lback, whose error gifted Benji

SAN DIEGO -- For one day at least, the moderate-payroll San Diego Padres are in first place in the NL West, ahead of the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. Smiths first hit with the Padres came on a 2-0 pitch from Brian Wilson, who started the eighth after Hyun-Jin Ryu threw seven scoreless innings. It sailed an estimated 360 feet into the right-field seats. It was his seventh career pinch-hit homer. He was acquired in an off-season trade with Oakland for reliever Luke Gregerson. Wilson (0-1) walked pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal, who advanced when the veteran reliever couldnt handle Everth Cabreras bunt for an error. Grandal stole third and Cabrera took second on indifference before Denorfia hit a bouncer up the middle to bring them both in. "Theyre all just one game, but when youre facing a team like the Dodgers, full of great players, Brian Wilson, a guy who knows how to get it done in those situations, its not easy to do what our hitters did," said Huston Street, who pitched a perfect ninth for the save. "To come back and get three right there in that situation, especially after leaving guys on base early, thats what this team is going to have to do to win. Were going to have to battle all year long." The Dodgers set a record with an opening-day payroll of $234 million. The Padres are 23rd at just under $90 million. Street said he has no problem with the discrepancy. "Theyve got a lot of talent and their talent has earned those salaries," Street said. "Theyre not just given. At the same time, a lot of guys in this locker room are young guys. They havent hit that free agency mark. They havent hit those big salary years. We could be sitting on a higher payroll team. You dont worry about it too much just because baseball is such a game of execution." Dale Thayer (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Smith was acquired to provide a left-handed bat off the bench. He went deep on a cutter. "You get in the box and its an at-bat," he said. "As a professional ballplayer you hope that you can kind of flush the fact that its your first at-bat with your team or its in a big spot or whatever, and just do what youve been practicing for the last six weeks." Wilson said it was tough to deal with because Ryu "pitched such a marvelous game. Its a hard one to swallow." He said he threw a pitch "that was a little bit uncharacteristic of me. Right then and there, the tire deflated." The defending NL West champion Dodgers had started the regular season with a two-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney. Ryu got the start after reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was scratched due to a swollen back muscle and then placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his seven-year career. In a scheduling quirk, the left-hander started consecutive regular-season games. He made his season debut a week earlier, when the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks in their second game in Australia. Ryu retired 16 in a row from the second inning until one out in the seventh. He then walked rookie Tommy Medica, who was then erased in a 3-6-3 double play. Ryu allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked three. The Dodgers grabbed the lead on a nice piece of hitting by Carl Crawford with two out in the fifth. Crawford went the other way with an 0-2 pitch from Andrew Cashner, hitting it over third baseman Chase Headley to bring in Dee Gordon from second. Gordon had reached on a walk and advanced when Cashner fielded Ryus bunt and forced A.J. Ellis at third. Cashner allowed four hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two. NOTES: The Padres renamed the broadcast portion of the press box the Jerry Coleman Broadcast Center in memory of the Hall of Fame broadcaster who died on Jan. 5 at 89. His widow, Maggie, and daughter, Chelsea, threw out the ceremonial first pitches. ... Sunday nights attendance of 45,567 set the Petco Park single-game record. ... Padres manager Bud Black said LF Carlos Quentins time on the disabled list will go beyond April 10, when hed be eligible to be activated. He was placed on the DL on Saturday, retroactive to March 25, with a bone bruise in his left knee. Quentin was hurt diving for a ball in a spring training game. ... Monday is an off day. Tuesdays scheduled starters are Zack Greinke for Los Angeles and Ian Kennedy for San Diego. Patrick van Aanholt Jersey . Canada was placed in one of the easiest groups during Saturdays live televised draw in Montreal. Luuk de Jong Jersey . Five years ago, Nestor and Zimonjic beat the American twins to win the title. But the Bryans, the worlds top-ranked team, needed 74 minutes to earn the victory Saturday as both Nestor and Zimonjic lost serve in the second set. http://www.soccernetherlandsshop.us/Jeroen-Zoet-Netherland-Jersey/ . Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Luciano Narsingh Jersey . In the second game of their day/night doubleheader at Minneapolis, three Blue Jays pitchers, Steve Delabar, Sergio Santos and J. Ron Vlaar Jersey . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No.MANCHESTER, England -- Australia reclaimed the Rugby League World Cup from New Zealand in devastating style on Saturday, scoring five tries to cruise to a 34-2 victory in the most one-sided final in the competitions 59-year history. Billy Slater and Brett Morris both crossed twice and Cooper Cronk added the other try as the Kangaroos produced a near-flawless performance at Old Trafford to win the trophy for the 10th time in 14 editions. New Zealand forward Sonny Bill Williams was bidding to become the first player to win World Cups in both rugby codes but his subdued performance was summed up when his pass was intercepted in the lead-up to Australias final try, a length-of-the-field score finished off by Morris. The Australians finished without having conceded a try since their opening-day win over England five weeks ago. In their five matches since then, they shipped only four points in five matches, scoring 244. For Australias 30-year-olds Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston, who kicked all seven of his goals, it completes the resumes of three of the modern-day rugby league greats. And it goes a long way to making up for the 2008 final, when New Zealand stunned its fierce rival in Brisbane to claim the sports biggest prize for the first time. This was the heaviest victory in a final, eclipsing Australias 40-12 victory over the Kiwis in the same stadium in 2000. Australia hadnt been beaten in three years heading into the match but, crucially, New Zealand had defeated its great rival in three of the last four major finals they had met -- in that 2008 World Cup and in the Four Nations in 05 and 10. It quickly became apparent, though, that there would not be another upset here in a match played in front of 74,468 -- a record crowd for an international. Australia was sharper around the play-the-ball, made big yardage through the forwards and made the most of New Zealand winger Roger Tuisava-Shecks injury withdrawal in only the seventh minute to make a raaft of incisive attacks down its left channel.dddddddddddd Two of their tries came down that flank. A halftime scoreline of 16-2 didnt flatter the Kangaroos -- and their opponents walked off hands on hips, a punishing first 40 adding to the weariness after that epic semifinal victory over England last weekend. Thurston and Shaun Johnson kicked goals in the opening 16 minutes before Australias attack started making serious inroads and Thurstons perfectly judged kick was collected by the leaping Slater -- soaring way above Kieran Foran -- for the opening try in the 19th. Slater was passed fit only on Thursday after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a knee injury and his try double -- and Australias victory -- will be particularly sweet for the fullback, whose error gifted Benji Marshall a crucial try in the 2008 final. Isaac Luke somehow held up Cronk over the line to deny the standoff a try in the 25th, but Cronk had the last laugh five minutes later when he collected Darius Boyds kick forward following another raid down the left to force himself over the line. Lukes slip, just as Cronk gathered the ball, proved decisive. Thurston converted again -- in the process surpassing countryman Mick Cronin to become the record international point-scorer -- and his penalty in the 36th gave the Australians a 14-point lead at the break. New Zealand really needed to score next to make a game of it but it took less than a minute after the break for Slater to virtually clinch the trophy. Again the Kiwis were exposed on their right, as Thurston set free Darius Boyd, who passed inside for Slater to race over. Morris was next to cross after finishing a great move by diving to ground Jarryd Haynes kick forward before crashing into the advertising hoardings behind the short in-goal area. The same duo combined for the crowning try in the 72nd, Hayne intercepting Williams hopeful miss-pass and sprinting 60 metres before offloading to Morris, who did the rest. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '