final 17 seconds. Oklahoma City has won eight of its last 12 meetings with the L

SAN FRANCISCO - Even though Jason Vargas will be making his World Series debut for Kansas City in Game 4, the Fall Classic atmosphere in San Francisco will not be foreign to him.Four years ago, while home for the off-season in Arizona, Vargas and his wife decided to fly to San Francisco to watch Game 1 of the World Series between the Giants and Texas Rangers.The Giants won 11-7 on the way to their first World Series title in San Francisco. They followed with another championship in 2012 and are back in for a third time in five years against the Royals this season.It was just an electric atmosphere, Vargas recalled before the Royals beat the Giants 3-2 on Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead. They were ready to go. The fans are here and they want to see their team win, and were hoping to stop that.Vargas will have a big part in that goal when he starts Saturday night against Ryan Vogelsong.Vogelsong has experience on this big stage, getting the win in Game 3 against Detroit two years ago when he pitched 5 2-3 innings in a 2-0 victory that helped send San Francisco to a sweep.Vogelsong is the only pitcher to yield no more than one run in his first five post-season starts. That run ended in the NL Championship Series when Vogelsong allowed four runs in three innings of a no-decision against St. Louis.But Vogelsong has proven he has no problems dealing with the heightened intensity in October.The biggest thing is just the experience of curbing the emotions, he said. Its definitely a situation where you have to be locked into the game and your thoughts need to be on the game, but you have to take a quick second to look around and take it all in.Vogelsongs post-season success is partly attributable to an increase in velocity in those games, with his fastball going from the low 90 mph range to about 95 mph.Its definitely a different adrenaline when youre in this stadium in a post-season game, he said. Its different than an everyday regular-season game.Vargas has pitched well in his first two post-season starts, allowing two runs in six innings of a no-decision in the division series opener against the Angels and getting the win when he allowed one run of 5 1-3 innings in the ALCS finale against Baltimore.Vargas had seven days off before his first post-season start, 12 before the second and nine before the Game 4 of the Series. He has used the time wisely, with the extra bullpen and side sessions helping to smooth out some mechanical issues that contributed to him going 1-5 with a 5.89 ERA in his final seven starts of the regular season.Hes had two great starts, manager Ned Yost said. He was a guy that was consistent for us all year. Struggled a little bit his last three or four starts in September, but, again, a lot of that was mechanical, and hes made the adjustment. Had a great start against Anaheim. Had a great start against Baltimore, and we look for him to do the same tomorrow. Cheap Puma Shoes From China . The Calgary Stampeders running back received the West Division nomination for the CFLs top individual award Thursday in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada and leagues eight head coaches. Cheap Puma Shoes Online .ca MLB Power Rankings, the third consecutive week that the As have held top spot and the third straight week that they have been one ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. http://www.cheappuma.us/ . - A week after a late-game debacle on defence, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed they can finish. Cheap Puma Shoes . All of 46 seconds into the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 victory over Alex Ovechkins struggling Washington Capitals, Crosby assisted on Chris Kunitzs goal. Cheap Puma Shoes Wholesale .Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. LOS ANGELES -- For three quarters, the Los Angeles Lakers tempted the sellout crowd at Staples Center into believing they would pull off one of the most improbable upsets of the NBA season. Then Kevin Durant took over and the Lakers got sloppy with the ball, turning it into just another loss in a season full of them for coach Mike DAntonis undermanned squad. Durant scored 19 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder sent the Lakers to a record-setting seventh straight home loss with a 107-103 victory on Thursday night. "The easy thing to do is look at it like we didnt have the proper focus. But Im not going to go there -- because when you play against an NBA team thats prideful like the Lakers, theyre going to have a good game," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. The Thunder have a 1 1/2-game lead on Indiana for the NBAs best record. Their 43-12 mark equals the best start in the franchises 47-year history, set by the 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics. Oklahoma City is 20-7 without second-leading scorer Russell Westbrook, who hasnt played since getting a triple-double on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. Westbrook is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. "This whole group, they are resilient," Durant said. "We persevered through everything and just stayed together. We had faith no matter what. We are looking forward to having Russell back and make it seem less of a transition for him." Chris Kaman and Wesley Johnson scored 19 points apiece for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall added 14 points and 17 assists. The Lakers have lost 22 of their last 27 games and are tied with Sacramento for last place in the Western Conference. The Thunder, coming off a 98-95 win against Portland in which they held All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard to a combined 1-for-17 from the field in the second half, trailed by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter while Durant missed his first eight attempts from 3-point range. But Durants first 3-pointer of the game cut the Lakers lead to 85-77 in the opening minute of the fourth, triggering a 15-2 run that enabled Oklahoma City to pull ahead 92-87 with 5:46 to play. "He just continued to play the game and do what he has done all season," teammate and former Laker Derek FFisher said.dddddddddddd "He is one of the best I have seen in terms if really just playing through anything and everything." Los Angeles committed seven of its 23 turnovers during the first 4:03 of the final period, and Fisher tied it at 87-all on a 3-pointer. Durant then stole the ball from Johnson and hit a driving layup that gave the Thunder their first lead, 89-87. The five-time All-Star capped the rally with a 3-pointer 32 seconds later. The Lakers came out of the gate like a team that desperately wanted to avoid surpassing the franchise record for consecutive home losses they shared with the 1992-93 squad. They led 54-45 at halftime. "I thought the effort was terrific," DAntoni said. "They battled the whole game. We ran into a little rough spot there in the start of the fourth. They got into us and we turned it over way too many times." Steve Blake made a three-point play after getting fouled by Jeremy Lamb on an off-balance 20-footer from the left elbow. That put the Lakers back in front 95-94 with 3:34 left, but Serge Ibakas two free throws put the Thunder ahead to stay with 2:38 remaining and they closed with an 11-7 run as Fisher and Durant each made two free throws in the final 17 seconds. Oklahoma City has won eight of its last 12 meetings with the Lakers. DAntoni was down to eight healthy players, with point guard Steve Nash sitting out because of a recurrence of root irritation in his back and hamstring. Los Angeles is still missing five of its top six scorers -- Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry. "Its been a crazy year, and there will still be some turbulence ahead," DAntoni said. "But I think during these next 29 games we will get honed in and try to get better. The thing I hope is that with all the effort, they get rewarded for it." NOTES: The Thunder havent allowed 20 or more points to an opposing player since eight games ago at Miami on Jan. 29, when they overcame 34 points by LeBron James in a 112-95 win. ... Oklahoma City will come out of the All-Star break with a six-game homestand beginning next Thursday against the defending NBA champion Heat. Brooks and his staff will be calling the shots for the Western Conference All-Stars on Sunday at New Orleans. ' ' '