Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Swimming

Evans shines in return to competition

FULLERTON, Calif. — Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medalist eying a return in 2012, set two records at the Janet Evans Invitational on Saturday, 15 years after her last competitive race. She finished the 400-meter free in 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds and the 800 free in 8:59.06 for Master's marks in the 35-39 age group.

"I wanted to go 4:30 (in the 400)," Evans said. "I was pleased with my time (in the 800). I know there are some things I need to work on, and I know exactly what they are. So I think it's good."

Evans was 17 when she set the world record in the 400 free at the 1988 Olympics. She won three golds in Seoul and one in Barcelona in 1992. Now 39, she returned to the pool in October.

"Her practices just got better and better," coach Mark Schubert said. "She was surprising me all the time and surprising herself."

Tennis

Venus eyes Wimbledon title

Venus Williams said a Wimbledon title is in reach despite a long layoff. Out since January with a hip injury, she returns at this week's Eastbourne, a Wimbledon warmup. Sister Serena, out since winning Wimbledon last year for foot surgery and blood clots in her lung, also is returning. "We're not here for results," Venus said. "So we are going to do our best to take home two titles on this road."

Tourneys: Andy Murray beat Andy Roddick 6-3, 6-1 to reach the Queen's Club final in London. He faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. … Caroline Wozniacki beat Mona Barthel 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Ericsson Open final in Copenhagen, Denmark. She faces Lucie Safarova.

Et cetera

Track: Thousands of people, including many of Kenya's top athletes, braved heavy rain and lengthy security checks to attend the funeral of 2008 Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru in Nyahururu. Wanjiru, 24, died May 15 in a fall from a balcony at his apartment after a domestic dispute. His burial was delayed after his mother obtained a court order because police are still investigating the incident.

Soccer: Ricardo Gomes, a starter at defense for Brazil when it won the 1990 World Cup, was hired as Saudi Arabia's coach. He signed a three-year contract worth $13 million.

Times wires

By Steve Slowinski, Special to the Times
Saturday, June 11, 2011

As the calendar flips to June, baseball's collective attention momentarily shifts away from the day-to-day narrative of the season and onto a new topic: prospects.

Beginning with last week's amateur draft, June is prospect season, with new players being drafted and top prospects being called up to the majors. Just last week, the Royals called up one of their top prospects in third baseman Mike Moustakas, and other organizations have been following suit: Dee Gordon with the Dodgers, Anthony Rizzo with the Padres, Jemile Weeks with the Athletics and multiple others.

The Rays are currently sitting only a few games behind the Yankees and Red Sox, but instead of bolstering their roster through trades, the Rays are more likely to improve their roster by dipping into their farm system, one of the strongest in the majors.

So which prospects should we expect to see in the coming months, and what should we expect from them?

Desmond Jennings

Ranked before the season by Baseball America as the 22nd-best prospect in baseball, Jennings is widely considered a rising star. The 24-year-old centerfielder has all the tools: he's fast, plays great defense, hits for average, shows good plate discipline and is beginning to flash some power (nine home runs in 59 games this season). In many ways, he's a slightly younger version of B.J. Upton: great defense and speed, but with fewer strikeouts and a higher batting average.

Jennings is ostensibly in Triple A for developmental reasons, but the reality is that the Rays won't call him up until he is past the Super Two deadline. The Super Two rule allows young players with more than 130-140 days of service time to be eligible for arbitration after only two seasons instead of three. Players accumulate service time each day that they are on a team's 25-man roster, meaning the Rays don't want to call Jennings up until they are sure he will finish the year with fewer than 140 service days.

Jennings started the year with 33 days of service time due to past September callups, so the Rays likely won't call him up for another two weeks. He should start in leftfield but is expected to eventually replace Upton in center.

Brandon Guyer

Debatably the third-best player acquired in the Matt Garza trade (pitcher Chris Archer and shortstop Hak-Ju Lee were the centerpieces) Guyer is an athletic outfielder who is proving his breakout in Double A last season was no fluke. Always a fast player with a good command of the strike zone (7 percent walk rate), Guyer started hitting for power last season, posting a .588 slugging percentage and hitting 58 extra-base hits in only 410 plate appearances. This season, he has moved up to Triple A and has picked up right where he left off, hitting .318 while stealing nine bases and ripping 25 extra-base hits in 220 plate appearances.

Guyer has the athleticism to play all the outfield positions, but his range better suits him in a corner slot like leftfield. He has been in Triple A for only 54 games, but at 25 years old he could get called up later this season if he stays hot. If the Rays decide to deal Upton before the trading deadline — and the rumor mill is already heating up — Jennings will play in center and Guyer could land in left.

Jake McGee & Brandon Gomes

Rays fans have already seen McGee and Gomes at the major-league level this season, and both of them are power arms who figure to be key members of the Rays bullpen for years. However, they both still need more time in the minors to work on a few aspects of their game. McGee has been told by the Rays to work on consistency with his fastball (which oscillated between 91 and 96 mph) and on throwing his slider for strikes. As for Gomes, the Rays want him to get left-handed hitters out more consistently, which has been a struggle for him due to his almost sidearm delivery. He needs to refine his splitter even further, as pitches with vertical movement are quite effective against opposite-handed hitters.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With 18 holes left, too much golf remains for Robert Karlsson to worry about a couple of late bogeys.

Karlsson looked ready to run away from the field Saturday, leading by five strokes on the back nine at the St. Jude Classic. The Swede closed with his only bogeys of the day and finished with 2-under 68 that dropped him to 11-under 199, one stroke ahead of Harrison Frazar through three rounds in this final U.S. Open tuneup.

"I'm very, very happy with where I am at the moment. I mean you're going to make a mistake here and there," Karlsson said.

"Just keep doing what I'm doing. I mean it's a 72-hole golf tournament. It's a long, long way to go still, and … I'm very happy with where I'm standing and let's go from there."

Frazar said he thought Karlsson was in total control, so he focused only on playing. He got hot and birdied three of his final four holes to finish with 64 that got him to 10 under. That included rolling in a 42-footer for birdie on No. 18 on a similar line to a putt he had last year.

John Merrick (67) is third, followed by Retief Goosen.

LPGA: Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot her second straight 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Mindy Kim in the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill.

Tseng reached 17-under 199, birdieing all four of Panther Creek's par 5s in her bogey-free round. Kim, the leader after two rounds, bogeyed the final hole for 69.

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome, coming off a victory Sunday in New Jersey, shot 66 to join Shanshan Feng (69) at 14 under. Lincicome birdied five of the first eight holes. "I was happy to be 3 under though four holes. I wanted to stop then," she said. "I'd have taken 69."

CHAMPIONS: Bob Tway, the overnight leader, fired 5-under 67 to move to 14-under 130 and keep a one-shot lead over Tommy Armour III in the Greater Hickory Classic in Conover, N.C. One more low round on a hot, humid weekend at Rock Barn and Tway could capture his first victory on the 50-and-over circuit. "Of course, you should be a little nervous. That's why you do it," Tway, 52, said.

Tiger not in Open but caddie is: Steve Williams, who has been the caddie for 13 of Tiger Woods' major championships, was working with Adam Scott at Congressional in preparation for this week's U.S. Open. They were together Saturday during a practice round at the course outside of Washington, D.C. Woods withdrew from the Open on Tuesday because of lingering injuries to his left leg.

By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

FC Tampa Bay will face English team

FC Tampa Bay will play its first international friendly this summer when it hosts the English Premier League's Bolton in mid July at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg. An official announcement is expected early this week. A date has not been confirmed, but it likely will be July 10-15, before Bolton plays in Orlando on July 17.

Bolton reached the semifinals of this year's FA Cup, an all-division tournament that features 759 English teams. This season, Bolton was eighth in the 20-team Premier League with six games left but struggled down the stretch and finished 14th.

The Wanderers' best-known player is 25-year-old U.S. national team member Stuart Holden. But the midfielder is out with an undisclosed right knee injury and will not be healthy in time for July's game.

Eduardo A. Encina, Times staff writer

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

FORT WORTH, Texas — Dario Franchitti held off Scott Dixon in a 10-lap duel Saturday to win the first of two races at Texas Motor Speedway in the first doubleheader in major open-wheel racing in 30 years.

In the late second race, Will Power won for the 13th time in his career but his first on an oval.

Franchitti led 110 of 114 laps and finished 0.0527 seconds ahead of his Target Chip Ganassi teammate.

The race was on a pace of about 207 mph, which would have been an IndyCar Series record, before a crash prompted the only caution.

After the first restart was waved off because pole-sitter Alex Tagliani took off too soon, Franchitti and Dixon were side by side. Franchitti, who qualified second, took the lead on the first turn. The average speed wound up 181.649 mph. "I saw (Dixon). That's a guy you don't want to see, especially with a side-by-side restart," Franchitti said. "I managed to get a good restart."

Before Saturday, there had been only 17 twin races in the history of U.S. open-wheel racing, including CART and USAC. All were between 1967 and 1981, the last being a CART-sanctioned event in Atlanta.

Sprint Cup: A day after hitting the wall in practice, Kurt Busch used a backup car to earn the pole for today's Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Pa. The No. 22 Dodge turned a fast lap of 171.579 mph to give Busch two straight poles. Points leader Carl Edwards qualified sixth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 21st a week after a second-place finish at Kansas.

F1: Sebastian Vettel, the points leader who has won five of the series' six races this year, earned the pole for today's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Sportscars: Benoit Treluyer, driving for defending champion Audi, completed 152 laps to lead after 11 hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. But Audi lost its other two cars. Defending champ Mike Rockenfeller was second when he crashed while trying to pass a slower car. And Allan McNish crashed about 50 minutes in also while in second.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Red Sox 16, Blue Jays 4

TORONTO — John Lackey had a rare effective outing in his second start off the disabled list, and No. 9 hitter Jason Varitek homered and drove in four runs to help the Red Sox win their eighth straight game. David Ortiz hit a three-run homer for Boston.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Reds 10, Giants 2

SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Leake pitched eight shutout innings and also got two hits off Tim Lincecum as the Reds gave the Giants ace one of his worst beatings ever. The two-time Cy Young Award winner matched his career worst by allowing seven runs.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Phillies 7, Cubs 1

PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley homered and drove in four runs to back Cliff Lee's eight strong innings for the Phillies. Lee passed teammate Roy Halladay for the league lead in strikeouts, recording seven to up his total to 107. Utley hit a two-run double in the first and provided insurance with a two-run homer in the eighth. Cubs right-hander Matt Garza made his second career start at Citizens Bank Park after pitching Game 3 of the 2008 World Series for the Rays against Philadelphia.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Twins 8, Rangers 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Scott Baker pitched a five-hitter for his fourth career complete game and Alexi Casilla had three hits and two runs for the Twins, who have won eight of 11. Baker pitched his first complete game since Aug. 14, 2009. Minnesota scored five in the first against Colby Lewis, who lasted a season-low 11/3 innings. Slowly, the reigning AL Central champions are regaining their form despite a rash of injuries. An unlikely factor has been Casilla, batting .326 since May 15.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Yankees 4, Indians 0

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch after he homered and Bartolo Colon pitched two-hit ball into the seventh for the Yankees. Rodriguez got plunked by Indians starter Mitch Talbot, a former Ray, in the sixth inning a day after the teams' benches cleared. "I don't know if it was intentional, but it hurt like hell," said Rodriguez, who said he was hit in the IT band between his hip and knee. Talbot, who said he slipped while throwing, was ejected.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

BALTIMORE — INF Elliot Johnson was activated from the disabled list after Saturday's game and will play in today's series finale with the Orioles.

Johnson, on the DL since May 25 with a sprained left knee, said his short rehab stint with Triple-A Durham went well and he's ready to return to his utility role. To make room, INF Felipe Lopez was designated for assignment.

"I'm very excited and very happy; it feels good to be playing again," Johnson said. "I'm happy to be a player and not so much a spectator anymore. There's only so much cheerleading you can do before it gets tiring."

Maddon said Johnson "provides a lot of utility" and "does a lot of things with his speed."

But Maddon acknowledged it was a tough call to designate Lopez, though the Rays hope, as happened earlier in the season, that the veteran can clear waivers and stay in the organization.

"I spoke to him about it, and he was professional about it," Maddon said. "I think he likes it here, and I think he knows we appreciate him here."

BACK AGAIN: Justin Ruggiano made his fifth consecutive start, this one against RHP Jeremy Guthrie. Maddon said Ruggiano is not the typical platoon outfielder, having entered Saturday hitting .389 vs. righties and .111 vs. lefties. He also hit better against righties for Durham. "If he's swinging the bat well, he's swinging the bat well," Maddon said. "It doesn't matter righty or lefty."

BACK IN SWING: RF Matt Joyce, scratched Friday due to post-injection soreness in his left shoulder, was back in the lineup. Joyce said he was feeling better and didn't use the shoulder as an excuse for hitting .200 in his previous 11 games. He said it had more to do with pitchers making adjustments and pitching him more carefully, and him swinging at pitches out of his zone.

Joyce went 0-for-5 Saturday, but Maddon noted he moved runners over with two grounders to the right side, including Ben Zobrist to third in the 11th before Longoria's winning single.

"People rarely ever talk about that," Maddon said. "Big plays for us right there."

BOUNCE BACK: RHP Wade Davis enjoys pitching at Camden Yards and has had his share of success there, going 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five career starts.

That could be a good thing for Davis, who has struggled in his past six starts (1-3, 6.95 ERA). He feels physically fine and likes his stuff, and Maddon says he's one of the hardest workers around.

The issue has had more to do with pitch selection and decision-making. Maddon has talked with Davis about it and said he has seen progress the past few starts in terms of the process.

"It's almost like his pitch selection, experimenting in certain moments when he really should not be experimenting," Maddon said. "We spoke very frankly and openly, because his stuff is way too good to be faced with the results he's had to this point. …

"It's about being a little bit more calculated in a positive way, prior to the game, game-in-progress, and then being able to execute a game plan. Because, physically, this guy's work habits are among the best. I'm just challenging him to elevate his game mentally a little bit."

MILESTONE MATTERS: DH Johnny Damon's leadoff bloop single extended his streak to 36 games reaching base safely, one off the club record set by Ben Grieve April 18-May 30, 2001.

MISCELLANY: Principal owner Stuart Sternberg was in attendance. … Both benches cleared and two players were ejected, including top RHP prospect Alex Colome, during Class A Port Charlotte's game at Palm Beach. C Juan Castillo threw his bat and charged the mound after Colome threw a pitch behind him. Stone Crabs C Mark Thomas tackled and subdued Castillo and was also ejected. Port Charlotte won 8-2.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Finals

Mavericks 3, Heat 2

Game 1: Heat 92, Mavericks 84

Game 2: Mavericks 95, Heat 93

Game 3: Heat 88, Mavericks 86

Game 4: Mavericks 86, Heat 83

Game 5: Mavericks 112, Heat 103

Tonight: at Miami, 8, Ch. 28

Tuesday: at Miami, 9, Ch. 28 *

* If necessary

MIAMI — Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki found nothing funny about the Heat's Dwyane Wade and LeBron James apparently cracking a joke about him.

James and Wade were caught on camera coughing and making jokes about being sick while leaving AmericanAirlines Center in Dallas after Thursday's shootaround before Game 5. It appeared they were poking fun and questioning the validity of Nowitzki playing in Game 4 with a sinus infection.

The video taken shows Wade walking alongside James. Wade coughs, then says, "Did you hear me cough? Think I'm sick." The video clip runs 26 seconds. After Wade coughs, he and James laugh and tug their collars over their nose and mouth, as Nowitzki did during his interview after Game 4.

"I just thought it was a little childish, a little ignorant," Nowitzki said. "I've been in this league for 13 years. I've never faked an injury or an illness before. … This is the NBA Finals. If you need an extra motivation, you have a problem."

James and Wade downplayed the incident when asked about it Saturday. Wade said they weren't making fun of Nowitzki.

"I actually did cough," Wade said. "And with the cameras being right there, we made a joke out of it because we knew you guys were going to blow it up. You did exactly what we knew. We never said Dirk's name. I think he's not the only one in the world who can get sick or have a cough."

James refused to address the issue: "I'm not feeding into that. … There's bigger issues in this series than that."

As for on the court, Wade said his injured left hip will be "totally fine" for tonight's Game 6. He can only hope that his team will be, too, after a series featuring three late-game Miami meltdowns, a stunning scoring slump from James and can-you-top-this clutch shooting from Nowitzki.

Win tonight, and Miami forces a Game 7 at home Tuesday. Lose, and the Heat's season ends with angst, anger and aggravation over squandered leads and missed chances.

The Heat has been outscored a total of 50 to 26 during the final six minutes of the past four games, three of them losses.

Wade spent part of Saturday defending James, who has just 11 fourth-quarter points in the Finals. What's more, James has attempted 16 free throws — only two more than Heat backup guard Mario Chalmers and 28 fewer than Nowitzki.

"Obviously, we want him to stay aggressive," Wade said of James.

In the past two games, James scored 8 and 17, making 11 of 30 shots.

James noted that he did have a triple double in Game 5, but even with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, he said, "I had a bad game in a lot of people's eyes. I understand that."

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Pirates 3, Mets 2

PITTSBURGH — James McDonald worked in and out of trouble over six effective innings and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double for the Pirates, who snapped a two-game skid. Jose Tabata and Josh Harrison each had two hits and a run and Garrett Jones had an RBI double among his two hits for Pittsburgh. New York lost for the second time in seven games.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Tigers 8, Mariners 1

DETROIT — Max Scherzer found his form after three rocky starts and Austin Jackson tripled twice for the Tigers. Victor Martinez had two RBIs and Jhonny Peralta homered for Detroit, which moved within one percentage point of the first-place Indians in the AL Central after being as many as eight games behind in early May. Scherzer had struggled but pitched seven strong innings to tie for the AL lead with his eighth win.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

So, you're confused about the growing list of litigation related to the NFL's labor battle? Overwhelmed by all the motions, injunctions and rulings?

You're not alone.

Fans, above all, want football. But for the NFL's lockout to end and the 2011 season to begin, much of what's playing out in the courts might need to be resolved. Team owners and players have resumed collective bargaining talks in the past week, but with so many legal actions pending, the courts could impact the result.

To that end, here's a cursory look at the status of the many ongoing legal battles and some of what to look for in the coming weeks and months.

The mother lode

The details: The litigation with the most potential consequences is the lawsuit filed by the players accusing the NFL of violating antitrust laws. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and nine others are named plaintiffs. The case remains in its early stages, but the players are seen as having a reasonable chance of victory, one that would have far-reaching implications on everything from the draft to free agency.

Certain antitrust laws allow the NFL to engage in practices that would otherwise be considered illegal, like forcing players to subject themselves to a draft or the rules of free agency — as opposed to simply selling their services to the highest bidder. When the players union renounced its union status before the lockout began, it left many of the NFL's methods in jeopardy because antitrust protections can't exist without the involvement of a union.

Where things stand: The latest development in this case has the owners filing a motion to dismiss the suit. Part of the basis for their argument is their contention that the union's decertification was "a sham." Arguments on the motion are scheduled to be heard in August — just weeks before the season begins.

An illegal lockout?

The details: The players earned what (at the time) seemed a major victory when U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson ruled in April that the lockout should be lifted because it is not permissible under existing laws.

But owners have since rebounded. Two stays of that ruling have been granted until the appellate court makes a decision on the league's appeal.

Where things stand: A three-judge panel in the appeals court heard arguments on June 3 and will render a decision later. The panel is the same one that decided to grant the stay of Nelson's ruling by a 2-to-1 vote, seen as a good sign for the owners. But an attorney for the players last week suggested their side is willing to take the case to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

TV contract case

The details: This case, while not often discussed, is potentially pivotal. The NFL's players sued the league for negotiating television contracts with the networks that ensured payouts even in the event of canceled games this fall. The trade­off was a reduction in rights fees, money that goes into the revenue pie shared with players. That, the players argued, violated the spirit of the CBA, which required the league to maximize profits, and the courts agreed. Federal Judge David Doty has ruled that this year's $4 billion-plus in TV profits — "lockout insurance" as the players call it — was secured illegally.

Where things stand: Doty is mulling a decision on damages in the case, something that could undermine the owners' intentions to have the money at their disposal in the event the season is not played. Lawyers for the players argued last month that players should receive $707 million in damages in addition to their request that the NFL be prevented from accessing the money during a work stoppage.

Talking it out

The details: In the past week, talks have resumed between the sides, which is a good sign. This has been done, in part, because judges who have heard arguments on the various legal fronts continue to urge the parties to get back to the bargaining table. Much of the talks have been part of the court-ordered mediation that was called for in April in Minneapolis federal court. The various judges involved prefer that a resolution be reached independent of the legal system.

The negotiations won't stop the numerous court actions, but if enough headway is made to produce common ground on a collective bargaining agreement, the sides would presumably drop their respective lawsuits and do a deal.

Where things stand: In the past week, owners and players have been holding secret negotiating sessions near Chicago and in the New York area, reportedly without the help of their outside lawyers.

This is, perhaps, a sign each side recognizes it could suffer big setbacks if any of the coming court decisions go against them. We're a long way from a resolution, but this is the first reason for true optimism in quite some time.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

MILWAUKEE — Rickie Weeks hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Zack Greinke outpitched fellow Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter to lift the Brewers over the Cardinals 5-3 on Saturday night.

Milwaukee, the hottest team in baseball over the past month, pulled within a half-game of St. Louis for the NL Central lead.

Prince Fielder hit his seventh homer in the past eight games and Corey Hart added a two-run double for the Brewers, who improved their major-league best home record to 24-9, their best ever.

Lance Berkman homered off Greinke to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead in the sixth, but Milwaukee scored four in the bottom half off Carpenter on Weeks' shot and Hart's double.

Daniel Descalso's RBI double cut Milwaukee's lead to 5-3 in the seventh, but reliever Kameron Loe pitched a quiet eighth and John Axford converted his 14th straight save opportunity.

St. Louis came into town with the most road wins in the majors at 20, but the Cardinals will try to avoid being swept out of first place this afternoon.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

GAINESVILLE — As Mississippi State senior second baseman Nick Vickerson and assistant coach Nick Mingione stood watching Florida reliever Steven Rodriguez warm up Saturday afternoon, Mingione's initial thought was to have Vickerson bunt with Jarrod Parks on first and the Bulldogs trailing 3-2.

But Vickerson wanted one chance to swing away, and Mingione and coach John Cohen agreed. It turned out to be a brilliant move.

Vickerson hit a two-run homer — on a first-pitch fastball in the bottom of the ninth — to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 win in Game 2 of the NCAA best-of-three super region.

Florida (49-17), which won Friday's opener 11-1, and Mississippi State (38-24) meet at 1 p.m. today, the winner advancing to the College World Series.

"I was just trying to hit a ball hard and, thankfully, it went out of the park," Vickerson said.

Down 2-0, Mississippi State tied it in the seventh. Florida reclaimed the lead in the eighth on a two-out triple by Tyler Thompson. Rodriguez replaced Nick Maronde, who got the last two outs of the eighth but gave up a single to start the ninth.

"If we want to get to where we want to get to and if we want to win a national championship, it's not going to be easy," Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan said.

"We're going to have to recover from it, and we're going to have to give it our best shot. We will not let this leak into (today). Our players did not play bad. I think Mississippi State just played a little bit better. Simple as that."

FSU falls in opener

TALLAHASSEE — After six innings, Texas A&M had two hits and trailed 2-1. But it got four alone in a four-run seventh, including Brandon Wood's two-run single, to beat Florida State 6-2 in their super region opener.

Game 2 is at 4 today.

Seminoles ace Sean Gilmartin, taken 28th overall by the Braves on Monday, had retired 12 in a row before allowing a single and walk to lead off the seventh. After a sac bunt, Wood's single put the Aggies (46-19) ahead. Kenny Jackson and Tyler Naquin added RBI hits.

"Sean pitched extremely well," Seminoles coach Mike Martin said. "He just happened to run into that one inning when they bunched them all together. That's what good clubs do."

Only once in 11 super region appearances has FSU (45-18) advanced after losing the first game. That came in 2008 against Wichita State.

"That's good incentive," Martin said. "I would honestly say if any club could do it of all that I've coached, this one can because this one is special."

Texas A&M's Ross Stripling, a ninth-round pick of the Rockies, allowed seven hits and stranded runners at third in the first, third and fifth innings.

"He kept us off-balance and just did a great job of shutting us down," Martin said. "They got it done, plain and simple. You move on to the next day."

Information from Times wires contributed to this report.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

NEW YORK — RHP Bartolo Colon, who has been one of the surprises of baseball with a fine comeback season for the Yankees, strained his left hamstring Saturday and is likely to land on the disabled list today, according to the New York Times.

Colon was injured as he went to cover first base on a bouncer to 1B Mark Teixeira and limped off the field after 62/3 shutout innings during a 4-0 victory over the Indians. He had an MRI exam Saturday evening at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Manager Joe Girardi did not want to speculate on how much time Colon would miss until the severity of the strain is determined.

"It's not what you want, that's for sure," Girardi said. "He's pitched extremely well, and we'll kind of keep our fingers crossed."

Colon, famously traded in 2002 by the Indians for three minor-leaguers who went on to become All-Stars, won for the third straight start after two losses in his previous five.

Colon had been out of baseball since 2009 when the Yankees signed him to a minor-league deal. But he has recaptured the form that helped him win in double digits every season from 1998-2005 and earn the AL Cy Young Award in '05.

The Yankees, who have already lost starter Phil Hughes to a shoulder injury, will have to wait and hope for the best with Colon, who improved his ERA to 3.10, best in the rotation.

"Bartolo is throwing like a legit No. 1 starter in the AL East," 3B Alex Rodriguez said. "A1A stuff."

REALIGNMENT DISCUSSED: Baseball is seriously considering a simple realignment that would put 15 teams in each league, rather than the current 16 in the National League and 14 in the American League, ESPN.com reported.

The issue has been discussed in negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement, ESPN.com reported.

Owners have also discussed eliminating divisions and having teams vie for five playoff spots in each league, according to the website.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said though he prefers divisions, he'd be in favor of the idea if it brought a balanced schedule. "I think the AL East has served its purpose for us regarding our development," he said.

There are no details on how interleague play would be handled. It's also unknown which NL team would be moved to the AL, though the website reported that the Houston Astros would be a possibility.

BROOKS HOSPITALIZED: Hall of Fame 3B Brooks Robinson is back in the hospital for what he called a "routine" follow-up for treatment he received recently for a fever and infection. Robinson was hospitalized at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in April before having what was supposed to be routine surgery. He stayed two weeks.

SERVICE SET: A memorial service for ex-Tigers OF Jim Northrup will be held at noon Wednesday at a Highland, Mich., funeral home. Northrup died Wednesday at age 71.

DODGERS: Closer Jonathan Broxton, on the disabled list with a bone spur in his right elbow, is expected to return sometime in July, general manager Ned Colletti said.

GIANTS: INF Bill Hall was signed to replace starting 2B Freddy Sanchez, who went on the 15-day disabled list with a dislocated right shoulder.

MARLINS: SS Hanley Ramirez could return the team when he's eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday. Ramirez made his second rehab start for Class A Jupiter.

PADRES: RHPs Aaron Harang and Dustin Moseley are questionable for their next starts. Harang has a sore right foot and Moseley a slight dislocation of his left shoulder.

TWINS: 2B Tsuyoshi Nishioka, on the disabled list with a fractured left fibula, was promoted to Triple-A Rochester to continue his rehab and could return to the majors by midweek.

Times wires
Saturday, June 11, 2011

White Sox 3, Athletics 2

CHICAGO — Brent Lillibridge helped make John Danks a winner with a homer-saving catch in the eighth inning, lifting the White Sox. With Daric Barton on second and one out in the eighth, Coco Crisp lofted a flyball deep to left-center. Lillibridge retreated to the wall, leaped and snared the drive before it cleared the fence. Danks won his second straight start after going winless in 11 to start the season.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Rays at Orioles

When/where: 1:35 today; Camden Yards, Baltimore

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

Starting pitchers

RAYS:

RH Wade Davis

(4-5, 4.71)

ORIOLES:

LH Brian Matusz

(1-0, 2.45)

Watch for …

Wading in: Davis is winless in his past five starts, having allowed a combined 17 runs over his past three. He is 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA in three starts this season against Baltimore.

Leaning left: Matusz has made two starts after missing the first two months with a strained left intercostal muscle, allowing three earned runs over 11 innings. Matusz is 3-1, 4.71 in five career starts against the Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Matusz

Evan Longoria 4-for-10

B.J. Upton 3-for-10

Kelly Shoppach 2-for-6, HR

Orioles vs. Davis

Vladimir Guerrero 2-for-10

Adam Jones 2-for-13

Matt Wieters 6-for-15

On deck

Monday: at Tigers (makeup game), 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (1-0, 4.24); Tigers — Phil Coke (1-6, 4.11)

Quote of the day

"I know Mitch Talbot really good, and that's not Mitch. I'd have a hard time believing he'd intentionally throw at anybody."

Rays manager Joe Maddon, on former Ray and current Indians RHP Mitch Talbot being ejected after hitting Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez with a pitch Saturday.

In a giving mood

INF Elliot Johnson praised RHP Jeff Niemann's generosity during his recent rehab stint with Triple-A Durham, saying the starter provided postgame meals for the Bulls all four days he was there. "Outback (Steakhouse)," Johnson said. "Different entrees every time, ribs, salmon, steak and chicken."