By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 9, 2011

. UP NEXT

at Indians

Tonight-Thursday

What's new: The Indians are baseball's biggest surprise, sprinting to an AL-best 22-11 record. Their success has been a team effort, with an unheralded rotation, a power-armed bullpen and a deeper-than-you-think offense. … OF Shin-Soo Choo is one of the best players you haven't heard of, C Carlos Santana is a rising star, DH Travis Hafner is back to being good. … RHP Jeanmar Gomez was sent down, RHP Carlos Carrasco might be recalled to start Wednesday.

Key stat: The Indians have the best differential in the majors, scoring 48 more than they've allowed.

Connections: Rays C Kelly Shoppach and 1B coach George Hendrick played for the Indians, hitting coach Derek Shelton was a coach. … Indians closer Chris Perez is from Bradenton; RHP Mitch Talbot, traded for Shoppach, is on the DL.

Series history: Indians lead 67-38 overall, 39-14 in Cleveland, where the Rays had an 18-game losing streak until winning twice last year.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 9, 2011

Rays at Indians

When/where: 7:05 tonight; Progressive Field, Cleveland

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers:

RAYS: RH Andy Sonnanstine (0-0, 2.19)

INDIANS: RH Josh Tomlin (4-1, 2.43)

Watch for …

Sonny's day: Sonnanstine makes his first start of the season, taking the rotation spot of injured Jeff Niemann. The Ohio native has struggled against the Indians, posting a 3-3, 9.51 mark and allowing a .343 average overall (0-3, 10.67, .379 in Cleveland).

No Joshing: Tomlin, a 2006 19th-rounder, has been a hit since making his big-league debut in July. He's coming off his first loss but still pitched well at Oakland. He hasn't faced the Rays before.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Tomlin

Johnny Damon 2-for-3

C. Kotchman 1-for-3

Indians vs. Sonnanstine

Orlando Cabrera 6-for-13

Shin-Soo Choo 1-for-9, HR

J. Hannahan 4-for-10, 2 HRs

On deck

Wednesday: at Indians, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (4-3, 3.26); Indians — TBA

Thursday: at Indians, 12:05, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (3-2, 2.01); Indians — Justin Masterson (5-0, 2.25)

Friday: vs. Orioles, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (3-2, 3.72); O's — Jeremy Guthrie (1-5, 4.09)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Quote of the day

"I like their pitching. I like their bullpen. They're playing with a lot of energy. It's no fluke. They're going to be there all year."

Rays manager Joe Maddon, on the surprising Indians

Tribute of the day

The Rays on Friday will "retire" the official radio call signs of slain St. Petersburg police officers Thomas Baitinger, David Crawford and Jeffrey Yaslowitz, who all worked shifts at games, with a display on the back wall of the stadium beyond right-centerfield. "These men were a part of our Tropicana Field family," Rays president Matt Silverman said. Police Chief Chuck Harmon called it "a powerful, lasting tribute."

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, May 9, 2011

They woke up this morning scattered around the country. The first baseman. The leftfielder. The shortstop. The starting pitcher. The entire bullpen.

If you plotted it on a calendar, 14 of the 25 players from the roster of May 10, 2010, are no longer employed by the Tampa Bay Rays on May 10, 2011.

Call it a makeover. An overhaul. Call it the dismantling of the American League East champions with one important caveat.

On May 10, 2010, the Rays were in first place.

And precisely one year later, they are back again.

Who knows if it will last, but the improbability of a pawn shop roster challenging once more for the lead in baseball's most intimidating division is a story worthy of wonder.

And if you are not yet convinced that it is a remarkable achievement, think of it this way:

The seven highest-paid Rays of 2010 have all departed.

A lot of teams lose one, or even two, of their best players and struggle to come back the next season. The Rays, on the other hand, lopped off almost the top one-third of their roster and are still on pace to win 95 games.

To put that in context, if we were talking about the Yankees, that would mean Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada would have turned in their pinstripes this season.

So how, exactly, have the Rays pulled this off?

Well, the basic formula remains the same as in 2010. Tampa Bay still has the most cost-efficient (i.e. young) starting rotation in the league. That concept of stockpiling young, talented starters is the basis for everything else the franchise does.

But, beyond that, executive vice president Andrew Friedman appears to have done a marvelous job of sifting through the marketplace to find usable spare parts.

He signed a handful of free agents (Juan Cruz, Casey Kotchman and Felipe Lopez) to cheap minor-league contracts and plucked another (Rob Delaney) off waivers.

He traded for a collection of players (Sam Fuld, Brandon Gomes, Brandon Guyer, Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell) who spent the bulk of 2010 in the minors.

And when he did spend a little money, Friedman got a DH (Johnny Damon), a closer (Kyle Farnsworth) and a setup man (Joel Peralta) for less than what the Cubs agreed to pay Carlos Peña this season.

So did the Rays get lucky?

Perhaps, in some ways.

Fuld played above his head at a time when the Rays needed help. Kotchman got hot as Dan Johnson continues to struggle with his swing and confidence.

Still, in a lot of ways, this has gone precisely by design. Maybe not in every individual case, but in the overall concept of stockpiling cheap players with high upsides.

The Rays will never be able to chase the Jayson Werths or the Cliff Lees of free agency, so they have to find players who are undervalued for some reason.

Maybe it's because the player has yet to prove himself at the major-league level. Maybe there is an injury involved. Maybe it is a veteran player coming off a down year or two.

Whatever the reason, the player is far from a sure bet. This is why, for instance, no one was willing to give Kotchman or Lopez or Cruz or Dirk Hayhurst or Cory Wade a major-league contract in the winter.

And when you're dealing with this type of player, you are invariably going to have misses. For every Kotchman, you will have a Hank Blalock. For every Joaquin Benoit, you will have a Jason Isringhausen.

So what it comes down to is calculated risks. You accept that not every deal will work as planned, but you must be sharp enough to find the occasional payoff.

And you have to understand that you're not going to find a Derek Jeter using this method, so you must be willing to find players with complementary skills to fill a particular need.

Some of this also speaks to a franchise's deep farm system. The Rays could not have traded Matt Garza or Jason Bartlett if they were not confident in Jeremy Hellickson and Reid Brignac. In this sense, the Rays added at the same time they were subtracting.

Now, it is still far too early in the season to say whether the Rays have approximated the skill of their 2010 roster with all of their low-cost additions in 2011. And, to be honest, their 20-14 record might be due, in some part, to a fairly soft schedule.

Nonetheless, it's pretty impressive that a team can reduce its payroll by more than 40 percent and still be in first place nearly six weeks into a new season.

And if the Rays are still there in six months, it will be the story of 2011.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, May 9, 2011

Bad beard

Vinny Lecavalier's effort to grow a playoff beard is, shall we say, uneven.

"It's growing on one side and not the other," the Lightning captain said.

Lecavalier, who always has had trouble growing facial hair, doesn't exactly look like Paul Bunyan to begin with. That his left side is getting some growth and his right side is not just reinforces the point.

"I don't even want to say I grow it," Lecavalier said, laughing.

Strange beard

Lightning D Mike Lundin is wearing an almost perfect goatee. What is remarkable — and it truly is hard to believe — is that he has almost no other facial hair despite not shaving since the start of the playoffs.

"You'll see some ugly looking stragglers," Lundin said, "but I haven't shaved a thing."

Lundin said he always noticed the hair under his nose and around his mouth came in thicker than the rest of his face, "but I never would have thought it would come in as a goatee."

Tickets

Tickets for Games 3, 4 and 6 at the St. Pete Times Forum will be on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the box office, or at Ticketmaster, toll-free at 1-800-745-3000 or at ticketmaster.com. There is a special presale beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday for full and partial season-ticket holders, suite holders, sponsors and those interested in purchasing 10-packs for next season. Limit four tickets per person during the presale.

Quote to note

"He's the biggest guy in the league, and that stick is pretty long. He's a great defenseman, and when you play against him, you have to play behind him, you can't just use your strength because you'll lose. You have to play behind him and get pucks behind him and make him skate as much as you can."

Lightning C Vinny Lecavalier on 6-foot-9, 255-pound Bruins D Zdeno Chara

Number of the day

26:09 Average ice time for Lightning D Eric Brewer, 4:11 more than any other Tampa Bay defenseman.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

WASHINGTON — The FBI released documents Monday stating that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner assisted the agency in two investigations — one of them apparently a terrorism probe — in the years leading up to his pardon by President Ronald Reagan on a campaign-contributions conviction.

The Associated Press and other news organizations requested the FBI file under the Freedom of Information Act after Steinbrenner's death in July in Tampa. The first release was made in December. The two releases combined totaled about 800 pages.

In a newly released 1988 FBI memo, the FBI said that it "supports the contention that George Steinbrenner has provided the FBI with valuable assistance."

Seven months later, Reagan pardoned Steinbrenner for his convictions in a case involving campaign donations to President Richard Nixon and other politicians.

The documents, included in the second release of Steinbrenner's FBI file, also show that he blamed his illegal corporate campaign contribution to Nixon on bad legal advice.

The memo disclosed Monday described one probe in which Steinbrenner assisted as "an undercover operation" that ultimately led to an arrest, prosecution and conviction. The FBI described the other investigation simply as "a sensitive security matter." The FBI deleted all specifics about the probes.

BRADLEY CUT: The Mariners designated temperamental outfielder Milton Bradley for assignment. Bradley, 33, was suspended for a game last week for bumping an umpire, ejected Friday for arguing a called third strike and booed over the weekend for the perception he was dogging it on defense. The Mariners also cut utilityman Ryan Langerhans and called up OFs Carlos Peguero and Mike Wilson from Triple-A Tacoma.

WEAVER AUCTION: Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver is auctioning off 47 keepsakes, including his 1966 World Series ring and jerseys received as gifts from Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray. The former Orioles skipper will earn tens of thousands of dollars from the sale, but Weaver said he doesn't need the money and isn't keeping any of it. "I have four children. They have children, and their children have children," said Weaver, who turns 81 in August. "I don't know how to divide whatever memorabilia there is among them."

ATHLETICS: LF Josh Willingham was suspended for one game after making contact with an umpire in Saturday's game.

BREWERS: Utilityman Erick Almonte, the first player to go on the new seven-day disabled list for concussions, returned to physical activity after clearing his baseline test.

CUBS: LHP Doug Davis, who signed a minor-league contract that has an opt-out clause if he isn't in the majors by May 30, was promoted to Triple-A Iowa after one start at Class A.

DODGERS: Closer Jonathan Broxton, who went on the DL Friday with a bone spur in his elbow, could miss up to six weeks, manager Don Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times.

MARLINS: RH reliever Edward Mujica left the game against the Phillies with an injured left leg.

ORIOLES: An MRI exam revealed that LF Luke Scott has a partial tear of the labrum in his right shoulder. Scott expects to try to play through the injury.

PHILLIES: RHP Roy Oswalt, on the DL with lower back inflammation, is unlikely to be activated when eligible Friday but hopes to start Tuesday.

RANGERS: Reigning AL MVP and former Rays prospect Josh Hamilton is set to start taking batting practice Friday, a month and a day after breaking his upper right arm.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Suspended Florida basketball players Cody Larson and Erik Murphy had their felony burglary charge reduced Monday by the State Attorney's Office to misdemeanor criminal trespass, stemming from an April incident when they were accused of trying to break into a car in St. Augustine.

According to the police report, Larson and Murphy went into Scarlett O'Hara's restaurant and bar around 2 a.m. on April 10 claiming they had lost a wallet.

Bouncers later told Larson and Murphy to leave. Moments later, according to the report, witnesses saw the men trying to break into the car of one of the bar's employees. No court date in St. John's County has been set, but the players agreed to pay $240 in restitution for damages to the car. Charges against team manager Joshua Adel were dropped.

Terps get coach: Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon accepted the Maryland job, replacing Gary Williams, who resigned last week. The Terps reportedly had attempted to woo Arizona's Sean Miller, Butler's Brad Stevens and Notre Dame's Mike Brey before landing Turgeon, 46.

DRAFT INS, OUTS: Notre Dame's Carleton Scott, Texas' Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, and Washington State's Klay Thompson are staying in the NBA draft. Missouri junior forwards Laurence Bowers and Kim English, Northwestern senior forward John Shurna and Minnesota senior forward Ralph Sampson III removed their names and will return to school.

MORE BASKETBALL: Navy coach Billy Lange resigned to become associate head coach at Villanova. … Iowa State dismissed forward Calvin Godfrey after his arrest on marijuana possession.

FOOTBALL: Running back Washaun Ealey is leaving Georgia. He led the team in rushing each of the past two seasons but has been suspended twice. … North Carolina defensive back Brendon Felder and linebacker Herman Davidson are transferring and defensive lineman Jared McAdoo was dismissed, coach Butch Davis said. … Missouri redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Gabbert, younger brother of Jaguars first-round pick Blaine Gabbert, has decided to transfer. … Northwestern and coach Pat Fitzgerald have agreed to a new contract, the Associated Press reported. An announcement is expected today.

OBITUARY: Terry Crouch, a two-time All-America guard at Oklahoma in the early 1980s, died Sunday in Dallas after a long illness. He was 51.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Pirates 4, Dodgers 1

PITTSBURGH — Neil Walker hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning, and the Pirates moved above .500 in mid May for the first time in seven years. Garrett Jones led off the eighth with a walk before Walker laced a shot into the rightfield corner off starter Chad Billingsley. Jones scored from first to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Phillies 6, Marlins 4

MIAMI — The Phillies turned four double plays behind Joe Blanton, who came off the DL to earn his first victory. The Marlins had trouble catching the ball: When Jimmy Rollins homered on the game's fifth pitch, the ball deflected off rightfielder Mike Stanton's glove, and pitcher Javier Vazquez dropped a throw covering home in the third inning.

By Rick Stroud, Times staff writer
Monday, May 9, 2011

BALTIMORE — You can't hit what you can't see. That time-honored baseball axiom was never more real to Casey Kotchman than when he stood at the plate inspecting pitches last season.

"It was kind of like looking through a dirty windshield wiper," he said.

After batting .217 in 125 games for the Mariners, the second-worst average of his career, the former Seminole High star made an appointment in October with Dr. Tom Tooma, a pioneer in lasik who had performed the surgery on Kotchman in Newport Beach, Calif., in 2004.

Kotchman, 28, was diagnosed with a bacterial infection, and Tooma squeezed pus out of both tear ducts. Several followup visits ensured the problem was corrected.

"My vision has been pristine so far, to say the least," Kotchman said. "And I'm trying to get out of the bad habits I got into mechanically at the plate last year."

But you have to forgive Kotchman if he's still having trouble trusting his eyes. Certainly, he never saw this coming:

Manny Ramirez retiring a few days into the season to force Kotchman's recall from Triple-A Durham; Dan Johnson struggling with one home run and a .129 average; and Kotchman being given a chance to play nearly every day in the big leagues for the Rays, his hometown team.

Entering tonight's game against the Indians, Kotchman is feeling more comfortable in and out of the batter's box. He's hitting .355 with three doubles, a homer and six RBIs, and has batted .400 over his past 10 games.

"When you can't see the ball, that's the biggest thing in hitting," he said. "You start to guess, and you don't trust your swing. You can't, because you can't see. The first importance is to see the ball and go from there."

Manager Joe Maddon knew when the Rays signed Kotchman, he wouldn't forget to bring his glove. He has a .998 fielding percentage at first base, the highest in major-league history among players with at least 500 games.

But at the plate?

Maddon remembers when Kotchman hit .296 with 11 homers in more than 500 at-bats with the Angels in 2007. But when you put on the tape of him with the Mariners, he was too jumpy.

"I didn't know what to expect," Maddon said. "He came to spring training, we looked at him closely and watched some old stuff (along with hitting coach Derek Shelton). And he's made some nice adjustments.

"Right now, he looks hitterish, he does. Nice and calm at the plate … and I think with that, he knows where the head of the bat is."

Defensively, Kotchman has been stellar.

"My dad always told me, the bat can't and won't be there every single day," Kotchman said of his father, Tom, an Angels scout and manager of the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League. "But your glove can and it should be. So you're going to help the team with your glove and keep the starting pitcher in the game longer and put less stress on your bullpen by taking away hits or saving errors."

Maddon said the Rays have been spoiled with some slick-fielding first basemen such as Travis Lee and Carlos Peña.

"Now Kotch," said Maddon, who was the Angels' bench coach when Kotchman was with the big club in 2004 and 2005.

"For so many years, people said just put somebody over there as long as he can hit. Bad thought. As far as I'm concerned, you want a really good-fielding first baseman that does draw the confidence out of the infielders where they can just pick up the ball and throw it knowing that it's going to be caught somehow. And he does that for all of those guys."

Kotchman's acceptance has been quick in the clubhouse. Five of his eight seasons in the majors were spent with the Angels, but since 2008, he has bounced among the Braves, Red Sox, Mariners and now Rays.

"When you come full circle like he has, relatively young age, to end up back sort of where it all started in T-ball, not many kids get to do that," Tom Kotchman said.

But seeing is believing.

"It's like I'm living a dream at home," said Kotchman, the 13th overall pick by the Angels in the 2001 draft. "It really is. I say that humbly. I mean, I'm living a dream. I'm at home with the family. … It's something I couldn't envision happening."

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Tigers 10, Blue Jays 5

TORONTO — Max Scherzer won his sixth consecutive decision and Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer for the Tigers. Scherzer has not lost in eight starts this season. His season-opening winning streak is the longest by a Detroit pitcher since Jeremy Bonderman won eight straight in 2007.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

BUCS

DE MAGEE CITED FOR POT POSSESSION

TAMPA — Bucs defensive end Alex Magee was cited for marijuana possession at a traffic stop Monday.

At about 1:15 p.m., an officer pulled over Magee's 2009 black Dodge Charger at Kennedy Boulevard and Nebraska Avenue for having an expired tag, according to the Tampa Police Department. The officer smelled marijuana, searched the car and found a small amount of the drug.

Magee, 24, was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and driving with a tag that has been expired for more than six months. Because the amount of marijuana warranted only a misdemeanor charge, the officer issued Magee a citation and a court date and let him go.

MORE NFL

League could seek WADA's testing help

The NFL might turn to the World Anti-Doping Agency to oversee testing of players for performance-enhancing drugs, the New York Times reported, one of many changes it is mulling if forced by the courts to operate without a new collective bargaining agreement. WADA's involvement could eventually lead to players being blood tested for human growth hormone for the first time.

The league filed papers asking a federal appeals court to vacate a preliminary injunction that briefly lifted its lockout. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has a hearing scheduled for June 3.

GOLF

Els lead Hall of Fame induction class

Ernie Els, 41, who has won 62 times around the world including three majors, was among six people inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine. Other inductees: Doug Ford, the late Jock Hutchison, Japan's Jumbo Ozaki, former President George H.W. Bush and late TV producer Frank Chirkinian.

RANKINGS: Tiger Woods dropped to No. 8 in the world after England's Paul Casey passed him for seventh.

SOCCER

U.S. roster ready for women's World Cup

With key veterans such as goalkeeper Hope Solo and defender Heather Mitts healthy, U.S. women's coach Pia Sundhage released the roster (above) for the World Cup in Germany. Mitts, who had been struggling with a hamstring injury, and star scorer Abby Wambach are former standouts at Florida. The Americans open June 28 against North Korea, then face Colombia on July 2 and Sweden on July 6 in group play.

ET CETERA

HORSES: Archarcharch, injured during Saturday's Kentucky Derby, was retired from racing after surgery on a fractured left front leg turned up additional cartilage damage.

TENNIS: Novak Djokovic can claim the No. 1 ranking for the first time if he wins this week's Italian Open in Rome and top-ranked Rafael Nadal fails to reach the semifinals.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer; Times wires

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Brewers 4, Padres 3

MILWAUKEE — Zack Greinke pitched six effective innings in his home debut and Rickie Weeks homered for the Brewers. Greinke rebounded from a disappointing start Wednesday for his first win with Milwaukee, handling the Padres, who went in with the second-fewest runs in the majors. A double play turned by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and Weeks in the eighth helped the bullpen hang on.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

BOSTON — LeBron James scored 35 and had 14 rebounds to lead the Heat to a 98-90 overtime win over the Celtics on Monday for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Dwyane Wade scored 28 with nine rebounds and Chris Bosh had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, which could eliminate the defending conference champions and advance to the East final with a win in Game 5 on Wednesday in Miami.

James, Wade and Bosh scored 83 of Miami's 98 and had 35 of its 45 rebounds.

Paul Pierce scored 27, Ray Allen had 17 and Kevin Garnett had seven points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics.

James made up for a turnover at the end of regulation with a jumper to start overtime to give the Heat the lead for good.

The Celtics scored just four in overtime, shooting 1-of-6.

Point guard Rajon Rondo, who dislocated his left elbow Saturday, played 39 minutes with a padded sleeve covering what appeared to be a brace on his left arm, scoring 10 with five assists.

Boston took an 84-81 lead with 2:28 left after 3-pointers by Delonte West and Allen, but James hit a 3 to tie it then made a left-handed lay-in with 48 seconds to play for an 86-84 lead. Pierce drove to the basket to tie it, but James lost control of the ball while he was dribbling down the clock.

Allen went for it and was bumped by James Jones, giving the Celtics the ball out of bounds with 19.5 seconds left. Pierce got the ball, waited out the clock then took a fallaway jumper in the final seconds that bounced off the rim as time expired.

Former Florida standout Udonis Haslem was activated for the first time since foot surgery in November. He made one appearance in the first three quarters, playing three minutes and picking up an offensive foul, a loose-ball foul and a technical foul.

Heat 98, Celtics 90 OT

MIAMI (98): James 12-28 9-9 35, Bosh 8-17 4-5 20, Anthony 2-2 0-0 4, Bibby 2-6 0-0 4, Wade 8-18 12-14 28, Chalmers 1-2 0-0 3, Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Ilgauskas 1-1 0-0 2, House 0-1 0-0 0, Miller 0-2 0-0 0, Haslem 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 35-79 25-28 98.

BOSTON (90): Pierce 10-20 6-7 27, Garnett 1-10 5-6 7, J.O'Neal 3-6 2-2 8, Rondo 4-7 2-2 10, Allen 5-12 5-6 17, West 4-7 1-2 10, S.O'Neal 0-0 0-0 0, Green 2-4 2-2 7, Davis 1-4 2-2 4. Totals 30-70 25-29 90.

Miami 28 22 19 17 12— 98

Boston 31 22 20 13 4— 90

3-Point Goals—Miami 3-13 (James 2-6, Chalmers 1-2, Miller 0-2, Bibby 0-3), Boston 5-16 (Allen 2-5, Green 1-2, West 1-3, Pierce 1-6). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Miami 52 (James 14), Boston 39 (Garnett 10). Assists—Miami 10 (Wade 4), Boston 15 (Rondo 5). Total Fouls—Miami 24, Boston 23. Technicals—Haslem, Miami defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls—J.O'Neal. A—18,624 (18,624).

Lakers GM: Jackson really done this time

DALLAS — Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak believes Phil Jackson this time.

Although Jackson hasn't given a definitive answer on whether Sunday's loss to the Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals was his last game, Kupchak said he believes Jackson's decision to retire is final.

"I think this is it," Kupchak told ESPNLosAngeles. "We'll sit down and talk, but I've gotten no indication that he won't retire.

"We just talked briefly, and I thanked him for what he's done for the organization. It was a pleasure to work with him."

After 11 titles in 20 seasons, Jackson said Sunday that he is finished with coaching.

"All my hopes and aspirations are, this is the final game that I'll coach," said Jackson, 65, who has retired twice before. "This has been a wonderful run."

As for the team's plans to replace Jackson, Kupchak didn't go into detail.

Defensive honors: Magic center Dwight Howard, who has won the past three defensive player of the year awards, received the most points for the all-defensive first team, and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant were selected for a record-tying ninth time — joining former stars Michael Jordan and Gary Payton. Heat forward LeBron James and Celtics guard Rajon Rondo rounded out the first team chosen by the league's coaches. Bulls forward-center Joakim Noah, a former Florida standout, made the second team.

Taking Bulls to task: Guard Derrick Rose wants his top-seeded Bulls to pick it up after their 100-88 loss to the Hawks on Sunday left their Eastern Conference semifinal tied 2-2.

"They just played harder, getting to loose balls, second effort, chasing balls down," Rose said of the Hawks. Game 5 is tonight in Chicago, and another effort like that could put the Bulls on the brink of elimination.

But Rose insisted there's no pressure on them.

"If anything, I think that all of us are mad with the effort that we put in the last game. It wasn't good enough."

Hawk healing: Guard Kirk Hinrich said his right hamstring is improving, but Hawks coach Larry Drew doesn't expect him to play against the Bulls in their Eastern Conference semifinal, which is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 tonight. Hinrich was hurt late in the series-clinching win over the Magic.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Athletics 7, Rangers 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Trevor Cahill pitched seven strong innings to earn his sixth straight win to start the season and Josh Willingham homered and drove in five runs for the Athletics. Cahill matched the major-league lead with his sixth victory and equaled his career best by winning his seventh consecutive decision. He became Oakland's first 6-0 starter in 21 years.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

NASHVILLE — Daniel Sedin and Mason Raymond scored first-period goals, and Roberto Luongo made 23 saves Tuesday night as the Canucks beat the Predators 2-1 to advance to the Western Conference final.

The Canucks, who had the league's best record this season, reached the conference final for the first time since 1994.

Raymond gave Vancouver the lead 7:45 into the game. Sedin made it 2-0 just 1:43 later. Luongo did the rest for the Canucks, who were outshot 24-19. Vancouver recorded only nine total shots in the first two periods.

David Legwand's goal 3:31 into the second period cut Vancouver's lead to 2-1, but the Predators couldn't avoid elimination again and force a Game 7.

After grabbing the early lead, the Canucks put the game away with defense. Nashville had 11 shots in the first period but only 13 over the final 40 minutes.

The Canucks got some help to get their offense rolling as Predators defenseman Ryan Suter turned over the puck to Ryan Kesler right next to the net. Kesler passed to Raymond, who backhanded a shot past goalie Pekka Rinne.

Sedin doubled the lead while Nashville forward Jordin Tootoo served an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for diving, after he was hit by Alex Edler. Sedin connected just 36 seconds into the power play.

First Period—1, Vancouver, Raymond 1 (Kesler), 7:45. 2, Vancouver, D.Sedin 6 (Kesler, H.Sedin), 9:28 (pp). Penalties—H.Sedin, Van (high-sticking), :50; Kesler, Van (goaltender interference), 4:33; Bieksa, Van (roughing), 4:33; Weber, Nas (roughing), 4:33; Tootoo, Nas (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:52; Edler, Van (cross-checking), 11:25; Erat, Nas (tripping), 11:54; Higgins, Van (slashing), 16:11.

Second Period—3, Nashville, Legwand 6 (Ward, Kostitsyn), 3:31. Penalties—Erat, Nas (interference), 8:09; Torres, Van (tripping), 17:43.

Third Period—None. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Vancouver 7-2-10—19. Nashville 11-7-6—24. Power-play opportunities—Vancouver 1 of 3; Nashville 0 of 5. Goalies—Vancouver, Luongo 8-5-0 (24 shots-23 saves). Nashville, Rinne 6-6-0 (19-17). A—17,113 (17,113). T—2:35. Referees—Steve Kozari, Stephen Walkom. Linesmen—Greg Devorski, Jean Morin.

Red Wings looking to push Sharks to limit

ROMULUS, Mich. — The Red Wings are confident they will beat the Sharks tonight for a third straight time and force a Game 7.

The Red Wings arrived home Monday after avoiding elimination in San Jose, and Detroit coach Mike Babcock was asked if he hoped to get back on the team plane one more time.

"We're getting on it," Babcock said.

The Red Wings must beat the Sharks in Game 6 of the West semifinal series to make a trip back to San Jose necessary on Thursday. The Sharks, of course, want to force the Red Wings to make other plans.

"You try to eliminate teams when you have a chance to," San Jose forward Joe Thornton said. "So we're going to go in there and try to eliminate them. That's the game plan."

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Red Sox 2, Twins 1

11 innings

BOSTON — Former Rays All-Star Carl Crawford hit a one-out double off the Green Monster in leftfield that scored pinch-runner Jose Iglesias from first base in the 11th inning, helping the Red Sox win their third straight and salvage a 6-5 homestand. Boston moved within a game of .500 for only the third time since losing its season opener but has yet to even its record.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Reds 6, Astros 1

HOUSTON — Travis Wood hit a three-run homer and pitched shutout ball into the seventh to lead the Reds. Wood's shot to the Crawford Boxes in leftfield made it 3-0 in the third inning, and Ramon Hernandez pushed the lead to 5-0 with a two-run homer to almost the same spot an inning later. Wood earned his first win since April 2.

Times wires
Monday, May 9, 2011

Rockies 2, Mets 1

DENVER — Chris Iannetta broke a seventh-inning tie with a homer that barely cleared the leftfield wall, and the Rockies snapped their four-game skid. Iannetta, who stretched out a double that led to Colorado's first run two innings earlier, sent lefty Chris Capuano's 81 mph slider into the tunnel down the leftfield line with one out in the seventh. The Rockies improved to 5-0 against the Mets this season.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Andrew Letherby of Clearwater nearly pulled off the victory but found himself one second off the winning pace after crossing the finish line at the Tampa May Classic 5K on Saturday. The race had 488 finishers.

Letherby, 37, was second in a blistering 14 minutes, 34 seconds.

Jeremy Criscione of Bartow outdueled an elite field of local runners to win the overall title in 14:33.

Kristen Proach, also of Clearwater, was second in the women's race. Proach, 26, crossed the finish line in 17:20.

Apollo Beach's Sara Petrick was the women's champion in 17:03.

Christa Stephens, 27 of St. Petersburg, was the third woman to cross after running 17:59.

Age group winners locally were: (M masters) Keith Batten, Clearwater, 16:19; (M9 and under) Takuma Walter, St. Petersburg, 20:14; (F40-49) Yvonne Bryant, Clearwater, 21:27.

TRITON TROT 5K: Carol Glasscock won the women's championship at the Triton Trot 5K by one minute and 15 seconds Saturday.

Glasscock, 44 of St. Pete Beach, broke the tape in 20:25 to win. She was seventh overall.

Yova Borovska, 25 of St. Petersburg, cracked the top three with a third-place finish in 23:01.

Zach Hoge of St. Pete Beach claimed second place in the men's competition. Hoge, 18, came across the line in 18:30.

Trailing Hoge by two seconds was St. Petersburg's Ben Carlson, 26.

Gainesville's Daniel Swale was the overall champion in 17:01.

INNISBROOK EARTH DAY RUN: Mike Lismon of Palm Harbor won the Innisbrook Earth Day Run in his hometown Saturday.

The 43-year-old Lismon needed only 18 minutes and 32 seconds to finish well ahead of the pack after 3.4 miles.

Jim Hummel, 50 of Tarpon Springs, was second in 22:27.

Dave Jansen, 40 of Safety Harbor, took third in 22:35.

Largo's Staycie Hawk-Cross, 36, earned bronze in the women's race after crossing the finish line in 25:03 and placing third.

Age group winners from Pinellas County included: (M12 and under) Zach Johnson, Tarpon Springs, 26:58; (F13-19) Nicole Fischert, Tarpon Springs, 28:08; (M30-39) Jerry Glass, Tarpon Springs, 23:50; (M40-49) Jansen; (F40-49) Teresa Bodolay, Clearwater, 29:24; (M50-59) Hummel; (F50-59) Claire Laseter, Palm Harbor, 32:15; (M60-69) Duncan Cameron, Palm Harbor, 23:36; (F70 and over) Chieko Murch, Palm Harbor, 58:38.

The Innisbrook Earth Day Run had 110 runners finish the race.

MEEK AND MIGHTY CORRECTION: Coleman Inglima was the 7- to 10-year-old champion at the Meek and Mighty Triathlon in St. Petersburg on May 1.

Inglima completed the 100-yard swim, 3.6-mile bike and half-mile run in 20 minutes and six seconds to cross the finish line 12 seconds ahead of the field.

Inglima was mistakenly listed in second place in last week's results.

ST. PETE MASTERS: Three local swimmers were medalists at the United States Masters Short Course Yards Nationals in Mesa, Ariz., on April 28 through May 1.

Bill Sprecht, racing in the men's 50- to 54-year-old age group, won gold in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard butterfly. He also had a second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly and a third-place showing in the 50-yard butterfly.

In the women's 45-49 group, Charlotte Petersen won the 500 yard freestyle and had second-place finishes in the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke.

Bob Beach was the champion in the men's 80-84 group in the 1,650-yard freestyle. He also grabbed silver in the 500-yard freestyle and bronze in the 100-yard freestyle.

MILES FOR MELANOMA 5K: Karsen Callahan of St. Petersburg claimed the overall title Saturday at the Miles for Melanoma 5K in Largo's Walsingham Park.

Callahan, 33, was across the finish line in 17:09 and won with a sizable lead.

Treasure Island's Hunter McCann took second for the second week in a row. McCann, 14, had a time of 18:25 at the Miles for Melanoma 5K. A week earlier at the De Soto 5K Run in Bradenton, McCann was second in 17:26.

Steven Williams, 44 of Largo, took third after running 19:26.

Lisa Williams, 32 of Largo, won the women's race in 19:52.

Brianna Paczynski, 15 of Clearwater, was the third woman to cross after running 21:23.

Local age group winners were: (F masters) Kathleen Robinson, Pinellas Park, 22:50; (M14 and under) Christian Kondor, Seminole, 26:15; (F15-19) Sarah Folks, Pinellas Park, 21:42; (M15-19) Daniel Lashua, Largo, 20:15; (M20-24) Ben Feller, Seminole, 26:55; (F25-29) Adrienne Ierna, Largo, 24:34; (M25-29) Sean Branch, Clearwater, 22:38; (F30-34) Nicole Rusnell, St. Petersburg, 23:08; (M30-34) Tim Shaver, Palm Harbor, 21:44; (F35-39) Lara Kondor, Seminole, 24:42; (M35-39) Calvin Walker, Clearwater, 23:57; (F40-44) Stacey Greco, Palm Harbor, 28:10; (F45-49) Beth Ann Presnell, Seminole, 28:40; (M45-49) William Atkinson, Indian Rocks Beach, 25:09; (F50-54) Mary Taylor, Seminole, 29:33; (M50-54) Bruce Sobut, Indian Rocks Beach, 24:40; (F55-59) Lynn Johler, Indian Rocks Beach, 28:20; (F60-64) Katherine Firth, Seminole, 53:03.

ST. PETE ROAD RUNNERS: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Phillies sports nutritionist Dr. Sheila Dean will speak at the St. Pete Road Runners monthly meeting Thursday.

Dean is an exercise physiologist and author of the book Nutrition and Endurance: Where Do I Begin?

The St. Pete Road Runners meet at the Hospice administrative building on First Avenue S and 31st Street in St. Petersburg at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.

Times wires
Tuesday, May 10, 2011

White Sox 8, Angels 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Former Rays pitcher Edwin Jackson earned his first victory in more than a month and Carlos Quentin homered and drove in five runs as the White Sox routed the Angels. Jackson finally got some run support after four consecutive outings in which his teammates failed to score while he was in the game. Chicago has won three straight for the first time this season.