SYDNEY, Australia -- The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Matt Kemp on the 15-day disabled list Friday in paring their active roster to 25 players for the season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia. Chad Billingsley, still recovering from right elbow surgery, also was put on the DL. Beckett has a bruised thumb and Kemp is rehabbing from ankle surgery. The moves are retroactive to March 19, so all three players are ineligible to return until April 3. That means theyll miss at least a three-game series in San Diego from March 30 to April 2. Left fielder Carl Crawford also was inactive. He is on paternity leave. Arizona optioned pitchers Charles Brewer and Zeke Spruill to the minors. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks open the Major League Baseball season Saturday (4 a.m. EDT) at Sydney Cricket Ground. In addition, the Dodgers optioned backup catcher Tim Federowicz and reassigned outfielder Joc Pederson, pitcher Zach Lee and infielder Miguel Rojas to the minors. The moves left the Dodgers payroll -- including cash transactions in trades -- at a record $239.8 million for 34 players. But that probably wont be their opening day payroll, which will be calculated as of the March 30 game against San Diego, when all teams have to be down to 25 active players. The Diamondbacks were at $112.7 million for 30 players. Both teams came to Australia with 30 players for the two-game series, which ends Sunday. Beckett, Kemp and Billingsley did not make the trip. Star Lotulelei Jersey . - Diego Fagundez scored his team-leading 13th goal of the season in the 76th minute to lift the Revolution to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night that kept New Englands playoff hopes alive. Lorenzo Alexander Jersey . Blown save in the ninth inning? No problem. http://www.thebillsgearshop.com/Bills-Jordan-Mills-Draft-Jersey/ . After Andrew Romine served up two monster home runs in the inning, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he thought Romine was one of the bright spots on the night, showing just how bad the series opener against the last-place Minnesota Twins went for the Tigers. Eddie Yarbrough Jersey . CBS Sports Jon Heyman is reporting that Santana will sign a one-year deal, likely in the next two days with one of a trio of suitors, with the Toronto Blue Jays believed to be heavily involved. Russell Bodine Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest.PHOENIX - As it is, a pretty persuasive case could be made that Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks defence is among the very best groups on that side of the ball in NFL history.The Seahawks are the first team since coach Buddy Ryans 1985-86 Chicago Bears to give up the fewest points per game and fewest yards per game in back-to-back seasons.Theyre also the first team in more than 40 years, since the Minnesota Vikings Purple People Eaters of 1969-71, to lead the league in points allowed for three consecutive seasons.Where would Seattle rank, though, if it manages to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Sundays Super Bowl, a year after overwhelming Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the championship game?Not surprisingly, in this age of Twitters ability to instantly transform a mild boast into motivational material for an opponent, the Seahawks are not quite willing to wade into a debate.That would be cool, once you look back 20 or 30 years from now, to see how good you are. I remember the great defences back in the day. Theyre still being talked about. Teams from the 70s, from the 80s, theyre still being talked about to this day, even, linebacker K.J. Wright said. So when it gets to 2040, we can look back and just see how good we are. Itll be pretty fun.Others are ready to assess the Seahawks today.Over a two-year period, theyre as good as anybody thats played, said Brian Billick, coach of the Ray Lewis-led 2000 Baltimore Ravens that set a league record for fewest points in a season.Another former NFL head coach, Steve Mariucci, is impressed by the way Seattle has put up strong statistics year after year lately.Theyre in the conversation because of continuity over time, said Mariucci, now an NFL Network analyst. The Bears were pretty good over time, too, but they didnt win another Super Bowl. They were one-and-done.Those Chicago teams featured Hall of Famers, but they also used a never-before-seen scheme that confounded opponents. The Seahawks ddont necessarily present creative formations or try to confuse offences.ddddddddddddInstead, they rely plenty on everyone sticking to their assignments, hard hitting, turnovers and closing speed that helps limit opponents yards after catches.To try to avoid fumbling Sunday, the Patriots worked this week on protecting the ball.Running with slippery balls. Guys trying to strip the ball from you all practice, receiver Brandon LaFell said, adding that coach Bill Belichick puts a ton of water on the balls, and weve got the greased balls that are real slick.Brady calls playing against the Seahawks a grind and a test of wills.Youve got to run good routes. Youve got to make good throws. Youve got to throw into tight windows, Brady said. Theyve got a lot of eyes on the quarterback, so youve got to be conscious of those things, and youve still got to be able to play aggressively and play with confidence. You cant let one bad play affect another.The Seahawks defensive lines ability to fluster Brady and slow burly running back LeGarrette Blount could be key Sunday, and much of that responsibility will fall to Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.But Seattles success really starts in the secondary with the self-styled Legion of Boom, led by All-Pros Sherman at cornerback and Thomas at safety. The other safety, Kam Chancellor, gets less recognition, but as Sherman put it: He doesnt fly under the radar on the field.Another vital cog is All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, whose value became most clear when he was out of the lineup for five games with a toe injury. Since his return, Seattle is 8-0.If they make that 9-0 with another Super Bowl victory, then maybe even the Seahawks will be ready to rate themselves.We can definitely talk about it. We have to win the game first, Wagner said. But if we win the game, we can talk about it.___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFLWholesale HoodiesNFL Shirts OutletJerseys NFL WholesaleCheap NFL Jerseys Free ShippingWholesale Jerseys CheapCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '