BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The Ryder Cup won, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood raced to their boisterous fans and unfurled the European Union flag, the new symbol of dominance in these matches.\nThey came to Oakland Hills as underdogs. They celebrated as underdogs.\nBy now, everyone should know better.\nEurope again proved to be the best in the Ryder Cup with its greatest performance Sunday, handing the Americans their worst loss in the 77-year history of the matches.\nThe final stroke of this Ryder Cup rout was fitting. Padraig Harrington rammed in a 25-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a point that counted only in the record books.\nEurope 18 1/2, United States 9 1/2.\nEurope has won the Ryder Cup four of the last five times, and seven of 10.
Auburn jumps in polls as LSU falls\nLSU fell out of the Top 10 Sunday while Auburn moved in, the result of a one-point game decided by a second-chance extra point.\nDefending BCS champion LSU dropped eight spots to No. 13 in The Associated Press media poll after losing 10-9 at Auburn on Saturday. Auburn moved up five spots to No. 9.\n"Is this a turning point? No, I think it's just a point that people will recognize that we've got a pretty decent team and things are going to just heat up on us," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Sunday. "We're going to see if we can handle it."
Cubs get lucky, beat Cincinnati\nCINCINNATI -- With a little help from an umpire, the Chicago Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games.\n"We know what's at stake," Alou said. "That was a big win for us."\nChicago, which remained a half-game behind San Francisco in the wild-card race, trailed 1-0 before pinch-hitter Ben Grieve's sacrifice fly off Paul Wilson in the eighth.\nPerez opened the ninth against Danny Graves (1-6) with a bunt and reached when first-base umpire Jim Reynolds ruled that third baseman Ryan Freel's throw pulled first baseman Sean Casey off the bag for an error. Replays indicated Casey stayed on the bag, but he tried a swipe tag on Perez, anyway.\n"I don't know if he was on the bag or not, but he never touched me," Perez said. \n"That's why (Reynolds) called me safe."\nReds manager Dave Miley was ejected for the third time this season when he threw his cap to the ground while arguing the call with Reynolds.\n"Bad call," Miley said. "I didn't need a replay. I saw the replay, but I didn't need one. That was a huge call in the game. That was a big out in the game. The first out of any inning is a big one."\nAramis Ramirez then singled, and Alou doubled up the left-center field gap for a 3-1 lead. Sammy Sosa was walked intentionally, and Michael Barrett hit a two-run double for his third straight hit.\n"The umpire has the final say," Graves said. "If he says he's safe, he's safe. You can't let that affect you. I couldn't get the ball down at all. Every sinker I threw was up, and against a team like that, with a lineup that never ends, you can't afford to get the ball up."\nJon Leicester (5-0) pitched a perfect eighth, and LaTroy Hawkins finished for his 23rd save in 29 chances.\nGlendon Rusch, starting because Matt Clement was pushed back to the second game of Monday's doubleheader at Florida, faced one batter over the minimum through six innings.\n"He was a factor, because he gave us a chance to win," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said.\n"He made some great pitchers," said Barrett, the Chicago catcher. "He was hitting his spots."\nWilson allowed five hits in eight innings, struck out six -- including leadoff batter Corey Patterson four times -- and walked none. He is 0-4 in 10 starts since beating Milwaukee on July 8, twice leaving games with leads that were blown by his bullpen.\n"That was the best game I've seen him pitch ever, including college, when he was dominating everybody," Graves said. "He definitely deserved a better fate than that"
