Philly.com Sports

Red Sox beat Angels 3-2, move on to ALCS

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:27:53 GMT

The Boston Red Sox brushed aside the 100-win Angels in four games, dismissing their best-in-baseball regular season as last month's news.

Rays top White Sox 6-2, advance to their 1st ALCS

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:13:25 GMT

B.J. Upton and these Tampa Bay Rays are headed home _ to get ready for the American League championship series. Worst in the majors last year, the Rays will play for a spot in the World Series after finishing off the Chicago White Sox 6-2 Monday in Game 4 of the AL playoffs. Ray-markable!

Rich Hofmann: Charlie Manuel out to earn title of "winner"

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:27:40 GMT

MILWAUKEE - "Close the door," Charlie Manuel said. We had walked into the visiting manager's office at Miller Park. It is like most of them - steel desk, black telephone, couple of chairs, impersonal, transient. Just outside in the Phillies' clubhouse, the raucous shrieking had ended. The sweet stink of sprayed champagne was pervasive but the shouting was done. An entire grinning franchise seemed as if it had plopped into a comfortable chair with a couple of beers, just enjoying the mellow.

Tanks, but no Tanks; Daniels gets one reprieve, not another

Michele Tranquilli — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:52:33 GMT

Tank Daniels got one reprieve. His second sin might have cost the Eagles the game.

Bob Ford: Pat Burrell finally has his day

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - Pat Burrell wasn't sure he would be in the lineup yesterday when the Phillies tried once again to close out the National League division series against the Brewers.

Phillies' Blanton validated by win

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - In anticipation of a major splash before the non-waiver trading deadline, disappointed Phillies fans received barely a ripple of excitement when Pat Gillick bypassed some of the bigger available names and acquired Joe Blanton from the Oakland Athletics on July 17.

Sam Donnellon: Myers, Blanton should shoulder Phillies' playoff load

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - Brett Myers. Joe Blanton. If you built a wish list before this National League Championship Series began, what would it contain? Hope Pat Burrell hits? Maybe. Hope Ryan Howard stays hot? Chase Utley? Shane Victorino? Yeah, maybe.

Week 5 quick hits

Michele Tranquilli — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:56:23 GMT

1. NFL'S best team: Sure looks like the Giants, who gained 523 yards against the Seahawks, normally a decent defensive team. All without suspended WR Plaxico Burress.

Sexual assault reported at the Linc after Eagles game.

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:50:17 GMT

Philadelphia police last night were investigating a report of a sexual assault outside Lincoln Financial Field after the Eagles game.

EAGLES TALKING POINTS

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

What we're talking about following the Eagles' loss to Washington: -- What happened to that all-world run defense? Eagles gave up 203 rushing yards to the Redskins, which is just 12 fewer than they gave up in their first four games combined.

John Smallwood: Season is getting late already for Eagles

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:28:07 GMT

IT STARTED OUT well for the Eagles - sort of like Jimmy Rollins hitting a leadoff home run for the Phillies.

Phil Sheridan: Phillies nucleus has own story to write

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - Now we know what it takes to make Chase Utley smile. The gritty second baseman's game face disintegrated in a flood of joy and champagne yesterday as the Phillies celebrated their first playoff series win since 1993. It was a smile of accomplishment and of happiness, but also relief, as this group of Phillies shrugged off the weight of the franchise's mostly unhappy history to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers in four games.

Phillies NLCS schedule

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:45:48 GMT

Gonzo: Phillies put fans through wringer

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Whew. Feel better? I bet you do. And you should. Because things got a little tense there for a moment. The skies had become unexpectedly gray and cloudy before yesterday's Game 4 of the National League division series. The Phils' bats had gone quiet, and Jamie Moyer turned in a clunker the night before, and that's pretty much all you need to change the mood in Philly from sunny to overcast.

Phils fans aren't green with envy

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:47:59 GMT

WEEK IN, WEEK OUT, Ben Vargas and Ramon Hernandez gather at the Halftimes Goodtimes bar in North Philadelphia. They like them some Phillies.

A fine day to be a Phillies fan

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:47:59 GMT

FOR SOME Phillies fans, age ain't nothing but a number. Theresa Foresta and Irene Brunetto - both 80, both lifelong South Philly residents - made their way to Broad and Shunk streets, where a crowd of Phillies fans emerged shortly after 4 p.m. to celebrate yesterday's victory in Milwaukee.

Paul Hagen: Burrell rewards manager Manuel with two homers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - Nobody on the Phillies' roster has put in more hard time. Nobody's future with the organization has the potential to be shorter.

Phillies Notes: A noisy Bank awaits Dodgers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - The Phillies had heard plenty about the noise they should expect in Games 3 and 4 of the National League division series at Miller Park.

Phillies Notebook: Rollins still has chance at "prediction" of 100 Phillies' wins

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - Jimmy Rollins knows how the game works. He knew it last year when he casually labeled the Phillies "the team to beat" in the National League East. And he knew it this year, when he let it slip to reporters that he thought the Phillies would "probably" win 100 games.

Bill Conlin: Watching Phillies, Eagles games didn't go exactly according to plan

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

THEY WERE good plans, mine and Andy Reid's. The Eagles would throw Jim Johnson's latest blitz packages at gifted but still inexperienced Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell and stuff the run. Donovan McNabb and back-in-the-saddle Brian Westbrook would establish order and control. The Eagles would win a low-scoring game from the team that shocked the Cowboys at home last Sunday, restoring a semblance of order to an NFC East that found the Eagles running fourth once more.

You Talking to Me? Philly awaits the Dodgers; Milwaukee gets a 7-10 split

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

From: Gonzalez, John To: Ford, Bob; Sheridan, Phil Subject: Phils What a fine day. There are a lot of people on television right now talking about how hot the Dodgers are, but I like the Phils' chances in the NLCS. They hardly played their best ball against the Brewers, and they still managed to win the series. Imagine how things might turn out if they could be just a touch more consistent with their bats.

Eagles seem delusional in loss to Redskins

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:34 GMT

HEY, 2007 CALLED. It wants its Eagles back. Here we go again. All the traits that led to last season's frustrating last-place finish in the NFC East staged a little reunion yesterday at Lincoln Financial Field, adding a nostalgic touch to the Eagles' 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins.

The Inquirer TOP 10

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Football Team Record Last week's rank in parentheses. 1. North Penn (1) 6-0 2. Malvern Prep (2) 3-0

Sports in Brief: Stewart ends slump with win in Talladega

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Tony Stewart snapped his 43-race winless streak yesterday at Talladega Superspeedway, getting the victory when NASCAR ruled Regan Smith drove below the yellow out-of-bounds line to get by Stewart on the final lap at the Alabama track.

Manning leads Giants' rout

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It may be too early to call the New York Giants this season's version of the 2007 New England Patriots, but after their dominating performance yesterday, the comparisons are sure to come.

Broncos bounce Griese out

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

DENVER - The high-flying Denver Broncos finally discovered a defense, generating a pass rush that sent Brian Griese to the sideline with an injured throwing shoulder and yet another bad memory of this mile-high city.

Cowboys recover to defeat Bengals

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

IRVING, Texas - When the pass went through Miles Austin's hands at the 1 and into Patrick Crayton's hands in the end zone, everyone on the Dallas Cowboys was smiling and laughing.

Eagles knocked down by Redskins

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Now the Eagles are standing on a fault line. There is no way of knowing if the Earth is going to open beneath them and swallow them whole or if they'll still have some nice beachfront property three months from now in their posh NFC East community.

USA Today Top 25

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

The top 25 teams in the USA Today college football coaches' poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Logue leads North Catholic over Archbishop Carroll

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

It's not your imagination. Someone named Logue has been playing quarterback for North Catholic High these past four football seasons.

High Schools - George Washington QB Wilmer takes command in win over Northeast

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

The best thing about being The Youngest Football-Crazed Brother is having good role models to follow. That also might be the worst thing. They know they have helped to mold you, and they're never quite finished.

Ashley Fox: Jim Zorn wins the coaching battle

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Andy Reid said it, as he so often does. "I have to get our guys into better positions to make plays, and when they are in those positions, we have to make sure that [plays] get made," Reid said minutes after the Eagles lost to the Washington Redskins, 23-17.

MAKING OUR GRADES

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Paul Domowitch's report card on the Eagles-Redskins game: RUSHING OFFENSE Eagles rushed for 36 yards on their first two possessions, but just 22 on their next seven. Brian Westbrook averaged just 2.8 yards per carry and got stuffed on that crucial third-and-1 in the fourth quarter. Only thing that worked were those end-arounds.

Paul Domowitch: Between the Tackles

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

It's a matter of different styles. Ask Andy Reid to explain what went wrong with an Eagles offense that managed to collect just five first downs and 135 net yards in the final three quarters of an ugly 23-17 loss to the Redskins and he goes into his familiar name-rank-and-serial-number mode where he takes the blame for everything, from that failed third-and-one in the fourth quarter to the chickenpox Donovan McNabb had when he was in second grade.

Ed Moran: Flyers ready to start regular season

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

THERE ARE not a lot of questions left. Jim Dowd and Bryan Berard have been released, Claude Giroux was assigned to the Phantoms, and Luca Sbisa was signed to a rookie contract that will allow the Flyers to keep him into the start of the regular season.

McKie eager to take on coaching role with Sixers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:55:50 GMT

STATE COLLEGE - Aaron McKie knew he had a coaching career ahead of him, but he spent an unsettling summer wondering how long he might have to wait.

Mike Kern: College Football Wrap

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND National Terrelle Pryor, in his first of many big games, ran 11 yards with just over a minute to go for the touchdown that gave Ohio State a 20-17 win at Wisconsin.

Eagles Notebook: Something's amiss with Eagles kicker Akers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

The answers weren't any more illuminating a week later. Again, Andy Reid sent David Akers out to try a 50-yard field goal. Again, Akers missed wide right and the other team used the short field to its advantage in a scoring drive.

Eagles hurting without healthy Westbrook

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

The Porsche already was running on the doughnut spare. Then he got his fender dented. Brian Westbrook returned to the Eagles' backfield and was wonderful . . . until he got hurt again.

Eagles aftermath

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

UP NEXT Who: Eagles (2-3) at San Francisco (2-3) When: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. Where: Candlestick Park TV: Fox Radio: WYSP (94.1-FM), WIP (610-AM)

NLCS tickets prices at Citizens Bank Park sure to increase

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Expect the price for tickets to the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park, at least on the secondary market, to jump more than 50 percent from their average for the previous series.

Best of times, worst of times for Phillies, Eagles fans

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

WITH TWO teams in must-win situations, which one was on your tube more often yesterday? The Eagles' offensive collapse most likely dictated which game was on TVs throughout the Phillly area as the afternoon wore on. But it wasn't always like that.

Brooms likely to stay in closet for NLCS

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - The Phillies lost four straight at Dodger Stadium in the middle of August. "They swept us in their place when they were hot," said Brad Lidge.

Phillies bats power NLDS victory over Brewers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE - What does a moment sound like? It sounds like this: a crowd of 40,000 plus, standing on its feet, hooting and hollering and screaming and yelling and banging together two inflatable plastic cylinders, the brainchild of some sadistic marketing

Morning report: Phils sky-high, Eagles in dumps

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:50:17 GMT

Before we get to all the second-guessing and negativity, let's stop for a moment to reflect on the emotional stakes percolating through America's flightiest sports town around noon yesterday.

Skins' run game carves up Birds' D

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

There's an airline commercial in which people are shown doing embarrassing things. There's a pause, then a voice asks: "Want to get away?"

Eagles Notes: Eagles' Akers endures another miss

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

It was long enough, but no good. That has become the ongoing story for Eagles kicker David Akers every time he attempts a field goal of 45 yards or more.

Redskins' trick play was a treat

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

So much for the unharnessed unpredictability that's supposed to be the trademark of the Eagles' defense. Yesterday at the Linc, that group set itself up perfectly - for a Washington Redskins trick play, a reverse coupled with a tight-end delay that gave the Skins the lead.

Josh Hull silences critics with big game

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - If Josh Hull wasn't reacting to the critics, it at least appeared that way. A week after perhaps his worst game (and the subsequent criticism in the aftermath), the Penn State linebacker had the best outing of his career. Hull notched a team-high 11 tackles, all solo, as the Nittany Lions shut down Purdue, 20-6, Saturday.

Manny Ramirez: We can do it again

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES - During the Los Angeles Dodgers' wild champagne celebration, a dripping Manny Ramirez had a message for future postseason opponents.