ANAHEIM (AP) — Mark Trumbo hit a game-ending homer to left, and the Los Angeles Angels overcame Jered Weaver’s first-inning injury exit for their seventh consecutive victory, a wild 9-8 win over the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Trumbo doubled and tripled before launching the final pitch from Cory Wade (0-1) into the stands.

Howie Kendrick and Kendrys Morales drove in three runs apiece for the Angels (25-25), who got back to .500 for the first time since April 9 while snapping the Yankees’ five-game winning streak.

Weaver left with an apparent lower-back injury after just 12 pitches, but Los Angeles’ lineup matched its season highs with nine runs and 15 hits, capped by Trumbo’s third game-winning homer of his young career.

Jordan Walden (2-1) finished the Angels’ nine-inning relief effort.

EL SEGUNDO  (AP) — If Dustin Brown stands up in the Los Angeles locker room before the Stanley Cup finals opener Wednesday night and delivers a stirring, emotional speech that would make Mark Messier proud, his teammates won’t know how to react.

“Well, he’s not a rah-rah guy,” veteran Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. “We don’t have too many of those guys in the room. But he knows how to lead, and he does it by example.”

Brown prefers showing to telling, whether it’s with a timely goal or a bruising hit. The Los Angeles captain’s playoff performance has demonstrated something quite clearly to the Kings: Behind his leadership they’re capable of winning the franchise’s first title.

Brown’s hard-hitting, high-scoring play has been the biggest revelation of the postseason for the eighth-seeded Kings, but his quantum leap forward began during the regular season. Brown’s run of stellar play started right after he was prominently featured in trade-deadline rumors linking him to Toronto and beyond, forcing the forward to wonder whether he would have to move his young family away from his only NHL team.

“Of course it’s concerning to you, but I tried to just concentrate on what I could control,” said Brown, the NHL’s third-leading postseason scorer. “I just focused on hockey and getting this team to the playoffs, because I felt like we had a team that could do a lot if we got there and started playing together. We felt like we owed it to the fans here to take a shot instead of worrying.”

The Kings’ long-suffering fans are always near the forefront of Brown’s mind when he discusses this playoff run. He realizes Los Angeles has enjoyed only one previous run to the final in 45 years of existence, and he learned all about the Kings’ paltry playoff success when he logged 431 regular-season games with the franchise before reaching his first postseason two years ago.

“This is the most successful we’ve been, but it’s not where we want to end up,” Brown said.

With 16 points in just 14 games, Brown’s scoring has sparked the Kings, but his physical play has been even more decisive. Critics call him a dirty player, decrying his emphatic checks and occasional open-ice hits, but his teammates say he’s brilliant at toeing the line of legality.

He exemplified that play in the Kings’ clinching victory of the Western Conference finals when he leveled Phoenix’s Michal Rozsival at the blue line a moment after the play was whistled dead. Rozsival needed help getting to the locker room, and the Coyotes protested loudly — but Brown didn’t get a penalty, and Dustin Penner scored the series-winning goal on the ensuing shift.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan chirped at Brown in the handshake line, and Doan’s teammates berated Brown after the game. NHL discipline chief Brendan Shanahan didn’t even feel the hit warranted a hearing, much less supplemental discipline.

Even those who insist Brown goes too far must acknowledge he’s great at playing on the edge.

“You’ve got to try to go after guys, get guys off their game,” Brown said. “You’ve got to find a way. If they’re trying to go after me, that’s good for us. I try to be hard on their top guys, and they try the same with us, but you’ve got to be better at it.”

Brown is willing to take punishment as well: Phoenix’s Martin Hanzal boarded Brown in Game 2 of the conference finals, keeping the big forward out of Los Angeles’ victory in Game 3 under suspension. Opponents routinely attempt to respond to Brown’s fury with extracurricular hits, but the captain nearly always curbs his temper and avoids retaliation.

In a game with as much pushing, shoving and after-the-whistle goonery as the NHL playoffs, that’s a remarkable achievement.

“Probably the most frustrating thing he does out of everything is when somebody will try to get him to fight and he just skates away,” linemate Justin Williams said. “I know from firsthand experience that that can drive some guys crazy. He’s all about playing to the whistle and playing right on the edge, but none of that other stuff, which I admire.”

Brown began the playoffs splendidly, with four goals in the first three games of a five-game ouster of Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver. Although Brown has never scored more than 60 points in an NHL regular season, he has remained a steady point contributor in the playoffs despite increased attention from defenses.

Brown’s leadership role isn’t confined to the ice, either. On the road, he rooms with Drew Doughty, calling himself the rambunctious 22-year-old defenseman’s chaperone.

It seems to be a comfortable role for Brown, who’s just 27 himself. He and his wife, Nicole, already have three sons and a comfortable life in Los Angeles, where he lives nearly year-round. He also spends time around Ithaca, N.Y., where he grew up and learned the game before a three-year stint with the OHL’s Guelph Storm.

Los Angeles drafted Brown in the first round in 2003 and promoted him to the NHL immediately, but he didn’t stick with the Kings until 2005. He got a lengthy contract extension in 2007 and the captaincy in October 2008, a month before his 24th birthday.

A Stanley Cup ring would set him apart among captains in Kings history — a list that includes Dave Taylor, Rob Blake and Wayne Gretzky.

“I think he’s been the same guy since I got here,” said defenseman Rob Scuderi, who joined the Kings in 2009. “Certainly with some playoff experience, I think that over the past few years he’s really taken a more active role in his responsibility of trying to set the tone and trying to set the pace for our team. I think he’s done an excellent job.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Shaun Marcum (3-3) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, struck out nine and walked two to end a two-game skid.

John Axford pitched the ninth and earned his eighth save in nine chances. He put the potential tying run on first by walking pinch-hitter Ivan De Jesus Jr., who went to second on a wild pitch before Elian Herrera struck out to end the game.

Ramirez homered leading off the fourth in his return to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised left elbow.

Aaron Harang (3-3) gave up three runs — one earned — and four hits in five-plus innings, while striking out four and walking three.

ANAHEIM  (AP) — Los Angeles Angels ace Jered Weaver left his start against the Yankees in the first inning Monday night after apparently injuring his back while pitching.

Weaver gave up two hits and a run in his first three batters before pulling up awkwardly after pitching to cleanup hitter Robinson Cano.

Weaver walked around the mound and eventually attempted to throw a warmup pitch that didn’t have much zip, and he went to the Angels’ clubhouse with their training staff. The Angels eventually announced Weaver apparently has a lower-back injury.

Weaver began the night 6-1 with a 2.61 ERA, second in the AL in victories. Any extended absence could be disastrous for the Angels, whose touted starting rotation hasn’t been impressive beyond Weaver’s steady play.

The right-hander was making his first start at Angel Stadium since throwing a no-hitter May 2 in Anaheim against Minnesota. Weaver was 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA at home this season.

Weaver went 18-8 with a 2.41 ERA last season, making his second All-Star team and finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting.

Derek Jeter led off with a single against Weaver. He advanced to second on Curtis Granderson’s single and then scored when Erick Aybar booted Alex Rodriguez’s grounder.

After Weaver left, reliever Bobby Cassevah struck out Cano, but walked Mark Teixeira and allowed Raul Ibanez’s sacrifice fly. Rodriguez scored another Yankees run when Cassevah made a poor throw to first base, allowing Nick Swisher to reach.

Cassevah retired Russell Martin on a bases-loaded flyout to end the inning with the Angels down 3-0.

Los Angeles returned from a 10-game road trip on a six-game winning streak, while the Yankees had won five in a row.

ALBUQUERQUE (CBS) – Matt Kemp was a triple away from hitting for the cycle on Monday at ‘AAA’ Albuquerque, as the All-Star played his second and final rehab game for the Isotopes.

Kemp is expected to be activated in time for Tuesday’s Dodger game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kemp is hitting .357 with 12 homers for the Dodgers this season.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Steve Johnson is ready for a break from tennis. His body could sure use the rest.

“It was killing me to serve, and I’ve had this shin issue for six weeks that no one’s really known about,” the Southern California star said. “I was trying to pull through it and have an incredible training staff to keep me out there on the court every day.”

Johnson won his second straight NCAA singles title Monday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kentucky’s Eric Quigley.

The tournament’s No. 1 seed ended his college career with 72 consecutive victories, finishing the season 32-0. But Johnson’s title run the last few days was hardly easy. He played with a strained abdomen and shin splints and overcame a bout of food poisoning.

By leading USC over Virginia in last week’s team final, Johnson became the first men’s singles champion to help his school win four straight team titles.

“It’s kind of a special way to end your college career with a win,” he said. “It’s something I’ll look back the rest of my life and never forget.

The third-seeded Quigley ended his year at 54-8, the best in school history.

Johnson broke serve to lead 5-4 in the first set and 4-3 in the second. He dropped to his knees in celebration after Quigley’s shot went deep on match point.

“I thought I was right in there.” Quigley said. “Served pretty well except for a couple of points in some games I got broke in. I got some looks on his serves, but he just came up with some big serves to hold.

Johnson won his semifinal Sunday over Stanford’s Bradley Klahn, the 2010 singles champion, in straight sets. But his pain was bad enough that he had to retire from the doubles quarterfinals Saturday even though he and Roberto Quiroz were leading a Texas Tech duo 6-3, 3-2.

Johnson began hurting even more earlier Saturday during his quarterfinals win over Virginia’s Alex Domijan. It was his ninth straight day of playing and marked the only set he lost in the singles tournament.

“He’s got a shin issue that’s turning into a stress fracture and against Domijan he hurt his ab, and that just kept getting worse and worse,” USC coach Peter Smith said. “I knew if he could see the finish line, he’d get through it because that’s the kind of kid he is.”

Johnson, who plans to rest the next few weeks before training for the U.S. Open, could tell Quigley was anxious during some decisive moments.

“I think I was able to handle the bigger points well,” Johnson said. “I don’t know, Eric was nervous or tight or uptight at all, but when it came time to win the big points, I think he got a little tentative and I was able to kind of be aggressive and take it from him.”

Quigley, who twice lost to Johnson during their college careers, was stunned by the accuracy of his opponent’s serve. Quigley said he didn’t know Johnson was in pain, particularly when bending his back on a second serve.

“I think his nerves and his ability to come up with some great shots at big moments makes him pretty special,” Quigley said. “His serve — I think he can put it on a dime. I think he did it several times today.”

Kentucky coach Dennis Emery said he considers Johnson the most productive player in men’s college history.

“To me, I think that’s a much bigger accolade,” Emery said. “It’s the biggest compliment I think you can give somebody is to talk about their character and their productivity.”

The Texas Tech-Ohio State doubles final was delayed because of rain and moved inside at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

ANAHEIM  (AP) — Torii Hunter was blindsided by the news his teenage son had been arrested. On the flight back home to Texas two weeks ago, he went through a litany of emotions — confusion, guilt, fear.

The Los Angeles Angels’ right fielder and clubhouse leader had to be a dad, shelving his high-paying job on the West Coast for more important duties. He’s ready to return to baseball, but only because he’s confident his son will be all right.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot for baseball, but I’m not sacrificing my family,” Hunter said. “I love them more than baseball, and I love this game.”

Hunter rejoined the Los Angeles Angels on Monday after a 14-game absence. The veteran outfielder didn’t come off the Angels’ restricted list before they opened a three-game series with the New York Yankees, but Hunter thinks he’ll be ready to play soon.

Hunter left the Angels on May 14, a few hours after 17-year-old Darius McClinton-Hunter was arrested in a sexual assault case in Prosper, Texas, the upscale Dallas suburb where the Hunter family lives.

Hunter is a long-distance father for most of the year. His wife stays with their three teenage sons, Darius, Torii Jr., and Monshadrik “Money” Hunter, who are finishing their junior years at Prosper High. All three are expected to be Division I football prospects.

On that flight home, Hunter wondered about his own culpability in his son’s trouble. He has tried to be an attentive father with a disciplinarian streak, saying he doesn’t hesitate to “whoop” his kids, but just isn’t around them for much of the year.

“I thought, man, I wish I could have been here, not just four months (in the winter),” Hunter said. “I wish I could be there 12 months and be in their lives, and none of this would happen, and this and that. I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know the stories, anything like that. It took me a couple of days to get the story. Once we got the truth to come out, I felt better about it.”

Although Hunter tried to restrain himself from discussing the legal aspects of his son’s case while sitting in the Angels’ dugout, the loquacious outfielder couldn’t resist declaring that much about the police’s investigation doesn’t add up. For example, Prosper police said its five arrests followed a monthlong investigation, but Hunter claims the alleged assault happened only a week before his son’s detainment.

“Can’t really talk about much,” Hunter said. “I’m not a no-commenter. You know I want to tell you everything, but I can’t do it. I’ve got to let the justice system play its part, and let my attorneys do what they have to do, and hopefully this thing gets dropped, but we’re ready to go to court no matter what.

“I don’t wish this on any father out there,” he added. “I know a lot of fathers have been through it, but I don’t wish this on anybody, to see your son go through this. All the embarrassment, all the lies that are out there — don’t always believe what you read, because it’s not even close. But it’s a lot better.”

Hunter spent the last two weeks with his family, making time almost every day to watch the Angels on television. Los Angeles is 9-5 without Hunter, climbing out of last place heading into a key homestand against the Yankees and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.

The Angels didn’t hesitate to allow Hunter to take an indefinite leave. General manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia checked in with the veteran almost daily during his absence.

“That decision wasn’t tough at all,” Scioscia said. “We all love this game and understand the sense of duty you have to this game, but there’s things you have to handle with your family.”

Even when outfielders Vernon Wells and Ryan Langerhans got hurt during Hunter’s absence, the Angels didn’t rush him back. Hunter thought about rushing himself when Langerhans ran into an outfield wall in San Diego, but his wife wouldn’t allow it.

Hunter took his son to the movies last weekend and was pleased to see Darius’ first smiles in nearly two weeks when they saw “The Avengers.” McClinton-Hunter has been recruited as a receiver by several schools, and the elder Hunter said Utah and Texas Tech already have contacted the family to say they’re still interested in Darius.

Torii Hunter is prepared to return to Texas if his son’s case proceeds through the justice system, but he’s eager to get back to his game as well.

“They all seemed like they were a lot better,” Hunter said. “My wife can handle the situation. My attorneys can handle the situation. My three boys, they’re very upbeat. We were talking a lot. Through all this stuff, my family and I, we got a little closer.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The Rangers are another team in the mix for the 34-year-old.

Oswalt was 9-10 last season with Philadelphia and posted an ERA of 3.69.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers have placed left-hander Ted Lilly on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, a move retroactive to Thursday.

It is Lilly’s second stint on the DL after he missed the first eight games of the season because of a stiff neck.

He is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA in eight starts. He last pitched last Wednesday at Arizona, allowing eight runs, nine hits while five walks in 3 1-3 innings.

Los Angeles recalled left-hander Michael Antonini from Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday. The 26-year-old was with the Dodgers from April 24-25 but didn’t make an appearance and is 1-2 with a 5.31 ERA in eight starts and one relief appearance with the Isotopes.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Appointments are required to donate platelets and can be made by calling (323) 361-2441 or emailing blooddonorcenter@chla.usc.edu. Appointments are available at 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily throughout the drive. Donating takes about two hours.

The requirements for donating platelets are the same as for donating blood. People who have taken aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs in the previous 48 hours are not allowed to donate.

Platelets are the cells in blood that help to form clotting and avoid excessive bleeding. Patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment and those who have had a bone marrow transplant have especially low platelet counts and can easily lose blood. Platelet donations are in high demand for children undergoing these treatments.

One donor will receive a hockey puck signed by Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown.

Additional information about what has been dubbed as “Platelets for Playoffs” is available on the playoff portion of the Kings’ website, lakings.com/playoffs, or the hospital’s website, chla.org.

Similar drives during the first three rounds of the playoffs drew 121 donors, helping nearly 350 children, according to Jeff Moeller, the Kings’ senior director of communications.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jerry Hairston Jr. got a career-high five hits, Chris Capuano won again and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 5-1.

Matt Treanor put the Dodgers ahead for good with a home run in the fourth inning that deflected off center fielder Justin Maxwell’s glove as he made a leaping attempt in left-center field.

Capuano (7-1) pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and struck out eight.

Tony Gwynn Jr. chipped in with a pair of RBI singles as the NL West leaders won for the sixth time in eight games despite missing injured regulars Matt Kemp, Mark Ellis, Juan Uribe and Juan Rivera.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

SEATTLE (AP) — Kendrys Morales had three hits, including a home run, scored twice and drove in two runs to help the Los Angeles Angels complete their first four-game road sweep of the Seattle Mariners in 27 years with a 4-2 victory Sunday.

C.J. Wilson (6-4) earned the win, allowing two hits and one run before leaving after six innings with a blister on his left hand.

Jordan Walden, Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs covered for him over the final three innings. Downs picked up his fifth save.

The Angels have won season-high six straight games, the longest current streak in the majors. They last swept the Mariners in four games here from April 25-28, 1985.

Morales and Mark Trumbo each hit solo home runs off Mariners starter Hector Noesi (2-6).

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

EL SEGUNDO  (AP) — Somewhere in Marty McSorley’s home in Hermosa Beach is a hockey stick with a blade that’s curved at least a quarter-inch more than the legal limit.

The longtime NHL tough guy doesn’t keep the most infamous stick in Los Angeles Kings history on display, saying it’s not important enough. He’s probably correct: The stick’s proper place is near the billy goat, the Bambino, the cover of the Madden NFL video game and every other supposed curse-carrying item in sports history.

That stick, and McSorley’s resulting penalty for using it, turned the 1993 Stanley Cup finals in favor of the Montreal Canadiens, who knocked off the Kings in Los Angeles’ only previous trip to the finals before this season. The Kings will take their second shot at their first NHL title starting Wednesday at New Jersey.

McSorley has grown weary of talking about that Game 2 disappointment over the past 19 years, yet he also believes the full story of the Canadiens’ skullduggery isn’t known. He hopes the current Kings’ run will help fans finally straighten out their bad feelings about the illegal curve, which gets far too much attention, he insists.

“I think there’s been a degree of sensationalism, a big degree of sensationalism, and I don’t think there’s been a lot of honesty,” McSorley said Sunday. “Did I have an illegal stick? Yes, I did. Did I stand up after the fact and say, ‘Listen, I had an illegal stick?’ Yes, I did. The things that have transpired since then, I don’t think there has been a lot of honesty.”

McSorley quickly makes it clear he’s referring to the widespread belief that the biggest penalty in Kings history was the result of an inside job.

As the much-disputed story goes on Los Angeles’ side of it, the Canadiens did a sneaky investigation of the Kings’ sticks earlier in the series when Los Angeles’ portable stick rack was in Montreal’s locker room — or maybe when the Kings just weren’t looking. Habs coach Jacques Demers knew exactly which sticks to challenge at a key moment, violating all sorts of unwritten codes about sportsmanship and trade secrets.

“I think that (then-Kings coach) Barry Melrose, I think that Luc Robitaille, (former Kings trainer) Peter Demers, different guys around, have basically said what happened,” McSorley said. “We all know they basically pulled the stick rack into their locker room. That’s honest and that’s frank. Am I sitting here complaining? No. But that is what happened. Is it disappointing for me? Yes.”

The Canadiens have long denied it, with Demers crediting captain Guy Carbonneau for spotting McSorley’s illegal stick on the ice. The Kings hear otherwise: Robitaille says he was told by a Montreal policeman that the Canadiens checked out the Kings’ sticks on the sly, while McSorley says he has heard from “three or four” former Canadiens over the years who say they knew of five or six Kings sporting illegal sticks.

“That was an awfully gutsy call without having any information,” McSorley said, laughing.

However Montreal got its info, Demers used it at the perfect time. Los Angeles had won Game 1 in Montreal and was up 2-1 in Game 2 with 1:45 to play when Demers called for a measurement. With McSorley serving his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Demers pulled goalie Patrick Roy, setting up Eric Desjardins’ 6-on-4 tying goal. Desjardins scored again early in overtime, and the Canadiens roared through the following three games to claim the Cup.

McSorley readily acknowledges his stick violated the rules, yet he insists he didn’t make it that way: That’s how the sticks arrived from the factory, and other players used the same curve without ever getting penalized. In fact, McSorley says he used sticks with the same curve in the next two finals games with no penalty.

“I think we kind of treated it, at that time, as almost George Brett’s pine-tar (bat),” McSorley said, referring to the infamous 1983 controversy around Brett’s ninth-inning homer at Yankee Stadium, which was erased by a technicality and subsequently restored. “That’s kind of how we treated it. To make a call like that is really, really gutsy. To find out later that they knew, and how they knew, was really, really disappointing.”

McSorley still hears about the stick and the penalty when he appears with Kings alumni. He blames the media for keeping the story alive, yet most Kings fans acknowledge they don’t need the help — there’s even a blog named after McSorley’s stick.

Other fans postulate that Montreal has been hit by a curse every bit as sticky as the Kings’ problems. The Habs haven’t won a championship since raising the Stanley Cup for the 24th time that season, not even making the finals again — and no Canadian team has won the Cup since 1993.

Although McSorley’s broadcasting work regularly takes him to Canada, the Ontario native still lives by the beach with his wife, a former pro volleyball player, and their three young children, including a 3-year-old son who wears his Kings jersey constantly and plays hockey with his dad.

A regular at Staples Center, McSorley is enjoying the Kings’ playoff run every bit as much as his son is.

“It’s a great time for us as alumni to come back,” McSorley said. “We do feel partly responsible, in a really good way. We believe that we’ve helped to grow the fan base and part of the history of this team. That’s a great, great feeling. … It validates to people outside L.A. how strong hockey is here. People are ravenous here for tickets right now.”

He’s also hoping a championship banner would reduce that stick in his closet to a twig in Kings lore.

“If it went to bed, I’m fine with that,” McSorley said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format.

The schools in the Bruins region will be announced on Monday at 9am PST  .

UCLA swept USC on  Sunday to complete a 42-14 regular season, and a share of the Pac-12 title.

But why DeBoer? In three seasons with Florida, he could not push the Panthers into the postseason once.

“You have to go through ups and downs,” Lamoriello said on July 19, 2011, after introducing DeBoer. “I think what he went through (in Florida) just made him a better coach. And I felt that in the conversations we had – because of the questions that were asked – the answers that were given were open, down to earth and honest.”

Some 10 months later, DeBoer has more than answers. He has results. After leading New Jersey to 102 points in the regular season and placing the Devils back in the playoffs after missing the tournament last year for the first time since 1996, DeBoer calmly quarterbacked the organization’s fifth run to the Stanley Cup finals.

And the path taken is what will be a lasting memory not only within this proud organization, but for the fans as well. Win or lose against Los Angeles in the finals, which open with Game 1 here on Wednesday night, DeBoer’s first three playoff series victories will be etched in minds for a long time.

“These moments you enjoy,” said DeBoer, whose team will have home-ice advantage for the first time this postseason against the Kings. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first year or your fifth year. So, you don’t get picky when these opportunities come along. You enjoy every minute of it, as much as you can, because it’s awful tough to get here.”

No one knows that more than DeBoer. In Round 1, he had to defeat the Panthers, a team that fired him less than a year before. It took seven games, and New Jersey had to rally from 3-2 down to do so, but the Devils did indeed outlast the Panthers.

In the second round, all New Jersey had to do was defeat Philadelphia, a rival who had won the last two series against the Devils and one that was coming off a convincing six-game victory over Pittsburgh in Round 1. New Jersey dropped Game 1, but never looked back. Four games later, the Devils were shaking hands with the rival Flyers, and were off to the conference finals.

And then in Round 3, DeBoer battled Rangers coach John Tortorella across the benches and in the media. New Jersey again lost Game 1, and was shut out twice, but dominated for long stretches of play and capped off a proud series victory over its biggest rival with an overtime win in Game 6 on Friday night.

Three series. Three wins. None of which came with the home-ice edge.

“Honored,” DeBoer said simply after that Game 6 win, when asked his feelings after being offered the job by Lamoriello. “I mean, I was out of work last June. And July, I got a call from a Hall of Fame general manager who recognized some of the work I had done in Florida, and gave me a chance to work with a group of guys that have a great blend of veteran presence. They know how to win and they had a lot of great young players coming through.

“So I’m fortunate to be sitting here. It could have been a number of different candidates that he talked to, and I’m thankful that I got the opportunity.”

He’s made the most of it. The Devils landed the No. 6 seed in the East after scoring 228 goals. He saw three forwards – Ilya Kovalchuk (37), Zach Parise (31) and David Clarkson (30) – reach 30 tallies. He turned center Adam Henrique, who has two overtime winners this postseason, into a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the league’s top rookie. And he delicately balanced the veteran goaltending tandem of Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg.

Brodeur, 40, a career Devil who is seeking his fourth Stanley Cup title, has played in every playoff game and has been sharp, partly due to the fact that he had rest during the season. Hedberg appeared in 27 regular-season games, in fact. He started 23 of them and won 17.

“You know, this is a resilient group,” DeBoer said. “We’ve just been getting better and better. Just like our season, we talked about a slow build. So, we’re trending in the right direction, and I think we’re playing our best hockey right now.”

Just the way Lamoriello drew it up.

The Dodgers’ 11th victory in 15 games improved the best record in the majors to 31-15 and extended their NL West lead over San Francisco to a season-high 7 1-2 games – the largest margin in any division.

Wesley Wright (0-1) opened the ninth by hitting Andre Ethierwith an 0-2 pitch. Scott Van Slyke batted for reliever Kenley Jansen (4-0) and advanced Ethier with a sacrifice bunt.Wilton Lopez intentionally walked James Loney, and Ellis drove a 1-1 pitch into the left-field pavilion for his fifth homer.

Jansen pitched 1 1-3 innings for the victory. The right-hander came in with two-out in the eighth, trying to protect a 3-2 lead for Chad Billingsley after Ronald Belisario issued a pair of two-out walks.

Brian Bogusevic scored the tying run when Jason Castroslapped a ground single off the glove of third basemanJerry Hairston Jr. and into foul territory, but Jansen retiredJordan Schafer on a flyball with the bases loaded.

Billingsley allowed two runs and five hits in five innings, striking out eight and walking three. He is 0-3 with a 5.01 ERA in eight starts since beating San Diego and Pittsburgh in his first two outings this season.

Houston’s Bud Norris threw 116 pitches over 4 2-3 innings, allowing three runs, eight hits and four walks. The right-hander’s early departure snapped a string of 38 consecutive games by the Astros in which their starters lasted at least five innings. Norris ended May 4-0 in five starts with a 1.17 ERA.

Billingsley threw 73 of his 99 pitches during the first three innings and retired only eight of his first 16 batters, but all the Astros could scrape across was two runs. The right-hander had three strikeouts in the first, but in between them were Jose Altuve‘s double and Carlos Lee‘s run-scoring single.

A bases-loaded walk to Schafer forced in another run in the second. But Billingsley came back to strike out Altuve. Ethier, the Dodgers’ Gold Glove right fielder, helped minimize the damage with an inning-ending diving catch of J.D. Martinez‘s sinking line drive. Houston stranded two more in the third when Castro took a called third strike.

The missed opportunities eventually came back to haunt the Astros, who squandered a chance to get back to the .500 mark for the first time since April 14, when they were 4-4. They are a major league-worst 0-6 in extra-inning games, and have lost 14 of their last 16 since Aug. 11, 2011.

Ethier got the Dodgers on the board in the third with a two-out run-scoring double that raised his NL-leading RBIs total to 41.

One inning later, left fielder Martinez robbed Ellis of a potential RBI double with a running catch in the alley before slamming into the fence. Dee Gordon followed with a double that sent Loney to third, and Tony Gwynn Jr.put Los Angeles ahead 3-2 with a two-run, two-out single through the right side.

Ethier had a chance to break open the game later that inning, but lined out to center with the bases loaded.

NOTES: Los Angeles Kings centers Mike Richards and Jeff Carter attended the game in front-row seats adjacent to the owners’ box while awaiting Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals next Wednesday at New Jersey. … The previous time an Astros starter didn’t go at least five innings was April 13, when Lucas Harrell was removed after four in a no-decision at Miami. … Loney had three hits – two of them against Norris, making Loney 7 for 14 career against him

That’s a pretty good indication Junior Dos Santos’ punches already were doing their job.

The UFC’s heavyweight champion knew exactly where he was and what he was doing — and Dos Santos swiftly showed Mir the door.

Dos Santos flattened Mir with a huge right hand and finished him on the ground at 3:04 of the second round Saturday night, emphatically defending his belt at UFC 146 on Saturday night.

Dos Santos (15-1) picked apart the two-time ex-champion with superior boxing throughout the fight, eventually sending Mir stumbling onto his back before finishing him with one last blow to the head. Dos Santos then wrapped himself in the Brazilian flag while celebrating his first title defense since taking the belt from Cain Velasquez last fall.

“I’m feeling awesome!” the ever-smiling Dos Santos shouted to the pro-Brazilian crowd. “It’s not bad for a nice guy, huh? … Frank Mir is a really good fighter, too. I came here to defend my belt, and I did it.”

Mir was staggered by multiple blows, including a big body shot, late in the first round, and he barely made it to the bell. After declaring he was at the Mandalay Bay instead of the MGM Grand Garden, Mir was allowed to keep fighting — but the beating didn’t go on much longer.

“My game plan is always to keep the fight on my feet and go for the knockout,” Dos Santos said. “I tried to get him a little tired in the first round, and then go for it. When you believe so much in your performance and yourself, it happens.”

Velasquez stopped Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva late in the first round after administering a bloody beating that both thrilled and horrified fans. Roy Nelson, Stipe Miocic and Stefan Struve also won on a pay-per-view card topped with five heavyweight fights, a first in UFC history.

Dos Santos never faced trouble in the fight’s eight minutes after easily avoiding an opening-minute takedown attempt by Mir, who hoped his superior jiu-jitsu skills would allow him to avoid Dos Santos’ unparalleled striking ability. Mir, who turned 33 on Thursday, has the most heavyweight victories in UFC history, but he couldn’t match Dos Santos’ skills.

“He’s a champ,” Mir said. “He’s fast. I couldn’t get out of the way. He hit me hard. There were just too many of them, and they were hard shots. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Mir stumbled back several steps after Dos Santos’ decisive right hand. Dos Santos followed him and added one last head shot before referee Herb Dean saved Mir.

“That surprised me a lot,” Dos Santos said. “Man, this guy can take a punch. My hand is hurt.”

Dos Santos downplayed the revenge element of beating Mir, who broke the arm of Dos Santos’ mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, in a fight last December.

Mir (16-6) had won three straight fights since losing a title shot to Shane Carwin in March 2010, but couldn’t reclaim the belt he held in 2004 before getting into a serious motorcycle accident and again in early 2009 before losing to Brock Lesnar.

Velasquez (10-1) finished Silva at 3:36 of the first round, but only after pulverizing the 6-foot-4 Brazilian with a relentless series of blows after an early takedown. Silva (16-4) was cut on his face early in the beating, sending streams of blood down his face and onto the canvas, eventually coating both fighters’ torsos.

“I knew he was going to be a tough guy to finish, and he posed certain threats,” Velasquez said. “But I’m happy I was able to go in there and perform. I took my time and waited to get good position to turn it on and finish the fight.”

The fight was stopped once to allow Silva’s corner to clear the blood from his eyes, but Velasquez promptly resumed the beating until the fight was finished. The former Arizona State wrestler was ferociously impressive in his first bout since losing the belt to Dos Santos in just 64 seconds during the UFC’s first prime-time Fox show.

“What you’ve done in the past, you’ve got to get over that,” Velasquez said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

The 32-year-old Silva appeared to be outmatched in his UFC debut after a lengthy MMA career highlighted by his dominant Strikeforce victory over Fedor Emelianenko in February 2011.

Nelson (18-7) added another impressive stoppage victory to his list, catching Dave Herman (21-4) with an overhand right that sent him sprawling backward onto the canvas. Nelson landed one more shot before the fight was stopped, and then climbed onto the cage to rub his ample belly while his hometown crowd cheered.

“My plan was to wrestle, (but) my coaches had a different game plan, which was, `Hit him in the face,”‘ Nelson said. “Guess it worked. Clearly my hands have dynamite in them, or small rocks or whatever.”

Nelson had lost three of his previous four fights, including decisions to Dos Santos and Mir. But the portly, heavily bearded heavyweight — who bills himself as a kung fu fighter — is consistently popular and entertaining.

Miocic (9-0), a firefighter and EMT from Cleveland, remained unbeaten after surviving a back-and-forth first round with fellow heralded prospect Shane Del Rosario. He took control in the second, taking down the previously unbeaten Del Rosario and finishing him off with ground-and-pound elbows.

Del Rosario (11-1) had a severe cut over his right eye and a bloody face after his UFC debut and his first fight in 15 months. The Orange County fighter recovered from a back injury sustained when his car was hit by a drunk driver last year.

Struve finished Lavar Johnson with an armbar just 1:05 into their bout. The 6-foot-11 Dutchman who has lost to Dos Santos and Nelson celebrated his third straight win, while Johnson, the veteran Strikeforce fighter who beat Pat Barry just three weeks earlier, struggled after stepping in as an injury replacement for Australia’s Mark Hunt.

Earlier, veteran lightweight Jamie Varner upset previously unbeaten Edson Barboza, stopping the touted Brazilian prospect with a long series of blows to the head. Varner, the former WEC lightweight champion who was released from that promotion after an 0-3-1 skid, made the most of his chance to be an injury replacement for Evan Dunham in his first UFC fight since March 2007.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller lost a lackluster decision to middleweight C.B. Dollaway, possibly ending the television host’s MMA career. Miller (24-10), who has won just three of his last eight fights, previously said he would retire if he didn’t beat Dollaway.

Dan Hardy, the popular English welterweight, also ended a four-fight skid, stopping Duane Ludwig in the first round.

A collection of celebrities including Charlize Theron, MC Hammer and many NFL players, including Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, attended the show in the UFC’s hometown.

Callaspo’s slam came against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez (4-4) and was the first pinch grand slam for the Angels since Shane Halter hit one against Tampa Bay in 2004.

Pujols, who now has seven homers after not hitting any in April, hit a 2-1 fastball from Hernandez over the left-center wall in the fourth inning. Pujols has homered in six of his last 11 games.

Jerome Williams (5-2) earned the victory, working six innings and allowing five hits and three runs. Jordan Walden, Scott Downs and Ernesto Frieri held the Mariners scoreless over the final three innings. Frieri picked up his second career save.

The Mariners went ahead 2-1 in the fifth on RBI singles by Mike Carp and Dustin Ackley.

In the sixth, Mark Trumbo, who had three hits, started the Angels rally with a single. Howie Kendrick also singled and Erick Aybar loaded the bases with a bunt single. Hernandez struck out Kole Calhoun but Callaspo turned on a 0-1 pitch and put it deep into the right-field seats for a 5-2 lead.

Justin Smoak hit a solo homer in the sixth, his seventh, for the Mariners’ final run.

Notes: Mariners CF Franklin Gutierrez, who partially tore his right pectoral muscle during spring training, is close to being sent out on a rehab assignment. “He ran today,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “Initially, we thought we’d get him early tomorrow or the next day. We’ll see where he is today.” … The Angels staff has not allowed more than three earned runs in 10 of the last 12 games. The bullpen has a 0.72 ERA over the past 12 games. … it was a `Turn Back the Clock” game as the Mariners assumed the identity of the 1955 Pacific Coast League champion Seattle Rainiers. The Angels also wore the PCL’s 1955 L.A. Angels uniforms.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) Justin Williams remembers every game of the Carolina Hurricanes’ 25-game grind through the 2006 playoffs. He knows all about the blood, sweat and exhaustion necessary to raise the Stanley Cup.

That’s why he realizes the NHL playoffs aren’t usually as easy as the Los Angeles Kings have made them look so far. Although Williams and his teammates have prepared for lengthy series in every round of the postseason, but they haven’t even had to play a Game 6 yet.

“If you told anybody, let alone us in the dressing room, that we’d have a place in the finals as an eight seed, I would have only told you that you were crazy if you said it took 14 games,” Williams said.

“But we’re here for a reason,” he added. “We’ve battled our tails off here the whole season, and things have come together here. We go into every series thinking it’s going to be seven (games). It’s just so far, they haven’t worked out that way.”

Los Angeles went on a 12-2 rampage through the Western Conference playoffs, earning a date with the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup final. Game 1 is Wednesday in Newark.

The Kings’ surge is a novel experience for everybody, including Williams and two teammates who faced him in the 2006 Cup final. Williams scored the final goal of Game 7 for the Carolina Hurricanes, beating Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers – the only eighth seed to make the final round before Los Angeles.

Stoll remembers the shock and elation of that 24-game run by the unheralded Oilers, only to be crushed by a loss in Game 7.

“It was a great ride, but the ending leaves a sour taste if you don’t win,” said Stoll, who scored in overtime last month in the Kings’ series-ending win over President’s Trophy-winning Vancouver. “When you’re going through it, you realize that you don’t know if you’ll ever get that opportunity again. Some guys play their whole careers and don’t get the chance to do what we’re doing now, so I’m definitely grateful to be there again.”

Greene also picked up that perspective as a 22-year-old Oilers rookie, playing in 18 postseason games during their run. Greene realizes those Oilers and the current Kings don’t share much except their seed: Edmonton’s run was a stunner during a season in which the Western Conference’s top four seeds all lost their first-round series, while Los Angeles was an underachiever that finally realized its enormous potential while knocking off the West’s top three seeds.

“I think a lot of people felt we had the potential to do it this year, where those (Edmonton) playoffs were a surprise,” said Greene, the stay-at-home defenseman whose steadying influence has been enormous for the Kings.

The Kings had their second full practice Saturday since eliminating Phoenix, going through mostly team drills and beginning preparations for the Devils. Los Angeles lost both of its regular-season meetings with New Jersey, but both games were very early in the season.

The Kings aren’t apologizing for their success, and they don’t believe their relatively clean run through the first three rounds will hurt them in the finale. Los Angeles hasn’t faced much adversity so far, yet the Kings have won two pressure-packed overtime road games to finish off series against Vancouver and Phoenix.

“We’ve been very fortunate to be on top of our game, play well, and finish teams off when we had the chance,” Williams said. “As a result, we’re getting a ton of rest, and it’s clearly going to be beneficial for us.”

Hainault scored to break a 1-all game on a header off a corner kick by Brad Davis. He headed the ball from the near post to the inside far post for the winner in a game played in temperatures that topped 90 degrees.

“We knew they were tired,” Hainault said. “We did the right things. We kept the ball as much as we could. The game came down to set pieces, we know they are important, and that is what happened today. We held on. We defended well. We are tired, but we are happy.”

Coach Dominic Kinnear gave credit to his team for coming back after falling behind early.

“It was a great goal by Andre,” Kinnear said. “It was a little bit of luck getting back into the game. Great ball by Brad, Andre attacked it well. Three points is what we came here for and three points is what we got.”

The win extended Houston’s unbeaten streak to four, while Los Angeles is winless in seven in a row and has lost three straight by one goal each.

Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said the Galaxy were trying to conserve energy by not running the length of the field. Game time temperature was 91 degrees, with no wind at field level.

“The pace of the game changed because of the conditions,” Arena said. “The players are not able to play at a high pace under these conditions for a long time. No one is made to play in this heat for 90 minutes.”

The Galaxy took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Edson Buddle in the 10th minute. Houston tied it in the 38th minute on an own goal by LA’s Mike Magee. A shot by Houston’s Brian Ching went off the crossbar, then bounced off Magee in front of the goalmouth and into the net.

Beckham missed two good scoring chances. A 30-yard free kick in the 51st minute was knocked over the crossbar by goalie Tally Hall, and his 25-yard free kick in the 83rd minute also was knocked away by Hall.

“It is disappointing considering we started the game so well,” Beckham said. “We knew it was going to be difficult considering the time of the kickoff and the heat.”

Beckham showed frustration throughout the game, especially in the second half. He said the frustration was geared toward referee Silviu Petrescu.

“I don’t think the referee could get any worse than our last game,” Beckham said. “I shouldn’t say too much because I don’t want to get myself in trouble. The standard isn’t good enough. It’s that simple.”

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane did not play for the Galaxy; Geoff Cameron missed the game for the Dynamo.

The fun begins with a Pup Rally at 5:10 p.m. in Parking Lot G between the right and left pavilions.

A lot of goodies and contests are planned, as well as, an appearance by Tillman, a skateboarding bulldog and star of television commercials.

Tillman (credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

A portion of Saturday night’s proceeds are expected to be donated to the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles.

Because tickets for the “Bark in the Park” section have sold out, the team has added a second night. It will be held Sept. 1, when team will face the Arizona Diamondbacks.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The memory of missing the playoffs for first time since 1996 and the ghost of an 18-year-old wound were wiped out with a sweep of rookie Adam Henrique’s stick.

The New Jersey Devils are going back to the Stanley Cup finals, thanks to Henrique, a 40-year-old goaltender and a coach who’d never been to the postseason in the NHL.

How’s that for a turnaround?

Henrique scored off a wild scramble in front at 1:03 into overtime and the Devils defeated the rival New York Rangers, 3-2, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2003.

“It means a lot,” Devils leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk said minutes after reaching the Cup finals for the first time. “It’s a great feeling. Last year was a tough one, but this year was totally different. We played well all year. The first round of the playoffs was a little tough but after that, I think we figured out our game and what it takes to win.”

After beating Florida, Philadelphia and their biggest rivals, the Rangers, only the Los Angeles Kings stand in the way of a fourth Cup for New Jersey.

The title round begins here Wednesday.

This series win came against the Devils’ most intense rival, and it was that much sweeter.

“That one was like Christmas,” said Henrique, who also scored the series winner in overtime as Devils’ first-round, Game 7 win over the Panthers.

It also was needed. The Devils blew a 2-0 first-period lead and didn’t want to head back to New York for a Game 7 on Sunday.

“It didn’t matter how it got to overtime, we were in a good position,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We were at home. We just needed one shot.”

Actually, the Devils needed four shots to win the game.

Henrique’s winner came after Henrik Lundqvist stopped Kovalchuk twice and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The last shot lay in the crease and Henrique tapped it home.

“We caught them on a line change and their defensemen were tired,” said Devils coach Peter DeBoer, who was fired by Florida after missing the playoffs in his three seasons. “We found a way to jam one in. That’s the only way you’re going to score on Lundqvist. You’re not going to get a clean one. You’re going to have to work for it around the net.

“And that’s what we did.”

Ryan Carter and Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils, whose biggest move this year was hiring DeBoer. He has more than proved his coaching ability.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Ryan Callahan tallied for top-seeded New York, which had a good flurry just before New Jersey scored to end it.

Henrique, who is nominated for the Calder Trophy — given to the NHL’s top rookie — skated away from the crease and jumped against the end boards in the corner as his teammates hopped off the bench and mobbed him.

The six Rangers on the ice just stayed down in disbelief and frustration. This was very much like Game 5, which the Devils won 5-3. New York carried the play after the first period and had a 35-29 edge in shots.

But when it came time for a game-deciding play to be made, it was a Devil who made it.

“When they scored, it was such an empty feeling,” said Lundqvist, who said the puck took a weird bounce on the final play. “It is shocking.”

Henrique overcame injury to score this one. He seemed to take a stick from Brian Boyle in the groin area late in the third and had to leave the ice.

He felt no pain after the game winner.

All the Rangers could do was bow their heads and then line up for the traditional handshake after losing to their cross-rival rivals in a series that was close.

“That’s playoff hockey, and that’s usually where you get an overtime goal,” Rangers veteran Brandon Prust said. “Just whacking away in front of the net, getting rebounds.”

Martin Brodeur, 40, kept the Devils alive in the third. He stopped a power-play shot by Brad Richards, made a save on Artem Anisimov between the circles and used his stick to deflect a pass from the boards by Carl Hagelin in the final minute just before it got to Marian Gaborik on the edge of the crease.

“You could tell he was in the zone. He led us,” Parise said. “He made some big saves tonight.”

Lundqvist’s best stop in the third was on Dainius Zubrus on a shot from behind the circles.

Facing elimination and down 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Rangers found their game in the second period and tied the game at 2-all on goals by Fedotenko and Callahan in a roughly four-minute span.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who assisted on both goals, made the big play to get New York back in the game. He collected the puck above the left circle, skated around the net and tried a wrap around. The shot didn’t go on goal but it turned out to be a perfect pass to Fedotenko who a tap-in into an open net at 9:47.

Callahan, who had a New York goal go off his leg in the Devils’ 5-3 win on Wednesday, tied the game at 13:41 when Dan Girardi’s shot from the right point deflected off his leg into the open lower corner of the net. Callahan’s sixth of the postseason was set up when Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the left circle.

Carter, who scored the game winner in New York on Wednesday night after the Devils blew a 3-0 lead, put New Jersey ahead again at 10:05 of the opening period.

The play started with a bad pinch at the point by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Steve Bernier led a 3-on-1 and found Stephen Gionta coming down the middle for a solo chance against Lundqvist. The Rangers goaltender stopped the shot, but Carter swatted the rebound home for his fourth of the playoffs.

Kovalchuk’s seventh goal of the postseason and fifth on the power play was a thing of beauty. All five Devils skaters touched the puck with tape-to-tape passes with Zubrus finding Kovalchuk alone low in the left circle for a shot that Lundqvist had little chance to stop.

The Devils — as is the tradition for many Cup finalists — did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy that was presented at center ice. As the team skated off to their locker room, “Glory Days,” the 1984 hit from New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen serenaded them.

The game was played on the 18-year anniversary of the Rangers’ dramatic, 4-2, Game 6 victory over New Jersey at the Meadowlands, a victory that pushed that classic Eastern Conference final series to a Game 7 and eventually led New York to its first Stanley Cup in 54 years. That game, of course, was preceded by a guarantee from Rangers captain Mark Messier, who delivered three goals en route to the victory.

This time, though, there will be no Game 7.

NOTES: The Empire State Building’s tower lights were lit in red and blue on Friday to cheer on the Rangers. … Mogul and TV personality Donald Trump was at the game. … Devils C Travis Zajac left the ice briefly in the second after being slashed on the left hand by Prust. No penalty was called. … New Jersey is 4-1 in overtime in the postseason. New York finished 2-3 after regulation.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SEATTLE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run single off Seattle closer Brandon League, and the Los Angeles Angels rallied from a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 win over the Mariners on Friday night.

Albert Pujols homered for the second straight game, a three-run shot in the sixth inning on a 0-2 pitch from Seattle starter Blake Beavan. His sixth homer of the season accounted for all of the Angels offense until the ninth-inning rally against Seattle’s shaky closer.

With Seattle holding a 4-3 lead heading to the top of the ninth, League (0-4) failed for the third time in his last five save opportunities.

Mark Trumbo opened the ninth with a single, but it was League’s throwing error on Erick Aybar’s sacrifice bunt that allowed pinch-runner Peter Bourjos to score the tying run. After an intentional walk, Kendrick lined the first pitch from League back up the middle to give the Angels the lead.

Scott Downs pitched the ninth to close out the comeback and earn his fourth save. The Angels have won four straight for the first time this season.

Downs got help from rookie Kole Calhoun, who made a leaping catch on Brendan Ryan’s liner to open the ninth inning. Downs then got a groundout from Michael Saunders and fly out by Alex Liddi to close out the win. It was just the sixth save of the season for the Angels.

Jason Isringhausen (1-0) got the win pitching one inning of relief for the Angels.

League seemed to right himself from his recent struggles with a strong close to the Mariners’ win over Texas on Wednesday. But it all fell apart in just a few batters against the Angels.

After Trumbo’s single he was replaced by Bourjos, and League was too fine facing Alberto Callaspo and walked him on a 3-2 pitch.

Aybar followed with a bunt, but it came right back to League. With catcher Jesus Montero yelling “third” League threw to try and get the lead runner, but his throw was wide of Liddi and went bouncing down the left-field line allowing Bourjos to score the tying run and put runners and second and third with no outs. Calhoun was intentionally walked to load the bases and Kendrick laced a liner past League and into center field for the winning runs.

It was League’s third blown save in his last five chances dating to April 30 and all four of League’s losses this season are blown saves.

The meltdown by League ruined a strong start from Beavan, who made just one mistake in seven innings. Beavan had allowed one baserunner to reach second before he ran into trouble in the sixth. John Hester led off with a single and Beavan missed on a 3-2 pitch to Maicer Izturis. He quickly got ahead of Pujols 0-2, but instead of throwing out of the strike zone, Beavan left a fastball up and on the outer half of the plate. Pujols’ response was a 410-foot line drive into the seats in center field. It was his third homer in four games and followed his two-run shot in the first inning in Thursday’s series opener.

Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer, had an RBI single and drove in all four runs for Seattle, but the Mariners missed numerous chances to capitalize on the wildness of Angels starter Ervin Santana early in the game. Santana walked seven, one off his career high.

Notes: Santana had a 2.25 ERA and a 2-2 record in his previous five starts after beginning the year 0-4. … Hall of Fame pitcher and one-time Seattle starter Gaylord Perry threw out the first pitch. Perry won his 300th career game with Seattle in 1982. … Seattle 2B Dustin Ackley was given the game off on the night his bobblehead was being given out as a pregame collectable for fans. “I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a phone call,” manager Eric Wedge jokingly said before the game.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the third after JD Martinez homered off  Kershaw, scoring Jed Lowrie.

From there  Kershaw cruised, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, raising  his ERA to 1.97.

Meanwhile, Lucas Harrell had the longest outing of his career, pitching 7.1 innings, allowing one run and picking up his fourth win of the season.

The Dodgers mounted a rally in the eighth inning, but Ivan De Jesus struck out after pinch-hitting for James Loney and AJ Ellis lined out to center field with the bases loaded, stranding the tying run at second base.

Brett Myers pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save of the season.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A year after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996, the New Jersey Devils are going back to the Stanley Cup finals, thanks to a rookie, a 40-year-old goaltender and a coach who’d never been to the postseason in the NHL.

How’s that for a turnaround?

Adam Henrique scored off a wild scramble in front at 1:03 into overtime and the Devils defeated the rival New York Rangers, 3-2, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2003.

The Devils will face the Los Angeles Kings for the Cup in a series that will start on Wednesday here.

This series win came against the Devils’ most intense rival, and it was that much sweeter.

“That one was like Christmas,” said Henrique, who also scored the series winner as Devils’ first-round win over Florida.

It also was needed. The Devils’ blew a 2-0 first-period lead and didn’t want to head back to New York for a Game 7 on Sunday.

“It didn’t matter how it got to overtime, we were in a good position,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We were at home. We just needed one shot.”

Actually, the Devils needed four shots to win the game.

Henrique’s winner came after Henrik Lundqvist stopped Ilya Kovalchuk twice and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The last shot lay in the crease and Henrique tapped it home.

Ryan Carter and Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils, whose biggest move this year was hiring Peter DeBoer as coach. He was fired by Florida after missing the playoffs in his three seasons. In his first postseason, he is hoping to lead New Jersey to its fourth Cup.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Ryan Callahan tallied for top-seeded New York, which had a good flurry just before New Jersey scored.

Henrique, who is nominated for the Calder Trophy — given to the NHL’s top rookie — skated away from the crease and jumped against the end boards in the corner as his teammates jumped off the bench and mobbed him.

The six Rangers on the ice just stayed down in disbelief and frustration. This was very much like Game 5, which the Devils won 5-3. New York carried the play after the first period and had a 35-29 edge in shots.

But when it came time for a game-deciding play to be made, it was a Devil who made it.

Henrique overcame injury to score this one. He seemed to take a stick from Brian Boyle in the groin area late in the third and had to leave the ice.

He felt no pain after the game winner.

All the Rangers could do was bow their heads and then line up for the traditional handshake after losing to their cross-rival rivals in a series that was close.

Martin Brodeur, 40, kept the Devils alive in the third. He stopped a power-play shot by Brad Richards, made a save on Artem Anisimov between the circles and used his stick to deflect a pass from the boards by Carl Hagelin in the final minute just before it got to Marian Gaborik on the edge of the crease.

“You could tell he was in the zone. He led us,” Parise said. “He made some big saves tonight.”

Lundqvist’s best stop in the third was on Dainius Zubrus on a shot from behind the circles.

Facing elimination and down 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Rangers found their game in the second period and tied the game at 2-all on goals by Fedotenko and Callahan in a roughly four-minute span.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who assisted on both goals, made the big play to get New York back in the game. He collected the puck above the left circle, skated around the net and tried a wrap around. The shot didn’t go on goal but it turned out to be a perfect pass to Fedotenko who a tap-in into an open net at 9:47.

Callahan, who had a goal go off his leg in the Devils’ 5-3 win on Wednesday, tied the game at 13:41 when Dan Girardi’s shot from the right point deflected off his leg into the open lower corner of the net. Callahan’s sixth of the postseason was set up when Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the left circle.

Carter, who scored the game winner in New York on Wednesday night after the Devils blew a 3-0 lead, put New Jersey ahead again at 10:05 of the opening period.

The play started with a bad pinch at the point by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Steve Bernier led a 3-on-1 and found Stephen Gionta coming down the middle for a solo chance against Lundqvist. The Rangers goaltender stopped the shot, but Carter swatted the rebound home for his fourth of the playoffs.

Kovalchuk’s seventh goal of the postseason and fifth on the power play was a thing of beauty. All five Devils skaters touched the puck with tape-to-tape passes with Dainius Zubrus finding Kovalchuk alone low in the left circle for a shot that Lundqvist had little chance to stop.

The Devils — as is the tradition for many Cup finalists — did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy that was presented at center ice. As the team skated off to their locker room, “Glory Days,” the 1984 hit from New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen serenaded them.

NOTES: The Empire State Building’s tower lights were lit in red and blue on Friday to cheer on the Rangers. … Mogul and TV personality Donald Trump was at the game. … Devils C Travis Zajac left the ice briefly in the second after being slashed on the left hand by the Rangers’ Brandon Prust. No penalty was called. … New Jersey is 4-1 in overtime in the postseason. New York finished 2-3.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The UFC is going big in its Memorial Day weekend show, headlined by five heavyweight fights at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Junior Dos Santos will make his first title defense against Mir, who marvels at the UFC’s current roster of enormous fighters.

“The UFC has always had the best fighters in every weight, but typically in the heavyweight division, (only) the top five was dangerous guys fighting for the title,” Mir said. “The top 10, maybe you’d talk about them in the conversation. I don’t think five or six years ago, we could have had a card that had five bouts of heavyweights fighting — and then we’ve had injuries, too. If we’d had a card five years ago with five heavyweight fights and somebody got injured, the whole card would have had to be scrapped.”

Heavyweights jumped to the forefront of the UFC in recent years with the rise and fall of Brock Lesnar, who quit his pro wrestling career and made a high-profile run to the UFC title, stopping Mir (16-5) along the way in July 2009. Lesnar battled injuries and illness, but also struggled to compete with the new wave of dynamic talent arriving in the division, eventually retiring last December after getting pulverized by Alistair Overeem.

Mir’s title shot would have belonged to Overeem, but the Dutch kickboxer failed a drug test, clearing the way for Mir to attempt to reclaim the heavyweight belt just two days after his 33rd birthday in a fight with Dos Santos, the Brazilian boxer with humble beginnings and a remarkable MMA pedigree.

“It’s a huge moment in my life and career,” Mir said. “Eventually, one day we retire and we’re forgotten as athletes, but people try to somehow make their mark on history. It’ll give me something to brag about to my grandchildren. You know, one time, Grandpa could move from one side of the room to the other without hobbling.”

A card stacked with heavyweights is a first for mixed martial arts’ dominant promotion, but all five matchups have changed since the fights were originally announced.

Roy Nelson fights Dave Herman, Shane Del Rosario takes on Stipe Miocic and 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve fights Lavar Johnson on the UFC’s first pay-per-view show headlined by five heavyweight fights — more than 2,400 pounds of mixed martial artists, according to UFC President Dana White.

Mir realizes the challenge of facing Dos Santos (14-1), who claimed the title last fall with a victory over Cain Velasquez. Mir is a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner who broke the arm of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Dos Santos’ friend and mentor, in their bout last December, the latest in a career filled with impressive submission victories.

Mir believes he’s much better on the ground than Dos Santos, but the Brazilian has spent exactly 13 seconds on his back during his MMA career. Nobody has been able to take down Dos Santos, whose striking abilities make it dangerous to even get close enough to try.

“He’s very impressive, and he’s probably a better boxer than me, but so what?” Mir asked. “I know I’m better on the ground, and I’ve got to figure out a way to prove it, and I’m going to.”

The genial Dos Santos has exchanged some seemingly halfhearted trash talk with the erudite, loquacious Mir during the promotion of their bout, but he appears confident in his ability to outslug anybody after his 64-second victory over Velasquez. Dos Santos scoffs at the notion Overeem might have been a tougher matchup for him than Mir, who was stopped by punches in each of his five career defeats.

“I know he’s a guy who has been around a long time and knows how to do everything,” Dos Santos said. “I’m going to see if he can handle what I can do, and I’m going to try to knock him out in the first two rounds.”

Moments before Dos Santos meets Mir, Velasquez (9-1) will attempt to get his career back on track when he meets Antonio Silva, the veteran Brazilian super heavyweight making his UFC debut. Velasquez, the former Arizona State wrestler, hasn’t fought since Dos Santos pounded him in Anaheim last fall, blemishing his previously perfect record.

“I’m definitely able to let it go,” Velasquez said. “In wrestling, I’ve lost matches before, so it’s always a thing where you learn from it. You just watch film, but you don’t really keep it with you and always think about it. I wasn’t thinking that I was going to go through my entire career undefeated.”

The undercard features popular middleweight Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who says he’ll retire if he doesn’t defeat C.B. Dollaway, another former Arizona State wrestler. Unbeaten lightweight Edson Barboza, English veteran Dan Hardy and former WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown also will fight at UFC 146.

NEW YORK (AP) — David Beckham no longer is Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player after his salary was cut nearly 40 percent in his new contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The former England captain has a base salary of $3 million this year and guaranteed compensation of $4 million, according to figures released Friday by the MLS Players Union. His previous base salary had been $5.5 million with total annual compensation of $6.5 million under a $32.5 million, five-year contract that expired after the 2011 season.

New York’s Thierry Henry became the league’s highest-paid player, with a base salary of $5 million and total compensation of $5.6 million.

Red Bulls teammate Rafa Marquez was second at $4.6 million total compensation, followed by Beckham and Galaxy teammates Robbie Keane ($2,917,241 base, $3,417,243 total) and Landon Donovan ($2.4 million).

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Gagne’s projection was correct. He just wishes he had played a bigger role in making it happen.

Gagne returned to practice with the Kings on Friday as they went through their first full workout since clinching a spot in the Stanley Cup final. The high-scoring veteran left wing hasn’t played for the Kings since Dec. 26, when he suffered his latest concussion in a win over Phoenix.

Although the seven-time 20-goal scorer is cleared for contact and says he’s 100 percent symptom-free, even Gagne isn’t sure he should be added back to the Kings’ lineup for the final round.

“I’m available, but at the same time, you have to look at what this team has done,” Gagne said. “They’ve played a lot of good hockey. They’re the reason why we’re here now. I’m just going to work hard in practice, like I did the last month, and we’ll see. You never know what can happen in the final.”

Gagne wore a green jersey at Friday’s practice, doing drills on a line with youngsters Marc-Andre Cliche and Andrei Loktionov. He relished the chance to work out with veterans including former Flyers teammate Justin Williams, who says his French language skills have suffered during Gagne’s absence from their adjoining lockers at the Kings’ training complex.

“Well, we’re still playing, so he got an opportunity to practice with us,” said coach Darryl Sutter, who took over the Kings just three games before Gagne’s injury. “You need lots of live ammo. … Somebody asked (about Gagne’s availability) a week or so ago, and there was no chance then, because he hadn’t even skated with the team. All you do is improve your (chances). You go from zero to whatever.”

Gagne has watched from the stands as Los Angeles rampaged through the Western Conference playoffs without him, winning 12 of 14 games during one of the most impressive postseason runs in recent NHL history. He has ample playoff experience, reaching the Stanley Cup final with Philadelphia — and current Kings teammates Mike Richards and Jeff Carter — in 2010 before getting to the Eastern Conference finals with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season.

“When you don’t play, it’s definitely a different feeling,” Gagne said. “I was there two years ago. I did pretty much the same thing these guys did two years ago. It’s bringing back some good memories. Everything they did, it’s so fresh in my mind that it’s almost like I’m even more part of it. For sure you’d rather be on the ice than watching the games in the stands, but I didn’t go back home. I stayed here the whole time, so that makes me feel part of the team now, even if I don’t play.”

When Gagne went looking for a new team last summer, he chose the Kings for their talent and tenacity, paying little heed to their sparse history of playoff success. Gagne saw something special in Los Angeles’ roster.

“I was looking at this team as a team that could do really good stuff in the season, and especially in the playoffs,” Gagne said. “The mix of this team, with veterans, guys who have been there before and won it or lost it, all that mixed with young players that have been in the league for five or six years. I saw that team as capable of doing something really good. It was just a question of getting into the playoffs, and I knew that this team was built to do well in the playoffs.”

Gagne’s post-Christmas concussion wasn’t his first, and he realized he faced a long recovery after scoring 17 points in his first 34 games with Los Angeles. He began skating by himself more than two months ago, joining the Kings’ minor-leaguers and junior prospects a few weeks later.

Gagne got a two-year, $7 million contract to provide an offensive boost to the low-scoring Kings, but he never really got the chance. Los Angeles has solved its scoring woes in the postseason, outscoring its opponents 41-22, and Gagne is thrilled to see it.

“It’s the best time of the season, that’s for sure,” Gagne said. “I’m just getting myself ready in case something happens. It’s a final. You never know what can happen and what I can do.”

(CBS) Today on Devour’s homepage, trending video website, posted ‘Blake Griffin Gets NBA Jammed.” That’s right, the classic 2-on-2 video game that is all about monster jams.

Since they don’t make the video game anymore, SB Nation produced a Chris Paul and Blake Griffin highlight reel using the video games graphics and sounds to simulate the 2-on-2 game.

They even have Griffin jumping wayyy up in the air, like he did to Pau Gasol and Kendrick Perkins, and jam it with the ball on fire. Pretty cool and funny.

LOS ANGELES(CBS Sports) – With the Lakers examining the long-term future of Pau Gasol and it not looking likely that the 7-foot Spaniard will be rocking the yellow and purple long-term, the thought has of course turned to what superstar the Lakers can acquire to return them to elite status. After all, this team does not rebuild. It reloads. With giant cannons.

With Lakers S/T for D-Will, source said the Nets would not do that deal for Pau Gasol. Would rather have cap space.

—
Stefan Bondy (@NYDNInterNets) May 23, 2012

The moves leave the U.S. with seven defenders, seven midfielders and six forwards for their five matches.

“We have chosen the 23 players who are in the best form right now and ready to get the job done,” Klinsmann said. “These guys have put in a tremendous amount of hard work in the last 10 days, and they are hungry to get started with the matches.”

Corona is the only player on the roster for the first time. He scored four goals in qualifying as the U.S. under-23 team failed to make the London Olympics.

Five players are from Major League Soccer. Four each are based in Germany and Mexico, three in England, two each in Scotland and Denmark, one apiece in Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal.

The Americans have exhibitions against Scotland on Saturday at Jacksonville, Fla., Brazil on Wednesday at Landover, Md., and Canada on June 3 at Toronto. Seeking their seventh straight World Cup berth, the Americans open qualifying on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda at Tampa, Fla., then play at Guatemala on June 12.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake);

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Geoff Cameron (Houston), Edgar Castillo (Tijuana, Mexico), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland, Denmark)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona, Italy), Joe Corona (Tijuana, Mexico), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim, Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke, Germany), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico),

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna, Mexico), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)

SEATTLE (AP) — Albert Pujols had three hits, including the 450th home run of his career Dan Haren struck out a career-high 14 in tossing his sixth career complete-game shutout, and the Los Angeles Angels won their third straight with a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

The Angels and Mariners met for the first of 19 games this season and Pujols, a newcomer to the AL West rivalry, made his presence known immediately. He lined a two-run shot off Seattle starter Jason Vargas (5-4) with one-out in the top of the first, and added line-drive singles in the fourth and sixth innings. It was just his third three-hit game this season.

The three runs were plenty for Haren (2-5), who tossed the 16th complete game of his career. He allowed only four hits and one Seattle baserunner to reach third base.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Seimone Augustus scored 25 points to rally the Minnesota Lynx from nine points down in the second half in a 92-84 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night.

Rebekkah Brunson scored 17 points, Lindsay Whalen had 14 and Maya Moore added 11 for the defending champion Lynx (3-0).

Augustus, who shot 11 for 17 from the field, scored six points in the final 4:17 and Candice Wiggins’ tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:19 remaining put Minnesota ahead for good.

The Lynx closed with a 10-2 run after the Kristi Toliver’s 3-pointer tied the score at 82-all with 2:47 to go.

Toliver and Candace Parker scored 23 points each to lead the Sparks (2-1) and rookie Nnemkadi Ogwumike added a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds.

Parker’s layup with 3.9 seconds to go in the first half gave the Sparks a 47-44 lead at the break. Ogwumike made two free throws in the opening minute of the third quarter and Parker hit a jumper to put Los Angeles up seven.

Whalen’s layup with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third capped the Lynx’s 8-2 run to pull to 53-52. However, the Sparks scored the next eight points, to stretch their lead to 61-52 with 4:53 to go in the quarter.

Minnesota had a 6-0 run, capped by Whalen’s jumper with 9:05 remaining in the fourth to tie the score at 70.

Neither team led by more than two points until Moore’s jumper with 3:15 left put the Lynx ahead 82-79.

After winning their first two games by an average of 20 points, the Lynx looked poised for another rout early, scoring the game’s first seven points before the Sparks chipped their way back. Parker had eight points in the first quarter as the Sparks tied the score at 17 with 3:40 to go in the period.

However, Minnesota closed the quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 30-19 lead.

The Lynx were played by turnovers in the first half, committing 13 that led to 11 points for the Sparks. Parker scored 17 points and Tolliver had 14 to help Los Angeles take its three-point lead at the break.

WOODLAND, Mich. (CBS/AP) — Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis was arrested Thursday on accusations he inappropriately touched two students at a Michigan high school where he was in line to become football coach.

Curtis, 43, is charged with five counts of criminal sexual conduct, said Barry County Undersheriff Robert Baker.

Curtis was arraigned Thursday in Delta County District Court and was freed after posting $25,000 in cash on a $250,000 bond, Baker said.

The charges are based on complaints from two teenage girls, according to Barry County Prosecutor Tom Evans. He told WZZM-TV that he authorized the charges against Curtis.

Curtis was volunteering at Lakewood High School in Woodland, about 50 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. The Lake Odessa resident was in line to become the school’s football coach before the accusations emerged.

David Dodge Sr., whose firm is representing Curtis, said he couldn’t say much about the case at this point.

“Chad Curtis … denies any criminal wrongdoing,” Dodge said.

Curtis broke into the big-leagues with  the then-California Angels (1992-1994),  played 43 games for the Dodgers in 1996 and won two World Series rings with the New York Yankees. He also had stints with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians  and Texas Rangers.

In 1996, Curtis appeared in 43 games for the Dodgers.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The suspension comes in the midst of I’ll Have Another’s bid to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 34 years. The colt trained by O’Neill won the Derby and then the Preakness last Saturday, and is preparing to run in the Belmont on June 9.

The California Horse Racing Board met in a closed session Thursday at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., to consider the recommended decision of a hearing officer in O’Neill’s case.

O’Neill was cited by the racing board after his horse Argenta tested for a high level of TCO2 in its blood after finishing eighth in a race at Del Mar on Aug. 25, 2010. TCO2 is associated with “milkshaking,” the illegal practice of giving a horse a blend of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes.

The 4-year-old gelding named Siempre Mo is entered in Saturday’s sixth race, a $54,000 allowance race. He will be ridden by Joy Scott.

The Los Angeles Lakers teammates purchased 25 percent of the gelding at a team charity auction in April. Part of their deal is that neither Bryant nor Gasol pay any expenses in the horse’s care and training. Santa Anita CEO Mark Verge and Chris Quinn, also an executive at Santa Anita, are the horse’s other owners.

Siempre Mo won a $25,000 claiming race in his last start. He’s trained by Doug O’Neill, whose colt I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and will try to win the Triple Crown when he runs in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

Bryant and Gasol’s horse will carry gold silks with a purple Lakers emblem and a purple cap.

A presale for Los Angeles Kings full season ticket holders will begin at 10 a.m. Friday.

Fans can register for the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Stanley Cup finals at lakings.com/playoffs.

Further information regarding a potential general public sale for Stanley Cup finals tickets will be forthcoming, the team announced following its 4-3 overtime victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Tuesday night in Glendale, Ariz., to win the Western Conference finals, four games to one.

Fans interested in securing tickets for the Stanley Cup finals can place a deposit on a full season ticket package for the 2012-13 season online at LAKings.com/playoffs or by calling (888) KINGS-LA.

Private suites accommodating 12-132 people are available for purchase by calling (888) KINGS-LA.

The Kings sold out 37 of their 39 regular-season games at Staples Center and all six playoff games.

The Kings will begin their second appearance in the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday on the road against the Eastern Conference champion.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers, 5-3, Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to take a three games to two lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. Game 6 will be played Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals will be played June 2 at the Eastern Conference champion’s arena.

Game 3 will be played at Staples Center June 4 and Game 4 June 6.

Game 5, if necessary, would be played June 9 at the Eastern Conference champion’s arena. Game 6, if necessary, would be played June 11 at Staples Center.

Game 7, if necessary, would be played June 13 at the Eastern Conference champion’s arena.

The Kings’ other appearance in the Stanley Cup finals came in 1993 when they lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

“That was one of the great thrills of my lifetime to get to the Stanley Cup finals when nobody expected us to do it,” Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer who played for the Kings from 1988-96, told KCAL. “Unfortunately, we didn’t bring home the Stanley Cup.

“Maybe this team can take it to the next step. Whoever they’re playing against, they’re going to be very difficult to beat.”

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

The Football Association told The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, who made the last of his 115 England appearances in 2009, will receive a commemorative cap and medal at halftime of the June 2 match against Belgium.

The award also will be presented to 1966 World Cup-winning striker Bobby Charlton, who played 106 times, and retired goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who made a record 125 appearances.

“Throughout my career I’ve been pretty successful,” Beckham said last week. “I’ve played for some pretty big teams. I’ve played for my country quite a few times and for managers without sentiment … I’m very proud of the fact and I have always found it an honor that people want to buy my shirt, that fans turn up to watch the team I am playing in or to see myself. I’ve always found that a huge honor.”

Family members of 1966 World Cup captain Bobby Moore and Billy Wright, a defender in the 1940s and `50s, will receive the award from FA chairman David Bernstein.

Beckham, 36, has also made the latest cut to represent Britain for this summer’s London Olympics.

Head coach Stuart Pearce has to choose 18 players in June from the 80-player pool.

F LeBron James, Mia (118)     596
F Kevin Durant, OKC (117)     591
C Dwight Howard, Orl (75)     476
G Kobe Bryant, LAL (104)      568
G Chris Paul, LAC (74)        484
SECOND TEAM

F Kevin Love, Min (16)        365
F Blake Griffin, LAC          170
C Andrew Bynum, LAL (33)      400
G Tony Parker, SA (41)        367
G Russell Westbrook, OKC (5)  239

THIRD TEAM

F Carmelo Anthony, NY (1)     154
F Dirk Nowitzki, Dal          136
C Tyson Chandler, NY (4)       60
G Dwyane Wade, Mia (1)        235
G Rajon Rondo, Bos (4)        142
Other players receiving votes, with point totals: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, 55; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 52; Derrick Rose, Chicago, 44; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 33; Paul Pierce, Boston, 31; Al Jefferson, Utah, 30; Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers, 27; Steve Nash, Phoenix, 24; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 22; Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 18; Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 16; Deron Williams, New Jersey, 14; Rudy Gay, Memphis, 10; James Harden, Oklahoma City, 8; Luol Deng, Chicago, 5; Roy Hibbert, Indiana, 5; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 3; Danny Granger, Indiana, 3; Joakim Noah, Chicago, 3; Monta Ellis, Milwaukee, 2; Chris Bosh, Miami, 2; Luis Scola, Houston, 2; Marcin Gortat, Phoenix, 2; Paul Millsap, Utah, 2; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 2; David Lee, Golden State, 1; and DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento, 1.