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Simon Thornton of Ireland shot a 6-under 65 to share a one-stroke lead with Tjaart Van der Walt of South Africa and Baptiste Chapellan of France after the third round of the Najeti Hotels Open on Saturday. Thornton made two eagles, including a hole-in-one on No. 11, three birdies and a bogey for a 4-under 209 total. Chapellan shot a 69, while overnight leader Van der Walt had a 71. Seve Benson of England shot a 70 to move into fourth place, one stroke ahead of Max Glauert of Germany, Chris Lloyd...

President Barack Obama honored the WNBA champion Indiana Fever on Friday, calling the players role models for young athletes _ even those on his daughter Sasha's basketball team. The team captured its first title last October, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 and bringing home Indiana's first basketball title since 1973. Obama said the Fever's season was an inspiration for basketball fans everywhere, including his daughter, whose team he sometimes coaches. He pointed out that the Fever came...

All Times EDT Saturday BASEBALL Chicago Cubs at N.Y. Mets, 1:10 p.m. Boston at Baltimore, 4:05 p.m. Toronto at Texas, 4:05 p.m. San Francisco at Atlanta, 4:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Pittsburgh, 4:05 p.m. Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 4:10 p.m. Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m. Philadelphia at Colorado, 4:10 p.m. St. Louis at Miami, 4:10 p.m. Washington at Cleveland, 7:15 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Houston, 7:15 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at L.A. Angels, 7:15 p.m. Seattle at Oakland, 7:15 p.m....

All Times EDT Saturday BASEBALL Chicago Cubs at N.Y. Mets, 1:10 p.m. Boston at Baltimore, 4:05 p.m. Toronto at Texas, 4:05 p.m. San Francisco at Atlanta, 4:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Pittsburgh, 4:05 p.m. Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 4:10 p.m. Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m. Philadelphia at Colorado, 4:10 p.m. St. Louis at Miami, 4:10 p.m. Washington at Cleveland, 7:15 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Houston, 7:15 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at L.A. Angels, 7:15 p.m. Seattle at Oakland, 7:15 p.m....

All Times EDT Saturday, June 15 AUTO RACING 10:30 a.m. ESPN2 _ NASCAR, Nationwide Series, qualifying for Alliance Truck Parts 250, at Brooklyn, Mich. 12:30 p.m. SPEED _ NASCAR, Sprint Cup, "Happy Hour Series," final practice for Quicken Loans 400, at Brooklyn, Mich. 2:15 p.m. ABC _ NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Alliance Truck Parts 250, at Brooklyn, Mich. 3 p.m. NBCSN _ IndyLights, Milwaukee IndyFest, at West Allis, Wis. (same-day tape) 4 p.m. NBCSN _ IndyCar Series, Milwaukee IndyFest,...

History says Tiger Woods has little chance to win this U.S. Open. Not from behind, and certainly not with an elbow inflammation that seems to bother him most on his worst shots. Woods says otherwise, and after a marathon stretch of play Friday that helped him creep into contention at Merion Golf Club it's still possible he could be the one having the last say. Trying to break a winless streak in major championships that now spans five full years, Woods played 25-plus holes in a respectable...

"Hello, Merion Golf Club. May I help you?" "Yes. Can I speak to a rules official from the U.S. Golf Association, please. I saw a twig move." "Sir, thousands of twigs get tossed around here every day. It's a golf course." "Yeah, but this one was moved by Tiger Woods' backswing, in a fairway bunker on No. 16." "Excuse me, but how would you know that? There's no place for fans to see anything on 16. There's barely places to stand on that hole." "I'm not there. I'm in Phoenix, watching on an 80-inch...

Arizona right-hander Trevor Cahill tied his career-high with his 10th strikeout by fanning Will Venable for the second out of the sixth inning with the bases loaded. One more strikeout _ or just one more out, period _ and Cahill would have gotten out of the inning. Instead, Logan Forsythe hit a two-run double and left-hander Eric Stults pitched a career-best two-hitter to give the San Diego Padres a 2-1 victory against the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. The fourth-place...

Going deep into games is still a problem for Juan Nicasio. Nicasio couldn't get out of the sixth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from five runs down to overtake the Colorado Rockies 8-7 Friday night. "He's had some struggles after the fifth," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's been dominant at times early then run into some trouble in the sixth inning." Nicasio helped the Rockies build a 7-2 lead with a two-run single in the second, but also let the Phillies chip away at the...

Scott Diamond was the only one in Minnesota's rotation who pitched well enough last year to keep his place. Lately, the left-hander has struggled as much as any Twins starter. Prince Fielder broke open a scoreless game with a two-run double in the sixth inning, the spark that Rick Porcello and the Detroit Tigers used to beat the Twins 4-0 on Friday night. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta followed Fielder's soaring drive with RBI doubles of their own, ending the night for Diamond (4-6). Even...

Left-hander Eric Stults threw a career-best two-hitter and Logan Forsythe hit a bases-loaded, two-run single with two outs in the sixth to give the San Diego Padres a 2-1 victory against the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Arizona's Gerardo Parra doubled opening the game and scored on Cody Ross' sacrifice fly. Stults didn't give up another hit until Willie Bloomquist singled with one out in the ninth. Stults (6-5) retired 16 of the last 17 batters for his third career complete...

Chris Sale struck out a season-high 14 batters and didn't allow an earned run against the Houston Astros on Friday night. But instead of celebrating a win, a pair of errors by Alexei Ramirez left the Chicago White Sox with another road loss and left the pitcher to console his shortstop. Erik Bedard pitched six solid innings, and Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead RBI single to give the Astros a 2-1 win. Ramirez committed two errors in the fifth inning to help the Astros take the lead. The miscues ruined...

Freddy Galvis hit two 2-run triples and scored the go-ahead run on Humberto Quintero's single, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-7 on Friday night. The Phillies overcame home runs by Carlos Gonzalez and Josh Rutledge, who was recalled from Triple A Colorado Springs earlier in the day to fill the roster spot left vacant by the loss of slugging shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to a broken rib. Tulowitzki, who could miss up to six weeks, was placed...

Arizona @ ?? San Diego @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi GParra rf 4 1 1 0?? EvCarr ss 4 0 1 0 Blmqst 2b 4 0 1 0?? Amarst cf 3 1 1 0 Gldsch 1b 3 0 0 0?? Headly 3b 3 1 0 0 C.Ross lf 3 0 0 1?? Quentin lf 3 0 1 0 MMntr c 3 0 0 0?? Denorfi lf 0 0 0 0 Prado 3b 3 0 0 0?? Blanks 1b 4 0 0 0 Pollock cf 3 0...

Batting helmets were slammed, a bat was tossed, and the star shortstop was kicked out of the game. The slumping Texas Rangers are definitely showing their frustration. Elvis Andrus was ejected in the sixth inning, and the Rangers struggled against Mark Buehrle in their fourth straight loss, an 8-0 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. The Rangers have scored only five runs during their losing streak, which has come at home. They have dropped 12 out of 18 to fall into second place...

Gio Gonzalez was dominant again against the Cleveland Indians. It still wasn't enough to lift the Washington Nationals to a win. The problem for the Nationals on Friday night wasn't pitching it was their struggling offense that managed just two hits and scored its only run on a wild pitch. Despite Gonzalez pitching seven innings and giving up only one run and three hits, the Indians scored a run in the ninth for a 2-1 victory. Jason Kipnis' RBI fielder's choice scored Drew Stubbs with the winning...

Philadelphia @ ?? Colorado @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Revere cf 5 0 1 0?? Rutledg 2b 5 1 1 2 MYong 3b 5 0 2 0?? JHerrr ss 5 0 0 0 DBrwn lf 5 1 1 0?? CGnzlz lf 4 2 4 1 Howard 1b 3 1 0 0?? Cuddyr rf 5 0 1 0 Frndsn 2b 4 2 2 0?? Helton 1b 5 1 1 0 Mayrry rf 4 2 1 1?? Arenad 3b 4 0...

Kansas City Royals pitchers are enjoying a record-breaking run of success, and now the offense is joining in on the fun. Luis Mendoza pitched six innings to win for the first time in six starts and Elliot Johnson had another big hit against his former team Friday night, leading the Royals to a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Mendoza (2-3) gave up two runs and seven hits and three Royals relievers pitched three hitless innings as Kansas City held a 13th straight opponent to three runs or...

Rays left-hander Matt Moore has seen his season take a negative turn. Moore lost his third consecutive start Friday night, giving up five runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 1-3 innings of Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Moore (8-3) struggles have come after he won his first eight decisions this year. "If you just think about what I've done the last few starts, it's pretty disappointing," Moore said. "Anytime that the command is not there, usually it's something that had...

The Braves were hoping for a lift in their return home from an ugly road trip. Instead, Atlanta's bats were muffled by San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner and the Braves learned they'll have to wait longer than expected for Brandon Beachy's season debut. Bumgarner allowed two hits in seven innings and combined with Sandy Rosario for a three-hit shutout in the Giants' 6-0 victory over the Braves on Friday night. During the game, Braves general manager Frank Wren revealed Beachy's right arm is "a...

Prince Fielder broke open a scoreless game with a two-run double in the sixth inning, the spark that Rick Porcello and the Detroit Tigers used to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0 on Friday night. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta followed Fielder's soaring drive with RBI doubles of their own, ending the night for Twins starter Scott Diamond (4-6). Even better for the Tigers was that the four-run cushion kept sputtering closer Jose Valverde out of a pressurized save situation. Porcello (4-3) didn't...

The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked around Jeff Locke on April 10, plating four runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander to send him to his first loss of the season. Locke isn't the same pitcher he was two months ago. And the Dodgers are hardly the same team. Kept off balance all night by Locke's deft change of speeds and impeccable location, Los Angeles fell 3-0 on Friday night to fall a season-low 10 games under .500 (28-38). And they did it against a pitcher who began the season as the...

Detroit @ ?? Minnesota @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi AJcksn cf 3 1 0 0?? Carroll 3b 3 0 0 0 TrHntr rf 4 0 0 0?? Parmel ph 1 0 0 0 MiCarr 3b 3 1 0 0?? EEscor 3b 0 0 0 0 Fielder 1b 4 1 2 2?? Mauer c 3 0 0 0 VMrtnz dh 4 1 1 1?? Doumit rf 4 0 1 0 JhPerlt ss 3 0 2 1?? Wlngh dh 3 0 0 0 Tuiassp lf 3 0...

The groundballs came the way Jake Westbrook wanted. Outs proved more elusive. Pitching for the first time since May 8, Westbrook gave up eight hits in five innings Friday, and the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Miami Marlins, 5-4. The right-hander, who had been sidelined with elbow inflammation, allowed five runs, two of them unearned. "I felt good enough to pitch better than that," said Westbrook (2-2). "Overall my arm felt good. Just came out on the wrong end." All but three of Westbrook's...

The Brewers lost another close game and their best player, the latest setbacks to an already disheartening season. Milwaukee put outfielder Ryan Braun on the 15-day disabled list following a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. Jay Bruce homered off Burke Badenhop with one out in the 10th, ending a game full of errors and wasted chances. The Brewers hoped Braun could get back into the lineup on Friday. He'd missed four games while resting a sore right thumb, but went out...

Erik Bedard pitched six solid innings, and Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead RBI single to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Bedard (2-3) yielded three hits and one run with six strikeouts to bounce back from his previous outing when he allowed six runs in 4 2-3 innings. Alexei Ramirez committed two errors in the fifth inning to help the Astros take the lead. The miscues ruined a great outing by Chris Sale (5-5), who allowed five hits and no earned runs with...

Del Worsham broke Bristol Dragway's Funny Car time record with a 4.008-second run Friday in qualifying for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The run also was the quickest in Worsham's career and the best Funny Car time this season. He reached a top speed of 314.83 mph in his Toyota Camry. "It was a great run," Worsham said. "I was kind of wowed myself. The car's been running better at every individual race. The crew chiefs along with Jim Oberhofer and Connie Kalitta have been working together...

Ryan Dempster pitched well enough to win. Boston's offense didn't do enough to make it happen. The Red Sox wasted a solid start by Dempster, managing only three hits off Chris Tillman and three Baltimore relievers in a 2-0 loss Friday night. Tillman took a two-hitter into the seventh inning and Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 22nd home run for the Orioles, who moved within 1 1/2 games of first-place Boston in the AL East. Jose Iglesias contributed two hits for the Red Sox and Shane...

Chicago @ ?? Houston @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Bckhm 2b 4 0 1 0?? BBarns cf 4 0 0 0 AlRmrz ss 4 0 1 0?? Altuve 2b 4 0 2 1 Rios rf 4 0 0 0?? JMrtnz dh 4 0 0 0 Konerk 1b 3 1 2 0?? Corprn c 4 0 1 0 A.Dunn dh 2 0 0 1?? Carter 1b 4 0 0 0 Viciedo lf 4 0 0 0?? RCeden ss 3 1 0 0 Kppngr 3b ...

David DeJesus hit a bases-loaded triple before injuring his shoulder when he crashed into the outfield wall, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 6-3 on Friday night behind resurgent starter Edwin Jackson. Nate Schierholtz homered and Anthony Rizzo had three hits for Chicago in the opener of a three-game series between big-market teams trying to rebuild. Jackson (3-8) went six innings for his second consecutive win, allowing one run and five hits while striking out seven. Mets starter...

There's still more than half a season left to play, so there's no reason for the Baltimore Orioles to become overly excited about their current situation. Then again, what harm is there in enjoying the moment? Chris Tillman took a two-hitter into the seventh inning, Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 22nd home run and the Orioles blanked the Boston Red Sox 2-0 Friday night in a duel between the top two teams in the AL East. Manny Machado had three hits for the Orioles, who have won five...

Mark Buehrle threw seven shutout innings, Colby Rasmus and J.P. Arencibia homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Texas Rangers their fourth straight loss, 8-0 on Friday night. Buehrle (3-4) improved to 13-5 against the Rangers. The left-hander gave up four singles and equaled his season high with seven strikeouts to win his first road game of the year. Rasmus hit a three-run shot in the fourth, and Arencibia capped the inning with a solo shot as the Blue Jays won for the sixth time in...

Madison Bumgarner allowed two hits in seven innings and combined with Sandy Rosario for a three-hit shutout in the San Francisco Giants' 6-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. Bumgarner (6-4) was dominant in earning his second straight win. The left-hander did not allow a baserunner for 4 2-3 innings before losing his bid for a perfect game in the fifth and shot at a no-hitter in the sixth. Bumgarner matched his season high with 10 strikeouts while walking one. Atlanta's Kris Medlen...

Chicago @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi DeJess cf 2 0 1 3?? Vldspn 2b 3 0 0 0 Sweeny cf 3 0 0 0?? JuTrnr ph-2b 2 0 0 0 SCastro ss 4 0 0 0?? DnMrp 1b 5 1 2 2 Schrhlt rf 4 1 1 1?? DWrght 3b 3 0 3 0 ASorin lf 4 0 0 0?? Duda lf 3 0 1 1 Rizzo 1b 4 2 3 0?? Byrd rf 3 0 1 0 DNavrr c...

Phil Mickelson knew it was going to be close, so he made sure his group could finish the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday. The rule when a round is halted because of darkness is that players have the option to complete a hole. Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Keegan Bradley were on the 17th with the sun falling fast when Lefty spoke to Dustin Johnson in the group ahead of them. "We told DJ and his caddie, Keith Sbarbaro, we may hit one shot and they looked out for it," Mickelson said. Mickelson...

Jay Bruce homered off Burke Badenhop with one out in the 10th inning on Friday night, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in a game full of errors and wasted chances. It was Cincinnati's second straight extra-inning game. The Reds fell 6-5 in 14 innings at Wrigley Field on Thursday, leaving their bullpen depleted. Bruce connected on a 1-2 pitch from Badenhop (0-3) for his fifth game-ending homer. Alfredo Simon (5-2) retired the side in the 10th. The teams...

Milwaukee @ ?? Cincinnati @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Aoki rf 4 0 1 0?? Choo cf 4 1 1 1 Segura ss 5 0 1 0?? DRonsn lf 4 0 0 0 CGomz cf 5 0 1 0?? Phillips 2b 5 0 1 1 ArRmr 3b 5 1 1 0?? Bruce rf 4 1 1 1 YBtncr 1b 5 0 0 0?? Frazier 3b 4 1 1 0 LSchfr lf 5 0 3 0?? Hannhn 1b 3 0 0 1 Maldnd...

San Francisco @ ?? Atlanta @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi GBlanc cf 5 1 2 2?? Smmns ss 4 0 1 0 Abreu 2b 4 1 0 0?? Heywrd rf 4 0 0 0 Posey c 5 2 3 1?? J.Upton lf 4 0 0 0 Pence rf 4 1 2 1?? FFrmn 1b 3 0 1 0 BCrwfr ss 3 0 2 1?? McCnn c 3 0 0 0 Belt 1b 4 0 0 0?? BUpton cf ...

Toronto @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi MeCarr lf 4 0 0 1?? Profar 2b-ss 4 0 1 0 RDavis lf 0 0 0 1?? Andrus ss 3 0 0 0 Bautist rf 5 0 0 0?? LGarci 2b 1 0 1 0 Encrnc dh 4 2 2 0?? Brkmn dh 4 0 1 0 Lind 1b 4 1 2 1?? Beltre 3b 3 0 2 0 ClRsms cf 3 2 1 3?? N.Cruz rf 2 0 0 0 MIzturs 3b ...

Kansas City @ ?? Tampa Bay @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi AGordn lf 4 2 1 0?? Joyce rf 4 1 2 1 Hosmer 1b 4 1 1 0?? Zobrist 2b 2 1 0 0 S.Perez c 5 1 2 2?? KJhnsn 3b 4 0 0 0 BButler dh 4 0 2 3?? Longori dh 4 0 2 1 L.Cain cf 3 0 0 0?? Loney 1b 4 0 0 0 MTejad 3b 3 0 0 0?? DJnngs cf...

Rookie Jose Fernandez outpitched a rusty Jake Westbrook, and the team with the worst record in the majors beat the team with the best record. Fernandez had a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings Friday, and the Miami Marlins spoiled Westbrook's return from an elbow injury by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4. The 20-year-old Fernandez (4-3) became the first pitcher under the age of 21 to strike out 10 or more since Felix Hernandez with Seattle in 2007. Relying heavily on breaking balls,...

St. Louis @ ?? Miami @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi MCrpnt 2b 5 1 1 0?? Pierre lf 4 1 2 0 Beltran rf 4 0 1 0?? Lucas 3b 3 1 0 0 Hollidy lf 4 2 1 0?? Stanton rf 4 0 3 2 Craig 1b 4 1 2 1?? Ozuna cf 4 0 0 0 YMolin c 4 0 1 1?? Dietrch 2b 4 1 1 0 Freese 3b 3 0 1 1?? Hchvrr ss 4 2 1 0 Jay cf ...

Jeff Locke allowed just two hits over seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 on Friday night. Locke (6-1) struck out five and walked one to win his sixth straight decision while shaving his ERA to 2.19. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the third inning off Stephen Fife (1-2). Jason Grilli worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the ninth for his National League-leading 24th save. The Dodgers played without manager Don Mattingly, who served a one-game...

Washington @ ?? Cleveland @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Span cf 2 0 0 0?? Bourn cf 5 0 1 0 Berndn lf 3 0 0 0?? Kipnis 2b 5 0 2 1 Zmrmn dh 4 0 1 0?? Swisher 1b 3 0 1 0 AdLRc 1b 4 0 0 0?? Raburn dh 3 1 1 1 Werth rf 4 0 0 0?? CSantn c 2 0 1 0 Dsmnd ss 3 0 0 0?? MrRynl 3b 4 0 0 0 Tracy...

Los Angeles @ ?? Pittsburgh @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Puig rf 4 0 2 0?? Presley lf 4 1 1 0 Punto 3b 3 0 1 0?? RMartn c 3 1 1 0 AdGnzl 1b 4 0 0 0?? McCtch cf 4 1 2 2 HRmrz ss 4 0 0 0?? GJones 1b 3 0 0 0 M.Ellis 2b 4 0 1 0?? GSnchz 1b 1 0 1 0 Ethier cf 3 0 1 0?? Walker 2b 3 0 1 1...

Boston @ ?? Baltimore @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Ellsury cf 4 0 0 0?? McLoth lf 2 1 0 0 Victorn rf 3 0 1 0?? Machd 3b 4 0 3 0 Pedroia 2b 4 0 0 0?? Markks rf 4 0 0 0 D.Ortiz dh 3 0 0 0?? A.Jones cf 4 0 1 1 Carp 1b 3 0 0 0?? C.Davis 1b 3 1 1 1 Nava lf 2 0 0 0?? Wieters c 3 0 0 0 Iglesias ss 4 0 2...

The Colorado Rockies placed Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list on Friday, and the star shortstop could miss up to six weeks because of a broken rib. Team spokesman Nick Piburn said an MRI taken Thursday night revealed a right rib fracture. Tulowitzki was injured earlier in the day while diving for a ball in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's a big loss for us," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Friday before Colorado hosted the Philadelphia...

Major League Baseball came down hard on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, handing out eight suspensions and a dozen fines as punishment for a bench-clearing brawl. Yet even with Arizona pitcher Ian Kennedy getting 10 games and infielder Eric Hinske five for their roles in Tuesday's fight, it might not be enough to quell the lingering hostility between the NL West rivals. "No, it's not over yet, not at all," said Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, given a one-game ban....

"Hello, Merion Golf Club. May I help you?" "Yes. Can I speak to a rules official from the U.S. Golf Association, please. I saw a twig move." "Sir, thousands of twigs get tossed around here every day. It's a golf course." "Yeah, but this one was moved by Tiger Woods' backswing, in a fairway bunker on No. 16." "Excuse me, but how would you know that? There's no place for fans to see anything on 16. There's barely places to stand on that hole." "I'm not there. I'm in Phoenix, watching on an 80-inch...

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews got another victory on Friday. The trophy he wants the most is still up for grabs. Toews won the Frank J. Selke award, given to the NHL's best defensive forward. He emerged from a trio of finalists that included fellow centers Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings. Toews helped the Blackhawks advance past Datsyuk and the Red Wings in the second round of the playoffs. He is currently competing against Bergeron and the...

The NCAA hearings to determine if the University of Miami committed major infractions involving former booster Nevin Shapiro ended Friday after 16 1/2 hours over two days. The Committee on Infractions typically releases its report six to eight weeks after a hearing, though there is a chance that the Hurricanes may have to wait longer before hearing their fate. "I know everybody's glad to get it to this point," said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford, who has steadfastly supported...

EDITORS: Disregard BC-MMA--UFC-131. The story is outdated. AP Sports

Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson arrived at Michigan International Speedway with a comfortable lead in the standings, but he's still trying for his first win there in NASCAR's top series. The five-time series champion has three victories this season and leads Carl Edwards by 51 points in the standings heading into Sunday's race. Before practice began Friday morning, he said he was looking forward to crossing Michigan off his list. "I've been ready for a long time," Johnson said. "We've...

Carl Edwards had a chance to ride in one of the first American racecars before adding another career milestone. During a visit to Ford Motor Co.'s Dearborn headquarters Thursday, Edwards was invited to drive Sweepstakes, the 1901 racer that helped cement Henry Ford as a player in the burgeoning American auto industry. A day later, Edwards drove his Ford Fusion to the pole for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. Edsel Ford II, the auto pioneer's great-grandson,...

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost could have been excused for missing his team's game on the night his daughter got married. But he didn't. Yost was in Sugar Hill, Ga., on Thursday night with one eye on the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Jenny, while the Royals were playing the Tampa Bay Rays about 500 miles away. "I had the phone out, sitting on the pew right next to me, during the whole process," Yost said Friday afternoon. It was a big night all the way around. With bench coach Chino...

Brennan Poole won the ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, holding off pole-sitter Ryan Blaney by 0.567 seconds. Poole led for only the last dozen laps of the 200-mile, 100-lap race in his No. 15 Toyota. Frank Kimmel finished third to remain a victory shy of matching Iggy Katona's series record of 79 career wins. Poole qualified second behind Blaney. The Texas driver, making his first series start of the year, has fourth career ARCA victories.

A.J. Foyt is skipping Saturday's race at the Milwaukee Mile because of pain in his leg. The owner of A.J. Foyt Racing is scheduled to meet with a neurosurgeon in Texas because of the pain. The 78-year-old Foyt had missed three previous races this season because of sciatic nerve pain in his back. He underwent successful back surgery in Houston in April to relieve the pain and was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in time for opening day. The back problems kept Foyt away from the track for Takuma...

Jordan Taylor won the pole Friday for the Rolex Sports Car Series' event Saturday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and brother Ricky Taylor took the other front-row spot. Jordan Taylor had a lap of 1 minute, 16.947 seconds, an average speed of 105.642 mph, in the No. 10 Corvette Daytona Prototype he owns to earn his second consecutive Grand-Am pole. After winning the pole two weeks ago at Belle Isle, he teamed with Max Angelelli to win the race. Jordan Taylor took the top spot late in the 15-minute...

Tony Stewart opened his remarks with a few words about his relationship with Jason Leffler. Moments later, he offered a brief plea amid growing safety questions about Leffler's death at a dirt-track race earlier this week. "I'd be grateful if you guys would understand that what happened this week wasn't because somebody didn't do something right with the race track. It was an accident. Just like if you go out and there's a car crash. It's an accident," Stewart said Friday at Michigan. "Nobody...

Milan Lucic remembers it as if it was yesterday. Boston got Nathan Horton in a trade with Florida three years ago, and Bruins coach Claude Julien decided to put the forward on a line with David Krejci and Lucic. "It kind of just clicked right away," Lucic said. Yeah, no kidding. The high-scoring line combined for Boston's first two goals in a 4-3 triple-overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night. It was the continuation of a terrific postseason...

Graham Rahal thought teaming up with his father would lead to a breakthrough IndyCar season. Instead, he's been stymied by his inability to adapt to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing setups and put together performances he characterized Friday as "incredibly average." The worst was last Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, where Rahal nearly won a year ago but was a dismal 21st in his return. "We were terrible from the get-go, from the absolute start I was very unhappy," Rahal said Friday....

President Barack Obama honored the WNBA champion Indiana Fever on Friday, calling the players role models for young athletes _ even those on his daughter Sasha's basketball team. The team captured its first title last October, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 and bringing home Indiana's first basketball title since 1973. Obama said the Fever's season was an inspiration for basketball fans everywhere, including his daughter, whose team he sometimes coaches. He pointed out that the Fever came...

A high school football player convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl after an alcohol-fueled party last summer was given the state's second-toughest sex offender classification at a Friday hearing. The decision by Judge Thomas Lipps at Jefferson County Juvenile Court in Steubenville means Trent Mays could have to report to a local sheriff every six months for 20 years. Unlike adult sex offenders, however, Mays' name won't be included on publicly accessible websites. And he can request to have...

Much as they would love to get big contributions from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the Chicago Blackhawks have shown they can win even when their biggest stars aren't lighting up the scoreboard. Depth pays off, and this is the reward. The Blackhawks are now three wins from their second championship in four years after taking a 4-3 triple-overtime thriller from the Boston Bruins in Game 1. It didn't matter that their biggest stars were largely quiet. They got enough from their secondary players...

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Robert Mathis wasn't all that thrilled being called for an offside penalty on the final day of minicamp this week. "I'm not exactly happy with that," Mathis said with a laugh. The official that made the call? Sarah Thomas, who is on her way toward becoming the first permanent female official in the NFL. It could happen as early as the 2014 season. "I'm certain I can't make everybody happy," Thomas said of that call on Mathis. Thomas spent three days at the Colts...

Riddick Bowe now understands why people warned him that Muay Thai is a dangerous sport. "I would have to say, they have a valid point," said Bowe, after his debut in Thai kickboxing ended with a thud in the second round. "It's much harder than boxing." The former world heavyweight boxing champion had hoped to prove his critics wrong and show that he could comeback from retirement into an entirely new sport and revive some of his past glory. But Bowe is now 45 and weighs 300 pounds, and he looked...

Investigators began examining a twisted pile of concrete, metal and wood on Friday to determine why a waterfront deck at a popular sports bar collapsed into shallow Biscayne Bay, injuring two dozen people gathered to cheer the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Authorities estimated about 100 people were on the deck at Shuckers Bar & Grill when a support on one end apparently gave way, causing the deck to buckle in the middle and drop about 8 feet into the bay. The scene Friday was a tangle of...

The NBA Finals' television viewership for Game 4 was down 7 percent from last year. Miami's 109-93 win on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night on ABC averaged 16.2 million viewers. That's down from 17.4 million for the Heat-Thunder series a year ago. It's up from the 16.1 million for Game 4 between Miami and Dallas in 2011.

England's Robert Dinwiddie shot a 5-under 66 on Friday for a share of the lead with South Africa's Tjaart Van der Walt after the second round of the European Tour's Najeti Hotels Open. Dinwiddie had a bogey-free round to join Van der Walt, the first-round leader, at 4-under 138 at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club. Dinwiddie also led after the second round in 2010 en route to a second-place finish. "I know the course very well and I have a lot of good feelings around here," Dinwiddie said. "I did not think...

Daniela Hantuchova rallied from a set and 4-1 down Friday to beat former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and advance to the semifinals of the grass-court Aegon Classic. Hantuchova won 6-7 (8), 6-4, 7-6 (3) to record another upset in a rainy week at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in Birmingham. Donna Vekic, a 16-year-old Croat, routed third-seeded Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1. No. 16 Magdalena Rybarikova eased past Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0. Fifth-seeded Sabine Lisicki, the 2011 Wimbledon finalist,...

This is part of the vision Nelson Mandela had for South Africa's national rugby team. A black player is set to make his debut with the Springboks on Saturday after rising from a poor township in the home province of the former president and anti-apartheid icon. Once closely associated with the apartheid government, the Springboks are often seen as an indicator of South African race relations. The team has selected black players before and has long moved past the all-white squads of the apartheid...

Rick Hendrick defended his team's hiring approach Friday and said Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski should show "more class" after accusing Hendrick Motorsports of stealing information by poaching employees from Ford teams. "Brad misrepresents the facts and spends a lot of time making insinuations and accusations about other teams when he should be focused on his own program and competing at a high level," Hendrick said in a statement. "I hope he figures that out and begins representing himself...

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter resumed hitting and fielding drills Friday for the first time since mid-April, a day after receiving medically clearance to increase his rehabilitation program for a broken left ankle. Jeter hit off a tee and took swings at underhand soft toss in an indoor cage before fielding 13 grounders on the grass in front of the infield dirt and 23 more at deep shortstop. He made throws to first on some of the grounders hit to him on the grass. "They gave the green light,...

Wide receiver Victor Cruz has signed his $2.879 million tender with the New York Giants. Two people familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Friday that the restricted free agent with three years in the NFL had signed the tender while he works on a long-term deal with the Giants. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the signing has not been announced publicly. Had the 26-year-old Cruz not signed before Monday, the Giants' offer could have been reduced to $630,000...

Police say a third suspect in the stabbing of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Adams has been captured in Florida. Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard says 26-year-old Jerrell Whitlock of Pittsburgh was arrested Friday morning in Gainesville in central Florida and is being held there. Whitlock had been wanted on charges of attempted homicide, attempted robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy for his alleged role in the June 1 attack on Adams. Two other men are already jailed...

Manu Ginobili isn't scoring. He's played a careless game instead of his famously creative one. So far in these NBA Finals, where LeBron James and Dwyane Wade just delivered a forceful reminder in Game 4 about stars deciding this series, the San Antonio Spurs are still waiting on one of their biggest. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Friday that Ginobili hasn't found a rhythm in the playoffs. But he says it's too simplistic to merely ask, "What are we going to do to get him going?" Simplistic,...

The top administrator at an eastern Idaho high school is standing behind his decision to drop the school's Redskins nickname, but for now is putting on hold plans to swap out team uniforms and remove logos and signs. Teton County School District 401 Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme announced his decision to drop the nickname earlier this week after getting support from the school board. Woolstenhulme said he wanted to show respect for American Indians, teach students to look beyond skin color,...

Two-time former champion Andy Murray edged Benjamin Becker 6-4, 7-6 (3) Friday to reach the semifinals at Queen's Club. The top-seeded Murray served eight aces without a double-fault, and broke twice in each set. He also dropped serve three times in the match, but dominated the tiebreaker by winning the first six points. Murray will play fourth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a repeat of the 2011 final. The Frenchman ended the run of 112th-ranked American Denis Kudla, 6-3, 6-2 in 53 minutes. Defending...

On the 10-year anniversary of his high school graduation, IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball doesn't regret holding off on college to pursue a career in racing. Kimball was accepted to Stanford but took a two-year deferral. Kimball has spent the last five years in IndyCar and is now in his third year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He still has educational goals, and believes he'll someday pursue a college degree. "I'd love to go back to college _ I don't know if I'd study mechanical engineering...

Bernard Hopkins' defense of his IBF light heavyweight title against Karo Murat has been canceled because Murat could not get a visa from the State Department. Germany's Murat, the No. 2-ranked light heavyweight, was training in Spain when he was told Friday that the July 13 bout was off. The bout was scheduled for the Barclays Center. Hopkins, the oldest boxer to win a championship, says he is "extremely disappointed about the fight being canceled. I was already in the gym, sparring and preparing...

An emotional Parnelli Jones fondly recalled Jason Leffler's rise from a volunteer in Jones' race shop to a championship-caliber driver. Leffler, a native of Long Beach, Calif., died Wednesday night from injuries suffered in a sprint car crash in New Jersey. The Delaware County (Pa.) medical examiner determined Leffler died from a blunt force neck injury. He was 37. An avid Jones fan, Leffler considered the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner his mentor dating back to his teenage years when he was...

Chicago Blackhawks sweaters are commonplace around the city these days _ though not all wearers realize that's what hockey players and die-hard fans call those "jerseys." As the Blackhawks have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals with the Boston Bruins, Chicago is awash in red and black hats, T-shirts and jerseys _ er, sweaters. But because hockey is a mystery to many _ a game played largely by bearded men with hard-to-pronounce names _ this particular season's bandwagon is loaded...

University of Miami school officials, former football assistants and the ACC commissioner attended the second day of the NCAA hearing Friday in the massive infractions case against the Hurricanes. School President Donna Shalala and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford attended the hearing again with the NCAA Committee of Infractions. Former football assistants Clint Hurtt and Aubrey Hill were among the first to arrive for the session at a downtown hotel. All the officials declined...

Roger Federer cruised past Mischa Zverev 6-0, 6-0 to reach the Gerry Weber Open semifinals on Friday, recording his second career double bagel and teaching a painful lesson to a player trying to serve and volley on grass. Richard Gasquet also made the last four, defeating Florian Mayer 6-3, 7-6 (4). Gasquet will play Mikhail Youzhny, who upset 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2. Youzhny's only victory in eight previous matches against the sixth-seeded Kohlschreiber was when the German...

IndyCar points leader Helio Castroneves insisted Friday that his race-winning car at Texas did not have a performance advantage from an illegal part that led to a failed post-race inspection. IndyCar this week fined Penske Racing $35,000 and docked Roger Penske 15 owner points because the underwing height on Castroneves' car was too low following Saturday night's win. Penske Racing put the car in a wind tunnel Monday and determined it had no advantage from the part and actually raced at a disadvantage...

Andrea Petkovic reached her first WTA final since October 2011, upsetting top-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 6-3 Friday. In Saturday's final, Petkovic will play seventh-seeded Simona Halep, who beat fifth-seeded Lucie Safarova 6-3, 0-6, 6-2. Petkovic and Jankovic both received wild-card invitations into the clay-court tournament. Petkovic was once in the top 10 but the German missed months of action due to various injuries and has dropped to 103rd. Jankovic is a former No. 1 who has fallen to No....

Kobe Bryant will sit down with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for a conversation at the Nokia Theatre on Aug. 15 to raise money toward eliminating homelessness in the Los Angeles area. "Kobe Up Close" will feature the NBA star talking about his career and sharing some of his favorite stories with Kimmel. Tickets for the event range from $25 to $200. All proceeds will benefit the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, which is partnering with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Sports Spectacular...

LeBron James wanted the responsibility on his powerful shoulders. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh proved Thursday it doesn't have to be that way. James can win the Miami Heat plenty of games, but even he can't win a title alone. "We're not going to win this series if myself, Chris and LeBron don't show up to play on a consistent basis," Wade said. "So tonight was kind of one of the best performances that we all had in the playoffs together at the same time, just being aggressive from start to finish,...

All Times EDT BASEBALL Boston at Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. Washington at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m. Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. Chicago Cubs at N.Y. Mets, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m. St. Louis at Miami, 7:10 p.m. San Francisco at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Texas, 8:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Houston, 8:10 p.m. Detroit at Minnesota, 8:10 p.m. Philadelphia at Colorado, 8:40 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at L.A. Angels, 10:05 p.m. Seattle...

All Times EDT Saturday, June 15 AUTO RACING 10:30 a.m. ESPN2 _ NASCAR, Nationwide Series, qualifying for Alliance Truck Parts 250, at Brooklyn, Mich. 12:30 p.m. SPEED _ NASCAR, Sprint Cup, "Happy Hour Series," final practice for Quicken Loans 400, at Brooklyn, Mich. 2:15 p.m. ABC _ NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Alliance Truck Parts 250, at Brooklyn, Mich. 3 p.m. NBCSN _ IndyLights, Milwaukee IndyFest, at West Allis, Wis. (same-day tape) 4 p.m. NBCSN _ IndyCar Series, Milwaukee IndyFest,...

The Japanese baseball commissioner apologized on Friday for the confusion caused by introducing a new, livelier ball this season without notifying players. Nippon Professional Baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato held a meeting with representatives of the 12 teams and issued an apology for his handling of the situation. "I've caused a lot of trouble for the fans, players and people connected to the game," Kato said. "Baseball is very important in Japan's sporting culture and I have to carefully reflect...

There was at least one wiseguy waiting on more than a few of the holes. Despite that, Sergio Garcia's charm offensive was mostly well received by the galleries during the opening round of the U.S. Open. Some three weeks ago, in the midst of a hissing match with Tiger Woods, the Spaniard made a racially tinged remark about inviting his rival over for dinner and serving fried chicken. Widely criticized at the time, Garcia has apologized to Woods both privately and publicly. Yet there were some lingering...

By the time Phil Mickelson got some caffeine in him and began making birdies on the back nine, the fans who braved wild warnings of hail and torrential rain in the opening round of the U.S. Open started to get the idea that something more interesting than the weather was happening at venerable Merion Golf Club. In a place that oozes history, a modern kind of story was unfolding. Maybe not the kind that would merit a plaque, but for one day at least it was enough to warm the heart of even the most...

Tiger Woods said his left wrist was fine. It's his game that was hurting him Thursday in the U.S. Open. Woods finished only 10 holes in the rain-delayed first round at Merion, spending far too much time trying to gouge out of the thick rough with a wedge. On at least four occasions, he was either flexing or shaking his left hand after the forceful shots. He was 2-over par when play was suspended because of darkness, leaving him about a 4-foot par putt on the 11th hole when he returns at 7:15...

The way it's going lately, it can't be a major championship unless someone calls in to report a rules violation. This time, the USGA talked to the player before he signed his card. And unlike Tiger Woods at the Masters, it turns out Steve Stricker did nothing wrong on the par-3 third hole except for a bad tee shot that led to double bogey. USGA vice president Thomas O'Toole met with Stricker right after he birdied his last hole for a 1-over 71. O'Toole said a call came in that Stricker improved...

Five things learned going into Friday's play in the U.S. Open: ___ TIGER TROUBLE: Tiger Woods has gone five years without winning a major championship, and his bid to break that streak didn't start well. Woods played his first 10 holes in 2 over par, and had trouble figuring out the tricky greens at Merion Golf Club. He will come back to finish his first round Friday morning and then begin a second as he tries to rebound and get back to winning majors once again. ___ ADAM SCOTT IS FOR REAL:...

On a night when the Baltimore Orioles had all sorts of problems with runners on base, Chris Davis finally delivered the pivotal hit. It wasn't a thing of beauty, especially from the major league leader in home runs. Not that the Orioles cared. Davis singled home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the 13th inning, giving Baltimore an exhausting 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series between AL East contenders. Danny Valencia homered for the...

A packed outdoor deck behind a popular Miami-area sports bar partially collapsed during the NBA Finals on Thursday night, sending dozens of patrons into the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay. Miami Dade Fire Chief David Downey said 24 people were transported to area hospitals, and that two people were in serious condition. Authorities said about 100 people were on the deck of Shucker's Bar & Grill in North Bay Village, north of Miami Beach, when it gave way. Bar customers and rescuers pulled...

Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire felt good about his club's chances of sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies when he sent reliever Jared Burton to the mound with a one-run lead in the eighth inning. But a couple of bloop hits to right field, a bunt hit by a former Twins player, and a run-scoring infield dribbler turned a potential win into a hard-luck loss. The usually steady Burton allowed two runs, three hits and a walk _ in absorbing his second loss in three games _ and Philadelphia rallied...

Tony Parker was back. Maybe the San Antonio Spurs don't need to worry about his health. They can start fretting over another problem, though: Miami has tied this series. Parker started Game 4 of the NBA Finals looking spectacular and showing no signs of a mild hamstring strain that put his status in doubt until Thursday morning. But he didn't score in the second half and took just four shots, finishing with 15 points and nine assists. The Spurs faded along with their All-Star point guard, losing...