TODAY'S SPORTS-SATURDAY, SEPT 18TH

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - ROY OSWALT THREW SIX SHARP INNINGS TO EARN HIS SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN, AND THE NL EAST-LEADING PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BEAT THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS 9-1 LAST NIGHT. OSWALT (13-13) ALLOWED ONE RUN AND SIX HITS, STRIKING OUT SEVEN. THE PHILLIES WON THEIR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME AND REDUCED THEIR MAGIC NUMBER FOR CLINCHING THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE DIVISION TITLE TO 12.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - RONNY CEDENO'S SINGLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH SCORED ANDREW MCCUTCHEN AND THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES SNAPPED A
FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK WITH A 4-3 VICTORY OVER THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS LAST NIGHT. CEDENO'S SOFT LINE DRIVE TO RIGHT-CENTER
OFF ESMERLING VASQUEZ (1-6) CAME AFTER TWO ONE-OUT WALKS TO MCCUTCHEN AND RYAN DOUMIT. MCCUTCHEN WAS PINCH-HITTING AFTER BEING SCRATCHED FROM THE LINEUP ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE GAME TIME DUE TO A STOMACH AILMENT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - EAGLES HEAD COACH ANDY REID SAYS MICHAEL VICK WILL START AT QUARTERBACK SUNDAY AT THE DETROIT LIONS. VICK WILL BE MAKING HIS FIRST START AT QUARTERBACK IN NEARLY FOUR YEARS. HE IS REPLACING KEVIN KOLB, WHO IS OUT WITH A CONCUSSION SUFFERED IN LAST WEEK'S LOSS TO GREEN BAY. LINEBACKER STEWART BRADLEY ALSO WILL BE OUT.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - STEELERS LEFT TACKLE MAX STARKS AND NOSE TACKLE CASEY HAMPTON DID NOT PRACTICE FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE DAY YESTERDAY AND HAVE BEEN RULED OUT OF SUNDAY'S GAME AT TENNESSEE. QUARTERBACK BYRON LEFTWICH IS LISTED AS PROBABLE. BUT LEFTWICH'S KNEE IS STILL HEALING AND DENNIS DIXON WILL MAKE HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE START.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - STEELERS WIDE RECEIVER HINES WARD HAS BEEN NAMED TO THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS. THE COMMISSION COORDINATES WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO GET ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS INVOLVED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS FOR BUSINESS, AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - THE NATION'S BEST RUSH DEFENSE WILL BE ON THE FIELD THIS WEEKEND AT BEAVER STADIUM - AND IT DOESN'T BELONG TO NO. 22 PENN STATE. IN TWO GAMES, KENT STATE HAS ALLOWED JUST 11 YARDS PER GAME ON THE GROUND. THE GOLDEN FLASHES HOPE THEIR D CAN HOLD UP THE NITTANY LIONS AND THEIR SLUGGISH RUNNING GAME TODAY.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - PENN STATE'S WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM IS STARTING ANOTHER STREAK. DEJA MCCLENDON LED NO. 2 PENN STATE WITH 15 KILLS IN THE NITTANY LIONS 3-0 WIN OVER GEORGE WASHINGTON ON FRIDAY. THE WIN COMES AFTER THE TEAM'S FIRST LOSS IN NEARLY THREE YEARS SNAPPED ITS 109-MATCH WIN STREAK.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - PENN STATE SAYS IT IS STARTING DIVISION I MEN'S AND WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY PROGRAMS. THE TEAMS WILL BEGIN PLAY IN 2012-13, AND A NEW MULTI-PURPOSE ARENA WILL BE BUILT. THE FACILITY AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MEN'S PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED BY AN $88 MILLION DONATION BY TERRY AND KIM PEGULA.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS EXPERIENCED A CLOSE-TO-NORMAL OFFSEASON AFTER MISSING OUT ON THE STANLEY CUP FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2007. THE BIGGEST CHANGE OF ALL IS OCCURRING NOW, AS THEY MOVE INTO A NEW HOME THAT IS FAR MORE SPACIOUS AND AMENITY-FILLED THAN WHERE THE FRANCHISE PLAYED FOR ITS FIRST 43 YEARS.

UNDATED (AP) - THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE BACK ON TOP IN THE TOPSY-TURVY AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST. DOWN TO THEIR LAST STRIKE, THE YANKEES RALLIED ON AN ALEX RODRIGUEZ THREE-RUN HOME RUN TO AS NEW YORK BEAT BALTIMORE 4-3 AND TOOK A HALF-GAME LEAD OVER TAMPA BAY, WHICH LOST 4-3 TO THE L.A. ANGELS.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - - YADIER MOLINA WENT 4 FOR 4 WITH A CAREER-HIGH FIVE RBIS TO LEAD THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TO A 14-4 WIN OVER MAT LATOS AND SAN DIEGO. THE LOSS DROPS THE PADRES A GAME AND A-HALF BACK OF ATLANTA IN THE NL WILD CARD.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THERE'S A CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN LOS ANGELES WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HITTING COACH DON MATTINGLY WILL REPLACE LEGENDARY MANAGER JOE TORRE AT THE END OF THE SEASON. TORRE, WHO TURNED 70 IN JULY, RANKS FIFTH IN VICTORIES WITH 2,318 IN 29 MAJOR LEAGUE SEASONS, INCLUDING FOUR WORLD SERIES TITLES WITH THE YANKEES.

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - BRAD KESELOWSKI HAS WON THE POLE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOR SUNDAY'S RACE, THE FIRST OF THE 10-RACE SERIES THAT IS THE CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP. KESELOWSKI IS NOT AMONG THE 12 DRIVERS ELIGIBLE TO RACE FOR NASCAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT HE SET A TRACK RECORD WITH A LAP AT 133.572 MPH IN YESTERDAY'S QUALIFYING.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - PLAYERS FOR FOUR NFL TEAMS HAVE VOTED TO DECERTIFY THE PLAYERS UNION, A STRATEGIC MOVE DESIGNED TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR THE NFL OWNERS TO LOCK OUT THE PLAYERS NEXT YEAR. CARL FRANCIS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION, CONFIRMS THAT INDIANAPOLIS, DALLAS, NEW ORLEANS AND PHILADELPHIA HAVE ALL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO DECERTIFY THE UNION, AND OTHER TEAMS ARE VOTING ON THE SAME ISSUE.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Final N-Y Yankees 4 Baltimore 3
Final L.A. Angels 4 Tampa Bay 3
Final Toronto 11 Boston 9
Final Cleveland 11 Kansas City 4
Final Detroit 9 Chi White Sox 2
Final Oakland 3 Minnesota 1
Final Seattle 2 Texas 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Final Pittsburgh 4 Arizona 3
Final Philadelphia 9 Washington 1
Final Atlanta 6 N-Y Mets 4
Final Chi Cubs 2 Florida 0
Final Houston 5 Cincinnati 3
Final St. Louis 14 San Diego 4
Final Colorado 7 L.A. Dodgers 5
Final Milwaukee 3 San Francisco 0