three games

1. The Rays have embarrassed the Red Sox by pounding their starting pitchers in Games 2, 3 and 4. Boston starters gave the team a total of only 12 2/3 innings in those three games while getting hammered for 18 runs and 28 baserunners.

Ouch. But let's review whom the Sox sent to the mound in those games:

Right-hander Rich Harden's $7 million option for next year has been exercised by the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs acquired the hard-throwing right-hander from Oakland on July 8.

He was the losing pitcher in Game 3 of the NL playoffs on Saturday night as the Cubs were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall had his suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy reduced from three games to one on Thursday.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Marshall for a series of off-field issues. At the time, Marshall was told the suspension could be cut to two games if he stayed out of trouble and kept in touch with a league-appointed counselor.

The Detroit Red Wings aren't really going to blow this -- are they? Just a few days ago, the Red Wings were still in a span of being undefeated for almost a month, owning the NHL's longest postseason winning streak in 15 years and doing it with flair.

Three games into the Western Conference finals, they hadn't even trailed the Dallas Stars for a single second.

Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa was suspended for three games and fined by the commissioner's office Wednesday following a wild argument.

Bowa was ejected from Tuesday night's game against San Francisco in the sixth inning by umpire Ed Montague, who had told him to keep within the boundaries of the coaching box.

Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal says he will return to the court Monday night after sitting out more than two months with a bone bruise on his left knee.

O'Neal is among the league's best interior defenders, and the Pacers could use him for the stretch run. They enter Monday's game against the Miami Heat three games behind Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference with nine games left.

Shelley Duncan of the Yankees will be suspended for three games for his spikes-high slide that ignited a brawl earlier this week with Tampa Bay.

Rays rightfielder Jonny Gomes, who charged in to level Duncan from behind after Duncan kicked Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura in the groin with his slide, will be suspended for two games.