NEU » , but the series has been tight -- the Jays

BASEBALLNEW YORK -- Max Scherzer celebrated aboard a boat off the British Virgin Islands, doused by college pals on a floating party.Rick Porcello enjoyed the moment at his parents home in New Jersey, surrounded by family, friends and a few bottles of wine.As for Justin Verlander, well, fuming supermodel Kate Upton brought the heat for her fiance.Teammates for five seasons in Detroit, the three right-handers topped the Cy Young Award talk Wednesday: Scherzer easily won the NL prize, Porcello edged out Verlander for the AL honor.Porcello, who led baseball with 22 wins for Boston and had a 3.15 ERA, won despite getting just eight of the 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America -- the first time the AL Cy winner didnt get the most firsts.Verlander went 16-9 with a 2.40 ERA while leading the AL in strikeouts and other categories. He got 14 first-place votes, but didnt draw as much support across the board -- he was left off two ballots, too.LOS ANGELES -- Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday at the White House.Scully retired last month after spending his entire 67-year career in the booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He turns 89 on Nov. 27.Scully is one of 21 recipients of the Medal of Freedom announced Wednesday, including NBA Hall of Famers Kareen Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.HOUSTON -- Right-hander Charlie Morton agreed to a contract with Houston, giving the Astros two of the best groundball pitchers in the majors.Morton accepted a $14 million, two-year deal that includes annual salaries of $7 million and performance bonuses of $625,000 apiece for 12, 20, 25 and 30 starts each season.Morton, who ranks second in the majors among active pitchers in career groundball to fly ball ratio (2.48), joins a staff that features last years American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, a lefty who leads the league in that category (2.84).NFLNEW YORK -- -- First-year eligibles LaDainian Tomlinson, Hines Ward, Jason Taylor and Brian Dawkins are among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fames class of 2017.Joining them as first-time semifinalists is tackle-guard Chris Hinton, who retired in 1989 but has made this cut for the first time.The other 21 candidates -- there was a tie for 25th in voting by Hall of Fame selectors as the list was trimmed from an original 94 -- all have made it this far in the past.Two coaches, Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson, have made the semifinals. So has placekicker Morten Andersen, the NFLs career scoring leader.Previously nominated by the veterans committee was safety Kenny Easley, and by the contributors committee were Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.The 2017 class will be selected on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl. Between four and eight new members will be chosen.NBADALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says the teams decision not to stay at Donald Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago was made before the presidential election.The billionaire technology entrepreneur declined to elaborate on the decision, telling The Associated Press it was made months ago. Not recently.Cuban was a frequent critic of Trump during the campaign and supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who lost to the Republican president-elect.ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported that Dallas, Memphis and Milwaukee were among the teams that moved away from Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago. The network reported that the decision was made in part to avoid any implied association with Trump.NEW YORK -- Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy says he has used the term posse before, and it was always in regards to minorities.A day after LeBron James criticized Knicks President Phil Jackson for using the word in an interview to describe James friends and business partners, Van Gundy was reflective when thinking about his own words, calling on people to be aware of their language and attitudes.COLLEGE BASKETBALLKENT, Ohio -- Kent States players made their home opener memorable, and it had little to do with winning.In a sign of unity they hope catches on, the Golden Flashes invited fans onto the court to stand with them during the national anthem before their game against Mississippi Valley State.Moments before tip-off, Kent States players went into the crowd and each of them asked a fan of a different race to join them while the schools Flasher Brass pep band performed the anthem.Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said the players approached the coaching staff with the idea.HOCKEYTAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely.General manager Steve Yzerman announced the diagnosis after Stamkos returned home for further evaluation of the injury the two-time NHL scoring champion suffered Tuesday night in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.Stamkos, who last summer re-signed with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008 rather than testing free agency, scored his ninth goal against the Red Wings and leads the NHL with 20 points in 17 games.The six-time All-Star center grabbed the back of his knee and limped off the ice to the dressing room after colliding with Detroits Gustav Nyquist along the boards.Its the third significant injury Stamkos has had over the past three years.CALGARY, Alberta -- Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau was scheduled to undergo surgery for a fractured finger.Gaudreau suffered the injury in Tuesdays 1-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. The team said a timeline for his return will be provided in the coming days.Gaudreau left Tuesdays game early in the third period after taking a slash to the hand.NEW YORK -- International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said he had a good discussion Wednesday with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players Association Executive Director Don Fehr about the worlds top hockey players participating in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.Bettman described the meeting as constructive and candid.Still lots of issues, Bettman wrote in an email to the AP.Fasel said his job is to raise funds for the players transportation and insurance. The International Olympic Committee does not want to cover those costs as it has the previous five Olympics. Fasel hopes to persuade the IOC to financially support the NHLs participation.Reggie Wayne Jersey . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. Custom Indianapolis Colts Jerseys . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Margus-hunt-colts-jersey/ . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Marshall Faulk Colts Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Andrew Luck Colts Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants.Its always fun and entertaining when two teams that have played 19 times during the regular season and have had a combustible relationship for years meet in a winner-take-all game to start the postseason.The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays arrived at this American League wild-card game in distinctly different ways. In spring training, most thought Toronto would win the American League East, and even more thought the Orioles had little or no chance to make the playoffs. The end result: Both teams clinched a wild card on the final day of the season.Here are five questions.Who gets the edge in starting pitching?The Blue Jays have options; over the past 20 games, they have a 2.04 starters ERA and a .197 batting average against (both tops in the major leagues in that time span). Their best pitcher, Aaron Sanchez (the AL ERA champion at 3.00), started Sunday; their 20-game winner, J.A. Happ, started Saturday; and Marco Estrada, who has had success against the Orioles this year, would have had to go on three days rest. They could have chosen Francisco Liriano, who threw 6? scoreless innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts against the Orioles in his last start. But they chose to go with Marcus Stroman, who pitched in the postseason last year, is fully rested and brings tremendous energy to the mound. But he had a 7.04 ERA in 23 innings against the Orioles this season.For the Orioles, their hottest pitcher has been Ubaldo Jimenez, who was in danger of being released midseason but has a 2.45 ERA in his past seven starts. And in his most recent start, he threw 6? scoreless innings in Toronto. But the Orioles will start Chris Tillman on full rest. He is the closest thing they have to an ace, certainly not when it comes to stuff, but with experience and track record. He went 16-6 this year but had a 4.45 ERA the second half of the season, in part because he had a shoulder issue. That doesnt appear to be an issue now.Who has the advantage in the bullpen?The Orioles Zach Britton has more than an outside chance to win the AL Cy Young Award. He finished the season with an 0.54 ERA, saved 47 games in 47 tries and is, according to the Red Soxs David Ortiz, impossible to hit. That power sinker, or whatever we call it, has emerged as the pitch most difficult to center, and he gives the Orioles something the Jays -- and most teams -- dont have: certainty in the ninth inning. Plus, Britton is surrounded by quality arms, including?Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, Donnie Hart and?Darren ODay.Torontos pen is very good, but the uncertainty of setup man Joaquin Benoits status (injured running to a brawl against the Yankees) might mean even more work for 21-year-old closer Roberto Osuna. His 56 career saves are the most ever by a pitcher before age 22, and his stuff is sensational, but he stumbled a few times down the stretch.dddddddddddd Yet when the Blue Jays needed him most, he pitched two scoreless innings on Saturday in Boston, and then saved the wild-card clincher Sunday by protecting a one-run lead.What do we make of Torontos offense?The Jays, who are supposed to be a really good offensive team, finished last in the major leagues in runs per game (3.7) in September and October. That is not explainable, except for the fact that this team usually goes as third baseman Josh Donaldson goes; he went 20-for-90 with 25 strikeouts and seven RBIs after August. The Jays became only the third team ever to make it to the postseason after being last in the majors in runs per game in September and October (the 2012 Reds and 1974 As were the others). Despite the Jays struggles, they seem capable of scoring 10 on any given night. And to add to that, this could be the final game in a Blue Jays uniform for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, who tied with Ortiz for the AL lead in RBIs this season. Gone without a sound, or pounding their way to the next round?Can the Orioles offense be contained?The Orioles hit 253 home runs this season, easily the most in the major leagues, and the fifth-highest total in history. In the wild-card era (1995-on), the 2009 Yankees are the only team to lead the majors in home runs and go to the World Series. In the division era (1969-on), add the 1976 Reds, the 1983 Orioles and the 1984 Tigers to that list. The Orioles dont manufacture runs; they dont run; they strike out a lot; and they are a classic all-or-nothing team offensively. But they are extremely dangerous 1-9 in the order. The Orioles have, however, sacrificed some offense by using Michael Bourn in right field recently and using Mark Trumbo as the DH. It has greatly improved their defense, and Bourn has gotten some big hits.How much does home field help the Blue Jays?Home-field advantage in baseball is important, but not like it is in other sports. Still, the Blue Jays are 46-35 at home this season, and the Orioles were 50-31 at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Rogers Centre has become a very difficult place to play for visiting teams; it has become one of the wildest venues in the game. But the Orioles have been so resilient, bouncing back from all sorts of adversity. Baltimore has lost six of 10 in Toronto this year, but the series has been tight -- the Jays won 10 of 19 and there were seven one-run games. Look for the same here.Blue Jays win., but the series has been tight -- the Jays' ' '