Times wires
Saturday, June 25, 2011

Brewers 11, Twins 1

MILWAUKEE — Prince Fielder hit one of four Milwaukee homers to give him a National League-best 67 RBIs this season. Carlos Gomez, Yuniesky Betancourt and Corey Hart also homered as the NL Central-leading Brewers won their sixth straight over Minnesota. The Twins lost their fourth in a row overall.

Times wires
Saturday, June 25, 2011

DETROIT — Justin Verlander struck out a career-high 14 in his latest impressive performance, and the Tigers beat the Diamondbacks 6-0 on Saturday night.

Alex Avila's three-run homer in the fourth broke the game open for Detroit, which pulled into a virtual tie with the Indians atop the American League Central. Arizona fell a half-game behind the first-place Giants in the National League West.

Verlander pitched a no-hitter May 7 at Toronto, took one into the sixth inning in his next start and had one broken up in the eighth this month. So there was a quiet but perceptible cheer when third baseman Brandon Inge was charged with an error on a hard ground ball in the third inning, keeping the Diamondbacks hitless.

One out later, Gerardo Parra hit a clean double down the line in rightfield. Verlander struck out Ryan Roberts and retired Kelly Johnson on a comebacker to get out of the jam.

In the eighth, when Verlander reached 100 mph on his 116th pitch, he opened by allowing a walk and a double. He then struck out Roberts, Johnson and Justin Upton to keep Arizona scoreless.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 25, 2011

Rays at Astros

When/where: 2:05 today; Minute Maid Park, Houston

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

Starting pitchers

RAYS

RH Jeff Niemann (2-4, 4.82)

ASTROS

LH J.A. Happ (3-9, 5.33)

Watch for …

Standing tall: Niemann was sharp Monday in his return from the DL, pitching six shutout innings. The Houston native pitched at home last season, holding the Astros to two runs over seven innings.

Happenstance: Happ has lost a career-high five straight and nine overall, despite allowing three or fewer earned runs in eight of his past 11 starts. The former Phillie has never faced the Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Happ

Johnny Damon 0-for-3

Sam Fuld 1-for-3

Casey Kotchman 3-for-7, HR

Astros vs. Niemann

Clint Barmes 2-for-3

Michael Bourn 0-for-3

Carlos Lee 1-for-3

On deck

Monday: vs. Reds, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (7-6, 3.09); Reds — Johnny Cueto (5-2, 1.63)

Tuesday: vs. Reds, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (8-6, 3.51); Reds — Mike Leake (6-4, 4.19)

Wednesday: vs. Reds, 12:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (8-4, 2.29); Reds — Edinson Volquez (4-3, 5.61)

Thursday: Off

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Complete Game James notes of the day

With his sixth complete-game win Friday, RHP James Shields:

• Is the first with six CG-wins through 76 team games since Toronto's Pat Hentgen in 1997, and the second in the 2000s with six, win or lose, joining Roy Halladay.

• Has more than any AL team (and twice as many as the Red Sox and Yankees combined), and more than the Rays have had in any season but one (7 in 2000).

• Is the fifth active to win three in a row, joining Halladay, CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Brandon Webb.

Slump buster of the day

Like other slumping hitters, 3B Evan Longoria tried a new haircut. Then he changed equipment, in his case going without batting gloves. So what would a player try next?

"It's got to be underwear," manager Joe Maddon said. "There's all different styles, different ways of getting comfortable for the game."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 25, 2011

HOUSTON — Wade Davis didn't snap the Rays pitchers' interleague play 0-fer, but he did get down two bunts, one leading to a run. He made a textbook play on a comebacker by freezing the runner off second to start a key first-inning double play.

Oh, yeah, and he pitched seven strong innings in what manager Joe Maddon considered his sharpest outing of the season as the Rays rolled past the worst-in-baseball Astros again Saturday, 7-2.

"He did a lot of things well," Maddon said. "He was a good baseball player tonight."

Davis wasn't alone as the Rays won their third straight and improved to 7-1 in their current stretch of interleague play, moving to a season-high nine games over .500 at 43-34 and within two games of first place as the Yankees went ahead of the Red Sox.

Evan Longoria delivered another hands-on performance at the plate, doubling in a pair of runs as he went without batting gloves for a second straight game, while B.J. Upton (with a single and a homer) and Casey Kotchman (with three hits to raise his average to .342) also knocked in two each.

Longoria said he'll stick with the bare-handed approach after a second straight multihit game. "If the results keep coming, I really can't stop now," he said. "My swing feels good; it's in a good spot. It's not a direct result of no gloves by any means, but as superstitious as we are, I'll keep going that way."

Davis has his own good luck charm, a small wooden owl he bought in Seattle that sits in his locker, and he has won his three starts since. But the more aggressive use of his fastball and improved thinking on the mound probably have a little more to do with it.

"He was a lot better (Saturday)," Maddon said. "Strike-throwing, method, how he went after them."

Davis (7-5, 4.32) said it has been an ongoing process, and he's encouraged by the progress.

"I think I stayed under control better than I have all year throughout the whole game," he said. "Everything's coming together a little better, got some things to build off of, momentum."

Saturday, the Rays got him runs in each of the first three innings — on their way to their first 10-plus hit game since June 12 — and he took it from there. The first-inning double play, aided by Jeff Keppinger's base-running mistake, helped, and Davis pretty much handled whatever else came up.

The biggest out came in the sixth, protecting a 4-1 lead. The Astros had two on with one out, and Davis got Carlos Lee on a foul pop. Then after he loaded the bases by hitting Matt Downs, he got Brett Wallace to swing at a curveball and ground out to first.

The Rays are comfortable and confident with the pitching of their top three starters, James Shields, David Price and Jeremy Hellickson. So a major factor in how they do the rest of the season will be what they get out of Davis and Jeff Niemann, who today makes his second start since coming off the disabled list.

"If Wade continues to pitch like that and we get Niemann back (to form), we'll have a chance to win every night," Upton said. "Not that we don't feel that way already, but when those guys are on their game, it makes us a lot better ballclub."

"We haven't really seen all of (the starters) really put it together at the same time," Longoria said. "If they can do that, I said going into the season I'd take those five guys in our rotation and put them up against anybody and be really pleased with what we have."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Saturday, June 25, 2011

NEWTON, Iowa — Marco Andretti grabbed the lead from Tony Kanaan with 18 laps left and won Saturday's Iowa Corn Indy 250 race at Iowa Speedway, his first victory in five years.

Kanaan, who won last year's race at the 0.875-mile oval, made a final run at Andretti. But Andretti hung on for his second career win, the other coming in 2006 at the Infineon road course in Sonoma, Calif. "It was a great battle, a fun race," Kanaan said.

Points leader Dario Franchitti led for much of the race but faded after a restart 51 laps from the end. He finished fifth, though he grabbed sole possession of the points lead from Will Power.

Power hit the wall 90 laps in and suffered a concussion. He must be cleared by doctors to race in Toronto in two weeks. Danica Patrick finished 10th.

Sorenson wins 3-OT Nationwide race

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Justin Allgaier could have coasted to victory under caution, but he ran out of gas, handing victory to Reed Sorenson in a chaotic finish Saturday at the NASCAR Nationwide race at Road America.

Allgaier took the lead from Michael McDowell on the second of three attempts at a green-white-checkered overtime finish. Allgaier held the lead after the final restart and appeared to have the win sealed when the yellow flag waved for the final time because of another rash of crashes.

But Allgaier didn't have enough fuel to make it to the finish after so many extra laps on the 4-mile track, and making it back to the finish line is required under NASCAR rules even though the race finished under yellow.

Sorenson and Ron Fellows took the checkered flag side by side. NASCAR officials took several minutes to rule Sorenson the winner.

"I'll do that every race if we have to," joked Sorenson, who raced with an upset stomach and didn't meet the media for more than an hour to get rehydrated.

Jacques Villeneuve, who had a late run-in with Max Papi, was third. Allgaier finished 19th.

Formula One: Sebastian Vettel took the pole for the European Grand Prix as Red Bull secured the 1-2 spots in qualifying in Valencia, Spain. Vettel's lap of 1 minute, 36.975 seconds bettered teammate Mar Webber by two-tenths of a second.

NHRA: Robert Hight (Funny Car), Del Worsham (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) raced to the No. 1 qualifying spots in their divisions at the Full Throttle event in Norwalk, Ohio.

Times wires
Saturday, June 25, 2011

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 25, 2011

HOUSTON — Doug Waechter would rather have been pitching somewhere Saturday night. But after a third arm surgery, and a lack of sincere interest from any major-league organization, he instead was at Ferg's Sports Bar across from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg for an unofficial retirement party.

Waechter, 30, got to pitch parts of four seasons for his hometown Devil Rays, then parts of two others for the Marlins and Royals, with some time in the minors. But when it looked like the best the St. Petersburg native could do this year was an independent league, he decided it was time to stay home with his wife and help raise their two young children.

"I know how lucky I am," Waechter said by phone. "I got to do a lot of things a lot of people don't get the opportunity to do. It was a great ride, and I had a blast doing it."

Waechter said he plans to join a brother selling orthopedic devices ("I've spent enough time in operating rooms," he joked) and may do TV work with Bright House Sports Network. He said he has not filed official retirement papers.

"The arm is held together now with duct tape," he said. "Or at least that's what the scouts are saying."

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Saturday, June 25, 2011

Braves 10, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO — Jair Jurrjens pitched six strong innings to become the first 10-game winner in the National League, and Atlanta had eight extra-base hits. Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer for the Braves, who have won five of six and 12 of 17. Jurrjens improved his NL-leading ERA to 2.07.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

LOS ANGELES — In some ways, Saturday's Gold Cup final at the Rose Bowl followed form.

For the third time in as many tournaments, the title game matched the United States and Mexico. And it drew a sellout crowd of 93,420.

Aside from that, though, it was a match full of surprises — not the least of which was the final score: 4-2 Mexico.

Consider Mexico's Javier Hernandez, who entered with a tournament-high seven goals but didn't score. Or U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who hadn't given up a goal in 3½ games but allowed four.

Then there's U.S. coach Bob Bradley. Criticized earlier in the tournament for his lack of creativity, he looked like a genius when he started Freddy Adu and Landon Donovan and watched them stake the Americans to a 2-0 lead.

Then the Rose Bowl caved in.

Pablo Barrera scored twice to lift Mexico to its second straight Gold Cup title and sixth overall.

At stake was a berth in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, an important tuneup to the next World Cup. Just as important, however, were regional bragging rights, something the United States and Mexico have been trading with regularity in recent years.

The shootout started early, with Michael Bradley heading an Adu corner kick off the right arm of Mexican keeper Alfredo Talavera and into the net in the eighth minute.

Donovan, who started the previous two games on the bench, quieted the overwhelmingly pro-Mexican crowd in the 23rd minute, taking a pass from Clint Dempsey that split the defense before sending a left-footed shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

In less than 24 minutes, the United States had scored as many goals as Mexico had allowed in its previous five games combined.

The lead lasted less than 15 minutes.

First Hernandez, accustomed to being the finisher, became the distributor. He sent a through ball up the right side to Barrera, who beat Howard just inside the near post.

Next, Mexico took advantage of confusion in the U.S. backline. Eric Lichaj fumbled his chance to clear a Giovani Dos Santos shot, allowing Andres Guardado to pounce on the rebound. He got just enough of his boot on the ball to get it across the goal line.

Five minutes into the second half, Mexico took the lead.

Guardado chested down a loose ball just outside the penalty area and fed Barrera moving through the box to his right. From there, Barrera had an open shot at the far post and didn't miss.

The Americans had two chances to tie. In the 58th minute, Talavera snatched Adu's bending free kick just below the crossbar. Two minutes later, Dempsey sent a rocket that struck the top of the goal.

Dos Santos closed things out with one of the best individual efforts of the tournament.

First, he dribbled in on Howard to draw the keeper out of the box. Then with the keeper crawling after him, swiping with his hands at the ball, Dos Santos retreated, spun and lifted a rainbow toward to the far post, where it dropped just over a leaping Lichaj and into the goal.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Marlins 4, Mariners 2

SEATTLE — Chris Volstad drove in a run in an AL ballpark and pitched into the seventh inning to win for the first time since April 26. In the game moved from Miami because of an upcoming concert at the Marlins' stadium, Volstad batted for himself because the game was played under NL rules. He held the Mariners to two runs on five hits before leaving with two outs in the seventh. Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 21st save of the season.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Red Sox 4, Pirates 2

PITTSBURGH — Andrew Miller picked up his first win with Boston with six solid innings as the Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak. Miller, recently promoted from the minors, earned his first AL victory since 2007 with Detroit. Pittsburgh tied a season high with four errors.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 26, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. — When it comes to his impending free agency, Brad Richards said he wants to be flexible.

That is why he will not waive his no-trade clause with the Stars — "The more I think about it, the more I want to see all my opportunities," he said — and why, when it comes to a potential return to the Lightning, he did not shoot down a suggestion he might be willing to take less salary than he could get elsewhere.

To be fair, Richards framed his reasoning in a broader context, saying every team's financial situation is different.

Still, that Richards, the MVP of Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup run, left that door open a crack is sure to stoke the imaginations of Lightning fans when free agency opens Friday.

"If you say only one thing, you're not going to give yourself any options," Richards told the St. Petersburg Times by phone from his Prince Edward Island home. "There's different ways to do things. … That's why it's important to have an open mind. I want to see that if a team is looking at me, I can make the right call."

The Richards drama is just part of what will be a busy week for Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman and what could be a defining one as well.

Center Steven Stamkos has said he is "close" to a new contract. And Yzerman on Sunday, after the draft at the Xcel Energy Center, reiterated he is "optimistic" something will get done.

But if Stamkos, who has a league-best 96 goals the past two seasons, is not signed by Friday, he becomes a restricted free agent open to offers from other teams. Yzerman has indicated he will match them, but that undoubtedly would jack up Stamkos' salary further than the $7 million a season most expect.

Yzerman also is negotiating with goalies Dwayne Roloson and Mike Smith, both of whom can be unrestricted free agents. Qualifying offers go out today to maintain negotiating rights with restricted free agents, of which Teddy Purcell is one. It already seems Sean Bergenheim is headed for the open market.

"We've got lots of work to do this week," Yzerman said. "I hope I'm really busy. It means we're talking and getting some contracts signed. I've been in touch with everybody's agent. We'll get back on the phones this week."

So much of this is intertwined that it is difficult to predict what Yzerman will be willing to spend, or need to, on available free agents. That is why what Richards, 31, said about flexibility is so intriguing.

"I know what's going on around the league; it's not just the Lightning," said the center, who in February 2008 was dealt to the Stars in the Smith deal. "You look at any team, the salary cap, there are different structures with different teams. So, as a player you'd be stupid not to be open-minded and flexible because you want to see what all your options are."

Not negotiable is going to a franchise with stable ownership.

"That's huge," Richards said. "After what I've gone through with Tampa (in the transition to Oren Koules and Len Barrie) and what I've gone through in Dallas, I'm sick of it."

He also wants a long-term deal "to get some security and settle into a place I want to go."

Certainly Tampa Bay, which in the summer of 2006 signed Richards to the five-year, $39 million contract that is expiring, is on that list, though the Rangers and Maple Leafs are expected to make a run.

"If the Lightning is going to talk to me, I'm going to listen, for sure," Richards said. "I'm not going to waste their time, but if they want to talk to me and be serious, it's going to be a team that catches my attention."

Around the league

Trade: The Kings sent wing Ryan Smyth to the Oilers for forward Colin Fraser and a seventh-round pick in the 2012 draft. Smyth, 35, who had 23 goals and 24 assists in 82 games last season, started his career with the Oilers in 1994.

Information from Times wires was used in this report. Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Tigers 8, D'backs 3

DETROIT — Don Kelly entered as a pinch-hitter and batted twice before the inning was over, an unusual experience he enjoyed. Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead single and the Tigers scored seven with two outs in the eighth. Kelly started the rally with a one-out single with Detroit down a run. By the time he came up again, Detroit led 7-2. "It doesn't happen too often, but we like it when it does," Kelly said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Mets 8, Rangers 5

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Reyes had four hits and three runs and rookie Dillon Gee pitched six effective innings for New York. In his first appearance against Texas, Gee recovered from his only loss, when he walked a career-high six over four innings. The Texas native has given up only eight earned runs in five June starts.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

WIMBLEDON, England — About 18 months after his last Grand Slam championship, Roger Federer figures it's about time for another: his record-tying seventh at Wimbledon.

Despite nearly a year away from the game because of a series of health scares, Serena Williams warns that she "wouldn't bet against" herself.

And though he has yet to drop a set through three matches — something he'd never managed to do at the All England Club — Rafael Nadal keeps talking up his opponents' chances.

As the 125th edition of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament heads into Week 2, the principal players and storylines are still around.

Wimbledon action resumes today with all 16 men's and women's fourth-round matches. Two stand out: Top-seeded Nadal faces No. 24 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, and No. 23 Venus Williams faces No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova in a rematch of a 2010 quarterfinal won by the Bulgarian.

The Williams sisters have combined to win nine of the past 11 Wimbledon singles titles, and though Serena has played only five matches in the past 11½ months, and Venus missed about five months with a hip injury, both are clearly capable of producing top-level tennis.

"Yeah, I'm still alive, and it feels good," said Serena Williams, who could become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a row. "You know, I'm hoping to be around, and planning to be around, a lot longer."

Also in the picture are top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, hoping for her first Grand Slam title, and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.

The top four men — Nadal, No. 2 Novak Djokovic, No. 3 Federer and No. 4 Andy Murray — filled out the semifinals at the French Open, and few would be surprised if they did that here.

Federer won his 16th major title at the 2010 Australian Open. "I don't go through days thinking, like, 'My God, I haven't won a Grand Slam in so long.' It hasn't been that long, to be honest," he said.

But he made sure to note: "I'm always hungry. And that's a good thing."

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

The World Cup started Sunday with two stadiums overflowing with goodwill, color and the cheers of nearly 100,000 fans. And there were four goals, including one stunner.

Germany, the two-time defending champion, survived opening-game jitters to beat Canada 2-1 in Berlin and showed that the hosts will be the team to beat.

"It is fantastic," said Germany's No. 1 fan in the stands, Chancellor Angela Merkel.

France won the opener against Nigeria 1-0 in Sinsheim to leave the continental neighbors in charge of Group A. The United States begins play in the 16-team tournament Tuesday, facing North Korea in Group C in Dresden.

Beyond the games, the upbeat spirit of the women's game stood out. The atmosphere approached that of the men's 2006 World Cup — also in Germany — even if the action rarely did.

One exception came at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Canada's Christine Sinclair, playing with a broken nose for most of the second half, highlighted the day with a stunning, perfectly curled free kick in the 82nd minute. That briefly gave Canada hope, but Germany survived on grit.

"The doctors told me her nose was broken, but she asked me to let her play," Canada coach Carolina Morace said. "I asked if it would be dangerous, but Christine is a smart player — she knows what she can do and what she can't do."

It was the first goal Germany had conceded in the World Cup since 2003.

At the site of the men's final five years ago, hundreds of German flags came out as Kerstin Garefrekes scored Germany's first goal in the 10th minute, and the home team support continued the rest of the evening amid a sellout crowd of 73,680.

"The fans were great," Germany coach Silvia Neid said. "People had the feeling it could be getting close, and they really got behind us. I thought it was a brilliant reaction."

Meanwhile, there was hardly an empty seat as Nigeria and France ushered in the tournament before 25,475 fans at Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

France striker Marie-Laure Delie scored the first goal of the tournament in a scrappy goalmouth scramble, controlling a low cross and stabbing the ball home in the 56th minute.

"We have three points in our pocket," French coach Bruno Bini said, "and no one can take them away from us."

Standings

Top two in each group advance

GROUP A

GP W D L GF GA Pts

Germany 1 1 0 0 2 1 3

France 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

Canada 1 0 0 1 1 2 0

Nigeria 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 0

ST. LOUIS — Toronto expected Ricky Romero to go deep into the game. Getting a big contribution from his bat was a bonus. Romero pitched a four-hitter for his second career shutout and helped break it open with his first career hit, a two-run single in a four-run sixth, as the Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep. "I'm not a good hitter," Romero said. "So it definitely feels good to help myself out in that situation."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Rays vs. Reds

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

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

Starting pitchers

RAYS:

RH Jeremy Hellickson (7-6, 3.09)

Reds:

RH Mike Leake (6-4, 4.19)

On deck

Tuesday: vs. Reds, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (8-6, 3.51); Reds — Johnny Cueto (5-2, 1.63)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Quote of the day

"I don't have a toothpick and wristbands, I would never go there. He's way cooler than me. I'm not even close on the cool scale."

Rays manager Joe Maddon on Reds counterpart Dusty Baker, right

Number of the day

0-6

Rays record against the Reds, the only team they are winless against. The Rays and Pirates (0-9 vs. the A's) are the teams that haven't beaten all current teams.

Times wires
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Brewers 6, Twins 2

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a tiebreaking homer for Milwaukee. Braun hit a two-run shot in the fifth. Pitcher Chris Narveson helped himself with an RBI double. Minnesota, whose lineup has been decimated by injuries, has scored eight runs in losing five straight games.