ALL RECENT AP STORIES

The Los Angeles Angels began the season confident Albert Pujols would anchor a powerful lineup. Pujols has been an anchor, all right. But the slumping slugger is just one reason the Angels are sinking to depths of historic proportions. Tyson Ross allowed five hits in six strong innings to snap a three-start skid, Josh Reddick homered and Seth Smith hit a two-run double in the Oakland Athletics' 5-0 victory Monday night. Dan Haren (1-4) yielded six hits and four runs during another poor start...

Colorado @ ?? San Francisco @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Scutaro 2b-ss 4 0 0 0?? GBlanc rf 4 2 3 1 Colvin cf 3 0 0 0?? Arias 3b 3 1 1 0 Fowler ph-cf 1 0 0 0?? MeCarr lf 4 0 0 0 CGnzlz lf 3 0 1 0?? Posey c 4 0 2 1 Tlwtzk ss 2 0 1 0?? Pagan cf 4 0 1 0 Nelson pr-3b 1 0 0 0?? Pill 1b 4 0 2 1 Helton 1b ...

Clayton Kershaw outpitched Ian Kennedy after exchanging brushback pitches with his fellow ace, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night without injured star Matt Kemp. The Dodgers center fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list following the game because of a strained left hamstring. Kemp had played 399 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors. Andre Ethier homered in Kemp's absence as the Dodgers won their fifth straight....

Arizona @ ?? Los Angeles @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Blmqst ss 4 0 1 0?? DGordn ss 4 1 1 0 A.Hill 2b 3 1 1 1?? M.Ellis 2b 4 0 0 1 J.Upton rf 4 0 1 0?? Abreu lf 4 0 1 0 Kubel lf 3 0 0 0?? Jansen p 0 0 0 0 Gldsch 1b 4 0 0 0?? Ethier rf 4 1 2 1 MMntr c 4 0 0 0?? A.Ellis c 4 1 1 0 RRorts...

Russelll Westbrook had 27 points and nine assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder blasted the weary Los Angeles Lakers 119-90 on Monday night in the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder took a 15-point halftime lead, then opened the third quarter with a 15-2 blitz filled with crowd-pleasing 3-pointers and dunks. Oklahoma City led by as many as 35 points, getting a measure of vengeance for the elbow Metta World Peace delivered to the head of...

Jim Leyland finally saw his offense start to roll. It just wasn't long enough for the Detroit Tigers, who couldn't put the Chicago White Sox away despite leading twice by three runs and having numerous runners on base. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder had three hits apiece, but Detroit's bullpen couldn't hold the lead and the Tigers lost 7-5 to the White Sox on Monday night. The Tigers left 13 runners on base and went 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position, dealing them a loss after they...

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington had no explanation for why left-hander Bruce Chen was so effective against his lineup. "If I knew, we'd have swung the bat a lot better," he said. "We really only smoked one ball." Nelson Cruz hit a massive homer, but that was all the Rangers managed in a 3-1 loss to Chen and the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Josh Hamilton extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single, but that was the only hit for the Rangers slugger coming off a week when...

Twice the Baltimore Orioles provided Jason Hammel with a two-run cushion. Each time, he gave it back. Throw in a costly error by first baseman Chris Davis and a timely home run by New York's Mark Teixiera, and the explanation for the Orioles' 8-5 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday night becomes crystal clear. Hammel hadn't given up more than two runs in any of his first six starts, so after Baltimore jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning the Orioles had every reason to be confident. New...

The Milwaukee Brewers had plenty of opportunities against a 41-year-old starter and a struggling closer. The defending NL Central champs just can't seem to get that big hit right now. Miguel Batista pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit ball and Daniel Murphy supplied the offense, sending the surprising New York Mets to a 3-1 victory over Milwaukee on Monday night. Given a vote of confidence by manager Terry Collins before the game, Frank Francisco bounced back from a pair of rough outings...

L.A. LAKERS (90) World Peace 4-10 2-2 12, Gasol 5-11 0-0 10, Bynum 7-12 6-6 20, Sessions 1-7 0-0 2, Bryant 7-18 5-7 20, Blake 0-1 0-0 0, Hill 2-5 0-0 4, Barnes 3-6 0-0 8, McRoberts 1-3 0-0 2, Goudelock 2-3 0-0 5, Ebanks 1-3 0-0 2, Murphy 0-0 0-0 0, Morris 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 35-81 13-15 90. OKLAHOMA CITY (119) Durant 8-16 7-8 25, Ibaka 3-5 0-0 6, Perkins 2-2 0-0 4, Westbrook 10-15 6-6 27, Sefolosha 3-3 0-0 7, Harden 4-11 9-10 17, Collison 2-4 0-1 4, Mohammed 3-5 1-2 7, Fisher 2-8...

After 14 games and two nail-biting playoff series wins, the New York Rangers insist they have plenty left to make a run at the Stanley Cup. If any proof was needed, Henrik Lundqvist provided it with a shutout victory over the well-rested New Jersey Devils in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night. Lundqvist made 21 saves in his fifth career playoff shutout. Rookie Chris Kreider, defenseman Dan Girardi, and Artem Anisimov all had a goal and an assist in the third period as...

Bryce Harper is as sentimental about his first big league homer as he is about the rest of the many milestones in his baseball career. The ball's headed for a cardboard box. The 19-year-old rookie became the youngest major leaguer to homer since 1998 with a solo shot in the third inning of the Washington Nationals' 8-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night. After the game, the ball was sitting in his locker with "1st ML HR" written on it in ballpoint pen. The keepsake was going to...

Ryan Doumit's two-run blast sailed into the upper deck in left field, and he was swarmed by his teammates as he hit the dugout to celebrate his game-tying, eighth-inning home run. Almost as quickly as the slumbering Twins' offense woke up, the celebration was over and another game was lost. Shin-Soo Choo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning to back Jeanmar Gomez's seven superb innings and lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 victory over Minnesota on Monday night. "Excitement abounds,"...

The St. Louis Cardinals kept Ryan Dempster's victory drought alive. Small consolation for a team plagued by sloppy play late and silenced late at the plate while losing their fourth in a row. Alfonso Soriano singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of the Chicago Cubs' 6-4 victory on Monday night. The losing streak is the worst for the NL Central leaders, who committed a season-high three errors. "This team's got a lot of character and we knew it wasn't going to be smooth sailing the...

Tate Forcier is heading north to pursue a professional football career. The former Michigan quarterback confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press on Monday night that he has signed a three-year contract with Hamilton of the Canadian Football League. Forcier wrote that he is "very excited" to play for the Tiger-Cats. He started for former Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez ahead of Denard Robinson in 2009 and was a backup in 2010. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,647 yards with...

Seattle's Dustin Ackley had never faced Jon Lester before Monday night and afterward said that the Boston Red Sox left-hander's cutter looked identical to his fastball. Ackley wasn't the only Mariner who couldn't figure out Lester. Lester scattered eight hits without walking a batter in his second complete game of the season to lead the Red Sox to their fourth straight win, 6-1 over Seattle. "He's got some great pitches. His curveball's a great pitch, too," said Ackley, who went 1 for 4 with...

Aces Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ian Kennedy of the Arizona Diamondbacks exchanged brush-back pitches Monday night during their first head-to-head matchup of the season. Kershaw faced the Diamondbacks for the first time since his 3-2 victory on Sept. 14 at Dodger Stadium, when he was ejected for hitting Arizona outfielder Gerardo Parra with a pitch on the right elbow. In the third inning Monday night, Kennedy threw a 2-1 pitch behind Kershaw and to the backstop before walking...

City leaders in San Francisco are courting the Golden State Warriors, trying to woo the NBA team back to the City by the Bay within five years Mayor Ed Lee sent a letter on Friday saying the city would work with Warriors executives to bring the team to San Francisco in time for the 2017-18 season. The note, signed by all 11 city supervisors and numerous business and labor leaders, floats the possibility of building a waterfront arena. It was sent a few days after Lee met with new Warriors owner...

Dayan Viciedo homered and hit a go-ahead two-run single to finish with four RBIs, helping the Chicago White Sox rally for a 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. Adam Dunn hit his 12th home run of the season in the first inning for Chicago, surpassing his total from all of last season. John Danks got off to a rough start for the White Sox, giving up three runs in the first. Danks surrendered five runs on nine hits in three innings of work _ his shortest outing of the season. Zach...

The president of Florida State University says moving the athletic program from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big 12 has several drawbacks to be considered. FSU president Eric Barron sent an email to those who have asked him about the possibility of the Seminoles switching conferences. The email was obtained by The Associated Press and several other news organizations. He writes that negotiations between the school and the conference are not taking place. While he lays out both possible...

Jonny Venters, one of baseball's top setup relief pitchers in 2011, has hit a rough spot this season. Venters gave up two runs in the eighth inning, including Brandon Phillips' double that drove in the go-ahead run and helped the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Monday night. Venters (2-2) has a blown save and a loss in his last three appearances. "My arm feels good," Venters said. "I'm not making the pitches. "I'm making a lot of non-competitive pitches. Pitches that guys aren't...

Bruce Chen pitched into the seventh inning for his second straight win and the Kansas City Royals took advantage of Adrian Beltre's throwing error for a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Chen (2-4) has won his last two starts since a four-game losing streak. The left-hander struck out seven and walked two over 6 2-3 innings, giving up only a massive homer to Nelson Cruz. Scott Feldman (0-1) allowed two unearned runs over 4 2-3 innings in his second spot start this season. Feldman...

Lucas Harrell felt as though he had his best stuff. It just wasn't good enough to defeat Joe Blanton and the Philadelphia Phillies. Blanton pitched seven-plus strong innings and Placido Polanco homered for his 2,000th career hit to lead the Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night. Harrell left after allowing three runs _ two earned _ on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks. "He pitched great," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "He kept us close....

Detroit @ ?? Chicago @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi AJcksn cf 4 0 1 0?? De Aza cf 4 1 1 0 Dirks lf 2 1 0 0?? Bckhm 2b 3 0 0 0 RSantg ph-2b 1 0 0 0?? A.Dunn dh 4 1 1 2 MiCarr 3b 5 1 3 0?? Konerk 1b 4 0 1 0 Fielder 1b 5 1 3 2?? Rios rf 4 1 1 0 DYong dh 5 1 2 1?? Przyns c 4 1 1 0 Raburn 2b-lf ...

Mark Teixeira hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, Curtis Granderson also connected, and the New York Yankees got three hits from Alex Rodriguez in an 8-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night. It was the fourth win in five games for the Yankees, who improved to 4-0 at Camden Yards this season. Teixeira had five hits in his previous 33 at-bats and was hitting .220 when he drove a 1-2 pitch from former Yankee Luis Ayala (1-1) into the right-field seats. Before the...

Evan Turner made the go-ahead layup with 40.4 seconds left and Philadelphia held off Boston the rest of the way with six straight free throws as the 76ers evened the second-round Eastern Conference series with an 82-81 victory Monday night. Turner finished with 10 points, including his layup that put the Sixers up 76-75. He added two free throws with 12 seconds to go. Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Andre Iguodala added 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Sixers, who blew a 10-point...

New Jersey 0 0 0_0 N.Y. Rangers 0 0 3_3 First Period_None. Penalties_Volchenkov, NJ (delay of game), 8:09 Hagelin, NYR (holding), 11:27. Second Period_None. Penalties_Zubrus, NJ (hooking), 2:54 Greene, NJ (slashing), 14:05 Prust, NYR (roughing), 17:15. Third Period_1, N.Y. Rangers, Girardi 2 (Kreider, Del Zotto), :53. 2, N.Y. Rangers, Kreider 3 (Anisimov, Girardi), 12:00 (pp). 3, N.Y. Rangers, Anisimov 3 (Boyle, Fedotenko), 18:33 (en). Penalties_Bernier, NJ (boarding),...

Shin-Soo Choo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning to back Jeanmar Gomez's seven superb innings and lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Choo's base hit off Twins closer Matt Capps (0-2) scored pinch-runner Lou Marson from second base, bailing out an Indians bullpen that squandered a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning. Gomez allowed one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. But Vinnie Pestano gave up an RBI-double...

New York @ ?? Baltimore @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Jeter ss 5 0 1 0?? Avery lf 5 2 2 1 Grndrs cf 4 1 1 1?? Hardy ss 5 2 2 3 AlRdrg dh 5 2 3 0?? Markks rf 5 0 1 0 Cano 2b 5 2 2 0?? AdJons cf 5 0 2 1 Teixeir 1b 4 3 2 2?? Wieters c 3 0 1 0 Swisher rf 3 0 1 2?? Betemt 3b 4 0 1 0 Ibanez lf ...

Kansas City @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Dyson cf 3 0 0 0?? Andrus ss 4 0 1 0 Hosmer 1b 4 0 0 0?? MYong 1b 4 0 1 0 Butler dh 4 0 1 0?? Hamltn lf 3 0 1 0 AGordn lf 4 0 1 0?? Beltre 3b 4 0 1 0 Francr rf 3 2 2 0?? N.Cruz rf 4 1 1 1 Mostks 3b 4 0 1 0?? Torreal c 4 0 0 0 B.Pena...

All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida vs. New Jersey Friday, April 13 New Jersey 3, Florida 2 Sunday, April 15 Florida 4, New Jersey 2 Tuesday, April 17 Florida 4, New Jersey 3 Thursday, April 19 New Jersey 4, Florida 0 Saturday, April 21 Florida 3, New Jersey 0 Tuesday, April 24 New Jersey 3, Florida 2, OT Thursday, April 26 New Jersey 3, Florida 2, 2OT, New Jersey wins series 4-3 ___ Boston vs. Washington Thursday, April 12 Boston 1, Washington...

All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Miami vs. New York Saturday, April 28 Miami 100, New York 67 Monday, April 30 Miami 104, New York 94 Thursday, May 3 Miami 87, New York 70 Sunday, May 6 New York 89, Miami 87 Wednesday, May 9 Miami 106, New York 94, Miami wins series 4-1 ___ Atlanta vs. Boston Sunday, April 29 Atlanta 83, Boston 74 Tuesday, May 1 Boston 87, Atlanta 80 Friday, May 4 Boston 90, Atlanta 84, OT Sunday, May 6 Boston 101, Atlanta 79 Tuesday,...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Washington 22 13 .629 _ Atlanta 22 14 .611 1/2 New York 20 15 .571 2 Miami 18 17 .514 4 Philadelphia 17 19 .472 5 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB St. Louis 20 15 .571 _ Cincinnati 18 16 .529 1 1/2 Pittsburgh 17 18 .486 3 Chicago 15 20 .429 5 Houston 15 20 .429 5 Milwaukee...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 22 13 .629 _ Tampa Bay 22 14 .611 1/2 New York 19 15 .559 2 1/2 Toronto 19 17 .528 3 1/2 Boston 16 19 .457 6 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 19 16 .543 _ Detroit 17 17 .500 1 1/2 Chicago 16 19 .457 3 Kansas City 14 20 .412 4 1/2 Minnesota 10 25 .286 ...

Cleveland @ ?? Minnesota @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Choo rf 4 0 1 1?? Span cf 4 1 1 0 Kipnis 2b 5 1 1 0?? Dozier ss 3 0 0 0 ACarer ss 3 1 1 0?? Mauer 1b 4 0 0 0 Hafner dh 3 0 1 1?? Wlngh lf 4 1 1 1 CSantn c-1b 2 0 1 1?? Doumit dh 3 1 1 2 Brantly cf 4 0 0 0?? Plouffe 3b 3 0 0...

Alfonso Soriano singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs sent the St. Louis Cardinals to their fourth straight loss at home with a 6-4 victory on Monday night. Bryan LaHair had three hits for the Cubs, including a two-run homer _ his ninth overall and fourth against the Cardinals _ to break a 1-for-14 slump. Chicago's runs in the eighth and ninth innings came too late to make a winner of starter Ryan Dempster, whose winless streak reached 15 starts dating to last August....

Trailing by a run in the eighth inning, the Miami Marlins figured they were poised for another comeback victory, especially when they put runners at the corners with one out. "The way we're going right now, I would put all my money on we're going to get a hit right there," manager Ozzie Guillen said. Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates snuffed the rally and held on, ending a streak of eight consecutive losses against the Marlins by winning 3-2 Monday. The Marlins came from behind in the ninth for...

Cesar Ramos got his first career win after replacing the injured Jeff Niemann, and Ben Zobrist homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Monday night. Luke Scott and Sean Rodriguez each had two RBIs for the Rays, who have won two straight after losing six of their previous seven. The Rays had to go to their bullpen early, with Niemann knocked out after he was struck on the right foot by Adam Lind's grounder in the first. The right-hander recovered to make the out but walked...

Major League Baseball management has fired Shyam Das, the arbitrator who overturned Ryan Braun's drug suspension in February. MLB informed Das and the players' association of its decision last week. Das had been baseball's permanent arbitrator since 1999, part of what technically is a three-man panel that also includes a representative of management and labor. "Shyam is the longest-tenured panel chair in our bargaining relationship," union head Michael Weiner said. "For 13 years, from the beginning...

Tampa Bay @ ?? Toronto @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Zobrist rf 4 2 1 1?? KJhnsn 2b 5 0 2 1 BUpton cf 3 1 1 0?? YEscor ss 4 0 0 0 Joyce lf 5 1 0 0?? Vizquel ss 0 0 0 0 C.Pena 1b 4 1 0 0?? Bautist rf 3 0 0 0 Scott dh 5 1 1 2?? Lind 1b 3 0 0 0 SRdrgz 3b 4 0 2 2?? Encrnc dh 3 0 0 0 Rhyms 2b ...

Chicago @ ?? St. Louis @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi DeJess rf 6 0 2 0?? Furcal ss 5 0 0 0 Campn cf 5 2 1 0?? Jay cf 4 1 1 0 SCastro ss 5 1 2 1?? Hollidy lf 4 1 1 0 LaHair 1b 4 1 3 2?? Craig rf 4 0 2 0 ASorin lf 4 0 1 1?? Brkmn 1b 4 1 2 1 Dolis p 0 0 0 0?? Freese 3b 3 0 0 0 IStewrt 3b 4 1...

Brandon Phillips drove in the go-ahead run with a double off the centerfield wall and the Cincinnati Reds scored two runs off Jonny Venters in the eighth inning to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Monday night. The game was tied 1-1 when Drew Stubbs led off the eighth with an infield hit between the pitcher's mound and third base. Stubbs moved to second base on Venters' wild pitch. With one out, Phillips drove in Stubbs with the double. Chris Heisey added another double, his third hit of the game,...

Miguel Batista pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit ball and Daniel Murphy supplied the offense, sending the surprising New York Mets to a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. Given a vote of confidence by manager Terry Collins before the game, struggling closer Frank Francisco bounced back from a pair of rough outings to earn his ninth save. Murphy extended his recent tear at the plate by hitting an RBI single and scoring on a suicide squeeze _ a play the Brewers failed...

Cincinnati @ ?? Atlanta @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Cozart ss 5 0 0 0?? Bourn cf 5 1 1 0 Stubbs cf 4 1 1 0?? Prado lf 4 0 2 1 Votto 1b 2 0 0 0?? Fremn 1b 3 0 0 0 BPhllps 2b 4 1 1 1?? JWilson ss 1 0 0 0 Bruce rf 4 1 2 0?? Uggla 2b 3 0 0 0 Heisey lf 3 0 3 1?? McCnn c 2...

San Diego @ ?? Washington @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Maybin cf 4 0 0 0?? Dsmnd ss 5 2 3 2 Denorfi rf 4 0 1 0?? Berndn lf 3 1 2 0 Guzmn lf 5 1 1 0?? Nady ph-lf 2 1 1 1 Alonso 1b 4 2 2 0?? Zmrmn 3b 2 0 1 1 Headly 3b 4 1 2 1?? LaRoch 1b 4 0 0 1 Hundly c 4 0 0 0?? Harper rf ...

Milwaukee @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Morgan cf 3 0 0 0?? ATorrs cf 3 0 0 0 RWeks ph 1 0 0 0?? Niwnhs lf 3 1 0 0 FrRdrg p 0 0 0 0?? DWrght 3b 3 1 1 0 Lucroy c 4 0 1 0?? Duda rf 2 0 0 0 Braun lf 4 1 1 0?? DnMrp 2b 4 1 2 1 ArRmr 3b 3 0 1 0?? I.Davis 1b 4 0 0 0 Hart rf ...

If Brandi Chastain could have cried foul, she would have. The world-famous U.S. women's soccer player was in Sacramento on Monday with her Brazilian counterpart Sissi to be honored by the California Assembly as it recognized the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The occasion prompted Assemblyman Chris Norby to reveal that he wasn't a fan of the 1972 federal law chiefly known for mandating gender equity in high school and collegiate sports. The Fullerton Republican said he thought Title IX had...

Jon Lester pitched his second complete game of the season and Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach each homered, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday. David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez added consecutive RBI doubles for the Red Sox, who won their fourth straight at home. Boston is on its longest home winning streak since capturing nine straight last July. The Red Sox opened just 4-11 at Fenway Park. The Mariners, on the second stop of a four city, 11-game trip,...

Joe Blanton pitched seven-plus strong innings and Placido Polanco homered for his 2,000th career hit to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night. Blanton (4-3) allowed six hits and one run, struck out seven and walked one while pitching in a steady light rain throughout. The right-hander continued his solid recent stretch, improving to 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last four starts. Freddy Galvis had three hits and drove in a pair of runs and Carlos Ruiz...

Brad Lincoln pitched six innings to earn a victory in his first start of the season Monday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a streak of eight consecutive losses against the Marlins by winning 3-2. Lincoln (3-0), who had come out of the bullpen in his seven previous appearances this season, departed for a pinch-hitter with a 3-2 lead and an ERA of 1.33. He allowed four hits and walked one. The Pirates, who rank last in the majors in runs, won with only six hits. Rod Barajas, who came into the...

Pittsburgh @ ?? Miami @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Tabata rf 4 1 1 0?? Reyes ss 3 0 1 0 Walker 2b 4 0 0 0?? Infante 2b 4 0 0 0 AMcCt cf 3 1 1 1?? HRmrz 3b 4 1 2 1 PAlvrz 3b 4 0 1 1?? Morrsn lf 4 1 1 0 McGeh 1b 3 0 0 0?? Stanton rf 4 0 0 0 Presley lf 3 0 0 0?? GSnchz 1b 3 0...

Torii Hunter was placed on the Los Angeles Angels' restricted list Monday after his teenage son was arrested in Texas. The town of Prosper, Texas, issued a news release announcing 17-year-old Darius McClinton-Hunter of neighboring McKinney, Texas, was arrested Monday in a sexual assault case. The release said Prosper police made five arrests after a monthlong investigation of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony. Prosper police spokesman Celso Martinez confirmed McClinton-Hunter...

Houston @ ?? Philadelphia @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Altuve 2b 4 0 1 0?? Rollins ss 3 0 0 0 Schafer cf 3 0 0 0?? Pierre lf 4 0 0 0 Maxwll ph-cf 1 0 0 0?? Wggntn 1b 0 0 0 0 Lowrie ss 3 0 0 0?? Victorn cf 4 1 1 0 Ca.Lee 1b 4 0 3 0?? Pence rf 4 0 1 0 Bogsvc rf 4 0 0 0?? Ruiz c 3 1 2 1 CJhnsn...

PHILADELPHIA (82) Iguodala 5-11 2-7 13, Brand 3-5 1-2 7, Hawes 4-9 0-0 8, Holiday 7-15 0-0 18, Turner 4-11 2-2 10, L.Williams 3-13 2-2 8, L.Allen 4-7 2-2 10, T.Young 0-3 4-4 4, Meeks 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 31-76 15-21 82. BOSTON (81) Pierce 2-9 2-2 7, Bass 5-15 2-2 12, Garnett 7-12 0-1 15, Rondo 4-12 0-0 8, Bradley 3-6 0-0 8, Stiemsma 1-3 0-0 2, R.Allen 7-14 1-2 17, Pietrus 3-5 0-0 8, Hollins 1-1 2-2 4, Dooling 0-2 0-0 0, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-79 7-9 81. Philadelphia ...

Seattle @ ?? Boston @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Ackley dh 4 0 1 0?? Aviles ss 4 0 0 0 C.Wells lf 4 0 0 0?? Pedroia 2b 3 1 0 0 ISuzuki rf 4 1 2 0?? Ortiz dh 4 1 1 1 JMontr c 4 0 1 0?? AdGnzl 1b 3 0 1 1 Smoak 1b 4 0 2 0?? Mdlrks 3b 4 1 1 0 Seager 2b 4 0 0 1?? C.Ross rf 4 1 2 0 Liddi 3b 4 0 1 0??...

The numbers for Josh Hamilton are just mind-boggling. After the Texas Rangers slugger had maybe the best week ever in baseball, there will be talk about the single-season home run record. Maybe even the Triple Crown, something as rare as his four-homer game. Hamilton led the majors with a .402 batting average, 18 home runs and 44 RBIs entering Monday's games. "He's a tremendous talent, nobody has ever doubted it," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "When you see him put it together the...

For quite some time, Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee tried to persuade former player Dale Hunter to return to the team as its coach. This season, McPhee finally got his man _ just not for very long. Hunter quit as Washington's coach on Monday after less than six months on the job, saying he wants to return to his family, his farm and the junior club he owns in Canada. "It was the right thing to do," Hunter said. He is the owner of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League,...

The Vikings stadium deal that Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law Monday involves plenty of public participation, but it also prevents the public from getting a look at the team's finances during their partnership to build the $975 million stadium. The law commits the state and city of Minneapolis to pay a combined $498 million, while the team will bring in $477 million from private sources. One provision would shield "any financial information" from the team from public eyes. Critics...

Brittney Griner could have added an Olympic medal to her NCAA title. The Baylor star's chances of making the U.S. team for this summer's London Olympics were "pretty good" before she withdrew from consideration last month, U.S. coach Geno Auriemma said Monday. Griner cited an unspecified family illness and her summer school schedule, and later broke her right wrist in a longboard accident. "She's kind of unique. There aren't very many players in America _ or anywhere in the world, for that matter...

IndyCar teams have used the first three practice sessions at Indianapolis as a virtual classroom. They're collecting data about how their new cars react in different conditions on Indianapolis' 2.5-mile oval. They're trying to decipher fuel calculations. They're studying how the cars run in traffic and trying to keep the mileage down on engines and tires. The combination has forced drivers into an unnatural game plan -- taking things slowly. "I feel like the car is responding well, and I think...

After combing through some of golf's meaningless statistics, this might be the best explanation for how Matt Kuchar won The Players Championship: He didn't empty all of his golf balls into the water when he played the island-green 17th hole in the final round. He was really on his game last week. He shot the lowest score. Golf is impossible to predict as it is. Throw in the mystery that is the TPC Sawgrass, and there's no telling who beats the strongest and deepest field in golf. You've heard...

Blake Griffin woke up Monday with his sprained left knee not feeling worse, but not really much better. Rest is the only remedy, a luxury the Los Angeles Clippers don't have, and doctors guess he might miss two weeks if this were the regular season. Griffin? He says he will play in Game 1 on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro is making no such guarantees. "I don't know yet," Del Negro said Monday. "I'll make that decision tomorrow after shootaround, after...

Speaking softly, nervously and in detail, Brian McNamee testified about the life-changing moment when, he said, he first gave Roger Clemens a "booty shot" of steroids. The government's star witness in the Clemens perjury retrial took the stand Monday and told the jury that he injected one of baseball's most successful pitchers with steroids about eight to 10 times when they were with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. "I knew what I was doing was illegal," McNamee said. "I wish to God I could...

American rookie Josef Newgarden is staying on top of Indianapolis' speed charts. The Tennessee native became the fastest driver this month, turning a fast lap of 222.486 mph in the final 30 minutes of Monday's practice session. It's the second time in two days that Newgarden has had the fastest lap of the day. Colombia's Sebastian Saavedra had the best lap Sunday at 221.526. Two other Americans were right behind Newgarden on Monday. Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti...

Sailing's national governing body will try to determine what caused an accident that killed four sailors during last month's yacht race from Southern California to Mexico. US Sailing has appointed an independent review panel to look into the destruction of the 37-foot sailboat Aegean during the annual overnight Newport-to-Ensenada Yacht Race, the organization said Monday. The 37-foot boat was smashed to pieces near Mexico's Coronado Islands before dawn on April 28. The small size of the pieces...

The father of light welterweight boxer Nick Casal considers his son lucky to be alive after sustaining several deep cuts to his head in an attack last weekend. Calling his son "blessed," Ray Casal told The Associated Press by phone on Monday that Nick is conscious while recovering at a Buffalo hospital. The most recent tests conducted earlier in the day showed no signs of brain damage, and doctors expect him to make a complete recovery, the father said. "It's miraculous actually. Even the doctor...

Bill O'Brien has quickly put to rest any notion that he plans to stick around as long as the last Penn State football coach. Don't expect his tenure in Happy Valley to last 46 years. "I can tell you that 46 years from now, I'll be 88 years old. I promise you that ... I'll start taking golf lessons when I'm about 70," a straight-faced O'Brien said Monday morning. "Hopefully I can last until I'm 70 on this job." With that question out of the way, the Nittany Lions' new leader can go on introducing...

Southern California authorities have called off a search for former professional football player Erik Affholter after learning he contacted his ex-wife and mother by telephone. The former wide receiver was reported missing Sunday night by his girlfriend when he failed to return from a hike in hills near Simi (see-mee) Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. The 46-year-old Affholter was a standout at Southern California in the 1980s before playing for Green Bay in 1991. The USC athletic department...

A charity that takes care of more than 1,000 retired racehorses told a court Monday that its herd is doing well, its finances are sound and that a lawsuit by New York's attorney general should be dismissed. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation filed court papers that included statements from veterinarians and managers at the 25 farms around the U.S. that board its horses, saying the animals are healthy. It also said its audited financial statement shows total net assets of almost $7.8 million...

Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat were relieved by the diagnosis. It's the prognosis _ or lack of one _ that's a source of worry now. And suddenly, the Indiana Pacers may be even more of a threat. Bosh strained a lower abdominal muscle in Game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series, that original diagnosis confirmed Monday after an MRI exam. The team said Bosh is out "indefinitely," though coach Erik Spoelstra and others say the injury could have been worse. Either way, Bosh is out...

The St. Louis Rams and the public entity that operates the Edward Jones Dome are far apart in their plans on how to improve the facility. While St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is urging rejection of the Rams' plan, his top aide said it is far too soon to sound the alarm that the city may lose an NFL team for the second time since 1987. The Rams' proposal was released against their wishes on Monday, a response to the dome improvement plan submitted by their landlord, the St. Louis Convention and...

The NFL players' union grievance against the league in the Saints bounties scandal will be heard Wednesday. The union claims NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't have the authority to hand out discipline for player conduct that occurred before the current collective bargaining agreement was finalized last August. The players argue that a CBA arbitrator, and not Goodell, has the right to decide player punishment under such circumstances, as well as rule on any appeals. Arbitrator Shyam...

Tiger Woods is heading to the hills this summer to play in The Greenbrier Classic. Tournament organizers announced Monday that Woods had committed to play July 5-8 in the event, which began only two years ago. It is played on The Old White TPC Course, where two years ago Stuart Appleby closed with a 59 to win. It will be the third time in the last nine months that Woods plays a tournament for the first time as a pro. He played the Frys.com Open in October in San Martin, Calif., and the Honda...

Danica Patrick raced 513 laps around Darlington Raceway last weekend. What did you do? Chances are, if you're an ardent NASCAR fan, you might have snickered at the very mention of her name. You probably grumbled about the attention she received all weekend, and your level of anger likely grew every time her bright GoDaddy green car was shown on TV. It's OK; Patrick learned to ignore the haters long ago. If she paid attention, she never would have chased her dreams of being a professional race...

The LPGA will make following players on social media even easier. Caddies will be sporting bibs with Twitter handles on their backs starting with the LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club in June. A youngster who attended a morning clinic Monday at Locust Hill donned a bib with (at)YaniTseng on the back as the world's No. 1 player looked on with a big smile. Kraig Kann, chief communications officer of the LPGA Tour, says 113 LPGA players have Twitter accounts. Tseng was at Locust Hill...

Mike Krzyzewski says he thinks the London Olympics will be his last coaching the United States. The Duke coach was brought in before the 2008 Games to revive a struggling Olympic team, which had finished a disappointing third in Athens. Krzyzewski and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo established a player pool to help give the program structure, and the result has been a return to the top of the international game. The Americans won the gold medal in Beijing behind Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade...

Chris Paul played with an aching right hip and Blake Griffin's sprained left knee stiffened up during the game. If the Clippers were truly a two-man team, then they would have been in trouble facing elimination by the Memphis Grizzlies. Good thing the guys on the Clippers' bench want to keep playing. Kenyon Martin's 23-footer put the Clippers ahead to start a fourth quarter in which backups scored 25 of their 27 points, helping Los Angeles' other NBA team beat Memphis 82-72 Sunday and advance...

Matt Kuchar knows all about the prestige and the perks of winning The Players Championship. The richest payoff in golf. A three-year exemption to the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. What means just as much is a framed picture on a basement wall in a tunnel the public never sees. Every day at the TPC Sawgrass, Kuchar walked through a tunnel in the clubhouse that is lined with black-and-white photos of the players who have beaten the strongest and deepest field in golf over the last four decades....

Manchester City's players are champions of England _ yes, that is a phrase we're all going to have to get accustomed to _ because they believed in themselves like those at Manchester United used to. Like the great teams that Alex Ferguson has produced in his quarter-century at United, City's players refused to accept that hope was lost, that they couldn't make the seemingly impossible possible. Not only did they take a page out of Ferguson's never-say-die play-book to win the Premier League title...

The Los Angeles Kings certainly weren't bothered by a long layoff. The Phoenix Coyotes sure seemed to be. Dwight King scored his second goal of the game into an empty net and the Kings dominated from the start to open the Western Conference finals with a 4-2 victory over the Coyotes on Sunday night to remain unbeaten on the road in the playoffs. "We had that long break and everyone was so anxious to get started, and everyone bursted out all their energy we had saved up," Kings defenseman Drew...

Jered Weaver walked off the mound singing along as "Hit the Road Jack" blared over the speakers at Rangers Ballpark. In his second start since throwing a no-hitter and going for a 6-0 start, Weaver instead matched a career high by giving up eight runs in 3 1-3 innings. His shortest outing since 2009 came in the Angels' 13-6 loss to AL West-leading Texas on Sunday night. "That was not what I wanted to do," Weaver said. "But it was definitely time to hit the road." The Angels, who had won three...

A person familiar with the decision says Major League Baseball has dropped its 100-game suspension of Colorado Rockies catcher Eliezer Alfonzo for a positive drug test because of the same procedural issues that came up in the Ryan Braun case. Alfonzo is eligible to play immediately, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday night because no announcement had been made. Mostly a backup during six major league seasons, Alfonzo become the first player...

Los Angeles gave up goal from the center line, another tying goal on a miscommunication. The way the Kings dominated the rest of the game, not to mention how they've played on the road in the playoffs, those two slipups certainly weren't going to derail their bid to take home-ice advantage from the Phoenix Coyotes. Overwhelming Phoenix from the start, the Kings overcome a couple of rare miscues by goalie Jonathan Quick to open the Western Conference finals with a 4-2 victory over the Coyotes...

Nelson Cruz hit his third career grand slam, Josh Hamilton drove in three runs and the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 13-6 on Sunday night to hand Jered Weaver his first loss. The slam by Cruz, his first homer since April 17, capped a five-run third for the Rangers. Hamilton, who had nine homers his previous six games, chased Weaver an inning later with a two-run double that made it 8-2. Weaver (5-1), in his second start since throwing a no-hitter, gave up 10 hits and eight runs in...

Los Angeles @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Trout cf 4 1 2 0?? Kinsler 2b 4 2 2 1 MIzturs ss 5 0 1 1?? Andrus ss 5 1 4 1 Pujols 1b 5 0 1 1?? AlGnzlz ss 0 0 0 0 KMorls dh 4 2 1 1?? Hamltn cf 5 0 2 3 Trumo rf 4 1 3 2?? Gentry cf 0 0 0 0 HKndrc 2b 5 0 0 0?? Beltre 3b 4 1 1 2 V.Wells...

All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida vs. New Jersey Friday, April 13 New Jersey 3, Florida 2 Sunday, April 15 Florida 4, New Jersey 2 Tuesday, April 17 Florida 4, New Jersey 3 Thursday, April 19 New Jersey 4, Florida 0 Saturday, April 21 Florida 3, New Jersey 0 Tuesday, April 24 New Jersey 3, Florida 2, OT Thursday, April 26 New Jersey 3, Florida 2, 2OT, New Jersey wins series 4-3 ___ Boston vs. Washington Thursday, April 12 Boston 1, Washington...

All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Miami vs. New York Saturday, April 28 Miami 100, New York 67 Monday, April 30 Miami 104, New York 94 Thursday, May 3 Miami 87, New York 70 Sunday, May 6 New York 89, Miami 87 Wednesday, May 9 Miami 106, New York 94, Miami wins series 4-1 ___ Atlanta vs. Boston Sunday, April 29 Atlanta 83, Boston 74 Tuesday, May 1 Boston 87, Atlanta 80 Friday, May 4 Boston 90, Atlanta 84, OT Sunday, May 6 Boston 101, Atlanta 79 Tuesday,...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Atlanta 22 13 .629 _ Washington 21 13 .618 1/2 New York 19 15 .559 2 1/2 Miami 18 16 .529 3 1/2 Philadelphia 16 19 .457 6 Central Division W L Pct GB St. Louis 20 14 .588 _ Cincinnati 17 16 .515 2 1/2 Pittsburgh 16 18 .471 4 Houston 15 19 .441 5 Milwaukee 15 19 .441 5...

Los Angeles 1 1 2_4 Phoenix 1 1 0_2 First Period_1, Los Angeles, Kopitar 4 (Brown, Doughty), 3:53. 2, Phoenix, Morris 2 (Langkow), 13:26. Penalties_Smith, Pho, served by Boedker (roughing), 4:17 Greene, LA (high-sticking), 9:56 Brown, LA (interference), 19:41. Second Period_3, Los Angeles, King 2 (Richards, Lewis), 8:02. 4, Phoenix, Boedker 4 (Doan, Morris), 18:05. Penalties_Morris, Pho (hooking), 8:22 Kopitar, LA (goaltender interference), 9:50. Third Period_5, Los...

Bolton was relegated to the League Championship on the final day of the English Premier League season, wasting a late lead in a 2-2 tie at Stoke. Bolton had been in the top division since 2001-02 and would have remained with a win but finished with 37 points, one behind Queens Park Rangers, which gave up two stoppage-time goals and lost 3-2 at Manchester City, which won the title. Jonathan Walters put Stoke ahead in the 12th minute, but Bolton went ahead on goals by Mark Davies in the 39th and...

Joey Votto gave the Washington Nationals one more heartache in a week already full of them. Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game on Sunday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory that knocked the Nationals out of first place in the NL East. Washington headed home after a week that included two more players going on the disabled list with significant injuries and a 19-year-old rookie figuring in games in unusual ways. Nothing was more...

In the closing moments of the Premier League's most dramatic season, Manchester City had just enough time for one final, breathtaking twist. With the club's title hopes fading by the second, its anguished fans in disbelief in the stands, relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers clung to a one-goal lead after 90 minutes. City then threw all its attacking might forward to produce one of English soccer's greatest comebacks. Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero scored during injury time in a 3-2 victory...

Joey Votto is finally swinging like an MVP again. Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game on Sunday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory over the Washington Nationals with the biggest game of his career. Votto hit solo homers in his first two at-bats and finished with his second career slam, thrilling a sparse crowd that sat through a long delay and then more rain to see an improbable finish. The Reds said it was the first time in...

Colorado's pitching staff walked 10 batters, all during a span of five innings, and six of them scored. Without those runs, the Rockies might have avoided a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alex White issued consecutive walks in the fifth to load the bases and Bobby Abreu followed with a three-run double, chasing the right-hander and putting the Dodgers ahead to stay. Matt Reynolds walked another later that inning, and A.J. Ellis made him pay with a three-run homer that helped Ted...

Kyrie Irving began his first pro season as the top pick and ended it as the top rookie. Cleveland's smooth, playmaking point guard has been chosen as the NBA"s Rookie of the Year, a person familiar with the voting told the Associated Press on Sunday. Irving's selection is hardly a surprise since the 20-year-old led all first-year players in scoring _ 18.5 points per game _ and renewed hope for Cleveland's franchise. He'll receive the award on Tuesday, said the person who spoke on condition of...

Matt Kuchar looked beyond the edge of the 16th green at a scene packed with enough stress it could wipe away even his smile. Across the water was an island green that was awaiting him Sunday in The Players Championship. The guy dressed all in orange and pumping his first was Rickie Fowler after making a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th to cut Kuchar's lead to two shots. Kuchar stepped over his 15-footer and answered with a birdie just as big. "Yeah, absolutely I saw the putt," Kuchar...

Washington @ ?? Cincinnati @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Dsmnd ss 6 1 2 0?? Stubbs cf 4 2 0 0 Berndn lf 4 1 2 1?? Heisey lf 4 1 0 0 TMoore ph 1 0 0 0?? Votto 1b 5 4 4 6 HRdrgz p 0 0 0 0?? BPhllps 2b 4 0 1 0 Zmrmn 3b 4 0 0 0?? Bruce rf 3 0 1 2 LaRoch 1b 5 1 2 1?? Frazier 3b 3 0 0 0 Harper...

LeBron James was promised some rest. It never came. The MVP didn't care, not after he and the Miami Heat struck the first blow against the Indiana Pacers. James accepted his third MVP trophy from Commissioner David Stern before the game, then scored 26 of his game-high 32 points while playing every second of the second half _ adding a season-high 15 rebounds as well _ as the Heat survived some rough stretches to beat the Pacers 95-86 on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series....

The Oakland Athletics hardly resembled the same team that pounded the Detroit Tigers the two previous days. With only four regulars in the lineup, how could they? Especially with Tigers ace Justin Verlander making things even more difficult. Verlander struck out eight to win his fourth straight decision despite leaving after seven innings with a bleeding callus on this thumb, and the Tigers beat the ailing A's 3-1 on Sunday to salvage a series split. "He looked good. He mixed it up. He's an...

New York Mets closer Frank Francisco stomped from the mound to the plate, screaming and waving his index finger at umpire Todd Tichenor. When the tirade ended, the Mets' ninth-inning meltdown continued. Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-out grand slam to cap a rally Sunday by the Miami Marlins, who scored six times in the ninth to beat an angry Francisco and the Mets 8-4. "Any time you see the other team lose their cool like that, you know we're in the driver's seat," Stanton said. The Marlins trailed...