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Game-time temperature Thursday afternoon at Turner Field was a humid 86 degrees, but Paul Maholm and Javier Vazquez created a steady breeze.

It's half past three on Saturday afternoon and I've just done the toughest workout of my life.

Andy LaRoche tapped a two-out, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning and the Pirates beat the Braves, 3-1, this afternoon at Turner Field.

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP Geoff Blum, newest object of Cub fans' ire. Browse more photos » With all the discussion of 'Who should the Cubs acquire to fill in for Aramis Ramirez' focusing on Mark DeRosa, among others, lately, maybe the answer was right in front of the Cubs' faces the last two days. This isn't a replay: Geoff Blum drove in the winning run in a 2-1 Astros win over the Cubs. Yes, he did it last night, too. This afternoon it took until the bottom of the 13th inning instead of the bottom of the ninth. Blum likes these sorts of heroics in Houston -- you may remember that he won game 3 of the 2005 World series for the White Sox with a 14th inning home run, the only hit he had that entire postseason. Blum isn't really a 'Cub-killer', either, though it feels that way after the last two days; the definition of such is a guy who doesn't do much against anyone else, but when it comes to beating the Cubs, he has a knack for key hits or hits much better aga

Terry Campese is facing the sack as NSW five-eighth, with Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen poised to be called up for the do-or-die State of Origin clash at Homebush on Wednesday week.

In this 2000 photo, Richard Quick was at Stanford in the same year he coached U.S. Olympic swimmers at the Summer Games in Sydney.

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP Please have a better day today, Kosuke. Browse more photos » The last time the Cubs played a weekday afternoon game in Houston was August 16, 2006, one of the most memorable games of that misbegotten season. If the date doesn't ring a bell, read on: it was the day after an 18-inning game the night before had forced the Cubs to call up Ryan O'Malley from Iowa. O'Malley pitched eight shutout innings in his ML debut and the Cubs won 1-0 on a Michael Barrett home run. (Amusement value in the Cubs' starting lineup from both of those games.) Incidentally, if you've wondered what ever happened to O'Malley, he was recently hired as a minor league pitching coach in the Texas Rangers organization. Random stat note: today's Houston starter, Russ Ortiz, ranks third-worst among all active pitchers in walks per nine innings. Only Oliver Perez and Ron Villone are worse. More on Ortiz below the pitcher box. Been wondering why Derrek Lee has suddenly

Whether yoursquo;re a fan of big boys manchester united, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal, a season-ticket holder with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester City, a frustrated devotee of Newcastle United, Sunderland or Middlesbrough, supporter of all things Everton, Fulham, Wigan, Portsmouth or a lover of Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City or Burnley yoursquo;ll always have an opinion on the sport.co.ukrsquo;s daily tittle-tattle round-up. Chelsea have reportedly offered Valencia a bigger sum than Real Madrid...

The last time the Rockies were on a winning streak this long, its momentum carried them into the World series. Colorado, winners of seven straight, wrap a three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at Miller Park.

Former US swim coach Richard Quick, who won 13 NCAA titles with three schools during a career that spanned four decades, has died of cancer. He was 66. Auburn, where Richard Quick worked in his final...