Orioles and Cards get even
UNDATED (AP) — The Orioles and Cardinals head out on the road for Game 3 of their respective division series after salvaging a split of the opening two games at home.
Baltimore rookie Wei-Yin Chen outdueled 40-year-old Andy Pettitte in a 3-2 victory under the lights at Camden Yards.
Chen held the Yanks to one earned run on six hits in six and a-third innings. Pettitte gave up three runs on seven hits in his seven innings.
Chris Davis got the Birds on the board with a two-run single in the third. Mark Reynolds added a run-scoring single in the sixth.
One night after getting beat up by the Yanks, O’s closer Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth to earn a save.
They’ll play Game 3 of this AL Division Series in New York on Wednesday.
St. Louis jumped on Washington starter Jordan Zimmerman with five runs on seven hits in three innings and routed the Nationals 12-4 in Game 2 of the NLDS to knot that series at one game apiece.
Carlos Beltran hit two of the Cards’ four homers and drove in three. Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso also went deep for the Cards. Craig hit his fifth career postseason homer and scored three times. St. Louis starter Jaime (HY’-mee) Garcia was ineffective, pitching just two innings.
Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning for the Nationals, who head home for the rest of the series. The first postseason game in the Nation’s Capital since 1933 will be Game 3 Wednesday afternoon.
Houston joins Atlanta at 5-0
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Arian Foster ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, and the Houston Texans stayed unbeaten by defeating the New York Jets for the first time in team history, 23-17.
With a chance to lead the Jets on a winning drive, Mark Sanchez was intercepted by Kareem Jackson on a pass that tipped off the hands of Jeff Cumberland with 1:51 left and the 5-0 Texans joined the Atlanta Falcons as the NFL’s only teams without a loss.
The 2-3 Jets were heavy underdogs after coming off a 34-0 loss to San Francisco last week. But the Jets hung tough. Backup quarterback Tim Tebow got the crowd fired up at times throughout the game, including running for a first down on a fake punt, but had little impact otherwise.
Houston also overcame a 100-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight that cut the Jets’ deficit to 20-14.
The Jets played without starting cornerback Darelle Revis, who is out with a torn knee ligament, New York lost top receiver Santonio Holmes to a season-ending foot injury last week.
Locker to miss Thursday night tussle…RGIII OK…Cassel out
UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee coach Mike Munchak says quarterback Jake Locker will miss his second straight game with an injured left shoulder Thursday night when the Titans play the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Munchak also said Monday that backup running back Javon Ringer will miss four to six weeks after spraining his left knee in yesterday’s loss to Minnesota.
Munchak says Locker is improving but Matt Hasselbeck will get his second straight start due to the short week. Locker will not be active.
In other NFL news:
— Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will miss Thursday’s game against Tennessee after aggravating his strained right calf. And linebacker LaMarr Woodley is doubtful with a mild right hamstring injury.
— The Kansas City Chiefs are down to their backup quarterback for the second year in a row. Matt Cassel sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against Baltimore and is unlikely to play in next weekend’s game at Tampa Bay, which means Brady Quinn is preparing to start an NFL game for the first time in nearly three years.
— Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says “right now it looks good” that Robert Griffin III will be able to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Shanahan says his prized rookie quarterback is experiencing no dizziness, headaches or vomiting a day after suffering a concussion in a loss to Atlanta.
— Minnesota Vikings strong safety Harrison Smith won’t be punished further for his shove of an official that drew a 15-yard penalty and automatic ejection from Sunday’s game against Tennessee. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says Smith’s disqualification from the majority of the game was a “significant penalty.”
— Wes Welker told reporters he was only joking when he said after Sunday’s game that he enjoyed catching 13 passes against the Denver Broncos to “stick it” in coach Bill Belichick’s face. Welker made a rare Monday appearance in the locker room during media availability to straighten things out. Welker did not start the season opener after unsuccessful negotiations on a long-term deal, leading to speculation that Belichick was upset with him over the negotiations.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 3 N-Y Yankees 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 12 Washington 4
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Houston 23 N-Y Jets 17
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Golden State 83 Utah 80