Ben Sheets had so much ice tightly wrapped around his achy arm that it stuck out as he eased into the black, leather couch in the clubhouse, looking for a little relief. What a worrisome sight for the Milwaukee Brewers. Sheets dominated for five innings before a tight pitching arm forced him from the game Friday night and left his immediate future in doubt.
Johan Santana offered a succinct evaluation of his Shea Stadium debut for the New York Mets, a marquee matchup against Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets. "He pitched good and I didn't," Santana said. "He was better than me." That seemed fair after Sheets retired 18 straight Mets hitters and, backed by home runs from Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks and Gabe Kapler, beat Santana and the Mets 5-3 on Saturday.
Mehmet Okur kept up his recent strong play, even during a defensive struggle in which the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets held each other to season lows in scoring. Okur had 22 points and 17 rebounds to help Utah clinch its second straight Northwest Division and snap the Hornets' 11-game home winning streak, 77-66 on Tuesday night.
In a locker room outburst equal parts joy and angst, Jamar Butler finally dropped the charade Ohio State had been playing for nearly three weeks and revealed its main motivating factor for a roughshod run through the NIT. "This is what happens when you put an NCAA tournament team in the NIT," Butler yelled, surrounded by his teammates after beating Massachusetts 92-85 in the title game Thursday...
Pedro Martinez slowly walked off the mound. The New York Mets have no idea how long before he'll return. Robert Andino's first career home run with two outs in the 10th inning gave the Florida Marlins a 5-4 win over the Mets on Tuesday night after Martinez departed with a leg injury. Already coming off two injury-plagued seasons, Martinez limped away with a strained left hamstring in the fourth...
On a night when superstars Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa played together for the first time, a couple of fourth-line players grabbed the spotlight for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarkko Ruutu had a goal and two assists and Georges Laraque had a goal and an assist as the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-1 on Thursday in Crosby's first home game in more than two months.
Alex Ovechkin is scoring goals and having fun. With a playoff spot on the line, he gave the Washington Capitals exactly what they needed. Ovechkin became the NHL's first 60-goal scorer in 12 years by getting two Friday night in the Capitals' comeback 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. Ovechkin beat goalie Kari Lehtonen in the first period and then brought the Capitals within 3-2 at 11:30 of the...
Austin Freeman missed Georgetown's first shot, a 3-pointer the Hoyas rebounded and kicked out to DaJuan Summers for another 3 try that hit nothing but net. That was only the start. Jessie Sapp scored a career-high 23 points and No. 9 Georgetown tied a Big East tournament record with 17 3-pointers, fending off a second-half comeback to beat Villanova 82-63 on Thursday in the second round.
Fred Couples made four birdies in his opening six holes, shot 5-under 65, and golf finally felt fun. Tiger Woods couldn't hit the green with a wedge, struggled to shoot even par, and he finally looked human. The Arnold Palmer Invitational delivered a few surprises Thursday, none bigger than the 48-year-old Couples booming tee shots, taking only 23 putts and finishing atop the leaderboard with J.J.
The mighty Detroit Red Wings had a record in sight, entering the third period with a two-goal lead against the lowly Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles had other plans. Brad Stuart scored the go-ahead goal at 13:07 of the third, helping the Kings rally for a 5-3 win over Detroit on Thursday night. "It's always great when you can come back and win a game in the third period," Stuart said.
The house lights dimmed, music was turned up and a video montage of Johan Santana highlights started rolling on a screen so wide you could almost see the seams on every pitch. Every minute or so, the string of strikeouts was interrupted by a famous New Yorker welcoming Santana to the Big Apple. There was Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Jerry Seinfeld.
Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to eight games Saturday night with a 110-91 victory over the new-look Memphis Grizzlies. The Jazz have won 12 of their last 13 and sit atop the Western Conference's Northwest Division. Memphis lost its third consecutive game, and Grizzlies fans got a glimpse of what the rest of the season might be like...
Chuck Knoblauch came to Congress toting his toddler Friday, and the former major leaguer met for about 1 1/2 hours with lawyers from a House committee investigating drug use in baseball. Knoblauch, the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year and one of more than 80 players linked to performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report, did not reveal what he was asked or what he said.
Kobe Bryant was unstoppable at times, scoring 10 straight points in the third quarter and finishing with 39. With the game on the line, though, the Detroit Pistons prevented him from attempting a game-winning shot. Tayshaun Prince made a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left and Lamar Odom shot an airball, giving Detroit a 90-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
The Pittsburgh Penguins might not miss Marian Hossa after all. Jordan Staal had a hat trick in the third period and set up Ruslan Fedotenko's winning goal with 1:11 in overtime, lifting the Penguins to a 7-6 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. "We have a lot of talent on this team and we have good heart," Staal said.
Paul Pierce walked into the postgame interview room with his right hand wrapped in ice, cooling down after a hot shooting final quarter. "We're cooling it down," Kevin Garnett joked after Pierce scored 22 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to lead Boston's 94-87 comeback win over the Raptors on Monday night.
Mike Ribeiro had a goal and a career-high four assists in the Dallas Stars' 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Loui Eriksson added a pair of goals, and Brendan Morrow and Krystofer Barch also scored for the Stars, who went 2-1 against the three New York-area teams this week. Dallas beat the Rangers 2-1 on Monday and lost 5-0 at New Jersey on Wednesday.
Jason Varitek snapped an 0-for-14 slide with a tiebreaking, sixth-inning solo homer as the Boston Red Sox took a 4-2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays after six innings of Game 6 of the AL championship series on Saturday night. Kevin Youkilis homered off James Shields and hit an RBI grounder for the Red Sox.
Denis Savard's plan was to improve on what the young Chicago Blackhawks accomplished last season and make a push for the playoffs. He won't get that chance. After only four games and just hours after the team's first victory of the season, he was fired as coach Thursday and replaced by Joel Quenneville.
They fluttered in and rocketed out: Three more homers sent sailing over the Green Monster to help the Tampa Bay Rays blow out Boston for the second straight game and move within one win of their first AL pennant. Evan Longoria hit his rookie-record fifth home run of the playoffs, and Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar also homered off aging knuckleballer Tim Wakefield on Tuesday night to give the Rays a...
J.J. Hardy and the Milwaukee Brewers did just enough to keep their postseason alive for another day. Back home at Miller Park, the Brewers got three hits from Hardy and a sharp outing from Dave Bush to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 Saturday night and stave off elimination in the NL division series.
Tim Wakefield has been in Boston long enough to compare celebrations, a two-time World Series champion who is returning to the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. For Jason Bay, it's all new. "I feel like a kid, jumping around spraying champagne with all these guys," said Bay, a midseason acquisition whose go-ahead single helped the Red Sox beat Cleveland 5-4 on Tuesday night and clinch at...
David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Jason Bay, Jason Varitek, Kevin Youkilis and, finally, Jacoby Ellsbury. Home run by home run, the surging Boston Red Sox pulled closer to first place in the AL East during a 13-5 victory over the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays and All-Star Scott Kazmir on Monday night. The defending World Series champions won for the first time in seven games at Tropicana Field this...
A busted up knee could hardly put a damper on this day for Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. After a season of disappointment and an uninspiring opening-game victory against a heavy underdog, the Fighting Irish have something to truly celebrate -- Notre Dame 35, Michigan 17. "We definitely showed up against a good opponent and it's sweet," said Weis, on crutches most of the game after tearing the ACL...
Torii Hunter put on goggles, got on the clubhouse floor and began doing the butterfly and backstroke in a puddle of beer and champagne. Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels had plenty to celebrate Wednesday. They became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season by winning their fourth AL West title in five years.
Carlos Delgado hit two impressive homers for the second straight game, Carlos Beltran had a go-ahead shot to reach 100 RBIs and the New York Mets increased their NL East lead by beating the scrappy Washington Nationals 10-8 Tuesday night. Ryan Church also homered, Jose Reyes snapped an 0-for-15 slide with two hits and the Mets started a stretch of 12 games against the bottom two teams in the...
Aaron Rodgers passed his first test as the Green Bay Packers' new quarterback, throwing for 178 yards and a touchdown and scoring on a game-clinching sneak in a 24-19 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Rodgers, who was 18-of-22, got help from the Packers' special teams, running back Ryan Grant and safety Atari Bigby to beat a bitter division rival in his first regular-season...
After sleepwalking through six innings, the Boston Red Sox woke up. AL batting leader Dustin Pedroia homered in the seventh inning to begin Boston's comeback from a four-run deficit, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 Wednesday when pitcher Jim Miller threw away a bunt for a game-ending error.
All it took was one record-tying round and several claps of thunder for Oakland Hills to finally look vulnerable Saturday in the PGA Championship. Andres Romero kept his calm and played a third round he described as "almost perfect" in making seven birdies to become only the seventh player to shoot 5-under 65 in a major at Oakland Hills.
Prince Fielder knows the best way to say you're sorry. The first baseman made amends by apologizing for his dugout outburst the previous night, then hit a two-run homer Tuesday that helped the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 and quickly move beyond the ugly altercation. The Brewers were on their best behavior a day after Fielder shoved pitcher Manny Parra in the dugout during a...
John Lynch wasn't content playing a part-time role, not after four straight Pro Bowl seasons. The Denver Broncos couldn't promise him the playing time he was seeking. So Lynch and the Broncos agreed to amicably separate. "He wants to play every down," coach Mike Shanahan said Thursday. "Heck, I can't blame him.
From the very start to the very finish, doping was along for the ride on the Tour de France. The final act Sunday was supposed to be a champagne-sipping, idyllic run to the Champs-Elysees for winner Carlos Sastre of Spain. Instead, it was yet another announcement of a positive drug test. That the bust involved a Kazakh rider who was never in contention didn't matter.
From sunny San Diego to bleak and blustery Royal Birkdale, the expression on Rocco Mediate's face didn't change. He watched one final birdie tumble into the cup for a 1-under 69 and a three-way share of the lead in the British Open, straightened his 45-year-old back, then dropped his jaw into a smile that said, "How did that just happen?" Others must have been wondering the same thing Thursday.
Maybe Manny Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and the rest of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs should just play their own All-Star game. A charmed season for the Cubs got even better Sunday when they put a team-record seven players on the NL roster. The World Series champion Red Sox also will send seven to Yankee Stadium on July 15.
Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox talked about everything that went right. New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi delivered a different message. After Lester pitched a sharp five-hitter and Boston stopped a five-game losing streak with a 7-0 victory Thursday night, Girardi closed the clubhouse for a 30-minute meeting.
Darren Baker hasn't yet learned the distinction between old and vintage. The 9-year-old son of Reds manager Dusty Baker playfully called Ken Griffey Jr. old on Monday, then watched the 38-year-old outfielder end the game with a swing that was as sweet as ever. His two-run shot -- the 603rd of his career -- sent Cincinnati to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Angels got another outstanding pitching performance, and this time they even won. John Lackey held the Dodgers to three hits for 8 2-3 innings, then Francisco Rodriguez finished off a nervous ninth Sunday afternoon to give the Angels a 1-0 victory. The previous night, Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo held the Dodgers without a hit, but the Dodgers' unearned run was enough to give them a 1-0...
A championship 44 years in the waiting is worth a special celebration. Spain made sure it didn't disappoint any of its fans Sunday night, both during its 1-0 victory over Germany to win the European Championship, and after it. Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute and the Spaniards never backed down against such a formidable opponent.
Russia had the right Dutch coach. And the better team. The long shot Russians, led by coach Guus Hiddink, scored two goals in extra time Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the European Championship with a 3-1 upset win over the Netherlands. It was a sweet victory for Hiddink, who enhanced his reputation of getting lesser known teams far in tournaments.
Thirty-three years later, the Red Sox still couldn't win in Cincinnati. Jay Bruce and Adam Dunn hit solo homers Friday night and right-hander Aaron Harang got his first victory in a month, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 interleague victory that had a historic backdrop. Boston hadn't come to town since the 1975 World Series, when the Reds took two of three at Riverfront Stadium.
Mathew Goggin tried to keep his balance on the bank of a creek, looking for a way out of trouble at the Memorial. He quickly abandoned those thoughts, chipped out to the 14th fairway and took a bogey. Muirfield Village was no place for heroics Saturday, not in such difficult conditions, not with a guy looking for his first PGA Tour victory.
Luc Bourdon, a promising rookie defenseman with the Vancouver Canucks, was killed Thursday when his motorcycle struck a tractor-trailer in a crash near his hometown. He was 21. His death was confirmed by sister Eve Bourdon and stepmother Maryse Godin. Both declined further comment when reached at the family's home in Shippagan.
Fernando Tatis delivered a two-run double in the 12th inning Wednesday night, lifting the New York Mets over the Florida Marlins 7-6. The Mets made it 5-all in the ninth when Endy Chavez connected for the first pinch-hit home run of his career. After Alfredo Amezaga homered with two outs in the 12th off reliever Duaner Sanchez (1-0), the Mets rallied.
Charles Grant participated in an offseason training session at the New Orleans Saints' suburban headquarters Wednesday, a day after being indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on an involuntary manslaughter charge. "Obviously it's something we take very seriously and certainly our condolences go out to the family" of the victim, Saints coach Sean Payton said.
Oliver Perez shut down the slumping New York Yankees, Jose Reyes homered for the second consecutive game and the Mets cruised to an 11-2 rout Sunday night for a rain-shortened sweep of their crosstown rivals. Ryan Church also homered and Moises Alou drove in three runs for the Mets, who beat Chien-Ming Wang and won a series at Yankee Stadium for only the second time since interleague play began in...
Not once but twice, jockey Kent Desormeaux sneaked a peek to see if anyone was gaining on Big Brown. "I looked between my legs, under my arms, and they were eight (lengths) behind me," Desormeaux said. "I stopped pushing. I said, `That's enough."' His big bay colt ran away with the Preakness on Saturday and now is pointed squarely down the path toward the Triple Crown.
Music blared in the Tampa Bay clubhouse and four large, flat-screen televisions mounted around a column in the middle of the room were tuned to the same in-house channel displaying the AL East standings. The surprising Rays are on top, and the sputtering Yankees are on the bottom. No one was gloating, though.
It wasn't even a bad pitch that ended the Cleveland Indians' scoreless streak. An unearned run against Aaron Laffey on his own throwing error halted the starting rotation's run of 44 1-3 consecutive shutout innings, but didn't interrupt their string of dominant outings. Laffey pitched the Indians to a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep and giving the...
With Evgeni Malkin doing his best Mario Lemieux impression, even a healthy Kimmo Timonen might not have made a difference. The Flyers probably needed an in-his-prime Bobby Clarke, and maybe more, to stop this. Malkin scored two dazzling goals 5 minutes apart to give Pittsburgh a two-goal lead after Sidney Crosby tied it, and the Penguins rode their two big stars to a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia...
Chauncey Billups spent almost all Wednesday night in the trainer's room. He was there Thursday, when the rest of the Detroit Pistons took the court to practice. And he'll be there most of Friday, too. "He's going to have stuff he's never seen before," said Arnie Kander, Detroit's strength and conditioning coach.
Tim Wakefield had his knuckleball working and that made the rest of his pitches that much more effective. He only allowed two hits in eight shutout innings to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez also hit back-to-back homers on successive pitches in Boston's fifth straight win and seventh in the last eight games.
Skip Schumaker hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, taking struggling closer Jason Isringhausen off the hook in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. The Cubs' outfield was playing in with a runner on third and one out when Schumaker, usually the Cardinals' leadoff hitter, hit his second homer of the season and fifth of his career off Chad Fox.
Bobby Abreu hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, Chien-Ming Wang earned his 50th career victory and the New York Yankees did just fine without A-Rod, beating the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Tuesday night. Abreu connected for his seventh career grand slam off Octavio Dotel with two outs in the seventh to rally New York from a 3-2 deficit.
Boo Weekley's first Verizon Heritage victory was a surprising relief. His latest? A joyful celebration that was a year overdue. Weekley successfully defended his title Sunday at Harbour Town, closing with an even-par 71 for a three-stroke victory over Anthony Kim (71) and Aaron Baddeley (71). Last year, Weekley needed chips-ins on the 71st and 72nd holes to beat Ernie Els by a stroke on a Monday...
