A Sports Filled Weekend It Was

Good weekend for baseball. The hardest part is where to start?

How about with the Boston Red Sox, who won their sixth in a row by beating the Chicago White Sox 6-3? The Sox lead the New York Yankees in the American League East by three games.

How about the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won their fourth in a row by 8-0 over the New York Mets in a combined one-hitter? The Dodgers lead the National League West by 15 ½ games over the Colorado Rockies.

And then there are the Houston Astros. Down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Astros capped a four-run rally with Juan Centeno’s walk-off RBI single for a stunning 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros lead the AL West by 15 games over the Seattle Mariners.

On a far less cheery note: Darren Daulton, the popular catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies when they won the 1993 National League pennant, died Sunday at 55 after a long battle with brain cancer. He was a three-time All-Star.

NASCAR: Martin Truex Jr. rang up his fourth NASCAR Monster Energy Cup victory on Sunday, winning at Watkins Glen, N.Y. Truex’s crew had him conserve fuel in the latter stages of the race and two other contenders had to pit. Truex then held off Matt Kenseth for the win.

ELSEWHERE: A funeral mass and memorial service were held in South Bend, Indiana, for former Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian, who died last week at 94. Parseghian coached Notre Dame to two national titles in 11 seasons. … Hideki Matsuyama shot a 9-under 61 on Sunday to win the WGC-Bridgestone. He entered Sunday’s final round two shots off the pace. He closed with three straight birdies on Sunday to tie the course record. … The Miami Dolphins, somewhat in desperation over quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s knee injury, agreed to terms on one-year, $10 million contract with the retired Jay Cutler. … The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, held its induction ceremonies on Saturday night. The newest members: Running backs LaDanian Tomlinson and Terrell Davis, defensive end Jason Taylor, quarterback Kurt Warner, kicker Morten Andersen, safety Kenny Easley and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman