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| East rolls into final Tue, 8 Jul 2008 10:59:34 -0500 OWENSBORO — One batter into the bottom of the first inning Monday, it looked as if Warren County South would roll into another 11-and 12-year-old District 1 final. Unfortunately for South, Bowling Green East’s bats had something to say about it. South’s Luke Meherg led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer to right, giving his squad an early 1-0 lead. But East exploded to plate 14 unanswered runs, sprinting into tonight’s championship game with a 14-1 win in four innings at Country Heights in Owensboro. “They’ve been used to being down, so once again, they stayed focused,” East manager Rick Kelley said. “And we knew the bats could come alive for us, and tonight, they did.” Click here for Little League Tourney photos. BG East will face Owensboro Southern in tonight’s 7:30 p.m. final. Southern advanced to the championship game by knocking off Logan County on Monday. The winner advances to next week’s State Little League Tournament in Louisville. East’s rally began in the second, as Hunter Sewell and Quentin Cooke led off the inning with base hits. Trevor Brewer brought home Sewell on a single before Cooke scored on a passed ball. Four batters later, Zack Borden’s double brought in both Brewer and Nacarius Shannon - who walked - to make things 4-1. Borden would later score himself on a passed ball to push the lead to 5-1. East plated two more runs in the third before exploding in the fourth for seven, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run by Seaton Sheldon, which also scored Grey Finwood and Borden. After allowing the first batter he faced to homer, East pitcher Shannon settled in nicely. Shannon allowed just four hits while fanning four over four innings to earn the victory. “Nacarius really pitched well,” Kelley said. “That off-speed pitch was really going well and he was really gripping that fastball.” But the big difference in the end was the East lineup, which pounded out 11 hits on its way to 14 runs. “It’s really one through 12,” Kelley said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are really making good connection with the ball right now and are keeping the team up.” South manager Joe Pitts said his team couldn’t overcome a few early miscues and never really stopped East’s big rally. “They jumped us in the second inning and capitalized on every mistake we made, and we did make a lot of mistakes there early,” Pitts said. “The better team won tonight, that’s all we can say.” Borden finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs for East, while Sheldon finished 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Meherg led the way for South, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. With one more win now needed for a district championship and a shot at a state title, Kelley said he hopes there’s still enough pop left in his team’s bats. “I know that we’ll be up for it,” Kelley said. “We feel a responsibility as the defending 11-year-old champions, and we want to come out and prove something. “We’ll be ready to go.” BGE 052 7 — 14 WCS 100 0 — 1 |
| Bowling Green East edges South in 9-10 Tue, 8 Jul 2008 10:59:36 -0500 OWENSBORO — Jackson Gooding needed every single one of his pitches Monday night, and 75 proved to be just enough. The Bowling Green East hurler forced a ground-ball out on his 75th pitch of the game - the Little League maximum - and helped propel his team into tonight’s 9- and 10-year-old District 1 Tournament championship game with a 5-4 win over Warren County South at Country Heights in Owensboro. “He pitched a great game,” East manager Bill Jones said. “He was right at 75 pitches, he kept the ball down and made them put it in play and we played great defense behind him. “We just played a little bit better than they did today.” BG East advances to play East Daviess County - which topped Owensboro Southern on Monday - in the final at 7:30 p.m. At stake is a trip to the State Little League Tournament next week in Louisville. East stormed out of the gates early, grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Gooding - who led off with a triple - was brought home on an Ethan Wilson RBI single. Wilson then scored on a Jake Bush double to make it 2-0. Bush was later pushed across on an Austin Zinoble groundout. South wouldn’t go away, however, as they scratched one across in the third on a Jacob Lewis RBI single, scoring Grant Noble. The big inning for South was the fourth, as both Kieffer Baxter and Cathan Bryant reached on errors and were brought home by a Griffin Heltsley single and a Noble groundout, respectively. Heltsley was then brought in on a Landon Bybee double, giving South a narrow 4-3 advantage. East responded in the fifth, as Zinoble singled home Wilson - who singled to lead off - to tie the game. The next batter, Griffin Cline, then brought home Bush - who had singled - on a groundout to regain the lead at 5-4. Gooding then shut the door in the top of the sixth to close out the game. Jones said keeping such a young group focused after gaining, then losing, then gaining back a lead was a lofty challenge. “You just try to get them to relax,” Jones said. “Just try to keep reminding them to play the way they’ve been playing all year.” As for South, coach Brian Bybee said he was extremely proud of the way his team fought back from three runs down to nearly steal the game. “That’s kind of been what they’ve done the whole time, they’ve come back in a lot of ball games both in the area and now the district tournament,” Bybee said. “This is just the grittiest group of kids I’ve been around in a long time. “They got down early, didn’t panic or waste any energy getting it all at once, came back and the ball really just didn’t go our way on a couple of plays.” Bybee pointed to Gooding in the end as a big difference, giving him credit for making pitches when he had to. “You can’t take anything away from them, they played just great,” he said. “Jackson Gooding pitched an excellent ballgame, he needed every pitch and we put the ball in play on him, but he pitched just great.” Bush led the way offensively for East, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Trey Kirtley finished 2-for-3 to pace South offensively. In the end, Jones said the team would be ready to go in tonight’s final. “It’s very exciting,” he said. “We want to come and have a good day tomorrow (today), and play hard and hopefully we’ll be able to come out on top.” WCS 001 300 — 4 BGE 300 002 — 5 |
| Chris Kendall wins City Junior Medal Tue, 8 Jul 2008 10:59:36 -0500 Chris Kendall fired a 73 and won the boys’ 17-18-year-old division Monday in the City Junior Medal Tournament at the Golf Course at Riverview. Kendall edged Jordan Williams by a stroke, while Joseph Upchurch was third with a 76. In the boys’ 15-16 division, Michael Reid won with a 75, while Lane Embry was second with a 77 and Perry Swack third with an 82. In the girls’ 15-16 division, Tara Harris won with an 89, while Morgan Elliot was second with a 92 and Hanna Brown was third with a 112. Kristen Taulbee won the girls’ 13-14 division with an 87, while Jackie Vanmeter was second at 97 and Leslie Vanevery third at 112. In the boys’ 13-14 division, Brandon Beckham won with a 75, while Joshua Harris was second with a 76 and Anthony Walker was third with an 83. In the nine-hole divisions, Tia Lindsey won the girls’ competition with a 54, while Madelyn Angell was second with a 55 and Lauren Elliott was third with a 58. Jared Brown won the boys’ nine-hole division with a 33, while Brett Beckham was second at 35 and Hunter Sewell third at 41. Carson Sturgill won the boys’ putting division at 35. Noah Burns was second at 38 and Ben Sexton was third at 39. Jasmine Lee finished at 52 in the girls’ putting division, while Jillian Keown had a 61. |
| WKU pair takes third Tue, 8 Jul 2008 10:59:37 -0500 Western Kentucky men’s golfers Adam McDonald and Neil Horsley teamed up to place third in the Spirit of America Championship at the Burningtree Country Club last weekend in Decatur, Ala. The two finished even par through four rounds, placing them in the top three of the 41 participating squads. Horsley tied for 19th in the individual portion of the championship, firing even par. Through the first two rounds he sat at 5-under-par after posting a 4-under 67 on the first day of action. Horsley’s round three card saw six bogeys along with two birdies to complete the round at 4-over-par, moving him to one-under for the championship. During the final round, he posted two birdies and three bogeys to finish the day at 1-over-par and the tournament at even-par. McDonald’s first round was just the opposite of Horsley’s, recording a 5-over-par 76 for the first 18 holes. Rounds two and three put McDonald back in the hunt, going 4-under-par for the two days. During the second day of play, his scorecard saw an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys. Day three was much the same - five birdies and three bogeys. McDonald fired four birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey in the final round to finish the tournament three-over-par and tied for 29th in individual play. The event saw 56 competitors make the cut. Matt Stauch of Florida Southern took home medalist honors after recording a four day total of 7-under 277. Southeastern Louisiana won the team crown at 4-under. |
| Camp would feature plenty of Knight life Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:41:00 EST I've received advance word -- or would it be warning? -- that Knight is at least considering an adult fantasy basketball camp at Butler University in Indianapolis on the last weekend in September. |
| China has work to do on Olympics Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:29:00 EST With one month to go before the Olympics open on Aug. 8, China's work is hardly complete. |
| Torres, 41, is swimmer for the ages Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:38:00 EST Dara Torres jokes that she had trouble reading the scoreboard after winning the first of two events at the Olympic swimming trials. Her eyes seem to be the only part of her body showing any age. |
| Rankings don't rankle future Cat Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:40:00 EST A year ago when he committed to the University of Kentucky, Ross-Miller was considered among the top players nationally in the Class of 2010. |
| Hoosiers reinstate QB Lewis Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:41:00 EST Four months after he was suspended indefinitely from the Indiana University football team for undisclosed reasons, standout quarterback Kellen Lewis was reinstated yesterday. He is expected to report with his teammates Aug. 4 for preseason camp. |
| Denis of Cork out for '08 with ankle problem Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:41:00 EST Belmont Stakes runner-up Denis of Cork is through racing for the year after developing a problem in his left hind ankle so small that trainer David Carroll isn't sure how to describe it. |
| St. X grad Savage handles North & South like a pro Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:42:00 EST Matt Savage finally regained his putting stroke and posted the biggest victory of his amateur golf career. |
| Bailey falters in 6th as Bats lose Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:42:00 EST Homer Bailey's excellent start disintegrated in the sixth inning last night as the Louisville Bats fell 4-3 to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. |
| YOUTH BASEBALL Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:43:00 EST |
| Sports on TV Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:42:00 EST |
| PREP BASEBALL: Elizabethtown upends Central Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:08 -0500 ELIZABETHTOWN What a difference two weeks can make. |
| PREP BASEBALL: John Hardin sweeps North Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 RADCLIFF It’s been said that hitting is contagious and the John Hardin Bulldogs certainly had a bad case of it spread through the team Thursday night. |
| PREP SOFTBALL: Krupinski, Central Hardin shut out John Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 CECILIA Having been shut out in their previous two games, the Central Hardin Lady Bruins were in a little bit of a funk. |
| PREP SOFTBALL/BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Lady Panthers fall; Mayfield moves to 7-1 Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 The slumping Elizabethtown Lady Panthers lost for the 10th time in 13 games, falling to visiting Warren Central on Thursday, 3-1. |
| BOYS'/GIRLS' PREP TENNIS RESULTS: Thursday's Matches Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 Results from Thursday's area high school tennis matches: |
| Rain doesn't dampen spirits Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:48 EDT Independence Day 2008 didn't kick off with beautiful weather, but that didn't keep more than 3,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair racers from competing in the 32nd annual Bluegrass 10,000. Defending men's champion Jacob Korir earned his second Bluegrass title, winning by nearly a minute and earning the ninth straight title for Kenyans. Former UK distance runner Liliane Sparkes took the women's race, and Nanc Spillner won another women's standard wheelchair title. Greg Queen remained undefeated since switching to a crank wheelchair, and Paul Erway won the men's standard wheelchair. |
| Mom's health scare affects recruit's play at camp Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:04 EDT AKRON . It isn't often that a recruiting analyst admits he underrated a prospect and apologizes. It happened at the Nike-sponsored LeBron James Skills Academy. The subject of the devaluation and apology was Daniel Orton, a 6-foot-9, 258-pound power forward from Oklahoma City. His sin? He wasn't dominating. He was simply playing well. Then he explained the mental and physical problems he's carrying onto the court these days. An unsolicited apology followed from an unidentified analyst in a group interview. Orton's mother almost died recently after being rushed to the hospital. Orton was on the summer basketball circuit and couldn't be near his mother. |
| Commitment puts target on future UK player Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:09 EDT CINCINNATI . Jon Hood pulled up his jersey to show how he wears pads on his hips and pads on his thighs. He also wears a wrap around his midsection. When you're a future Kentucky Wildcat, you apparently need protection. .I'm tired of being hit,. Hood explained after a game in the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic here. .People poking me in the ribs.. Hood, a 6-foot-7 high school senior-to-be, knows that committing to Kentucky carries a weight of responsibility. Already the fastest gun in Madisonville, he'd been told that committing to Kentucky would only further spur every player with a decent jump shot to test himself against the would-be Cat. |
| Ellis first to give horsemen bigger cut Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:17 EDT The agreement between Ellis Park and Kentucky horsemen that will get racing back on track Friday is the first time that trainers and owners have gotten what they have been asking for: a bigger share of the money from advance-deposit wagering. Horsemen in several states have been bargaining with tracks to increase the percentage that goes into purses from ADW and other off-track sources. The dispute has resulted in blocked simulcasting, purse cuts and lawsuits. Last week Ellis Park owner Ron Geary abruptly announced he was closing the Thoroughbred track instead of opening for a 44-day meet as scheduled on Friday. A deal, announced Saturday, will make the ADW percentage similar to that from on-track betting. Racing will begin on Friday, with fields of up to a dozen horses. |
| UK recruit a no-show at Classic Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:31 EDT CINCINNATI . Jeremiah Davis, one of the prospects offered a scholarship by Kentucky, did not come to the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic. Reached by phone, Davis said .things came up. at home which prevented him from joining his teammates on the Team Indiana/Indiana Elite team. Davis, a 6-2 guard, will be a sophomore at Muncie (Ind.) Central High this coming school year. He's been offered scholarships by Kentucky, Indiana and Ball State. Kentucky and Tennessee invited Davis to participate in their Elite summer camps. He did not play in either event. |
| NASCAR's feeling effects of slumping economy Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:01 EDT Chip Ganassi shocked the NASCAR industry when he shut down Dario Franchitti's unsponsored race team, putting last year's IndyCar Series champion and 71 other employees out of work. That it happened to Ganassi, a multi-car owner who just six weeks ago won the Indianapolis 500, was a wake-up call to every team owner not named Childress, Gibbs, Hendrick or Roush. These are tough economic times, and the sagging market is finally affecting NASCAR in nearly every facet of the industry. When the season opened at Daytona International Speedway in February, 53 cars attempted to make the race. On the return trip last weekend, only 45 cars showed up, six of which lacked full sponsorship and are operating on shoestring budgets. And there were huge swaths of empty seats in the grandstands for Saturday night's main event. It all coincided with the June car and truck sales reports, which forecast gloom and doom for NASCAR's participating automakers. |
| Gonzalez to sit out this year after knee surgery Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:14 EDT CINCINNATI . Reds shortstop Alex Gonzalez had surgery on his left knee Monday, ending his season before he got to play a single game. Team medical director Dr. Timothy Kremcheck performed the one-hour surgery and said Gonzalez could be ready for spring training next year. Gonzalez, 31, sustained a compression fracture at the start of spring training in February. Cincinnati signed Gonzalez to a $14 million, three-year deal before last season. He missed 28 games in 2007 while attending to his ailing son and ended up batting .272 with 16 homers and 55 RBI. |
| Lexington held to four hits in shutout Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:19 EDT CHARLESTON, S.C. . Wilkins de la Rosa struck out nine in six innings, and Jesus Montero hit a solo home run as the Charleston RiverDogs blanked the Lexington Legends 2-0 on Monday night. The Legends dropped to 4-14 since the All-Star break and 25-62 overall. It was Charleston's South Atlantic League-leading 10th shutout of the season. De la Rosa (4-3), a converted outfielder, took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. The left-hander allowed only two hits and walked none. Three relievers scattered a pair of hits as the Legends could muster only four on the night. |
| Curlin continues prep for turf debut Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:30 EDT Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin worked an easy half-mile over the main track at Churchill Downs on Monday in preparation for what trainer Steve Asmussen plans as the colt's debut on turf this weekend. The 4-year-old son of Smart Strike worked at 6:30 a.m. and comfortably covered the distance in :50.80 over a .fast. surface. He completed the work in fractional times of :13.20, :26.20 and :38.80 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:05. The breeze followed last week's 7-furlong work on turf in 1:31.20 and was Curlin's final move in preparation for his expected first outing on turf on Saturday in either the Grade I, $500,000 Man o' War at Belmont Park or the $200,000 Grade III Arlington Park Handicap at Arlington Park. The decision on which race will be Curlin's target hinges on the resolution of a licensing issue in both racing jurisdictions regarding the colt's minority owner Midnight Cry Stable. .He's an awesome horse . I'm excited,. Asmussen said. |
| Schumacher wins Tour time trial, grabs lead Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:11 EDT Germany's Stefan Schumacher surged to the overall lead in the Tour de France on Tuesday by winning the first individual time trial of the three-week race. He completed the 18.3 miles in 35 minutes, 44 seconds, ahead of Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain. Time-trial world champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland struggled and finished fifth. "My head is down, but you have to keep your head up when you see things you can do better for the next time trial," Cancellara said. "It wasn't my day today, I think. I couldn't find the rhythm." Schumacher took the yellow jersey from France's Romain Feillu, who won it Monday. The German most likely will hold the lead for at least for another day. Schumacher is 12 seconds ahead of Millar and Kirchen. Wednesday's stage favors sprinters and the pack is expected to stay together. The 144-mile route from Cholet to Chateauroux is the race's longest and flattest stage. |
| Kuroda 1-hits Braves, helps Dodgers tie for 1st Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:11 EDT Hiroki Kuroda took a perfect game into the eighth inning and settled for a one-hitter, leading Los Angeles to a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. The win moved the Dodgers in a tie for first in the NL West with idle Arizona. Kuroda (5-6) retired the first 21 batters before Mark Teixeira lined the right-hander's 70th pitch into the right field corner for a double leading off the eighth. He was the only Atlanta baserunner. The Braves flew across the country after waiting through a 1-hour, 50-minute rain delay in a 7-6, 17-inning victory over Houston on Sunday in the longest game ever at Turner Field. Kuroda was attempting to become the first Dodger to throw a no-hitter since countryman Hideo Nomo on Sept. 17, 1996, 9-0 at Colorado. Kuroda, 33, signed with the Dodgers in December as a free agent after 11 seasons with Hiroshima of the Japanese Central League. He threw 91 pitches and struck out six in a game that lasted just 2 hours and 3 minutes. The closest the Braves came to a baserunner before Teixeira's hit was in the seventh, when Gregor Blanco dropped a bunt to the left of the plate on Kuroda's first pitch of the inning. Rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt made a barehanded pickup and threw him out by a step. |
| Mad Dog Maddux's winless streak reaches 11 starts Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:11 EDT It's been 11 starts and nearly two months since Greg Maddux won a game. Jorge Cantu hit a two-run home run off the 42-year-old Maddux, which was enough to carry Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night. Nolasco (10-4) won his fifth straight decision, holding San Diego to one run and five hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and walked none. Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 22 chances. Career win No. 351 has been elusive for Maddux, either because of a lack of run support or shots such as the one Cantu hit, or both. Maddux (3-7) became the ninth big league pitcher to reach 350 victories on May 10. Since then, he's 0-4 with seven no-decisions, even though he's allowed two or fewer earned runs eight times in that streak. San Diego is 6-5 in Mad Dog's last 11 starts. The longest winless streak of Maddux's career is 13 starts, May 11-July 14, 1990, with the Chicago Cubs. He allowed one earned run and four hits in six innings. |
| A's snap eight-game home skid against Mariners Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:11 EDT Wes Bankston hit his first career home run, Dana Eveland won his third straight decision and the Oakland Athletics ended an eight-game home losing skid to the Seattle Mariners with a 4-3 win on Monday night. Bankston, called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday when the A's placed shortstop Bobby Crosby on the disabled list, hit a two-run home run off Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn in the fifth inning as Oakland rallied for the win. Bankston also doubled and scored in the second, raising his average to .391 since being promoted to the majors. Ryan Sweeney's RBI-single in the fifth drove in Gregorio Petit with the eventual game-winning run for the A's, who hadn't beaten the Mariners at the Coliseum since July 5, 2007. Seattle fell to 7-10 under interim manager Jim Riggleman. Eveland (7-5) picked up the win despite a shaky outing. The right-hander gave up three runs in the first and pitched with runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings. He left after allowing nine hits over 5 1-3 innings. |
| Mets hold on to beat Phillies 10-9 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:56 EDT Pedro Martinez pitched into the sixth inning then watched the New York Mets give back nearly all of a nine-run lead before holding on for a 10-9 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night. David Wright homered and drove in four runs as the Mets built a 10-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. But three relievers, including closer Billy Wagner, combined to nearly blow it. The Mets had a 10-7 lead heading into the ninth, but Wagner, who blew a save in the Mets' win Sunday, gave up a two-out RBI single to Pedro Feliz, scoring Shane Victorino. Eric Bruntlett, who had walked, also came around to score on a throwing error by center fielder Carlos Beltran. Jayson Werth hit a soft liner to right, ending the comeback and giving Wagner his 20th save in 26 opportunities. Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis had three hits each for the Mets (45-44), who last boasted a winning record on June 5 (30-29). New York tied its season high with 17 hits and wound up taking three of the last four games from the Phillies to move within 2 1/2 games of the NL East leaders. Martinez (3-2) turned in one of his more effective performances of the season by allowing only five hits and two earned runs in 5 1-3 innings. |
| Hunter homers twice to help Angels beat Rangers Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:56 EDT Torii Hunter homered twice, the first capping a six-run second inning, and the Los Angeles Angels held on for a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Vladimir Guerrero, Jeff Mathis and Hunter all homered in the big second inning that gave the Angels an 8-0 lead. All three were off Rangers starter Luis Mendoza (1-3), who allowed eight runs in 1 1-3 innings. Hunter had an RBI single in the first and homered in the seventh. Ervin Santana (10-3), who was named an All-Star for the first time, allowed six runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out six in winning for just the second time in six starts. David Murphy and Chris Davis homered off Santana in Texas' five-run fifth that nearly erased the eight-run deficit. |
| Holliday homers to back Jimenez, lift Rockies Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:56 EDT Ubaldo Jimenez baffled the Brewers in a 4-3 victory on Monday, putting a damper on what had been a daylong welcome to Milwaukee party for CC Sabathia. Jimenez (4-8) gave up only three hits in seven innings, and has won three of his last four starts after beginning the season 1-7. All-Star Matt Holliday hit his 14th home run - and fourth in four games - for Colorado, which has won six of its last seven. After warmly welcoming Sabathia, who is scheduled to make his Milwaukee debut Tuesday night after he was acquired in a trade with Cleveland on Monday, the Brewers didn't seem particularly focused on the field until they put together a late rally off reliever Taylor Buchholz. Milwaukee loaded the bases in the eighth inning on an error by Rockies first baseman Joe Koshansky, a pop fly that inexplicably dropped between catcher Chris Iannetta and third baseman Garrett Atkins, and a walk. Brewers slugger Ryan Braun then hit a sharp ground ball that glanced off the mound and into the glove of shortstop Clint Barnes, who stepped on second and threw to first for a double play as a run scored. |
| Pirates rock Astros' depleted staff in 10-7 win Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:31 EDT Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit each hit home runs to lead 10 Pittsburgh Pirates with at least one hit in a 10-7 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Adam LaRoche reached base four times, scored twice and drove in a run as eight Pirates had RBIs. Jason Bay went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs, and Xavier Nady had two hits and two RBIs for Pittsburgh, which scored more runs during the first three innings Monday than they did in being swept in three games in Milwaukee over the weekend. Carlos Lee hit his 20th home run and had three RBIs for the Astros, who have lost six of seven and fell back into last place in the National League Central. The Houston pitching staff was depleted after a 17-inning loss Sunday at Atlanta, forcing the Astros to ride Runelvys Hernandez (0-3) for four innings in which he allowed 10 runs on 13 hits and four walks. Making his season debut after having his contract purchased after the marathon game Sunday, Chad Paronto pitched the final four innings, allowing only a hit and a walk. |
| Big Papi feels fine after 1st live BP session Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:41 EDT David Ortiz strolled to his locker with a confident expression on his face. He joked - a sure sign his first batting practice on the field since being injured went well. Ortiz has been on the disabled list since May 31 because of a partial tear of the sheath that surrounds the tendon in his left wrist. He hit a few long drives before the Red Sox played Minnesota on Monday night. " I feel good," he said in the Red Sox clubhouse. "Great." When a questioner asked him about the six drives he sent into the seats, he replied, "You were counting, huh?" Ortiz had a team-high 13 homers and 43 RBIs when he got hurt. |
| Ramirez's RBI single lifts Red Sox past Twins 1-0 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:26 EDT Manny Ramirez hit a run-scoring single in the eighth to lift Boston to a 1-0 win over Minnesota in a splendid pitching matchup between Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Twins' Scott Baker on Monday night. Dustin Pedroia extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games with a double high off the Green Monster on the first pitch from reliever Brian Bass (3-3) in the eighth. After J. D. Drew advanced Pedroia to third, Ramirez lined a single to right through a drawn-in infield. The Red Sox, coming off a 3-10 road trip that dropped them into second place behind Tampa Bay, won for the 23rd time in 29 games in Fenway Park. The Twins lost just their fourth in 22 games, ending a five-game winning streak. Matsuzaka pitched 7 1-3 innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out five. Hideki Okajima (2-2) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth for the win. |
| Rain disrupts play in Bastad Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:16 EDT Only two out of four scheduled first-round matches were completed on Monday because of rain at the Swedish Open. Serbian Boris Pashanski handled Chilean Olympic gold medalist, and qualifier, Nicolas Massu 6-2, 6-3, while Sweden's own Bjorn Rehnquist, a qualifier, topped Polish lucky-loser Michal Przysiezny 7-5, 6-2 on the red clay at Bastad Tennis Stadium. Seventh-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen was leading Argentine Sergio Roitman 5-4 when their bout was suspended and a match between Italian Filippo Volandri and Swedish wild card Ervin Eleskovic was postponed until Tuesday because of rain. This week's top seed is also the defending champion, David Ferrer. The Spaniard defeated fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro in last year's finale. Ferrer, who received an opening-round bye this week, will open defense of his title against Pashanski. |
| Andreev, Canas advance in Gstaad Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:16 EDT Seventh-seeded Russian Igor Andreev and eighth-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas were a pair of first-round winners Monday at the Swiss Open. The 2004 Gstaad finalist Andreev got past Brazilian Marcos Daniel 6-4, 7-5, while Canas held off Czech Ivo Minar 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 on the red clay at Roy Emerson Arena. In other opening-round play, Belgian Kristof Vliegen vaulted past Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-3, 6-4; Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez overcame Swiss wild card Michael Lammer 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; France's Florent Serra stopped Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5); and Croat Marin Cilic handled French qualifier Josselin Ouanna 6-3, 6-4. This week's second seed, Paul-Henri Mathieu, beat Italian Andreas Seppi in last year's finale here. Mathieu will open defense of his title against Cilic. The 2008 Gstaad titlist will collect $102.000. The top seed here is Swiss favorite Stanislas Wawrinka. |
| Pennetta, Suarez Navarro move on in Palermo Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:11 EDT Top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta and fourth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro were a pair of opening-round winners Monday at the Palermo International. The 2004 Palermo runner-up Pennetta pasted German Sandra Kloesel 6-2, 6-2, while the French Open quarterfinalist Suarez Navarro beat Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) on the red clay at Country Time Club. In other Day-1 action, fifth-seeded Italian Sara Errani erased Taipei's Su-Wei Hsieh 6-1, 6-0 and Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko outlasted Italian Mara Santangelo 6-4, 1-6, 6-1. The 2008 Palermo titlist will take home $23,000. Hungarian Agnes Szavay, who is not defending her title this week, beat German Martina Muller in last year's final. |
| Young wins Newport opener Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:06 EDT Sixth-seeded American Donald Young highlighted Monday's first-round winners at the $385,000 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. Young outlasted Korean qualifier Woong-Sun Jun 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 on the grass at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In other matches involving Americans, Indian qualifier Rohan Bopanna bounced Kevin Kim 6-3, 6-4, while qualifier Brendan Evans erased Chilean Paul Capdeville 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and Vincent Spadea held off German Simon Stadler 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Additional wins came for Russian Mikhail Ledovskikh and Austrian qualifier Alexander Peya. The top seeds here are American Mardy Fish and defending champion Fabrice Santoro, who defeated Nicolas Mahut in last year's all-French finale. |
| US Open ups total prize money, champions' pay Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:56 EDT Total prize money at the U.S. Open will top $20 million for the first time this year, with the men's and women's singles champions each earning a tournament-record $1.5 million. The overall payout of $20.6 million is $1 million more than in 2007, matching the largest single-year jump in the hard-court Grand Slam tournament's history, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Tuesday. There also was a $1 million jump in total prize money from 2006 to 2007, when the singles champions' take rose from $1.2 million to $1.4 million. Adding in the bonuses available to the leading finishers in the summer circuit U.S. Open Series, the overall prize money could eventually be more than $23 million. The No. 1 performers in the U.S. Open Series will earn a total of $2.5 million if they win the Grand Slam tournament, which begins Aug. 25. |
| Brewers send 4 prospects to Indians for Sabathia Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:56 EDT With one XXL-sized move, the Milwaukee Brewers hope to transform themselves from scrappy underdogs to a big, bad pitching powerhouse intent on chasing down the Chicago Cubs and making the playoffs for the first time since 1982. The Brewers obtained AL Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on Monday, giving up four prospects in a gamble that favors the present over the future. "I'd say we're going for it," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "That's the way I look at it." The deal stacks the Brewers' deck with a pair of aces, Sabathia and Ben Sheets - but only for a few months. Barring blockbuster contract offers from a small-market team that already is stretching this year's payroll into the $90 million range, both players will become free agents after the season. |
| Argentine seeds win Mercedes openers Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:10 EDT Seeded Argentines Agustin Calleri and Eduardo Schwank were among Tuesday's opening-round winners at the Mercedes Cup. The sixth-seeded Calleri bested Austrian lefthander Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, while the eighth-seeded Schwank came from behind to beat fellow Argentine and former top-five star Guillermo Coria 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 on the red clay at TC Weissenhof. The 2003 Stuttgart titlist and former French Open runner-up Coria entered the draw as a wild card this week. Two other results saw Kazakhstanian qualifier Yuri Schukin overcome Argentine Carlos Berlocq 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and Czech qualifier Lukas Rosol race past Austrian qualifier Martin Fischer 6-2, 6-4. Two other bouts were suspended until Wednesday, as fifth-seeded Italian Simone Bolelli was tied with German Mischa Zverev 6-7 (6-8), 6-4 and Argentine Brian Dabul was leading German Denis Gremelmayr 6-3, 5-5 when play was called. Rain delays interrupted the play here on Day 2 and darkness ultimately forced the players off the courts. This week's titlist will collect $185,000. |
| Horse of Year Curlin to make turf debut in NY Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:30 EDT The time has arrived for Curlin to test the turf. The reigning Horse of the Year will make his debut on turf Saturday in the $500,000 Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park. Curlin has won nine of 12 career races on the dirt, including the Preakness and the Breeders' Cup Classic last year and the Dubai World Cup in March. After his last victory, in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 14, trainer Steve Asmussen said the 4-year-old colt would be pointed to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct 5. Curlin, owned by Stonestreet Stable's Jess Jackson, had a productive workout on the turf course at Churchill Downs on July 1, working seven furlongs in 1:31.20. He breezed four furlongs in 50.80 seconds over the dirt at Churchill on Monday. The Arc, run on the turf, is considered the premier race in Europe. |
| Three seeds bow out in Budapest Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:31 EDT Fourth-seeded Czech Iveta Benesova, sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier and eighth-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea were a trio of opening-round losers Tuesday at the $175,000 Gaz de France Grand Prix tennis tournament. Hungarian crowd favorite Greta Arn erased Benesova 6-4, 6-4, while Croat Karolina Sprem doused Parmentier 7-5, 6-2 and Czech Petra Kvitova dismissed Cirstea in 6-2, 6-4 fashion on the red clay at Romai Tennis Academy. Cirstea was last year's Budapest runner-up to Argentine Gisela Dulko, who is not defending her title this week. Seventh-seeded Czech Klara Zakopalova avoided the upset bug by handling France's Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-3, 6-2 on Day 2. The Hungarian faithful were teated to another victory when wild card Katalin Marosi got past Russian Anna Lapushchenkova 6-3, 6-1. Additional wins came for Slovakians Magdalena Rybarikova and qualifier Zuzana Kucova, Slovenian Andrea Klepac and German Martina Muller. |
| Michael Vick files for bankruptcy protection Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:26 EDT Imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy protection while serving time for federal dogfighting charges, saying he owes between $10 million and $50 million to creditors. Vick filed Chapter 11 papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News on Monday. The seven largest creditors listed in the court papers are owed a total of about $12.8 million. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback hopes he "can, after the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, rebuild his life on a personal and spiritual level, resurrect his image as a public figure, and resolve matters with the NFL such that he can resume his career," according to the filings. Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to bankrolling a dogfighting ring. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely without pay and lost all his major sponsors, including Nike. He also faces state charges related to dogfighting. The debt includes part of a signing bonus that the Falcons are seeking to recover. |
| Federer-Nadal rivalry as good as tennis gets Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:14 EDT WIMBLEDON, England . They'll talk about the 2008 Wimbledon men's final for years. Or at least until Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal top themselves. Which, theoretically, could happen in about two months at the U.S. Open. Rafa vs. Roger just keeps getting better and better . the sort of special rivalry that could lift their sport to heights it hasn't seen in years. Federer is 26, Nadal is 22, and they're seemingly forever locked into the No. 1 and 2 spots in the rankings, meaning they'll be on opposite halves of tournament draws for the foreseeable future. Forget about Borg-McEnroe or McEnroe-Connors or Becker-Edberg or Sampras-Agassi. |
| Sports briefs Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:14 EDT Tennis Citing knee problems, Nadal pulls out of Mercedes Cup One day after winning the Wimbledon title for the first time, Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Mercedes Cup on Monday with unspecified knee problems. The second-ranked Spaniard traveled to the Weissenhof tennis center in Stuttgart, Germany, to tell the promoters personally of his withdrawal as the clay-court event's defending champion and star attraction. |
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