LAst Night's Action: Is Beckham Here Yet?

D.C. United 2, Chivas USA 1 - The MLS gets no respect. ESPN and SI.com lump it in with their general soccer coverage. Yahoo! Sports has them listed just below the WNBA. They might not party like their Euro counterparts, but LAist.com is willing to give Chivas USA top billing tonight. So here it goes ... after a scoreless first half, winless D.C. United found the net twice (the second on a penalty kick) and Chivas mounted a small comeback. They almost pulled off in the 88th minute when Troy Perkins nearly botched a save for United. Alright, it was a slow night in sports, and soccer is a game that you need to watch to enjoy.

Dodgers 6, Marlins 1 - Los Angeles has a lucky Penny. His name is Brad, and he improved to 4-0 with a win over Florida. He fried the Marlins with high heat, most of his pitches clocking in the mid-90s. His 14 strikeouts were the most by a Dodger in seven years, half of them coming against the first nine batters. He also helped his own cause with two RBI. No surprise that the media is paying their respects to Penny. Jeff Kent had a strong outing with a homer, double, and two runs. Rookie Andy LaRouche had two ribbies, a sac fly, and a stolen base.

Local Odds and Ends - The Anaheim Ducks will take on the Red Wings in the NHL's Western Conference Finals after Detroit put away San Jose in six games ... UCLA failed to make ESPN's top hoops teams of the past decade ... LA Times sports writer changed gender, may have made brilliant career move. And if you're a guy who wants to know what women think, just ask a girl, guy, oh, just click here.

Elsewhere - Diego Corrales, a boxer once known for coming back from the dead, is dead. LAist respects the fast and furious lifestyle that he led, and now wishes the best for his family and loved ones (especially his pregnant wife)... Here's a You Tube video we'd love to find ... MLB.com looks at the best home runs of the week ... Random sports section of the day: Arkansas Gazette ... We're all confused by SI's latest Power Ranking. Is it to rank the best, worst, or most influential/notable? Is it supposed to be fans, athletes, or both? And how the heck did Paris Hilton get in there?

AP photo by Linda Spillers.