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| Back-nine comeback Mon, 4 Aug 2008 11:13:09 -0500 With nine holes to go Sunday, Bowling Green’s Ron Burchett wasn’t thinking about a championship at the Par Makers Tournament. But after a sizzling back nine and a tap-in par on the first playoff hole, Burchett was indeed hoisting the trophy at CrossWinds Golf Course. Burchett outlasted Dorian Lee to claim his first Par Makers title and to complete an unlikely comeback. After shooting a 75 in the opening round, Burchett carded an even-par 71 on Sunday to finish the tournament with a 4-over 176. Lee equaled the mark with his second straight 2-over 73, but fell short of the championship with a bogey on the first playoff hole. “I’m very surprised by the win,” Burchett said. “I just came to enjoy it and have a good time - which is what I did. I just got lucky, I guess you could say.” Burchett’s day got off to a frustrating start, with a double bogey on one, a birdie on two and a bogey on three. Burchett’s rally began on No. 10 with the first of three straight birdies that gave him the lead. His lone misstep on the back nine came on No. 16, when Burchett bogeyed. “After my bad start, I was ready to go home,” Burchett said. “I was ready to pack up and leave, but the three guys I was playing with kept me calm. I had a great time. They were a great bunch of guys to play with. That’s why I was able to come back.” Lee also struggled on the front nine, shooting 3-over par, but settled down on the final nine holes and pulled even with a birdie at No. 16. Lee just missed a birdie putt on 18 that would have won the tournament, but tapped in for par, setting up the sudden death playoff. The playoff started and ended on the 10th hole. Burchett nearly sank a birdie putt from about 45 feet. Lee followed with a birdie putt from the fringe that went a few feet past the hole. Lee’s par putt then lipped out, allowing Burchett to tap in his par for the win. “It got to the hole - it turned more than I thought it would,” Lee said. “We had a good tournament. Ron is a friend of mine, so I’m happy for him. As a matter of fact, I’m the one that got him in. If I kept him out I could have won.” While the ending was bittersweet, Lee - who finished third last year after leading on day one - said he was satisfied with his effort. “It’s disappointing, but I’m happy that I played well,” Lee said. “I was disappointed with the way I played on the front side. I told a friend of my mine when I made the turn that if I shot 1-under, I could at least get to a playoff. I did get that right. “I missed some puts I shouldn’t have missed, but I hit the ball really well.” Chuck Durrant finished third at 5-over 147. David Moskwinski was fourth with a 149 and Jerry Scales and Dave Beckner tied for fifth with 150s. Defending champion Paul Grigsby finished tied for sixth with a 157, while first-round leader Jimmy Moore fell to eighth at 161 after shooting 89 on Sunday. In the senior division, Bowling Green’s Alva May took the championship with a 1-under 140 after firing a 3-under 68 on Sunday. Robert Landrum shot an even par 142 to win the Super Senior Division, while Pat Gregory shot a 159 to win the Ladies Division. |
| East takes break to recharge Mon, 4 Aug 2008 11:13:10 -0500 When the Bowling Green East All-Stars arrived at the Great Lakes Regional in Indianapolis, they didn’t know what to expect from the competition. After two games, the All-Stars are impressed and know they face a strong challenge this week in order to win the regional and advance to the Little League World Series. “It’s got to be one of the top regions in the country,” East manager Rick Kelley said. “There’s top competition here.” Although the competition might be stiff, the BG East All-Stars sit in decent shape to at least reach Thursday’s semifinals. The top four squads in the six-team group reach Thursday’s semis. Thanks to Ohio’s win Sunday over Wisconsin, only Indiana remains undefeated. BG East is one of four teams at 1-1, while Michigan is winless at 0-2. Kelley called Saturday’s 9-2 victory over Michigan “a must-win,” after falling in Friday’s opener to Illinois. Now, BG East probably only needs to win one of its two remaining games to advance. Teams that finish pool play at 2-2 aren’t guaranteed to reach the semifinals, but since the current tournament format began in 2001, only one 2-2 team failed to qualify for the bracket. “We like our chances of at least making the semis,” Kelley said. “And if we can get there, we’ll see what happens.” Working in BG East’s favor is its pitching. BG East has given up only five runs so far, the fewest runs over two games allowed by any team in the region. That could become important if BG East needs a tiebreaker. If a clear winner cannot be determined from head-to-head results, the tie is broken by calculating the ratio of runs allowed against defensive innings played for all teams involved in the tie. The team with the lowest runs-per-defensive-inning ratio advances. But BG East doesn’t have a monopoly on strong pitching. “I think everybody has got one strong pitcher that can dominate in a game,” Kelley said. “Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky have shown that.” At 2-0, Indiana has caught the attention of BG East and looks like the early favorite. BG East meets Indiana in Wednesday’s pool play finale, so BG East would feel a lot more comfortable winning Tuesday afternoon’s game against Wisconsin. “Indiana looks pretty good,” East catcher Grey Finwood said. “They have two good pitchers. We’ve got confidence, though.” Before returning to action Tuesday against Wisconsin, BG East got an opportunity to get away from baseball. The unique pool schedule gave the players two days off between Saturday’s win over Michigan and Tuesday’s contest. East didn’t practice Sunday. Instead, the All-Stars spent time with their families. Unlike other tournaments, teams in the Great Lakes Regional stay in dormitories at the Ruben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center. “We’re basically getting them away from the complex and be with their families,” Kelley said. “Have a day off and get a break from me.” Or as Finwood put it, “Relax and chill out.” At least the BG East All-Stars went into the two-day break with a win - otherwise it would have been a long wait until Tuesday afternoon. Still, Kelley said the break will be beneficial. “I think it will do us some good to have the two days off,” Kelley said. “I think they need (Sunday) to get their legs back. Enjoy the time and come back. I like the idea of having two days off.” But BG East also wants to get back to playing games. “We’re going to have fun (during the break),” All-Star Hunter Rogers said. “But I want to get back to the games.” |
| Is that Big Brown back in front? Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:32:00 EST Yes, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner bounced back from his last-place finish in the Belmont Stakes eight weeks ago. But no, the win was far from overpowering against six weak rivals who had combined for two graded-stakes wins. Video: Big Brown at the Haskell |
| Black Mamba strikes at Del Mar Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:01:00 EST Black Mamba defeated I Can See by a half-length to win yesterday's $400,000, Grade I John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar after being trapped along the rail until deep in the stretch. |
| Rome 1960: Olympic drama comes to light Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:02:00 EST The Beijing Summer Olympics will overwhelm the sports calendar beginning this weekend. The lighting of the Olympic flame will ignite the competition and awaken memories from Barcelona, Montreal and other former host cities. |
| Hearn punches global ticket Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:03:00 EST Tiffanie Hearn punched a heavy bag at Louisville Legends gym, dreaming about her date in China and a taste of worldwide recognition. |
| Torres' success brings the usual suspicions Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:04:00 EST So you hear about a 41-year-old swimmer making the Olympics eight years after retiring and two years after giving birth. You immediately think: |
| Favre to report to Packers today after NFL's OK Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:04:00 EST Though the Green Bay Packers say Brett Favre has put them in a difficult situation, they're prepared to welcome him back. |
| Brennan-led 'Skins beat Colts 30-16 in Hall game Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:04:00 EST Rookie Colt Brennan threw two touchdown passes in the second half for Washington, and Matterral Richardson intercepted a Jared Lorenzen pass and returned it 38 yards for a TD to rally the Redskins over the Indianapolis Colts 30-16 in last night's Hall of Fame Game -- the NFL's preseason opener. |
| Dickerson sends Bats past Clippers Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:06:00 EST Chris Dickerson's bases-loaded single in the ninth inning broke a 1-1 tie as the Louisville Bats beat the Columbus Clippers 2-1 in International League play last night. |
| Edwards cashes in rain check for 4th win Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:13:00 EST Carl Edwards won yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway, gambling with a pit strategy that he thought would cost him the victory. |
| Reeling Reds swept by Nats Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:06:00 EST Rookie Collin Balester (2-3) allowed one run in 51/3 innings, Lastings Milledge hit his ninth home run and the Washington Nationals used a four-run first inning to defeat the stumbling Cincinnati Reds 4-2 and complete a three-game sweep. |
| 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: |
| UK names associate A.D. for media relations Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:21 EDT The media relations director for the Southeastern Conference is the University of Kentucky's new associate athletic director in charge of media. Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart announced Monday his hiring of DeWayne Peevy. "We are very pleased to have DeWayne come on board to direct our media relations efforts," Barnhart said. "He is a veteran in the SEC media community and his wealth of experience on the national basketball scene is matched by few. We're excited to have him join the UK Athletics family." Peevy will oversee the public relations efforts for the entire athletics department and serve as the primary contact for UK's nationally recognized men's basketball program. "Working with SEC men's basketball for the last eight years, I realize the passion that Kentucky fans have for their teams," Peevy said. "My family and I are excited to be a part of the Big Blue Nation." |
| Baldini's .B' sample confirms positive doping test Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:57 EDT ROME . A backup sample taken from fencer Andrea Baldini came back positive for a banned substance, confirming the doping case that cost the Italian medal-hopeful his spot on the Olympic team. The .B. sample taken during last month's European Championships in Ukraine confirmed the result of the first test, which was positive for the banned diuretic furosemide, the Italian fencing federation said Monday. The 22-year-old Baldini, who won silver in the foil at the 2006 and .07 world fencing championships, has denied taking the substance. The diuretic is not considered a doping substance, but a masking agent that can be used to hide other drugs. The federation requested Friday that the backup sample be analyzed, but also removed Baldini from the Olympic team and replaced him with Andrea Cassara, a double medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics. |
| USTA agrees to buy Cincinnati Masters Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:07 EDT WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. . The U.S. Tennis Association reached an agreement to buy a majority interest in the Cincinnati Masters ATP hard-court tournament and hopes to turn it into a combined event for men and women. The deal is pending ATP approval. .This tournament has elevated the sport of tennis in the country's heartland, while providing significant contributions to community causes. This is a legacy we look forward to building upon,. USTA CEO of pro tennis Arlen Kantarian said Monday. The USTA plans a multimillion-dollar renovation to the tournament stadium in Mason, Ohio. |
| Detroit Pistons sign free agent C Kwame Brown Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:08 EDT AUBURN HILLS, Mich. . The Detroit Pistons have signed free agent center Kwame Brown, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft. The team announced the signing on Monday. Team president for basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press last week that Brown will be paid $4 million next season. The 26-year-old has career averages of 7.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 23.7 minutes in 404 NBA games. He averaged a career-high 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds during the 2003-04 season as a member of the Washington Wizards, who drafted him No. 1 overall out of high school. |
| Big Brown's late rally big relief to his camp Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:33 EDT OCEANPORT, N.J. . No, not again. Midway on the stretch turn, the Haskell Invitational began to look like a replay of the Belmont Stakes. Kent Desormeaux asked Big Brown for his best, and a front-running long shot trained by Nick Zito spurted away. A roar went up from the Monmouth Park crowd of 45,132. Was the Alpha male of the 3-year-olds about to go down again? The horse who annihilated overmatched fields in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness had to do something he'd never done: catch a horse who showed no signs of stopping. Trainer Rick Dutrow was not optimistic. .I was concerned at the three-eighths pole, and I thought we were beat turning for home,. Dutrow said Sunday. .But he got down on his belly and he won.. |
| Phelps has reached the apex of swimming and marketability Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT He's 23 going on ... well, it's hard to tell. See, Michael Phelps doesn't really project any age. Or personality. Like Tiger Woods, he is a corporate machine whose template was Michael Jordan: First, be untouchable; then, be unreachable; and, finally, sell, sell, sell. |
| Favre puts Packers in "revise' mode Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT GREEN BAY, Wis. . Brett Favre is back. It remains to be seen whether he'll still be the leader of the Pack. The Green Bay Packers reluctantly embraced Favre's forced return to the football field Sunday, after failing to come to a financial agreement that would manage to make Favre happy while staying retired. And while it's not yet clear what role Favre will play once he reports to Packers camp Monday, Aaron Rodgers says he's ready for a potential competition with Favre after serving as his backup for three seasons. .Well, there comes a time when (my) mentor and I get to compete, and I guess that's what's going to happen,. Rodgers said after a scrimmage Sunday night. .If that's what happens, then I'm going to give it my best shot and leave the rest up to Coach.. |
| Edwards pits early, wins rainy race at Pocono Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT LONG POND, Pa. . Rain was falling. The cars were parked on pit road with Carl Edwards in 22nd place, and the driver and Crew Chief Bob Osborne were arguing heatedly on top of the team's pit box. Edwards and several other race leaders had pitted minutes earlier after rain began falling on lap 127 of the 200-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Nineteen other drivers, taking a gamble on the possibility of a rain-shortened race, had stayed on track. .The argument came from when it started raining real hard, then we were trying to blame one another for the idea of coming (onto pit road),. Edwards said. .Bob said it was my idea, and I really felt like it was his idea. I had to leave the pit box because I was worried Bob was going to, like, punch me in the neck or something.. Osborne said it was just the way he and Edwards work things out. |
| Nationals' sweep comes at Reds expense Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT WASHINGTON . Another big inning decided the game. The two young guys in the middle of the infield again supplied infectious energy . not to mention solid defense. The newly anointed closer finally got his first save. The recent nine-game losing streak isn't forgotten, but it sure is a more distant memory for the Washington Nationals following Sunday's 4-2 victory that completed a three-game sweep of the stumbling Cincinnati Reds. .Psychologically, it has to be very good because we just got swept three series,. Manager Manny Acta said. Rookie Collin Balester (2-3) allowed one run in 51.3 innings, and Lastings Milledge hit his ninth home run for the Nationals, who led 4-0 after the first inning and outscored the Reds 19-10 over three games. |
| Bases-loaded double dooms Legends in 8th Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT Adam White ripped a line-drive double to left field with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning to break a tie, and the Lake County Captains held on to beat the Legends 7-4 at Applebee's Park. Kyle Miller hit his sixth homer of the season to give Lexington a 2-0 lead after the first inning. After the Captains went up 3-2, Steve Brown's RBI single tied the ball game. Lake County's Garrison Campfield came on in the bottom of the eighth and threw two wild pitches. The Legends got a run back on the second one, but the Captains iced it in the ninth with two more. Leandro Cespedes was impressive on the mound for Lexington, striking out 10 over 42.3 innings and giving up five hits, three runs and two walks. |
| Ramirez homers, has 3 RBIs as Dodgers beat D'backs Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:41 EDT Manny Ramirez continued to swing a hot bat in his first series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in a 9-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers salvaged a split of the four-game series and sliced Arizona's NL West lead to one game. Ramirez hit an RBI single in the first inning, doubled in a run in the second and went deep in the fifth for career homer No. 512, passing Mel Ott and moving into a tie with Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks for 20th place. Ramirez is 8-for-13 with five RBIs in three games since Thursday's three-way trade with Boston and Pittsburgh. His second home run with the Dodgers traveled an estimated 436 feet into the pavilion seats in left field on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Billy Buckner. It came one pitch after Ramirez ran out a grounder behind third base at full speed and had to take a slow walk back to the plate when the ball was ruled foul. |
| Ibanez helps Mariners rally to 8-4 win over O's Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:41 EDT Raul Ibanez's two-run single off reliever Jamie Walker capped a three-run seventh inning for Seattle, and the Mariners snapped a seven-game home losing streak with an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Ibanez finished with three RBIs as the Mariners avoided being swept at home by the Orioles for the first time since 1997. Seattle's big inning began when Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera couldn't find the strike zone. He sandwiched walks to Brian LaHair and Yuniesky Betancourt around Jeff Clement's infield single. That was the end of the day for Cabrera, who walked Betancourt on four pitches - just the seventh walk this season for the Mariners impatient shortstop. Walker didn't fare much better. With the bases loaded, Ichiro Suzuki chopped a grounder over the mound that Brian Roberts fielded well behind the bag at second. He threw to Alex Cintron at second, but Cintron never got a glove on the throw and it hit him in the stomach. Pinch-runner Miguel Cairo scored to break the 4-all tie. Ibanez then dribbled a grounder past Roberts' diving attempt and into right field, scoring Clement and Betancourt. Clement added an RBI single in the eighth. |
| Maddux helps Padres top Giants in 352nd career win Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:31 EDT Greg Maddux drove in a run and pitched six strong innings for his 352nd career victory, leading the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Maddux (5-8) won his second straight after having gone through a career-high 14-game winless streak since victory No. 350 on May 10 against Colorado. The 42-year-old Maddux allowed one run on two hits and retired the final 10 batters he faced before Mike Adams, Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman finished the combined four-hitter. Hoffman pitched the ninth inning for his 23rd save in 26 chances and career save No. 547. The Padres broke a four-game losing streak and prevented San Francisco from sweeping the three-game series. |
| Andy Murray wins first Masters championship Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:06 EDT One point away from his first Masters series championship, Andy Murray let the moment get to him. Britain's top player wasted four match points with an uncharacteristic show of sloppiness in the second set. Forced to play another tiebreaker, he pulled off the best shot of the game - an in-the-corner backhand - that set up a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) win over Novak Djokovic for the Cincinnati Masters title. The 21-year-old Murray crouched in exultation when he finished it off, swatted a ball into the stands and hunched over, trying to catch his breath. "At the end of the match, there were some long, long volleys that took a toll on both of us," Murray said. "Both of us were really tired." His 2-hour, 22-minute victory ended a $2.6 million ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters that will be remembered more for what it did to the world rankings. |
| Packers president says team will welcome Favre Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:18 EDT Brett Favre is back. It remains to be seen whether he'll still be the leader of the Pack. The Green Bay Packers reluctantly embraced Favre's forced return to the football field Sunday, after failing to come to a financial agreement that would manage to make Favre happy while staying retired. And while it's not yet clear what role Favre will play once he reports to Packers camp Monday, Aaron Rodgers says he's ready for a potential competition with Favre after serving as his backup for three seasons. "I'm a competitor. I'm going to compete," Rodgers said after a scrimmage Sunday night. "This isn't going to be easy. It's going to be a dogfight. And I know if they do open it up to competition, not a lot of people give me a chance, but I believe in myself and I'm going to be the best I can be and let coach decide from there." Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he hasn't decided what direction his quarterback situation will take. Given Favre's track record of waffling on his football future, McCarthy first wants to talk to Favre on Monday before he makes any decision on opening the job up to competition. "There have been no promises," McCarthy said. "Once again, there has been indecision throughout Brett's path back here to Green Bay. It's important for us to sit down and communicate." |
| Trainer Nafzger, jockey Prado enter Racing Hall Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:08 EDT Jockey Edgar Prado and trainer Carl Nafzger, who between them have three Kentucky Derby wins, led a group of six new inductees into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on Monday. Inducted with Prado and Nafzger were retired jockey Ismael Valenzuela and three horses: Manila, Inside Information and Ancient Title. "I want to thank God for making me 5-foot-3 and 114 pounds so all this could happen," Prado said to an appreciative, capacity crowd gathered at the Hall across the street from Saratoga Race Course. Prado, 41, is best known for having ridden the ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro. He was also aboard when Barbaro broke down two weeks later in the Preakness. The horse ultimately had to be destroyed as a result of the injuries. During his acceptance speech, Prado thanked Barbaro's connections, "for giving me the best trip of my life." |
| Smith returns to Panthers, apologizes for punch Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:08 EDT A subdued Steve Smith apologized to his Carolina Panthers' teammates, coaches and fans Monday, three days after he punched teammate Ken Lucas at practice, leaving the starting cornerback with a broken nose that will require surgery. Smith, who was suspended without pay for the first two regular-season games, spoke to reporters for about four minutes after his first practice with the team since the incident. He did not answer questions. "I'm not going to get into who's right, who's wrong. I'm completely wrong," Smith said. "It was an asinine decision. And I'll move forward better than I probably have ever had to. It's the first time in my life that I really haven't forgiven myself." Lucas also returned to the team Monday with a black left eye and swelling around his nose. While he said he accepted Smith's apology, Lucas said he'll probably be sidelined two to three weeks. "Depending on the surgery," Lucas said. "We're still waiting on the doctors to give us the timetable on when we're going to have this procedure done." |
| Singh finds range on short putts, wins Bridgestone Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:21 EDT After hitting his golf ball more than 17 miles over four days at Firestone Country Club, Vijay Singh agonized over the final 42 inches. Singh had a shaky grasp on a one-shot lead at the Bridgestone Invitational as he bent over the 3-foot, 6-inch par putt on the 18th green, circled by thousands of fans and with Stuart Appleby and Lee Westwood watching to see if they'd sneak into a playoff with a miss. But the 45-year-old Singh - who according to tour statistics had hit just eight of his 18 putts in the tournament between 4 and 8 feet - cast aside his troubling case of flat-stick nerves and gingerly nudged the ball in the side of the cup for a one-shot victory. "I don't know why I left myself a 4-footer," the usually dour Singh cracked. He missed three putts shorter than Yao Ming on the back nine, providing an open door for Phil Mickelson among others to walk up and grab the $1.35 million first-place check. But either they were fighting their own self-induced problems or waited too long to try to catch Singh, who ended a streak of 34 PGA Tour events without a win. |
| Carl Edwards wins Pocono for 4th victory of season Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:51 EDT Carl Edwards won Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway, gambling with a pit strategy that he thought would cost him the victory. Edwards pitted from the lead just before a rain shower that caused a 41-minute red flag and had the driver arguing with crew chief Bob Osborne over the decision. But the plan worked perfectly as the race wound up going to completion. Edwards stretched his last tank of fuel to earn his fourth victory of the season. "I was really nervous that we made the wrong call there," Edwards said after doing his traditional victory backflip off his car. "Bob's the smartest guy in the world. We were really arguing. We made light of it, but we thought we made the wrong call." The race started in sunshine and it appeared Mark Martin, who took the lead from pole-winner Jimmie Johnson at the start and took control would be the driver to beat all day. But Martin had problems on two pit stops that put him back into the pack and then dark clouds began moving in, changing some strategies. Rain began falling on lap 127 of the 200-lap event and, moments later, Edwards and several other leaders ducked onto pit road. Nineteen other drivers, led by June Pocono winner Kasey Kahne and Martin, who led a race-high 55 laps, stayed out to gain track positon, waiting to see if the rain might end the race prematurely. |
| Victorino's 3-run homer leads Phils over Cards 5-4 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:36 EDT Shane Victorino's three-run home run capped a four-run eighth inning against a vulnerable St. Louis Cardinals bullpen, and Brad Lidge survived a shaky ninth to stay perfect in save situations and preserve the Philadelphia Phillies' 5-4 victory on Sunday night. Chase Utley added his 28th homer for the Phillies, who have gone deep in 12 straight games and lead the majors with 157 homers. Philadelphia finished a 5-1 trip that gave them a 32-26 road record, percentage points off the Cardinals' league-best 31-25 mark away from home. Troy Glaus homered off the left-field foul pole to start the ninth against Lidge. The Cardinals then loaded the bases with one out. But Lidge wriggled off the hook by striking out rookies Nick Stavinoha and Joe Mather for his 28th save in 28 chances, and 31st in a row dating to Sept. 25, 2007, at Cincinnati. Chad Durbin (4-2) got the victory despite allowing a run on two hits and a walk in one inning. |
| Kobe the answer to Russian test Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT SHANGHAI, China . Russia contained the speedsters. Controlled the backboards. Everything a team needs to do to beat the United States. Except stop Kobe Bryant. Bryant provided the offense in the U.S. Olympic team's first defensive struggle, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter of an 89-68 victory on Sunday. .They had some gaps there and I just took advantage of them. The ball found me and I was able to make them pay,. Bryant said. .In that kind of situation where the game is kind of seesawing back and forth, we have so many weapons. It could be LeBron, it could be D-Wade, one of us is going to kick into high gear.. |
| Sports briefs Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT Tennis Murray edges Djokovicin Cincinnati Masters finals One point away from his first Masters series championship, Andy Murray let the moment get to him. Britain's top player wasted four match points with an uncharacteristic show of sloppiness in the second set. Forced to play another tiebreaker, he pulled off the best shot of the game . an in-the-corner backhand . that set up a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) win over Novak Djokovic for the Cincinnati Masters title in Mason, Ohio. The 21-year-old Murray crouched in exultation when he finished it off, swatted a ball into the stands and hunched over, trying to catch his breath. .At the end of the match, there were some long, long volleys that took a toll on both of us,. Murray said. .Both of us were really tired.. |
| Scoreboard Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:13 EDT Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball MLB. Suspended Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire one game and fined him an undisclosed amount for his outburst during a July 31 game against the Chicago White Sox. |
| Knight's 10 Ks lead U.S. blowout Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:54 EDT DURHAM, N.C. . This is exactly the kind of groove the United States Olympic baseball team wanted to find itself in before heading to Beijing . both at the plate and on the mound. Brandon Knight struck out 10 and the Americans hit four home runs in a 9-1 exhibition victory over Canada on Sunday. Cleveland Indians prospect Matt LaPorta and Mike Hessman homered in the second inning, Nate Schierholtz added a game-breaking grand slam that highlighted a five-run eighth and Terry Tiffee also went deep for the U.S. The Americans, managed by Davey Johnson, have outscored Canada 16-3 in winning the middle two games of the friendly four-game series after the Canadians won the opener 4-3 in 10 innings. The series concludes Monday night. |
| Injuries mounting for the Mets Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:13 EDT When involved in a tight division race, you need things to go your way every now and then. For the New York Mets, though, things are going only one way -- down. Already saddled with a lengthy disabled list, the Mets continue to suffer injury after injury. The most concerning is that of closer Billy Wagner, who is experiencing pain in his left forearm. Wagner blew a save on Saturday versus the Astros, allowing two runs and three hits in a 5-4 loss. Wagner will next undergo an MRI on Tuesday after originally feeling the pain early last week. He converted his 27th save last Tuesday before getting roughed up over the weekend. "It was making progress," Wagner told his team's official Web site on Sunday. "It was feeling better. But then when I had to go back out there (on Saturday night), it got to the point where I couldn't finish the pitches." With Wagner out, the Mets will likely have to go to a closer by committee until they know the extent of his injury. Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman would be the logical choices to close out games in Wagner's absence, with Sanchez getting the slight edge due to Heilman taking the loss in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, part of the Mets' current four-game losing streak that has them in third place in the National League East, three games back of first-place Philadelphia. |
| Atlanta Braves (51-60) at San Francisco Giants (46-64), 10:15 p.m. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:13 EDT Poor run support has doomed Matt Cain all season long, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon. The San Francisco Giants hurler will take the hill tonight in the opener of a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park. Cain went just 7-16 in 32 starts last year despite an earned run average of 3.65. Things haven't been much better in 2008 for the right-hander, as he is 6-9 with a 3.70 ERA. Cain was outstanding last month for the Giants, posting a 1.88 ERA in six July starts, but he posted a record of only 2-3 over that time. The Giants scored only eight runs in his July starts and gave the 23-year-old zero support in his last start. Cain held the Dodgers to two runs (1 earned) on eight hits over seven innings of a 2-0 setback on Tuesday, while striking out eight. Cain is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two career starts versus the Braves. Atlanta counters with Jair Jurrjens, who has alternated wins and losses over his last six starts. The 22-year-old has allowed 12 runs in his last three setbacks, but has given up only one run in his last three wins. |
| Minnesota Twins (62-49) at Seattle Mariners (42-69), 10:10 p.m. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:13 EDT The new leaders of the American League's Central Division, the Minnesota Twins, hit the road for a week-long trip that begins with tonight's opener of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners from Safeco Field. Minnesota has moved past the struggling Chicago White Sox and into first place following Sunday's 6-2 home victory over Cleveland and yesterday's loss by the White Sox to Kansas City. The Twins, who have won seven times in their past nine games, enter tonight's play with a half-game edge on Chicago for the top spot. The Twins received a boost from Francisco Liriano in the young lefty's first major league start since April. The hurler held the Indians scoreless on three hits over the first six innings to record his first win in the bigs since July 23, 2006. Brendan Harris and Denard Span each had solo homers for Minnesota, which also received run-scoring triples from Nick Punto and Mike Lamb on the afternoon. The Twins hope to remain atop the division despite having to leave the friendly confines of the Metrodome, where the club is a stellar 39-21 this season. Minnesota is just 23-28 in road games. |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (51-60) at Arizona Diamondbacks (57-54), 9:40 p.m. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:08 EDT The Arizona Diamondbacks' recent weekend series did nothing to clear up a tight National League West race. Tonight the club will try to beat up on one of the worst road teams in the league as it begins a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Arizona returns home for seven straight games after going 7-3 on a recent 10- game road trip. The swing ended with four straight tests versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, which entered the series trailing the Diamondbacks by one game. Arizona won the first two games of the set but dropped the last two tests. Arizona's offense struggled in Los Angeles, as the club failed to score more than three runs in any of its games versus the Dodgers over the weekend. It lost Sunday's finale, 9-3, getting three hits -- including a homer -- and two RBI out of Stephen Drew. The Diamondbacks might be able to get away with another poor offensive showing tonight, as Dan Haren is set to take the hill. Haren is 11-5 with a 2.62 earned run average on the season, with Arizona winning nine of his last 11 starts. Haren himself has posted a victory in each of his last three outings, defeating San Diego on Wednesday after giving up three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over seven innings. Haren now returns to Chase Field, where he is 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 11 starts this season. |
| New York Yankees (61-50) at Texas Rangers (58-54), 8:05 p.m. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:03 EDT The New York Yankees begin an important 10-game road trip this evening with the first of four games against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Yankees won the final two games of their four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, including a thrilling 14-9 win in Sunday's finale at Yankee Stadium. New York rallied from five runs down to take an 8-5 advantage thanks to a four-run seventh inning. Then after Mark Teixeira's grand slam in the eighth put the Angels back up by one, the Yankees took advantage of some sloppy defense and plated six runners in the home half of the frame on their way to the win. Xavier Nady finished 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and a career-high six runs batted in, while Ivan Rodriguez added a solo home run -- his first in pinstripes -- for the Yankees, who earned a split of the four-game series. The comeback made a winner out of Edwar Ramirez (3-0), who gave up the home run to Teixeira in the eighth. Starter Darrell Rasner surrendered five runs on seven hits over four innings, while Dan Giese allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings of relief. |
| Carl Edwards takes Penn 500 in the rain Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:26 EDT With 70 laps left - theoretically - in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500, Carl Edwards and his crew chief, Bob Osborne, were on top of the team's pit box arguing about who had fouled up. "We were trying to blame each other," Edwards said of the discussion, which centered around their decision to make a pit stop with light rain falling and the race under the yellow flag. "I had to leave the pit box. I was afraid he was going to punch me in the neck." A couple of hours later, Osborne was hugging that same neck after that pit call and a very strong No. 99 Ford carried Edwards to his fourth victory of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. "It was a little stressful at moments," Osborne admitted. Edwards was leading when the rain started. As the cars rolled around behind the pace car, the driver and crew chief were discussing whether they thought it would rain enough to halt the race for good or only temporarily interrupt it. |
| Fuel gamble pays off for Edwards in Pocono win Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:21 EDT Carl Edwards capitalized on a late-race pit strategy to win Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway. Edwards last pitted with 35 laps remaining and had just enough fuel remaining to score his second win at the 2.5-mile triangular track. It was his fourth victory of the season and the 11th of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. But Edwards' victory was almost foiled by Mother Nature. With rain approaching the track, teams began green flag pit stops. Edwards held the lead until he made his stop on Lap 119, taking on four new tires. He reclaimed the top spot after the stops cycled through on Lap 122. NASCAR displayed the yellow flag on Lap 128 for rain falling on part of the track. Several of the leaders pitted again in hopes the race would continue. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pitted for fuel only, while Edwards and pole sitter Jimmie Johnson took on two tires each. However, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson and Edwards returned to the field 20th, 21st and 22nd, respectively. Kasey Kahne opted not to pit and grabbed the lead for the first time on Lap 128. NASCAR halted the race three laps later. |
| Seahawks' Gray retires Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:18 EDT Seahawks offensive lineman Chris Gray has retired on the eve of his 16th NFL season because of a lower back and spine injury that threatened his ability to walk. Seattle's record holder for consecutive games played at 121 at guard and center from 1999 to 2006 made his announcement nine days after he felt his back pop while hitting a blocking sled in training camp. The 38-year-old Gray said three team doctors told him Saturday that he risked paralysis if he continued playing. He said that made his decision clear but not easy. He added he'd been crying for two days while telling people of his forced retirement. |
| NFL Preseason Preview - Philadelphia (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0) Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:13 EDT A couple of battered teams from the Keystone State will try to emerge from Heinz Field unscathed on Thursday night, when the Pittsburgh Steelers play host to the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason opener for both teams. The Steelers will open their preseason at far less than 100 percent, particularly on defense, where Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu is on the shelf with a hamstring problem and nose tackle Casey Hampton has been sidelined after reporting to camp overweight. Those players will not appear on Friday night, nor will punter Daniel Sepulveda, who will miss the season with a torn ACL. The Eagles' major ailments are also on defense, where cornerback Asante Saumel (hamstring) is being brought along slowly after getting hurt on the first day of training camp, while end Victor Abiamiri (wrist) could miss the entire year. Though quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger (groin) of the Steelers and Donovan McNabb (shoulder) of the Eagles have also been contending with nagging injuries, both are expected to see limited time on Friday. Running backs Willie Parker (leg) of Pittsburgh and Brian Westbrook (illness) of Philadelphia could be held out for precautionary reasons, and would certainly see limited action if in uniform. |
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