Pro Sports

Blues slip past Islanders in shootout (03/12/10)
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- This was one point the St. Louis Blues couldn't let slip away. Fighting to get back into the Western Conference playoff race, the surging Blues found themselves in a shootout with the slumping New York Islanders. Then T.J. Oshie, Brad Boyes and goalie Chris Mason took care of business...

Cardinals rally for preseason victory (03/12/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Florida Marlins got another strong start from ace Josh Johnson but a bad ending from their closer Thursday. Johnson struck out four in three scoreless innings before the St. Louis Cardinals beat up on closer Leo Nunez during a five-run ninth for a 5-3 win...

Penny leads Cardinals past Nationals 6-4 (03/11/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- This type of outing was what St. Louis was hoping for when it signed Brad Penny to a $7.5 million, one-year contract in the offseason. Penny threw four shutout innings to help the Cardinals beat the winless Washington Nationals 6-4 on Wednesday...

Nebraska upsets MU in first round of Big 12 tournament (03/11/10)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Making fast-paced Missouri play Nebraska's brand of basketball was all it took to create a major upset in the Big 12 tournament. The 12th-seeded Huskers, who already had lost twice to the fifth-seeded Tigers, played perhaps their best game of the season and shocked Missouri with an early 16-1 spree en route to a 75-60 victory in the first round Wednesday...

Wainwright struggles in first spring start (03/10/10)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- On a tough day for the Minnesota Twins, third base prospect Danny Valencia provided something positive. Valencia hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, and the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Tuesday after learning All-Star closer Joe Nathan has a torn ligament in his throwing elbow...

Red Sox hand Cardinals 7-6 loss in exhibition play (03/09/10)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Josh Beckett made his second start of spring training, and Red Sox pitchers kept the St. Louis Cardinals hitless into the seventh inning. But it was Boston's young hitters who pulled out the win Monday. Che-Shuan Lin's one-out single in the ninth scored Josh Reddick after Reddick doubled in the tying run, and the Red Sox beat the Cardinals 7-6...

McClellan, Hill turn in solid outings in duel for starting spot (03/08/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals pitchers Kyle McClellan and Rich Hill, fighting for the same spot in the starting rotation, got off to a good start as St. Louis defeated Florida 7-4 on Sunday in exhibition action. McClellan set the pace with a sharp three innings before Hill allowed a run in his two innings...

Rams ink free agent quarterback Feeley (03/07/10)
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams have signed free agent A.J. Feeley as part of what could be a big shakeup at the quarterback position. Terms of the deal announced Saturday were not disclosed, but media reports said Feeley got a two-year contract...

Marlins send Cardinals to 6-5 loss (03/07/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Marlins ace Josh Johnson started earning his $39 million contract Saturday:~ Outfielder Colby Rasmus belted a home run in defeat He struck out Albert Pujols looking to end a perfect first inning. Making his first start since signing his four-year deal in January, Johnson allowed two earned runs in two innings in Florida's 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals...

Big 12 champ KU thwarts Mizzou for second time (03/07/10)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Chasing a loose ball, Marcus Morris collided with Marcus Denmon and fell backward. His head hit a courtside table with an audible thud, causing a quiet hush to come over the rowdy Missouri fans. Morris lay on the court for several minutes, then gingerly walked to the locker room amid respectful applause. He returned to finish up a double-double, and the second-ranked Jayhawks went on to beat rival Missouri 77-56 on Saturday...

Avalanche end Blues' five-game winning streak (03/07/10)
DENVER -- Chris Stewart completed his first NHL hat trick with a penalty shot, and Milan Hejduk scored twice in his return from a seven-week injury layoff to help the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 7-3 on Saturday night. Craig Anderson made 39 saves in his team-record 20th consecutive start for Colorado. The Avalanche beat St. Louis for the third time in three meetings this season, snapping the Blues' season-high five-game winning streak...

Cards surrender 17 runs in spring training opener (03/05/10)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jason Bay's debut was low key, but David Wright homered in his first at-bat and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 17-11 on Thursday. Bay, a former Red Sox left fielder, went 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout in his first game of the spring and first live action with the Mets since signing a four-year, $66 million contract in December...

Blues rout Stars 6-1 for fifth straight win (03/05/10)
DALLAS -- The St. Louis Blues are working on another late-season surge. Paul Kariya scored twice, combining with Brad Boyes for a pair of goals during a 17-second span of the first period, and the Blues extended their winning streak to a season-best five games with a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night...

Blues trade for two forwards (03/04/10)
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues acquired forwards Matt D'Agostini and Pierre-Cedric Labrie ahead of the NHL's trade deadline Wednesday. D'Agostini had two goals, two assists and 26 penalty minutes in 40 games for the Montreal Canadiens this season, and scored 12 goals with nine assists and 16 penalty minutes in 53 games in 2008-09. He was Montreal's sixth-round draft pick in 2005...

La Russa warns Rasmus against complacency (03/04/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has one suggestion for Colby Rasmus, his young, emerging center fielder: Do not get comfortable. "It's a tougher year," La Russa said Tuesday. "Last year he came like he wants to play in the big leagues. He didn't have a spot on the club. He had to work hard every day and play well and earn a spot...

Schumaker settles in at second base for Cardinals (03/04/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Skip Schumaker will be feeling a lot more comfortable when he takes his spot at second base for the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training opener today. Schumaker admitted the transition from the outfield last spring wasn't very smooth and at times he doubted the move would work...

Cards' Freese tries to put arrest behind him (03/02/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- The St. Louis Cardinals are pleased with the way David Freese has handled his personal issues. Freese was arrested in December outside of St. Louis on a drunken-driving charge. He apologized and still is slotted to be the team's third baseman this season...

Yadier Molina a big key for Cardinals' success (02/28/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- The St. Louis Cardinals know they're fortunate to have one of the best catchers in the league in Yadier Molina. Outside of Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins, it would be tough to find a better catcher the past two seasons after Molina's consecutive Gold Gloves and a batting average that has hovered around .300...

Felipe Lopez back in Cardinals' camp (02/28/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Felipe Lopez bounded into the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse following his early morning physical Saturday prepared to work in the batting cage before the rest of the squad took to the fields. He's that happy to be back with the Cardinals...

Blues hockey Janssen suspended 5 games for blind hit (02/26/10)
TORONTO -- St. Louis Blues forward Cam Janssen has been suspended five games without pay for a hit to the head on Washington's Matt Bradley, the league announced Thursday. Janssen was assessed a five-minute major after the blind hit on the Capitals forward during the first period of the Blues' 4-3 shootout victory Feb. 13...

McGwire's brother exposes slugger in book (02/26/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Mark McGwire was saddened to learn his estranged brother was writing a book that chronicled their use of performance-enhancing drugs. He was so upset by the breach of trust that he thinks reconciliation is out of the question. "I don't plan on ever seeing him again," Big Mac said Thursday...

Wainwright expects another winning season (02/25/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright never felt in sync last spring, struggling to find the perfect delivery. Then after a mediocre start, Wainwright huddled with pitching coach Dave Duncan, made a few tweaks and a Cy Young Award-type season was born...

Ryan is optimistic chronic problem is solved (02/24/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan figured the pain in his right wrist never was going away. He felt it in high school. He felt it early in his professional career. He felt it enough to force him to skip batting practice about half the time last season...

Cardinals excited about full season with Holliday (02/23/10)
JUPITER, Fla. -- Tony La Russa believes the St. Louis Cardinals could have won the National League Central without Matt Holliday last year. He concedes the finish likely would have been a lot tighter. "I'd like to think I helped the team win a few games," Holliday said Monday...

Cardinals players shed pounds (02/23/10)
Cards' training table fare gets healthier JUPITER, Fla. -- Pitcher Kyle McClellan and third baseman David Freese shed about 15 pounds apiece in the offseason. And they're not the only St. Louis Cardinals players looking a bit more svelte as a result this spring...