Dario Franchitti's return to IndyCar racing couldn't have gone better. He's the IRL champion once again.

Franchitti successfully emerged from one of the closest points races in series history Saturday, winning the season-ending Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the first caution-free IRL race ever.

The 2007 champion — who skipped 2008 to explore NASCAR — held off Target Chip Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon and Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe.

ST. LOUIS — Unemployed in August, Vicente Padilla kept the Los Angeles Dodgers going in October.

The second-chance pitcher shut down Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals, putting the Dodgers back in the National League championship series with a 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Andre Ethier missed the cycle by a single, Manny Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs and the Dodgers didn't need help this time from another St. Louis fielding blunder to sweep their division series opponent for a second straight season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Dave Pear can't remember the sweetness or the relief. He can't picture the anxious final moments on the field or the party in the locker room. Time and his flickering memory won't let him.

Pear was a Tampa Bay defensive tackle 32 years ago, when the Buccaneers beat New Orleans and snapped what is still the NFL's longest losing streak. It was the first of two consecutive wins for the Bucs. Too bad Pear can't recall much about the day his team's luck changed.

"I just remember that our record was oh-and-26," he says now.

LUBBOCK, Texas — Remember, Kansas State football players said they wanted this challenge.

The Wildcats entered Saturday night's game at Texas Tech sporting a defense that was statistically one of the best in the country and an offense that was coming off its most promising game of the season.

Going up against a respected Big 12 South team, this was their shot at validating their recent play.

LAWRENCE — Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud overthrew a wide-open Darius Darks in the end zone on fourth-and-9 from the Kansas 31-yard line with a minute left, and the Jayhawks held on for a narrow 41-36 homecoming victory this afternoon.

The KU defense gave up 512 yards of offense to the Cyclones, who couldn't put the finishing touches on an upset of No. 16 KU.

The Jayhawks offense, led by quarterback Todd Reesing's 449 passing yards and four touchdown passes, did just enough. Wide receiver Kerry Meier had 16 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns, setting a school record for receptions in a game. Dezmon Briscoe wasn't far behind with 12 catches for 175 yards and two scores.

The spotlight never appears to bother Bishop Carroll quarterback Blake Bell, who has played with the poise of a veteran since his first start in 2008. Even he admitted, though, to feeling pressure Friday night when the Eagles played Kapaun Mount Carmel in a game televised nationally by ESPNU.

The hype, the crowd of around 5,000 fans, the national TV audience, a huge rivalry, the scrutiny on Bell, who is one of the country’s top-ranked quarterbacks — it was a lot to handle.

“This was crazy,” Bell said. “I felt the pressure, but I tried to let it all go.”