home with the winning run when Salvador Perez grounded a single just

NEW YORK, N.Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end.Kershaw became the first pitcher to win the National League MVP award since Bob Gibson in 1968, coasting to an easy victory Thursday.A little bit of shock, honestly, the Dodgers ace said on a conference call. I guess I never really anticipated to win that.A day after unanimously taking the NL Cy Young Award, Kershaw completed a Los Angeles sweep. A little earlier, Angels outfielder Mike Trout was a unanimous pick for the AL MVP.Trout had been blanked in his bid the past two years, finishing second both times to Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera. The 23-year-old Trout was the youngest unanimous MVP pick in major league history.Just anxious throughout the day, Trout said of the waiting period. I knew the experience I had the last two years. It helped me with it.Trout, the MVP of the All-Star game in July, and Kershaw both led their teams to West division titles. In August, they finally faced each in a regular-season game — Trout singled, doubled and struck out looking at Dodger Stadium.Someday, they hope to meet in October.I think in the future were going to contend for the World Series, year in and year out, Kershaw said.To do that, they want to improve in the playoffs. Kershaw went 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA against St. Louis in the Division Series, leaving him 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in the post-season.The MVP and Cy Young prizes dont take the sting away of what happened in the playoffs, Kershaw said.Trout went 1 for 12 in a three-game sweep by Kansas City in his first playoff try.Its tough to do. You have all these expectations, you want to do so good, he said.The awards voting was completed by the end of the regular season.Kershaw breezed past Miami bopper Giancarlo Stanton and Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen to become Most Valuable Player.While Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander won the AL MVP in 2011, no one on the NL side had done it for nearly a half-century.There was plenty of everyday player-vs.-pitcher MVP debate before this announcement. Kershaw had acknowledged there are so many people out there who dont think a pitcher should win.But the 26-year-old lefty again dominated the hitters — Kershaw led the majors in wins and ERA while going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA and throwing a no-hitter.Kershaw got 18 of 30 first-place votes and 355 points in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He drew nine second-place votes, one third and pair of fourths.To be a pitcher and win the MVP, its pretty awesome, he said.Stanton got eight first-place ballots and 298 points. He led the NL with 37 homers and was second with 105 RBIs, and missed the last 17 games for the fourth-place Marlins after being hit in the face by a fastball.McCutchen got four firsts and 271 points in his bid to win the award for the second straight year. He hit .314 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs for the wild-card Pirates.Six AL pitchers have won the MVP since Gibson took it for the Cardinals.Before Gibson, seven pitchers had won the NL MVP, a list that includes Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Carl Hubbell and Dizzy Dean.The AL MVP has been won 12 times by pitchers, starting when it was first presented in 1931 to Lefty Grove.Kershaw won the major league season opener in Australia on March 22, then missed more than a month when a strained upper back put him on the disabled list.Featuring sharp breaking pitches, Kershaw came back to win his second straight NL Cy Young and third in four years.Kershaw led the big leagues in complete games and was best among starters in strikeouts per nine innings and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning).The four-time All-Star struck out 239 in 198 1-3 innings. On June 18, he threw the first no-hitter of his career, at Dodger Stadium against Colorado.Trout received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points. Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez was second with 229 points and Cleveland outfielder Michael Brantley third with 185.Trout hit .287 and set career highs in home runs (36) and RBIs (111) while leading the major leagues in runs with 115 and extra-base hits with 84. In his third full season, he matched his bests in doubles (39) and triple (nine).The powers definitely up, he said. Getting a little older and a little stronger.Other numbers also changed. He led the AL with 184 strikeouts and his stolen bases dropped to 16.Trout was a unanimous pick as the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and was second in MVP voting to Cabrera in both of his first two full seasons, 81 points back in 2012 and 103 points behind last year.Trout is the fifth-youngest MVP, STATS said. Vida Blue (1971), Johnny Bench (1970) and Stan Musial (1943) were 22 and Cal Ripken Jr. (1983) was a younger 23.Kershaw and Trout won the last of baseballs major post-season awards.Just in time, too. Pitchers and catchers are due at spring training in only 98 days. Discount Puma Shoes . The photograph shows Parker and a French comedian making a gesture known in France as a "quenelle," which critics describe as inverted Nazi salute. Parker said in a statement released through the Spurs that the photograph was taken three years ago. Parker, who was born in Belgium but raised in France, said he didnt know at the time that "it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Puma Clearance Sale . - Jerome Verrier scored the winner 8:24 into overtime and Louis-Phillip Guindon stopped 46 shots as the Drummondville Voltigeurs edged the host Val-dOr Foreurs 4-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. http://www.wholesalepumaireland.com/ . Villa has already confirmed his short-term deal and the Daily Mirror reported early Tuesday that Lampard will join him as both build up match fitness ahead of moves to the new Major League Soccer franchise New York City. Puma Ireland Online . - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but good problems right now. Wholesale Puma Shoes Free Shipping . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed.Baseball has had a history of one-game playoffs dating to Clevelands 8-3 victory over Boston at Fenway Park to win the 1948 American League pennant. A look back at five of the best.1978YANKEES 5, RED SOX 4In a game that still stings in New England, the Yankees and Red Sox met at Fenway for the AL East title after both finishing 99-63.Boston built a 2-0 lead against Ron Guidry on Carl Yastrzemskis second-inning homer and Jim Rices sixth-inning RBI single. New York went ahead in the seventh when Bucky Dent lofted a flyball off Mike Torrez into the screen over the Green Monster in left for a three-run homer and Thurman Munson added an RBI double against Bob Stanley. Reggie Jacksons eighth-inning home run made it 5-2, but the Red Sox closed in the bottom half when Carl Yastrzemski and Fred Lynn singled in runs off Goose Gossage. Boston put two on with one out in the ninth before Gossage retired Jim Rice on a flyout and Yastrzemski on a popout.Its a shame that this is not the World Series, that our series is not seven games and when were finished with each other that the season then isnt over, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was quoted as saying in The Boston Globe. We are the two best teams in baseball.1908MERKLES BONERCUBS 4, GIANTS 2The New York Giants and Chicago Cubs met with identical 98-55 records on Oct. 8 to replay a 1-1 tie on Sept. 23 caused by Merkles Boner. With the teams tied with two outs in the ninth inning at the Polo Grounds and runners at the corners on Sept. 23, Al Bridwell lined the ball to right field for an apparent single that sent McCormick home. But, seeing fans running on the field, Merkle never advanced to second.Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers attempted to touch second a€” it was never clear whether he had the ball that was in play or used another a€” and plate umpire Hank ODay called a forceout. With the field still filled with fans, ODay called the game because of darkness. The NL upheld ODays decision and ordered a replay, which the Cubs won 4-2 behind a four-run third on Johnny Klings run-scoring single, Frank Schultes RBI double and Frank Chances two-run double.2007ROCKIES 9, PADRES 8, 13 INNINGSColorado and San Diego tied for the NL wild card at 89-73, causing a one-game playoff in Denver.Scott Hairstons two-run homer against Jorge Julio put the Padres ahead 8-6 in the 13th. Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki, who had four hits, hit consecutive doubles off Trevor Hoffman in the bottom half, and Matt Holliday tied the score with a two-run triple off the right-field wall.Todd Helton was intentionally walked, annd Jamey Carroll flied out to Brian Giles in short right.dddddddddddd Giles throw home bounced in front of catcher Michael Barrett, who couldnt hold on as Holliday swiped the plate, then lay face-down after cutting his chin with his headfirst slide. Umpire Tim McClelland made a delayed safe call, and replays were inconclusive on whether Holliday touched the plate with his left hand or was blocked by Barretts left foot.The ump said I was safe, Holliday said. I dont remember. But I hit my chin pretty good. I got stepped on and banged my chin. Im all right.2014ROYALS 9, ATHLETICS 8, 12 INNINGSOne game wild card post-season playoffs started in 2012. The first to go extra innings was Oaklands game at Kansas City a€” the first playoff game hosted by the Royals since they won the 1985 World Series.Oakland built a 7-3 lead in a five-run sixth on Brandon Moss three-run homer off rookie Yordano Ventura, who had just relieved starter James Shields, and RBI singles by Derek Norris and Coco Crisp against Kelvin Herrera.Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth and tied the score at 7 in the ninth on Nori Aokis sacrifice fly off Sean Doolittle, but Alberto Callaspos 12th-inning RBI single put the Athletics back ahead. Eric Hosmer tripled against Dan Otero with one out in the bottom half and scored on Christian Colons infield single a€” a high chopper to third. Colon stole second with two outs and came home with the winning run when Salvador Perez grounded a single just under the glove of diving third baseman Josh Donaldson.This will go down as the craziest game Ive ever played, Hosmer said. No one believed in us before the game. No one believed in us before the season.2009TWINS 6, TIGERS 5, 12 INNINGSDetroit lost three of its last four scheduled games while Minnesota won four in a row, wasting a three-game AL Central lead and leaving the teams tied at 86-76. The Twins, who won 1-0 at Chicago in the 2008 division tiebreaker, trailed 3-0 and led 4-3 before Magglio Ordonezs leadoff homer in the eighth off Matt Guerrier.Brandon Inges RBI against Jesse Crain in the 10th was offset by Matt Tolberts one-out RBI single against Fernando Rodney in the bottom half. Detroit thought it went ahead in the 12th, but with the bases loaded plate umpire Randy Marsh ruled Inge was not hit by a pitch by Bobby Keppel. The replay appeared to show the pitch grazing Inges billowing uniform.Alexi Casilla then singled in the winning run against Rodney in the 12th.This is the most unbelievable game Ive ever played or seen, Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera said. ' ' '