Last night the Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North division and secured themselves a return to the playoffs for the first timce since their Super Bowl run in 2006.

The players donned their NFC North title baseball caps. They smiled on the sidelines.  Lovie Smith wore his smug smile during the post game conference.

I clapped.  High-fived my brother and drove home in a snow storm, and didn’t really think twice about it.

In 2005 when the White Sox clinched their division, it felt like a thousand pound boulder was lifted from my back and I could finally breathe.  The same was true when they won game 163 against the Minnesota Twins in 2008.

And I’m a much bigger football fan than baseball.

So what’s going on here?

Is it the monstrous MLB season of 162 games, where you watch the team almost every day, and just develop a more emotional response to them.  

Was it the fact that playoff baseball in this town doesn’t come around too often? I’m fairly certain fans in Atlanta became accustomed to watching their baseball team make the playoffs, and quickly bow out. But the players react almost the same.  There’s at least a sense of celebration.  Even the Yankees celebrate making the playoffs even though we all know that’s not their end game. 

Is it the fact that only four teams make the playoffs from each league in baseball, while you have six teams from each division make it in Football?  That can’t be it since it’s only a matter of two teams.

To me, it’s the length of season and the amount of time you spend and get to know the players. There are only 16 football games, and they play once a week.  There are almost double that amount of games per month in a baseball season.  That’s a lot of time spent with your team and the players.  There are ten times as many games in baseball.  It really is a marathon of a season.

What do you guys think?

Do you get as excited about your favorite football team making the playoffs as your baseball team?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

During college days, there was the acronym “BMOC” which stood for “Big Man on Campus.”

In the ’60s, the BMOC was usually a tough guy, a football player, tall and muscular and ready to fight for what he believed in, at the drop of a hat.

The BMOC got his tag because he was like an undefeated champion on the college campus. Few folks would tease or intimidate this man.

Well, the Kansas City Chiefs come from Missouri and that is the state that used to have the motto, “Show me, I’m from Missouri.” In just a few more days, the Oakland Raiders will show the Chiefs that they are emerging as the “Bad Men in the AFC West.”

A showdown is expected in a few more days. It might play out like the “High Noon” episode in an old movie.

One website ranked various categories such as offense, defense and other statistics. Here is a small sample. You can visit the website for more details.

The Football Outsiders have the Kansas City Chiefs ranked above the Oakland Raiders in both the offensive rank and defensive rank.

When the passion of the Oakland Raiders is high, numbers are not an accurate measure of what can happen.

Let’s just say that the Oakland Raiders have been acting like the “Bad Men in Coliseum.”

For the past two weeks, the Raiders have been making the differential between them and their opponents large and wide, with a 45-point lead and a 30-point lead in consecutive games. That’s 75 points gained in an eight-day period.

So, the Kansas City Chiefs may have a “show me” attitude because they are from Missouri, and the Oakland Raiders are quite capable of showing their opponents who, indeed, is the BMOC in the AFC West.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

By Shani Muschel

Do you call yourself a sports fan, especially a New York sports fan? Then unless you’ve been living under a large rock covered by a large building in Timbuktu, you’ve been hearing about Rangers’ owner Chuck Greenberg’s ‘outlandish’ criticism of Yankee fans this week.

Still haven’t got the memo?

Then let me break it down for you. In a guest spot on ESPN radio, Greenberg publicly called out Yankee fans, bashing them for their poor behavior this offseason.

“I thought Yankee fans, frankly, were awful,” Greenberg told ESPN. “They were either violent or apathetic, neither of which is good. So I thought Yankee fans were by far the worst of any I’ve seen in the postseason. I thought they were an embarrassment.”

Greenberg swiftly followed up his statement with a call to Hal Steinbrenner in which he apologized for his remarks (presumably at the behest of one Mr. Bud Selig). Because how dare someone take a swing at the holy Yankee establishment and get away with it.

I can’t help but feel like there is a lot of misplaced outrage over this whole ordeal. Let’s all make sure that we’re thinking logically here. Why the upheaval? Is anyone really surprised by these comments? The only real argument anyone can make is the fact that the comments were made by another team owner on the radio, and that was probably not the smartest thing to do. This can be looked at as slightly surprising and disappointing.

But can any Yankee fan or NY sports fan say that they honestly disagree with what was pointed out by Greenberg?

Let’s face it. The guy was spot on. I’ve been a Mets fan since about 2006, but I spent a large part of my life worshipping the Evil Empire (long story that involves my fanatic Mets fan husband, a panel of wise men also fanatic Mets fans. And the dissolution and swearing off of a particular fandom, not a story for right now).

I’ve gone to many a Yankee game, and while I personally have never witnessed or experienced any violent behavior, I have to say, I can’t really argue with either assessment, violence or apathy. When it comes down to it, the Yankee fan base is made up of three parts apathetic executive/rich guy and one part drunk frat-guy bleacher creature, with maybe a sprinkle of fathers and sons thrown in.

What do I mean by that? Let’s dissect the statement, shall we?

The whole lower bowl of Yankee Stadium is filled with men still in their business suits and ties, coming to the game straight from work, who got the tickets from their company and are either conducting a business meeting with clients in the seats or tapping furiously away at their Blackberry’s.

The Yankees are lucky if they get the faintest of “woos” from these guys. Most likely they have no clue what’s even going on in the game and are using it as a means to escape their wives and kids for another couple of hours. This is the definition of apathy, and the high ticket prices at Yankee stadium will only continue to draw this kind of “fan” to the exclusion of the real, true, hardworking middle class fans who are stuck sitting at home rooting for their team (if they are lucky enough to have a cable provider who actually carries FOX) because they have been priced out.

This is why the Yankees have apathetic fans. It is of their own greedy doing, and the reason why Greenberg’s comments stung so badly is because they know it’s true.

Now let’s examine the “violent” characterization.

Again, if we’re really being honest, can we truly disagree with him? Take recent events for example. Has any team ever had to outlaw certain fan cheers in their stadiums? Yes, actually, come to think of it, another team that plays right across the river, the New York Jets, whose fans equal supplanted Bleacher Creatures during baseball offseason/football season, had to do just that.

Come on, just admit it.

The Bleacher Creatures are awful human beings. They’re rude, obnoxious, elitist, mean and extremely disrespectful, and they truly are an embarrassment to an organization that values pride and class above all else. The Yankee organization has looked the other way for too long.

Maybe instead of all the misplaced outrage and empty apologies in response to Greenberg’s comments, the Yankees should be using this constructive criticism as an impetus to finally take a good look at what goes on in their stadium and work to make some changes to improve fan experience at their games, so that every paying patron, even (Heaven Forbid!) non-Yankee fans, can come away from the game with a good taste in their mouth instead of full of beer.

Clearly, this is not the first time Yankee fans, specifically the Bleacher Creatures, have been called out on their despicable behavior. The only distinction here is who actually did the calling out. And if it takes a public figure in Chuck Greenberg standing up to get the Yankee fans to finally clean up their act, I say good for you Mr. Greenberg, for having the you-know-what to stand up publicly and face off against the almighty Empire. It’s about time.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

This article originally appeared on The NY Sports Digest. If its off-beat and it’s about the Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Islanders, or Rangers, than The Digest is the spot to get it. Stop with the mega-sites and get a feel for the true pulse of New York at www.NYSportsDigest.com

Possibly Related Posts:

• First Snag In The Yankees – Jeter Contract Talks
• November 3rd – This Day in NY Sports History
• San Fran Giants Did EVERYTHING Right
• November 2nd – This Day in NY Sports History
• Hey Yankees Fans! The CEO Of The Rangers Thinks You Suck!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

1.  The San Francisco Giants win their first World Series title since 1954 after Game 5, and the series four games to one.

2.  The Colts take the lead in the AFC South after cruising to a Monday Night Football win over the Texans in Indianapolis.

3.  The Vikings cut WR Randy Moss less than four weeks after acquiring him from the New England Patriots.

4.  The Bulls hand the Trail Blazers their first loss of the season behind a huge night from Luol Deng.

5.  The Flyers move into first place of the Atlantic Division after defeating the Hurricanes in Philadelphia.

Top Five Games From Yesterday

1.  Giants 3, Rangers 1: San Francisco won the World Series behind a three-run Edgar Renteria HR in the seventh inning, and a superb performance from Tim Lincecum.

2.  Rangers 3, Blackhawks 2: Eric Christensen scored the game-winner 6:30 into the final period to break up a tie game, and help New York to a home win over the defending champs.

3.  Flyers 3, Hurricanes 2: Scott Hartnell scored 6:30 into the final period to stretch the lead to 3-1, and led Philadelphia to the win despite a late goal from Carolina’s Joe Corvo.

4.  Kings 111, Raptors 108: Sacramento was down by 17 after the first quarter, but chipped away and sealed the win with two Beno Udrih free throws with 12 seconds left.

5.  Spurs 97, Clippers 88: San Antonio won its 17^th straight game over Los Angeles as Tony Parker led the way for San Antonio with 19 points and nine assists.

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

1.  Tim Lincecum, Giants SP: One run on three hits with 10 K’s over eight IP, helping San Francisco clinch the World Series with a 3-1 win over Texas in Game 5.

2.  Luol Deng, Bulls SF: 40 points and four rebounds in Chicago’s 110-98 win over Portland.

3.  Roberto Luongo, Canucks G: 30 saves for his first SO of the season and 52^nd of his career in Vancouver’s 3-0 win over New Jersey.

4.  Kelvin Hayden, Colts CB: Had five tackles, and returned an INT 25 yards for a TD in Indianapolis’ 30-17 win over Houston.

5.  LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers PF: 33 points and nine rebounds in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

1.  Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers SG: Just 3-of-10 shooting, and only six points in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

2.  David Murphy, Rangers LF: 0-for-3 with three K’s in Texas’ 3-1 Game 5 World Series loss to San Francisco.

3.  Matt Taormina, Devils D: Had a minus-two in New Jersey’s 3-0 loss to Vancouver.

4.  Chris Pronger, Flyers D: Had a minus-two and two penalty minutes in Philadelphia’s 3-2 win over Carolina.

5.  Matt Schaub, Texans QB: Threw for only 201 yards, and committed both turnovers in Houston’s 30-17 loss to Indianapolis.

Top Five Events To Follow Today

1.  NHL: Canadiens (7-3-1) at Blue Jackets (6-4-0), 7:00 PM: Two teams off to solid starts this year face off in southern Ohio.

2.  NCAA FB: Middle Tennessee State (3-4) at Arkansas State (3-5), 7:00 PM, ESPN2: Both teams are trying to catch Troy in the Sun Belt, and a win will keep them in the race.

3.  NBA: Magic (1-1) at Knicks (1-2), 7:30 PM: Orlando makes the trip north in the first of many meetings between Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire.

4.  NHL: Sharks (5-3-1) at Wild (4-4-2), 8:00 PM, Versus: San Jose makes a Midwest stop to take on Western Conference foe Minnesota.

5.  NBA: Grizzlies (2-1) at Lakers (3-0), 10:30 PM, NBA TV: The latest meeting of the Gasol brothers also showcases a good start to the season for Memphis this year.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Football may be more popular, but baseball will always be our national pastime. 

We have only a couple hours before Tim Lincecum unleashes the first pitch of the 2010 World Series as the San Francisco Giants take on the Texas Rangers. But more than a trophy at the end of the year, The World Series is an annual show case as to why Baseball will always be America’s national past time, and why, by comparison, the NFL will never challenge for that supreme title.

It’s not a question of team revenues, television contracts, or merchandising (where the NFL has succeeded over all others.)  No matter how many business categories you might beat the other guy at,you cannot win the emotional attachment of an American sports fan, no matter how many Tim Tebow jerseys you sell.

There is a visceral, tingling essence inherent to the game of baseball that the NFL game simply lacks. You feel history when you walk into a stadium, and that feeling is baseball’s ultimate trump card against the NFL, and why it will always exist on a higher level.  

In my own case, I walk past statues of Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal when I attend Giants games, and hope for home runs to fly into Willie McCovey Cove.  

There are bronze plaques on the façade of AT&T Park. These plaques celebrate lesser known (only lesser in the eyes of the statistician) heroes to countless Bay Area fans. The faces on the plaques reflect the many different decades of Giants baseball, from the circus throws of Johnnie LeMaster and Jose Uribe, to the courage of Dave Dravecky and the cold clutch of Will Clark. 

All of those memories hit you at once, and each player’s image reminds you of a different time in your own life as a fan.  Each one serves as a unique marker in your mind of a touchstone moment.  

The images access memories, like when maybe you were a little more interested in the hot dogs than the game, but can still see your Dad through your 6-year-old eyes, jumping up and down in the stands next to you as Darrell Evans took one over the chain link fence at Candlestick Park.  

Baseball’s beginnings are also inextricably intertwined with the very history of our country, and that standing is honestly too much for the NFL to ever compete with, regardless of how many ratings sheets they might shake in the air. 

Historic franchises like the Giants, Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox certainly lend their legend to the younger upstarts like the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Rays.  These younger teams might lack their own history, but their status alone as a Major League Baseball club gives them historical standing that even the most storied franchises of the NFL can’t approach.  

The NFL tries to win this impossible battle by marketing a glitzy, pop culture, quick hit brand of Americana, one replete with fireworks, flashy entrances, constant action, replays of every play, scantily clad cheerleaders, Navy SEALs parachuting into stadiums at halftime and headlining pop stars providing further layers of entertainment.  

They have special theme songs to get you pumped up for Monday Night Football, dancing computer-generated robots, panels of shrieking analysts that force feed the viewer a steady diet of constant theatrics and pure spectacle.

When baseball has a big game, they put the red, white and blue bunting out.    

Tonight, you will see that same bunting hanging from the rafters of AT&T Park. That same bunting can be seen every summer hanging from streetlights during countless Fourth of July parades at Veterans and Memorial Day events, and at stump speeches given by candidates for office. Some of you probably have some bunting in your garage right now.    

This is the ultimate reason why the NFL will never supplant baseball as our national pastime, because the NFL will always be forced to market to America, when baseball can market itself as America. 

Come and see an exciting game in the NFL, or come and see history be made in the World Series.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

At 1:00 PM on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. 

At 8:00 PM that same day, the Philadelphia Phillies will play the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of the NLCS. 

The city of Philadelphia is growing accustomed to these Fall double-headers, featuring the Eagles and Phillies.  Twice during Philadelphia’s World Series runs in 2008 and 2009, the Eagles and Phillies have played on the same day at their home fields. 

This Sunday should bring back memories to Philadelphia fans.  Both good and bad.  

Will the history of these double-headers in Philadelphia repeat itself this Sunday? 

Double-Header 2009

On November 1st, 2009, a war between New York City and Philadelphia took place.

Last year, the Eagles hosted the New York Giants in an early afternoon game, the same day of Game 4 of the 2009 World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies.   

The Eagles, many would say, upset the Giants that Sunday and won the game in a blowout, 40-17.  Donovan McNabb threw for three touchdowns while Philadelphia’s defense forced four turnovers.  

The Eagles moved to 5-2 on the season and NFC East title was in their sights…

It was a good start to the day, but the Phillies had lost Game 3 the previous night and now trailed in the series 2-1.  Could Joe Blanton shut down the New York Yankees lineup later that night?    

Let’s just say New York lost the battle, but went on to win the war. 

The Phillies trailed for most of the game, but managed to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on a Pedro Feliz home run.  Then Brad Lidge entered the game in the top of ninth and was one strike away from pitching a scoreless inning.  A Johnny Damon single, two stolen bases, and an A-Rod single would give the Yankees the lead, as New York would score three runs in the ninth.  

That game pretty much wrapped up another World Series title for the Yankees.  

Double-Header 2008 

This Sunday would be a much better day for Philadelphia fans.  

On October 26th, 2008, the Eagles played the Atlanta Falcons, an appetizer before Game 4 of the World Series. 

Brian Westbrook was the star of the game, rushing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles defense forced the inexperienced Matt Ryan to throw two costly interceptions as Philadelphia would go on to win the game 27-14.   

Heading into Game 4, the Philadelphia Phillies led the series 2-1, so this was crucial game for the Tampa Bay Rays. They decided to put Andy Sonnanstine on the mound.  

The Phillies crushed the Rays, winning 10-2 and taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.  Sonnanstine would only last four innings and give up three earned runs, including a based-loaded walk in the first inning.  

Ryan Howard was an absolute monster: two HRs, five RBI and four runs.

Philadelphia fans knew things were going their way when pitcher Joe Blanton hit a home run in the fifth inning.  

Double-Header 2010? 

So what will happen this Sunday in Philadelphia?  How many fans will be in the parking lots from 11 in the morning until 11 at night? 

History bodes well for the Eagles.  They are 2-0 in the double-headers, winning by double digits on both occasions. 

History also bodes well for the Philadelphia Phillies.  Why exactly? 

In 2008, the Eagles hosted the Atlanta Falcons.  After their win, the Eagles and Falcons both had the same record, 4-3.

In 2010, the Eagles will host the Falcons once again.  After the Eagles win, they will have the same record as the Falcons.  Both teams will be 4-2.

Coincidence? I think not.  

Sunday will go down in history as another great day for Philadelphia sports.

Looking Ahead 

If the Philadelphia Phillies advance to the World Series, Game 1 will be at 7:57 PM on Wednesday, October 27th. 

It is the same night as the Philadelphia 76ers’ home opener, which is scheduled for 7:00 PM.  Not a big deal?  Wrong. 

It is the debut of Evan Turner and not to mention, some team called the Miami Heat. 

Will the 76ers management be rooting for the San Francisco Giants?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are you new to fantasy basketball? Maybe you have played fantasy sports before but have been hesitant to try out fantasy basketball for one reason or another.

Well, here are five good reasons why you should take the leap and give fantasy basketball a chance if you’ve never played before:

1) Like any other sport, it takes time to learn.

Remember your first baseball draft? When you took players from your favorite team instead of the best available? When you took Peyton Manning No. 1 overall because “he’s the best player in the league”?

It happens.

Your team more than likely sucked, but since then you’ve crushed the opposition for a couple of titles. If you’re already a fan of fantasy sports, you should be a little more prepared to embark on a new journey than you were before. Even if you’re not, there’s no reason to take the Ricky Bobby philosophy on winning and losing.

So go ahead, take your team’s starting five, get your college team’s up-and-comers. Maybe it’ll work out, maybe not. Either way, you’ll have the enjoyment of another fantasy sport added to your repertoire, and hey, there’s always next year.

2) The scoring is the same as fantasy baseball.

I would even go so far as to say that players are more easily compared in fantasy basketball than in any other league.

In fantasy baseball, pitchers convolute things. Looking at the pros and cons of a specific hitter versus a specific pitcher becomes completely relative to the makeup of one’s team. This leads to a lot of difficulties when ranking players and reviewing trade offers.

Football’s problems are much more obvious. Because it’s based on a point system, taking the best player doesn’t always translate to creating the best team. Of course, one can compare players by their average points per game, but these can be very ephemeral. Two one-yard rushing touchdowns will outdo a player who has 115 rushing yards with no touchdowns.

This is not to say that fantasy baseball and football are unfair. I just think the use of the same stats for every player in the game and the use of rotisserie scoring give basketball the best translation from on-the-court to fantasy scoring.

3) The schedule should not turn you away.

The spotty nature of the NBA schedule per team, therefore per player, can turn a lot of people off to fantasy basketball. It shouldn’t.

Sure, you don’t have a daily schedule like the MLB or a weekly appointment like the NFL. There’s no debating that. And it does stink to check your roster every day only to see that you only have one or two guys playing on a number of nights.

The solution: Set your roster in intervals. Every three days. Once a week. Something defined. The stability of playing time in the NBA means that you will rarely have a guy starting that doesn’t actually play, even if you don’t take the time to study your team every single day.

4) Of the Big Three, the NBA offers the smallest player universe, and therefore, the smallest number of relevant fantasy players.

This makes the amount of information that you need to be process much smaller. Not that you should stop visiting your favorite fantasy basketball site. You should never do that. Many people actually do the opposite with the NBA.

The smaller player universe means less information to wade through on a daily basis, so one can more easily extract the data that applies to them from their favorite site. A site like rotoprofessor.com/basketball, maybe?

5) It’s fun.

If you’ve played and enjoyed fantasy sports, you know this point already. I think it’s worth further emphasis, though.

Remember the feeling you got from buying Josh Hamilton cheaply this year? Or how about all the sympathy you’ve received since taking Matt Forte ahead of Chris Johnson last year?

There are conversations and debates that you can only have if you’re playing fantasy. It’s as simple as that. If you like basketball, why wouldn’t you participate in something that simultaneously makes you more informed about the league and lets you compete against others?

It’s a win-win.

So with all that said, if you’ve never played fantasy basketball before, there’s no reason to be afraid. Give it a shot and see for yourself how much fun it can be. And of course make sure you’re checking out the Rotoprofessor for all your fantasy analysis.

To view the first part of Will Overton’s Top 200 Rankings on Rotoprofessor, click here

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Well NY sports fans, this is the time of the year we have all been waiting for. MLB playoffs, NHL season getting under way and the NFL season is in full swing. Granted, the Mets haven’t been respectable since June, the Yanks are doing what they do best: winning games in October. They swept the Minnesota Twins to move onto the American League Championship Series, awaiting the winner of the Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers series.

The Islanders and Rangers opened their seasons over the weekend. The Isles lost a hard fought game 5-4 in a shootout against the Dallas Stars. The Isles welcomed back goalie Rick DiPietro as the opening night starter for the first time since 2007. Even though injuries have hurt them early on in the preseason, the Islanders brought in some new defenders to help sure up the front of the net as they hope to take some of the pressure off of DP.

The Rangers welcomed the Derek Stepan era as he scored three goals in his NHL debut, including the deciding goal, in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

In their first head-to-head meeting of the year, the Isles got the best of the Rangers 6-4. One of the headlines coming out of the game was the obscene gesture new Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski made towards the always controversial Sean Avery.

As much as it pains Jets fans to admit, the Giants may be a playoff team this year as well. The Giants defense has looked unbeatable the last two weeks, shutting down the Bears and the Texans respectively. In Sunday’s win over the Texans, the Giants defense improved to first in the NFL in yards allowed per game (244.6), per play (4.1) and passing yards (146.0), and second in sacks (19). Hakeem Nicks is making a statement with his play as of late, and will be a big part of the Giants success as the season goes on.

Once again, the Jets defense looked very impressive as they were able to get past the Vikings 29-20 on Monday night, improving to 4-1. The offense struggled throughout the first three quarters, only managing five field goals. The defense turned out to be better than their offense as they put the game away late when Dwight Lowery intercepted Brett Favre‘s pass and returned it for a touchdown with 1:30 left in the game. In the spirit of Halloween, that was the nail in the coffin.

As October continues, the sports world may revolve around New York, even if no one wants to admit it. With two contending football teams, a baseball team that is the favorite to reach the World Series, and a pair of hockey teams fighting for respectability, the next few weeks of New York sports are going to be very interesting and undoubtedly exciting.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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))  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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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