has career bests in victories (12), complete games (3), starts (20)

PARIS -- Trailing until the 89th minute against Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid was reminded that becoming the first club to retain the trophy in the Champions League era wont be an easy task.The 11-time champions needed a late winner from substitute Alvaro Morata to prevail 2-1 in their opening game in the competition on a Wednesday night also marked by Premier League champion Leicesters maiden Champions League win.Playing against his former team, Cristiano Ronaldo was on the score sheet at Santiago Bernabeu stadium as he leveled with one minute left from a free kick before Moratas winner in added time. But the Portugal star was unable to match Sergio Aguero, who netted a hat trick with Manchester City.After a one-year absence in the tournament, Dortmund celebrated its return by putting six goals past Legia Warsaw, while French clubs Monaco and Lyon made both winning starts.Heres a roundup of all the action on Wednesday:---GROUP E:Thrashed by Tottenham 4-1 at White Hart Lane last season in Europa League, Monaco took its revenge on Europes biggest club stage with a 2-1 win at Wembley.The match was moved to Englands national stadium because of construction work at Spurs home ground and drew 85,011 fans, a club-record home attendance and a record for an English club.The crowd did not impress the French league leaders as Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva, who impressed throughout, opened the scoring after only 15 minutes before Thomas Lemar doubled the lead near the half-hour mark.Spurs reduced the deficit through Toby Alderweirelds header in the 45th minute but couldnt make the most of lots of possession in the second half.Bayer Leverkusen failed to hold onto a 2-0 lead in the groups other game, letting CSKA Moscow come from behind and rescue a point in a 2-2 draw. All four goals were scored in the first half.Leverkusen missed plenty of opportunities after racing to a two-goal lead in the space of 15 minutes with goals from Admir Mehmedi and Hakan Calhanoglu. The Russian champion responded with two goals in three minutes courtesy of Alan Dzagoev and Roman Eremenko.---GROUP F:Sporting showed it has the quality to get through the group phase with a spirited performance that stifled the defending champions.But Zinedine Zidanes coaching skills made the difference, as his decision to bring in Morata and James Rodriguez paid off. Rodriguez provided the assist, curling a perfect ball for Moratas header.Its a coachs job to make substitutions and were happy that they paid off, Zidane said. You make substitutions in order to change the game and thats what happened today. This is Real Madrid and we know we can always turn things around in a minute. We played a little better after conceding and we finally did it.Sporting had the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium largely under control and was rewarded when Brazilian midfielder Bruno Cesar gave scored with a shot from inside the area in the 48th minute. Ronaldo equalized from an 89th minute free kick.Borussia Dortmund, the 1997 champion, enjoyed a stroll in the park at Polish champion Legia Warsaw, scoring with six different players in a 6-0 rout.---GROUP G:Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Leicester opened its maiden Champions League campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Belgian champion Club Brugge.Sixteen years after its last European game, the English Premier League champion was unfazed by the occasion and got off to a strong start, with Marc Albrighton scoring after just five minutes.Mahrez then curled a free kick home and scored his second goal from the penalty spot.The victory gave Leicester the lead in its group after FC Porto and Copenhagen drew 1-1.---GROUP H:Playing with a depleted side, Lyon relied on its homegrown players and the class of teenager Maxwel Cornet to open its Champions League campaign in style with a 3-0 defeat of Dinamo Zagreb.Lacking five regular starters, including striker Alexandre Lacazette, Lyon dominated with a fine display of one-touch football. It quickly opened the scoring courtesy of Corentin Tolissos goal.Jordan Ferri, who honed his skills at Lyons renowned academy with Tolisso, made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half from Cornets assist. The 19-year-old Cornet then turned from supplier to scorer after playing a slick one-two with Tolisso.Dinamo players were unlucky in the closing stages of the game, hitting the bar twice.Lyon tops the group after Juventus was held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Europa League winner Sevilla in their opening match.---GROUP C:Sergio Aguero kept up his explosive start to the season by scoring a hat trick for Manchester City in a 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in their rescheduled Champions League match.A 24-hour delay, after the original Group C fixture was postponed because of torrential rain, didnt put City off its stride as coach Pep Guardiola earned his seventh straight victory to open his tenure at the English club.Aguero has now scored nine goals in five games this season after tapping in the opening goal in the ninth minute, converting a penalty in the 28th and completing his hat trick by rounding the goalkeeper in a one-on-one chance in the 77th.Aguero was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho, who wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time with a powerful close-range strike. Joe Greene Youth Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Dermontti Dawson Youth Jersey . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Jack-Butler-Jersey/ .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Rod Woodson Steelers Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. JuJu Smith-Schuster Youth Jersey . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Tyler Skaggs will pitch at Angel Stadium for the first time in two years Sunday when the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox conclude their three-game series.The left-hander, who turned 25 on July 13, returned to major-league action Tuesday night in Kansas City after spending the past two years recuperating from Tommy John surgery. In his start against the Royals, Skaggs conceded just three hits and one walk in seven shutout innings while collecting five strikeouts in the Angels 13-0 romp. Skaggs threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.It went a lot better than I expected, to say the least, Skaggs told MLB.com afterward. Everything just felt really fast in that first at-bat and after that, it started to slow down. It was a fun game for me.The left-hander last pitched in Anaheim on July 25, 2014, when he struck out five in 5 2/3 innings while allowing runs on five hits and a walk against the Detroit Tigers. In his next start six days later, Skaggs amassed seven strikeouts and issued no walks during 4 2/3 no-hit innings in Baltimore but left after throwing 72 pitches. Skaggs underwent ligament-transfer surgery 13 days later.Skaggs began this season with Triple-A Salt Lake but after his first three starts, biceps tendinitis kept him from pitching for two months. Skaggs returned to minor-league action June 22 with a rehabilitation assignment with the Angels rookie-league team in Arizona before returning to Salt Lake on July 2.In his final two minor-league starts, Skaggs held opponents to just two hits and three walks in 12 2/3 shutout innings while accumulating 26 strikeouts. Fourteen came against Triple-A Omaha to tie the Bees team record set by Jered Weaver.The left-hander will play a pivotal role in the starting rotation for the rest of this season and well into the next, at least. Injuries stripped the Angeels of starters Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.ddddddddddddJ. Wilson and Nick Tropeano. Heaney already had Tommy John surgery but Tropeano and Richards seek to avoid it.We have great expectations for him, manager Mike Scioscia told MLB.com in reference to Skaggs. Hes an important part of what were trying to do. We expected to have him maybe a little bit earlier. But hes ready now, and were happy to have him.Opposing Skaggs will be 31-year-old knuckleballer Steven Wright, who is having the best season of his career. The right-hander, an American League All-Star for the first time, already has career bests in victories (12), complete games (3), starts (20), strikeouts (109) and innings (132 2/3).Wright anticipated being one of the bullpens spare parts before left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a knee injury that forced a quick change in plans.I was going to be a long guy, spot starter, the knuckleball specialist told the Boston Globe. I knew my role in spring training. They made it clear. Thats what I prepared for. I knew there was a chance Id get starts. I didnt think Id be in the rotation. Unfortunately, Eddie got hurt but it opened up a door for me.But Wright had perhaps his worst start of the season in his last appearance Tuesday night against the Tigers in Fenway Park. The right-hander allowed eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings yet received no decision in Bostons 9-8 defeat. Before that game, Wright won his previous four starts.This is a tough loss for me because I feel like if you can get eight runs, you should get the team a win, Wright told MLB.com afterward. You cant keep asking the offense to score eight, nine runs every night. Thats tough to do for any team. ' ' '