BASEBALLCHICAGO -- Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout won the AL MVP award for the second time in three years, and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was voted NL MVP in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.Trout batted .315 with 29 homers, 100 RBI and 30 steals. He scored 17 percent of Los Angeles runs, the highest percentage for an AL player since Rickey Henderson with the 1985 New York Yankees.A unanimous winner in 2014, Trout had finished second in three of the past four years. He becomes the first MVP from a losing team since Alex Rodriguez for Texas in 2003 and just the fifth player ever to accomplish the feat).Bryant hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBI in just his second year in the majors, helping the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.NEW YORK -- Brian McCann still wanted to catch, a lot. So with his options limited in the New York Yankees lineup, the seven-time All-Star gladly accepted a new opportunity in Houston.McCann waived his no-trade clause and was sent, along with $11 million, to the Astros for a pair of young minor league pitchers.The Yankees acquired right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.McCanns playing time diminished in the second half of the season as rookie Gary Sanchez emerged as a power hitter behind the plate. Sanchez hit 20 home runs in just 53 games.OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics are staying put under new leadership and determined to find the right location for an intimate new ballpark that brings together the community with a great vibe for fans. One that will be privately funded and, in time, increase revenue and improve the on-field product.Committed new team President Dave Kaval just pulled off something similar in his other job: Building the San Jose Earthquakes second-year, state-of-the art Avaya Stadium, which just so happens to boast the largest outdoor bar in North America.Lew Wolff is selling all but a small stake in the As and giving up his managing partner role, turning it over to John Fisher. Wolff will become chairman emeritus and Fisher the managing partner. In addition, prior team President Michael Crowley is stepping away from day-to-day operations after nearly 20 years in the role.CHICAGO -- Commissioner Rob Manfred says baseball wants to study high-profile positions within the sport to see if certain qualifications predict success, a step that has everything to do with minority hiring.Baseball currently had no Latino managers before Rick Renteria took over the Chicago White Sox last month. Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals and Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only black skippers among the leagues 30 teams.But there were 10 minority managers as recently as 2009.NFLCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and the Carolina Panthers held off New Orleans fourth- quarter rally to beat the Saints 23-20 in a game marred by injuries to key players.Newton was 14 of 33 and threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. to help the Panthers (4-6) win for third time in three games and pull even with the Saints for third place in the NFC South.Jonathan Stewart also ran for a touchdown and Graham Gano had three field goals.However, the Panthers lost former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly (concussion), two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil (shoulder), defensive end Mario Addison (foot) and cornerback Leonard Johnson (chest) to injuries. Kuechly left the field on a cart while tears streamed down his face.The Saints lost running back Mark Ingram to a concussion in the third quarter.BOSTON -- Doctors who decide whether an NFL player is healthy enough to go into the game shouldnt be paid by the teams that have a stake in winning and losing -- an undeniable conflict of interest.Thats what a report released by Harvard University experts in medicine, law and ethics says.The study by the NFL Players Association-funded Football Players Health Study also recommends a short-term injured reserve for athletes recovering from a concussion, much like the system that baseball adopted five years ago.The 500-page report includes 76 recommendations addressed to 20 NFL stakeholders -- everyone from players and teams to equipment manufacturers and government regulators. The biggest message: Player safety will never be the top priority as long as those involved have competing calls on their loyalty.COLLEGE FOOTBALLHOUSTON -- Duke Catalon scored three touchdowns and Houston hurried and harassed Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson all night to propel the Cougars to a stunning 36-10 victory that dashed the third-ranked Cardinals playoff hopes.Louisville (9-2) entered the game ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but was outdone by a Houston team that saw its own playoff hopes foiled by two losses to unranked teams after a 5-0 start.The Cardinals were unhappy they werent ranked higher in this weeks CFP rankings after losses by several top teams last week, and some players thought they let that angst affect their play.BASKETBALLOKLAHOMA CITY -- For decades, basketball players have dreamed of being like Mike.Thunder guard Russell Westbrook really is like Mike.So says Mike himself.Basketball great Michael Jordan inducted Westbrook into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday night and heaped high praise on Westbrook, one of the most visible and accomplished Jordan Brand athletes.Westbrook is a two-time All-Star MVP and was the 2014-15 scoring champion. Last season, he posted 18 triple-doubles. This season, he has three triple-doubles and is averaging a Jordan-esque 31.8 points per game.HOCKEYVANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Coyotes forward Brad Richardson was carted off the ice on a stretcher in the second period of Arizonas 3-2 overtime loss at Vancouver and taken to a hospital.Richardson injured his right leg on an innocent-looking hit from Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin with 8:37 left in the second period. The 31-year-old Richardson crumpled to the ice and threw his gloves off in agony under the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Tryamkin.Medical staffs from both teams attended to Richardson by the boards in the Canucks zone for several minutes before loading him onto a stretcher. Reds Jerseys 2020 . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Cheap Reds Jerseys . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/ . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Cincinnati Reds Gear . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Stitched Reds Jerseys . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants got the victory they desperately needed.Madison Bumgarner snapped a five-start winless streak with seven shutout innings, Denard Span had four RBI and the Giants beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 on Saturday night.The victory kept the Giants alone atop the NL West, a full game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat Pittsburgh 8-4.The Giants were 6 1/2 games up at the All-Star break, but they entered Saturday 8-17 since, worst in the majors.We needed a win tonight, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. Madison, with what hes accomplished here and the big games that hes pitched, just gives the team a sense of confidence when hes out there.Bumgarner (11-7) had lost five of his previous seven decisions. He allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked three.I made pitches and didnt give in, things just went our way thats all really you can say, Bumgarner said.The Orioles fell out of first place, a half-game behind Toronto, which beat Houston 4-2.Span sparked the Giants with two-run singles in the second and sixth innings. Both came with two outs.It doesnt get much bigger than that, Bochy said. Twice you come up with men on second and third and get hits. ... Timely hitting is what wins ballgames for you and of course good pitching, and Bum threw a beautiful game.Kevin Gausman (3-10), who hasnt won on the road this season, lasted just four innings. He struck out nine batters and walked six, becoming the first pitcher in the majors to do so since 2013.I thought I threw a lot of strikes, Gausman said. The most frustrating thing was on the other side (they were) getting those pitches.Sometimes borderline pitches are strikes, sometime theyre balls, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. He worked a lot down in the zone and he wasnt getting the bottom of the zone. ... Anytime you walk six, theres a lot more to it than just missing. He wasnt the only one.Gausman fell to 0-9 on the road this season and is 0-16 in his last 25 road starts going back to AAug.dddddddddddd 22, 2014.Santiago Casilla faced one batter to get his 27th save.Brandon Belt broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run homer -- his 14th -- off Ubaldo Jimenez.Joe Panik had three hits, including two ground-rule doubles, and scored two runs.It was definitely good to get (Bumgarner) a few runs early and then tack on at the end, Panik said. Hes been so good for us, he deserves some run support.He pitched his tail off for us tonight, so definitely a good win all the way around.SPITTING IMAGEThe Giants unveiled a nine-foot bronze statue of Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry. The legendary spitballer was a five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner. He played for the Giants for 10 years (1962-71) and is the fifth former Giant to be honored with a statue outside AT&T Park. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Orlando Cepeda are the others.TRAINERS ROOMOrioles: RHP Darren ODay was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain. ODay visited with team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs and got a cortisone shot. The Orioles called up RHP Tyler Wilson from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. ... INF Steve Pearce, who missed five games with an injured flexor tendon in his right arm, wasnt in the starting lineup but was used as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning.Giants: LHP Josh Osich, on the disabled list since July 24 with a left forearm strain, threw a bullpen session.UP NEXTOrioles: LHP Wade Miley is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts since being acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners. Hes 4-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) against San Francisco.Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto is 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break after going 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA in the first half. He is 0-2 with a 10.32 ERA in two career starts against Baltimore. ' ' '