Times staff, wires
Thursday, September 6, 2012

paralympics

Sailing silver

WEYMOUTH, England — St. Petersburg's Jen French and JP Creignou won the silver medal in two-person keelboat when the final race was canceled because of lack of wind off Weymouth on Thursday.

"I think what made the regatta fun was that it was tight racing in the entire fleet," French told U.S. Sailing. "You had a lot of variable conditions. "

Gold went to Australia's Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch. Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell of Great Britain got the bronze in the 11-boat fleet.

swimming: St. Petersburg's Brad Snyder was fourth in the 100-meter butterfly in London.

track: South Africa's Oscar Pistorius lost another of his titles, finishing fourth in the 100-meter final. Jonny Peacock of Britain won in 10.90 seconds. Pistorius, who also didn't defend his 200 title, had a time of 11.17.

NHL

Report: Talks resume informally today

Informal talks will resume today in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, Canada's Rogers Sportsnet reported.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly will meet with players association executive director Donald Fehr and special counsel Steve Fehr, it said.

Talks broke off last week after the union responded to an offer from the NHL with changes to an earlier proposal.

The current agreement expires Sept. 15. Bettman has said he will impose a lockout if a new deal hasn't been reached by then.

Daly and Steve Fehr discussed procedural details this week for resuming talks, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, as many as 200 players are expected in New York next week for a status update on the negotiations, and the Board of Governors meets in the city Thursday.

et cetera

soccer: Two-time Olympic 100- and 200-meter champion Usain Bolt said he was open to playing a charity game for his favorite team, Manchester United, next year after manager Alex Ferguson said that could be possible. Bolt has said he would like a tryout with the team.

cycling: Overall leader Alberto Contador moved closer to winning the Spanish Vuelta for a second time, and Daniele Bennati won the 18th stage. Bennati edged Ben Swift by a tire to win the 127-mile leg in 4 hours, 17 minutes, 17 seconds. Contador was 10 seconds behind. He led Alejandro Valverde overall by 1:52.

basketball: Shaquille O'Neal is in talks to play a few games in the Mexican league for Fuerza Regia, team president Sergio Ganem said. The retired 15-time NBA All-Star would play a couple of games in October. O'Neal, 40, received the invitation from Ganem in August during a visit to Monterrey, where he did work at a community center for youths in wheelchairs. O'Neal's availability would depend in large part on his schedule as an analyst for TNT's Inside the NBA, Ganem said. The NBA season begins Oct. 30.

Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors/Fitness editor; Times wires

Times wires
Thursday, September 6, 2012

WASHINGTON — Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer and Adam LaRoche hit his seventh homer in his past six games as the Nationals beat the Cubs 9-2 Thursday in game that featured the ejection of three players and one coach.

Cubs bench coach Jamie Quirk and Nationals third-base coach Bo Porter had a testy exchange in the fifth. The benches and bullpens emptied, but there was no pushing. Quirk was ejected.

In the sixth, Chicago reliever Lendy Castillo threw his first pitch near Bryce Harper's legs. Harper made a move toward the mound and was intercepted by catcher Steve Clevenger. Both teams spilled out again.

Clevenger took a swipe at shortstop Ian Desmond, who accidentally knocked down the first-base umpire backing away. Clevenger, Cubs righty Manuel Corpas and Nats lefty Michael Gonzalez were ejected.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif. — Athletics RHP Brandon McCarthy was in stable condition at a hospital's critical care unit Thursday, a day after having surgery for a skull fracture and brain bruise caused by a line drive.

McCarthy was hit in the right side of the head Wednesday night by a line drive off the bat of the Angels' Erick Aybar. He was knocked down and hit his head on the ground.

McCarthy, 29, eventually walked off under his own power and was taken to a local hospital for tests and observation.

A CT scan after the incident showed McCarthy had an epidural hemorrhage, brain bruise and skull fracture. McCarthy was transferred to another hospital and had a second CT scan. He then had two hours of surgery Wednesday to relieve pressure in his head.

A CT scan taken Thursday showed improvement, and McCarthy is currently resting in the hospital.

The A's did not give a time­table for how long McCarthy will be out.

"Our first concern is Brandon's health, and we are heartened to learn he has shown progress in his recovery after surgery," GM Billy Beane said. "We are glad to report he is stable, awake and alert."

More A's: 3B Brandon Inge was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder, and he will have season-ending surgery on it.

Angels' Weaver out: RHP Jered Weaver has biceps tendinitis in his right arm and will not pitch against Detroit this weekend. An MRI exam on Weaver's right shoulder revealed the condition, which apparently is unrelated to his being hit by a line drive Sunday. The team has not yet announced when he will make his next start. If Weaver can't go Tuesday, Jerome Williams or Barry Enright likely pitch. RHP Ervin Santana is scheduled to start today.

Honoring Cal: The Orioles unveiled a statue of baseball's iron man, Cal Ripken Jr., in the picnic area beyond the centerfield wall. Thursday was the 17th anniversary of the day Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's mark of consecutive games played.

Brewers: 3B Aramis Ramirez was held out with a lower-back and oblique strain. He aggravated his back during an at-bat Wednesday. "You always worry about those things because they can be more than what the player thinks," manager Ron Roenicke said. "He says, 'I don't think it's that bad, maybe just a day.' Sometimes it turns into a lot more than that."

Marlins: RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo, who has not pitched this season, had elbow ligament replacement surgery and could miss the 2013 season. Oviedo was suspended eight weeks by the league for pitching under the name of Leo Nunez and was eligible to return July 23. He injured his elbow during a minor-league rehab assignment and will be a free agent after this season.

Yankees: 1B Mark Teixeira (strained left calf) jogged in the outfield and said he's close to returning to the lineup.

Florida state league: Jupiter defeated St. Lucie 11-7 to capture the best-of-three semifinal series and advance in the Class A minor-league playoffs. The Hammer­heads host Lakeland today in the first game of a best-of-five championship series.

Times wires
Thursday, September 6, 2012

CINCINNATI — George Winn ran for two touchdowns, including a 58-yarder on Cincinnati's first play of the game, and the Bearcats took advantage of Pittsburgh mistakes for a 34-10 victory Thursday night.

It was the start of the Big East's final season before a major overhaul. West Virginia has already left for the Big 12, and Pitt and Syracuse will head to the ACC after the season. Next year, the conference expands to the South and West.

Cincinnati (1-0) won four of the last five games in the Ohio River rivalry, the latest with a reconstituted offense featuring seven new starters.

Quarterback Munchie Legaux, who went 2-1 as an injury fill-in last season, showed off his all-around skills. He completed 14 of 28 for 205 yards, including a pair of short throws that running back Ralph David Abernathy IV turned into touchdowns. Legaux also ran six times for a game-high 117 yards.

Pitt (0-2) had another sloppy game five days after a 31-17 loss to Youngstown State. The Panthers had a touchdown wiped out by penalty, and Tino Sunseri threw an interception in the end zone and held the ball too long on the final play of the first half, letting the clock run out with the ball at the 2-yard line.

Ray Graham, who returned this season after reconstructive knee surgery, had a 50-yard run that set up a Pittsburgh field goal. Graham carried 19 times for 103 yards.

Freshman running back Rushel Shell made his debut and carried eight times for 31 yards. Shell, who set a Pennsylvania high school rushing record, was one of six players suspended for Pitt's opener.

Winn took the handoff on Cincinnati's first play from scrimmage and went 58 yards untouched down the middle of the field for a touchdown.

Five plays later, Walter Stewart stripped Sunseri as he dropped to pass, turning the ball over at the Pitt 38. Legaux threw a swing pass to Abernathy, who went 15 yards down the sideline for a 14-0 lead.

The Bearcats are trying to turn Abernathy into their playmaker, replacing running back Isaiah Pead. The sophomore also turned a short catch into a 12-yard touchdown that completed a 99-yard drive in the fourth quarter.

Big east name change? The Big East is taking steps to "tweak" its name now that it includes schools from California, Idaho, Texas, Tennessee and Florida, according to Joe Bailey, the conference's former interim commissioner.

The Big East has commissioned a study to consider alternative names, Bailey said at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit in New York. He wouldn't say when the names would be presented to conference presidents for their consideration.

"The unintended consequences of adding new schools is that all of a sudden the Big East is a national conference," Bailey said. "It extends to four time zones in major markets. In one sense, it almost represents the United States in that diversity."

Arkansas: Fullback Kiero Small is expected to have surgery for a foot injury sustained Wednesday in a noncontact drill at practice. It's unclear how long he will be out. … Coach John L. Smith filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for debts he incurred through real estate investments in Kentucky.

Oregon drug testing: The university is implementing random drug testing of all its athletes, following a media report this year that estimated from 40 to 60 percent of the football team smoked marijuana. Oregon's previous drug policy allowed for testing when there was reasonable suspicion. A recent decision by the general counsel gives temporary permission for random testing effective this month. The policy faces a public hearing next month.

Basketball: Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie was discharged from the hospital after a six-day stay amid an investigation into alleged player mistreatment. University Medical Center spokesman Eric Finley said Gillispie left the hospital after 3 p.m. Thursday. Messages were left seeking comment from Gillispie and athletic director Kirby Hocutt. Gillispie is entering his second year as Red Raiders coach.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer


Thursday, September 6, 2012

Rays vs. Rangers

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field

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

Tickets: $17-$275, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within five hours of game time.

Promotion: Postgame concert by Calvin Harris; Rays neon hat given out to first 10,000 fans

Probable pitchers

Rays: RH Jeremy Hellickson (8-10, 3.41)

Rangers: LH Derek Holland (10-6, 4.79)

On Hellickson: He has lost three of his past four starts, though he gave up two earned runs or fewer in three of them. He has made two career starts against the Rangers, including taking the loss in Game 4 of the AL Division Series last season.

On Holland: He has won his past three starts, including allowing five runs (three earned) over six innings in a victory over the Rays last week. He is 4-2 with a 6.20 ERA in seven career starts against Tampa Bay.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Holland

Evan Longoria 8-for-19, 2 HRs

Jeff Keppinger 4-for-11

B.J. Upton 8-for-17, HR

Rangers vs. Hellickson

Ian Kinsler 0-for-4

Josh Hamilton 2-for-3, HR

Adrian Beltre 2-for-2, 2 HRs

On deck

Saturday: vs. Rangers, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (17-5, 2.54); Rangers — Yu Darvish (14-9, 4.29)

Sunday: vs. Rangers, 1:40, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (13-8, 3.88); Rangers — Matt Harrison (15-9, 3.37)

Monday: Off

Tuesday: at Orioles, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — TBA; Orioles — TBA

Rays disabled list

(with eligible-to-return date)

*C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5

*OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder surgery, 60-day, July 13

INF Sean Rodriguez, right hand fracture, 15-day, Sept. 15

* out for season

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

AL East

Team W L Pct. GB

Baltimore77 60.562—

New York7760 .562—

Tampa Bay 75 62 .547 2

Boston 63 75 .457141/2

Toronto 61 75 .449 151/2

AL race for wild cards

Team W L Pct. GB

Bal./N.Y.7760 .562—

Oakland 76 60 .559—

Tampa Bay 75 62 .547 11/2

Los Angeles 74 63 .540 21/2

Detroit 73 63 .537 3

Top two wild cards make postseason; GB is games behind second wild card

Number of the day

11 Times the Rangers have been picked off base this season, the most in the majors entering Thursday

Fuld's favorite

OF Sam Fuld, top, has idolized former longtime OF Brett Butler, bottom, since he was a kid, saying the 5-foot-10 scrappy player inspired him to think he could also make it to the big leagues. And a few weeks ago, Fuld finally got a chance to speak with Butler on the phone, hooked up by INF Ryan Roberts, who had played for Butler with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A team in Reno. Butler said he was "moved" by an online article Fuld wrote about him and invited the Ray out to Arizona. "(Roberts) said Butler would have loved me," Fuld said. "That I was his kind of player."

Fitting first

Recently acquired OF Ben Francisco can thank Tampa Bay for one of his most memorable moments: his first big-league hit and walkoff homer in his first big-league start June 27, 2007, with the Indians against the then-Devil Rays. "We were in a pennant race that year, too, so just winning the game like that and celebrating was pretty cool," he said.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

BALTIMORE — Adam Jones had heard tales about how Camden Yards used to be when the place was packed and the Orioles were in a pennant race. With one swing, Jones found out for himself just how crazy the place gets.

Jones hit the first of Baltimore's three homers in a wild eighth inning, and the Orioles climbed back into a first-place tie with the Yankees in the AL East by defeating New York 10-6 Thursday night.

Mark Reynolds had two of Baltimore's season-high six homers. Wieters and Robert Andino also connected.

Jones' leadoff homer in the eighth off David Robertson put Baltimore ahead 7-6 after the Yankees rallied from a five-run deficit in the top half.

"I've always asked our trainer, Richie Bancells, how loud can this place get? I always asked that," Jones said. "After I hit that home run, he came up to me and said, 'That's how loud this place can get.' "

Matt Wieters followed with a single and Reynolds hit a drive into the leftfield seats. Chris Davis then slammed the first pitch from Boone Logan over the rightfield wall.

After trailing the Yankees by 10 games on July 18, the surging Orioles pulled even Tuesday, then dropped a game back Wednesday before taking the opener of this series.

"They are playing with a lot of confidence right now," New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez said.

Reynolds, who also went deep in the sixth, has homered in three straight games and has eight long balls in his last seven. With Reynolds leading the way, the Orioles hit a half-dozen home runs in a game for the first time since Aug. 28, 2007, against Tampa Bay.

This is the first time since 1997 that the Orioles have been in the hunt for a playoff berth. The fans reacted accordingly, cheering from the first pitch to the very end.

"You couldn't ask for better," manager Buck Showalter said. "A special environment. Really appreciative. It helped."

Times staff, wires
Thursday, September 6, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor is ensuring that his players are prepared to participate in the political process.

Taylor took part of a practice day to work with members of the team to make sure they are registered to vote.

"I've always looked at coaching as a ministry," said Taylor, who grew up in Washington D.C., during the height of the civil rights movement. "The good Lord didn't put them here just to be uniform racks.''

On the presidential election day, Nov. 6, senior leaders will help take teammates to the polls.

"As young black men, it's very important that we get out and vote," said senior LB Brandon Hepburn. "We want our voices to be heard."

Senior RB Eddie Rocker will vote for the first time.

"I'll take the defense as an entire unit," Hepburn said. "I'll make sure my brothers will vote."

It is unclear if other schools are doing anything similar. Florida State, located less than a mile from the FAMU campus, isn't proactive in encouraging or emphasizing voting among its student athletes, spokesman Rob Wilson said.

USF: RB Shaw out

TAMPA — Junior RB Marcus Shaw, sidelined since Saturday's opener with a sprained ankle, will not play in USF's game at Nevada, coach Skip Holtz said on radio station 98.7-FM.

Shaw, who rushed for 22 yards against Chattanooga, could return for USF's Big East opener Thursday against Rutgers. Senior Lindsey Lamar, who had planned to redshirt this season, will take Shaw's spot as the No. 2 running back behind Demetris Murray.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

FSU: Freshmen are in

TALLAHASSEE — With standout DE Brandon Jenkins out for the season, FSU changed direction and will not redshirt freshmen Mario Edwards and Chris Casher.

"We can push them right now and can justify the reps and what they're doing," coach Jimbo Fisher said.

The fact that both freshmen were up for redshirt chances wasn't an indictment of their play, Fisher said.

"They always were in a good place,'' he said. "I liked where they were.''

In addition to Jenkins, Bjoern Werner, Cornellius Carradine, Giorgio Newberry and Toshmon Stevens were ahead of Edwards and Casher before Jenkins' injury. Jenkins, Werner and Carradine were getting snaps they couldn't.

"You just couldn't justify enough good reps those three guys (ahead of them) because they were so good," Fisher said. "With one of them out, you create and start developing with where they are."

Orlando Sentinel

UM: Henderson back

CORAL GABLES — RT Seantrel Henderson will make the trip for Saturday's game at Kansas State after missing last week's victory at Boston College.

How much Henderson plays, if at all, remains to be seen, with freshmen Ereck Flowers settled into the starting job.

"I hope he's ready," coach Al Golden said.

"He's only had two full-pads practice with the varsity, so he's got a long way to go with his conditioning and technique and everything."

Golden said he would also like to see left guards Jeremy Lewis and Ben Jones play, among others.

Notable: Lightning and storms pushed part of Thursday's workout indoors. That didn't stop players from testing their singing skills as Golden spoke with reporters. Golden smiled when asked if that was a good sign. "I don't know," he said with a chuckle. "Bad sign."… There was no change to the official injury report. LB Raphael Kirby and DT Curtis Porter remain out.

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Times sports staff


Thursday, September 6, 2012

TODAY

Autos

Formula One: Italian Grand Prix practice, 8 a.m., Speed

Sprint Cup: Federated Auto Parts 400 practice, noon, ESPN2

Sprint Cup: Federated Auto Parts 400 practice, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2

Nationwide: Virginia 529 College Savings 200 qualifying, 4 p.m., ESPN2

Sprint Cup: Federated Auto Parts 400 qualifying, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

Nationwide: Virginia 529 College Savings 200, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Baseball

Rangers at Rays, 7 p.m., Sun Sports; 620-AM

Marlins at Nationals, 7 p.m., FSN

Dodgers at Giants, 10 p.m., MLB

Canadian Football League

Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m., NBCSN

College football

Utah at Utah State, 8 p.m., ESPN2

College soccer

Men: Washington at Connecticut, 7 p.m., FSC

College volleyball

Florida State at Miami, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU

College water polo

California at Princeton, 6 p.m., ESPNU

Golf

PGA Europe: KLM Open, 8:30 a.m., Golf

LPGA: Kingsmill Championship, 12:30 p.m., Golf

PGA: BMW Championship, 3 p.m., Golf

High school football

Delray Beach American Heritage at Armwood, 7:30 p.m., BHSN

Skyline (Wash.) at Cottonwood (Utah), 9:30 p.m., ESPNU

Plant vs. John Curtis (La.) (joined after conclusion of Rays game), 10 p.m., Sun Sports

Soccer

World Cup elimination: Russia vs. Northern Ireland, 10:45 p.m., ESPND

World Cup elimination: Bulgaria vs. Italy, 2:30 p.m., ESPND

World Cup elimination: Canada vs. Panama, 7:30 p.m., ESPND

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup third-place game, 2:20 a.m., ESPNU

Tennis

U.S. Open: Men's doubles final, women's singles semifinals, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 10

saturDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Autos

Formula One: Italian Grand Prix qualifying, 8 a.m., Speed

Sprint Cup: Federated Auto Parts 400, 7:30 p.m., Ch. 28

Baseball

Braves at Mets, 4 p.m., Ch. 13

Rangers at Rays, 7 p.m., Sun Sports; 620-AM

Yankees at Orioles, 7 p.m., MLB

College Football

Penn State at Virginia, noon, Ch. 28

Miami at Kansas State, noon, FX; 1040-AM

Auburn at Mississippi State, noon, ESPN

UCF at Ohio State , noon, ESPN2

Maryland at Temple, noon, ESPNU

North Carolina State at Connecticut, noon, BHSN

East Carolina at South Carolina , noon, Ch. 32

Tulane at Tulsa, noon, FSN

New Hampshire at Minnesota, noon, Big Ten

Ball State at Clemson, 12:30, Ch. 44

North Carolina at Wake Forest, 3, Sun Sports

Purdue at Notre Dame, 3:30, Ch. 8

USC at Syracuse, 3:30, Ch. 28

Florida at Texas A&M, 3:30, ESPN; 1250-AM

USF at Nevada, 3:30, CBSSN; 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Air Force at Michigan, 3:30, ESPN2

Michigan State at Central Michigan, 3:30, ESPNU

Howard at Rutgers, 3:30, BHSN

Delaware State at Delaware, 3:30, NBCSN

Western Kentucky at Alabama, 3:30, Ch. 32

Rice at Kansas, 3:30, FSN

Iowa State at Iowa, 3:30, Big Ten

Wisconsin at Oregon State, 4, FX

Savannah State at Florida State, 6, 820-AM

Washington at LSU, 7, ESPN

Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas, 7, ESPNU

UTEP at Mississippi, 7, FSN

Nebraska at UCLA, 7:30, Ch. 13

Kent State at Kentucky, 7:30, BHSN

Army at San Diego State, 7:30, NBCSN

Georgia at Missouri, 7:45, ESPN2

Louisiana Tech at Houston, 8, CBSSN

Vanderbilt at Northwestern, 8, Big Ten

Illinois at Arizona State, 10:30, ESPN

Bethune Cookman at S.C. State (taped), 10:30, ESPNU

Golf

PGA Europe: KLM Open, 7 a.m., Golf

PGA: BMW Championship, noon, Ch. 8

LPGA: Kingsmill Championship, noon, Golf

PGA: BMW Championship, 3:30 p.m., Golf

Tennis

U.S. Open: Women's final, 8 p.m., Ch. 8

sunDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Baseball

Yankees at Orioles, 1:30 p.m., TBS

Rangers at Rays, 1:30 p.m., Sun Sports; 970-AM

Marlins at Nationals, 1:30 p.m., FSN

Cubs at Pirates, 1:30 p.m., WGN

Dodgers at Giants, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPND; 1040-AM

Golf

PGA: BMW Championship, 2 p.m., Ch. 8

NFL

Dolphins at Texans, 1 p.m., Ch. 10

Redskins at Saints, 1 p.m., 1010-AM

49ers at Packers, 4 p.m., Ch. 13

Panthers at Bucs, 4:25 p.m., 103.5-FM, 620-AM

Steelers at Broncos, 8 p.m., Ch. 8; 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Tennis

U.S. Open: Men's final, 4 p.m., Ch. 10

TV: BHSN: Bright House Sports Network; CBSSN: CBS Sports Network; ESPND: ESPN Deportes; FSC: Fox Soccer Channel; FSN: Fox Sports Net

Times wires
Friday, September 7, 2012

Rangers 5, Royals 4

10 innings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ian Kinsler tripled in the 10th and scored on Michael Young's single to lift the Rangers. Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning.

Times staff, wires
Friday, September 7, 2012

WEYMOUTH, England — St. Petersburg's Jen French and JP Creignou won the silver medal in two-person keelboat at the Paralympics when the final race was canceled because of lack of wind off Weymouth on Thursday.

"I think what made the regatta fun was that it was tight racing in the entire fleet," French told U.S. Sailing.

The pair competed at the top of the fleet and was among the top five boats daily in the 10 races.

"At the end of the end of the day, you had a lot of variable conditions, and the top sailors who can sail in the variety of conditions are the ones that come out on top," French said. " Obviously, the Aussies did the best."

Australia's Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch won the gold. Great Britain's Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell got the bronze in the 11-boat fleet.

In swimming back in London, St. Petersburg's Brad Snyder was fourth in the 100-meter butterfly.

Times wires
Monday, September 10, 2012

CHICAGO — Jose Quintana pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski hit back-to-back homers in the sixth and the White Sox beat the Tigers 6-1 Monday night to increase their AL Central lead to three games.

Chicago, which had lost seven straight to Detroit, had managed just two hits against Rick Porcello and was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position when an error on Tigers second baseman Omar Infante provided an opening.

Infante muffed Dewayne Wise's easy one-out grounder in the sixth. Paul Konerko singled to left to put runners at the corners and Rios lined a pitch over the wall in left-center. Pierzynski followed with a homer to centerfield for a 4-1 lead, ending Porcello's night and sending him to his sixth straight loss.

Gordon Beckham added a two-run shot in the eighth off Octavio Dotel.

The Tigers lost their fourth straight game and sixth in their past seven.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 10, 2012

TAMPA — USF athletic director Doug Woolard signed a new contract extension this summer that will keep him with the Bulls through 2015, with new incentives from USF president Judy Genshaft that allow him to benefit directly from the success of all the Bulls' athletic teams.

"I am very pleased with the confidence and support the university administration has provided our program, and I look forward to continuing to serve our student-athletes and coaches," Woolard said in a statement Monday night.

Woolard, in his ninth year as athletic director, signed a three-year extension in June, and in an offer letter written to him on June 22, Genshaft added a provision "enhancing your ability to earn additional annual performance incentives to demonstrate my intent and desire for success." As a result, Woolard can be paid "incentive payments in equal and cumulative amounts to the performance incentives which are earned and paid to the head coaches" under their contracts. His base salary did not change with the new contract.

USF's 14 head coaches have incentive bonuses ranging from $5,000 for small achievements to $500,000 for a national title in football, and now Woolard can be given matching bonuses. That's in addition to base compensation that now tops $500,000 a year — an exact salary was not available Monday — which would make Woolard the fourth-highest paid athletic director out of the Big East's eight football schools.

Nearing the end of USF's fiscal year, on the same day Genshaft sent Woolard the offer letter, he signed an extension for football coach Skip Holtz, and the next day, for men's basketball coach Stan Heath, with both new deals including upgraded postseason incentives. Genshaft co-signed the extensions on June 25, with Holtz's bonus for winning the Big East doubling to $200,000, and $400,000 for playing in the national title game. Heath, whose previous contract paid him $25,000 for making the NCAA Tournament, now gets $50,000 for that, as well as an additional $25,000 for each NCAA Tournament win.

USF did not mention Woolard's new contract on July 6 when the school sent reporters contract information showing the extensions for Holtz and Heath, including a comment from Woolard. Woolard volunteered the offer letter to the Times when asked Monday if he was operating under a new contract.

"I appreciate your willingness to accept this extension, and I look forward to sharing in the many future achievements of USF Athletics," Genshaft wrote to Woolard.

Times wires
Monday, September 10, 2012

Brewers 4, Braves 1

MILWAUKEE — Norichika Aoki had a two-run double to key a four-run seventh inning, and Milwaukee won its 16th in 21 games. The Brewers, who have moved into the fringe of the NL wild-card race, sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh but did all the damage on two hits and a sacrifice fly.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Cubs 4, Astros 1

HOUSTON — Dave Sappelt scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and had three RBIs for Chicago. Sappelt scored in the sixth inning on a Fernando Rodriguez pitch that bounced and rolled between catcher Jason Castro's legs.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Rockies 6, Giants 5

DENVER — Pitcher Alex White homered and Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak by finally solving Ryan Vogelsong, who had been 5-0 in his career against the Rockies. San Francisco lost for the second time in 10 road games.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Athletics 3, Angels 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jarrod Parker pitched seven three-hit innings, Brandon Moss and Cliff Pennington homered and Oakland snapped Los Angeles' six-game winning streak. Coco Crisp hit a leadoff triple and scored for the Athletics, who opened a key four-game series against their California rivals with a measure of revenge for the Angels' three-game sweep in Oakland last week.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Reds 4, Pirates 3

14 innings

CINCINNATI — Ryan Ludwick won it with a two-out infield hit.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The running back bursts through the hole, low and fierce, intent on going places. He is not a huge man, but still, he runs as if he is the hunter instead of the hunted.

And you look at Doug Martin and think … maybe.

The linebacker runs to the sideline, fast and aggressively, intent on getting to the open field before the opposing ballcarrier. He plays without hesitation, without doubt.

And you watch Lavonte David and think … perhaps.

The safety crashes into the wide receiver, and the passengers on arriving planes can hear the echo of his pads. Soon, opponents will not see a ball in flight without wondering where he is.

And you nod toward Mark Barron and think … finally.

Could it be? After all of this time, after all of the disappointments, after a wait that seemed as if it would never end, could the Bucs have brought in a new shipment of greatness at last?

The kids are brand new. That should be pointed out, and re-pointed out. They are one game into their careers, and nothing is promised, and there is a lot of football to be played before any of them have arrived. All of us understand that.

And yet … weren't all three of them something to see in their debuts?

Furthermore, isn't it about time the Bucs discovered their next wave of sellable jerseys?

For years, the Bucs have searched and, for years, excellence eluded them. It didn't matter where they drafted, or what position they picked, the Bucs couldn't locate a star with a search party and a GPS. Oh, every now and again, the Bucs have run across a good player — Carnell Williams or Davin Joseph or Aqib Talib — but mostly, it has been like watching a team sift through broken promises. Some years, you would swear the Bucs were drafting by throwing a dart into a roulette wheel in a darkened room.

You know the last truly great player the Bucs picked? The last time they picked a guy who will be in serious discussion from Hall of Fame voters? That would be Ronde Barber a decade and a half ago. Yeah, the same Barber who was celebrated for having such a long, long career on Sunday.

Since then? There have been Dexter Jackson and Gaines Adams and Michael Clayton and Sabby Piscitelli and Brian Price and the rest of the headache brigade. If you are wondering why the crowds have dwindled over the years, that's a good place to begin.

So, yeah, it's a little early to get excited about three newbies. Given the viewpoint of those who have been waiting, it's a little late, too.

The Bucs need these three players to make an impact, of course. It has been a long time since the draft of '95 turned this franchise around. No, no one is comparing any of these guys to Warren Sapp or Derrick Brooks, but for most teams that blossom into contenders, it starts with the addition of young impact players. (And yes, Gerald McCoy and Josh Freeman still have a chance.)

For three rookies, it was a good start. For a franchise, perhaps it was a re-start.

Martin carried the ball 24 times (and caught four passes), in his first game, and there wasn't one of those when anyone wanted anyone else with the ball under his arm.

David led the team in tackles with six. You noticed him more than any linebacker you have seen for years.

Barron? He led the team in bruises delivered. In one game, Barron showed why the Bucs jumped all over him in the draft. It isn't hard to imagine him as a punisher in the Bucs' secondary.

You could not watch without wondering just how good these guys might turn out to be. None of them looked green, and none of them looked indecisive and, frankly, none of them looked like rookies. In a town that has always preferred its stars to be homegrown, they looked like a promise of better days.

I know, I know. Michael Clayton was good for a while, too. Williams was sensational in his first four games. A career isn't judged over one game, no matter how impressive it might be.

Still, if you have been waiting for reinforcements, they might have arrived.

Barron. Martin. David.

Welcome to town, guys. Play a while, won't you?

Gary Shelton can be heard from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on 98.7-FM The Fan.

By Rod Gipson, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

TAMPA

Gaither's 2012 football ledger reads like this so far: a tough, fourth-quarter, come-from-behind win against Alonso and a not-so-tough 10-touchdown performance win against Leto.

So where exactly are the Cowboys, heading into Week 3?

Somewhere in between, according to Gaither coach Jason Stokes.

"All of our guys played really hard and they executed like the coaches asked," Stokes said after last week's 69-0 win against Leto. "But there are still things we need to do to get better. It's the little things, the fundamentals, things like that we need to keep working on."

Gaither, which is off to an 11-4 start in the Stokes era, will get to work on those fundamentals tonight at Plant City (1-1).

"Plant City is a tough team," said Stokes, whose squad lost to the Raiders 21-7 a year ago. "They (Plant City) are a perennial power. It'll be a tough test for us."

In other contests, Carrollwood Day School and Cambridge look to stay unbeaten as they both play Class 2A, District 5 games; Alonso, Freedom and Leto (all 0-2) are looking for win No. 1 and Chamberlain hosts unbeaten Wharton. Sickles is off tonight.

All kickoffs are set for 7:30 p.m. unless noted.

Berkeley Prep (2-0) at Naples Golden Gate (0-2), 7 p.m.

Last week: Berkeley Prep defeated Lakeland Victory Christian 30-7; Golden Gate lost to Fort Myers 37-27.

Why you should go: To see the show that is Berkeley sophomore QB Brad Mayes. In two games, Mayes has completed 17 of 33 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He also has run for two scores. Not bad for a 10th grader.

King (0-2) at Alonso (0-2)

Last week: King lost to Tampa Bay Tech 14-0; Alonso lost to Durant 29-0.

Why you should go: To see if Alonso breaks out of its funk. The Ravens were touted as a playoff team this preseason. Now, they're just looking for a win and wondering how their defense got stampeded for 250 yards last week.

Freedom (0-2) at Brandon (1-1)

Last week: Freedom lost to Plant City 14-9; Brandon was off.

Why you should go: Because Brandon has had to wait two weeks to return to the field after a 55-0 opening-night loss to Armwood. That means the Eagles might put on a show against the defensively challenged Patriots.

Wharton (2-0) at Chamberlain (1-0)

Last week: Wharton defeated Sickles 29-27; Chamberlain was off.

Why you should go: This might be the best game of the week. Wharton comes in with QB Chase Litton and do-it-all athlete Vernon Hargreaves, while Chamberlain counters with standout RB Xavier Johnson (who ran for more than 100 yards in the Chiefs' opening-night victory.)

Gaither (2-0) at Plant City (1-1)

Last week: Gaither defeated Leto 69-0; Plant City defeated Freedom 14-9.

Why you should go: To see more of Gaither's offensive weaponry. Granted, they were playing Leto, but the Cowboys put up 10 touchdowns last week scored by nine different players. That is versatility.

Leto (0-2) at Riverview (1-0)

Last week: Leto lost to Gaither 69-0; Riverview was off.

Why you should go: Leto has been outscored 106-6 so far this season. But the Falcons keep showing up and playing hard and TB Andre Simpson (35 carries, 104 yards and 1 touchdown this year) is one tough player.

Strawberry Crest (1-1) at Steinbrenner (1-1)

Last week: Steinbrenner defeated East Bay 23-0; Strawberry Crest lost to Bloomingdale 28-27.

Why you should go: To see how far these squads have come since starting their varsity programs three seasons ago. Plus, they're pretty evenly matched. Both are 1-1 with similar points scored through two games (Strawberry Crest 48, Steinbrenner 33) and almost identical defensive efforts (35 and 34 points allowed, respectively).

Carrollwood Day School (2-0) at Northside Christian (0-2)

Last week: CDS defeated Keswick Christian 48-0; Northside Christian lost to Bradenton Christian 33-10.

Why you should go: To keep watch on history. Carrollwood RB Robert Davis needs 1,599 yards for the all-time Hillsborough County rushing crown after scampering for 215 last week. Plus, you can see former Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Mike Alstott, who coaches Northside Christian.

Bradenton Christian (1-0) at Cambridge Christian (2-0)

Last week: Bradenton Christian defeated Northside Christian 33-10; Cambridge defeated Canterbury School 34-21.

Why you should go: Because a win would put Cambridge already halfway to its district win total of a year ago and keep the Lancers in first place this season.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

TAMPA — To appreciate what Andre Davis did Saturday by catching the winning touchdown in USF's last-minute comeback win at Nevada, remember that a year ago, he hadn't yet caught his first college pass.

"I was just young," said the Jefferson High graduate, who turned 19 on the day of USF's opener. "I've progressed a lot. I'm very confident in myself, very confident in the offense, very confident in my coaching. They progressed me so much, I feel like I'm ready to be on that big stage now … I feel like I'm myself again. I can go out and do my thing."

Saturday, Davis doing his thing meant resetting USF's single-game receiving records for catches (12) and yards (191), stepping up after junior Sterling Griffin was lost to a season-ending knee injury. That makes Davis USF's clear top option in a deep group of receivers that has shown a penchant for the deep ball.

Davis' two 50-yard touchdowns Saturday showed his range of skills — first a 52-yard score on a short route where he spun past the initial defender then outran the defense down the sideline, then the winning 56-yarder with 38 seconds left, where he beat a defensive back down the sideline, fought off pass interference and completed the Bulls' comeback without even looking back to see who the flag was on.

"He was draped all over me," Davis said nonchalantly. "I just go up and make plays like that."

In his first six games, Davis had just four catches for 45 yards, but as injuries pressed him into a larger role, he caught 18 for 228 in last year's final six games, including a touchdown grab that for a moment looked a lot like Saturday's last catch. In a home game against Cincinnati in October, Davis caught a 10-yard TD with 1:28 left for a 34-30 lead, only to see the Bearcats regain the lead with 12 seconds left. Remembering that, his favorite part of his record-setting day was that it came in a Bulls victory.

And as the Bulls prepare for the national spotlight Thursday night with Rutgers in town and ESPN's audience tuning in, Davis is proud to represent his hometown in a key Big East opener.

"It's awesome to be able to be from Tampa and to come to USF and be a part of something so big in Tampa," Davis said. "It means a lot to me, because I can come out here and do it for my hometown, my home city."

BOWL BASH: Thursday will be USF's "Bowl Bash," where representatives from all BCS bowl games as well as all bowls with Big East ties will attend to get a firsthand look at the Bulls. USF hopes for the Big East's BCS berth but could also land the league's No. 2 spot at the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.

THIS AND THAT: DT James "J.T." Hamilton became the fifth true freshman to play this season, and while he had a solid debut with four tackles, he leads the team in one statistic: nicknames. Coach Skip Holtz has already called him "Young Chop" as a nod to his resemblance to senior DT Cory "Pork Chop" Grissom, but the freshman from Orlando also gets called "Sugar Bear" and "T-Bone." … Sophomore walk-on LB Ruben Garcia (Durant) got in on defense, getting a tackle and earning playing time ahead of at least five scholarship linebackers. … The men's soccer team fell from No. 2 to No. 11 in the NSCAA coaches' poll after a 1-0 loss to South Carolina, but the Bulls can climb back up with a win Sunday at No. 9 Akron. … Former USF TE Isaac Virgin, who barely played in three seasons with the Bulls, is now at Division I-AA Bethune-Cookman, where he could debut this week when the Wildcats play at Miami.