Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Tigers 6, Yankees 3

DETROIT — Brennan Boesch homered and drove in three runs, and the Tigers beat the Yankees for the third straight time. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter didn't play, taking the day off after leaving Wednesday's game with a hip problem. His replacement, Eduardo Nunez, made two errors, including a high throw in the seventh that gave the Tigers two runs. A.J. Burnett held Detroit hitless until the sixth but made an error that led to a Detroit run in the first.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Angels 11, Red Sox 0

BOSTON — Rookie Mark Trumbo hit his sixth home run and the Angels salvaged a four-game series split, racking up 18 hits less than 12 hours after a rain-delayed 13-inning victory. Bobby Abreu drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which was 0-6 against Boston entering the series. "We came in this morning and got the bats rolling early," said Howie Kendrick, who had two RBIs.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Royals 9, Orioles 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Melky Cabrera homered, doubled, singled and drove in four runs, and Bruce Chen allowed one run in seven innings. Chen has not lost a start in Kauffman Stadium since Aug. 12, 2010, vs. the Yankees. Since then he is 6-0 in nine starts at home. Chris Tillman was pulled after 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits and a walk as half the 22 batters he faced reached base. "(Thursday) the wheels kind of fell off," he said. "Things didn't go my way."

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Indians 4, Athletics 3

12 innings

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jack Hannahan blooped a single to left off Craig Breslow for the go-ahead run and Lou Marson followed with a single to score another run as the Indians won in their final at-bat for the seventh time. Chad Durbin pitched two innings to win.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Mets 5, Giants 2

NEW YORK — Mike Pelfrey pitched into the eighth and Carlos Beltran homered for the Mets. San Francisco loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Francisco Rodriguez, but Miguel Tejada struck out and pinch-hitter Buster Posey grounded out. Jose Reyes hit a two-run triple to back Pelfrey, who began the day with a 7.39 ERA. He gave up one earned run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. "It felt like it clicked again," he said. "Almost effortless."

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

tennis

Djokovic ties lendl's third-best streak

MADRID — Novak Djokovic extended his season-opening winning streak to 29 matches Thursday at the Madrid Open, equaling the best start in men's tennis in 25 years.

The Australian Open champion won all 21 of his first service points to defeat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also advanced. Andy Murray lost to Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-2.

Djokovic, who is 31-0 since last year's Davis Cup final, is tied for third with Ivan Lendl for the best season start since 1980. John McEnroe won 42 straight to start the 1984 season, and Bjorn Borg won 33 in a row to start the 1980 season.

"I know I'm playing great now, but there is always something you can improve on. You can never be perfect," said Djokovic, who today faces David Ferrer.

In women's play, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki lost to Julia Goerges for the second straight tournament, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Bethanie Mattek-Sands secured the biggest win of her career as the 41st-ranked American knocked out French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

venus enters Wimbledon warmup: Venus Williams agreed to play in a Wimbledon warmup tournament, the Eastbourne International from June 11-18, for the first time since 1998. She is next due to play at the Brussels Open, the last tournament before the French Open begins May 22.

running

First Gaza Strip event raises money for kids

Nader al-Masri, a 31-year-old Palestinian who ran in the 5,000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is training for the 2012 London Games, won the Gaza Strip's first marathon. He finished in 2 hours, 47 minutes, 47 seconds, short of his goal of 2½ hours. "There is the New York Marathon, the London Marathon, the Tel Aviv Marathon, and now there is also the Gaza Marathon," said Chris Gunness, spokesman for the U.N. body that organized the fundraising event for Gazan children.

et cetera

broadcasting: Gus Johnson, a play-by-play mainstay for CBS Sports during the NCAA Tournament for 16 years, has parted ways with the network after the sides couldn't reach a new deal, Sports Illustrated reported on its website. He was a candidate to broadcast the NFL Network's Thursday night games, but longtime ESPN announcer Brad Nessler landed the job.

boxing: Floyd Mayweather Jr. faces misdemeanor harassment charges, accused of threatening two homeowners association security guards in a parking dispute at his Las Vegas home.

soccer: Reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira of Dallas had surgery for a broken right ankle. It's unclear how long he will be out. … Former U.S. national team star Tab Ramos will lead the American under-20 team on a trip to France this month in place of Thomas Rongen, who has been removed as coach. … Braga and Porto will meet in an all-Portuguese final of the Europa Cup, Europe's No. 2 club tournament. Radamel Falcao broke Juergen Klinsmann's 15-year-old record with his 16th goal of the tournament as Porto lost 3-2 at Villarreal but advanced on 7-4 aggregate. Braga beat Benfica 1-0. The final is May 18 at Dublin.

politics: A three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that track legend Carl Lewis' name should be included on ballots for the 8th Legislative District Democratic state Senate primary in New Jersey. The panel didn't rule on whether he's eligible for office.

basketball: Kentucky coach John Calipari will coach the national team of the Dominican Republic.

Times wires

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Larry Jones tried the retirement thing when he abruptly left horse training 18 months ago. Didn't take.

Jones, standing outside his barn at Churchill Downs on Thursday, acknowledged he didn't so much retire as take a break.

"It's good to be back," he said. "I feel better than I have in 15, 20 years."

Jones trains Joyful Victory, a 3-year-old filly that will start from the rail as the 5-2 favorite in today's $1 million Kentucky Oaks, the female version of the Kentucky Derby.

Jones said Joyful Victory reminds him of Eight Belles, one of his former horses. The massive gray filly finished second in the 2008 Derby but was euthanized moments after hitting the wire after she broke both her front legs while galloping out.

Her death thrust Jones into an uncomfortable spotlight as animal rights groups questioned running a filly against the boys. The ensuing successes of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra — who won consecutive horse of the year awards after beating the guys — quieted such discussions, but Jones took the criticism personally.

He returned to the Derby in 2009 with Friesan Fire, who went off as the favorite but finished 18th. Six months later he stepped away, citing emotional strain.

Mo a go or no? Uncle Mo's connections weren't saying whether the colt will run in the Derby. He was recovering from a stomach ailment but looked good galloping at Churchill Downs. Uncle Mo is a 6-1 choice behind 3-1 early favorite Dialed In. Owner Mike Repole was waiting for results of a vet exam and said he would announce a decision today.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cardinals 6, Marlins 3

ST. LOUIS — Lance Berkman homered and drove in four runs as the Cardinals hammered Josh Johnson. The switch-hitting Berkman connected for a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth off lefty Mike Dunn. "He's got a nice stroke both ways now," manager Tony La Russa said. Albert Pujols singled three times vs. Johnson, who had an 0.88 ERA and had allowed only 18 hits in 41 innings in April. The Cardinals battered him for eight hits in 25 at-bats.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Braves 2, Brewers 1

ATLANTA — Martin Prado hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth and the Braves completed their first four-game sweep of the Brewers in franchise history. Prado led off the eighth with a drive to left off Kameron Loe for his third homer. Prado was Loe's first batter in relief of Shaun Marcum, who pitched seven strong innings. Atlanta's Eric Hinske, making only his third start of the season at first base, also homered.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Phillies 7, Nationals 3

PHILADELPHIA — Roy Halladay struck out 10 in seven innings, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino homered, and the Phillies completed a three-game sweep. Halladay won his 10th straight decision against the franchise from Washington and Montreal, and he has won 13 starts in a row vs. the NL East. John Lannan fell to 0-10 vs. the Phillies.

Times wires
Thursday, May 5, 2011

NEW YORK — MLB wants more complete access to documents on the Dodgers' finances, the Associated Press reported.

Former Rangers president Tom Schieffer was appointed last month by commissioner Bud Selig to monitor the team's finances, and he met with Selig and MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred on Thursday in Milwaukee. The three decided to press ahead with a probe of Dodgers finances dating to Frank McCourt's purchase of the club in 2004.

The Dodgers said Wednesday that documents requested by MLB had been made available in a "virtual data room" at Dodger Stadium. But baseball officials determined that was insufficient, the AP report said, because MLB will not be able to remove CD-ROMS for financial analysis and might not be able to print documents without the Dodgers having a record of what MLB is examining.

"I think we just continue … to work as hard as we can to get the thing done as quickly as possible," Schieffer said.

Baseball officials believe the Dodgers do not have enough money to make their May 31 player payroll of about $8.25 million. If the Dodgers can't, MLB would step in and make payroll.

Late show: Exactly five hours of playing time. More than 2½ hours of rain delay. A total of 14 pitchers and 13 innings. And, finally, one decisive swing. Bobby Abreu hit a two-run, two-out single off first-time reliever Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 13th and the Angels closed out a 5-3 win over the host Red Sox at 2:45 a.m. Thursday. "It was a game where there could have been some letdown," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, "but the guys hung in there and came out in the end." Boston, hitless for the first 6 1/3 innings, tied the score with two runs in the ninth and nearly won it in the 12th, but Marco Scutaro was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on Kevin Youkilis' double to left.

Tino to get UT degree: Tino Martinez, a Tampa native and major-leaguer for 16 seasons, will be among the 1,200 University of Tampa students receiving college degrees Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum. Martinez, 43, attended UT in 1986 but left early in 1988 after being selected in the first round by the Mariners. The two-time All-Star won four World Series with the Yankees.

Astros: Closer Brandon Lyon was put on the 15-day DL after an exam found a problem with his pitching arm and shoulder.

Brewers: CF Nyjer Morgan broke the middle finger on his left hand executing a sacrifice, only two days after returning from the DL. He could be out 2-4 weeks.

Indians: Thursday's 4-3 win in 12 innings improved Cleveland's record to 21-9, the seventh time the franchise has accomplished the feat. The Indians had the same start in 1948, the last time they won the World Series.

Phillies: RHP Roy Oswalt, who spent the past week at his Weir, Miss., home after tornadoes ravaged the area, rejoined the team.

Royals: 1B Eric Hosmer, hitting .439 at Triple A, will likely start tonight vs. Oakland.

Yankees: 3B Alex Rodriguez was supposed to have the day off, but Eric Chavez, who started, fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot while running out a triple and had to come out of the game. Rodriguez pinch ran and stayed in. … SS Derek Jeter, who tweaked his hip a day earlier, did get the day off from manager Joe Girardi. Jeter said it was nothing serious, and Girardi described him as day-to-day.

By John C. Cotey, Times Preps Columnist
Thursday, May 5, 2011

TAMPA — After hitting a winning three-run home run Tuesday off Osceola ace and Florida State signee Taylor Layner, Jesuit catcher Nolan Schultz couldn't help but text good friend Kris Johnson to brag a little.

Johnson, who hit a winning home run last season in the same round of the playoffs against the same pitcher, simply replied:

"But whose was further?"

Johnson knew the answer. While Schultz's homer was a liner into the parking lot, his nearly redirected, or scattered, traffic on 102nd Avenue.

The initial awe over Johnson's prodigious poke eventually wore off, but the impact of the blast propelled the Tigers all the way to the state semifinals.

Schultz hopes his blast has the same effect as the Tigers (24-6) take on Bradenton Lakewood Ranch tonight in the Class 4A region semifinals.

Wednesday at practice, the Tigers bounded about with newfound confidence.

"Last year, Kris' homer really got us into our stride," Schultz, a junior, said. "After he hit it, we were all like, 'All right, we got this.' I think this year, the same thing is going to happen."

At this time last year, Schultz was riding the bench, the victim of a hitting slump that cost him his starting job. He hit .250 with one extra-base hit and after April 8 did not get a single at-bat.

He said he had focused so much on his defense — the catching, blocking and framing pitches of one of the best staffs in the state — he lost his way in the batter's box despite the best summer and fall of hitting in his life.

Bobby Eveld stepped in and promptly hit a homer April 9.

"I think I let it get into my head," Schultz said. "I knew exactly what I had done. But I wasn't getting it done. I wasn't focused on hitting."

Schultz is smart enough to realize his mistake.

Real smart, in fact — he just might be the most well-read baseball player in Tampa.

He recently read The Republic by Plato for the heck of it because F. Scott Fitzgerald — the author of his favorite book, The Great Gatsby — referenced it in some of his work.

Since Easter, he has bought 30 books on his Nook and read 20.

Pride and Prejudice came pre-installed on the Nook. He has no real interest in it but will read it anyway because it is a classic. And he says he will read Tolstoy's massive War and Peace as well.

Just because.

Like most in his generation, he started reading voraciously with Harry Potter. In fact, he looks like a grown-up, homer-hitting version of Potter, minus the glasses, and takes off his hat to reveal a thick mop of black hair.

When he was 10 or so, a little girl came up to him in the grocery store and, thinking he was the fictional child wizard, asked for his autograph.

He signed a piece of paper: Harry Potter.

This season, he has been something of a wizard at the plate.

He is third on the team in batting average (.436), doubles (eight) and home runs (six). He is second in RBIs with 37 and first with three triples.

Try taking his job now.

"I think I've brought up my hitting to my level of catching," he said, as if he has cast the spell of Reparo on his bat.

In 30 games, he has one error, on a catcher's interference.

"He's been a huge boost for us," said ace Lance McCullers. "He can't be replaced right now."

Friday, May 6, 2011

Madison Glennie has been playing on the Florida Junior Golf Tour for more than two years. She has played well but not quite good enough to win a tournament.

Until last weekend.

Glennie, a 15-year-old freshman at Countryside High, won her first Florida Junior Tour tournament at Lemon Bay Golf Club in Englewood on April 29-May 1. She did it by shooting a two-round score of 76-73—149, which tied Madison Lellyo of Windermere.

Glennie parred the first playoff hole to defeat Lellyo.

"I've never won one before, so it kind of changes how you feel,'' Glennie said. "Now I know I can win out there. It's an honor to win one because there are lots of girls in the division and they are really good.''

Glennie said she had never been in a hole-by-hole playoff. While she admits to being nervous, it helped to be playing with her friend.

"I had the mentality where I didn't really care if I won because I played really well,'' Glennie said. "That was my goal. And Madison is my friend, so I really didn't care which one of us won.''

Glennie is a third-generation golfer.

She has been playing since she was 5. Her family has a membership at Countryside Country Club, where she plays and practices often. Her father, Tim, is president of the Greater Tampa Golf Association.

This past fall at Countryside, Glennie qualified as an individual for the Class 2A state tournament and was named a second-team St. Petersburg Times all-county selection.

Glennie said she will stay busy this summer by playing tournaments on the Florida Junior Golf Tour, Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and, perhaps, David Leadbetter Tour. Her plan is to play at least two tournaments per month.

"I like playing in the tournaments,'' Glennie said. "You play against the same girls, and it's like we're growing up together. It's a lot of fun.''

More golf

• The Florida State Golf Association held a Mid-Amateur stroke play championship at Gainesville Country Club on April 29-May 1. Don Bell of Port Orange was the winner with a three-round total of 216, but there also were some local players in the tournament. John Reynaud of Clearwater was eighth with 221. Ken Palladino of Dunedin shot 227, and Steve Chevalier of Gulfport shot 235.

• The County Golf Association's individual tournament was held at Isla Del Sol on April 28. The regular division gross winner was Tom Parsley, who shot 72. The regular division net winner was David Allan, who shot 61. The senior gross winner was Jim Shepherd, who shot 75. The senior net winners were Don Powell and Tom Connor, who shot 65s. The ladies net winner were Janet Richey and Melody Ulen, who shot 71s.

• The CGA also held a better ball tournament May 2 at Bardmoor. The regular division gross winners were Juice Ahern and Mark Wheaton, who shot 71. The senior division gross winners were Tim deLeon and Mark Thomas, who shot 68. The overall net winners were Bob Blair and Rod Cooke, who shot 62. The ladies net winners were Jeannine Wiles and Sandi Kleefisch, who shot 64.

• Cypress Run Golf Club held a Founders Trophy tournament last week. The overall gross winner was Robert Drouse, who shot a two-day total of 165. The overall net winner was John Geheb, who shot 139.

Tennis

The Seminole Lake Tennis Center Local Challenge was held April 30-May 1. In the boys 18 singles, Dan Stefan won the championship. The boys 16 winner was Justin Hall. The boys 14 winner was Aaron Carey. The boys 12 winner was Jacob Szeszko, and the boys 10 winner was Sebastian Bucarion. The girls 18 singles winner was Agatha Ambrozy. The girls 16 winner was Rachel Rohrabacher. The girls 14 winner was Kylie Moulin. The girls 12 winner was Sanyukta Gawande, and the girls 10 winner was Amina Dzebo.

• Chase Rutan of St. Petersburg won the boys 12 singles championship at the Lehigh Acres Local Tennis Cup. Rutan won the final 6-3, 6-0 over Nicholas Dounchis.

• Mark this down on your calendar: Saturday, McMullen Tennis Center will offer free tennis lessons for juniors and adults from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of Tennis Across America Day. There will be seven United States Professional Tennis Association teaching professionals available to instruct players of all ages. There also will be special activities available for kids 10 and younger. For information, call 669-1919.

Times wires
Friday, May 6, 2011

Mariners 3, Rangers 1

SEATTLE — Justin Smoak hit his fifth homer, Jason Vargas pitched shutout ball into the eighth and the Mariners won for the seventh time in nine games, taking two of three from the Rangers to move within two games of .500 after starting the season 8-15. Smoak, a first baseman who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Cliff Lee to Texas in July, homered off Colby Lewis in the second and finished with three hits. Vargas allowed one run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 6, 2011

Rays at Orioles: 1 p.m. on Ch. 13. Once again, the Rays are part of Fox's game of the week coverage. Kenny Albert and Mark Grace will call the game, which will go out only to parts of Florida and the Baltimore-Washington area.

Fight Camp 360: Pacquiao vs. Mosley: 2 p.m. on Ch. 10. A preview of tonight's fight between Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley.

Kentucky Derby: 4 p.m. on Ch. 8. Three hours of coverage for a two-minute race (post time is 6:24). Still, NBC's coverage is usually top-notch.

By Brent Gaskill, Times Correspondent
Friday, May 6, 2011

Transition: Two of the bay area's favorite species are available in good numbers. Kingfish and tarpon are migrating through our waters and can often be found close to each other, seeking the same food source. Large concentrations of threadfin herring provide easy meals for kingfish as they depart for the north and for tarpon as they arrive from the south.

Kingfish: As water temperatures continue to increase, kings tend to move out to deeper water. The outer buoys of the shipping channel and the mid-depth reefs are good areas to concentrate efforts. Threadfins always make a good bait choice, but using a sabiki rig to catch Spanish sardines, cigar minnows or blue runners will match what the fish are focusing on.

Tarpon: Tarpon usually arrive from their journey hungry and eager to feed. They can be found by their surface rolling behavior as they move down the beaches or hang at ambush points such as bridge pilings. Threadfins again are a good bait choice, but don't overlook pinfish, scaled sardines or crabs, all of which can be productive offerings.

Brent Gaskill runs Summer Vacation Charters out of the St. Petersburg area and can be reached at captbrent@summervacationcharters.com or (727)510-1009.

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, May 6, 2011

Who could blame Tampa Bay racing fans today for feeling like kids in a candy store?

The 137th Kentucky Derby simulcast, Tampa Bay Downs' final weekend to the 2010-11 meet and one of Derby Lane's oldest stakes sweeten the first Saturday in May.

The Kentucky Derby (Race 11, 6:24 p.m.) from Churchill Downs is the centerpiece. All three of our area sites, including Tampa Greyhound Track, open their gates at 10 this morning for the undercard at Louisville, Ky. The Oldsmar track has Derby ties: two-time leading trainer Kathleen O'Connell and her Tampa Bay Derby winner Watch Me Go; Jesus Castanon, a former Downs back-to-back riding champion aboard Shackleford; and Graham Motion, an Oldsmar conditioner with trainee Animal Kingdom.

O'Connell can become the first woman trainer to win the Derby with Watch Me Go, the seventh Tampa Bay Derby winner in the past eight years to start the 1 1/4-mile race. Two Oldsmar graduates have taken the first leg of the Triple Crown: Super Saver in 2010 and Street Sense in 2007.

The Downs wraps up its 85th season Sunday with Fan Appreciation Day.

"The meet has been fantastic," track racing secretary Allison De Luca said. "We've had perfect weather, the horsemen really participated and our stakes were really good. We couldn't have asked for too much more."

Jockey Ronnie Allen Jr., 47, has wrapped up his first riding crown in 23 years. The trainer's title is going to the wire. Jamie Ness, 36, seeks his fifth consecutive championship and holds a 60-55 lead. Gerald Bennett, 67, is turning up the heat. With 23 races scheduled the next two days, Bennett has entered 12 horses to four by Ness. Last year, Ness tied O'Connell on the final day to share the title.

At Derby Lane, the Derby simulcast, a matinee-evening doubleheader of greyhound racing and the start of the 72nd annual Gold Trophy Juvenile ensure a busy day. "The Kentucky Derby is one of our biggest days (and) definitely the biggest simulcast day of the year," track spokeswoman Vera Rasnake said. "We've had record crowds the last two years."

Derby Lane's matinee attendance on the past two Derby days have been 6,224 and 6,128, respectively.

The $20,000 Gold Trophy Juvenile, a 550-yard sprint for young dogs, begins tonight with the first of four qualifying rounds in Races 4, 6, 8 and 10. Nova kennel goes for its third victory in a row in the Gold Trophy Juvenile. Its top entry is Hi Noon Renegade, winner of the $64,000 Sprint Classic on March 5. Trained by Rosa Gibbs, Hi Noon Renegade drew box 1 in Race 10 (10:11 p.m.). Track racing director Jerry Miller said Abernathy kennel's Magic Finch, who won the $80,000 Distance Classic on April 9, was not entered because of a slight injury. Eight pups with the most accumulative points from the 32-dog field advance to the finale May 21. First place pays $9,000.

Times wires
Friday, May 6, 2011

Reds 5, Cubs 4

CHICAGO — Jay Bruce's three-run homer in the fourth gave the Reds the lead for good. Matt Garza, acquired from the Rays in January, has one win in seven starts and none in four at home. Bruce's homer was the first he allowed this season. But Garza did get the first hit of his career after starting 0-for-25. He singled to lead off the third and later scored on a passed ball.

Times wires
Friday, May 6, 2011

ATLANTA — Two of the surprise performers in the Sprint Cup series this year have been Paul Menard and A.J. Allmendinger, both of whom have been in and around the top 10 in the standings through the first quarter of the season.

While Menard has dropped out of the top 10 to 15th in recent weeks, Allmendinger is closing in on a top-10 spot. As the circuit heads to Darlington Raceway for tonight's Southern 500, Allmendinger is 11th in the standings, just 12 points behind 10th-place Tony Stewart.

Allmendinger, who persevered through a rookie season that saw him fail to qualify 19 times, has an average finish of 15th through this season's first nine races, with a best of seventh last week at Richmond and a worst of 31st at Bristol. He has four finishes of 11th or better.

"We have kind of had just a solid year," Allmendinger said on this week's NASCAR teleconference. "We have not done anything spectacular yet. I think the biggest thing, especially with this points system the way it is, is we have not done anything to shoot ourselves in the foot.

"We had one really bad race at Bristol where we got caught up in an early wreck, but everything else has been pretty solid."

He quickly pointed out that there's room for improvement, and that he and his team will need to be better to realistically contend for a Chase for the Championship berth.

"I think there are just certain areas we've got to work on, really, including Bristol," he said, adding that he and his team need to be better at keeping their cars fast throughout the entire race.

Allmendinger said he knows he generally is not considered a Chase contender at this point.

"We still need to be better to be considered one of those teams that are up there every week fighting to be in the top 10 to be in contention to win races," he said. "Do I think we have the potential to get there? Definitely. But are we there yet? Not yet."

Times wires
Friday, May 6, 2011

LAS VEGAS — Ask Shane Mosley how he can beat Manny Pacquiao, and the answer is match his speed and don't be afraid to trade punches with a guy who loves to trade punches. Ask trainer Naazim Richardson how his fighter can beat the best boxer in the world, and he says, "If he can be the best Sugar Shane Mosley there is, then Pacquiao has problems."

But Mosley, 39, hasn't been his best for quite some time, with two losses and a draw in his past five fights including a bad loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao, 32, is so confident in defense of his WBO welterweight title tonight at the MGM Grand hotel that he has scheduled a post-fight concert on the Las Vegas Strip.

"This is an important fight for me and millions of my fans," said Pacquiao, a member of congress in his native Philippines.

Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) weighed in Friday at 145 pounds, Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) at 147.

"It's an opportunity to show people I'm not washed up," Mosley said. "You don't lose your power. They say you lose your speed, but I haven't lost my speed, either."