Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bob Baffert is happy to be anywhere these days, considering a heart attack flattened him in Dubai last month.

"After it was over, it felt like, 'Man, I just, I got a second chance here.' … It was just a weird scare," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "I've got to redo, change my lifestyle. I've got to take care of myself like I take care of my horses."

Life is good right now.

He's got the likely favorite in the Kentucky Derby with Bodemeister, a talented colt named after his son Bode, who is named after Dad's ski pal Bode Miller.

Bodemeister stamped himself as a standout with his 9½-length win in the Arkansas Derby, the most impressive performance in a season of prep races that have done little to clarify a muddled Derby picture. A full field of 20 horses is expected for the 1¼-mile race, and it will be one of the deepest and most talented for the Saturday race.

"All 20 horses are stronger than I can remember in years," said Dr. Kendall Hansen, whose light gray colt, Hansen, carries the family name and will be bet heavily. "There's no horse that's setting the world on fire yet. It's nice that you're not running against a Northern Dancer or a Secretariat."

Injuries that derailed favorites I Want Revenge and Quality Road in 2009; Eskendereya in 2010; and Uncle Mo last year have not been a problem this time. Rather it has been inconsistency among the top 3-year-olds that has opened the door for a handful of colts.

Bodemeister is arguably the most talented 3-year-old this year, although he lacks seasoning, never having raced as a 2-year-old. No horse since Apollo in 1882 has won the Derby without racing at age 2 Baffert had Bodemeister playing catch-up, with the colt making four starts in the run-up to the Derby. The only other Derby candidate to race that much is Prospective.

"I just took my time with him," Baffert said. "He was just immature."

Baffert demurs on Bodemeister as the likely favorite, suggesting Union Rags or Hansen could claim the top spot.

The past four Derby winners had just two prep races as 3-year-olds, including Super Saver in 2010. Among this year's top contenders, Union Rags was 3-1 as a 2-year-old, Creative Cause 3-2 and Gemologist 3-0, winning both of his starts this year.

"We'll continue to see winners of the Derby come from all different angles with various prep programs. It's all about everything going just right on that particular day," said Todd Pletcher, who won his first Derby with Super Saver and trains Gemologist.

This year's Derby promises speed in the form of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen and Trinniberg, winner of the Swale and Bay Shore in his past two starts but who has never run farther than seven furlongs.

Hansen led all the way in beating Union Rags in last year's BC Juvenile. Each of the previous four Juvenile winners never made it to the Derby starting gate, but this year eight Juvenile starters are likely to run.

. fast facts

138th Kentucky Derby

5 p.m. Saturday (post time 6:24), Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky. TV: Ch. 8 Friday: Kentucky Oaks, 5 p.m. (post time 5:45) TV: NBC Sports Network

Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012

If not for Quick, the Blues could have run away with the game early. He robbed Andy McDonald twice from point-blank range in the game's first minute as St. Louis took the game's first six shots.

The Blues grabbed the lead when David Backes deflected Alex Pietrangelo's wrist shot past a screened Quick 9:16 in. After that, Quick kicked out B.J. Crombeen's backhand effort with 8:18 left in the period.

"It looks like it took us about 10, 12 (minutes) to get our legs underneath us," said Quick, who made 28 saves. "After that, we played a great game."

The Kings tied it when Slava Voynov snuck in from the point to convert Dustin Penner's centering feed at 16:58 of the first. They took the lead in the second with their third shorthanded goal of the playoffs when Greene popped in a loose puck at the side of the net with 1:03 left in the period.

Pietrangelo left the game in the second after being boarded by the Kings' Dwight King, who got a minor boarding penalty.

First Period—1, St.L, Backes 2 (Perron, Pietrangelo), 9:16. 2, L.A., Voynov 1 (Penner, Richards), 16:58. Penalties—Richards, LA (cross-checking), :50; Perron, StL (goaltender interference), 17:39.

Second Period—3, L.A., Greene 1 (Brown), 18:57 (sh). Penalties—Greene, LA (holding), 14:02; King, LA (boarding), 18:47.

Third Period—4, L.A., Penner 2 (Scuderi), 19:45 (en). Penalties—Perron, StL (high-sticking), 3:42; Oshie, StL, double minor (high-sticking), 6:23; Shattenkirk, StL (delay of game), 10:29; Crombeen, StL, misconduct, 19:53. Shots on Goal—L.A. 11-9-9—29. St.L 13-8-8—29. Power-play opportunities—L.A. 0 of 5; St.L 0 of 3. Goalies—L.A., Quick 5-1-0 (29 shots-28 saves). St.L, Elliott 3-1-0 (28-26).

Rookie leads Rangers by Capitals in opener

NEW YORK — The fans at Madison Square Garden were on their feet, roaring Chris Kreider's name. Kreider, a rookie forward who was still on his parents' cellphone plan when he joined the Rangers from Boston College three weeks ago, had just taken a perfect stretch pass from Derek Stepan and blasted a 43-foot slap shot past Washington goalie Braden Holtby.

Kreider's goal broke open what had been a gridlocked game, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead over the workmanlike Capitals in the first game of their East semifinal series.

"It was a surreal experience. I got goose bumps," Kreider said about hearing his name chanted by the crowd.

One and a half minutes later, Brad Richards scored from close range to make it 3-1, and that was how it ended. An assist on that goal went to Kreider, who three weeks ago was helping Boston College win the national championship at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The passing and shooting lanes were so clogged in the game that both goalies, Holtby and the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, often had little to do. Lundqvist faced 18 shots; Holtby, himself a rookie in this postseason, faced only 14.

Ovechkin said the Capitals would bounce back. "It's only one game," he said. "Monday it's going to be a different game, and it's going to be a new day."

First Period—None. Penalties—Rupp, NYR (goaltender interference), 3:23; Semin, Was (slashing), 3:50; Staal, NYR (interference), 12:16; Ovechkin, Was (tripping), 17:54.

Second Period—1, NYR, Anisimov 1 (Fedotenko, McDonagh), 12:38. 2, Wash, Chimera 2 (Laich), 19:56. Penalties—Staal, NYR (holding), 6:26; Prust, NYR (boarding), 7:53.

Third Period—3, NYR, Kreider 2 (Stepan), 7:00. 4, NYR, Richards 3 (Kreider, Gaborik), 8:30. Penalties—Semin, Was (tripping), 2:12; Wash bench, served by Ovechkin (too many men), 12:20. Shots on Goal—Wash 6-7-5—18. NYR 4-4-6—14. Power-play opportunities—Wash 0 of 4; NYR 0 of 4. Goalies—Wash, Holtby 4-4-0 (14 shots-11 saves). NYR, Lundqvist 5-3-0 (18-17).

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012

Rays at Rangers

When/where: 8:05 tonight; Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, Texas

TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM, 1040-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers

Rays: LH David Price (3-1, 2.63)

Rangers: LH Derek Holland (2-1, 4.78)

On Price: He is coming off one of the best outings of his career, a five-hit shutout of the Angels. He has struggled against the Rangers, going 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts, including the playoffs.

On Holland: His two-game winning streak ended in his last outing, when he allowed seven runs over six innings against the Yankees, He is 3-1 with a 6.51 ERA in five starts against the Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Holland

Matt Joyce 4-for-9, HR

Evan Longoria 8-for-17, 2 HRs

B.J. Upton 8-for-16, HR

Rangers vs. Price

Nelson Cruz 7-for-16, 2 HRs

Elvis Andrus 9-for-22

Josh Hamilton3-for-23

Note: Includes postseason

On deck

Monday: vs. Mariners, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (3-0, 2.84); Mariners — Felix Hernandez (2-1, 2.48)

Tuesday: vs Mariners, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (0-1, 4.68); Mariners — Hector Noesi (1-2, 8.83)

Wednesday: vs Mariners, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (4-0, 3.31); Mariners — Blake Beavan (1-2, 3.60)

Sunday showcase

Tonight marks the seventh time the Rays will be on ESPN's Sunday night telecast and first since July 17, 2011, against the Red Sox (a 16-inning, 1-0 loss). "I love the idea that people think we're pretty good and going to put us on that stage," manager Joe Maddon said. "I know our players do. It's a different version of 'Almost Monday Night Football' these days."

Dog of the day

The Rays' brave TV duo of Todd Kalas, left, and Brian Anderson split the 2-foot hot dog at Rangers Ballpark called "Boomstick," all $26 of it. "It's good," Kalas said. "But it's huge." Guess everything is bigger in Texas.

Number of the day

25 Hits given up by Friday's starters, James Shields (11) and Matt Harrison (14), most in the majors since 26 by Cleveland's Jake Westbrook (15) and Boston's Josh Beckett (11) on Aug. 3, 2006.

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012

JACKSONVILLE — A second state title in the long jump beckoned Pasco's Janarion Grant as he prepared for his first attempt in his signature event at Saturday's Class 2A meet at UNF.

By the time he rocked back on his heels, sprinted down the runway and soared above the pit in the preliminaries, Grant established a mark that served as a warning shot to make sure the competitors behind him did not get any thoughts about overtaking him.

Grant's first jump in the preliminaries went 23 feet, 2 inches. No one else came close. Because preliminary jumps also count toward a title, Grant used the rest of his jumps, even in the finals, to try to top his personal record, which he set last year when he went 24-3 to win. Grant did not claim a new mark, but he did get another gold medal.

"I'm probably not showing it on my face, but I'm happy," the junior said. "I felt good on my first attempt. After that, I was able to just sit back and try to go for (a personal record)."

Grant was not the only boys state champion from Pasco County. In the 3,200 meters, Anclote's Argishti Gazari won in 9 minutes, 37.84 seconds.

Gazari entered the state meet with the top-seeded time in his signature event. But he said he felt ill after finishing third in the 1,600 (4:26.43).

"I was cramping, my arms didn't feel right," Gazari said. "I didn't know I would be able to do the (3,200)."

Gazari took the lead on the fourth lap and held off Robinson's Brian Sharp, who was on his heels, literally. "I kept feeling spike marks on the back of my feet from the guy behind me," Gazari said. "My shoes were starting to get torn. But I was able to hold him off."

Gazari's teammate, Spencer Guerette, was fourth in the 1,600 (4:28.97).

The county showed off its depth in the high jump with three of the top eight place winners. Ridgewood's Tony Hays was third (6-8), teammate Thomas Rodriguez took fifth (6-4) and Fivay's James Bullock finished eighth (6-2).

Nature Coast's 4x100 relay of Matthew Breida, Dominique Rawlins, Jacquez Kincade and Frank Villita took eighth in 42.90.

In the girls meet, Wesley Chapel's Courtney Pragnaman won her first state title in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 6 inches.

Pragnaman was tied with Satellite's Jennie Carmody. Both missed their first three jumps at 5-6. Then it came down to a jump-off, where Pragnaman cleared the height on her first attempt.

"I was a little nervous," Pragnaman said. "I just wanted to get it done and be over. Once I saw the bar stay after I hit the mat, I knew that I won."

Pragnaman's teammate, Ravin Gilbert, was fifth in the 100 (12.43).

Gulf's 4x800 relay of Kari Grippo, Katie Buckman, Mia Savino and Renee Patnode were fifth in 9:49.42.

The girls meet belonged to Miami Jackson's Robin Reynolds, who broke the state record in the long jump with a leap of 20-6¼, which also is the best outdoor mark in the nation this season. Reynolds also won the 100 (11.88) and 400 (52.59) to finish her career with 14 state titles in individual events, breaking the record of 13 set by North Palm Benjamin's Julian Reynolds (no relation) from 1990-95.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rays manager Joe Maddon has shown he doesn't have a problem intentionally walking Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton, even with the bases loaded.

That holds especially true now, with the 2010 MVP leading the league in homers and RBIs.

"Josh has been so darn hot," Maddon said. "Let's just go to the other guy."

But when the "other guy" is Adrian Beltre, Maddon acknowledges it's not a "warm and fuzzy" feeling. Beltre showed why Saturday, belting a three-run homer in the seventh to break open a close game as the Rays fell 7-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 49,197 at Rangers Ballpark.

With two outs and Tampa Bay down three, Maddon had Burke Badenhop walk Hamilton to put two on for Beltre, who made them pay in a big way.

"It was just a down-and-away sinker that was up a little bit," Badenhop said. "But you can't afford to be remotely up here. It's tough."

So was the loss for the Rays (13-8), whose six-game win streak ended, defensive miscues leading to a close game getting away.

Jeff Niemann had struggled against the Rangers but was encouraged after going 52/3 innings Saturday. It didn't look good early as he gave up a leadoff walk to Ian Kinsler then a double to Elvis Andrus Hamilton followed by knocking both in with an opposite-field single.

Niemann, who said he was overthrowing in the first, settled down, holding Texas to three runs (two earned).

"To be able to turn the tide and not let it snowball on us, it's a good thing," he said.

Problem was, Rangers righty Colby Lewis was better, continuing his stronghold on the Rays, against whom he is 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA in the regular season. Maddon said they had great at-bats and hit several balls hard. But they mustered only a solo homer by Matt Joyce in the second.

Niemann helped himself in the sixth, darting off the mound to grab a Michael Young grounder and starting a 1-6-3 double play, looking like a quarterback rolling out and throwing on the run.

"It was a good pass," shortstop Elliot Johnson said. "And we completed it."

But the turning point came on the next play, when Johnson bobbled a Nelson Cruz two-out grounder in the hole and couldn't throw him out, allowing a run to score.

"I didn't anticipate the hop coming up as it was going to," Johnson said.

The Rays made another defensive miscue in the seventh, when catcher Jose Molina — with runners on first and third and one out — tried to pick off Mitch Moreland at third. Maddon said he thought Molina had a good shot at getting him. But the throw bounced in the dirt and off Moreland, allowing him to score.

Andrus stuck out. But the ensuing intentional walk to Hamilton set up Beltre.

"We're so used to making these spectacular plays or really above-average plays," Maddon said. "But when we don't make it, it kind of stands out."

But what has been evident in the first two games of a series matching two of the league's top teams, the margin for error can be small.

"It's going to be who blinks first in all these games with two teams who are evenly matched," Niemann said.

"We're both good."

Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. — Kyle Busch capped a perfect weekend Saturday night by winning the spring race at Richmond for the fourth consecutive year.

The victory snaps a 22-race winless streak for Busch, and came a day after he went to Victory Lane for the first time as a Nationwide series team owner. Kurt Busch drove his younger brother's car to its first victory Friday.

The win also broke Busch's tie with Richard Petty (1971-73) for consecutive spring wins at Richmond.

"Is that some sort of record? I'm hoping it is," Busch said.

Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards both believed the win was taken from them in the Capital City 400.

Stewart was upset because a caution for debris — he claimed it was for a bottle of soda or water that wasn't an on-track hindrance — erased his lead with 13 laps left. As the leaders pitted, Busch beat him back onto the track.

Busch pulled away from Stewart on the restart with nine of 400 laps to go, and Stewart was also passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to fade to third.

"When the caution is for a plastic bottle on the backstretch, it's hard to feel good losing that one," Stewart said. "And we gave it away on pit road. So, we did everything we could to throw it away, got taken away from us."

Edwards thought the same after NASCAR penalized him for jumping the restart with 81 laps left. It capped a confusing sequence in what had been a calm, quiet race through 300 laps. But a caution after Jeff Burton hit the wall scrambled everything.

Edwards lined up next to Stewart for the restart, and his spotter told the driver that he was leading. But NASCAR said Stewart led, and when Edwards sailed past him on the restart, NASCAR threw the black flag.

He questioned the call to crew chief Bob Osborne, and neither seemed to understand the penalty. Told by Osborne it was for both passing before the restart and jumping the restart, Edwards said it was impossible to do both at the same time.

NASCAR eventually clarified that Stewart was the leader, but Edwards left too early.

Edwards, who finished 10th, watched a replay of the start before going to talk to NASCAR.

"I thought NASCAR made a mistake, they lined us up wrong, and I was at a disadvantage being on the outside," Edwards said. "So I thought, 'I'm getting the best start I can get right now. I got the best start I could get, looks like Tony waited or spun his tires, so they black-flagged me."

And Busch had some sympathy for Stewart, who led four times for a race-high 118 laps.

"Stewart was phenomenal," he said. "I hate it for him that we had a caution like that. He deserved to win the race. But I can't say enough about us just getting our lucky break there and getting a chance to win."

Earnhardt moved within five points of leader Greg Biffle. Earnhardt, whose winless streak is at 138 races, also credited some late luck for his finish.

"Really happy to come home with second. We were running about fifth all night, and just got lucky on that restart to be on the inside and get a couple spots," he said.

Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012

Orioles 10, Athletics 1

BALTIMORE — Chris Davis homered and tied a career high with four RBIs for the Orioles. Baltimore can move six games above .500 today for the first time since July 20, 2005. Davis singled in a run in the second, singled in two in the fifth and homered in the seventh. Wei-Yin Chen, the Orioles' left-handed rookie from Taiwan, pitched a season-high seven innings and hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his four starts.

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012

JACKSONVILLE — Since 1996, the first year girls competed at state in the pole vault, Hillsborough County has owned the event with eight titles.

At Saturday's Class 2A meet at the University of North Florida, Tampa Catholic's Annie Harwig was on the verge of becoming the ninth.

Through the preliminaries and finals, Harwig and Episcopal School's Emily Smithwick were catapulting past the rest of their competitors. They were tied at 11 feet, 6 inches when the bar was raised to 12. They each missed their three attempts at that height.

But Harwig missed out on her first state title because of an officiating quirk.

The title came down not only to misses but when they happened. Smithwick won because her first miss came at a lower height (10 feet) than Harwig (11 feet).

"I thought it was the other way around," Harwig said. "But it turns out, that's not the case. I wish we could have a jump-off at a lower height."

Still, Harwig was pleased with her finish, considering she set a personal best by 6 inches.

"I'm so happy with what I was able to do," Harwig said. "My dream height would have been to be able to go 12 feet. I knew that it would be tough to go a foot higher than I've ever gone before. I was close on a few attempts. Now, it's just time to move on to the next level."

Academy of the Holy Names shined in the distance events, with Colleen Doherty finishing fifth in the 3,200 meters (11 minutes, 34.97 seconds) and sixth in the 1,600 (5:13.54). Doherty's teammate, Ryann McEnany, was seventh in the long jump (17-7½). The only other girls athlete from the county to place was Berkeley Preps' Addi Harden, who was seventh in the discus (117-1).

The bay area's other girls state champion was Wesley Chapel's Courtney Prengaman in the high jump (5-6).

Overall, the girls meet belonged to Miami Jackson's Robin Reynolds, who broke the state record in the long jump with a leap of 20-6¼, which also is the best outdoor mark in the nation this season. Reynolds also won the 100 (11.88) and 400 (52.59) to finish her career with 14 state titles in individual events, breaking the record of 13 set by North Palm Benjamin's Julian Reynolds (no relation) from 1990-95.

In the boys meet, Robinson's Brian Sharp had the county's best finish in an individual event, taking second in the 3,200 in 9:44.92.

Tampa Catholic's Taylor Timmons was seventh in the shot put (49-8¾). The Crusaders' Ken Mention was fifth in the 400 (48.97) and teamed with Daniel Fasani, Pete Martinez and Nathan Nammour to finish eighth in the 4x800 (8:07.76).

Lakewood was the bay area's dominant boys team at the 2A meet, finishing fifth overall with 28 points. The Spartans were led by Shaquem Griffin, who won the triple jump (48-4½) and the 4x400 relay where he teamed with his twin brother Shaquill, Raymon Cleveland and Tim Holmes to win in 3 minutes, 20.60 seconds, one-hundredth of a second ahead of Pahokee.

Other bay area boys champions were Pasco's Janarion Grant, who defended his title in the long jump (23-2), and Anclote's Argishti Gazari, who won a close 3,200-meter final (9:37.84).

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Mets 7, Rockies 5

DENVER — On his 26th birthday, Dillon Gee earned the win for the Mets, who rebounded from Friday's 18-9 loss in which they made six errors. Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy and David Wright had three hits each for the Mets. Guillermo Moscoso, starting for injured Jeremy Guthrie, took the loss in his major-league debut.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Giants 2, Padres 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Tim Lincecum pitched his best game of the year and broke up a perfect game in the sixth for the Giants. The two-time Cy Young Award winner entered with an 8.20 ERA, and the longest of his first four outings was six innings. San Diego's Anthony Bass retired his first 17 batters before Lincecum got an infield single. An inning later, Bass allowed Brandon Belt's two-run double. Pablo Sandoval went hitless in four at-bats for the Giants, ending his 20-game hitting streak that was the longest in the majors.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Pirates 4, Braves 2

ATLANTA — Alex Presley extend­ed his hitting streak to 12 games for the Pirates, singling and doubling and scoring twice. Erik Bedard, who got his first win, hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his five starts. But in his first four, the Pirates scored a combined two runs.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Dodgers 4, Nationals 3

10 innings

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers' Matt Kemp led off the bottom of the 10th with his 11th homer of the season. Nationals top prospect Bryce Harper, making his major-league debut, went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly in Washington's two-run ninth inning.

Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Desmond ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 .250

Lombardozzi 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .258

Werth rf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .273

LaRoche 1b 5 1 2 1 0 0 .338

Ankiel cf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .263

Espinosa 2b 4 1 1 0 0 3 .213

Harper lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .333

Ramos c 2 0 1 1 2 0 .264

Strasburg p 3 0 1 0 0 1 .200

Tracy ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .136

Totals 36 3 8 3 3 9

Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

D.Gordon ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 .210

Gwynn Jr. lf 5 0 2 0 0 1 .267

Kemp cf 4 1 1 1 1 2 .442

Ethier rf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .284

Hairston Jr. 2b 2 1 0 0 0 1 .289

M.Ellis 2b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .261

Loney 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .226

Uribe 3b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .278

A.Ellis c 4 0 2 1 0 2 .288

Billingsley p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000

J.Rivera ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .259

A.Kennedy ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .059

Totals 36 4 9 3 1 13

Wash. 000 000 102 0— 3 8 1

L.A. 000 000 102 1— 4 9 0

E—Espinosa (3). LOB—Wash. 7, L.A. 8. 2B—Harper (1), Strasburg (1), Uribe (3). HR—LaRoche (4), off Billingsley; Kemp (11), off Gorzelanny. RBIs—LaRoche (17), Harper (1), Ramos (7), Kemp (24), Uribe (6), A.Ellis (7). SB—Kemp (2). SF—Harper. RISP—Wash. 1 for 7; L.A. 3 for 11. DP—Wash. 2; L.A. 1.

Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Strasburg 7 5 1 1 0 9 101 1.13

Clippard 1 0 0 0 1 2 22 5.40

Rdrigez BS, 1-6M3 2 2 0 2 26 2.00

Grzelnny L, 1-1L1 1 1 0 0 12 6.17

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Billingsley 7 5 1 1 2 6 106 2.64

Lindblom 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 0.73

ElbertL1 1 1 0 0 5 4.76

GuerraM2 1 1 1 1 22 6.10

J.Wright W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 2.00

IBB—off Billingsley (Ramos), off Guerra (Tracy). HBP—by Strasburg (Uribe, Hairston Jr.). WP—H.Rodriguez 3. T—3:27. A—54,242 (56,000).

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors-Fitness Editor
Sunday, April 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Defending champion Filip Ospaly didn't worry about the swim or bike legs of Sunday's St. Anthony's Triathlon. The 36-year-old from the Czech Republic is used to coming from behind.

"I always feel strong on the run," he said after winning in a course record of 1 hour, 45 minutes, 50 seconds.

"I've been in this sport for more than 20 years, and the strategy still seems to work."

The triathlon drew the largest pro field in the 29-year history of the event with 84 world-class athletes — some of whom will be headed to the 2012 Olympics in London — racing along St. Petersburg's waterfront.

Ospaly, the 2006 European champion and 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympian, picked off runners one by one during the final leg of the Olympic distance triathlon. He averaged 5:02 per mile over 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) despite the humidity after swimming .9 miles (1.5K) in rough water and biking 24.9 miles (40K) along the blistering blacktop.

"I just got back from Israel and the European championships," said Ospaly, who finished 19th there. "So the heat didn't bother me at all."

Australian Joshua Amberger, 23, was the first man out of the water. He covered the new swim course, which paralleled North Shore beach, in 18:00. Hot on his heels was Cameron Dye, 28, the 2010 St. Anthony's champion from Boulder, Colo.

Amberger, who would finish fourth, got out in front on the bike but soon found himself in a pack with Dye and Ben Collins, 29, of Seattle who delivered the fastest bike time of 53.09. But in the end, it came down to the run.

"I think I went out a little too hard in the first 5K," said Dye, who finished fifth in 1:47:01. "I just couldn't keep them off."

Collins, who graduated from Columbia with a degree in mechanical engineering, finished second, nine seconds behind Ospaly in 1:45:59, which also broke the course record of 1:46:10.

"It is not the first time that Filip has passed me on the run," Collins said. "He's solid."

Collins has his sights set on the Olympic trials May 12 in San Diego.

"This was a good way to get the cobwebs out of my head," he said.

Timothy O'Donnell, 32, of Boulder, who was coming off Ironman 70.3 wins in Puerto Rico on March 18 and Galveston, Texas, on April 1, also broke the record, finishing third in 1:46:04.

"I wish I had a little more real estate to try to make up some time on the run," said O'Donnell, who finished the run in 31:38.

"But there were some great runners out there. This was just an unbelievable field this year."

In the women's race, defending champ Sarah Haskins sailed, finishing in 1:56:55 to shatter the course record by 50 seconds.

"I was out there on the run when people started yelling, 'Sprint! Sprint! You'll break the record,' " she said. "So I sprinted."

This is the fourth St. Anthony's victory in five years for Haskins, 31, of Clermont. She was followed by her training partner, Alicia Kaye, 29, also of Clermont, in 1:59:16.

"If I am going to lose, I don't mind losing to Sarah" Kaye said. "She is such a great athlete and an even better friend."

Terry Tomalin can be reached at tomalin@tampabay.com.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Will Power loves racing in Brazil.

Power won IndyCar's Sao Paulo 300 for the third straight time Sunday, edging Ryan Hunter-Reay on the 2.5-mile, 11-turn circuit on the streets of South America's biggest city.

Takuma Sato earned his first podium finish in IndyCar, ending up third after starting 25th.

It was Power's third straight victory this season and Penske Racing's fourth in a row, including Helio Castroneves' win in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg last month. This is the first time in its 44 seasons the powerhouse team has won four straight to start a season.

Next is the Indianapolis 500, which Penske has won 15 times.

"Definitely good for the points. The biggest one is next race, and we'll try to make it four in a row," Power said.

It rained hard during the morning practice, and the forecast called for rain all day. But the race ran on a mostly dry track. There was a light drizzle but not enough to get the track wet.

Eight drivers were involved in a crash at a restart with eight laps to go. There was little contact, but the track was blocked as the cars tried to make it through the first chicane.

Rubens Barrichello, in his first race at home since joining IndyCar this season after a 19-year career in Formula One, ran as high as third but fell to 10th at the end. Castroneves was the best Brazilian, finishing fourth after starting 18th.

NHRA: Mike Neff gave John Force Racing its sixth straight Funny Car victory to open the season, beating Ron Capps in the final of the Spring Nationals at Baytown, Texas. Morgan Lucas won in Top Fuel, Vincent Nobile in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

GRAND-AM: Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor won the rain-shortened Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a Corvette DP. The event, scheduled for 2 hours, 45 minutes, ended 52 minutes early.

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Mark Whitener won the 50-lap Scott Thompson Memorial Late Model feature race Saturday night in Gibsonton.

By Doug Hemmer, Times Correspondent
Sunday, April 29, 2012

What's hot: Tarpon fishing is heating up. The best action is during the afternoon outgoing tide. This is when crabs flow out of the passes, and the tarpon are waiting to feast. The action is even better when the tide flows hard and the wind blows out of the west. The strong tide pushes the boat west, and the west wind keeps the boat from drifting faster than the bait. When you free-line the crabs in front of the boat, the westerly wind helps make the crabs drift naturally into the path of the tarpon. Tackle should be in the 50-pound class, and hooks should be 4 to 6/0. Drift areas where you see tarpon rolling on the surface.

Pro tips: Skyway bridge and Egmont Key are two of the best areas to free-line crabs for tarpon. Start your drift up current of the boats that are fishing. Drift through the area while looking for rolling fish. When tarpon roll in front of your drift, make sure you have a few free-lined crabs drifting in front of the boat. Let the tarpon strike the crab and wait until the rod bends and line starts to burn off the reel. This is when you set the hook and prepare for a jump. Point the rod at the tarpon when it jumps. If the rod is bent during a jump, more times than not, the tarpon will throw the hook.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 347-1389.

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors-Fitness Editor
Sunday, April 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — The St. Anthony's Triathlon, the second event of Ironman's 5150 Series, drew a record 48 men's pros Sunday because they had a chance to score double points in qualifying for the $1 million Hy-Vee Triathlon on Sept. 2.

They included Matty Reed, Greg Bennett and Stuart Hayes.

But Reed, who formerly held the St. Anthony's record, had a rough day on the bike, his 56 minutes, 33 seconds over 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) was the second worst among the top-20 overall finishers. He finished 18th in 1:49:48, 3:58 behind first-place Filip Ospaly.

Bennett, the 2011 Hy-Vee champ and 2008 Olympian, finished 17th in 1:49:07. Hayes, one of Great Britain's top triathletes, took seventh in 1:47:22.

Training Camp South: Boulder, Colo., has long been home to the nation's top triathletes. But Clermont, about 80 miles northeast of Tampa, soon might be challenging for the title, at least as far as the sport's top women are concerned.

Sarah Haskins, who on Sunday won her second straight St. Anthony's, recently bought a house in Clermont. Alicia Kaye, who finished second, also now calls Clermont home.

"We have a group that trains together," Kaye said. "We call it Training Camp South."

Kaye said other "camp" members include Lauren Goss (12th on Sunday) and Natalie Kirchhoff (25th).

Runner down: The heat and humidity took its toll on one runner. Scott Rudes, 39, of Tampa collapsed during the 10K run. According to St. Anthony's Hospital, Rudes was treated at the scene and rushed to Bayfront Medical Center. Rudes was listed in critical condition Sunday evening, according to a Bayfront.

Swim a success: The 1.5-kilometer (.9 miles) swim, once one of the roughest in the sport because competitors had to swim straight out into the bay along the Pier, was easier to manage after organizers moved it parallel to the beach along North Shore Park.

"I think it is a lot safer for the swimmers," said Darry Jackson who organizes the kayak and stand-up paddleboard support. "I think it was a good move for everybody involved."

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. — Not even a meeting with NASCAR officials helped Carl Edwards understand why he was given a penalty at Richmond International Raceway.

"We had to just agree to disagree, and that's the way it is," Edwards said.

In Saturday night's Capital City 400, late drama spiced up what had been a bland race. There were just three yellow flags — one a NASCAR-planned competition caution — through 310 of 400 laps.

Then Jeff Burton smacked the wall, causing a caution with 89 laps left. Tony Stewart and Edwards were on the front row for the restart, and both believed they were leading.

Edwards sailed away at the green flag and was immediately penalized for jumping the restart and passing the leader before it was permitted.

What followed was a heated confrontation between crew chief Bob Osborne and the NASCAR official assigned to his pit stall, and a long talk on the team radio between Edwards and Osborne as they tried to figure out what happened.

Edwards' spotter told his driver he was leading and that the information came from NASCAR. The leaderboard backed it up, as Edwards was shown first. So when he was lined up on the outside of the track, Edwards said he figured NASCAR had made a mistake, and he made a split-second decision to try to get the best restart he could.

That part is not in dispute. Replays clearly showed Edwards rocketed past Stewart and had cleared him before reaching the official restart zone.

And that's against the rules, no matter who was leading.

But why was Edwards being shown as the leader? NASCAR vice president of competition said Edwards had tripped the timing and scoring when he crossed the line ahead of Stewart under caution while cleaning his tires.

"What you've got to understand is the electronics," Pemberton said. "When the transponder crosses the start/finish line — when Carl was scrubbing his tires, he beat (Stewart) to the line — so that instantaneously puts him up top.

"It happens all the time, but these circumstances don't stack on top of it."

The penalty dropped Edwards to 15th, he briefly fell a lap down, and wound up 10th. It was disappointing considering he led a race-high 206 laps in a race won by Kyle Busch. And it didn't seem to matter what NASCAR's explanation was, Edwards believed he had a win taken away from him.

"They run the sport, and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race care and do the very best job I can," said Edwards, who took a few moments to compose himself after leaving the meeting with NASCAR.

"I'd rather not say what was said in there. This whole thing is very frustrating. I don't feel like we did the wrong thing."

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Yankees 6, Tigers 2

NEW YORK — CC Sabathia steadied a rocky rotation with eight sharp innings, Alex Rodriguez passed Willie Mays for ninth on the career RBIs list (1,904) with two batted balls that didn't leave the infield and the Yankees won despite leaving 14 runners on base in the first six innings. "It just feels good to go out there and give those guys a rest," Sabathia said of a bullpen that had thrown 73⅓ innings entering the game, third most in the American League.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

White Sox 4, Red Sox 1

CHICAGO — Gavin Floyd took a no-hit bid into the seventh, Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer and the White Sox ended a five-game skid. Floyd retired the first 14 before Cody Ross walked in the fifth. Floyd improved to 7-0, 3.21 in nine appearances against Boston. "Your object is to get in there and go as late as you can and if it happens, it happens," said Floyd, who said he thought about Phil Humber's perfect game last week.

Times wires
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Twins 7, Royals 4

MINNEAPOLIS — Josh Willingham, back with the team after the birth of his son, was a homer away from hitting for the cycle as the Twins ended a six-game skid by beating up on Bruce Chen. "It's been a crazy, great few days," Willingham said, "so I just tried to keep it simple." Danny Valencia had three hits and two RBIs to back Jason Marquis' six strong innings.