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Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says it's up to Lew Wolff to decide whether to consider additional sites for a new ballpark for the Athletics, and the Oakland owner maintains he's focused on San Jose rather than a move outside the Bay Area. Speaking Thursday after a quarterly owners' meeting, Selig said there's no timetable for resolving Oakland's dispute with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are preventing the A's from building a ballpark about 40 miles south of Oakland in San Jose, which...

Adam Jones hit a two-run homer, J.J. Hardy also drove in a pair of runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Thursday for their seventh straight road win. The Orioles also improved to 12-1 when Jones goes deep, including a victory over the Royals the previous night, when his homer in the 15th inning decided the game. Jones has homered 13 times this year; he didn't hit No. 13 until June 25 last season. Brian Matusz (3-4) won for the third time in four starts after enduring...

SMU athletic director Steve Orsini was fired Thursday, just four weeks after he and the Mustangs hired Hall of Fame basketball coach Larry Brown. The move was announced by SMU President R. Gerald Turner in a news release, and was effective immediately. "After several discussions over the last few weeks, it became apparent to me that it was necessary to make this change," Turner said. "While we both are committed to the support of our student-athletes and coaches, a unified effort is required...

David Wright lined his second double of the game, a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning that raised his major league-leading average to .411 and sent the New York Mets past the Cincinnati Reds 9-4 Thursday. Down 4-0, the Mets began their comeback in the middle innings. Then, they were the surprise winners in a matchup of bullpens that were going in different directions, and spoiled the Reds' extended stay in New York. Ronny Cedeno's three-run homer capped a five-run eighth against Logan Ondrusek...

Baltimore @ ?? Kansas City @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Avery lf 3 0 0 0?? Dyson cf 5 0 0 0 Hardy ss 4 0 1 2?? Giavtll dh 4 0 1 1 Markks rf 4 1 2 0?? Butler 1b 4 0 2 0 AdJons cf 3 1 1 2?? AGordn lf 4 0 0 0 Betemt dh 4 1 1 0?? Francr rf 4 0 0 0 C.Davis 1b 4 1 3 0?? Mostks 3b 4 0 0 0 Andino 2b...

The wealthy executive who considered and then dropped a proposal to revive controversy over the relationship between President Barack Obama and his former pastor is a rising conservative maverick with ties to the Chicago Cubs baseball team. He's also linked to a "super" political action committee that bankrolled an upset in Nebraska's recent Republican Senate primary. J. Joseph Ricketts, 70, a politically conservative Nebraskan known as "Joe," built the TD Ameritrade brokerage firm into a billion-dollar...

Cincinnati @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Cozart ss 5 0 0 0?? ATorrs cf 5 1 1 0 Stubbs cf 4 0 0 0?? Niwnhs lf 4 0 1 0 Votto 1b 4 1 2 1?? Rauch p 0 0 0 0 BPhllps 2b 4 0 2 0?? RJhnsn c 1 1 1 0 Bruce rf 4 0 0 0?? DWrght 3b 2 3 2 1 Ludwck lf 3 1 1 0?? Duda rf ...

Seattle @ ?? Cleveland @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Ackley 2b-1b 5 1 1 0?? Choo rf 6 0 1 0 MSndrs cf 6 0 1 2?? Kipnis 2b 4 1 0 0 ISuzuki rf 6 0 0 0?? ACarer ss 6 0 2 2 Seager 3b 6 1 1 0?? Hafner dh 4 0 1 0 Smoak 1b 5 0 2 0?? Cnghm ph 0 0 0 0 Kawsk pr-2b 0 0 0 0?? CSantn c 4 1 2 1 Liddi lf...

Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer in his second game back from a wrist injury, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. P.J. Walters (1-1) allowed four hits _ including three solo homers _ in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins, who swept the two-game series at Comerica Park. Minnesota (12-26) has won two in a row for only the second time this season. Morneau's homer off Doug Fister (0-2) opened the scoring in the third, and Trevor Plouffe followed with...

Minnesota @ ?? Detroit @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Revere cf 4 0 1 0?? Kelly cf 2 0 0 0 Dozier ss 5 0 2 0?? RSantg ph-2b 1 0 0 0 Mauer 1b 5 0 0 0?? Dirks lf-cf 3 1 1 1 Wlngh lf 2 2 0 0?? MiCarr 3b 3 0 0 0 Mornea dh 4 1 2 3?? Fielder 1b 3 1 1 1 Plouffe rf 4 1 1 1?? DYong dh 4 0 0 0...

It could be described as a mistake of Olympic proportions. As Greek officials handed over the Olympic flame to London 2012 organizers on Thursday, an announcer introduced British officials to the crowd in Athens. They included Princess Anne, London Olympics organizing chief Sebastian Coe, London mayor Boris Johnson and "Sir David Beckham." That drew hearty laughs from the Brits, who knew that the former captain of the English national soccer team is not a knight. The crowd in Athens didn't...

In a story May 16 about Dario Franchitti's early-season struggles, The Associated Press erroneously reported the deficit between Franchitti and Will Power in the points standings. The deficit is 98 points. The story also said Franchitti had worn tires late in the 2011 Indianapolis 500; he says he ran out of fuel.

Tanned and toned Olympic athletes in skimpy outfits will be serving and spiking outside the prime minister's Downing Street home _ but it's lower-ranked civil servants who will have the best view of beach volleyball at the London Games. The sedate, staid neighborhood in the heart of London will be transformed into a slice of California beach during the Summer Olympics, with about 5,000 tons of sand trucked in from a quarry in southern England. A temporary 15,000-seat arena will rise next month...

Old Dominion President John R. Broderick said leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and joining Conference USA is a "game changer" for ODU. The president discussed the move during a press conference Thursday afternoon after the university announced earlier Thursday in a release that ODU was making the jump effective July 1, 2013. "The move places our athletic programs on a national NCAA Division I stage," the president said. The Monarchs, who restarted their football program three seasons...

Three days after his flight to Spain needed an emergency landing because a passenger suffered a heart attack, American Brandt Snedeker used borrowed irons and a putter from the pro shop to win his opener Thursday at the World Match Play Championship. Because his luggage got lost, Snedeker also used a driver lent to him by Australian rival John Senden. Starting out with just 10 clubs in a replacement bag, Snedeker managed to beat Danish Ryder Cup veteran Thomas Bjorn 5 and 4. "So, a kind of weird...

Indians third baseman Jack Hannahan is out of the lineup for the fourth straight game with lower back soreness. The team said Thursday that an MRI revealed mild back inflammation. Hannahan, who hasn't played since Sunday, remains day-to-day. He missed a week in spring training with back soreness. Jose Lopez started at third base against Seattle. The team said it will provide an update on pitcher Josh Tomlin on Friday. Tomlin was scheduled to have a second MRI on his injured right wrist Thursday....

Britain's Olympic committee has rescinded its rule on lifetime bans for drug offenders to fall into line with the World Anti-Doping Agency. The British Olympic Association revoked its bylaw following a ruling last month by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that struck down the lifetime bans. WADA had previously declared Britain as "noncompliant" with the global code. Thursday's decision came as WADA's executive committee was meeting in Montreal. WADA is now expected to declare the BOA is in...

The New York Rangers don't like being all even after two games, but they sure are used to it. For the third straight series, the Eastern Conference's top-seeded team has failed to build on an opening-game win, and now they have yielded home-ice advantage yet again. The Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals couldn't make the most of it. The New Jersey Devils have other plans. "We've been in this situation before," Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said after New York's 3-2 loss on Wednesday night....

Down in desperation time, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks called on Kevin Durant to show that he's more than just a three-time scoring champion. And that meant guarding one of the NBA's all-time best. Durant was up to the challenge, keeping Kobe Bryant from excelling as usual in his closer's role while sparking the Thunder's rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the...

All eyes will be on Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another when an 11-horse field lines up for the $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday. A victory, and I'll Have Another will have a chance to become the first Triple Crown champion in 34 years if he goes on to win the Belmont Stakes next month in New York. But a whole bunch of 3-year-olds are out to spoil the party. Some are taking another shot after losing in the Derby, and others, known as "new shooters," skipped the...

This loss seemed a lot less important to the White Sox. Chicago played with heavy hearts Wednesday night after the death of longtime pregame instructor Kevin Hickey at age 56 following a lengthy illness. Gavin Floyd gave up a three-run homer to Albert Pujols and a two-run shot to Vernon Wells in the 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. "I knew Hick very well. He cared about baseball and he loved baseball _ but first and foremost, he loved White Sox baseball," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "Hick...

Madison Bumgarner had been unbeatable at home for months. And his impressive winning streak at AT&T Park might still be intact if San Francisco's hitters had done their part in key situations. The Giants' story of missed opportunities is costing them dearly at this early stage. Jaime Garcia matched his career high with nine strikeouts, David Freese hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Mike Matheny a victory against his old Giants team...

The Arizona Diamondbacks struggled to touch Jamie Moyer on the mound or when he was hustling down the baseline. The 49-year-old Moyer mowed through the Diamondbacks lineup, keeping them off balance and waving at his 78 mph fastball. He lasted 6 1-3 innings and surrendered just six hits to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 6-1 win over the reeling Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. But Moyer (2-3) may have done more to help the Rockies with his legs than his crafty left arm. With two on and two outs...

Albert Pujols welcomed his new hitting coach to town with a go-ahead three-run homer and Vernon Wells added a two-run shot to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Jim Eppard was with the Angels for the first time as hitting coach after replacing Mickey Hatcher, who was unceremoniously dumped Tuesday night by new general manager Jerry DiPoto 1 1/2 months into Hatcher's 13th season on the job. The team's offensive struggles led to the firing,...

The New Jersey Devils quickly changed the game plan: instead of letting the New York Rangers block their shots, they decided to deflect some themselves. It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result. David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique's shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night. "It's a very hard building to play in, and 1-1...

Drew Brees said in a radio interview Wednesday night that he is frustrated by what he views as a lack of communication with the New Orleans Saints in his ongoing contract negotiations, adding the club should have shown more urgency to get a long-term deal done. "It's been extremely frustrating for me. I don't think the negotiations should have been this difficult," Brees said on WWL radio in New Orleans. "What's been a little frustrating on my end, or disappointing, is the lack of communication....

Adam Jones homered with one out in the 15th inning, lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night. Jones was hitless in six at-bats before connecting for his team-leading 12th home run _ nine of them tying the game or giving the Orioles a lead. Jones sent a 2-2 pitch from Nate Adcock (0-1), the fifth Kansas City pitcher, far over the left field wall. The Orioles improved to 5-0 in extra-inning road games. Kevin Gregg (1-1) pitched two hitless innings,...

Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead. Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored...

Chicago @ ?? Los Angeles @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi De Aza cf 4 1 1 0?? Trout cf-rf 3 1 2 0 Bckhm 2b 4 0 2 1?? Callasp 3b 4 1 3 0 A.Dunn dh 4 0 0 0?? Pujols 1b 4 1 1 3 Konerk 1b 4 0 3 0?? KMorls dh 4 1 1 0 Przyns c 4 0 1 0?? Trumo rf 4 1 3 0 Rios rf 4 0 0 0?? Bourjos pr-cf 0 0 0 0 AlRmrz...

Jim Leyland mentioned before Wednesday night's game that although the Detroit Tigers were struggling, they weren't playing sloppy baseball. Then the veteran manager watched his team make four errors in the first three innings. "I probably jinxed us when we said we weren't kicking the ball around, because we did that tonight," Leyland said. Jamey Carroll hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to give Minnesota the lead, and the Twins outlasted the Tigers 11-7 on Wednesday night. Detroit had...

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitchers had not yielded more than two earned runs in seven straight starts heading into Wednesday night's game against the Houston Astros. That streak, as well as the Brewers' six-game winning streak against the Astros, ended with Randy Wolf. Carlos Lee had three hits, including his first homer since April 22, and three RBIs to back another solid outing by Bud Norris, and Houston beat Milwaukee 8-3. Wolf, who pitched six scoreless innings in his last start, allowed...

L.A. LAKERS (75) World Peace 2-10 3-4 8, Gasol 6-11 2-2 14, Bynum 8-19 4-4 20, Sessions 1-3 0-0 2, Bryant 9-25 2-2 20, Blake 1-5 2-2 5, Hill 3-4 0-0 6, Barnes 0-1 0-0 0, Murphy 0-0 0-0 0, McRoberts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-78 13-14 75. OKLAHOMA CITY (77) Durant 9-15 3-4 22, Ibaka 4-11 0-0 8, Perkins 1-5 0-0 2, Westbrook 5-17 4-6 15, Sefolosha 2-5 0-0 6, Harden 3-8 6-6 13, Collison 3-3 0-0 6, Mohammed 0-2 0-0 0, Fisher 1-2 0-0 3, Cook 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-69 13-16 77. L.A. Lakers...

Baltimore @ ?? Kansas City @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Avery lf 6 0 2 0?? Dyson cf 6 0 1 0 Hardy ss 6 1 3 1?? Hosmer 1b 7 0 0 0 Markks rf 7 0 2 1?? Butler dh 4 0 2 0 AdJons cf 7 1 1 1?? Maier pr-dh 0 1 0 0 Wieters c 7 0 0 0?? Giavtll ph-dh 3 0 1 0 NJhnsn dh 5 0 1 0?? AGordn lf 6 0...

Except for one inning _ actually one pitch _ rookie Tommy Milone stood toe-to-toe with baseball's best hitting team on the road and their high-profile first-year pitcher, Yu Darvish. Milone gave up a two-run home run to Adrian Beltre in a decisive four-run fourth inning in the Rangers' 4-1 victory Wednesday. Beltre homer was his ninth against Oakland pitching the past two years. "It's kind of hard, especially when you feel good, and you're out there and feel like you got your `A' game going...

Clay Buchholz found some positives even in a tough loss. Jeremy Hellickson pitched six solid innings, Luke Scott had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston 2-1 on Wednesday night, snapping the Red Sox's five-game winning streak. Buchholz (4-2) gave up two runs and six hits over five-plus innings. "Change up came back tonight," Buchholz said. "I felt really good throwing that." Buchholz, who took a grounder off his foot during the sixth inning, had allowed four or more...

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle decided to let reliever Evan Meek try to work through the mess the righty created in his first appearance after a trip to the minors. Didn't quite pan out. Meek loaded the bases in a tight game by walking two batters and hitting another in the seventh inning, then allowed Adam LaRoche's three-run double _ his 1,000th career hit _ and Pittsburgh lost to the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Wednesday night. "It got away from him a little bit, but I wanted to...

With his sinker showing plenty of bite, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kyle Drabek earned some high praise Wednesday night. Drabek snapped a four-start losing streak with seven sharp innings and Toronto hit four home runs in an 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees. Coming in winless since April 15, Drabek allowed one run and three hits, walked four and struck out five. Thirteen of his 21 outs came on the ground. "That sinker was really working," New York first baseman Mark Teixeira raved. "You...

The struggling Seattle Mariners could have used a strong outing from their ace Wednesday night. Instead, Felix Hernandez wasn't up to the task and Seattle's long road trip got a little longer with a 9-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians. The rare poor outing by Hernandez came at a bad time. The Mariners fell to 1-5 on their 10-game trip during which they have been outscored 34-14. Seattle has lost three straight. Hernandez (3-3) lasted only 3 2-3 innings and threw 103 pitches. He allowed eight runs...

Jamie Moyer handcuffed the Arizona Diamondbacks at the plate and in the field, pitching neatly into the seventh and driving in two runs with an infield single in Colorado's 6-1 win Wednesday night. Moyer legged out a base hit in the fourth inning when he dribbled a 2-2 fastball in between lefty Patrick Corbin and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who fielded the ball and futilely lunged at the 49-year-old pitcher lumbering down the line. That scored Jordan Pacheco from third, and he was quickly...

Carlos Ruiz hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies used Hector Luna's first career grand slam to pull away for a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Kyle Kendrick pitched six sparkling innings in his first start in 12 days as Philadelphia returned to .500 for the first time since it beat Atlanta 4-0 on May 3. He also singled and scored the tying run in the fifth. Hunter Pence opened the eighth with a long fly ball off Shawn Camp (2-2)...

Arizona @ ?? Colorado @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Pollock cf 4 0 0 0?? Scutaro 2b 4 0 0 0 A.Hill 2b 3 0 1 0?? Colvin rf 4 1 1 0 J.Upton rf 3 0 0 0?? CGnzlz lf 4 0 1 1 Kubel lf 3 0 0 0?? Tlwtzk ss 4 1 1 0 Gldsch 1b 4 0 1 0?? Cuddyr 1b 4 0 0 0 RRorts 3b 4 0 1 0?? WRosr c 3 1 0 0 JMcDnl ss 4 1 2...

A bicycle stolen from Junior Seau's Oceanside home days after the former NFL star's suicide has been recovered, police said. An unidentified woman called police Wednesday after seeing a bicycle that matched the description of the one that was stolen from Seau's garage on May 7, said Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Mata. Police confirmed it was the stolen bicycle and contacted the man in possession of it. He told police he bought the bike from an unidentified man in Oceanside on May 8. The man with...

Philadelphia @ ?? Chicago @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Rollins ss 4 1 1 0?? DeJess rf 4 0 1 0 Pierre lf 3 0 2 0?? Campn cf 2 0 0 0 Wggntn ph-1b 1 1 1 2?? Mather ph 1 0 0 0 Victorn cf 5 0 1 1?? SCastro ss 4 0 0 0 Pence rf 4 0 0 0?? LaHair 1b 4 1 0 0 Ruiz c 4 3 2 1?? ASorin lf 3 1 1...

Struggling Mike Minor still has the support of Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez and his spot in the Braves rotation despite being pummeled in four straight starts. Minor had another tough outing Wednesday night, giving up six runs in the Miami Marlins' 8-4 win. Minor (2-3) lasted only 4 2-3 innings in the fourth straight start he has allowed six or more runs. He gave up three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth, leaving his ERA at 7.09. Gonzalez said he is sticking with the 24-year-old...

Carlos Lee had three hits, including his first homer since April 22, and three RBIs to back another solid outing by Bud Norris, and the Houston Astros beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3 on Wednesday night. Lee's home run was a solo shot to left-center field in the seventh inning that put Houston up 8-1. His third homer of the season came just moments after he narrowly avoided being hit by a foul ball from J.D. Martinez while waiting in the on-deck circle. Lee looked a bit shaken after ducking to...

Kevin Garnett yapped his way down the court after big baskets and clearly enjoyed taking it to the 76ers. Rajon Rondo pushed the ball and relentlessly attacked the lane. Paul Pierce gutted out a knee injury and grinded his way to the free throw line. Boston hears the whispers that it's too weary and too old to win another championship. By the time they forced Sixers fans to flee their seats, the Celtics proved it's still too early to count them out. Garnett scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds,...

Yu Darvish pitched 7 2-3 strong innings and Adrian Beltre had a two-run homer to help the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Wednesday night. Darvish (6-1) gave up one run and four hits while striking out seven to win his sixth game in seven decisions. After giving up a run in the first, Darvish settled down and retired 11 of the last 15 batters he faced. He lowered his ERA to 2.60. Mike Adams struck out Johnny Gomes, who represented the tying run, for the final out in the eighth....

Jamey Carroll hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to give Minnesota the lead, and the Twins outlasted the sloppy Detroit Tigers 11-7 on Wednesday night. Detroit made four errors in the first three innings. The Tigers still led 7-6 when Carroll came up with men on first and second in the sixth. His double off Duane Below (2-1) scored both runners. Brian Dozier hit a three-run homer for Minnesota in the second, and Trevor Plouffe's two-run shot in the ninth made it 11-7. Minnesota's Justin...

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 23 14 .622 _ Atlanta 23 15 .605 1/2 Miami 20 17 .541 3 New York 20 17 .541 3 Philadelphia 18 19 .486 5 Central Division W L Pct GB St. Louis 21 15 .583 _ Cincinnati 19 17 .528 2 Pittsburgh 17 20 .459 4 1/2 Houston 16 21 .432 5 1/2 Milwaukee 16 21 .432 5 1/2...

All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Tampa Bay 24 14 .632 _ Baltimore 23 14 .622 1/2 New York 20 17 .541 3 1/2 Toronto 20 18 .526 4 Boston 17 20 .459 6 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 21 16 .568 _ Detroit 18 19 .486 3 Chicago 17 20 .459 4 Kansas City 15 20 .429 5 Minnesota 11 26 .297 10 West...

New Jersey 1 1 1_3 N.Y. Rangers 0 2 0_2 First Period_1, New Jersey, Kovalchuk 6 (Zidlicky, Parise), 13:39 (pp). Penalties_Hagelin, NYR (holding), 5:38 Elias, NJ (roughing), 10:13 Boyle, NYR (slashing), 13:02. Second Period_2, N.Y. Rangers, Staal 3 (Richards, Girardi), 2:23. 3, N.Y. Rangers, Kreider 4 (Stralman, Anisimov), 12:19 (pp). 4, New Jersey, Carter 2 (Salvador, Bernier), 18:09. Penalties_Ponikarovsky, NJ (interference), :48 Zajac, NJ (interference), 10:32. Third...

Jeremy Hellickson pitched six solid innings, Luke Scott had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston 2-1 on Wednesday night, snapping the Red Sox's five-game winning streak. Hellickson (4-0) allowed one run and five hits en route to winning a career-best sixth consecutive decision, dating to Sept. 4. The right-hander struck out six and walked two. Tampa Bay second baseman Will Rhymes left in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch near his right elbow. While standing...

Milwaukee @ ?? Houston @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Morgan cf 4 0 0 0?? Schafer cf 4 1 1 1 RWeks 2b 4 0 0 0?? Altuve 2b 3 1 1 0 Braun lf 3 0 1 0?? JDMrtn lf 2 1 0 1 ArRmr 3b 3 1 0 0?? Ca.Lee 1b 4 2 3 3 Hart rf 3 2 1 1?? Lowrie ss 4 1 1 1 Kottars c 3 0 0 0?? Maxwll rf 4 0 1 1 Maysnt ph ...

Oakland @ ?? Texas @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi JWeeks 2b 3 1 2 0?? Andrus ss 4 0 2 1 Cowgill cf 3 0 1 0?? AlGnzlz 2b 4 0 0 0 JGoms ph-lf 1 0 0 0?? Hamltn lf 4 1 2 0 Reddck rf-cf 3 0 0 1?? Beltre 3b 4 1 1 2 S.Smith lf-rf 4 0 0 0?? N.Cruz rf 3 1 1 0 Kaaihu dh 4 0 0 0?? Napoli dh 4 0 0 0 Dnldsn 3b 3 0 0 0??...

Boston @ ?? Tampa Bay @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Sweeny cf 3 0 0 0?? Zobrist rf 4 0 0 0 MGomz ph 1 0 0 0?? BUpton cf 4 0 0 0 Byrd cf 0 0 0 0?? Joyce lf 3 1 1 0 Pedroia 2b 4 0 1 0?? C.Pena 1b 4 1 2 0 Ortiz dh 3 0 0 0?? Scott dh 2 0 1 1 AdGnzl 1b 4 0 0 0?? Thmps pr-dh 0 0 0 0...

Minnesota @ ?? Detroit @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Komats cf 5 1 0 0?? AJcksn cf 3 2 2 1 Dozier ss 5 2 1 3?? Kelly cf 2 0 0 0 Mauer dh 5 1 2 1?? Dirks lf 4 2 3 1 Wlngh lf 5 2 3 1?? MiCarr 3b 5 0 2 2 Mornea 1b 5 0 1 0?? Fielder 1b 3 0 1 2 Doumit c 3 1 2 1?? DYong dh 4 0 1 0 Butera c ...

Todd Frazier homered twice, Brandon Phillips hit a tying single off Jon Rauch in the eighth and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-3 Wednesday night. Pinch-hitter Jay Bruce drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly one out after the Reds put together three straight hits off Rauch (3-2), ending with Phillips' single. Rauch retired Chris Heisey on a popup before left-hander Tim Byrdak came on to face the lefty-hitting Bruce. After that, D.J. Carrasco came on and gave up Frazier's second...

The Matt Kemp effect has already kicked in for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chase Headley homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and the last-place San Diego Padres rallied to beat the NL West-leading Dodgers 4-2 on Wednesday, helping left-hander Clayton Richard snap his personal five-game losing streak. The Dodgers have lost two straight since Kemp went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, just the fourth time this season they've done that. It was just the second time this...

Ubaldo Jimenez overcame a shaky start to get the win and the Cleveland Indians pounded out a season-best five doubles to beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 Wednesday night. Jimenez (4-3) gave up five hits and three runs over six innings. He threw 107 pitches _ 27 in a long first inning _ walked two and struck out four. Seattle starter Felix Hernandez (3-3) gave up 10 hits and six earned runs in only 3 2-3 innings. He and Jimenez combined for a 34-minute, 59-pitch first inning that ended with Cleveland...

Seattle @ ?? Cleveland @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Ackley 2b 4 2 3 2?? Choo rf 5 2 3 0 MSndrs cf 3 0 2 0?? Kipnis 2b 5 2 2 1 ISuzuki rf 4 0 0 1?? ACarer ss 4 1 2 0 JMontr c 4 0 0 0?? Hafner dh 5 2 2 3 Seager dh 4 0 1 0?? CSantn c 3 2 1 1 Smoak 1b 4 0 0 0?? Marson c 1 0 0 0 Liddi 3b-lf 3 0...

Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and possibly saved two runs with a diving catch and the Miami Marlins beat the Braves 8-4 on Wednesday night, adding another win to their impressive May record. Miami is 12-3 this month after a slow 8-14 start in April. The Marlins (20-17) moved three games over .500 for the first time this season. The Marlins led 6-1 off struggling Braves left-hander Mike Minor before Atlanta scored three runs off Mark Buehrle in the sixth. Stanton's eighth homer, which...

Like a little kid with a brand new toy, Eli Manning couldn't wait. "You're up on stage getting the box," Manning said Wednesday night, "and you wonder how quickly you can get off stage and open the box and get the ring on." Manning and his New York Giants teammates received their Super Bowl rings at Tiffany's, and the jewelry was as impressive as the Giants' run through the NFL playoffs last winter. It was the second title in four years for Manning and the Giants, and the fourth overall in the...

Cincinnati @ ?? New York @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Cozart ss 5 0 1 1?? Niwnhs cf 4 0 1 0 Stubbs cf 5 1 2 0?? ATorrs ph 1 0 0 0 Votto 1b 3 1 1 0?? Baxter lf 4 1 1 0 BPhllps 2b 4 1 1 1?? DWrght 3b 2 0 0 0 Heisey rf-lf 4 0 0 0?? Duda rf 4 1 3 1 Ludwck lf 2 0 0 0?? DnMrp 2b 4 1 0 0 Bruce ph-rf...

Adam LaRoche broke open a tight game with a three-run double for his 1,000th career hit after homering for No. 999, and Gio Gonzalez took over the NL strikeout lead from teammate Stephen Strasburg by fanning 10 in seven innings Wednesday night, leading the Washington Nationals past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4. Hitting cleanup while Michael Morse is on the disabled list, LaRoche leads the Nationals with seven homers and 29 RBIs. Talk about a turnaround: LaRoche hit .172 with three homers in 43 games...

Miami @ ?? Atlanta @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Reyes ss 5 1 1 0?? Pstrnck ss 5 1 1 0 Infante 2b 5 2 3 0?? Prado lf 4 1 3 0 HRmrz 3b 4 1 0 0?? Fremn 1b 3 1 0 1 Kearns lf 4 1 2 2?? Uggla 2b 4 1 2 1 Petersn pr-lf 1 1 0 0?? McCnn c 4 0 2 1 Stanton rf 3 2 1 2?? Diaz rf 4 0 0 1 GSnchz 1b 3 0 1 1?? Heywrd cf...

New York @ ?? Toronto @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Grndrs cf 5 0 0 0?? KJhnsn 2b 4 1 2 2 Swisher rf 4 0 0 0?? Thams lf 4 1 1 0 Cano 2b 3 1 1 0?? Bautist rf 3 2 1 1 AlRdrg 3b 3 0 0 0?? Encrnc 1b 4 1 3 3 Teixeir 1b 3 0 1 1?? Lawrie 3b 4 1 0 0 Ibanez lf 3 0 1 0?? Rasms cf 4 0 0 0 ErChvz dh ...

Pittsburgh @ ?? Washington @ ab r h bi?? @ ab r h bi Tabata rf 4 1 1 0?? Dsmnd ss 4 1 1 1 Walker 2b 4 0 0 0?? Harper cf-rf 3 2 1 0 AMcCt cf 4 0 2 0?? Zmrmn 3b 3 1 0 1 McGeh 1b 3 0 0 1?? LaRoch 1b 4 1 3 4 Navarr lf 2 1 0 0?? Nady rf-lf 3 1 1 1 PAlvrz ph-3b 1 0 0 0?? Clipprd p ...

The state of Rhode Island is having trouble collecting some of the millions it lent former pitcher Curt Schilling, another reminder why chasing celebrity is almost always a bad thing. Schilling met with the state's governor on Wednesday to ask for even more help, after his 38 Studios company missed a $1.1 million payment on a $75 million loan guarantee state officials gave him to lure the video game company from Massachusetts two years ago. Schilling was in full baseball mode afterward, refusing...

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were not carrying "Help Wanted" signs around the Miami Heat practice floor on Wednesday. The mood was not grim, voices were not hushed and scowls were not prominent. The way the Heat see it, their series with Indiana begins anew Thursday night. And the Pacers sound like they agree. Indiana will play host to Miami in Game 3, after grabbing home-court advantage away from the reigning East champs with a 78-75 win Tuesday in perhaps the most offensively baffling night...

BOSTON (107) Pierce 6-17 11-14 24, Bass 5-10 0-0 10, Garnett 12-17 3-5 27, Rondo 9-16 4-4 23, Bradley 0-2 0-0 0, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0, R.Allen 1-1 1-2 3, Pietrus 4-8 2-2 13, Hollins 1-4 1-1 3, Dooling 1-1 0-0 2, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Pavlovic 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 40-77 22-28 107. PHILADELPHIA (91) Iguodala 3-6 2-3 10, Brand 1-6 1-1 3, Hawes 2-8 0-1 4, Holiday 5-10 2-2 15, Turner 1-10 2-4 4, T.Young 10-16 2-2 22, L.Allen 2-4 0-0 4, L.Williams 4-10 3-3 13, Meeks 4-9 4-4...

Chase Headley homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and the last-place San Diego Padres rallied to beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 Wednesday night, helping left-hander Clayton Richard snap his personal five-game losing streak. Richard and two relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Padres beat L.A. for only the second time in eight games this season. The Dodgers have lost two straight since Matt Kemp went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Dodgers...

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A San Diego restaurant opened by Junior Seau in 1996 has closed its doors two weeks after the NFL star's suicide. Trustees of Seau's estate say they made the decision to close Seau's The Restaurant in Mission Valley on Wednesday. Trustee Bette Hoffman says in a statement that the decision to close the restaurant was made to honor Seau's legacy. She also says trustees felt the restaurant's future profitability could be in question without Seau's leadership. The eatery's website describes it as...

The Los Angeles Kings have maintained their discipline and cool during a dominant playoff run that has them two wins away from the team's first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with Wayne Gretzky. They've frustrated the Phoenix Coyotes with a mix of balanced scoring, shot-limiting defense and solid goaltending in building a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. If the Coyotes are ticked off, and they sure played like it in losing Game 2, they face even more of an uphill climb in trying...

Just like in the Kentucky Derby, Bodemeister is the favorite in the Preakness. This time, Bob Baffert intends to justify the odds. Despite finishing second in the Derby, Bodemeister was installed as the 8-5 favorite for Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown. The colt, trained by Baffert, set the pace at Churchill Downs before being overtaken in the stretch by I'll Have Another, who won by 1 1/2 lengths. I'll Have Another is the second-favorite in the Preakness at 5-2. Baffert, a five-time...

Brett Lawrie heard the penalty, then expressed just one regret about his tantrum: that his batting helmet bounced up and hit an umpire. Major League Baseball suspended Lawrie for four games and fined him an undisclosed amount Wednesday, a day after the Toronto third baseman got into an altercation with umpire Bill Miller. Lawrie appealed and can play until there is a hearing, which could be held next week via video conference. He said he intended to apologize to Miller for being hit in the right...

Helmet tossing and bat banging have become all the rage, it seems. Yet suspended Toronto infielder Brett Lawrie and injured Washington teen phenom Bryce Harper still have a long way to go before hitting our list of baseball's wildest rants and raves. These guys all rank: ___ GEORGE BRETT Has a player ever looked more crazed on a ballfield than Mr. Pine Tar? Seriously, ever? Arms waving, eyes bulging and screaming with every step, the Royals star charged from the Yankee Stadium dugout after...

Arbitrator Shyam Das heard arguments Wednesday from NFL and players union lawyers on whether Commissioner Roger Goodell can discipline players for actions that occurred before the league's current labor agreement was signed last August. The hearing, which stemmed from the NFL's bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints, lasted more than two hours. Outside counsel Dan Nash argued the NFL's position and lawyer Jeff Kessler spoke for the NFL Players Association. The union filed a grievance...

Dario Franchitti just wins IndyCar championships. At least that's been the case since he returned from NASCAR in 2009. But the combination of Honda's new engine, Roger Penske's dominance and some bad luck has Franchitti looking like anything but a champ in 2012. He's 12th in the standings, trailing leader Will Power by 100 points after four races, and he will need a drastic turnaround just to get back in the title hunt. The good news is Franchitti will be spending the next 11 days working at...

Josef Newgarden is getting used to finishing first. The American rookie topped the Indianapolis 500 speed chart Wednesday, posting the fastest lap of the day at 222.785 mph. It's the third time he has led in five practice sessions. Marco Andretti was second at 222.108. He has the fastest lap this week at 223.676 on Tuesday. Ryan Hunter-Reay, another American, was third at 221.763. Newgarden had a late spin in the fourth turn. He climbed out of the car without assistance, but there was light...

Mr. Met stood near the podium with baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Thanks for bringing your boss along," Bloomberg said to the mascot. "Does he pay you well?" After more than three years of trouble on and off the field, the Mets feel things are looking up. Major League Baseball finally announced Wednesday that the 2013 All-Star game will be hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 16 _ the latest date for the game since...

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Italian Open because of a right shoulder injury. Tournament organizers say Azarenka made the decision after routing Shahar Peer of Israel 6-1, 6-2 in the second round Wednesday night. Azarenka has won four titles this year, including the Australian Open. She lost the Madrid Open final to Serena Williams on Sunday. Her withdrawal means her scheduled opponent Thursday, 14th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, advances to the quarterfinals. This tournament...

March 17 _ Twelve Hours of Sebring (Fla.) (Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen, Dindo Capello) April 14 _ Tequila Patron ALMS Series at Long Beach (Calif.) (Lucas Luhr, Klaus Graf) May 12 _ American Le Mans Monterey (Calif.) (Lucas Luhr, Klaus Graf) July 7 _ American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, Lakeville, Conn. July 22 _ Grand Prix of Mosport, Bowmanville, Ontario Aug. 4 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, Lexington, Ohio Aug. 18 _ Road Race Showcase, Elkhart Lake, Wis. Sept. 1 _ Baltimore Grand...

The new pastor at St. John United Church of Christ in the eastern Missouri town of St. Clair doesn't play softball, but members of his church do. Or at least they did until their pastor's sexuality prompted a boycott within their church league. The Rev. James Semmelroth Darnell is bisexual. When pastors at three of the churches in the league found out, they decided their teams wouldn't take the field against the team from Darnell's church, saying the pastor's lifestyle goes against their Christian...

Everything always seemed to come so easily for Larry Bird on a basketball court. The way the ball appeared almost destined to swish through the net every time he finished his lightning-quick release with a flick of his right wrist. The way he could suck a defender in while running the break, only to zip a no-look pass to a cutting Boston Celtics teammate for an easy bucket. The way Bird related to his Indiana Pacers players as a coach, pushing the right buttons and drawing up the perfect plays...

Britain's armed forces minister says approximately 10,500 army personnel will be deployed to help protect the London Olympics. Responding to a written parliamentary question about how many army members will be on duty, Nick Harvey said Wednesday that under current plans, about 1,700 army reservists and 8,800 regular army personnel will be deployed during the games, which run from July 27 to August 12. Britain previously had said that up to 13,500 troops would be deployed on land, at sea and in...

How about a national championship game in Detroit? Or Minneapolis? What about Boston or New York? With college football headed toward a playoff, Big Ten administrators this week came out in favor of staging those games in bowls, a step that would keep the conference's longstanding ties to the Rose Bowl. But league officials said they could see the title game being played in cities other than the usual suspects in California, Florida and Louisiana, though they did not offer any specific suggestions....

Brett Lawrie is in the lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays a day after his altercation with an umpire. Blue Jays manager John Farrell says Lawrie hopes to apologize to umpire Bill Miller for hitting him with his batting helmet after being ejected from Monday's game. Lawrie was tossed in the ninth inning after complaining about strike calls. When he threw his helmet on the ground, it bounced up and hit Miller in the hip. Farrell says he has already spoken to Major League Baseball about the episode....

The U.S. Amateur trophy is among the artifacts missing after a burglar broke into the U.S. Golf Association Museum in northern New Jersey. Somerset County prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano says police responded to the building in Bernards Township after a burglar alarm was activated there around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday. Officers found several trophy cases had been extensively damaged with an ax and noticed some trophies and other items were missing. Museum officials say among the items taken were the...

A year after meeting for the Sybase Match Play Championship, defending champion Suzann Pettersen and Cristie Kerr are in the same position on the LPGA Tour. The two veterans are ranked in the world's top five. And they are in the mid-teens in earnings. Yet they're both doing something neither expected in May _ looking for their first win of the year. Pettersen and Kerr will try to break into the win column this week when 64 of the tour's top players gather at Hamilton Farm Golf Club for a four-day...

The wife of fired Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine claimed Wednesday that ESPN maliciously trampled her reputation by broadcasting salacious stories about her and about claims that her husband molested ball boys. Laurie Fine held a news conference Wednesday and threatened to file a libel lawsuit in federal court against the cable network and two employees. ESPN in November broke the story of two former Syracuse ball boys, Robert Davis and Michael Lang, who claimed...

Roger Clemens' lawyer toyed with Brian McNamee's memory and attacked him from several directions at once. The attorney even put an easel next to the witness with the words: "MISTAKE. BAD MEMORY. LIE." Eventually, there came the inevitable question: "Do you sometimes just make stuff up?" McNamee has frequently taken long pauses before answering questions in three days on the witness stand, but he didn't hesitate this time. He leaned into the microphone and said softly but assuredly: "I didn't...

Big Ten administrators could see a national championship game being played in cities that aren't necessarily traditional hosts. Big Ten officials came out this week in favor of having bowl games host an expected four-team playoff, preferring to keep the Rose Bowl as its postseason tradition. Yet they also said they can envision the title game played elsewhere. Commissioner Jim Delany says he thinks the championship game "in any scenario is going to be independently bid, not part of the bowl situation."...

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling asked Rhode Island for additional help to save his video game company Wednesday, prompting state leaders to consider whether the firm is viable enough to justify further investment. Schilling briefed Gov. Lincoln Chafee and the state's Economic Development Corp. board in a closed-door session. Following the meeting, Chafee would not say what Schilling is seeking from the state. The governor said the question before state economic development officials was,...

Teams and drivers emerged from the Spanish Grand Prix with more questions than answers on just who is the Formula One favorite after five races. Pastor Maldonado's maiden victory gave Williams its first F1 triumph in eight years and the season's fifth different winner. It's the most varied start since 1983 and the 12 teams' inability to get to grips with the Pirelli tires is one the main reasons. Sebastian Vettel dominated last year to win the title with races to spare. He looked to have Red...

Hollywood star Will Smith took time out of his promotional schedule for "Men in Black III" to try his hand at Olympic sports in London. Smith met Olympic hopefuls ahead of the U.K. premiere of the film later Wednesday, shooting hoops with team GB Basketball captain Drew Sullivan and taking pointers on the hurdle from Perry Shakes-Drayton, a hopeful for the 400m event. Triple jumper Yamile Aldama tried to teach Smith, but found that the actor was more inclined to break into dance moves. Smith...

Jerry Sandusky again asked a judge to throw out the child sexual abuse charges against him on Wednesday, arguing that some counts are too vague to defend and others involve alleged victims whose identities have not been determined. The former Penn State assistant football coach's trial is scheduled to get under way in less than three weeks, although the judge has not ruled on a separate motion from Sandusky asking for a delay. In the filing, defense attorney Joe Amendola attacked the charges...

It came down to a last shot and who was going to take it, an all-too-familiar dilemma for the Miami Heat. LeBron James, the reigning MVP, was running on fumes after playing nearly 43 minutes, much of it down low banging into the Pacers' big men, trying to paper over the absence of teammate Chris Bosh. Dwyane Wade? He was slightly fresher, but tired, too, not to mention sullen and streaky by turns, having lost his cool with less than 10 minutes to go and then missing a layup with 16 seconds left...