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After James Shields pitched eight shutout innings, he was gone. Soon, so was Kansas City's lead and the game. The Chicago White Sox tied it in the ninth against closer Greg Holland and Jordan Danks homered in the 11th Monday for a 2-1 lead over the Royals. Shields said he was fine with manager Ned Yost's decision to pull him with a 1-0 lead. "Ned's the kind of manager who works with his starters," Shields said. "But we're going to Holland all day. He's having a great season. That's the right...

Derrick Rose still has not ruled out a return this season for the Chicago Bulls, saying he could play in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat. The 2011 NBA MVP will not play for Chicago in Game 1 against Miami on Monday night, nor will forward Luol Deng or guard Kirk Hinrich. Deng returned to a hospital for more tests, the Bulls said, and underwent a spinal tap to rule out viral meningitis after becoming ill last week. Hinrich will miss his fourth straight game with a calf...

The New York Knicks will not concede they have a "big" problem _ yet. They know the Indiana Pacers have a size advantage, realize that Carmelo Anthony is going to get beat up banging against a bulkier body, and understand that a change to a lineup with a conventional power forward may become necessary. Not now, but check back if they lose Game 2 on Tuesday night. "I'm not saying I won't do that. But I'm just saying right now we've only got one game under our belt. ... The small lineup that we...

A lot more people in Roger Chapman's hometown know who he is nowadays. That's what happens when a guy wins a couple majors on the Champions Tour. Chapman would have been best described as a journeyman on the European Tour before he broke through last year with wins at the Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open. "It's been an enormous change in my life," the 54-year-old Englishman said Monday at the media day for the 2013 U.S. Senior Open that will be played in Omaha this summer. "I'm getting...

Even on the unemployment line, Tim Tebow remains a popular presence. The former Jets quarterback, cut by New York last week after one disappointing season and now a free agent, was selected as America's most influential athlete, according to a survey released Monday by Forbes.com. Tebow had the most influence on fans, according to 29 percent of respondents, finishing ahead of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (25 percent), Jamaican track star Usain Bolt (23 percent) and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter...

A year ago, Brian Baker was the former French Open junior finalist who made it into the main tournament at Roland Garros nearly a decade later thanks to a wild card from the U.S. Tennis Association. Now it's Alex Kuznetsov's turn. He is following in Baker's path somewhat on the way to Paris: Kuznetsov was the runner-up in the 2004 French Open boys' tournament _ 12 months after Baker _ and finally will get to play in the clay-court Grand Slam tournament's main draw, earning a berth with strong...

Pondering Kevin Durant's latest big-time shot on the playoff stage, Lionel Hollins started listing a who's who of NBA greats from days gone by: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, George Mikan, Bob Pettit. What do they all have in common? "If you just go through the history, all the great players made big shots," said Hollins, the Memphis Grizzlies coach. "That's why they're great, not just good." "If you're not a clutch player, you're not a great...

Stacy Lewis will return to the LPGA ShopRite Classic later this month as more than the defending champion and No. 2 player in women's golf. She'll also be coming back as somewhat of a hero for donating $20,000 in November to a local food bank after Superstorm Sandy. Lewis was honored Monday with `Stacy Lewis Day' by the Galloway Township Council. She also was given a community hero award by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce for her assistance after one of the biggest storms to strike...

Trying to keep up with the Chicago Blackhawks would be unwise for the Minnesota Wild. Running into them over and over and over again, as Game 3 of this Western Conference quarterfinal matchup proved, is probably their best bet. After a rough-and-tumble effort in an overtime victory, the Wild were bracing for the inevitable pushback from the top-seeded Blackhawks in Game 4 on Tuesday. "A lot of teams respond well after losses, and that's obviously a tough loss for them. They'll be ready to go,"...

A Utah prosecutor said Monday he plans to decide soon what charges to file against a teenager accused of punching a soccer referee who later died after slipping into a weeklong coma. Authorities say the 17-year-old struck Ricardo Portillo in the head last month during a recreational league match after the referee called a penalty against him. Hours later, the 46-year-old went into a coma. He never regained consciousness and died Saturday. An autopsy was performed the next day, authorities said,...

Stacy Lewis will return to the LPGA ShopRite Classic later this month as more than the defending champion and No. 2 player in women's golf. She'll also be coming back as somewhat of a hero for donating $20,000 in November to a local food bank after Superstorm Sandy. Lewis was honored Monday with `Stacy Lewis Day' by the Galloway Township Council. She also was given a community hero award by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce for her assistance after one of the biggest storms to strike...

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Ryan Newman had to open his checkbook the last time he spoke out at Talladega. Fed up about the style of racing, he said in 2010 fans shouldn't even bother going to the track. He was punished with a secret fine that didn't come to light for months, and the true amount has never been revealed. But it's precedent that could cost him following his strong rebuke of NASCAR on live television Sunday. Newman, no stranger to harrowing accidents at restrictor-plate tracks, had just witnessed Kurt Busch's...

Venus Williams and Andy Roddick were just kids when they got their first taste of World Team Tennis. Williams was 8, having met WTT co-founder Billie Jean King at a clinic in Long Beach, Calif. At 17, Roddick played for the Idaho Sneakers. Now they're part owners of King's summer league that began in the 1970s and features male and female professional players in eight cities. WTT announced Monday that Williams and Roddick will join majority owner King and a group of four other part owners that...

Former Major League outfielder Otis Nixon has been arrested on drug charges following a weekend traffic stop in suburban Atlanta. Nixon was pulled over just after midnight Saturday after another driver called police to report a Dodge Ram truck weaving all over the road, according to an incident report from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. The 54-year-old remained in jail Monday afternoon on $11,880 bond. Officers found a pipe for smoking crack cocaine in Nixon's pants pocket and found a...

As Dan Marino campaigned for Miami to be chosen the site of the 50th Super Bowl, he made no pretense about being objective on the subject. "In my opinion," the former Dolphins quarterback said, "every Super Bowl should be here." Instead, the NFL championship game might not return to Miami for a long time. Last week the Dolphins were denied public money for a stadium upgrade by the state Legislature, which removes South Florida from serious contention for the 50th Super Bowl and perhaps subsequent...

Alex Rodriguez is back on the field for the first time since surgery on his left hip almost four months ago. He joined a group of injured New York Yankees starters Monday at the team's minor league complex. The 37-year-old third baseman ran, played catch and hit off a tee. Rodriguez said it's "like being 8 years old again when I first grabbed a bat." He added it's "pretty exciting" and he's "really looking forward to getting back." Rodriguez had surgery Jan. 16 and could return to the Yankees...

The Vikings released punter Chris Kluwe on Monday, bringing an end to his colorful and outspoken eight-year stay in Minnesota. Kluwe announced the news on Twitter shortly after meeting with Vikings GM Rick Spielman, a move that had been expected ever since the team spent a fifth-round draft pick on punter Jeff Locke at the end of last month. "Thank you to all the fans, my teammates, and the Wilf family for the past 8.5 years," Kluwe tweeted. "I wouldn't have traded it for anything." The 31-year-old...

Fox is importing an anchor pairing from Canada for its new cable sports channel. The network said Monday that Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole will serve as the primary highlight team on its nightly news show on Fox Sports 1 that will compete against ESPN's "SportsCenter." Onrait and O'Toole have worked together on TSN's "SportsCentre" since 2005. "Fox Sports Live" will air at 11 p.m. ET daily, starting with the channel's launch Aug. 17. Fox hopes the duo's already developed chemistry will get the...

FIFA provisionally banned outgoing executive committee member Chuck Blazer of the United States from all soccer-related activities for 90 days on Monday after he was accused of embezzling at least $21 million. Blazer had previously said he'll be giving up his seat on FIFA's ruling board when his term expires this month. He was accused of having enriched himself through fraud according to a report released in April by CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer....

Luca Paolini of Italy used a late solo attack to win the third stage of the Giro d'Italia on Monday and take the overall lead from compatriot Salvatore Puccio. Paolini, who rides for Katusha, broke away toward the end of the final descent to complete the 138-mile leg from Sorrento to Marina di Ascea in 5 hours, 43 minutes, 50 seconds. Cadel Evans beat defending champion Ryder Hesjedal in a bunch sprint for second place, with both finishing 16 seconds behind. Overall favorite Bradley Wiggins finished...

The Democratic National Committee says NBA veteran Jason Collins will headline its annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender gala. Last week, Collins became the first active player in any of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. President Barack Obama called the 34-year-old athlete the same day to congratulate him and tell him he was proud of his courage. The DNC says first lady Michelle Obama will also attend the May 29 fundraiser in New York. Tickets start at $1,250...

Donald Trump plans to extend his golfing empire to the Middle East, opening a course in the desert outskirts of Dubai in the latest sign the emirate's crisis-hit property market is recovering. The Trump International Golf Club will be the centerpiece of a 28 million foot project being developed by DAMAC Properties that includes a luxury residential community, hotels, spa and international schools. It is being developed on land purchased from Dubailand, a much-hyped project that included a $1 billion...

Liborio Solis of Venezuela defeated Japan's Kohei Kono by a majority decision on Monday to win the WBA super flyweight title. Two judges scored the bout 115-111 and 114-112 in favor of the Venezuelan. A third judge scored it 113-113. Kono floored Solis with a right in round two, but the Venezuelan recovered to drop the Japanese with a solid left hook in round eight. Solis improved to 15-3-1 with 7 knockouts while Kono dropped to 28-8 with 11 KOs. Also, Japan's Takashi Uchiyama successfully...

All Times EDT BASEBALL Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 2:10 p.m. Oakland at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m. Minnesota at Boston, 7:10 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. Atlanta at Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m. Texas at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 p.m. Arizona at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Miami at San Diego, 10:10 p.m. Philadelphia at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m. NBA PLAYOFFS Chicago at Miami, 7 p.m. Golden State at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m. NHL PLAYOFFS Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Toronto,...

May 11 At Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England, Jamie McDonnell vs. Julio Ceja, 12, for the vacant IBF bantamweight title. At Hannover, Germany, BJ Flores vs. Francisco Palacios, 12, for the interim WBA cruiserweight title. May 17 At Crocus City Hall, Myakinino, Russia, Denis Lebedev vs. Guillermo Jones, 12, for Lebedev's WBA World cruiserweight title. May 18 At Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J. (SHO), Devon Alexander vs. Lee Purdy, 12, for Alexander's IBF welterweight title; Lamont Peterson...

Compiled By PAUL MONTELLA May 7 1917 _ Babe Ruth of the Red Sox allowed two hits as he outdueled Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators 1-0. Ruth knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. 1922 _ Jesse Barnes of the New York Giants pitched the only no-hitter of the year, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0. 1925 _ Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals when he caught Jim Bottomley's line drive, stepped...

All Times EDT Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts. Tuesday, May 7 HOCKEY 1 p.m. NBCSN _ IIHF World Championship, preliminary round, United States vs. Russia, at Helsinki MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 7 p.m. MLB _ Regional coverage, Detroit at Washington or Atlanta at Cincinnati 8 p.m. WGN _ St. Louis at Chicago Cubs NBA BASKETBALL Time TBA TNT _ Playoffs, doubleheader, conference semifinals, teams TBD NHL HOCKEY 7 p.m. CNBC _ Playoffs, conference quarterfinals, game 4, Montreal...

Compiled By PAUL MONTELLA May 7 1938 _ Lawrin, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Kentucky Derby by one length over Dauber. 1952 _ One Count, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Belmont Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over heavily favored Blue Man. 1955 _ Swaps, ridden by Willie Shoemaker, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Nashua. 1972 _ The Los Angeles Lakers win their first NBA championship with a 114-100 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5. 1977 _ Heavily favored Seattle Slew, ridden...

The writer who did not choose LeBron James of the Miami Heat as the NBA's Most Valuable Player believes Carmelo Anthony "meant more to his team" this season. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe says Anthony made the New York Knicks relevant again by leading them to their first division title in nearly two decades. Washburn's explanation was published Monday, one day after James won his fourth MVP award. Washburn says the Knicks would not have made the playoffs without Anthony, while the Heat have...

The New York Islanders' rallying cry in their return to the postseason for the first time in six years is "Believe." Even the most ardent of supporters might find that optimism difficult following a deflating home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Buoyed by a split of the first two games of the first-round series in Pittsburgh, the Islanders came home to Nassau Coliseum with the feeling they could upset the Penguins _ the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. New York jumped out to a two-goal...

Ecstatic that his instincts about Golden Soul nearly paid off in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Dallas Stewart didn't ponder the what-ifs. He's instead thinking about golden opportunities ahead for the colt that finished second to Orb after starting the Derby as a 35-1 long shot. Stewart indicated Sunday that Golden Soul's next Triple Crown start would be the Belmont Stakes rather than the Preakness in Baltimore on May 18. Whatever he and owner Charles Fipke decide, both were pleased with the horse's...

Cristie Kerr likes being emotional on the golf course, and knows there's a time and place for it. She almost jumped the gun in the Kingsmill Championship before getting it back together. Kerr made a short par putt on the second hole of a playoff against Suzann Pettersen on Sunday, then hugged her caddie, a few players who stayed around to watch and had one more hug she needed to give. "Where's my dad?" she asked during the celebration on the 18th hole at Kingsmill's River Course. Her father,...

Derek Ernst didn't come out of nowhere to win the Wells Fargo Championship. He actually was driving a rental car toward Athens, Ga., the fourth alternate who figured he might as well spend the week playing in the minor leagues. He wound up a playoff winner at Quail Hollow with a game that wins anywhere. It's easy to get caught up in the elements that make his victory Sunday so amazing. Ernst is a 22-year-old rookie who was finishing up at UNLV at this time a year ago. He was No. 1,207 in the...

Every time Carmelo Anthony attacked the rim, a big body seemed to be waiting. David West, Roy Hibbert and the rest of the Pacers are classic Eastern Conference bruisers, and the New York Knicks are countering with something closer to small ball. "It'll be, to me, a contrast in styles most of the series," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. So far, the Pacers' way is bigger, badder and better. Physical beat finesse Sunday, as the Pacers outworked and outmuscled the Knicks in a 102-95 victory in...

Kevin Durant was in just the right spot and, once he had the ball, knew exactly what to do with it. Derek Fisher poked the ball away from Memphis' Mike Conley and it squirted right to Durant standing under his own basket. The three-time NBA scoring champion raced into the open court, pulled up and connected on a jumper with 11.1 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, lifting the Thunder to a 93-91 victory over the Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. "I just...

Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau took 9 seconds to turn a tight game into a laugher and move the San Jose Sharks to the brink of their first playoff sweep in franchise history. Couture and Marleau scored in rapid succession in the opening minutes of the third period to spoil Cory Schneider's return to the nets for Vancouver and the Sharks won their third straight game to open the playoffs, beating the Canucks 5-2 on Sunday night. "When you score goals that quick, it's tough on the bench, it's...

Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture each scored twice to spoil Cory Schneider's return to the nets for Vancouver and the San Jose Sharks won their third straight game to open the playoffs, beating the Canucks 5-2 on Sunday night. Pavelski scored the first two goals and Couture and Patrick Marleau added scores 9 seconds apart to break the game open early in the third period and give the Sharks a 3-0 series lead. Couture added a second power-play goal early in the third to end Schneider's night and...

Vancouver 0 1 1_2 San Jose 1 1 3_5 First Period_1, San Jose, Pavelski 1 (Couture, Thornton), 14:08 (pp). Penalties_Sestito, Van (unsportsmanlike conduct), 6:44 Burish, SJ (unsportsmanlike conduct), 6:44 Marleau, SJ (high-sticking), 7:19 Weise, Van (roughing), 12:40 Hamhuis, Van (slashing), 13:04 Wingels, SJ (roughing), 16:08. Second Period_2, San Jose, Pavelski 2 (Wingels, Hannan), 7:20. 3, Vancouver, Burrows 1 (H.Sedin, D.Sedin), 11:07. Penalties_Lapierre, Van (cross-checking),...

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was surprisingly upbeat after his team's third straight one-run loss to the division-leading Giants. Catcher A.J. Ellis was having none of it, no matter what the circumstances were. Los Angeles scored three times in the eighth inning but left the tying and go-ahead runners on base in a 4-3 loss to San Francisco on Sunday night that extended the Dodgers' losing streak to five against the defending World Series champs. "It is really hard to talk about moral victories...

After getting his first NHL hat trick, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was left with a bloody smile after the Senators' Game 3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. The 20-year-old rookie lost a tooth in a fight-filled, emotional 6-1 win. The teams combined for 236 penalty minutes and nine players were given a game misconduct. The Senators have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and Game 4 is Tuesday night in Ottawa. Pageau, with his first career playoff goal, gave the Senators a 2-1...

Hunter Pence doubled twice and drove in four runs, Matt Cain pitched into the eighth inning for his first victory of the season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 on Sunday night to complete a series sweep. Leadoff hitter Andres Torres had three hits for San Francisco while Marco Scutaro had two hits and scored twice. The Giants extended their season-high winning streak to six games and defeated Dodgers rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu for the second time this year. Cain, who pitched...

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All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Washington vs. N.Y. Rangers Thursday, May 2 Washington 3, N.Y. Rangers 1 Saturday, May 4 Washington 1, N.Y. Rangers 0, OT, Washington leads series 2-0 Monday, May 6 Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8 Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10 N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 7:30 p.m., if necessary Sunday, May 12 Washington at N.Y. Rangers, TBA, if necessary Monday, May 13 N.Y. Rangers at Washington,...

All Times EDT FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE New York vs. Boston Saturday, April 20 New York 85, Boston 78 Tuesday, April 23 New York 87, Boston 71 Friday, April 26 New York 90, Boston 76 Sunday, April 28 Boston 97, New York 90, OT Wednesday, May 1 Boston 92, New York 86 Friday, May 3 New York 88, Boston 80, New York wins series 4-2 ___ Brooklyn vs. Chicago Saturday, April 20 Brooklyn 106, Chicago 89 Monday, April 22 Chicago 90, Brooklyn 82 Thursday, April 25...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Boston 20 11 .645 _ New York 18 12 .600 1 1/2 Baltimore 19 13 .594 1 1/2 Tampa Bay 14 16 .467 5 1/2 Toronto 11 21 .344 9 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB Detroit 19 11 .633 _ Kansas City 17 10 .630 1/2 Cleveland 14 14 .500 4 Minnesota 13 14 .481 4 1/2 Chicago 12 17 .414...

Montreal 1 0 0_1 Ottawa 1 1 4_6 First Period_1, Ottawa, Alfredsson 1 (Gonchar, Karlsson), 5:58 (pp). 2, Montreal, Bourque 2 (Plekanec, Gionta), 14:34 (pp). Penalties_Cowen, Ott (roughing), 3:24 Pacioretty, Mon (slashing), 4:07 Gorges, Mon (hooking), 5:39 Condra, Ott (tripping), 11:31 Bourque, Mon (roughing), 12:04 Subban, Mon (roughing), 12:04 Phillips, Ott (roughing), 12:04 Methot, Ott (roughing), 12:04 Neil, Ott (roughing), 14:10 Pageau, Ott (slashing), 16:05. Second...

Rain and wrecks pushed NASCAR to the edge of darkness Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, where three of the biggest names in the sport led the field to final flag. NASCAR was giving it one final go to get the rain-delayed race wrapped up, and Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson were at the head of the pack for the two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. None of them ever saw David Ragan coming. Heck, Ragan barely even saw teammate David Gilliland hook onto his rear bumper. But Gilliland...

Matt Kenseth left another restrictor plate race pondering what could have been. After leading by far the most laps, Kenseth was overtaken on the two-lap overtime sprint Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and wound up with a disappointing eighth-place finish. The tally: 190-plus mostly terrific laps and a frustrating finale. "Just thinking about our day, it's encouraging but it's also really frustrating," Kenseth said. "I think we've led the most laps four or five times and I'm fortunate and thankful...

The Houston Astros were eight outs away from being no-hit for a second time this season, until Carlos Pena laced a hard single to right field to spoil Justin Verlander's bid for his third no-hitter. Verlander shut down the overmatched Astros in their sixth straight loss, 9-0 on Sunday. Texas' Yu Darvish was one out away from pitching a perfect game against the Astros in the first week of the season. Pena got the Astros' first hit, a single with one out in the seventh over the head of second baseman...

Esteban Toledo celebrated Cinco de Mayo by becoming the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history, beating Mike Goodes with a par on the third hole of a playoff Sunday in the Insperity Championship. The 50-year-old Toledo, making his ninth start on the 50-and-over tour, eagled the opening hole and finished with a 5-under 67 to match Goodes and Gene Sauers at 6-under 210 at The Woodlands Country Club. Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when Mexican troops defeated...

If nothing else, the Los Angeles Angels have been consistent _ as in consistently bad. And it starts with the pitching. An 8-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday left the Angels with an 11-20 record, matching the worst start in the franchise's 53-year history. They have lost seven of nine and are a season-worst nine games behind first-place Texas in the AL West despite a payroll that swelled to $142 million after the offseason addition of 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton _ who is batting a paltry...

LeBron James was at his best this season, and the voters tasked with selecting the NBA's Most Valuable Player took notice. Every voter except one, that is. The NBA still does not have a unanimous MVP, though no one has come closer than James did this season. The Miami Heat star was presented with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the fourth time in his career on Sunday after collecting 120 of the 121 first-place votes, with Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks picking up the lone remaining top...

Baltimore's long trip to the West Coast ended the way it began _ with back-to-back wins. J.J. Hardy and Manny Machado each hit a two-run homer off Jerome Williams in his first start of the year, leading the Orioles to an 8-4 victory over the reeling Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Baltimore went 7-4 on its longest road swing of the season and has won five of its last six series. "Anytime you go to the West Coast for 12 days and you can walk out of there with even a .500 mark, you're feeling pretty...

Jhoulys Chacin drew mixed reviews for his first start for the Rockies since going on the disabled list in April. There was the rough start, a 22-pitch first inning in which the Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs. Then came four scoreless innings, another three-run inning in the sixth, and then a perfect seventh before he left in Colorado's 8-3 loss to the Rays on Sunday. "At the start he probably just had to knock a little rust off," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "After that first inning he...

Ian Kennedy was trying to hang in against the San Diego Padres when he hung changeups to rookie Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable and watched them sail out of the park. "Two changeups, two homers," Kennedy lamented after a 5-1 loss to the Padres on Sunday. With Chase Headley aboard after being hit in the upper right arm by a pitch, Gyorko drove a 3-2 pitch an estimated 426 feet into the second deck in left field with two outs in the sixth inning and Will Venable followed by hitting a 2-2 pitch into...

Upset after a qualifying mishap that sent him to the back of the grid for the Sao Paulo 300, Will Power got into a brief spat with a Brazilian radio reporter, having to comeback and apologize. The incident happened when the reporter working for the local Radio Bandeirantes tried to interview Power as he returned to the garage after team strategy left him 22nd in the grid for the race at the Anhembi street track where he won three straight races. According to the radio station, Power complained...

Takuma Sato decided to celebrate another good performance instead of lament losing a race he had all but wrapped up until the final turn Sunday in the Sao Paulo 300. Sato was on his way to his second consecutive IndyCar victory when he was unable to hold off James Hinchcliffe in the final laps on the streets of Sao Paulo, relinquishing the lead just a few hundred yards from the finish line at the Anhembi track. But Sato saw more positives then negatives after the race in Brazil, saying that the...

David Ortiz got the Boston Red Sox off to a good start with a two-run homer in the first against Texas ace Yu Darvish. Then David Ross went deep an inning later. Except that's all the Red Sox would get against Darvish, who matched a career high with 14 strikeouts in seven innings before Adrian Beltre's two-out RBI single in the ninth gave the Rangers a 4-3 win Sunday for a three-game series sweep. "They're all tough," Red Sox starter Jon Lester said. "The guys did a good job of getting the lead,...

Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish pumped his fist coming off the mound after the last of his 127 pitches, ending the seventh inning with his 14th strikeout against Boston. "Unbelievable, unbelievable," Adrian Beltre said. "He was incredible. He's been doing it all year." Darvish matched his career high for strikeouts before leaving a tie game, and Beltre had an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Rangers won 4-3 Sunday, completing a three-game sweep and matching the Red Sox for the...

Beating the Chicago Blackhawks usually requires a certain kind of performance: bruising, aggressive and unflappable. That's precisely what the Minnesota Wild produced, entertaining the fans at their first home playoff game in five years. They had a little luck, too, when Jason Zucker blindly sent his bad-angle overtime shot toward the goal. Zucker scored at 2:15 of the extra period to give the Wild a 3-2 victory on Sunday to pull within 2-1 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series. "I...

Derek Fisher turned a tough situation for the Oklahoma City Thunder into the worst-case scenario for the Grizzlies. With the Thunder down by one in the final minute, Fisher poked the ball away from Memphis' Mike Conley, springing three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant into the open court with a chance to put Oklahoma City on top. Durant pulled up and connected on a jumper with 11.1 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, lifting the Thunder to a 93-91 victory over the Grizzlies on Sunday...

Cristie Kerr watched her short winning par putt fall on the second hole of a playoff against Suzann Pettersen, hugged her caddie, a few players who stayed around to watch and had one more hug she had waited a long time to give. "Where's my dad?" Kerr said during the celebration Sunday on the 18th hole at Kingsmill's River Course. Her dad, Michael Kerr, was on his way _ as fast as his motorized cart would take him. "I rarely get nervous when she plays," he said. "I've seen the good, the bad and...

Carmelo Anthony promised adjustments, and he knows where they start. The New York Knicks felt they were outworked even more than outplayed in a 102-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday that put them in a 1-0 hole in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "You take out the Xs and Os of the game, they just flat-out played harder than we did today," Anthony said. David West scored 20 points and Paul George added 19 for the Pacers, who outrebounded the Knicks 44-30, showing the smaller team that...

Edwin Jackson continues to search for his first victory of the season after seven starts. The veteran right-hander struggled again Sunday, allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings in the Cubs' 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Jackson (0-5) allowed three runs and four hits in the fourth and has yet to pitch past the sixth inning this season. "I couldn't avoid the big inning," Jackson said. "The third inning, they strung together a few hits. I felt like for the most part we were attacking...

A week like no other at Quail Hollow held one final surprise Sunday when 22-year-old rookie Derek Ernst birdied the 18th hole to force a playoff, and then won the Wells Fargo Championship on the first extra hole against David Lynn of England. Ernst was playing only his ninth PGA Tour event. He was the fourth alternate at the start of the week. He was No. 1,207 in the world ranking. None of that mattered when he choked up on a 6-iron from 192 yards and drilled his shot into 4 feet. He made one...

The Chicago White Sox have been finding different ways to lose during their recent skid. A day after getting shutout on four hits, Chicago's bullpen failed to hold a two-run lead Sunday. Alex Gordon hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th and the Royals, saved when Billy Butler sent the game into extra innings, rallied past the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Butler's two-out, two-run double in the ninth tied it for Kansas City. "Because of the way it's been going lately," White Sox designated hitter...

Justin Verlander held Houston hitless until the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers romped past the Astros 9-0 Sunday for a four-game sweep. Verlander, who has already pitched two no-hitters in his career, made a bid for another one against the overmatched Astros in their sixth straight loss. Carlos Pena got Houston's first hit, a single with one out in the seventh over the head of second baseman Omar Infante, who was playing in shallow right with the shift on, and in front of outfielder Don...

Roy Halladay appears headed to the disabled list, and the Philadelphia Phillies can only hope the discomfort he feels in his right shoulder is nothing serious. Halladay was roughed up Sunday by the Miami Marlins in a 14-2 defeat, his second poor outing in a row. After the game, the two-time Cy Young Award winner acknowledged he has been pitching with a sore shoulder. He said he will have tests this week in Los Angeles and be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. "It's not something that I had before,"...

Bigger, badder, and so far better. Physical beat finesse Sunday, as the Indiana Pacers outworked and outmuscled the New York Knicks in a 102-95 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. David West scored 20 points and Paul George added 19 for the Pacers, who outrebounded the Knicks 44-30, showing the smaller team that in the rugged East, size does matter. "I thought guys did a good job just putting them on their heels," West said. "We were attacking, we were aggressive." D.J....

Alex Cobb pitched effectively into the seventh inning, withstanding three solo homers by Colorado and helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Rockies 8-3 Sunday. Jose Lobaton, Ryan Roberts and Kelly Johnson each drove in two runs for the Rays. Tampa Bay took two of three and won a series at Coors Field for the first time in four visits. Cobb (4-2) went 6 2-3 innings and allowed eight hits. Nolan Arenado hit a two-out homer in the seventh that pulled the Rockies within 6-3, a day after the rookie...

Detroit @ ?? Houston @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi AJcksn cf 4 1 0 0?? Grssmn cf 4 0 1 0 Dirks lf 4 3 4 2?? FMrtnz lf 3 0 0 0 MiCarr 3b 4 0 1 0?? Carter ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Fielder 1b 5 1 3 4?? JCastro c 3 0 0 0 Tuiassp pr-1b 0 0 0 0?? C.Pena 1b 3 0 1 0 VMrtnz dh 5 0 1 0?? Corprn dh 4 0 1 0 D.Kelly rf...

Andy Pettitte had a look of disgust. His pitches either kept missing the plate or sailed right over the middle. "It's a struggle. The issue is everything again," he said after the New York Yankees lost to the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Sunday. "Everything you want to try and do as a starting pitcher, I'm not able to do right now. I have no command of my fastball. I wasn't able to hit them with my offspeed stuff when I wanted to." Pitching on five days' rest, Pettitte walked four for the first time...

Arizona @ ?? San Diego @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi GParra rf 4 0 0 0?? EvCarr ss 4 1 1 0 Prado 2b 4 0 0 0?? Denorfi rf-lf 2 1 0 0 Gldsch 1b 3 0 1 0?? Headly 3b 3 1 1 1 MMntr c 3 0 0 0?? Quentin lf 4 0 0 0 ErChvz 3b 4 0 0 0?? Street p 0 0 0 0 Pollock cf 4 0 0 0?? Alonso 1b 2 0 0 1 Kubel lf...

Rookie Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth and Will Venable followed with a solo shot to help carry Edinson Volquez and the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Volquez won his third straight start and the Padres, who took two of three from the Diamondbacks, won for the eighth time in 11 games. The Diamondbacks have lost five of six. Volquez (3-3) has rebounded from a rough opening stretch when he lost his first three starts and saw...

Baltimore @ ?? Los Angeles @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi McLoth lf 4 2 1 0?? Aybar ss 5 0 2 0 Machd 3b 4 2 1 2?? Trout cf 5 2 2 1 Markks rf 3 0 0 0?? Hamltn rf 4 1 1 0 A.Jones cf 4 1 1 1?? Trumo 1b 4 0 1 0 C.Davis 1b 4 1 1 1?? Callasp 3b 5 1 2 1 Wieters c 4 1 1 0?? HKndrc 2b 5 0 2 1 Hardy ss ...

Tampa Bay @ ?? Colorado @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Jnnngs cf 5 1 2 0?? Fowler cf 5 0 0 0 Joyce rf 3 2 0 0?? Arenad 3b 5 1 2 1 Longori 3b 4 1 0 0?? CGnzlz lf 4 0 2 0 Loney 1b 4 3 3 1?? Tlwtzk ss 4 1 2 1 KJhnsn lf 4 1 2 2?? Cuddyr rf 4 1 3 1 RRorts 2b 4 0 2 2?? Helton 1b 4 0 1 0 Loaton c ...

Clint Hurdle was confident he has made the right mode, even though if didn't work out. With out and first base open in the eighth inning of a one-run game, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager decided to intentionally walk the Washington Nationals left-handed-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche in order to have rookie right-handed reliever Bryan Morris face right-handed hitting Tyler Moore. It made sense from a statistical standpoint. LaRoche had been 4 for 7 with four walks to that point in the three-game...

Too much rest led to too many walks for Jonathon Niese. With his start pushed back by an off day Thursday and a rainout Saturday, Niese was wild on Sunday as he matched his career high with six walks and gave up seven runs in the New York Mets' 9-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Niese, who had been scheduled to pitch Saturday, was making his first start since April 28 _ exactly a week. "Most likely he was probably too strong," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Collins said Niese had "just no feel...

Chicago 1 0 1 0_2 Minnesota 1 0 1 1_3 First Period_1, Chicago, Oduya 1 (Kane, Hossa), 13:26. 2, Minnesota, Bouchard 1 (Clutterbuck, Brodziak), 18:30. Penalties_Stalberg, Chi (tripping), 10:27. Second Period_None. Penalties_Falk, Min (roughing), 2:52 Brodziak, Min (high-sticking), 9:01 Toews, Chi (holding), 10:27 Oduya, Chi (high-sticking, roughing), 17:35 Clutterbuck, Min (roughing), 17:35. Third Period_3, Minnesota, Parise 1 (Coyle), 3:09. 4, Chicago, Keith 1 (Kane,...

Jaime Garcia put the Brewers and St. Louis' sweep of Milwaukee under wraps. He pitched eight innings and Allen Craig drove in four runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 10-1 win over Milwaukee and the franchise's first four-game sweep of the Brewers. "Early in the season, late in the season, it doesn't matter when you get a series win like this one," Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina said. "Everything went good this weekend. We pitched good and really hit the ball well." Matt Holliday also...

Boston @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Ellsury cf 5 0 0 0?? Kinsler 2b 4 0 1 0 Nava rf-lf 4 0 0 0?? Andrus ss 5 1 1 0 Pedroia 2b 3 1 1 0?? Brkmn dh 3 0 1 0 D.Ortiz dh 3 1 1 2?? Beltre 3b 5 1 2 1 Napoli 1b 3 0 0 0?? N.Cruz rf 3 1 1 2 Carp lf 4 0 0 0?? Przyns c 4 0 0 0 Mdlrks 3b ...

Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke put it very bluntly after his team lost 10-1 Sunday to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the Cardinals' first four-game sweep of the Brewers, Coming into the series, the Brewers trailed the first-place Cardinals by 1 1/2 games in the National League Central. Following the win on Sunday, the Cardinals' lead jumped to 5 1/2 games. "We played a bad series," he said. "We don't do it too often at home." Marco Estrada (2-2) lasted 3 1-3 innings for the Brewers,...

Judging by the mood in their clubhouse, it'd be hard to think that Cleveland Indians' six-game winning streak had just ended. Mike Pelfrey pitched six innings of one-run ball and Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 victory over the Indians on Sunday. Cleveland won the first two games in the series, but never led in the finale. Despite falling back to .500 on the season, the Indians remained optimistic. "We're not going to win them all, but we gave ourselves...

Washington @ ?? Pittsburgh @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Span cf 5 0 1 0?? SMarte lf 4 1 1 1 Dsmnd ss 5 0 1 0?? Mercer 2b-ss 4 0 1 0 Harper lf 1 0 0 0?? McCtch cf 4 0 0 0 Berndn lf 4 1 2 0?? GSnchz 1b 3 1 1 0 Zmrmn 3b 4 2 1 0?? RMartn 3b 3 0 1 1 LaRoch 1b 3 1 1 0?? McKnr c ...

INDIANA (102) George 5-14 7-8 19, West 8-15 4-5 20, Hibbert 6-9 2-2 14, Hill 5-17 2-2 14, Stephenson 5-9 1-3 11, T.Hansbrough 3-6 2-2 8, Augustin 5-6 2-4 16, Young 0-0 0-0 0, Mahinmi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-76 20-26 102. NEW YORK (95) Anthony 10-28 6-6 27, Shumpert 4-11 2-2 11, Chandler 2-2 0-0 4, Felton 8-12 1-1 18, Prigioni 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 4-15 7-10 17, Martin 5-8 2-4 12, Kidd 0-1 0-0 0, Copeland 2-3 0-0 6, Camby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-81 18-23 95. Indiana 22 30 29 21_102...

Adeiny Hechavarria hit a grand slam and a bases-loaded triple off an ailing Roy Halladay, driving in seven runs for the Miami Marlins in their 14-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. After the game, Halladay acknowledged he has a sore right shoulder. He said he will undergo tests this week in Los Angeles and be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. The right-hander did not take questions from reporters after his second poor outing in a row. Kevin Slowey (1-2) pitched seven shutout innings...

Alex Gordon hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th and the Kansas City Royals, saved when Billy Butler sent the game into extra innings, rallied past the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Butler's two-out, two-run double in the ninth tied it for Kansas City. Lorenzo Cain led off the 10th with his third hit and stole second with one out. With two outs, Chris Getz was intentionally walked and George Kottaras then walked on five pitches, loading the bases for Gordon. Gordon singled on the first pitch...

Joey Votto had three hits, Todd Frazier hit a two-run single and the Cincinnati Reds completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 7-4 victory on Sunday. The Cubs rallied for three runs off Mat Latos to make it a one-run game in the fifth inning, helped when Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo and second baseman Brandon Phillips collided trying to catch Alfonso Soriano's short fly. Latos (3-0) extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings, tying a career high, but didn't pitch past the...

Cincinnati @ ?? Chicago @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Choo cf 5 1 2 0?? DeJess cf 5 1 2 0 Cozart ss 3 1 0 1?? SCastro ss 5 1 1 0 Votto 1b 5 1 3 1?? Rizzo 1b 4 1 1 1 Phillips 2b 3 1 1 1?? ASorin lf 5 1 1 2 CIzturs 2b 1 0 0 0?? Schrhlt rf 4 0 1 1 Bruce rf 5 1 1 1?? DNavrr c 4 0 1 0 Frazier...

Oakland @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Rosales ss 5 0 1 0?? Gardnr cf 5 1 2 0 DNorrs c 4 1 0 0?? Cano 2b 4 0 2 1 Lowrie 2b 2 1 0 0?? V.Wells lf 5 1 1 0 Cespds cf 4 1 1 2?? Hafner dh 2 1 1 0 Dnldsn 3b 3 1 1 1?? BFrncs pr-dh 0 0 0 0 Freimn 1b 4 0 1 0?? ISuzuki rf 3 1 2 1 Moss pr-1b...

Chicago @ ?? Kansas City @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi De Aza lf 4 1 1 2?? AGordn lf 6 0 1 2 Kppngr 2b 5 0 2 0?? AEscor ss 5 0 2 1 Rios rf 4 1 1 2?? Butler dh 4 0 1 2 A.Dunn 1b 5 0 1 0?? Dyson pr-dh 0 0 0 0 Konerk dh 5 0 1 0?? Hosmer 1b 5 0 0 0 Gillaspi 3b 4 0 0 0?? L.Cain cf 5 1 3 0 AlRmrz...

When Derek Fisher poked the ball away from Mike Conley and it ended up in Kevin Durant's hands, the Memphis Grizzlies were suddenly in trouble. The three-time NBA scoring champion raced from under his own basket into the open court, and Tayshaun Prince couldn't pull out of a full-speed backpedal in time to stop what was coming next. Durant pulled up and connected on a jumper with 11.1 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, lifting his Oklahoma City Thunder to a 93-91 victory over the Grizzlies...

Miami @ ?? Philadelphia @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Pierre lf 5 2 3 0?? Galvis ss 4 0 1 1 Valaika 2b 5 1 0 0?? MYong 3b 4 0 1 0 Polanc 3b 5 1 1 0?? Utley 2b 3 0 0 0 Ruggin cf 3 4 2 3?? Frndsn 2b 1 0 0 0 Ozuna rf 5 3 4 3?? Howard 1b 2 0 0 0 Dobbs 1b 3 2 1 0?? Mayrry 1b 2 0 0 0 Olivo c 5 0 0 0?? DYong...

The Pittsburgh Penguins bounced back from their home disappointment and dished out their fair share to the suddenly shocked New York Islanders. All it took was Sidney Crosby and a very powerful power play to do the trick. Chris Kunitz scored his second man-advantage goal of the game 8:44 into overtime, off the third assist of the day by Crosby, and the Penguins rode a slew of ups and downs Sunday en route to a 5-4 victory over the Islanders that gave top-seeded Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the first-round...

On the final turn of the final lap, James Hinchcliffe finally saw an opening _ and made sure he squeezed into it. Hinchcliffe made a last-ditch move on Takuma Sato, going past the Japanese driver on the inside of the last bend to win IndyCar's Sao Paulo 300 on Sunday. The Canadian was barely even sure that Sato was finally behind him by the time the checkered flag went down in front of him. "I don't think I was sure until after we crossed the line," said Hinchcliffe, who earned his second victory...

It's been a rough ride on the road for Joe Saunders this season. Mark DeRosa hit a three-run homer, Melky Cabrera added a solo shot and the Blue Jays snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Saunders and the Seattle Mariners 10-2 on Sunday. Saunders (2-4) allowed seven runs and nine hits in five innings, losing for the third time in four starts. "It was a battle today for sure," he said. "They put some good swings and on some good pitches. Just one of those days." Saunders walked two, struck...

St. Louis @ ?? Milwaukee @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Jay cf 4 2 2 0?? Aoki rf 4 0 0 0 SRonsn rf 3 2 1 1?? Segura ss 4 0 1 0 Hollidy lf 3 3 2 3?? Braun lf 2 0 2 0 Curtis ph-lf 0 0 0 0?? Lalli c 1 0 0 0 Craig 1b 5 1 2 4?? ArRmr 3b 3 0 0 0 YMolin c 3 0 1 1?? Bianchi 3b-2b 1 0 0...

Juventus clinched its record 29th Serie A title and second in a row, beating Palermo 1-0 Sunday on Arthur Vidal's penalty kick in the 59th minute. Juventus was awarded the penalty kick when Massimo Donati was called for a push on Mirko Vucinic by referee Andrea Romeo. Juventus finished a man short after Paul Pogba was given a red card in the 83rd minute for spitting at Salvatore Aronica. With three games left, Juventus (26-4-5) holds an 11-point lead over second-place Napoli (21-5-9), which beat...

Tyler Moore hit a three-run homer and Danny Espinosa homered and drove in three runs, leading Gio Gonzalez and the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Sunday. Moore homered in the eighth inning off rookie reliever Bryan Morris and broke open a 3-2 game. Moore homered for the first time this year after hitting 10 in 75 games last season as a rookie. Nationals star Bryce Harper was ejected in the first inning for disputing a checked-swing third strike. He tried to hold up on a...