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NEW YORK, N.Y. - After a long, drawn-out spring training, and two weeks spent almost entirely on the road, Chris Davis and the Baltimore Orioles were ready to head home. And that was before they ran into Hiroki Kuroda.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs have been fighting for years to get back to the World Series. They may have a fight on their hands to upgrade Wrigley Field, too.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - An empty chair sat in front of Kobe Bryant's locker Sunday night, and the Los Angeles Lakers realized they would have to fill it together.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Hiroki Kuroda gave the Yankees a start they could lean on right when they needed it.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Detroit Red Wings have given themselves a little breathing room, at least for the moment.

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres are off to an awful start, in so many ways. Slugger Chase Headley is working his way back from a broken left thumb that landed him on the disabled list.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Jarrod Parker was one of the Athletics' top prospects last year, when he went 13-8 and helped Oakland win the AL West title. Now he's struggling to stay in Oakland's rotation.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The suicide squeeze that worked so well the night before for the Houston Astros with Marwin Gonzalez at the plate gave rookie manager Bo Porter the idea of trying it again with Ronny Cedeno.

CHICAGO - Edwin Jackson lost his command. Michael Bowden never had it.

PHOENIX - Watching Josh Beckett pitch his best game for the Dodgers, Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly decided it was the pitcher's game to win or lose. Didn't work out the way they wanted. A.J.