Giants get even
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The National League Championship Series is headed to St. Louis with the Cardinals and Giants tied at a game apiece.
Ryan Vogelsong worked seven impressive innings and the Giants got four RBIs from their second basemen in a 7-1 rout of the Redbirds in San Francisco on Monday night.
Vogelsong scattered four hits and struck out four to help the Giants earn their first home victory of the postseason. He blanked the Cardinals after pitcher Chris Carpenter tied the game with an RBI double in the second inning.
Marco Scutaro hit a two-run single while the Giants were scoring four times in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Three of the runs were unearned following errors by Carpenter and left fielder Matt Holliday.
Scutaro left the game in the fifth with a hip injury, four innings after he absorbed a hard slide by Holliday. X-rays were negative, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy says Scutaro will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. Bochy said Holliday’s slide wasn’t legal.
Scutaro was replaced by Ryan Theriot, who poked a two-run single in the eighth inning to cap the scoring.
Carpenter was reached for five runs and six hits in four innings to take the loss.
The series resumes on Wednesday at Busch Stadium, with Matt Cain pitching for the Giants against Kyle Lohse in a matchup of 16-game winners.
Bochy says Tim Lincecum is set to start Game 4 in St. Louis on Thursday. Lincecum tossed two hitless innings of relief on Sunday and has suddenly become the team’s most effective pitcher out of the bullpen after going 10-15 with a league-worst 5.18 ERA as a starter in the regular season.
Vilma takes bounty matter back to federal court
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jonathan Vilma is again asking a federal judge to overturn his suspension in the NFL’s bounty probe of the New Orleans Saints. The NFL Players Association is making a similar request on behalf of three other players.
In papers filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Vilma says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’) engaged in a “farcical review” of his previously vacated disciplinary action before reaffirming the veteran linebacker’s full-season ban last week.
Vilma has an appeal pending within the framework of the NFL’s labor agreement, but he argues that Goodell has continued to abuse his power and demonstrate bias, leaving no hope for a fair process that would respect Vilma’s “industrial due process rights.”
Vilma also asks the judge to bar the commissioner from handling any further action in the bounty matter and appoint a neutral arbitrator.
Lewis to miss rest of season
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will miss the remainder of the season with an arm injury, an enormous blow to an already depleted defense that has uncharacteristically struggled this year. Lewis tore his right triceps during Sunday’s 31-29 victory over Dallas. The 37-year-old leads Baltimore in tackles.
Over a spectacular 17-year career, Lewis has been invited to 13 Pro Bowls, was named Super Bowl MVP and is a two-time NFL defensive player of the year.
Baltimore also lost cornerback Lardarius Webb for the year after he tore the ACL in his left knee Sunday. The injury occurred when Webb collided with Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant in the first quarter.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
San Francisco 7 St. Louis 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Denver 35 San Diego 24
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Philadelphia 107 Boston 75
Cleveland 114 Orlando 111, OT
Brooklyn 98 Washington 88
Dallas 123 Houston 104
Denver 104 Golden State 98
Sacramento 117 Portland 100