started during Auburn's final possession, Duval got off a strong kick that started at the right upright before hooking through the middle of the posts with distance to spare.
Two Big 12 teams should move up to the second and third positions in next week's ratings.
No. 3 Oklahoma downed Kansas, 38-10, and No. 4 Baylor finally got going after a slow start to whip Baylor, 48-7.
Elsewhere among the top-ranked teams in the country, No. 5 Virginia Tech defeated Boston College, 34-20, No. 6 Oregon pounded California, 48-7; and No. 7 UCLA enjoyed a surprisingly easy 35-13 victory over No. 8 Washington.
Other than Florida's loss, the big surprises came when No. 9 South Carolina fell to Arkansas, 10-7; and Troy State shocked Mississippi State, 21-9.
Rams try to stay unbeaten
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The New York Giants and the St. Louis Rams meet for the third straight year today and the Giants will have more to prove than the unbeaten Rams.
The other marquee matchup on the NFL calendar features three-time MVP Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers hosting the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
Without stars Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk, the Rams posted a 38-24 victory at Giants Stadium last November. Trent Green, who was traded in the offseason, stepped in for Warner, throwing for four touchdowns and running for another score.
In St. Louis' Super Bowl season two years ago, the Rams rolled to a 31-10 victory over the Giants. Warner passed for 319 yards and two scores while the Rams intercepted Kerry Collins twice, returning both for touchdowns.
On their road to the Super Bowl last year, the Giants did not have to go through the Rams, who were beaten in the wild card round by New Orleans, 31-28.
Known as "The Greatest Show on Earth" because of their offensive prowess with Warner, Faulk, and a talented stable of receivers, the Rams also have grabbed attention with their revamped defense.
The Rams have allowed just 53 points through four games after yielding a league-worst 471 points last season.
Favre is in MVP form this season for the Packers (3-1), who are hoping to return to Super Bowl glory. What better team to test the Packers than the Ravens (3-1), who again are intimidating teams with their defense.
In the rest of the NFL schedule, it will be San Francisco at Atlanta, New Orleans at Carolina, Arizona at Chicago, Cleveland at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at Kansas City, Detroit at Minnesota, San Diego at New England, Tampa Bay at Tennessee, Miami at the New York Jets, Denver at Seattle and Oakland at Indianapolis.
Red Wings hand Islanders first loss
UNIONDALE, N.Y., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Luc Robitaille got the equalizer with 10 seconds left in regulation and Steve Yzerman scored his second goal of the game 2:22 into overtime Saturday night as the Detroit Red Wings handed the New York Islanders their first loss of the season, 5-4.
Returning from an historic 4-0 season-opening road trip and playing before a rousing crowd, the Islanders took a 4-3 lead with 3:59 left in the third period on Oleg Kvasha's second goal of the night.
But Detroit pulled goaltender Manny Legace for a sixth attacker in the final minute and forced overtime on Robitaille's second goal of the season.
Yzerman took a shot from the right point that was stopped by goalie Chris Osgood. Robitaille got away from his check in tight on the left side and pushed the puck by the former Red Wing to force overtime.
Defenseman Roman Hamrlik had a spectacular chance to send the near-sellout crowd home happy when he got to a rebound alone in the slot. But he shot into Legace's chest and Detroit counterattacked two on none.
It developed into a three on one and Yzerman finished the three-way passing play by taking a quick feed from Brett Hull and waiting patiently before wristing a shot by a helpless Osgood for his third goal of the season.
Other NHL results: Carolina 5, Atlanta 2; Montreal 3, New Jersey 1; New York Rangers 2, Ottawa 2; St. Louis 5, Toronto 2; Philadelphia 5, Florida 2; Calgary 4, Dallas 3 in overtime; Edmonton 4, Nashville 3; Phoenix 5, Washington 2; Vancouver 4, Colorado 0; San Jose 3, Boston 2; Tampa Bay 1, Los Angeles 0.
Jordan scores 18 in second game of comeback
MIAMI, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Michael Jordan scored 18 points in the first quarter before sitting down for good Saturday night and the Washington Wizards rode the momentum to a 99-79 exhibition victory over the Miami Heat.
Starting at guard instead of small forward and working against the inexperienced Mike James and Ricky Davis, Jordan made seven of 10 shots and four of four free throws, showcasing many of the skills some might have thought had disappeared during his three-year hiatus.
Jordan even flashed his trademark wagging tongue as he beat both Davis and defensive demon Alonzo Mourning with a devastating baseline move, only to see the ball rim out.
After helping Washington open a 33-21 lead after one quarter, Jordan sat the rest of the game. As chants of "We want Mike" rang through American Airlines Arena, the Wizards never looked back.
Other NBA exhibition results: New York 98, Philadelphia 67; New Jersey 98, Cleveland 86; Houston 98, Detroit 85; San Antonio 124, Boston 78; Chicago 86, Indiana 81.
McCarron leads by three after four rounds
LAS VEGAS, Nev., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Scott McCarron fired a bogey-free, 9-under-par 63 Saturday, grabbed a three-stroke lead after four rounds of the 90-hole marathon and positioned himself for a spot in the season-ending Tour Championship.
One of 11 players who navigated the TPC at Summerlin without a bogey Saturday, McCarron established a 72-hole tournament record at 26-under 261. He has gone 58 holes without a bogey after compiling a 74-hole streak earlier this season.
The top 30 players on the PGA Tour money list earn spots in the lucrative Tour Championship. McCarron arrived here in 34th place with $1,396,178. First prize is $810,000.
Former PGA Player of the Year Tom Lehman was second at 23-under 264, following a 72 with a 67 to finish the day where he started it.
Bob Estes shot a 68 for his 16th consecutive round in the 60s and was tied for third at 21-under with South Africa's Rory Sabbatini and third-round leader Craig Parry of Australia.
Tyson wins in unimpressive fashion
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A more sculpted Mike Tyson did not result in a more efficient one Saturday night, but the former undisputed heavyweight champion did enough to stop local favorite Brian Nielsen after six rounds at Parken Stadium.
Continuing his quest for another shot at the world title, a heavier and thicker Tyson was anything but impressive, failing to knock down the fringe contender.
Tyson (49-3, 43 KOs, 2 no-contests) was returning to the ring for the first time in nearly a year and fighting in Europe for the third time in his last four bouts.
The 35-year-old Tyson is ranked in the top 10 by all three major sanctioning bodies and is the WBC's top-ranked contender. But this effort likely did little to enhance the public's desire to see him fight again in the United States.
A 1992 Olympic bronze medalist, Nielsen fell to 62-2.
