The Daily Fives For October 20th, 2010 From The Sports Mac

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

 

1.  The Rangers take a commanding lead in the American League Championship Series after another impressive offensive performance at Yankee Stadium.

2.  The Giants take the lead in the National League Championship Series behind a strong pitching performance from Matt Cain, and some timely hitting by the lineup.

3.  The NFL announces that starting with this week’s games that players will be suspended for any violent hits committed on the field.

4.  Three out of four road teams win games in the National Hockey League, including Boston in Washington and Carolina in San Jose.

5.  Mike Quade has the interim tag lifted and singed a two-year deal to remain manager of the Chicago Cubs.

 

Top Five Games From Yesterday

 

1.  Giants 3, Phillies 0: San Francisco gets seven strong innings from Matt Cain and manufactured three runs to take the lead in the National League Championship Series.

2.  Flames 1, Predators 0, overtime: Rene Bourque scored the only goal of the game two minutes into the extra session to give Calgary the victory.

3.  Bruins 3, Capitals 1: Boston scored twice in the first period and then added one in the third to get a good road win at Washington

4.  Hurricanes 5, Sharks 2: Carolina gets its first win on North American soil as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and added two more in the third to cruise to the win.

5.  Wild 6, Canucks 2: Minnesota blitzed Vancouver for all six of their goals in the first two periods in an easy home victory.

 

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

 

1.  Matt Cain, Giants SP: Zero runs on two hits with five K’s in seven IP in San Francisco’s 3-0 NLCS Game 2 win over Philadelphia.

2.  Miikka Kiprusoff, Flames G: 34 saves and the shutout in Calgary’s 1-0 overtime win in Nashville.

3.  Bengie Molina, Rangers C: 3-for-4 with a HR and three RBI in Texas’ 10-3 ALCS Game 4 win over New York.

4.  Tim Thomas, Bruins G: 35 saves on 36 shots in Boston’s 3-1 win in Washington.

5.  Josh Hamilton, Rangers CF: 2-for-5 with two HRs and two RBI in Texas’ 10-3 ALCS Game 4 win over New York.

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

 

1.  Sergio Mitre, Yankees RP: Three runs on three hits in one IP in New York’s 10-3 ALCS Game 4 loss to Texas.

2.  Joe Thornton, Sharks C: Had a minus-3 in San Jose’s 5-2 loss to Carolina.

3.  Raul Ibanez, Phillies LF: 0-for-4 with two K’s in Philadelphia’s 3-0 NLCS Game 3 loss to San Francisco.

4.  A.J. Burnett, Yankees SP: Five runs on six hits in six IP in New York’s 10-3 ALCS Game 4 loss to Texas.

5.  Roberto Luongo, Canucks G: Just 12 saves on 18 shots in Vancouver’s 6-2 loss to Minnesota.

 

Top Five Events To Follow Today

 

1.  ALCS Game 5: Rangers (3) at Yankees (1), 4:00 PM, TBS: Texas looks to advance to its first World Series in franchise history; (Wilson (TEX) vs. Sabathia (NYY))

2.  NHL: Ducks (2-3-1) at Blue Jackets (2-2-0), 7:00 PM: Anaheim, after a shaky start, hopes to continue its good run of form in Columbus.

3.  NLCS Game 4: Phillies (1) at Giants (2), 8:00 PM, FOX: San Francisco tries to take command of the series; (Blanton (PHI) vs. Bumgarner (SF))

4.  NHL: Canucks (2-3-1) at Blackhawks (4-2-1), 9:00 PM: Two of the powers in the Western Conference face off for the first time this season.

5.  NHL: Hurricanes (3-2-0) at Kings (3-1-0), 10:30 PM: Carolina looks to win its second in a row one night after beating the Sharks in San Jose.

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The Daily Fives For October 7th, 2010 From The Sports Mac

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1. Roy Halladay throws just the second no-hitter in postseason baseball history as Philadelphia takes Game 1 of their NLDS over Cincinnati.

2. The Yankees rally from a four-run deficit and defeat the Twins in Minnesota to win Game 1 of their ALDS.

3. Cliff Lee pitches seven strong innings and gets good support from the Rangers offense as Texas wins Game 1 of their ALDS on the road in Tampa Bay.

4. Randy Moss returns to the team he started his NFL career with, as he is traded from New England to Minnesota for a 2011 third-round pick.

5. The Packers lose starting linebacker Nick Barnett for the rest of the 2010 season after injuring his wrist.

 

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1. NLDS Game 1: Phillies 1, Reds 0: Roy Halladay throws his second no-hitter of the year, as the Phillies chase Reds starter Edinson Volquez in the second inning.

2. ALDS Game 1: Yankees 6, Twins 4: Mark Teixeira hits a game-winning two-run HR in the seventh inning to complete New York’s comeback from a four-run deficit.

3. ALDS Game 1: Rangers 5, Rays 1: Cliff Lee pitches seven strong innings, giving up his only run on a Ben Zobrist RBI double in the seventh as Texas grabs home-field advantage.

4. NBA Preseason: Thunder 97, Bobcats 93: Kevin Durant had 12 points in 17 minutes in his first preseason action of the new season.

5. NBA Preseason: Grizzlies 87, Pacers 85: John Davis hit a three-pointer with 3:20 remaining as Memphis hung on for the victory.

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

 

1. Roy Halladay, Phillies SP: throws the second no-hitter in postseason MLB history in Philadelphia’s 4-0 NLDS Game 1 win over Cincinnati.

2. Cliff Lee, Rangers SP: one run on five hits with 10 K’s over seven IP, and the victory in Texas’s 5-1 ALDS Game 1 win over Tampa Bay.

3. Bengie Molina, Rangers C: 3-for-4 with a HR and two RBI in Texas’s 5-1 ALDS Game 1 win over Tampa Bay.

4. Mark Teixeira, Yankees 1B: 2 for-5 with a HR and two RBI in New York’s 6-4 ALDS Game 1 win over Minnesota.

5. Michael Cuddyer, Twins 1B: 2-for-4 with a HR and two RBI in Minnesota’s 6-4 ALDS Game 1 loss to New York.

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1. Carlos Pena, Rays 1B: 0-for-3 with three K’s in TB’s 5-1 ALDS Game 1 loss to TEX.

2. Jorge Cantu, Rangers 1B: 0-for-4 with three K’s in TEX’s 5-2 ALDS Game 1 win over TB.

3. Edinson Volquez, Reds SP: Four runs on four hits in 1.2 IP in CIN’s 4-0 NLDS Game 1 loss to PHI.

4. Scott Rolen, Reds 3B: 0-for-3 with three K’s in CIN’ 4-0 NLDS Game 1 loss to PHI.

5. Jesse Crain, Twins RP: Two runs on three hits in 0.1 IP in MIN’s 6-4 ALDS Game 1 loss to NYY.

 

Top Five Events To Follow Today

 

1. ALDS Game 2, Rangers (1) at Rays (0), 2:30 PM, TBS: A must-win for Tampa Bay at home to even the series; (Wilson (TEX) vs. Shields (TB))

2. ALDS Game 2, Yankees (1) at Twins (0), 6:00 PM, TBS: A must-win for Minnesota at home to even the series; (Pettitte (NYY) vs. Pavano (MIN))

3. NHL: Flyers at Penguins, 7:00 PM, Versus: The 2010-2011 NHL season gets underway with the first game in the newest arena in the league, Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center.

4. NCAA FB: No. 7 Nebraska (4-0) at Kansas State (4-0), 7:30 PM, ESPN: The Cornhuskers begin their final Big 12 season with a trip to Manhattan to face the upstart Wildcats.

5. NLDS Game 1, Braves at Giants, 9:30 PM, TBS: The final postseason for Bobby Cox starts on the West Coast; (Lowe (ATL) vs. Lincecum (SF))

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The Sports Mac: The Daily Fives For September 23rd, 2010

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

 

1. The Phillies sweep the Braves out of Philadelphia, increasing their lead in the NL East to six games and reducing their magic number to four.

2. The Padres retake the lead in the NL West after they defeat the Dodgers, and the Giants lose to the Cubs.

3. The Rays get back to within 1.5 games of the Yankees after winning the third game of their big four-game series.

4. Vincent Jackson is not traded by the San Diego Chargers, and will have to serve a six-game suspension if he decides to play in 2010.

5. The Jets’ Darrelle Revis will not play Sunday against Miami due to recurring hamstring problems.

 

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1. Phillies 1, Braves 0: Roy Oswalt and two relievers combine for a one-hit shutout, and give Philadelphia complete control of the NL East by winning their 10th in a row.

2. Cubs 2, Giants 0: Randy Wells has a great performance for Chicago as San Francisco drops out of first in the NL West.

3.  Padres 3, Dodgers 1: Miguel Tejada’s 300^th career HR is the highlight as San Diego retakes the lead in the NL West.

4. Rangers 2, Angels 1, 12 innings: Texas reduces its magic number in the AL West to four after scoring in the 12^th for the victory.

5. Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 4: Ubaldo Jimenez is staked to a four-run lead and cannot hold it as Colorado drops further back in the NL West and wildcard races.

 

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

1. Roy Oswalt, Phillies SP: Zero runs on one hit with eight K’s over seven IP in PHI’s 1-0 win over ATL.

2. Max Scherzer, Tigers SP: Zero runs on two hits with eight K’s over 7.2 IP and the victory in DET’s 4-2 win over KC.

3. Jose Lopez, Mariners 3B: 3-for-4 with three HRs and four RBI in SEA’s 6-3 win over TOR.

4. John Bowker, Pirates RF: 3-for-3 with a HR and two RBI in PIT’s 11-6 win over STL

5. Carlos Beltran, Mets CF: 3-for-5 with a HR and a RBI in NYM’s 7-5 loss to FLA

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1. Chad Gaudin, Yankees RP: Three runs on three hits in 1.2 IP in NYY’s 7-2 loss to TB.

2. Kyle Lohse, Cardinals SP: Six runs on seven hits in three IP in STL’s 11-6 loss to PIT.

3. Jon Niese, Mets SP: Six runs on five hits in 5.2 IP in NYM’s 7-5 loss to FLA.

4. Buster Posey, Giants C: 0-for-4 with three K’s in SF’s 2-0 loss to CHC.

5. Johnny Cueto, Reds SP: Eight runs on eight hits in 1.1 IP in CIN’s 13-1 loss to MIL.

 

Top 5 Events To Follow Today

 

1. MLB: Rays (90-61) at Yankees (92-60), 7:00 PM, MLB Network: Tampa Bay looks for the split, and to get back within a half-game of the division lead; (CAN’T MISS MATCHUP: Price (TB) vs. Sabathia (NYY))

2. MLB: Giants (85-67) at Cubs (69-82), 7:00 PM: San Francisco tries to get back into the NL West lead; (Bumgarner (SF) vs. Dempster (CHC))

3. NCAA FB: #19 Miami (Fla.) (1-1) at Pittsburgh (1-1), 7:30 PM, ESPN: An interesting matchup featuring two teams looking for a big non-conference win on their schedule.

4. MLB: Rockies (82-69) at Diamondbacks (61-91), 9:30 PM: This might be a must-win for Colorado tonight given the way the Giants and Padres are playing; (Francis (COL) vs. Kennedy (ARI))

5. MLB: Padres (85-66) at Dodgers (73-79), 10:00 PM: The NL West leaders look to hold onto their slim advantage; (Good matchup; (Latos (SD) vs. Kuroda (LAD))  

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The Sports Mac: The Daily Fives For September 21st, 2010

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1. The defending champion Saints get a 37-yard game winning FG from Garrett Hartley to beat San Francisco by three as time expires, but lose star Reggie Bush to a broken leg on Monday Night Football.

2. The Yankees increase their lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East to 1.5 games on a night when New York honored its late owner George Steinbrenner.

3. Denver Broncos WR Kenny McKinley is found dead in his apartment of an apparent suicide, stunning the team which has tragically lost three players in the last four years.

4. The Phillies increase their lead in the NL East to four games after defeating Atlanta, and getting another masterful performance from Cole Hamels.

5. Jets CB Darrelle Revis may not play for one to two weeks as he still suffers from hamstring issues that caused him to leave New York’s Week 2 win over New England.

 

Top Five Games From Yesterday

 

1. Saints 25, 49ers 22: After San Francisco tied the game on a Frank Gore run with 1:19 to go, it left too much time for Drew Brees and he drove New Orleans to the SF 20 where Garrett Hartley hit the GW 37-yd FG to keep the Saints unbeaten.

2. Yankees 8, Rays 6: New York extended its lead to 1.5 games in the division, but had to hang on for the win as Tampa Bay got to within two and had the go-ahead run at the plate before the Yankees secured the win.

3. Phillies 3, Braves 1: Philadelphia got another eight strong innings from Cole Hamels, and manufactured three runs to expand their lead to four games in the NL East.

4. Twins 9, Indians 3: Minnesota broke open a close game with fours runs in the sixth inning, getting a little closer to the AL Central Title.

5. Angels 7, Rangers 4: Los Angeles got out to a 6-1 lead to best Texas, and postpone the Rangers’ march to the AL West crown.

 

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

 

1. Chris Volstad, Marlins SP: Zero runs on five hits with three K’s, and the CG shutout in FLA’s 4-0 win over STL.

2. Curtis Granderson, Yankees CF: 2-for-3 with two HRs, and five RBI in NYY’s 8-6 win over TB.

3. Drew Brees, Saints QB: 28-for-38 for 254 yards, and two TDs in New Orleans’s 25-22 Week 2 win over San Francisco.

4. Yuniesky Betancourt, Royals SS: 4-for-4 with a HR, and three RBI in KC’s 7-5 loss to DET.

5. Alex Avila, Tigers C: 3-for-4 with a HR, and three RBI in DET’s 7-5 win over KC.

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

 

1. Jason Varitek, Red Sox C: 0-for-4 with three K’s in BOS’ 4-2 loss to BAL.

2. Danny Espinosa, Nationals SS: 0-for-5 with three K’s in WAS’ 8-6 loss to HOU.

3. Jeanmar Gomez, Indians SP: Eight runs on 10 hits in 5.2 IP in CLE’s 9-3 loss to MIN.

4. Derek Holland, Rangers SP: Four runs on six hits in 3.2 IP in TEX’s 7-4 loss to LAA.

5. Ramon Castro, White Sox C: 0-for-4 with three K’s in CHW’s 3-0 loss to OAK.

 

Top Five Events To Follow Today

 

1. MLB: Rays (89-60) at Yankees (91-59), 7:00 PM: New York tries to lengthen its lead in the AL East; (Shields (TB) vs. Hughes (NYY)).

2. MLB: Braves (86-65) at Phillies (90-61), 7:00 PM: Atlanta tries to climb back into the NL East race; (Minor (ATL) vs. Halladay (PHI)).

3. MLB: Giants (84-66) at Cubs (68-81), 8:00 PM: San Francisco looks to maintain its lead in the NL West; (Good matchup: Cain (SF) vs. Zambrano (CHC)).

4. MLB: Rockies (82-67) at Diamondbacks (59-91), 9:30 PM: Colorado tries to close the gap in the NL West and wild-card races; (De La Rosa (COL) vs. Saunders (ARI)).

5. MLB: Padres (83-66) at Dodgers (73-77), 10:00 PM: San Diego tries to get its lead in the NL West back; (Good matchup; Richard (SD) vs. Billingsley (LAD)).

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The Sports Mac: The Daily Fives For September 8th, 2010

Top 5 Stories From Yesterday

 

1. The Phillies retake the lead in the NL East for the first time since May 30, after defeating the Marlins 8-7, while the Braves lose their second straight to Pittsburgh 5-0.

2. San Diego wins its second game and maintains its one-game lead in the NL West after beating the Dodgers 2-1, while the Giants keep pace with a 6-3 win in Arizona.

3. Trevor Hoffman becomes the first pitcher in MLB history to record 600 saves in a career, finishing off Milwaukee’s 4-2 win over St. Louis.

4. There are reports that the Heisman Trophy Trust will vacate the 2005 award, and strip Reggie Bush of the title, but there has been no official decision made yet.

5. Boise State remains at No. 3 in the new AP poll, but they do pick up seven more first-place votes than the previous week.

Top 5 Games From Yesterday

 

1. Phillies 8, Marlins 7: A Placido Polanco RBI single in the eighth inning propelled Philadelphia to the win, and back into first place in the NL East.

2. Rockies 4, Reds 3: Miguel Olivo had the game-winning double in the bottom of the sixth as Colorado hung on for the win to keep pace in the NL West.

3. Padres 2, Dodgers 1: San Diego got its runs early, and a great performance from Mat Latos to hold onto its slim lead in the NL West.

4. Blue Jays 8, Rangers 5: Toronto jumped out to a big lead, but had to hang on after Texas scored two in the ninth, and had the tying run at the plate before securing the win.

5. Mariners 7, Athletics 5: Seattle was cruising before Oakland scored three in the ninth, and had the bases loaded before David Aardsma came in to seal the win for the Mariners.

 

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

 

1. Vernon Wells, Blue Jays CF: 3-for-3 with two HRs and two RBI in TOR’s 8-5 win over TEX.

2. Mat Latos, Padres SP: one run on four hits with 10 K’s over seven IP, and the victory in SD’s 2-1 win over LAD.

3. Raul Ibanez, Phillies LF: 3-for-4 with a HR and three RBI in PHI’s 8-7 win over FLA.

4. Michael Bourn, Astros CF: 3-for-4 with three RBI in HOU’s 7-3 win over CHC.

5. Carl Crawford, Rays LF: 4-for-4 with two RBI in TB’s 14-5 win over BOS.

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

 

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Red Sox SP: eight runs on eight hits over 4.2 IP in BOS’ 14-5 loss to TB.

2. Brian Bannister, Royals SP: seven runs on eight hits in 2.2 IP in KC’s 10-3 loss to MIN.

3. Carlos Silva, Cubs SP: six runs on nine hits in 5 IP in CHC’s 7-3 loss to HOU.

4. Andre Ethier, Dodgers RF: 0-for-4 with three K’s in LAD’s 2-1 loss to SD.

5. Francisco Rodriguez, Angels RP: four runs on hits hits, facing four batters in LAA’s 6-1 loss to CLE.

 

Top Five Events To Follow Today

 

1. MLB: Marlins (70-68) at Phillies (80-60), 7:00 PM: Philadelphia tries to hold onto its small half-game lead in the NL East; (Miller (FLA) vs. Hamels (PHI))

2. MLB: Rangers (75-63) at Blue Jays (72-66), 7:00 PM: Struggling Texas tries to right the ship as its tough road trip continues; (Holland (TEX) vs. Rzepczynski (TOR))

3. MLB: Rays (84-54) at Red Sox (77-62), 7:00 PM, ESPN: Tampa Bay tries to gain on the Yankees in the AL East; (Garza (TB) vs. Wakefield (BOS))

4. MLB: Reds (79-59) at Rockies (74-64), 8:30 PM: Colorado looks for its sixth straight win against the NL Central leaders; (Arroyo (CIN) vs. Cook (COL))

5. MLB: Dodgers (69-70) at Padres (78-59), 10:00 PM, ESPN: San Diego now looks for its third win in a row against the fading Dodgers; (Billingsley (LAD) vs. Luebke (SD))

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The Sports Mac: The Daily Fives For September 5, 2010

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1.    The first big Saturday of college football gets underway with No. 6 Texas Christian and No. 24 Louisiana State winning big non-conference match-ups.

2.    A myriad of NFL cuts on Saturday as teams trim their rosters before the season starts. The biggest move was made by the Cardinals, who released former first-round pick Matt Leinart.

3.    The gap in the NL West gets closer as the Padres drop their ninth game in a row, which allows the Giants to get within two games of the lead after rallying to beat the Dodgers.

4.    Roy Halladay gives up four home runs in a game for the first time, but the Phillies win again. and stay one game behind Atlanta in the tight race in the NL East.

5.    Sources report that Albert Haynesworth will not start in the Redskins opener vs. the Cowboys in Week 1.

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1.    CFB: Jacksonville State 49, Mississippi 48, 2OT: The Gamecocks rally from a 21-point halftime deficit to come back and stun the Rebels with a two-point conversion in the second OT.

2.    MLB: Giants 5, Dodgers 4: Juan Uribe hits a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth as San Francisco rallies from four runs down to defeat LA and get within two games of the division lead.

3.    CFB: Kansas State 31, UCLA 22: The Wildcats get a 35-yard TD run from Daniel Thomas with under a minute remaining to seal the season-opening victory over the Bruins.

4.    CFB: No. 7 Oklahoma 31, Utah State 24: The Sooners have to hold off a pesky Aggie team, getting a interception in the last five minutes to hang on for the win.

5.    CFB: Northwestern 23, Vanderbilt 21: The Wildcats hold on for a season-opening road win by stopping a Commodore two-point conversion attempt with under 2:30 remaining to play.

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

1.    T.J. Yates, North Carolina QB: 28-for-46 for 412 yards and three TDs in North Carolina’s 30-24 loss to LSU.

2.    Jim Thome, Twins DH: 2-for-2 with two homers and four RBI in MIN’s 12-4 win over TEX.

3.    Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State RB: 21 carries for 257 yards and four TDs in Oklahoma State’s 65-17 win over Washington State.

4.    Jair Jurrjens, Braves SP: Zero runs on three hits with seven K’s over seven innings, and the victory in ATL’s 2-0 win over FLA.

5.    Jheranie Boyd, North Carolina WR: Six catches for 221 yards and a TD in North Carolina’s 30-24 loss to LSU.

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1.    New Mexico Lobos: Out-gained 720 to 107, and committed five turnovers in their 72-0 loss to No. 11 Oregon.

2.    C.J. Lewis, Rangers SP: Nine runs on eight hits over 3.2 IP in TEX’s 12-4 loss to MIN.

3.    Memphis Tigers:  Out-gained 569 to 237, and committed two turnovers in their 49-7 loss to Mississippi State.

4.    Jonathon Broxton, Dodgers RP: Two runs on three hits in one inning in LAD’s 5-4 loss to SF.

5.    Kansas Jayhawks: Commit three turnovers and manage just 293 yards, and three points on offense in their 6-3 loss to FCS North Dakota State.

Top Five Events To Follow Today

1.    NCAA CFB: Tulsa (0-0) at East Carolina (0-0), 2:00 PM, ESPN: Big conference game for the season opener for two Conference USA favorites.

2.    MLB: Reds (79-56) at Cardinals (70-63), 2:00 PM: St. Louis tries for the series win and creeps a little closer in the division; (Bailey (CIN) vs. Carpenter (STL))

3.    MLB: Rangers (75-60) at Twins (79-57), 2:00 PM: Minnesota looks for the series sweep; (Wilson (TEX) vs. Blackburn (MIN))

4.    NCAA CFB: Texas Tech (0-0) at Southern Methodist (0-0), 3:30 PM, ESPN: Tommy Tuberville’s first game as Red Raider coach will be an intriguing affair against an improving Mustang squad.

5.    MLB: Giants (75-61) at Dodgers (69-67), 8:00 PM, ESPN: San Francisco looks to continue its march to the top of the NL West; (Good match-up: Sanchez (SF) vs. Kuroda (LAD))

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