ALL RECENT AP STORIES

Detroit @ ?? Minnesota @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Berry cf 4 1 2 1?? Span cf 5 1 3 0 Dirks lf 5 0 1 0?? Revere rf 5 0 1 0 MiCarr 3b 3 2 1 0?? Mauer c 5 2 1 0 Fielder 1b 5 2 3 2?? Wlngh dh 4 0 1 0 DYong dh 5 1 3 1?? Mornea 1b 4 1 1 1 Boesch rf 4 2 3 2?? Dozier ss 4 0 1 2 RSantg 2b...

Twice, the Kansas City Royals seemingly had a runner picked off first base. Both times, a sure out turned into a stolen base. The Royals' failure to execute this fundamental play was a key factor in their 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. With Baltimore nursing a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, Xavier Avery drew a leadoff walk and broke for second as Royals starter Bruce Chen threw to first. Avery reached second before the throw from first baseman Eric Hosmer. Robert Andino followed...

The breaking ball went everywhere. The fastball was way off, too. Johnny Cueto just didn't have it. And, as a result, the Cincinnati Reds' best winning streak in two years was finished. Todd Helton hit his first homer in nearly a month and drove in three runs Friday night, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-3 victory that ended the Reds' winning streak at six games. Helton had a two-run homer _ his first since April 29 _ and a run-scoring single off Cueto (5-2), who gave up a career-high 11...

Ryan Dempster doesn't pitch like a guy who hasn't won a game since last August. Problem is, Dempster's team continues to hit like one that hasn't won a game in nearly two weeks. Dempster (0-3) allowed just one run over 7 1-3 sparkling innings but couldn't prevent the Cubs from falling 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, extending their losing streak to 10. "It's hard for us _ 10 games in a row is not a lot of fun," Dempster said. "It doesn't make coming to the ballpark fun, it doesn't...

Philadelphia @ ?? St. Louis @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Rollins ss 5 0 1 1?? Furcal ss 4 1 1 1 Pierre lf 5 1 2 1?? Greene 2b 4 0 1 0 Mayrry lf 0 0 0 0?? Hollidy lf 3 0 0 0 Pence rf 5 1 1 2?? Beltran rf 5 0 0 0 Ruiz c 4 0 1 0?? Freese 3b 5 1 1 0 Victorn cf 5 0 0 0?? YMolin c 5 0...

Steve Cishek turned ninth-inning jeers to cheers, and all he had to do was strike out major league hits leader Melky Cabrera to end the game. Cishek earned his first save of the year after struggling All-Star closer Heath Bell blew another one Friday night, and the Miami Marlins held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 7-6. "It's the ultimate adrenaline-rush situation," Cishek said. "It's something you always dream about doing." Bell entered in the ninth with a three-run lead but drew boos when...

Toronto @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi KJhnsn 2b 3 0 1 0?? Kinsler 2b 5 1 2 0 Vizquel ph-2b 1 0 0 0?? Andrus ss 3 1 0 0 YEscor ss 4 1 1 0?? Hamltn cf 3 2 1 1 Bautist rf 4 0 1 2?? Gentry ph-cf 2 0 0 0 Thams pr-lf 0 0 0 0?? Beltre 3b 5 1 3 2 Encrnc dh 4 1 2 1?? AlGnzlz pr-3b 1 1 0 0 Arencii c ...

Cleveland @ ?? Chicago @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Choo rf 3 2 2 0?? De Aza cf 4 1 2 2 Kipnis 2b 3 0 2 0?? Bckhm 2b 5 0 1 0 ACarer ss 3 0 1 1?? A.Dunn dh 4 1 1 2 J.Diaz ss 1 0 0 0?? Konerk 1b 4 0 1 0 CSantn c 4 0 0 1?? Lillirdg 1b 1 0 0 0 Marson c 0 0 0 0?? Rios rf 5 1 0 0 JoLopz 3b...

N.Y. Rangers 0 2 0 0_2 New Jersey 2 0 0 1_3 First Period_1, New Jersey, Carter 4 (Gionta, Bernier), 10:05. 2, New Jersey, Kovalchuk 7 (Zubrus, Clarkson), 13:56 (pp). Penalties_Salvador, NJ (high-sticking), 2:54 Fedotenko, NYR (tripping), 12:31 Hagelin, NYR (goaltender interference), 17:30. Second Period_3, N.Y. Rangers, Fedotenko 2 (McDonagh, Richards), 9:47. 4, N.Y. Rangers, Callahan 6 (Girardi, McDonagh), 13:41. Penalties_Ponikarovsky, NJ (interference), 1:23 Del Zotto,...

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 27 18 .600 _ Atlanta 26 21 .553 2 Miami 25 21 .543 2 1/2 New York 25 21 .543 2 1/2 Philadelphia 23 23 .500 4 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB Cincinnati 25 20 .556 _ St. Louis 25 20 .556 _ Houston 21 23 .477 3 1/2 Pittsburgh 21 24 .467 4 Milwaukee 18 26 .409 6 1/2...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 29 17 .630 _ Tampa Bay 28 18 .609 1 Toronto 24 21 .533 4 1/2 New York 23 21 .523 5 Boston 22 23 .489 6 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 26 18 .591 _ Chicago 23 22 .511 3 1/2 Detroit 20 24 .455 6 Kansas City 17 27 .386 9 Minnesota 15 29 .341 11 West...

Matt Joyce hit his second grand slam in six games and Elliot Johnson had a two-run shot to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to their third straight win, 7-4 over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night in a game that saw the benches empty in the ninth inning. Carlos Pena, inserted into the leadoff spot after a miserable slump, added a solo homer for the Rays. Adrian Gonzalez had an RBI double for Boston, which lost for just the fourth time in 14 games. The Red Sox (22-23) failed to move above .500 for the...

Todd Helton homered and drove in three runs Friday night, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-3 victory that ended the Cincinnati Reds' longest winning streak of the season at six games. Helton had a two-run homer _ his first since April 29 _ and a run-scoring single off Johnny Cueto (5-2), who gave up a career-high 11 hits in only 4 2-3 innings. Troy Tulowitzki had three hits, including an RBI single in the ninth. Rookie left-hander Christian Friedrich (2-1) went five innings against an offense...

Colorado @ ?? Cincinnati @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi EYong cf 5 0 1 1?? Cozart ss 5 0 1 0 Scutaro 2b 5 0 1 0?? Stubbs cf 3 0 0 0 CGnzlz lf 4 2 1 0?? Votto 1b 4 1 4 0 Tlwtzk ss 4 2 3 1?? BPhllps 2b 3 1 1 0 Helton 1b 4 1 2 3?? Heisey rf 4 0 0 0 Colvin rf 5 0 1 0?? Ludwck lf 4 1 2 1 Pachec 3b ...

Tampa Bay @ ?? Boston @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi C.Pena 1b 4 2 1 1?? Aviles ss 4 1 0 1 BUpton cf 5 1 2 0?? Pedroia 2b 4 0 0 0 Scott dh 4 0 0 0?? Ortiz dh 3 0 0 0 Zobrist rf 3 1 0 0?? AdGnzl 1b 4 0 1 1 Joyce lf 3 1 2 4?? Youkils 3b 4 0 1 1 SRdrgz 2b 4 0 0 0?? Sltlmch c 2 1 0 0 Sutton 3b ...

Rick Ankiel hit a two-run triple in Washington's four-run first inning, Ryan Zimmerman padded the lead with a three-run double in the seventh and the first-place Nationals beat the slumping Atlanta Braves 7-4 Friday night. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (1-0) won in his season debut. He gave up one run in three innings after taking over for Ross Detwiler in the fifth. The Nationals moved two games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East. Ian Desmond had a two-run single in the Nationals' first inning....

Washington @ ?? Atlanta @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Lmrdzz lf 5 1 1 0?? Bourn cf 5 0 0 0 Clipprd p 0 0 0 0?? Prado 3b 5 2 3 0 Harper rf 3 2 1 0?? Fremn 1b 5 0 0 0 Zmrmn 3b 4 1 2 3?? Uggla 2b 2 1 0 0 LaRoch 1b 4 0 0 0?? M.Diaz lf 4 0 2 3 Dsmnd ss 3 1 1 2?? Heywrd rf 3...

A.J. Burnett and four relievers worked out of trouble all game and the Pittsburgh Pirates sent the Chicago Cubs to their 10th straight loss with a 1-0 victory on Friday night. Burnett (3-2) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two over 5 1-3 innings and the National League's best bullpen made it stand up as the Pirates extended Chicago starter Ryan Dempster's misery. Joel Hanrahan worked out of a two-on, one out jam in the ninth for his 11th save. Dempster (0-3) remains winless since last...

San Francisco @ ?? Miami @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi GBlanc rf 5 1 3 0?? Reyes ss 4 0 1 0 BCrwfr ss 4 0 2 1?? Infante 2b 3 2 1 0 MeCarr lf 5 2 2 1?? HRmrz 3b 4 0 1 1 Posey c 4 0 0 1?? Stanton rf 4 2 2 2 Pagan cf 4 1 2 1?? Morrsn 1b 2 1 0 0 A.Huff 1b 2 0 1 0?? Petersn cf ...

Jason Hammel pitched six shutout innings, Chris Davis homered and drove in three runs, and the Baltimore Orioles cruised past the Kansas City Royals 8-2 on Friday night. Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy had two RBIs apiece for the Orioles, now 28-1 when hitting a home run. Davis hit Baltimore's league-leading 70th homer of the season in the seventh inning with a man on to make it 8-0. The crowd of 28,954 included nearly 11,000 walk-up fans, a Camden Yards record. The attendance was a testament to the...

Chicago @ ?? Pittsburgh @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi DeJess rf 4 0 1 0?? Tabata lf-rf 4 0 0 0 SCastro ss 5 0 2 0?? JHrrsn rf 4 0 1 0 Mather cf-lf 4 0 2 0?? GHrndz lf 0 0 0 0 LaHair 1b 4 0 0 0?? AMcCt cf 3 0 0 0 ASorin lf 4 0 2 0?? PAlvrz 3b 4 1 1 0 Campn pr-cf 0 0 0 0?? Walker 2b 4 0 1 0 Cardns 3b...

Kansas City @ ?? Baltimore @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Dyson cf 4 0 1 0?? Andino 2b 4 2 1 0 Giavtll ph 1 0 0 0?? Hardy ss 4 1 2 2 Hosmer 1b 4 1 1 0?? Markks rf 4 1 3 1 Butler dh 4 0 1 0?? AdJons cf 4 1 1 2 Mostks 3b 3 0 0 0?? Wieters c 3 1 0 0 Francr rf 4 1 3 2?? Betemt 1b 4 0 1 0 ...

A person with knowledge of the situation said the Arizona Diamondbacks and catcher Miguel Montero have agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract on Friday. The person asked not to be identified because the agreement had not officially been announced. That is expected to happen within the next two days. Montero avoided arbitration by signing a 1-year, $5.9 million contract for this season. He and the Diamondbacks had announced in spring training that the sides were far apart and were putting...

Dillon Gee struck out a career-high nine, won consecutive starts for the first time in nearly a year, and doubled and scored the go-ahead run Friday night to lead the New York Mets over the San Diego Padres 6-1. Getting help from a fine catch and throw from left fielder Mike Baxter that led to an inning-ending double play in the first, Gee (4-3) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. Combined with Sunday's 6-5 win at Toronto, Gee came away with wins in two straight outings for the first...

San Diego @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Venale rf 2 1 1 0?? Baxter lf 4 1 1 1 Maybin cf 4 0 0 0?? Niwnhs cf-rf 4 1 2 1 Alonso 1b 4 0 1 0?? DWrght 3b 3 0 0 0 Guzmn lf 2 0 0 1?? Duda rf 3 2 1 1 Hinshw p 0 0 0 0?? Byrdak p 0 0 0 0 Mikolas p 0 0 0 0?? RRmrz p 0 0 0 0...

Becky Hammon hopes that the Olympics will be a little less stressful for her. Hammon will once again play for the Russian women's basketball team at the games this summer in London. She created a stir in 2008 when she first played for Russia in the Beijing Olympics. She helped guide that team to a bronze medal. "It's old news," Hammon about her decision to play for Russia. "I played with them in the world championship, European championship, hopefully I'll enjoy it a lot more. By far it was one...

Alabama won its first women's golf title Friday, holding off two-time champ Southern California by a stroke on the 72nd hole in the NCAA Division I championship. Oklahoma's Chirapat Jao-Javanil won the individual title by four strokes, closing with a 2-under 70 to finish at 6-under 282. The Crimson Tide gave coach Mic Potter his first national title and first for a program in its seventh trip to the national tournament when senior Brooke Pancake rolled in a 4-footer for par on No. 18. It's the...

Barcelona provided Pep Guardiola with the perfect sendoff by routing Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Copa del Rey final on Friday night, the club's 14th trophy in four seasons under its most successful coach. Pedro Rodriguez scored in the third and 25th minutes, and Lionel Messi ended his record-setting season with his 73rd goal in the 20th minute. The Catalan club demonstrated the virtues the marked Guardiola's four seasons in charge _ quick-touching passing, intricate combinations and clinical finishing....

One playoff victory was good enough for Mike Woodson to return as New York Knicks coach _ even with Phil Jackson lurking as a potential candidate. Woodson knows more will be asked of him now. "I know expectations are high and they should be high," Woodson said during a conference call, "and I'm looking forward to the challenge." The Knicks removed the interim tag Friday and announced they had given Woodson a multiyear contract extension, rewarding him for a terrific finish to what had been a...

When Bobby Rahal was racing, he hung a picture of Michael Andretti in his workout room. That's who Rahal wanted to beat more than anyone else on the track. And rest assured, Andretti felt the same way. Looks like they've passed on that vitriol to their kids. Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti have developed quite an IndyCar rivalry, which was only heightened when Rahal took the blame for an April crash at Long Beach that catapulted Andretti's car into the air before it slid into a tire barrier....

Former Penn State University president Graham Spanier has filed a civil lawsuit to force the school to release emails related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The lawsuit was filed late Friday in Centre County court and concerns an internal investigation, led by ex-FBI chief Louis Freeh, that Penn State is conducting about the scandal. It was first reported by the Centre Daily Times newspaper on its website. Spanier isn't asking for money in the lawsuit, which claims that he first...

Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won the last four points championships and two of the last four Indianapolis 500s. After this year's trying May, the team finally got it right Friday. Ganassi's top two drivers _ Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon _ finished atop the speed charts on the final day of practice, and a few hours later, Dixon handed Ganassi his first win in the Carb Day pit stop competition. Those inside the team garage are hoping it's the start to a better race day Sunday. "For us,...

A needle stored with a beer can appeared to contain an extremely tiny amount of Roger Clemens' DNA, which turned out to be good news and bad news for both sides in the perjury trial of the seven-time Cy Young Award winner. A forensic scientist on Friday linked Clemens to cotton balls and a syringe needle saved from an alleged steroids injection 11 years ago. His testimony, laced with statistics and probabilities, was one of the last pieces of the government's case in its effort to prove that the...

All eyes will be on Olympic champion Nastia Liukin at the U.S. Classic. Martha Karolyi, however, will be keeping close watch on everybody. Make no mistake. The national championships may be two weeks away and there's still a month until the Olympic trials, but Saturday's meet is the first step in the selection process for this summer's London Games. "It is in the back of your mind," said Gabby Douglas, a member of the team that won the world title last year. "This is the Olympic year, and Martha's...

Gov. Lincoln Chafee on Friday said former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's video gaming company is again in violation of a loan guarantee agreement with Rhode Island after it failed to notify state officials of mass layoffs, and that he'll seek an audit of the company's finances. Schilling's 38 Studios laid off its entire workforce Thursday _ including about 300 employees in Providence and more at a second Maryland location_ and did not notify the state, Chafee said at a news conference. The...

James Hinchcliffe still isn't over the disappointment of losing the Indianapolis 500 pole by a measly 9 inches to Ryan Briscoe. It's a sign of just how much has changed for Hinchcliffe in a very short period of time. He wasn't even in IndyCar two years ago, when he was a guest commentator for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway radio team during the race. Now he's on the front row for what's become the biggest race of his life. "I've got a much different seat this year than I did in 2010," he laughed....

Michael Andretti's three drivers go into the Indianapolis 500 with strong chances to win. Yet there was still talk Friday about the driver who is no longer with the team: Danica Patrick. The drivers say they are working like teammates again. Though nobody on Andretti Autosport has publicly cited Patrick's departure to NASCAR as the sole reason for the change, the team clearly has a new zest for racing. "I don't know about friction, but there wasn't a lot of trust and things like that and when...

Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another took another tour around Belmont Park on a rainy Friday, this time galloping a mile under exercise rider Humberto Gomez. After two days of 1 1/2-mile jogs, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner picked up the pace as he prepares for the Belmont Stakes on June 9, when he will attempt to become thoroughbred racing's first Triple Crown champion in 34 years. I'll Have Another was accompanied by his stable pony, Lava Man, as he entered the track with steady...

A defense request to dismiss child sexual abuse charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is premature because there has been no sworn testimony in the case, state prosecutors told a judge Friday. Sandusky's attorney asked a Centre County judge to dismiss the charges last week, arguing some counts are too vague to defend and others involve victims whose identities haven't been determined. But Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina said in his response Friday...

Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 7-6 (8) 6-3 on Friday to set up a championship match against Simona Halep in the Belgian Open. The third-ranked Radwanska trailed 5-1 in the first set, but saved two set points and fought back to win. Halep reached her first final in a premier tournament when she beat Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden 6-4, 6-3. The Belgian Open is a warm-up tournament for the French Open, which starts Sunday.

Between bites of some "frites" at the players' restaurant, Oracene Price smiled at the thought of being back at the French Open with her daughters, Serena and Venus Williams. The family wasn't at Roland Garros a year ago, making it the first Grand Slam tournament since 2003 without either Williams. Serena was still working her way back from a series of health scares, including two foot operations and blood clots. Venus revealed in August she'd been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that causes...

Usain Bolt won the 100 meters in 10.04 seconds in the wind at the Golden Spike meet Friday, his first victory in Europe leading to the London Olympics. The Jamaican had a slow start but pulled ahead in the final meters. He failed to improve his season best of 9.82 from a May meet in Jamaica. Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis finished second in 10.19, followed by Darvis Patton of the U.S. in 10.22. "It's hard to explain," Bolt said. "I don't really know what went wrong." Double-amputee sprinter...

Leaders of the Montana University System issued new policies Friday for handling claims of sexual assault, the latest development in a controversy that has led to a federal investigation into whether a college botched its response to rape reports made by female students. The U.S. Justice Department earlier this month opened a gender-discrimination investigation that looks into the way the University of Montana, its football team and the city of Missoula responded to sexual assault and harassment...

Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday after his game disintegrated in spectacular fashion in a second straight errant round at Wentworth, leaving his grip on the No. 1 ranking under serious threat from Luke Donald. The U.S. Open champion made seven bogeys and two double bogeys in a 7-over 79 to finish 9 over _ a massive 21 strokes behind James Morrison, whose superb 64 gave him a four-shot lead on Donald (68) and first-round co-leader David Drysdale (70). McIlroy's...

Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong is confident she can overcome her injury to earn a spot on the women's team for the London Olympics. Armstrong crashed her bicycle Thursday night in Boise during the first stage of the Exergy Tour, a final tuneup for riders competing for slots on the American women's team. She underwent surgery Friday and had pins installed in her clavicle. Then hours later, she was at the finish line of the second stage to make it clear she intends to rehab and compete...

Now that Brian Banks has been exonerated of a rape conviction that put him in prison for five years, the one-time prep football star has a message for NFL coaches: Give him a chance. After Thursday's emotional court hearing during which Banks broke down in tears, the 26-year-old said he wants to pursue his interrupted dream of playing professional football. Appearing Friday on NBC's "Today" show, Banks said he just wants a chance from an NFL team. "I think that any team that gives me an opportunity...

American qualifier Brian Baker outlasted Nikolay Davydenko 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 Friday to advance to the final of the Open de Nice. The 216th-ranked Baker will face Nicolas Almagro of Spain, who beat Gilles Simon of France 6-1, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Baker, who will play in his first ATP final, is on a 15-match winning streak. He broke Davydenko, a former No. 3, three times in the deciding set. Baker's streak began with a challenger victory in the U.S., which earned him a wild card into his...

Things are starting to take shape before the first doubleheader of U.S. opens. In just over two years, Pinehurst's renowned No. 2 course will play host to the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open on consecutive weeks _ the first time the USGA has attempted such a feat. Organizers said Friday they'll keep an eye on the freshly renovated course next month to see how it behaves in typical June weather and make any necessary tweaks. Ben Crenshaw led the course's yearlong $2.5 million facelift in which,...

A temporary outdoor stage set up to entertain race fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been replaced after it failed to meet new safety standards enacted by the state following last year's deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair. State building inspectors rejected the privately built stage Thursday, four days before the Indianapolis 500, after speedway officials couldn't provide required technical documents, WTHR-TV reports ( http://bit.ly/KQhp8G ). "They were unable to provide...

Brad Keselowski got the first of many surprises at his first meeting with racing great Roger Penske. The rising NASCAR star now driving Penske Racing's No. 2 discovered the Michigan address for their get together was an unmarked, routine building Keselowski had driven by all the time growing up in Rochester Hills. He never knew it housed Penske's offices. Keselowski shrugs his shoulder and smiles, saying, "That's just Roger." Penske will see if his buttoned-down approach works during one of...

Top-ranked Rory McIlroy will miss the cut for the second straight tournament after a spectacular second-round implosion at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday. McIlroy made seven bogeys and two double bogeys in a 7-over 79 at Wentworth to finish 9 over. It continued his struggles from Thursday, when he tossed a club in frustration on his way to a 74. The U.S. Open champion's game fell apart completely around the turn when he dropped seven shots in six holes from No. 8 to No. 13. It revived memories...

Janko Tipsarevic beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to give Serbia a place in the final of the Team World Cup on Friday. Tipsarevic secured an unassailable 2-0 lead over the defending champion. Kohlschreiber saved two match points in the decisive set, but Tipsarevic served out the match.

Dwyane Wade has been battling knee soreness. LeBron James was hobbling after a falling into a courtside cameraman. Chris Bosh remains sidelined indefinitely with an abdominal strain. Mike Miller looks to be in agony whenever he moves. An extra day of rest doesn't sound like much, but it means plenty right now to the Miami Heat. Now halfway to their goal of an NBA championship, the Heat took a welcomed _ and needed _ day off Friday after closing out their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup...

A bold move late in the Freedom 100 gave Esteban Guerrieri the lead and the Argentine held on to win a crash-marred Indy Lights race Friday in Indianapolis. The developmental series race was largely run in packs and included a wild early melee that brought out a red flag, stopping the race because of damage to a barrier. Another hard hit late in the race brought out a yellow that did not give rookie Carlos Munoz a chance to catch Guerrieri. It's the fourth consecutive year Sam Schmidt Motorsports...

Francesca Schiavone beat Sloane Stephens of the United States 7-5, 6-1 on Friday to reach the Strasbourg International final, where she will play Alize Cornet of France. The second-seeded Italian dropped her own serve three times, but broke Stephens' serve six times. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion bids for her fifth career title against Cornet, who rallied to beat fellow French player Pauline Parmentier 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a long, error-filled match that featured 16 double faults and 13...

The Formula One season so far has been as unpredictably exciting as the roulette tables of Monaco, where the Grand Prix on Sunday could produce a sixth different race winner this season. While F1 fans are enjoying the drama and suspense of not knowing what's likely to happen next, the top drivers are scratching their heads as they try to figure out how to pull away from their main rivals. Others are quickly making a name for themselves. The grid features six world champions. Only three of them...

Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal, Europe's past and present Ryder Cup captains, headline the field contesting the 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier at Walton Heath on Monday. A total of 104 players are challenging for 12 spots available for the year's second major, which will be held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on June 14. Montgomerie was the runner-up at the U.S. Open on three occasions between 1994 and `97 but hasn't qualified through Walton Heath for the past two years. Olazabal...

A California man has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he was part of a betting ring involving the University of San Diego's basketball team. Richard Thweni of El Cajon (kuh-HOHN') pleaded guilty Thursday in San Diego to conspiracy to commit sports bribery, conduct an illegal gambling business and distribute marijuana. He is among 10 defendants who have been charged with the betting ring. Prosecutors say Brandon Johnson, a former basketball star at USD, was recruited to throw games as part...

Despite vigorously denying he gave one of his horses an illegal performance-enhancing mixture, trainer Doug O'Neill was suspended 45 days _ a ban that won't take effect until after his superstar colt, I'll Have Another, tries to win the Triple Crown. After a nearly two-year legal battle, California racing officials agreed with O'Neill but still found fault because of a rule that says trainers are ultimately responsible for horses in their care. The ruling Thursday doesn't prevent O'Neill from...

The charity for troubled youths started by Jerry Sandusky more than three decades ago _ and through which the retired Penn State assistant football coach met the boys he is charged with sexually abusing _ said Friday it is seeking court approval to shut down and transfer its programs to a Texas-based youth ministry that serves abused and neglected children. The Second Mile said it has been financially crippled by the child-sex abuse scandal involving its founder and onetime public face and concluded...

A streaker who ran naked onto the field during a Cardinals game says he did so because he lost a bet. Twenty-two-year-old Collin Grundstrom of Jefferson City was captured at Busch Stadium after shedding his clothes before the start of the seventh inning Thursday night. Officers retrieved his shorts from the stands and made him put them back on before leading him away. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ( http://bit.ly/LmQZa2 ) reports that Grundstrom is charged with violating two city ordinances _...

A person familiar with the situation says the Charlotte Bobcats will interview Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan on Friday for their vacant head coaching position. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hasn't made its list of candidates public. The 70-year-old Sloan spent 23 seasons with the Utah Jazz before resigning in February 2011. He hasn't coached since. Sloan first told SI.com on Thursday that he plans to meet with Bobcats officials. Sloan becomes the ninth known candidate,...

With another season on the brink, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James took their two-man game to new heights. Just like that, the Miami Heat and a Big Three-Minus-One are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals. Wade scored 41 points, James added 28 and the Heat finished off the once-frisky Indiana Pacers 105-93 in Game 6 Thursday night, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia in the next round. The way Miami's dynamic duo is playing, it may not matter who's got next. "They're going...

Miami's Big Two was more than enough to finish off the Indiana Pacers. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James turned around a season on the brink with perhaps the most remarkable week of their high-powered partnership, capped off by a 105-93 victory in Game 6 Thursday night that sent the Heat back to the Eastern Conference finals. Wade scored 41 points, James had 28 and Miami wrapped up the series 4-2, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia. But this was about more than one game. This was a...

Whether the New York Rangers truly believed they could overcome a 3-2 playoff series deficit earlier this year doesn't matter now. The Rangers did it against the pesky eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators in the first round, giving them confidence they can pull it off again against the formidable New Jersey Devils and reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 18 years. The historical calendar is in line with the dates of New York's 3-2 comeback over the Devils the last time these division and...

MIAMI (105) Battier 1-7 0-0 2, James 12-23 4-5 28, Turiaf 0-1 0-0 0, Chalmers 4-7 4-6 15, Wade 17-25 7-8 41, Anthony 2-3 1-1 5, Miller 4-8 0-0 12, Cole 0-1 0-0 0, J.Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Howard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 41-76 16-20 105. INDIANA (93) Granger 6-14 2-2 15, West 10-16 4-6 24, Hibbert 5-8 2-2 12, Hill 7-13 3-5 18, George 4-10 0-0 11, Barbosa 0-1 0-0 0, Collison 1-3 2-2 5, Hansbrough 0-4 3-4 3, Amundson 1-1 0-0 2, D.Jones 0-0 3-3 3. Totals 34-70 19-24 93. Miami 21 30 28...

After coming back from a six-run deficit to tie the game, the Cardinals let it slip away. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny wanted to make sure his players remembered to focus on all the good work they did just to get back into the game before losing 10-9 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. "I just went in there, went around the room and told them I was real happy with the way, especially our offense and defense went about that game," Matheny said. "There's a whole lot of positives....

The broken record of flailing swings, empty at-bats and strikeouts piling up against Los Angeles starter Dan Haren irritated Seattle manager Eric Wedge to no end. And he wasn't willing to accept the Mariners mostly youthful inexperience on this night as an excuse. "Haren is a veteran pitcher and we didn't make him make any adjustments. He just kept doing the same thing throughout the course of the game. That just can't happen," Wedge said. "We've got a lot of young ballplayers, but they are far...

Jeremy Hefner was off to a good start in the rain. He lost his grip after a long delay. Hefner was hit hard once he returned to the mound in the third inning following a stoppage of 1 hour, 8 minutes, and the New York Mets lost to the San Diego Padres 11-5 Thursday night to spoil his first big league start. "It was pretty difficult (trying to get going again), but I still think I had the ability to go in and shut down the lineup, and I didn't," Hefner said. "It's a learning experience, and if...

The gem Dan Haren tossed Thursday night looked awfully familiar to Albert Pujols. Except this time instead of Pujols getting fooled by what Haren was tossing, he was helping the Los Angeles Angels' right-hander put together one of the finest efforts of his career. "He makes good hitters look pretty bad including myself, he has in the past," Pujols said. "He is pretty amazing when he keeps the ball down. Pujols had three hits, including his 450th career home run, and Haren struck out a career-high...

Albert Pujols had three hits, including his 450th career home run, and Dan Haren struck out a career-high 14 to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. The Angels and Mariners met for the first of 19 games this season and Pujols, a newcomer to the AL West rivalry, made his presence known immediately. He lined a two-run shot off Seattle starter Jason Vargas (5-4) with one-out in the top of the first, and added line-drive singles in the fourth and sixth...

Cole De Vries wasn't sure what was in store for him. Turns out, it was a harsh welcome to the major leagues. Paul Konerko and Alex Rios hit back-to-back homers and Alejandro De Aza added a grand slam to cap a six-run sixth inning, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 11-8 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night. "I was pretty good in the bullpen," De Vries said. "I got out there and it was like someone flipped the light switch and the butterflies started going a little bit. After that,...

Los Angeles @ ?? Seattle @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Trout lf 4 1 1 0?? Ackley 2b 4 0 1 0 Callasp 3b 4 0 0 0?? Liddi lf 4 0 0 0 Pujols 1b 4 2 3 2?? ISuzuki rf 4 0 1 0 Trumo rf 4 0 0 0?? Seager 3b 4 0 0 0 Calhon rf 0 0 0 0?? JMontr dh 3 0 0 0 KMorls dh 4 0 2 1?? Carp 1b 3 0 0 0 HKndrc...

Miami's Big Two was more than enough to finish off the Indiana Pacers. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James turned around a season on the brink with perhaps the most remarkable week of their high-powered partnership, capped off by a 105-93 victory in Game 6 Thursday night that sent the Heat back to the Eastern Conference finals. Wade scored 41 points, James had 28 and Miami wrapped up the series 4-2, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia. But this was about more than one game. This was a...

Once the San Francisco Giants started scoring for Ryan Vogelsong, the runs kept coming. Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan drove in four runs apiece Thursday, and the Giants gave Vogelsong robust support for a change to beat the Miami Marlins 14-7. "Good to see the boys swinging a little bit," said Vogelsong (3-2). "Good sign." The right-hander allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings, which hiked his ERA to 2.50. The Giants had totaled 22 runs in his previous seven starts, but this time he took the mound...

A former high school football star whose dreams of a pro career were shattered by a rape conviction burst into tears Thursday as a judge threw out the charge that sent him to prison for more than five years. Brian Banks, now 26, pleaded no contest 10 years ago on the advice of his lawyer after a childhood friend falsely accused him of attacking her on their high school campus. In a strange turn of events, the woman, Wanetta Gibson, friended him on Facebook when he got out of prison. During...

Shane Victorino and Freddy Galvis each drove in three runs, including Galvis' go-ahead single in the sixth inning, and the Philadelphia Philles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-9 on Thursday night. Placido Polanco, Carlos Ruiz and Ty Wigginton added three hits apiece for Philadelphia, which had a season-high 18. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 13th straight save. With two outs and two on against Fernando Salas (0-3), Galvis drove in Victorino with a single and pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot...

Will Venable hit a pair of RBI doubles and Cameron Maybin had two run-scoring singles as the San Diego Padres broke out the offense after a long rain delay and beat the New York Mets 11-5 Thursday night. Jesus Guzman hit a two-run double in a four-run third to help the Padres rebound from being swept in a three-game series in St. Louis. Everth Cabrera had a career-high four hits and Eric Stults (1-0) pitched five innings to earn his first win with San Diego. Fielding a lineup in which the 6-7-8...

Philadelphia @ ?? St. Louis @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Rollins ss 6 0 2 0?? Furcal ss 5 0 2 0 Polanc 3b 6 1 3 1?? Schmkr cf-2b 4 1 1 1 Pence rf 5 2 0 0?? Hollidy lf 3 1 1 2 Ruiz c 5 1 3 0?? Beltran rf 5 1 3 1 Victorn cf 5 2 2 3?? Freese 3b 5 3 2 2 Wggntn 1b 5 3 3 2?? YMolin...

San Diego @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Venale rf 5 2 2 2?? Cedeno ss 5 0 0 0 Maybin cf 5 3 3 2?? DnMrp 2b 3 1 0 0 Alonso 1b 4 1 2 1?? DWrght 3b 5 1 3 2 Guzmn lf 5 1 2 2?? Hairstn lf 4 1 1 0 Headly 3b 5 1 2 1?? Duda rf 3 1 1 0 Grgrsn p 0 0 0 0?? Rottino 1b 3 1 0 0...

Paul Konerko and Alex Rios hit back-to-back homers and Alejandro De Aza added a grand slam to cap a six-run sixth, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 11-8 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night. A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo also went deep as the White Sox won for the sixth time in seven games. Konerko had two hits and drove in two runs. Rios also had two hits and knocked in three, and Chicago pulled this one out even though Philip Humber couldn't protect an early 4-1 lead....

Minnesota @ ?? Chicago @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Span cf 5 1 2 0?? De Aza cf 5 2 1 4 Revere rf 4 0 0 0?? Bckhm 2b 5 1 1 0 Mauer dh 4 2 2 1?? A.Dunn dh 3 0 0 0 Wlngh lf 4 1 0 0?? Konerk 1b 4 2 2 2 Mornea 1b 5 3 3 3?? Rios rf 4 1 2 3 Dozier ss 5 0 1 2?? Przyns c 4 1 1 1 ACasill 2b ...

Tara Whitten led a Canadian sweep of the first three spots in the Exergy Tour prologue Thursday after American gold medalist Kristin Armstrong fell and broke her left collarbone during the two-mile stage. Armstrong, the last of 103 riders to start, fell hard at the turnaround, putting her London Olympic hopes in doubt. Whitten, an experienced Canadian track rider, finished in 4 minutes, 9 seconds. She finished just ahead of Gillian Carleton. Clara Hughes was third. Armstrong, from Boise, finished...

Despite vigorously denying he gave one of his horses an illegal performance-enhancing mixture, trainer Doug O'Neill was suspended 45 days _ a ban that won't take effect until after his superstar colt, I'll Have Another, tries to win the Triple Crown. After a nearly two-year legal battle, California racing officials agreed with O'Neill but still found fault because of a rule that says trainers are ultimately responsible for horses in their care. The ruling Thursday doesn't prevent O'Neill from...

San Francisco @ ?? Miami @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi GBlanc rf-lf 4 3 2 0?? Reyes ss 4 2 2 0 BCrwfr ss 4 2 1 2?? Cishek p 0 0 0 0 MeCarr lf 5 3 3 4?? Infante 2b 5 2 4 0 HSnchz c 0 0 0 0?? HRmrz 3b 3 0 0 0 Posey c 4 1 2 0?? MDunn p 0 0 0 0 JaLopz p 0 0 0 0??...

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,...

MIAMI (105) Battier 1-7 0-0 2, James 12-23 4-5 28, Turiaf 0-1 0-0 0, Chalmers 4-7 4-6 15, Wade 17-25 7-8 41, Anthony 2-3 1-1 5, Miller 4-8 0-0 12, Cole 0-1 0-0 0, J.Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Howard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 41-76 16-20 105. INDIANA (93) Granger 6-14 2-2 15, West 10-16 4-6 24, Hibbert 5-8 2-2 12, Hill 7-13 3-5 18, George 4-10 0-0 11, Barbosa 0-1 0-0 0, Collison 1-3 2-2 5, Hansbrough 0-4 3-4 3, Amundson 1-1 0-0 2, D.Jones 0-0 3-3 3. Totals 34-70 19-24 93. Miami 21 30 28...

The beat-up Braves just wanted to leave. Reds rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco capped a series full of homers with his first career grand slam on Thursday night, leading Cincinnati to a 6-3 victory and a four-game sweep. Atlanta has played 16 of its last 20 games on the road. The Braves won nine of those first 12 road games, then fell apart in Cincinnati, where they hadn't been swept in a four-game series since 1980 at Riverfront Stadium. "Oh, I'm so ready to go home," said reliever Kris Medlen,...

Jocelyn Leonard stood near the front of the gym, leading the choir at Fennville High School. In her left hand, she held a graduation cap _ for Wes. The pain is still difficult to bear _ especially during a week like this. Nearly 15 months ago, Jocelyn's son collapsed and died immediately after making the winning shot in a basketball game in this same gym. On Thursday night, Wes Leonard's class held its graduation ceremony. "He died on that court," Jocelyn Leonard said in an interview with...

Memo to Reds' clubhouse staff: Buy more shaving cream. Fast. Rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco capped a series full of homers with his first career grand slam on Thursday night, leading Cincinnati to a 6-3 victory and four-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves. Mesoraco got a face full of the frothy white stuff after delivering the grandest homer in a series full of them. He pulled the ball down the left field line and watched it fly straight rather than tailing foul. "That's kind of why I paused at...

New Jersey will defy a federal ban and let people bet on the outcomes of football, basketball and other games this fall, Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday. Speaking at a news conference highlighting efforts to reinvigorate Atlantic City, Christie said the regulations his administration will issue next week make no attempt to overturn a 1992 federal law that limits sports betting to four states. "We intend to go forward," the Republican governor said. "If someone wants to stop us, then let them...

James Hinchcliffe can't understand it. In this sports-crazed nation, there are skilled athletes who willingly get behind the wheel of exotic-looking race cars and risk their lives at more than 200 mph, yet the interest level in what they're doing 364 days out of the year can be measured on a scale that starts at Zero, goes up to Negligible and roughly peaks out at Where's Danica. "IndyCar is the best-kept secret in sports," Hinchcliffe moaned Thursday from the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway....

It's been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598, giving Petty a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race. "Hey ya'll," Petty said to reporters as he walked into press conference and took a spot behind the table in the front of the interview room. "Haven't sat up here in a while." Petty won...

Atlanta @ ?? Cincinnati @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Bourn cf 4 1 1 2?? Cozart ss 4 0 2 0 Prado lf 4 0 2 0?? Stubbs cf 4 1 2 1 Heywrd rf 3 0 0 0?? Votto 1b 3 0 1 0 Uggla 2b 3 0 0 0?? BPhllps 2b 3 1 0 0 Hinske 1b 4 0 1 0?? Bruce rf 4 0 0 0 D.Ross c 4 0 0 0?? Heisey lf 4 2 2 0 Pstrnck ss 4 0...

Alabama's double-digit lead dwindled on the back nine, and the Crimson Tide finished with a two-stroke lead over Southern California on Thursday after the third round of the NCAA Division I women's championship. Oklahoma's Chirapat Jao-Javanil shot a 2-under 70 for a share of the individual lead with Arizona State's Giulia Molinaro at 4-under 212. Molinaro had a 72 on a day where only three players shot under par. The Crimson Tide entered the third round with an 11-stroke lead, and that grew...

James Hinchcliffe can't understand it. In this sports-crazed nation, there are skilled athletes who willingly get behind the wheel of exotic-looking race cars and risk their lives at more than 200 mph, yet the interest level in what they're doing 364 days out of the year can be measured on a scale that starts at Zero, goes up to Negligible and roughly peaks out at Where's Danica. "IndyCar is the best-kept series in sports," Hinchcliffe moaned Thursday from the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway....

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's faltering video game company, which received a $75 million loan guarantee to move to Rhode Island in 2010, laid off its entire staff on Thursday. An email sent by the 38 Studios company to workers and obtained by The Associated Press says they were notified of the "non-voluntary and non-disciplinary" layoffs on Thursday. 38 Studios moved from Massachusetts after Rhode Island agreed to back the loan. Officials said the deal would bring hundreds of...