MSNBC: Sports

A defiant David Ortiz stood on the Fenway Park infield and told the crowd, "Stay Strong," bringing a rousing cheer from Bostonians weary from a week of bombings, stay-at-home orders and a manhunt that locked down the city for a day. Playing at home for the first time since two bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line killed three people and wounded more than 180 others, the Red Sox honored the vic...    

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Rangers insist they are focused much more on their drive toward the playoffs than ending the New Jersey Devils' postseason hopes.With a thorough 4-1 victory Sunday, the Broadway Blueshirts took care of both.Ryan Callahan scored a goal in the opening minute and another in the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves as the Rangers eliminated the Devils from the ...    

BOSTON (AP) - Mike Napoli tried to downplay the question about playing in Fenway Park.Nope. He couldn't help himself.Napoli hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, Will Middlebrooks busted out of a slump with a three-run homer and the Boston Red Sox rebounded from a doubleheader sweep by beating the Oakland Athletics 9-6 on Monday night."I've been feeling good on the road, too, but I just love hi...    

DENVER (AP) - The coldest day ever at Coors Field was short-sleeve weather for Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Minor.Starting a day-night doubleheader that opened with the temperature at 23 degrees, Justin Upton hit his major league-leading 10th home run, Dan Uggla and rookie Evan Gattis also connected in support of Minor's solid outing and the Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 Tuesday.Reed Johnson...    

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - The first championship game in the College Football Playoff will be held at Cowboys Stadium.A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that Arlington, Texas, has beaten out Tampa, Fla., in the bidding to be the site of the first title game in the new playoff system.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal vote by the BCS conference com...    

Rick Ankiel has lived an extraordinary baseball life. Think about his path for a moment. Ankiel was a high school phenom — in his senior year at Port St. Lucie High, he struck out 162 in just 71 innings. He was probably the most sought after player in the amateur draft, but his agent Scott Boras set the price tag so high that no one would take him in the first round. The St. Louis Cardinals waited...    

DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings moved a step closer toward extending their postseason streak to 22 with a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.Jordin Tootoo netted the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Johan Franzen scored on a power play with 6:26 left, lifting Detroit into eighth place in the Western Conference.The Red Wings, who have won two straight games, are ...    

CHICAGO (AP) - Brooklyn guard Joe Johnson says he's feeling better, but doesn't know if he will be able to play in Game 3 of the Nets' playoff series against the Chicago Bulls.Johnson hurt his left foot in the first quarter of the Bulls' 90-82 win Monday that tied the first-round series. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting in 39 minutes.Johnson was sitting on the sideline at the start o...    

PARIS (AP) -The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency wants Lance Armstrong to come forward with information detailing the alleged complicity of cycling's governing body in his doping.Travis Tygart appeared at a French government hearing in Paris on Thursday to discuss ways to improve the fight against doping.After the USADA'S scathing report on systematic doping by Armstrong and his teams, he was s...