Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Astros 6, Brewers 3
HOUSTON — Scott Moore homered for the second straight day, and J.D. Martinez and Jose Altuve had three hits each as Houston took advantage of the first-inning ejection of Zack Greinke to break a season-long nine-game skid.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 7, 2012
CLEVELAND — Having already played more than two months without Evan Longoria, the Rays are preparing to be without their slugging third baseman until sometime in August.
"I have no idea when … he's going to be able to play again," manager Joe Maddon said Saturday. "It's such a hard one to create conjecture with, other than if you wanted to bend to the negative side on this one, you may have to, as opposed to the positive side of it, meaning that it's probably going to take more as opposed to less time to get him back on the field."
Longoria partially tore his left hamstring April 30, with the original prognosis he would be out six to eight weeks. He tried to accelerate his return last month but tweaked the hamstring during a June 18 rehabilitation game for Triple-A Durham when a teammate — yet to be identified publicly — bumped into him as he was stretching in the dugout, just another episode in the Rays' 2012 saga of misfortune.
He won't resume baseball activities until after the Monday-Thursday All-Star break — and a trip to Los Angeles to attend the ESPY Awards — and after seven to 10 days of drills could start another rehab assignment, undoubtedly at a slower pace, potentially rejoining the Rays mid August.
"August is better than not at all," CF B.J. Upton said. "Obviously we need him back. … But the main thing is him taking the time that he needs to get that thing 100 percent."
The Rays have used seven third basemen in Longoria's absence, and those players had combined to hit .231 with three homers and 26 RBIs in 60 games while making 15 errors.
Maddon talks daily with executive VP Andrew Friedman and said "there's nothing really in the makings right now" to address Longoria's extended absence. The Rays have claimed Brooks Conrad off waivers and traded for Drew Sutton, who later was designated for assignment and lost on waivers to the Pirates.
"Looking at all of our options, which Andrew does, you've got a trade deadline coming up (July 31, for nonwaiver deals). We normally don't do anything at that time," Maddon said. "We'll just have to see how this plays out for the rest of the month. Maybe somebody will surface from within and they can take that job and run with it."
Maddon acknowledged that hamstring recoveries are hard to predict: "It's a tough injury to overcome and a tough injury to battle back from."
MORE MEDICAL: OF/DH Hideki Matsui (left hamstring tightness) continues to run better but remains limited to pinch-hitting. … OF Sam Fuld (right wrist surgery) started a projected 20-day rehab assignment by going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and playing centerfield for advanced Class A Charlotte. … RHP Chris Archer, impressive in two fill-in starts with the Rays, left his outing with Triple-A Durham after one inning for precautionary reasons with left oblique tightness.
MISCELLANY: The post-break pitching rotation should be set today. … Durham's Stephen Vogt, who hit .364, was named the Rays' top minor-league player for June and Bowling Green RHP Roberto Gomez, 5-0, 1.34, the top pitcher. … INF Elliot Johnson, one of the Rays' most productive hitters, got the night off but will play today.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 7, 2012
CLEVELAND — The first half of the season has been tough enough, what with the injuries, the inconsistencies and the incessant mistakes. And after another bad night in a 7-3 loss to the Indians on Saturday, the Rays need a win today, with veteran James Shields on the mound, to keep the sting from sticking with them throughout the upcoming four-day All-Star break.
"No question, to win (today), get Shields out there to pitch his typical game and go home with a win would be outstanding," manager Joe Maddon said. "Just try to regroup, try to reorganize in some areas, just try to get better at some of the things that we normally do well that we haven't to this point, and move on from there.
"With all the stuff that's been going on, all the moving parts, I'm definitely pleased we are within this striking distance. But we're still making too many awkward mistakes that have to go away."
Saturday, that started — and pretty much ended — with rookie lefty Matt Moore, who delivered one of his most disappointing outings of the season, giving up five runs on five hits (all doubles) and five walks while failing to get out of the fifth inning.
"It was a pretty poor effort," Moore said, "and not much else other than that."
Moore, who dropped to 5-6 with a 4.42 ERA, couldn't do much of anything well.
"Matty did not have one of his better days," Maddon said. "A decent first inning, then it just got away from him. He had an uncomfortable look and command issues. … We needed a little better start to stay competitive and win that game, because their guy was pretty sharp. It's just a youthful thing, and I still firmly believe in how good he's going to be. It was just a tough night for him."
And that was pretty much it for the Rays, who dropped to 44-41, 71/2 games behind the division-leading Yankees, though only two off the wild-card pace. The offense — except for Luke Scott, now on a hot streak with homers in back-to-back games — showed no carryover from Friday's 10-run, 13-hit outburst, scoring four or fewer runs for the 11th time in the past 13 games. Plus, the Rays struck out 12 more times.
The Rays said Cleveland starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who worked six strong innings, deserved credit, but that has become a common concession.
"Obviously, something we've been struggling to do is hit consistently," infielder Sean Rodriguez said. "It stinks to say that every time, but most of the time that's what it seems to be, a pitcher just making his pitches."
And there was the Rays' now-standard series of mistakes or unmade plays in the field. Leftfielder Desmond Jennings and Rodriguez came up short on diving catches that led to runs.
Added was the burden of getting a 25th out. The Rays were called out of the dugout after seemingly ending the seventh. Home plate umpire Scott Barry overruled first-base ump Jerry Meals that first baseman Carlos Peña had hung on to a Rodriguez throw, though Maddon said Barry made the right call.
A win today and a strong start from Shields — who has allowed 24 hits in his past two games — could go a long way. Like, all the way until they host the Red Sox on Friday.
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
LAS VEGAS — Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Andre Iguodala of the 76ers and James Harden of the Thunder were chosen Saturday to complete the roster for the U.S. men's basketball team.
They earned the spots that opened after a rash of injuries knocked out at least four players who would have been on the team. They beat out the Hornets' Eric Gordon, the Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and this year's No. 1 overall draft pick by the Hornets, Anthony Davis, who couldn't scrimmage last week because of a sprained ankle.
Also heading to London for the defending gold medalists are: the Heat's LeBron James, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, the Clippers' Chris Paul, the Nets' Deron Williams, the Thunder's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and the Timberwolves' Kevin Love.
James, Bryant, Anthony, Paul and Williams were 2008 gold medalists.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he believed this team was deeper and better than the 2008 squad but "only time will tell." The coach is Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who also coached the 2008 team.
The Americans lost Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to injuries in recent months. Friday, the first day of the U.S. training camp, Paul sprained his right thumb. He wore a protective splint Saturday.
The team practices in Las Vegas through Wednesday, then plays an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
more basketball: Russia beat Nigeria 85-77 to secure a spot at the Olympics.
beach volleyball: Two-time defending women's gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings got their first win in 11 months in their last event before the Games, defeating Sanne Keizer and Marleen Van Iersel of the Netherlands 21-10, 21-13 at the FIVB World Tour event at Gstaad, Switzerland.
volleyball: The U.S. men, the defending gold medalists, swept Cuba 3-0 to advance to the final against Poland at the FIVB World League event at Sofia, Bulgaria.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
WIMBLEDON, England — For Serena Williams, the low point came in early 2011, when she spent hours lying around her home, overwhelmed by a depressing series of health scares that sent her to the hospital repeatedly and kept her away from tennis for 10 months.
The high point came Saturday on Centre Court at Wimbledon, when Williams dropped to the grass, hands covering her face. She was all the way back, a Grand Slam champion yet again.
Her serve as good as there is, her grit as good as ever, Williams was dominant at the start and finish, beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to win a fifth singles title at the All England Club and 14th major title overall, ending a two-year drought.
"I just remember, I was on the couch, and I didn't leave the whole day, for two days. I was just over it. I was praying, like, 'I can't take any more. I've endured enough. Let me be able to get through this,' " recalled Williams, whose ranking slid to 175th after a fourth-round loss at the All England Club last year, her second tournament back.
"Coming here and winning today is amazing. It's been an unbelievable journey for me."
That's why tears flowed and she hugged her parents and older sister Venus, who has five Wimbledon titles of her own. This pair of siblings now accounts for 10 of the past 13 Wimbledon singles trophies. They added their fifth Wimbledon doubles title in the evening, beating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4.
"(Serena) hasn't had an easy road," Venus said. "For her to fight through that and come back and be a champion — it was definitely emotional."
A few days after winning Wimbledon in 2010, Serena cut both feet on broken glass at restaurant. She needed two operations on her right foot. Then she got blood clots in her lungs, for which she needed injections of a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach's skin, requiring another procedure.
"That made her realize where her life was, really, and where she really belonged and that she really loved the game," said Williams' mother, Oracene Price.
Against Radwanska, aiming to be the first Polish Grand Slam singles champion and ascend to No. 1 in the rankings, Williams was streaky but also superb. She won the first five games and the last five. She compiled a 58-13 landslide of winners. She swatted 17 aces, including four at 114 mph, 107 mph, 115 mph, 111 mph in one game to pull even at 2-all in the third set. That was part of a run in which she won 15 of 18 points. Her ace total climbed to a tournament-record 102, surpassing her mark of 89 in 2010.
"So many aces," said Radwanska, 23, whose two-week total was 16, "and I couldn't do much about it."
After a 20-minute rain delay between the first two sets, Radwanska, ill with respiratory trouble, rallied a bit. But Williams regained control down the stretch.
Radwanska will be No. 2 in the rankings behind Victoria Azarenka today.
At 30, Williams is the oldest women's major singles champion since Martina Navratilova won Wimbledon in 1990 at 33. Asked what more she could want, Williams replied: "Are you kidding? The U.S. Open. The Australian Open. The French Open. Wimbledon 2013."
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Webb Simpson shot 5-under 65 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead entering today's final round of the Greenbrier Classic.
Simpson, who won the U.S. Open three weeks ago, held a one-shot lead after the rain-delayed second round of the PGA Tour event was completed Saturday morning. Then he shot his second straight bogey-free round to reach 14-under 196.
Troy Kelly (62) was second. Charlie Beljan (67), J.B. Holmes (66) and Ken Duke (65) were three off the lead.
"I've got to go shoot under par (today)," said Simpson, who had birdies on four of his final six holes.
"The golf course is playing in such a way that there's plenty of birdie opportunities. I've almost got to imagine that these guys are all going to shoot 4, 5 under. I've got to stay aggressive."
Kelly had hip replacement surgery in September 2010. His best finish since is tied for 37th at the Mayakoba Classic in February. This year he has missed eight cuts among 15 events.
Saturday, Kelly made five birdies on the front nine and three on the back.
"It's just good to see some putts go in," said Kelly, who entered the tournament 174th on the tour in putting. "I had fun."
Champions: Tom Kite shot 3-under 69 to remain tied for the lead, three ahead of three players, after two rounds of the First Tee Open in Pebble Beach, Calif. He was at 8-under 136 with Brad Bryant, whose 67 included an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys. John Cook, the first-round co-leader, was 5 over through eight, including a triple bogey at No. 5, before withdrawing with a sore neck.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
KOHLER, Wis. — Na Yeon Choi had one of the best days in U.S. Women's Open history, taking control of the tournament with a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday.
The South Korean sat at 8-under 208, six ahead of Amy Yang (69). Only four players have posted a lower round in the Open; the 65 tied the lowest third-round score in tournament history.
"I couldn't believe how I got eight birdies," Choi said. "I'm very happy. And I'm very satisfied, and I'm very excited."
Yang said she would keep things simple for today's final round: "I'm just going to keep being patient, try to do my best."
Coral Springs 17-year-old Lexi Thompson (72), Mika Miyazato (73) and Sandra Gal (74) were tied for third, seven behind Choi.
Suzann Pettersen, the second-round leader, and Michelle Wie, who was one back starting the day, each shot 78 to sit nine and 10 shots back, respectively. Christie Kerr, who was tied with Wie, shot 77 and was tied with Pettersen and four others.
"There's birdies out there," Pettersen said. "I think the wind is going to be a little bit less (today). So if you get off to a hot start, hopefully put a number down early in the clubhouse. Who knows?"
Yani Tseng, ranked No. 1 in the world, struggled, shooting 78 to sit at 8 over. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome shot 74 a day after carding 80 and was 7 over. Tampa's Cindy LaCrosse (74) was 5 over. Tampa resident Kristy McPherson (81) was 11 over.
Choi had four birdies on the front nine, including her first two holes. She made a 20-foot birdie at No. 7, then birdied the first three holes of the back nine.
The only slipup was a three-putt at No. 13 for her only bogey. But she got the stroke back with a 15-foot birdie at the par-3 17th.
The lowest round in U.S. Women's Open history is 63 by Helen Alfredsson in 1994. Three others have shot 64.
"It will be a lot of pressure," Choi said of today. "But I know what I have to do, and I know what I can control."
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Cardinals 3, Marlins 2
ST. LOUIS — Kyle Lohse pitched seven sharp innings in 106-degree heat and Tony Cruz hit a go-ahead two-run triple for St. Louis. Allen Craig had three hits and Skip Schumaker had an RBI single in the fourth for the Cardinals, who have won five of seven and snapped Miami's three-game winning streak. Former Ray Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer for the Marlins.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Mets 3, Cubs 1
NEW YORK — Ike Davis homered and Dillon Gee allowed a run in eight innings to help the Mets set themselves up to go into the All-Star break on a positive note. Gee kept up a run of strong starts by Mets pitchers. They've gone at least six innings in 19 of the past 21 games and have an ERA of 3.16 in that stretch. "He was really good" Saturday, Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's the Dillon Gee we've seen."
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
White Sox 2, Blue Jays 0
CHICAGO — Kevin Youkilis backed Gavin Floyd with a two-run homer and Chicago won its fifth straight game. With two outs in the fifth inning and Alexei Ramirez on first, Youkilis drove Ricky Romero's 1-and-1 pitch out to center for his third homer in 12 games since he was acquired in a trade with the Red Sox. Floyd improved to 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA in his past four starts and received a standing ovation when he left with two outs in the eighth.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Tigers 8, Royals 7
DETROIT — Former Ray Delmon Young hit a two-run homer to give Detroit a four-run cushion in the seventh inning and the Tigers won their fourth straight game to move above .500 for the first time since May 10. Young has a three-game homer streak after clearing the fences six times in his first 74.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Pirates 3, Giants 1
PITTSBURGH — James McDonald allowed four hits over seven innings to win his fourth straight start, and Mike McKenry homered for Pittsburgh. Neil Walker doubled twice and drove in a run while extending his hitting streak to 11 games for the Pirates, who have won nine of 11 and are guaranteed at least a share of the NL Central lead through the All-Star break. San Francisco has lost six of eight.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Nationals 4, Rockies 1
WASHINGTON — Gio Gonzalez pitched three-hit ball over six innings to earn his 12th win, Ian Desmond homered and Washington used a three-run sixth to pull away. Gonzalez won his fourth straight start to tie the Mets' R.A. Dickey for the majors' lead in victories (12). The Nationals won for the fifth time in six games and have an NL-best 49-33 record.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Rays at Indians
When/where: 1:05 today; Progressive Field, Cleveland
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH James Shields (8-5, 4.11)
INDIANS: RH Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.93)
On Shields: He is 3-5, 4.73 in his past 11 starts and has allowed 40 hits in his past 271/3 innings, including double digits in his past two starts. He is 1-5, 3.83 in eight starts vs. Cleveland.
On McAllister: The former Yankees farmhand is in his third stint with the Indians this season and is coming off a win over the Angels. He is 5-2, 2.98 in 11 Triple-A starts this season.
Key matchups
Rays VS. MCALLISTER
None have faced
INDIANS VS. SHIELDS
Asdrubal Cabrera 4-for-9, HR
Johnny Damon 7-for-24, 2 HRs
Casey Kotchman 2-for-12
On deck
Monday: Off
Tuesday: All-Star Game, Kansas City, 8 p.m.
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Workout at Tropicana Field, 4-6 (closed to public)
Rays disabled list
(with eligible-to-return date)
C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5
OF Sam Fuld, right wrist surgery, 60-day, June 5
*OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder surgery, 60-day, July 13
OF Matt Joyce, oblique strain, 15-day, July 5
3B Evan Longoria, left hamstring tear, 15-day, May 16
RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14
* out for season
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Historical context of the day
As if he needed company, Rays DH Luke Scott, right, turned out not to be the first player to end a hitless streak of 41 or more at-bats with a home run, as he did Friday. Further research by the Elias Sports Bureau found that Kansas City's Chuck Harrison did so on July 27, 1971, off Detroit's Mickey Lolich.
Future stars of the day
LHPs Enny Romero, right, who pitches for Class A Charlotte, and Felipe Rivero, from Class A Bowling Green, will represent the Rays at today's All-Star Futures Game in Kansas City (ESPN2, 5 p.m.).
Number of the day
5
Runs, hits and walks allowed Saturday by Rays starter Matt Moore who, wearing No. 55, pitched into the fifth inning.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
ST. LOUIS — RF Giancarlo Stanton is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today after lasting just two innings in his first start in five games, leaving the Marlins without a representative on the field at Tuesday's All-Star Game.
"He might be out for a month or six weeks. That's what I think," Miami manager Ozzie Guillen said Saturday. "Hopefully less. We're better off that way because that kid couldn't do anything."
General manager Mike Hill said surgery had been discussed as an alternative if Stanton had difficulty playing. He said the procedure to remove a loose body in the knee is fairly routine.
"It was just discomfort," Hill said. "And we knew that once we had tried it that if it flared up again, surgery was the logical option."
Stanton was replaced on the NL All-Star roster by Nationals RF Bryce Harper.
Stanton, a first-time All-Star, started Saturday's 3-2 loss at St. Louis but was removed for a pinch-hitter in the third. He singled and scored on Justin Ruggiano's two-run homer in the second.
Stanton is batting .284 with a .364 on-base percentage and a .554 slugging percentage that is seventh in the NL. He also was scheduled to participate in Monday's home run derby.
"He's a big bat," Guillen said. "This is our power hitter, the RBI guy. I think everybody out there has got to step it up a notch and try to cover the space."
ALL-STAR SECURITY: After a year of preparing for one of the biggest events to come to the city in decades, Kansas City police are ready to prove they're as capable as any big-city force of delivering a stellar performance at Tuesday's All-Star Game.
It's the first time in nearly 40 years the city has hosted the Midsummer Classic, and officials have spent several months coordinating with local, state and federal agencies and the U.S. Army to make sure tens of thousands of baseball fans who come to the city will be safe.
A delegation of Kansas City police officers traveled to Phoenix for last year's All-Star Game. And the department tested its security plan at the city's St. Patrick's Day parade and in an exercise in April at Kauffman Stadium.
"We're a large police department, and we've handled large events before," said Maj. Rich Lockhart, who is leading the Kansas City department's security efforts. "But nothing on this scale. The city is hoping people see how well we've handled this event and that it leads to bigger events in the future."
In other All-Star news, Nationals SS Ian Desmond was scratched from the game because of an abdominal injury and replaced by Braves OF Michael Bourn.
SETBACK FOR CRAWFORD: Red Sox LF Carl Crawford's rehabilitation assignment was put on hold because of a mild groin strain. Boston manager Bobby Valentine said the former Rays All-Star felt something when he was rounding second on a triple Thursday for Double-A Portland. Crawford has missed the entire season while recovering from an injured left wrist.
ROBERTS INJURY: An MRI exam revealed Orioles 2B Brian Roberts has a cartilage tear in his right hip, and he is expected to need surgery. Roberts, who is on the disabled list with what was initially called a right groin strain, had played 17 games after being out for more than a year while recovering from multiple concussions.
RANGERS: OF Josh Hamilton returned to the lineup as DH a day after being removed because of back spasms.
YANKEES: RH reliever Joba Chamberlain, who dislocated his right ankle in March, could begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH — NASCAR temporarily suspended driver AJ Allmendinger for a failed drug test, forcing Penske Racing officials to scramble to get Sam Hornish to the track before Saturday's race at Daytona International Speedway.
Allmendinger's suspension was announced about 90 minutes before Sprint Cup's Coke Zero 400.
Allmendinger's "A" sample taken last weekend at Kentucky Speedway came back positive. He had 72 hours to request his "B" sample be tested.
Hornish was 10th in Friday's Nationwide series race in Daytona but had gone back to North Carolina, where he was about to do a live TV show on the Speed Channel. The team sent a plane to retrieve him.
"For me, it was a lot of waiting around," said Hornish, who finished 33rd after a flat tire midway through the race. "I'm sure for everyone else it was hectic."
"Certainly there's no closure, and it's just not that simple of a situation," team president Tim Cindric said from Toronto; he's there for today's IndyCar race.
Allmendinger, 30, a former Champ Car driver, is in his first year with Penske, his best ride in six Sprint Cup seasons.
INDYCAR: Dario Franchitti won his third straight series pole for today's street race at Toronto at 106.451 mph, followed by Will Power. St. Petersburg resident Sebastien Bourdais starts a season-best fourth.
FORMULA ONE: Series leader Fernando Alonso put Ferrari on the pole for the first time in 31 races, edging Red Bull driver Mark Webber by 0.047 seconds for today's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England.
NHRA: Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) led their classes in qualifying for today's eliminations at the Summit Racing Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Vincent Nobile earned a $50,000 bonus by winning a special Pro Stock race.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
NFL
Minnesota star faces resisting arrest charge
HOUSTON — Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest after an incident early Saturday during which Houston police said it took three officers to subdue him.
Police said Peterson was at a nightclub when an offduty officer working security asked him and his group to leave because the club was closing. The officer left to tell others to leave before returning to Peterson's group to again tell it.
Police said Peterson told the officer he heard him the first time and pushed him. After being told he was under arrest, he yelled, pulled away and "assumed an aggressive stance." Another offduty officer came to help. Peterson continued to struggle, and a third helped handcuff him.
Peterson was released on a $1,000 bond; an arraignment was set for Friday. The Vikings said they were aware of the situation and gathering information.
Arena football
Storm wins, keeps playoff hopes alive
Stephen Wasil scored on a 1-yard run with 36 seconds left to give the Storm a 65-61 win at Pittsburgh. On the ensuing possession, the Power (4-12) reached the Storm 4-yard line before three incompletions. At 7-9 with two games left, Tampa Bay and Cleveland are one game back of Georgia and Jacksonville, who at 8-8 hold the two American Conference wild-card spots.
NBA
Celtics near deal to re-sign Green
Jeff Green's agent said the framework is in place to re-sign with Boston. David Falk didn't disclose terms. Green averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2010-11 but sat out last season after heart surgery.
Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, taken No. 2 overall in the June draft, signed. Under the rookie scale, the ex-Kentucky star gets a two-year deal with two one-year options and makes about $4 million this season.
Et cetera
Boxing: Wladimir Klitschko beat Tony Thompson by TKO in the sixth round to retain the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles in Bern, Switzerland. Klitschko (58-3) knocked Thompson (36-3) down near the end of the fifth and early in the sixth. Klitschko, 36, beat Thompson, 40, by TKO in the 11th in 2008 and faced him again as the IBF's mandatory challenger.
Colleges football: Ohio State senior LB Storm Klein, who started 10 games last season, was dismissed from the team a few hours after pleading not guilty to charges of domestic violence and assault. He was arrested in Columbus on Friday. Details weren't disclosed. Klein is the third starter arrested during the summer. TE Jake Stoneburner and LT Jack Mewhort were suspended for evading police.
Times wires
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Red Sox 9, Yankees 5
Game 2
BOSTON — Newcomers Pedro Ciriaco and Mauro Gomez had three hits each, and Ciriaco drove in three runs as Boston gained a split of the day-night doubleheader.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Braves 6, Phillies 3
PHILADELPHIA — Tommy Hanson pitched effectively into the eighth, Brian McCann homered and Atlanta handed Philadelphia its ninth loss in 10 games and second straight since Ryan Howard's return. Things are so bad for the last-place Phillies that even when they do something right, it looks ugly. Hunter Pence ran over third-base coach Juan Samuel on his way to scoring in the second inning.
Times wires
Saturday, July 7, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH — There was no fire or rain. Still, there was another frantic finish at Daytona International Speedway.
Tony Stewart emerged as the winner of the Sprint Cup Coke Zero 400, charging past Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth on the last lap and holding on as the challengers stacked up behind him Saturday night in one of Daytona's trademark wrecks.
"Just a weird day," Stewart said in Victory Lane. "These races — I'm still voting for a Figure-8 race here."
Stewart has 18 victories at Daytona, second to the late Dale Earnhardt's 34. None of Stewart's wins are in the Daytona 500, though. He's 0-for-14 in NASCAR's biggest race. (Earnhardt needed 20 tries before winning the 500 in 1998.)
"I wish I could trade a couple of these races in for just one Sunday race in February," Stewart said.
Stewart qualified second but dropped back to 42nd at the start because his Chevrolet failed inspection. He quietly rode around — his style at restrictor-plate races — and let Roush Fenway Racing teammates Kenseth and Greg Biffle stay up front.
"We were going to try to win the thing and be there at the end," Biffle said.
Kenseth led a race-high 89 of 160 laps around the 2.5-mile superspeedway, and Biffle led 35. Going into the final restart, Kenseth led, with Biffle on his bumper, as second-place Stewart lined up with Kasey Kahne.
Kenseth and Biffle pulled away for a lap, but Stewart passed them on the outside, then crossed down the track in front of Kenseth. Seconds later, Biffle seemed to wiggle, and cars began wrecking all over, starting an accident that involved about 15.
Kenseth started from the pole in his bid to become the first driver since 1982 to sweep the two Daytona races in a season.
"I tried to slow up (for drafting help) and grab my teammate that's been helping me so much all night," Kenseth told TNT. "We started to get hooked together, and Tony was going slow, and I went to go outside of Tony, and then everybody wrecked behind me. I'm not sure what happened."
Jeff Burton came from nowhere to finish second, followed by Kenseth and Joey Logano. David Reutimann of Zephyrhills was 11th, and Tampa's Aric Almirola was 19th. Biffle wound up 21st.
Stewart picked up his third win of the season and jumped from ninth to fifth in points. Even if he falls well down in points, those wins all but assure him of a wild-card spot in the Chase for the Championship.
"It's not a guarantee, but it's nice to know we've got those three wins," he said.
