Angels win World Series
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A three-run double by Garret Anderson and clutch pitching worthy of the final game of the baseball season carried Anaheim to a 4-1, Game 7 victory over the San Francisco Giants Sunday night and to the Angels first World Series championship in the franchise's 42-year history.
John Lackey became the first rookie pitcher to win the seventh game of a World Series since 1909, upholding the faith of Manager Mike Scioscia by allowing one run on four hits over five innings.
Brendan Donnelly, Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival then blanked the Giants the rest of the way to nail down an unlikely title for the team that finished second in the American League West behind the Oakland Athletics.
The Giants, who were seeking their first World Series title since 1954, were within reach of the championship Saturday night when they took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. But Anaheim staged a remarkable rally to pull out a 6-5 victory and the Angels came from behind again in the decisive game Sunday night.
Troy Glaus, who drove in the tying and go-ahead runs in Saturday night's comeback victory, was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series as the voters ignored the magnificent performance in a losing effort by Barry Bonds.
Glaus had three home runs, eight RBI, 10 hits and 22 total bases in the series.
Bonds, baseball's all-time single season home run record holder who was playing in his first World Series, went eight for 17 in the seven games with four home runs and 13 walks. There had been a sentiment on both sides that win or lose, Bonds would be the logical choice for the MVP award.
Bonds reached base twice Sunday night on an infield single and a walk, but the bases were empty all four times he came to the plate.
Emmitt Smith breaks Payton's rushing record
IRVING, Texas (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their rebound Sunday and the San Francisco 49ers fought off a challenge by the Arizona Cardinals.
The eighth week of the NFL schedule, however, was all about history.
Displaying the kind of skills that earned him rushing titles, Super Bowl rings and MVP honors, Emmitt Smith surpassed the late Walter Payton as the league's all-time rushing leader.
The record-setting performance came in a loss as Seattle's Rian Lindell kicked a 20-yard field goal with 25 seconds left to give the Seahawks a 17-14 decision over the Cowboys.
That mattered little to the crowd at Texas Stadium, which stayed around for a post-game ceremony in which former teammates, Payton's brother and franchise owner Jerry Jones paid tribute to Smith.
A banner was lowered from the rafters of the stadium, reading: "NFL All-Time Leading Rusher, 22, Emmitt Smith."
Smith came into the game needing 93 yards to surpass Payton's career total of 16,726, which he compiled in 13 years with the Chicago Bears.
After a quick start with 55 yards in the first period, Smith and the entire team struggled through the middle portion of the game. But he came through with the record-breaking run in the fourth quarter, gaining 11 yards to surpass the record by two. Smith lost a yard on his next carry, but then ripped off a 14-yard gain.
Smith went on to score a one-yard touchdown that made it 14-14. It was his 150th rushing touchdown and his 109 yards on 24 carries gave him the 75th 100-yard performance of his career. He needs two more to tie Payton's record in that department.
The Seattle-Dallas game was eventful in other respects as Seahawks' receiver Darrell Jackson suffered a seizure in the locker room after sustaining a concussion during the contest and Seattle quarterback Trent Dilfer tore an Achilles tendon that brought his season to an end.
Jackson was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition and was expected to remain at least overnight.
The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, rode the hot arm of Jeff Garcia to a 38-28 victory in an early showdown for the NFC West lead with the Cardinals.
Garcia threw two of his four touchdown passes to Terrell Owens as the 49ers built a 31-7 lead. San Francisco improved to 5-2 to take a one-game lead over the Cardinals. That lead, however, pales in comparison to that of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. Green Bay has the week off, but its advantage improved to four full games when both Chicago and Detroit lost Sunday.
Pittsburgh struggled to open the season, but the Steelers have come all the way back to move in front in the AFC North. Tommy Maddox passed for 154 yards in the first half Sunday, including touchdowns of 20 and nine yards to Plaxico Burress, as the Steelers coasted to a 31-18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The win was the fourth in five games for the Steelers (4-3), who have recovered from an 0-2 start.
Other NFL results: Atlanta 37, New Orleans 35; Tennessee 30, Cincinnati 24; Kansas City 20, Oakland 10; Minnesota 25, Chicago 7; Tampa Bay 12, Carolina 9; Cleveland 24, New York Jets 21; Denver 24, New England 16; Buffalo 24, Detroit 17; Houston 21, Jacksonville 19; Washington 26, Indianapolis 21.
Minnesota rallies to tie Colorado
DENVER, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Dwayne Roloson made a season-high 42 saves and Antti Laaksonen scored the tying goal with 5:10 remaining in the third period Sunday night as the Minnesota Wild rallied for a 3-3 draw with the Colorado Avalanche.
Minnesota had lost each of its first five previous trips to Colorado and appeared headed in the same direction in this one. But Laaksonen tied the game, putting in a rebound past goaltender Patrick Roy.
After Willie Mitchell's slap shot hit the left goalpost, Laaksonen breezed past several defenders and caught Roy out of position.
Laaksonen's tally came just over three minutes after Pascal Dupuis converted a breakaway, cutting Colorado's lead to 3-2.
Other NHL results: Columbus 5, Los Angeles 1; Chicago 3, San Jose 2.
Watson wins first tournament of 2002
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- On another cold day at Gaillardia Golf and Country Club, Tom Watson broke through for his first title of the year Sunday, shooting a 5-under-par 67 for a two-stroke victory at the season-ending Senior Tour Championship.
Watson had a share of the lead with Oklahoma native Gil Morgan entering the final round but enjoyed a bogey-free day and earned his first victory in 14 starts on the Senior Tour this season.
Watson had some heartbreaking runner-up finishes this season. Of the five, two came by one stroke and two others in a playoff.
It was a two-man tournament. Bob Gilder, who shared the tour lead with Hale Irwin with four wins this season, was third at 9-under 279. Irwin was fourth at 281, good enough to become the first $3 million man in Senior Tour history.
In Pine Mountain, Ga., rookie Jonathan Byrd came from nowhere to claim his first PGA Tour victory, shooting a career-low, 9-under-par 63 for a one-stroke victory over David Toms at the Buick Challenge.
The 24-year-old Byrd had two eagles on the back nine and six birdies. There have been a record 17 first-time winners on the PGA Tour this season.
Busch wins second straight NASCAR race
HAMPTON, Ga., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Kurt Busch survived a very long and uncertain day at Atlanta Motor Speedway by winning Sunday's rain-shortened NASCAR NAPA 500 for his second straight victory.
After 25 laps, the race was delayed by rain for nearly 2 1/2 hours. With heavy rain on its way, Busch's Ford Taurus was first off pit road on lap 232, followed by Winston Cup points leader Tony Stewart in a Pontiac Grand Prix.
The green flag waved on lap 238, but three laps later, it again began to rain, bringing the 325-lap race to an official finish on lap 248.
Busch led a race-high 84 laps en route to his third career victory, all this season. He won last Sunday's Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway and backed it up with this triumph at the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Joe Nemechek was second in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, followed by Dale Jarrett, Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Stevenson denied first WTA Tour title
LINZ, Austria, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Fourth seed Justine Henin ended unseeded American Alexandra Stevenson's hopes for her first career WTA Tour title Sunday by winning the Generali Ladies Linz.
Henin easily handled Stevenson, 6-3, 6-0, in just under an hour to capture her second title of the year and sixth of her career.
The 20-year-old Belgian, who took home the first prize of $90,000, had not won a title since Berlin in May. She has been runner-up four other times during the season, losing either to Venus or Serena Williams in each time.
Henin, who will be ranked at a career-high No. 4 when the list is released Monday, has two weeks off before playing at the season-ending event in Los Angeles.
