NEW YORK -- Bryan Mitchell was on the verge of making the New York Yankees out of spring training. Then he spent the next four months working his way back from toe surgery.The culmination of his recovery is pitching in a playoff race.Mitchell will be on the mound Monday night when Yankees open a three-game interleague series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.Mitchell injured the toe during the final week of spring training, costing him a spot on the opening day roster. He finally returned to the Yankees on Wednesday and allowed four hits in five-plus scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.Mitchell became the third Yankee since 2010 to throw at least five scoreless innings in a season debut but the first since Dave Eiland in 1990 to do so in a season debut that took place in September.It feels weird coming back at this point in the season, Mitchell said. Were in this chase right now. Every game is important. Once I finally got out of the game, it was pretty rewarding looking back on the season. It feels really good.While Eiland did it as the 67-95 Yankees were playing out the string and finishing with the worst record in baseball, Mitchell did it in the midst of New Yorks attempt to get back to the playoffs. Mitchells performance helped the Yankees to a fourth straight win in what ultimately became a seven-game winning streak.The streak ended with a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Luis Cessa gave up three home runs and the Yankees offense consisted of Chase Headleys 14th home run and Brett Gardners RBI single.While losing for the fifth time in 18 games might be shrugged off, every defeat gets magnified this time of year. The Yankees are four game behind Boston in the AL East and two behind Baltimore in the wild-card race and those teams are facing each other at Fenway Park.Every loss hurts just because its a day that you dont make up any ground or you lose ground, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. Every loss stings just because of how few games are left.The Dodgers have been in first place every day since Aug. 21, have won 13 of their last 20 games and lead the San Francisco Giants by three games in the National League West.Los Angeles had an interesting weekend in Miami as Clayton Kershaw returned from the disabled on Friday, Rich Hill was pulled after seven perfect innings on Saturday and the offense did not get its first hit until the fifth inning against Jose Urena.The Dodgers have played interleague games in Toronto and Tampa Bay this season. Manager Dave Roberts has used five players at designated hitter but hinted Justin Turner and Andre Ethier could get starts there.Turner did not play Sunday, but he is batting .302 with 22 home runs and 59 RBI in his last 75 games since June 10. Ethier was activated from the disabled list and was 0-for-3 in his season debut.Los Angeles has used 13 different starting pitchers this year and Jose DeLeon makes his second career start. DeLeon won his major league debut on Sept. 4 against San Diego, allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits in six innings. He had nine strikeouts, the second most by a Dodger in his debut only behind the 10 Kazuhisa Ishii had in 2002 and Pedro Astacio had in 1992.Im happy for him, said Los Angeles catcher Austin Barnes, who also caught De Leon at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. Hes fun to catch. He was pounding his fastball early in the count and hes got a great change-up.Before joining the Dodgers, DeLeon was 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 16 starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.The teams have met in the World Series in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 1953, 1955 and 1956 when the Dodgers were based in Brooklyn. The Yankees won each of those except for 1955 when Johnny Podres pitched a shutout in Game 7 in original Yankee Stadium.Since moving from Brooklyn, the Dodgers and Yankees met in the 1963, 1977, 1978 and 1981 World Series. The Yankees won in 1977 and 1978, and the Dodgers won in 1963 and 1981.In the regular season, the teams have split 10 meetings, with eight taking place at Dodger Stadium. The only time Los Angeles visited Yankee Stadium was June 18, 2013, when Yasiel Puig went 4-for-9 and hit home run off Adam Warren in the second game of a doubleheader. Air Max 270 Discount .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. Name Brand Shoes Cheap Online . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-china-yeezy-boost/yeezy-boost-350-v2.html . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Nike Air Max 90 China Wholesale . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Cheap Jordan Shoes Paypal Accepted . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson wont lose focus now that the fourth-ranked Tigers have achieved their goal of reaching the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Hes aware any misstep the next two weeks could cost them a national championship.Clemson (10-1; No. 4 College Football Playoff) clinched its spot in the league title game in Orlando, Florida on Dec. 3 with a 35-13 win at Wake Forest last Saturday. The next step toward the national crown comes this weekend against revived rival South Carolina (6-5), which has already doubled its win total from last season with first-year coach Will Muschamp.Watson is primed for the final, playoff pushLast week, we were focusing on our second goal, that was to win the Atlantic Division, Watson said Monday. Our third goal is winning a state championship. Well just take to it this week, take it one day at a time, dont rush it and let everything take care of itself.Once the ACC championship comes, well take care of that, Watson said.That strategy means focusing on South Carolina, which shouldnt be too hard. A scrappy Gamecocks team in 2015 gave undefeated, No. 1-ranked Clemson all it could handle in 37-32 Tigers win.Tailback Wayne Gallman the Tigers cant let things come down to the wire this time, not with the playoffs at stake.We cant let go of what were trying to finish, he said.Watson, the junior Heisman Trophy contender, has faced South Carolinas experienced defense before, but is wary about the tweaks Muschamp has brought to the group.Those guys are going to have pride in what they do and prepare very well, Watson said. Muschamp is a great guy, great coach and theyre going to be very confident coming in here. They should be.The Tigers will be pretty confident, too, given Watsons history against the Gamecocks.As a freshman in 2014 he played with a torn ACL in his left knee, yet threw for two touchdoowns and ran for two more in 35-17 victory that ended South Carolinas unprecedented five-game win streak in the rivalry.dddddddddddd Last year, Watson ran for three scores and passed for a fourth in the Tigers win.Watson would like to finish things out with a win.Two weeks ago, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Watson was among several offensive playmakers headed to the NFL after this season. Watson has been coy about the pro talk, wanting to concentrate on his college career instead of where hell be next year.Ill just pray about it and well figure it out later on, he said.Muschamp said Watson is a great player, among the best in college football.Hes a guy thats up for the Heisman, and if they give it to him, theyre not making a mistake, Muschamp said. Hes really good. So hes a guy that weve got a lot of respect for.Clemson defensive end Christian Wilkins suspected the team would come out flat two weeks back at its lone stumble, a 43-42 home loss to Pitt . Wilkins sensed the energy was down the night before, something he felt returned before the Wake Forest win.We got exposed, Wilkins said. This week, were a bit more focused and getting the results we want.Swinney said his guys have been locked in all season long and doesnt expect that to change now. Checking off last weeks divisional goal -- the Tigers shared the division with No. 11 Louisville, but advanced to the title game because of their 42-36 win over the Cardinals last month -- has the Tigers hungry for more.Weve got opportunities these next couple of weeks to hit a couple of more goals, Swinney said.If the Tigers hit those benchmarks, they know theres a strong chance theyll land in the playoffs a second straight season.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '