SHEFFIELD, England — Stephen Hendry believes he can be king of the snooker world once more after completing a 13-4 rout of defending champion John Higgins at the Crucible on Saturday.Hendry, who won the last of his seven world titles way back in 1999, had no difficulty in clinching the solitary frame required to oust Higgins after racing into a 12-4 lead on Friday in the best-of-25 clash.It capped a remarkable transformation in fortunes for Hendry, who had come close to retiring from snooker 12 months ago after suffering a humiliating 13-4 defeat to Mark Selby in the second round in Sheffield.Although Hendry faces a tricky test in the quarterfinals against fellow Scot Stephen Maguire, the 43-year-old insists there is no reason why he can't go on to claim an eighth world crown."I don't feel like the oldest player in the tournament. I don't feel like that at all," said Hendry, who lit up the Crucible earlier this week with a maximum 147 break.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Jackson completes charity bike ride
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA — Bo Jackson's 480-km bike ride across Alabama ended Saturday in Tuscaloosa, with the Heisman Trophy winner having raised more than $413,000 so far to help victims of last spring's tornado outbreaks.The ride — dubbed "Bo Bikes Bama" — crossed the finish line in Tuscaloosa around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The ride passed through some of the communities hit hardest by more than 60 twisters that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed about 250 people on April 27, 2011. In Tuscaloosa, more than 50 deaths were blamed on a tornado.Hundreds joined Jackson for the ride, including celebrities such as Lance Armstrong, former major leaguer Ken Griffey Jr. and NBA star Scottie Pippen. Riders could join Jackson for $200 a day. Each of the five bikes he rode will be auctioned."We've had fun this week," Jackson said "I've gotten to know people that I would have never gotten to know. And it's things like when you're driving down the road, even though these people have lost a lot, they're out on their front porches."
Williams' MVP plaque sold at auction
BOSTON — A 1949 MVP plaque owned by Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams has sold for nearly $300,000 at the first major auction of his sports, military and personal memorabilia.Nearly 800 items sold Saturday at the auction at Fenway Park. Among them was a baseball that Babe Ruth signed for Williams, which sold for $195,500. Hunt Auctions Inc. says that sale set a record for a baseball signed by Ruth that wasn't used in a game.Williams' 1957 Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat Award for outstanding batting achievement sold for $230,000. An 8-year-old Texas boy and his parents were the winning bidders on Williams' 1957 Silver Bat award, which sold for nearly $200,000.The auction coincided with the 10th anniversary of Williams' death at 83 and Fenway Park's 100th anniversary.
Chen, Davis lead O's to win over Athletics
Having a ball: Orioles starter Chen Wei-yin prepares to throw a pitch against the A's on Saturday in Baltimore. The Orioles won 10-1. APBALTIMORE — The first month of Chen Wei-yin's American adventure is going quite nicely. After four starts in the major leagues, the Taiwanese left-hander who spent the past four seasons with the Chunichi Dragons is 2-0 with an impressive 2.22 ERA.On Saturday night, Chen pitched seven strong innings, Chris Davis had four RBIs, Adam Jones and Robert Andino each had three hits and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics 10-1.Chen (2-0) allowed six hits and didn't give up a run until Jonny Gomes' one-out home run in the sixth. By then, he led 9-0. He struck out four and walked two."I feel like very thankful, I feel like the guys behind me supported me a lot," Chen said through his interpreter."A couple innings I couldn't find the strike zone and to support me until the end I am really thankful."The Orioles matched a season-high with 10 runs, and in the second inning scored five runs on a season-high six hits."It was good for us to put some distance between us and give our bullpen a break," Davis said.Chen has allowed just two runs in his last two starts."I feel like I am getting improved every time I go out on the mound. I feel like I am getting better and better," Chen said.Josh Reddick was hitless in three at-bats against Chen."He didn't overpower us, we just missed him a lot," Reddick said.Athletics manager Bob Melvin was more critical of his team's offense than offering praise to Chen."I am not going to say he didn't throw the ball well. I am just saying we had opportunities that we didn't take advantage of. I think he probably gained confidence from that," Melvin said."I haven't seen him enough to say what kind of pitcher he is. The numbers he has put up are indicative of a good pitcher."Tigers 7, Yankees 5In New York, Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in three runs, and Drew Smyly pitched into the seventh inning for his first major league win.Rangers 7, Rays 2In Arlington, Texas, Colby Lewis allowed one run in six innings and the Rangers snapped Tampa Bay's six-game winning streak.Koji Uehara worked a scoreless ninth for Texas.Red Sox 1, White Sox 0In Chicago, Jon Lester outdueled Jake Peavy, lifting Boston over the White Sox.Kosuke Fukudome was hitless in an at-bat as a pinch hitter.Angels 2, Indians 1In Cleveland, Dan Haren pitched eight strong innings and Albert Pujols' power drought continued.Blue Jays 7, Mariners 0In Toronto, Brandon Morrow pitched six innings and Edwin Encarnacion hit a grand slam off reliever Hisashi Iwakuma as the Blue Jays snapped a four-game losing streak.Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-4 and pinch hitter Munenori Kawasaki walked in his only at-bat.Royals at Twins — ppd.NATIONAL LEAGUEDodgers 4, Nationals 3 (10)In Los Angeles, Matt Kemp homered in the 10th to spoil Bryce Harper's MLB debut.Phillies 5, Cubs 2In Philadelphia, Carlos Ruiz homered and drove in three runs, and Joe Blanton threw 7? sharp innings for the Phillies.Marlins 3, Diamondbacks 2In Miami, Hanley Ramirez hit a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth.Giants 2, Padres 1In San Francisco, Tim Lincecum pitched eight innings in his longest start of the season.Pirates 4, Braves 2In Atlanta, Alex Presley had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, drove in two runs and also scored.Cardinals 7, Brewers 3In St. Louis, Yadier Molina went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer, and Kyle Lohse allowed three runs over six innings.Norichika Aoki was 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter for Milwaukee.Mets 7, Rockies 5In Denver, Dillon Gee shook off one tough inning in an otherwise strong outing.Reds 6, Astros 0In Cincinnati, Jay Bruce homered for the third consecutive game and drove in four runs.Utsumi leads Giants in shutout of Tigers
Tetsuya Utsumi had a memorable 30th birthday by pitching seven scoreless innings to lead the Yomiuri Giants to a 2-0 win over the Hanshin Tigers on Sunday.
Many happy returns: Yomiuri's Tetsuya Utsumi pitches during the Giants' 2-0 win over the Tigers on Sunday. KYODOUtsumi (2-3) combined with two relievers on an eight-hit shutout at Tokyo Dome as the once-struggling Giants won their third straight game. The left-hander scattered seven hits while walking one and striking out three in a 99-pitch outing.Hanshin put runners in scoring position four times against Utsumi, with the biggest threat a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the sixth.But Utsumi got former Seattle Mariner Kenji Johjima to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat."I'm glad I got a win on my birthday," Utsumi said. "In the sixth inning, I tried to ease my mind by telling myself I could allow a sacrifice fly and one run would be inevitable."When I'm off, I leave my fastball in the middle of the zone in a situation like that. But today was different."I've started to throw a two-seam fastball only recently. Before the game, (catcher Shinnosuke) Abe-san told me we were going to use it a lot today. It worked very well."Backup outfielder Ryuichi Kajimae opened the scoring in the second when he drove in captain Abe from second with a two-out single up the middle off Minoru Iwata (1-4)."I wanted to get a hit for Utsumi-san in that situation," Kajimae said. "I was determined to go aggressive and swung at the first pitch. The manager put me in the starting lineup yesterday, but I didn't do well."Today I was finally able to contribute to the team's win."Shuichi Murata hit a sacrifice fly to give Yomiuri a much-needed insurance run in the eighth off Daiki Enokida.Kentaro Nishimura pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save after Tetsuya Yamaguchi worked the eighth.Johjima, back in Hanshin's starting lineup for the first time in five games, went hitless in four at-bats, striking out once and hitting into two double plays. Hanshin outhit Yomiuri 8-7.Carp 3, Swallows 0
Show of strength: Nick Stavinoha (right) and Yusuke Nomura celebrate the Carp's victory over the Swallows on Sunday. KYODOAt Mazda Stadium, rookie Yusuke Nomura (2-1) allowed just one hit over eight innings and Nick Stavinoha hit a two-run homer in the sixth as Hiroshima beat Tokyo Yakult to snap a three-game losing streak.Jun Hirose delivered an RBI single in the first innng among his three hits. Orlando Roman gave up three runs in six innings for Yakult, whose unbeaten streak ended at seven games.Dragons 3, BayStars 0At Nagoya Dome, Shinji Iwata (2-0) struck out 12 and allowed just two hits in seven innings as Chunichi handed Yokohama its fourth consecutive loss.Hirokazu Ibata and Naomichi Donoue hit RBI singles in the fifth off Yuki Kuniyoshi (0-3) to push Chunichi's lead to 3-0. Hitoki Iwase picked up his 10th save.PACIFIC LEAGUEFighters 4, Eagles 0At Kleenex Stadium, Terrmel Sledge homered and drove in three runs, Masaru Takeda pitched his second shutout of the season and PL leader Hokkaido Nippon Ham beat Tohoku Rakuten.Sledge gave Nippon Ham a 1-0 lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI double and added a two-run shot in the sixth off Kenji Tomura (2-1). Takeda (4-0) allowed just two hits and two walks in a 96-pitch outing.Atsunori Inaba, who recorded his 2,000th career hit on Saturday, went 2-for-4 for Nippon Ham.Marines 2, Hawks 1At QVC Marine Field, Yuki Karakawa (4-1) threw his second complete game of the season as Chiba Lotte edged Fukuoka Softbank to snap a three-game losing streak.Saburo Omura hit a sac fly in the first and Katsuya Kakunaka added a solo homer in the fourth off Sho Iwasaki (2-3). Softbank moved within a run in the ninth, but Katsuki Yamazaki grounded out for the final out with two men on base.Lions 3, Buffaloes 1At Kyocera Dome, Shogo Akiyama went 3-for-3 with an RBI, leading Seibu over Orix for its fourth straight victory.Seibu right-hander Ryoma Nogami (1-1) gave up nine hits but limited the damage to one run in 5? innings for the win. Hiroshi Kisanuki (2-2) took the loss.
Many happy returns: Yomiuri's Tetsuya Utsumi pitches during the Giants' 2-0 win over the Tigers on Sunday. KYODOUtsumi (2-3) combined with two relievers on an eight-hit shutout at Tokyo Dome as the once-struggling Giants won their third straight game. The left-hander scattered seven hits while walking one and striking out three in a 99-pitch outing.Hanshin put runners in scoring position four times against Utsumi, with the biggest threat a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the sixth.But Utsumi got former Seattle Mariner Kenji Johjima to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat."I'm glad I got a win on my birthday," Utsumi said. "In the sixth inning, I tried to ease my mind by telling myself I could allow a sacrifice fly and one run would be inevitable."When I'm off, I leave my fastball in the middle of the zone in a situation like that. But today was different."I've started to throw a two-seam fastball only recently. Before the game, (catcher Shinnosuke) Abe-san told me we were going to use it a lot today. It worked very well."Backup outfielder Ryuichi Kajimae opened the scoring in the second when he drove in captain Abe from second with a two-out single up the middle off Minoru Iwata (1-4)."I wanted to get a hit for Utsumi-san in that situation," Kajimae said. "I was determined to go aggressive and swung at the first pitch. The manager put me in the starting lineup yesterday, but I didn't do well."Today I was finally able to contribute to the team's win."Shuichi Murata hit a sacrifice fly to give Yomiuri a much-needed insurance run in the eighth off Daiki Enokida.Kentaro Nishimura pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save after Tetsuya Yamaguchi worked the eighth.Johjima, back in Hanshin's starting lineup for the first time in five games, went hitless in four at-bats, striking out once and hitting into two double plays. Hanshin outhit Yomiuri 8-7.Carp 3, Swallows 0Show of strength: Nick Stavinoha (right) and Yusuke Nomura celebrate the Carp's victory over the Swallows on Sunday. KYODOAt Mazda Stadium, rookie Yusuke Nomura (2-1) allowed just one hit over eight innings and Nick Stavinoha hit a two-run homer in the sixth as Hiroshima beat Tokyo Yakult to snap a three-game losing streak.Jun Hirose delivered an RBI single in the first innng among his three hits. Orlando Roman gave up three runs in six innings for Yakult, whose unbeaten streak ended at seven games.Dragons 3, BayStars 0At Nagoya Dome, Shinji Iwata (2-0) struck out 12 and allowed just two hits in seven innings as Chunichi handed Yokohama its fourth consecutive loss.Hirokazu Ibata and Naomichi Donoue hit RBI singles in the fifth off Yuki Kuniyoshi (0-3) to push Chunichi's lead to 3-0. Hitoki Iwase picked up his 10th save.PACIFIC LEAGUEFighters 4, Eagles 0At Kleenex Stadium, Terrmel Sledge homered and drove in three runs, Masaru Takeda pitched his second shutout of the season and PL leader Hokkaido Nippon Ham beat Tohoku Rakuten.Sledge gave Nippon Ham a 1-0 lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI double and added a two-run shot in the sixth off Kenji Tomura (2-1). Takeda (4-0) allowed just two hits and two walks in a 96-pitch outing.Atsunori Inaba, who recorded his 2,000th career hit on Saturday, went 2-for-4 for Nippon Ham.Marines 2, Hawks 1At QVC Marine Field, Yuki Karakawa (4-1) threw his second complete game of the season as Chiba Lotte edged Fukuoka Softbank to snap a three-game losing streak.Saburo Omura hit a sac fly in the first and Katsuya Kakunaka added a solo homer in the fourth off Sho Iwasaki (2-3). Softbank moved within a run in the ninth, but Katsuki Yamazaki grounded out for the final out with two men on base.Lions 3, Buffaloes 1At Kyocera Dome, Shogo Akiyama went 3-for-3 with an RBI, leading Seibu over Orix for its fourth straight victory.Seibu right-hander Ryoma Nogami (1-1) gave up nine hits but limited the damage to one run in 5? innings for the win. Hiroshi Kisanuki (2-2) took the loss.Jang scratches seven-year itch at The Crowns
TOGO, Aichi Pref. — South Korea's I.J. Jang ended a seven-year drought on the Japanese tour with his second career victory at The Crowns on Sunday.Jang, who went into the final round at Nagoya Golf Club two shots off the pace, carded an 8-under 272 to finish two strokes ahead of overnight leaders Steven Conran and Yoshikazu Haku for the ?24 million win.Ryo Ishikawa shot a 70, which left him in an eight-way tie for 11th at 2 under."I can't think straight; it's my first championship in seven years," said the 39-year-old Jang, who had five birdies against a bogey for a 66 on the day."Even though I've had chances to win every year, I'd forgotten what it feels like to actually do it. I'm glad I persevered this whole time," he added.
Kato eclipses big guns at judo nationals
Last man standing: Hirotaka Kato reacts after beating Ryuta Ishii by ippon in the final of the national judo championships in Tokyo on Sunday. KYODOThe three men with the highest expectations to lead Japan in a much-needed resurgence in the over-100 kg class at the London Olympics this summer fell flat at the judo national championship on Sunday.Unheralded Hirotaka Kato beat Ryuta Ishii in the final to claim his first title, but tournament favorite Daiki Kamikawa, veteran Keiji Suzuki and Kazuhiko Takahashi failed to produce the goods for early consideration in the open-weight Olympic qualifier.The 26-year-old Kato, who was making his fifth appearance at the championship, deployed a corner-drop technique to score an ippon against Ishii in 1 minute, 29 seconds into the match at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan."This feels like a dream," said Kato, who is the first under-100 kg judoka to win a national crown in 40 years. "I am so excited I feel like I don't know where I am. I was determined that I had to win this, and I kept plugging away until the end."Shinobu Sekine, who won the national title in 1972 and then went on to win a gold medal in the middle weight class at the Munich Olympics, was the last non-heavyweight to achieve the feat.Kato, who stands at 1.74 meters and weighs in at just 93 kg, defeated former national champion Yasuyuki Muneta on a judges' decision in the quarterfinals, and dropped Masaru Momose using a stomach throw for a waza-ari in the semis.The 22-year-old Kamikawa, meanwhile, lost a judges' split decision to Momose in the quarterfinals, while Takahashi was tossed to the mat by Ishii with an outer-leg trip, also failing to make the semis."I have no one to blame but myself for a weak performance. When it came to a decision, I thought I might be in trouble," said Kamikawa, who is aiming for his first Olympic berth. "The only thing I can focus on now is trying to win at the national weight-class championships."Suzuki, the 2004 Athens Olympic champion in the heaviest weight category, made it to the semifinals against Ishii, but received three point deductions for passivity after hurting his right shoulder when his opponent sent him down with an inner thigh throw.The 31-year-old Suzuki, who was later diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, was aiming for his fifth national title."I feel nothing but disappointment the national championship has ended like this for me. I want to apologize to my fans," Suzuki said in a statement before leaving for the hospital.The Japanese men's over-100 kg category for London will be decided at the national weight-class championships being held at Fukuoka Kokusai Center on May 12-13.Japan men's coach Shinichi Shinohara praised Kato for a job well done, but read the riot act to his three mainstays."I am happy one of our young judoka could win and I look forward to his future performances, but I have to ask the three guys who are in the running for the Olympics, 'What the heck are you doing?' There were too many wrongs I saw from them today."From the beginning, I couldn't see Kamikawa's determination to fight and win. These guys are the ones being considered, so they have to act like it. This is a tough result to swallow. But Kato really did a great job."Albirex finish regular season with rout of Broncos
TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — After a one-point triumph in the series opener, the Saitama Broncos reverted to form in a lopsided loss to the Niigata Albirex BB to close out their seventh consecutive non-winning season since the bj-league's inception in 2005.It was a tight first quarter, but then momentum shifted dramatically as Niigata coach Matt Garrison's club began to dominate all facets of the contest.Sharpshooter Shuhei Komatsu sparked the Albirex with 17 second-quarter points — his entire scoring load for the afternoon — and the visitors seized control of Sunday's game in the second half en route to a 95-54 whipping of the Broncos at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium.Niigata finished the regular season with a 28-24 record, and now prepares for its seventh straight trip the playoffs; Saitama, meanwhile, faces a likely offseason shakeup after a rocky 16-36 campaign (worst record in the 10-team Eastern Conference), including a 12-29 record under bench boss Natalie Nakase, who replaced Dean Murray in November."We seemed a little fatigued after yesterday's game," Nakase said.She praised her players for their dedication and hard work throughout the season."I wouldn't want to go to battle with anybody but these 12 guys," the former UCLA guard said. "I'm so proud of them for their effort."John "Helicopter" Humphrey was named Saitama's player of the year and received enthusiastic applause from the fans after the game."I'm honored to be selected as player of the year for the Broncos," he said after an 18-point performance.Jayme Miller scored 14 points and grabbed six boards for Saitama, while Daiki Terashita contributed nine points. The Broncos shot 2-for-15 from 3-point range.The Albirex, on the other hand, were 13-for-23 from beyond the arc, including Kimitake Sato's 4-for-7. Sato led Niigata with 19 points, Erron Maxey scored 15, hauled in 13 rebounds and collected four steals. Dwight Gordon and Yuichi Ikeda both had 10 points and bj-league rebounding king Chris Holm scored eight and pulled down 13 boards.After taking a 47-32 lead into the locker room at halftime, Niigata ended any chance Saitama may have had for a big comeback, outscoring the hosts 20-8 in the third quarter.It was 67-40 entering the final stanza.By that point, the Albirex's inside-outside offensive attack and defensive intensity had given them an overwhelming advantage."You always want to end the regular season on a high note," said Maxey, a Providence product, "but the playoffs are a whole other animal."Watching the action from the bench in the first quarter, Komatsu, who buried 7 of 10 3s against the Shiga Lakestars on April 22, put his mark on the game in a hurry in the second quarter.Curling off screens to get open or taking straight-up jumpers, Komatsu buried 5 of 5 3s in the quarter. Blessed with a quick release and a smooth shooting stroke, Komatsu heated up in a hurry."That's what he does — he shoots 3s," Maxey said. "He's a great shooter, and when he knocks down two or three in a row, you know he's going to make the next three. So it's a matter of feeding him the ball if he's hot, and that's also playing simple basketball. If he's got the hot hand out there, keep going to him until he cools off."Garrison said Komatsu's shooting display was impressive. He also credited his players for their defensive desire, which was an across-the-board performance.Indeed, he said, the Albirex wanted to enter the postseason with a victory. Bouncing back from Saturday's defeat was the goal, and he kept the message simple beforehand."Defensively, it's strictly heart, intensity and urgency," Garrison said."We'll have to come out and fight today; that was really all we talked about," he reminded his players before the game.Limiting Terashita's opportunities to penetrate in the lane and out-rebounding Saitama (49-38) led to fewer second-chance attempts for the Broncos were other keys to victory, said Garrison, a former Albirex player in his first season at the helm.Big Bulls 97, Jets 82In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Gordon Klaiber notched a double-double as the hosts finished their inaugural season with a series sweep.Klaiber scored 20 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, while Jamal Boykin added 17 points, Shawn Malloy contributed 15 points and 13 boards and Atsushi Nogami poured in nine points for Iwate (19-33).Jamel Staten paced Chiba (18-34) with 27 points, as well as contributing 12 boards and nine assists. Gaston Moliva had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroki Sato finished with nine points."Chapter one of the Chiba Jets is in the books," Jets coach Eric Gardow said after the game."With us winning 18 games, I believe we over-achieved expectations in our first year as an expansion team compared to Okinawa's first year only winning 10 games," he added, referring to the Ryukyu Golden Kings' 10-34 campaign in 2007-08."The players all have earned valuable experiences that should propel them into key players next season with a strong commitment to their offseason."Every one of my Japanese players had their best performances of their career at some point this season in a Chiba Jets uniform and for that I am extremely thankful. . ."B-Corsairs 63, 89ers 58In Sendai, Yokohama completed its second straight sweep over the 89ers in as many weeks and picked up its ninth consecutive victory to close out the regular season.MVP candidate Justin Burrell had 16 points and eight rebounds for the expansion B-Corsairs (31-21), Draelon Burns and Masayuki Kabaya each scored 13 points apiece and Yokohama converted 12 of 14 free throws. Burns dished out five assists.The 89ers (25-27) shot a woeful 17-for-63 from the field, including 5-for-25 on 3-pointers.Sendai's Dan Fitzgerald, who needed stitches in his head after hard contact a day earlier, scored a team-high 21 points, but was 3-for-10 on 3s. Teammate Johnny Dukes had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and also turned the ball over six times. Takuya Komoda scored nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.The 89ers made two spirited comebacks, but fell short in the end. Trailing 47-37, they closed it to 53-51 and 60-58 in the final 2:33."Losing isn't much fun, but the players showed a lot of character battling twice against a tough opponent," said Sendai coach Bob Pierce, who'll be the first bench boss in league history to guide three teams into the postseason. He previously coached the Shiga Lakestars, and most recently, the Akita Northern Happinets.Sendai captain Takehiko Shimura, one of the league's better point guards, returned to the rotation after missing practiced this past week. He had sustained a head injury in the April 21 game against the Yokohama B-Corsairs in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture."He played limited minutes in the two games," Pierce noted, citing Shimura's 18- and 15-minute outings, "but now we should have him back full time for the playoffs, where everybody is now 0-0."Golden Kings 75, Grouses 63In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed, Naoto Kosuge and David Palmer each had 14-point outings as Ryukyu cruised past the hosts.Palmer canned 3 of 4 3-point shots and Tsubasa Yonamine kept the high-power offense rolling, distributing the ball with precision passes (six assists).Four-time title-winning big man Jeff Newton contributed 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots for the Golden Kings (39-13), who repeated as the Western Conference regular-season champion.Speedy guard Narito Namizato did a little bit of everything — six points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals — for the Kings.For Toyama (25-27) Devin Searcy and Ira Brown had 13 points apiece, Larry Turner scored 10 and Masashi Joho nine.The Grouses' poor free-throw shooting (11-for-21) was a key factor in the loss.Rizing 77, Hannaryz 70In Fukuoka, the one-two punch of Carlos Dixon and Kevin Palmer guided the hosts to a season-ending win over Kyoto.Dixon was the Rizing's top scorer with 24 points and Palmer supplied 22. Jermaine Dearman had 10 points and macho forward Gary Hamilton raked in 17 rebounds and scored seven points as Fukuoka improved to 33-19.Kyoto struggled from the perimeter, missing 14 of 16 3-point shots. Jermaine Boyette led the Hannaryz (34-18) with 18 points, Rick Rickert had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Taizo Kawabe scored 10.Susanoo Magic 81, Shining Suns 54In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, scoring maestro Michael Parker had a team-high 18 points and three Shimane teammates also reached double figures in points in a win over the hosts.Edward Yamamoto contributed 17 points, Jeral Davis produced an 11-point, 14-rebound, five-block performance and Micah Williams scored 11 for the Magic.Shimane (28-24) sank 17 of 20 free throws and held a 51-38 edge in rebounds.Dexter Lyons scored 20 points for Miyazaki (22-30), Lewis Witcher finished with 10 and Shinnosuke Oishi had nine. Taishiro Shimizu provided five assists for the second-year franchise.Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 72In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, the two-time defending champions' Big Three carried their club to a runaway victory.Jermaine Dixon scored 29 points, Wayne Arnold had 22 points and six assists and Jeffrey Parmer chipped in with 18 points and nine boards for Hamamatsu Higashimikawa (37-15). Atsuya Ota finished with seven points and nine rebounds.Lee Roberts paced Shinshu with 24 points and 10 boards. Derek Raivio had 14 points and five assists for the Warriors, who completed their inaugural season with an 18-34 record.Evessa 92, Lakestars 79In Osaka, Masashi Obuchi had a game-high 17 points and Mike Bell contributed 16 points and 12 boards as the Evessa shellacked Shiga.Wayne Marshall scored 15 points and Shota Konno had 14 for Osaka (35-17)."We need to maintain the same focus and energy for the playoffs," Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell said.Josh Peppers led Shiga (33-19) with 19 points, ex-Evessa forward Kazuya "J." Hatano had 13 points and Ray Nixon netted 11.HeatDevils 106, Five Arrows 52In Takamatsu, leading scorer Paul Butorac and guard Keishiro Tsutsumi sat out the season finale with injuries and the Five Arrows suffered their 25th straight loss.Takamatsu (2-50) trailed 30-12 after one quarter and 55-21 entering the second half.The Five Arrows had a horrible shooting afternoon: 0-for-15 on 3s, 20-for-67 from inside the arc and 12-for-22 at the charity stripe.Nyika Williams was the high scorer for Takamatsu with 32 points and Masaaki Suzuki added 10.T.J. Cummings led Oita (23-29) with 33 points and Matt Lottich scored 23. Wendell White added 16 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and Naoto Takushi had 10 assists.* * *Playoff pairings for the conference first-round series and conference semifinals have been announced for the East and West.In the East, third-place Akita plays host to sixth-place Sendai on May 5 and 6, while fourth-place Niigata takes on fifth-place Toyama on those days.First-place Hamamatsu will face the lower-seeded winner May 12 and 13. Second-place Yokohama will square off against the higher-seeded advancing club on May 10 and 11.In the West, third-place Kyoto meets sixth-place Shimane on May 5 and 6, while fourth-place Shiga faces fifth-place Fukuoka on the same dates.Ryukyu gets a bye into the conference semis, and will meet the lower of the two advancing seeds, with Osaka waiting to meet the higher-seeded first-round playoff winner. Both series are set to hold games on May 12 and 13.The Final Four is scheduled for May 19 and 20 at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum.
Chelsea reaches deal to sign Marin
LONDON — Chelsea began preparing for next season on Saturday with an agreement to sign Germany midfielder Marko Marin from Werder Bremen.The west London club, which still has a Champions League final to prepare for and three English Premier League games remaining, said on Saturday it has agreed to a fee for the 23-year-old playmaker and that Marin has accepted its offer of personal terms.Chelsea did not say how much it would pay for Marin. Bremen paid Bundesliga rival Borussia Moenchengladbach about €8 million ($10.6 million) for him in 2009."We finalized the last details during the course of the day," Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs told Sky television on Saturday.
Schleck to compete in Tour of Italy
PARIS — Frank Schleck will spearhead the RadioShack challenge in next month's Tour of Italy, replacing the injured Jakob Fuglsang, his team announced on Saturday.Schleck, who was third in last year's Tour de France, but was not originally slated for Italy, leads a nine-man team in the May 5-27 Giro after Fuglsang was ruled out with a left knee injury."My season was directed at peaking in the Tour," said Schleck on Saturday."But when you think about it, this situation creates opportunities. For sure, I will come to the start with a different preparation than the other riders, but that is not necessarily a bad thing."My condition is not so bad and it can only grow in the coming weeks. The Tour of Italy is one of the big monuments of cycling as well, so it is at least a big challenge for me."
Wigan boosts hopes of survival with rout
LONDON — Wigan demolished Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday for another remarkable win in its attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League and severely dent its opponent's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Watch it fly: Wigan's Conor Sammon (left) and Newcastle's Mike Williamson vie for the ball on Saturday at DW Stadium. Wigan won 4-0. APWith the fight for the title not resuming until leader Manchester United makes the short trip to second-place Manchester City on Monday, much of Saturday's action centered on the teams fighting to stay in the lucrative Premier League.Newcastle had won six straight matches to move into fourth place but Wigan, which looked certain to be relegated just over a month ago, followed recent wins over Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal with four first-half goals.Wigan is now three points clear of the three-team relegation zone. Bolton remained in 18th place despite rallying for a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, while Aston Villa is still in danger after a 0-0 draw at mid-table West Bromwich Albion.At the other end of the table, Robin van Persie scored his 28th league goal of the season to earn third-place Arsenal a 1-1 draw at Stoke.Uruguay striker Luis Suarez scored from near halfway to complete a hat trick and give Liverpool a 3-0 win at Norwich, while Nikica Jelavic scored twice as Everton scored four for the third straight league game to beat Fulham 4-0.Wigan was still last in the standings on March 17 after just one win in 14 Premier League matches but kept faith with its passing, attacking game and is now one of the division's in-form teams."It was huge win today and we have two more huge games against Blackburn and Wolves," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said. "This result is fantastic for the fans but if we don't achieve our aim of staying in this league then it is going to mean nothing."Victor Moses headed Wigan into the lead in the 13th minute and made it 2-0 two minutes later after Magpies defender Fabricio Coloccini failed to clear the ball and left his opponent with a simple finish from a loose ball.Shaun Maloney rounded off a team move with a finish from a tight angle on the left and Franco Di Santo struck a fourth goal in first-half injury time with a curling shot from outside the area.Wigan now has 37 points with two games remaining, three more than Queens Park Rangers and Bolton immediately below it and the same as Aston Villa.Villa needed a late save from goalkeeper Shay Given to earn a valuable point at West Brom. Last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, which has already been demoted, fought back from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 at Swansea.Kevin Davies earned Bolton a point at Sunderland with his second goal of the game, while QPR plays Sunday at Chelsea. Blackburn, the other side in the relegation zone, is at Tottenham in Sunday's other game.Southampton was promoted Saturday after a 4-0 win over Coventry sealed its return to England's topflight after a seven-year absence.The Saints scored twice in each half to clinch a second straight promotion and finish as runnerup to Reading in the second-tier League Championship."We've put a lot of hard work in and a lot of hours and we've achieved something special this season," Southampton manager Nigel Adkins said. "Everyone works so hard at this football club and it's great to see the smiles and delight on the supporters' faces."West Ham finished third despite a 2-1 win over Hull and will enter the playoffs with Blackpool, Birmingham and Cardiff.
Watch it fly: Wigan's Conor Sammon (left) and Newcastle's Mike Williamson vie for the ball on Saturday at DW Stadium. Wigan won 4-0. APWith the fight for the title not resuming until leader Manchester United makes the short trip to second-place Manchester City on Monday, much of Saturday's action centered on the teams fighting to stay in the lucrative Premier League.Newcastle had won six straight matches to move into fourth place but Wigan, which looked certain to be relegated just over a month ago, followed recent wins over Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal with four first-half goals.Wigan is now three points clear of the three-team relegation zone. Bolton remained in 18th place despite rallying for a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, while Aston Villa is still in danger after a 0-0 draw at mid-table West Bromwich Albion.At the other end of the table, Robin van Persie scored his 28th league goal of the season to earn third-place Arsenal a 1-1 draw at Stoke.Uruguay striker Luis Suarez scored from near halfway to complete a hat trick and give Liverpool a 3-0 win at Norwich, while Nikica Jelavic scored twice as Everton scored four for the third straight league game to beat Fulham 4-0.Wigan was still last in the standings on March 17 after just one win in 14 Premier League matches but kept faith with its passing, attacking game and is now one of the division's in-form teams."It was huge win today and we have two more huge games against Blackburn and Wolves," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said. "This result is fantastic for the fans but if we don't achieve our aim of staying in this league then it is going to mean nothing."Victor Moses headed Wigan into the lead in the 13th minute and made it 2-0 two minutes later after Magpies defender Fabricio Coloccini failed to clear the ball and left his opponent with a simple finish from a loose ball.Shaun Maloney rounded off a team move with a finish from a tight angle on the left and Franco Di Santo struck a fourth goal in first-half injury time with a curling shot from outside the area.Wigan now has 37 points with two games remaining, three more than Queens Park Rangers and Bolton immediately below it and the same as Aston Villa.Villa needed a late save from goalkeeper Shay Given to earn a valuable point at West Brom. Last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, which has already been demoted, fought back from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 at Swansea.Kevin Davies earned Bolton a point at Sunderland with his second goal of the game, while QPR plays Sunday at Chelsea. Blackburn, the other side in the relegation zone, is at Tottenham in Sunday's other game.Southampton was promoted Saturday after a 4-0 win over Coventry sealed its return to England's topflight after a seven-year absence.The Saints scored twice in each half to clinch a second straight promotion and finish as runnerup to Reading in the second-tier League Championship."We've put a lot of hard work in and a lot of hours and we've achieved something special this season," Southampton manager Nigel Adkins said. "Everyone works so hard at this football club and it's great to see the smiles and delight on the supporters' faces."West Ham finished third despite a 2-1 win over Hull and will enter the playoffs with Blackpool, Birmingham and Cardiff.Top-ranked Azarenka cruises into showdown against No. 2 Sharapova
Reach for it: Maria Sharapova attempts to play a shot against Petra Kvitova on Saturday in Stuttgart, Germany. Sharpova won 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). APSTUTTGART, Germany — Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka was set to face No. 2 Maria Sharapova in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix on Sunday.Azarenka cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3 in the first semifinal Saturday, and Sharapova outlasted No. 3 Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).Azarenka is seeking a tour-high fifth tournament title of the year.She dominated the match against the fourth-ranked Radwanska, whose four losses of the year have come against Azarenka.On match point, Azarenka fired a forehand winner to advance to the final. She is 29-1 for the year.Sharapova is off to a promising start to her clay-court season. The Russian broke serve in the fifth game and did not face a break point of her own in the first set.That changed in the second.Kvitova held 11 break points in the set, but the Czech could not convert any.She did convert her 12th — after saving a match point — to even the score at 6-6 and sent the second set into the tiebreaker. Sharapova made fewer mistakes and now seeks her first title of the year.Azarenka leads Sharapova 5-3 in career meetings.BARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal crushed Fernando Verdasco for the 13th time in his career on Saturday to set up a fourth Barcelona Open final with longtime rival David Ferrer.The Sunday showdown will be a repeat of the 2008, 2009 and 2011 finals which were all won by Nadal.French Open champion Nadal, fresh off winning an unprecedented eighth straight title at Monte Carlo last weekend, overwhelmed Verdasco 6-0, 6-4 in just 85 minutes with four breaks of serve.Third seed Ferrer had a tougher afternoon, requiring just over two hours in defeating huge-serving Canadian Milos Raonic 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5)."I played a great first set, and stayed focused for the entire match even if the second set was a lot more difficult," said Nadal."It wasn't that easy at all, Fernando is a tough player who has won the title here. This was a very satisfying win for me, I'm glad to be in another final and have the chance to win another time at this great event."David and I have always had tough matches and I'm expecting another one on Sunday."Nadal has dominated the Barcelona event, winning six titles in seven previous appearances. On the one occasion he didn't play — he missed 2010 with knee problems — Verdasco took the honors.Nadal's victory was his 38th victorious semifinal in a row on clay, with his last loss coming against Carlos Moya in August of 2003.Raonic had turned in a breakthrough week on the clay of the Real Club de Tenis, winning all of his matches in straight sets.He defeated Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and upset second-seeded, world No. 4 Andy Murray in the quarter-finals.The 21-year-old, ranked 25th, threatened early in the opening set against Ferrer but could not convert on four break chances.Raonic saved six set points before Ferrer finally clinched it in the tiebreaker from the Canadian's netted forehand.In the second set, the pair stayed level-pegging, with Raonic saving the lone break points of the set in the 11th game.Kings stun Blues on road to open Western Conference semis
Watch the throne: Kings goalie Jonathan Quick deflects a shot by the Blues' Andy McDonald on Saturday in St. Louis. Los Angeles won 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their playoff series. APST. LOUIS — Goals from unexpected sources put the Los Angeles Kings in position for another road triumph. Jonathan Quick — no surprise there — made those scores stand up.Matt Greene scored his first career playoff goal short-handed late in the second period and rookie Slava Voynov also got his first of the playoffs as the Kings beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in the opener of a Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday night."It's definitely a great feeling to be able to chip in and help out a little bit," Greene said. "But we have a lot of work to do."Quick, who shut out the Blues twice in the regular season, made 28 saves and is 5-1 in the postseason with a 1.55 goals-against average. He was at his best in the first period, charging from the crease to stuff a backhander by B.J. Crombeen and also stopped a wraparound attempt by Patrik Berglund."It was a great win," Quick said. "We get to enjoy it for five minutes and then focus on Monday."Game 2 is Monday night in St. Louis.The Blues could be without defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who didn't play in the third period after getting his head driven into the boards by Dwight King behind the St. Louis net on the penalty that led to the short-handed goal.Coach Ken Hitchcock seemed to indicate Pietrangelo had concussion symptoms, but said he couldn't concern himself with that right now."I don't want to get into whether he's going to play or not play," Hitchcock said. "Everybody saw the hit. We all know what the injury is. If he's not in, then somebody else gets to jump up."I've got bigger issues than replacing Petro. We need much more commitment from our top players."Dustin Penner added an empty-netter for the Kings, who were 3-0 on the road while taking down the President's Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in five games in the first round. Los Angeles is the eighth seed in the conference but won the season series 3-1."No one gave us a good chance against Vancouver, I don't think," forward Dustin Brown said. "I doubt very few people are giving us a chance against the Blues. It's up to us."NEW YORK — Chris Kreider is six games into his NHL career and days shy of his 21st birthday.And yet the Stanley Cup playoffs are anything but overwhelming for the newest New York Rangers forward who has quickly become a hit on Broadway.Kreider scored the go-ahead goal and then set up Brad Richards' insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.Kreider, who earlier this month helped Boston College win the NCAA championship, scored the second goal of his NHL career — and these playoffs — and he did it at the perfect time to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead 7:00 into the third.Both Kreider's goals have been playoff game-winners. He also had the deciding marker in New York's Game 6 victory at Ottawa when the Rangers played the first of two potential elimination games in the first round."I'm kind of at a loss for words," Kreider said. "I'm just trying to keep my head down and work hard. Whether or not the puck goes in, I'm just trying to play the same role I play every night and be consistent and be defensively reliable."Kreider got into the Rangers lineup only because fellow rookie Carl Hagelin was suspended for three games when he elbowed Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson in Game 2.Past experiences help Falkenborg thrive in new role
Brian Falkenborg stepped out of the dugout shadows and into the sunlight at QVC Marine Stadium and said he didn't expect it to be as warm as it was.
Saving the day: Hawks closer Brian Falkenborg has stepped in admirably for the injured Takahiro Mahara this year. KYODOHe didn't expect to be the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks' closer either, so unseasonably warm weather isn't much of a surprise comparatively speaking.A shoulder injury to Takahiro Mahara thrust Falkenborg into the ninth-inning role during the spring, and the Newport Beach, California, native is just rolling with the punches."Anytime you lose the closer, it's a big deal," Falkenborg said. "Having him miss some time last year and kind of having everybody have to move up one spot last year, I think helped us coming into this year."I got some experience closing and obviously (Masahiko) Morifuku got some experience setting up and also closing when I had an off day. Injuries happen. It's just one of those things. Hopefully guys step up and you just have to play with who you've got."Falkenborg is more used to being the Hawks' setup man. He led the Pacific League with 39 holds in 2010 and had 20 holds and 19 saves (with Mahara injured) last season, when he was the only foreign player to receive votes in the PL MVP race.Now he's tasked with regularly shutting the door on opponents in the ninth inning, a role which comes with it's own set of responsibilities."There are some differences," Falkenborg said. "It's still about pitching a clean inning. For some reason, sometimes those three outs in the ninth inning seem to be the hardest three outs to get."The pressure of having the game in your hands as a closer can be intense, but it's not without its advantages."As a closer when you're winning by more than one run, your goal is just to win," said Falkenborg. "As a setup man, if I come in up by three, my goal is to leave up by three and give the closer as much cushion as possible. Sometimes being a closer gives you the added advantage of maybe not worrying about that guy on second or third base and just concentrating on the hitter and finishing the game."Falkenborg has done well early in the season, leading the Pacific League with nine saves in 10 chances. He credits the experience of pitching in the Japan Series as one reason he and Morifuku have gotten off to a strong start out of the bullpen.Falkenborg was named one of the outstanding players of last year's Fall Classic after allowing no runs and striking out 10 in five appearances. Morifuku also pitched well, famously escaping a bases-loaded, none out, jam in the sixth inning of Game 4 in Nagoya Dome against the Chunichi Dragons."The important part of the Japan Series, and the fact that we take the most pride in, is that the team won and we put a banner up for Softbank," he said. "Anytime you get experience in that type of pressure situation, it can do nothing by help you out."Being there causes you to relax a little more than the first time you do it. That's true with anything in life. The first time you do something, you're going to be more nervous than the second time. I remember when my first kid was born, I was much more nervous than when my second or third kid was born. When you get experience doing something, you become more comfortable with it."Mahara isn't the only absence Softbank is dealing with in its quest for a third straight PL pennant and second consecutive Japan Series title.After winning the Series for the first time since 2003, the Hawks watched pitchers Toshiya Sugiuchi, Tsuyoshi Wada D.J. Houlton, and shortstop Munenori Kawasaki leave the team. Wada and Kawasaki headed to the majors while Sugiuchi and Houlton joined the Yomiuri Giants."The atmosphere has been good," Falkenborg said of the mood in the Fukuoka clubhouse. "That being said, anytime you lose you lose one of the vocal leaders of your team and your top three starters, that's going to be a big difference. We obviously miss all of those guys, but it's a great opportunity for guys that maybe wouldn't have gotten an opportunity had everybody stuck around."This is a new season and we've got a lot of work to do to get back (to the Japan Series). We're looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully we'll be in the mix when that time comes."
Saving the day: Hawks closer Brian Falkenborg has stepped in admirably for the injured Takahiro Mahara this year. KYODOHe didn't expect to be the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks' closer either, so unseasonably warm weather isn't much of a surprise comparatively speaking.A shoulder injury to Takahiro Mahara thrust Falkenborg into the ninth-inning role during the spring, and the Newport Beach, California, native is just rolling with the punches."Anytime you lose the closer, it's a big deal," Falkenborg said. "Having him miss some time last year and kind of having everybody have to move up one spot last year, I think helped us coming into this year."I got some experience closing and obviously (Masahiko) Morifuku got some experience setting up and also closing when I had an off day. Injuries happen. It's just one of those things. Hopefully guys step up and you just have to play with who you've got."Falkenborg is more used to being the Hawks' setup man. He led the Pacific League with 39 holds in 2010 and had 20 holds and 19 saves (with Mahara injured) last season, when he was the only foreign player to receive votes in the PL MVP race.Now he's tasked with regularly shutting the door on opponents in the ninth inning, a role which comes with it's own set of responsibilities."There are some differences," Falkenborg said. "It's still about pitching a clean inning. For some reason, sometimes those three outs in the ninth inning seem to be the hardest three outs to get."The pressure of having the game in your hands as a closer can be intense, but it's not without its advantages."As a closer when you're winning by more than one run, your goal is just to win," said Falkenborg. "As a setup man, if I come in up by three, my goal is to leave up by three and give the closer as much cushion as possible. Sometimes being a closer gives you the added advantage of maybe not worrying about that guy on second or third base and just concentrating on the hitter and finishing the game."Falkenborg has done well early in the season, leading the Pacific League with nine saves in 10 chances. He credits the experience of pitching in the Japan Series as one reason he and Morifuku have gotten off to a strong start out of the bullpen.Falkenborg was named one of the outstanding players of last year's Fall Classic after allowing no runs and striking out 10 in five appearances. Morifuku also pitched well, famously escaping a bases-loaded, none out, jam in the sixth inning of Game 4 in Nagoya Dome against the Chunichi Dragons."The important part of the Japan Series, and the fact that we take the most pride in, is that the team won and we put a banner up for Softbank," he said. "Anytime you get experience in that type of pressure situation, it can do nothing by help you out."Being there causes you to relax a little more than the first time you do it. That's true with anything in life. The first time you do something, you're going to be more nervous than the second time. I remember when my first kid was born, I was much more nervous than when my second or third kid was born. When you get experience doing something, you become more comfortable with it."Mahara isn't the only absence Softbank is dealing with in its quest for a third straight PL pennant and second consecutive Japan Series title.After winning the Series for the first time since 2003, the Hawks watched pitchers Toshiya Sugiuchi, Tsuyoshi Wada D.J. Houlton, and shortstop Munenori Kawasaki leave the team. Wada and Kawasaki headed to the majors while Sugiuchi and Houlton joined the Yomiuri Giants."The atmosphere has been good," Falkenborg said of the mood in the Fukuoka clubhouse. "That being said, anytime you lose you lose one of the vocal leaders of your team and your top three starters, that's going to be a big difference. We obviously miss all of those guys, but it's a great opportunity for guys that maybe wouldn't have gotten an opportunity had everybody stuck around."This is a new season and we've got a lot of work to do to get back (to the Japan Series). We're looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully we'll be in the mix when that time comes."Arimura captures first title of season
ICHIHARA, Chiba Pref. — Chie Arimura held on to her overnight lead to win her first title of the Japan LPGA season in the Cyber Agent Ladies on Sunday.The 24-year-old Arimura started the day in a tie with South Korea's Lee Ji Woo but pulled away with a bogey-free 65 to finish five strokes ahead of Sakura Yokomine for her 11th career victory.Lee faded in the final round with a 74, ending up with a share of ninth place.Arimura had missed the first three events of the year with a nagging injury to her left wrist. She picked up a winner's check of ?12.6 million."I managed to finish the round with a birdie, and it just feels so good to win like this," Arimura said at the Tsurumai Country Club, where she had a three-round total of 15-under 201."It's a huge monkey off my back. I couldn't be happier. There were some pretty tough times because of the injury to my wrist, but through it all, I learned how to concentrate better on the golf itself," she said.Ahn Sun Ju, the money title winner the last two years, finished fifth with an 8-under total.
United, City brace for crucial derby
MANCHESTER, England — The defining plot twist of the most enthralling title race in years could be written on Monday as Manchester City attempts to seize control of its Premier League destiny against leader Manchester United.
Time is now: Wayne Rooney will attempt to help United beat City for Premier League supremacy. APThree weeks ago, United already had one hand on a record 20th title after City's defeat at Arsenal left Alex Ferguson's team a hefty eight points clear with only six games remaining.But a poor run of results from United, which has taken only four points from a possible nine, has suddenly given City the chance to move into first place.An estimated worldwide television audience of more than 650 million is expected to tune in for a match being hyped as the biggest in Premier League history."This is the derby game of all derby games," Ferguson said. "It's in the blood of the supporters and I know lots of fans who would give everything to win this game."City midfielder Gareth Barry also emphasized the unique nature of the top-of-the-table duel."People are speaking of this as being the biggest game in Premier League history and it's a massive game to play in," Barry said."I don't think you can get away from the size of the game against United and the pressure."The equation for City is simple: a victory would see it return to the top of the table.Wins at Newcastle and at home to Queens Park Rangers would then guarantee City the title, provided United is unable to make up its rivals' significant advantage in goal difference, which currently stands at plus six.City manager Roberto Mancini has attempted to douse the expectation level by stating that United will remain favorites for the title even if it loses, citing the champions' final two matches against Swansea and Sunderland."I think they have more chance than us because we play the derby on Monday, after we play against Newcastle, that will be a very tough game," Mancini said.Ferguson meanwhile is relishing the challenge from opponents he views as the biggest threat to United's position at the summit of the English game owing to the club's seemingly limitless wealth.City, which humiliated United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, has rattled in 12 goals in its past three games, and its nimble strikeforce of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez will fancy their chances of adding to that haul if Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans have another off-day.Of all the storylines to emerge from this year's Premier League page-turner, it is the re-emergence of Tevez that is potentially the most compelling.Ostracized by Mancini after his infamous refusal to warm up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September, the former United striker then disappeared to Argentina for three months.Tevez has responded to his recall by delivering goals, adding an injection of verve to a City forward line that had been struggling to reproduce its scintillating early season form.Tevez, who is expected to seek a move this summer, will be putting his talents on show to a mammoth worldwide audience, with a record 16 broadcasters airing the match live."The interest in this game from around the world is unprecedented," a City spokesman said.
Time is now: Wayne Rooney will attempt to help United beat City for Premier League supremacy. APThree weeks ago, United already had one hand on a record 20th title after City's defeat at Arsenal left Alex Ferguson's team a hefty eight points clear with only six games remaining.But a poor run of results from United, which has taken only four points from a possible nine, has suddenly given City the chance to move into first place.An estimated worldwide television audience of more than 650 million is expected to tune in for a match being hyped as the biggest in Premier League history."This is the derby game of all derby games," Ferguson said. "It's in the blood of the supporters and I know lots of fans who would give everything to win this game."City midfielder Gareth Barry also emphasized the unique nature of the top-of-the-table duel."People are speaking of this as being the biggest game in Premier League history and it's a massive game to play in," Barry said."I don't think you can get away from the size of the game against United and the pressure."The equation for City is simple: a victory would see it return to the top of the table.Wins at Newcastle and at home to Queens Park Rangers would then guarantee City the title, provided United is unable to make up its rivals' significant advantage in goal difference, which currently stands at plus six.City manager Roberto Mancini has attempted to douse the expectation level by stating that United will remain favorites for the title even if it loses, citing the champions' final two matches against Swansea and Sunderland."I think they have more chance than us because we play the derby on Monday, after we play against Newcastle, that will be a very tough game," Mancini said.Ferguson meanwhile is relishing the challenge from opponents he views as the biggest threat to United's position at the summit of the English game owing to the club's seemingly limitless wealth.City, which humiliated United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, has rattled in 12 goals in its past three games, and its nimble strikeforce of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez will fancy their chances of adding to that haul if Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans have another off-day.Of all the storylines to emerge from this year's Premier League page-turner, it is the re-emergence of Tevez that is potentially the most compelling.Ostracized by Mancini after his infamous refusal to warm up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September, the former United striker then disappeared to Argentina for three months.Tevez has responded to his recall by delivering goals, adding an injection of verve to a City forward line that had been struggling to reproduce its scintillating early season form.Tevez, who is expected to seek a move this summer, will be putting his talents on show to a mammoth worldwide audience, with a record 16 broadcasters airing the match live."The interest in this game from around the world is unprecedented," a City spokesman said.Beat Black upstages Orfevre at Tenno-sho
Paint it black: Beat Black leads the field at the Tenno-sho at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday. KYODOKYOTO — Triple Crown champion Orfevre was stunned by long-shot Beat Black in the spring Tenno-sho on Sunday, the runaway favorite crossing the line in a tie for 11th out of 18 in one of the wildest finishes in the race's history.Beat Black, who went off as the 14th choice, took the tape four lengths ahead of runnerup and third pick Tosen Jordan, winner of last year's autumn Tenno-sho.Second favorite Win Variation came in third another two lengths back in the ?274 million, 3,200-meter marathon at Kyoto Racecourse.The reigning horse of the year in Japan, Orfevre — who also won the Arima Kinen last season — was never in the race, traveling second to last for most of the trip, and made only a marginal effort in closing the gap down the stretch.Orfevre had been targeted for the world's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the fall, but trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said the plan could be scrapped after Sunday's disappointing display."We can't be talking about the Arc when he races like this," Ikee said.Beat Black's Shu Ishibashi rode a gutsy race in lifting the Emperor's Cup, going wire-to-wire on the firm going at Kyoto Racecourse to cut a time of 3 minutes, 13.8 seconds — only 0.4 seconds off the race record held by the legendary Deep Impact."This is incredible, it really is," said the 28-year-old Ishibashi, who won the first Grade 1 title of his career as he led the 5-year-old. "The track here has been fast lately, and I wanted to ride a race that would take full advantage of it."I wanted to keep the pace brisk and was ready to make my move at any time. I let him go with 1,000 meters left in the race. I just floored the pedal, all the way," he said.The Hitoshi Nakamura-trained Beat Black was so far ahead of the pack, the 5-year-old horse all but had the race in the bag rounding the final turn.Tosen Jordan made a valiant effort to catch him on the 400-meter straight, but there was no stopping Ishibashi's mount on this glorious afternoon in the ancient Japanese capital."If you worry about the other horses, you can't race the way we did today," Ishibashi said. "The horse had been training really well and was in such good condition."I was so lucky to be aboard this horse," he said.U.S. dominates World in Penn Relay blowout
PHILADELPHIA — The United States swept all six relays against a World team in a hoped-for preview of the London Olympics in the Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Saturday.
Down the stretch: U.S. runner Maggie Vessey (right) beats Great Britain's Marilyn Okoro to the finish line on Saturday in Philadelphia. APUSA Track and Field has set the lofty goal of 30 medals in the Olympics.Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards-Ross, Walter Dix, Justin Gatlin, and Lashawn Merritt showed they want their share."London, here we come," Merritt said.On a chilly and windy day, the men and women simply did what they wanted on the track against teams from Belgium and the Bahamas to Venezuela and Kenya, keeping the thrilling finishes to a minimum and giving a decisive glimpse into what they expect in the Olympics.The women won the sprint medley relay, the 400-meter relay and the 4x400. The men won the 400 relay, the distance medley relay and the 4x400 in the 118th running of the renowned meet."We're in the right direction heading to London," 2008 Olympics bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson said. "Just for America to come out on top 6-0, that says that America is coming this year."The relays belonged to Felix, a three-time Olympic medalist, who flashed the speed that's long made her a fan favorite at the Penn Relays.Felix teamed with Tianna Madison, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter to set a Penn Relays record in the 400 with a time of 42.19 seconds.She also was on a relay with Francena McCorory, Natasha Hastings and Richards-Ross that set the mark in the 4x400 with a time of 3 minutes, 21.18 seconds."It just really makes me look forward to London 2012," Jeter said.The final day of the Penn Relays is traditionally the biggest — in both crowds and marquee names. The public address announcer told the crowd the United States had swept the All-Star event 6-0 at the end of the 4x400 to a roaring pro-U.S. crowd."It was exciting for us to cross the line and kind of finish it off for Team USA. It was amazing," Richards-Ross said. "Usually the Jamaicans give us some trouble in one of the relays."Jamaican stars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell did not compete in the relays.They'll be a force in London. Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller watched several "U.S.A. vs. the World" relays from the stands and blew kisses to the crowd.The U.S. women opened the series with a win in the sprint medley relay. Porscha Lucas, Barbara Pierre, Phoebe Wright and Maggie Vessey took the relay in 3:42.85. The American women trailed until Vessey made a perfectly timed pass to get by Britain on the anchor leg.From there, the home country rolled.Led by Mike Rodgers, Gatlin, Doc Patton and Dix, the men won the 400 relay in 38.40.Suspended for four years in 2006 after testing positive for excessive testosterone, Gatlin's second chance has the 2004 gold medal winner in contention for another spot in the Olympics."I wouldn't call it so much redemption. I guess that's the word everyone has titled my journey back," Gatlin said. "It just feels like I'm back at home among some good teammates that I definitely believe in."
Down the stretch: U.S. runner Maggie Vessey (right) beats Great Britain's Marilyn Okoro to the finish line on Saturday in Philadelphia. APUSA Track and Field has set the lofty goal of 30 medals in the Olympics.Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards-Ross, Walter Dix, Justin Gatlin, and Lashawn Merritt showed they want their share."London, here we come," Merritt said.On a chilly and windy day, the men and women simply did what they wanted on the track against teams from Belgium and the Bahamas to Venezuela and Kenya, keeping the thrilling finishes to a minimum and giving a decisive glimpse into what they expect in the Olympics.The women won the sprint medley relay, the 400-meter relay and the 4x400. The men won the 400 relay, the distance medley relay and the 4x400 in the 118th running of the renowned meet."We're in the right direction heading to London," 2008 Olympics bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson said. "Just for America to come out on top 6-0, that says that America is coming this year."The relays belonged to Felix, a three-time Olympic medalist, who flashed the speed that's long made her a fan favorite at the Penn Relays.Felix teamed with Tianna Madison, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter to set a Penn Relays record in the 400 with a time of 42.19 seconds.She also was on a relay with Francena McCorory, Natasha Hastings and Richards-Ross that set the mark in the 4x400 with a time of 3 minutes, 21.18 seconds."It just really makes me look forward to London 2012," Jeter said.The final day of the Penn Relays is traditionally the biggest — in both crowds and marquee names. The public address announcer told the crowd the United States had swept the All-Star event 6-0 at the end of the 4x400 to a roaring pro-U.S. crowd."It was exciting for us to cross the line and kind of finish it off for Team USA. It was amazing," Richards-Ross said. "Usually the Jamaicans give us some trouble in one of the relays."Jamaican stars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell did not compete in the relays.They'll be a force in London. Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller watched several "U.S.A. vs. the World" relays from the stands and blew kisses to the crowd.The U.S. women opened the series with a win in the sprint medley relay. Porscha Lucas, Barbara Pierre, Phoebe Wright and Maggie Vessey took the relay in 3:42.85. The American women trailed until Vessey made a perfectly timed pass to get by Britain on the anchor leg.From there, the home country rolled.Led by Mike Rodgers, Gatlin, Doc Patton and Dix, the men won the 400 relay in 38.40.Suspended for four years in 2006 after testing positive for excessive testosterone, Gatlin's second chance has the 2004 gold medal winner in contention for another spot in the Olympics."I wouldn't call it so much redemption. I guess that's the word everyone has titled my journey back," Gatlin said. "It just feels like I'm back at home among some good teammates that I definitely believe in."Kagawa refuses to discuss future
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa is refusing to talk about his future as transfer rumors continue to swirl around the Borussia Dortmund playmaker."I don't think there's any need for me to answer that," Kagawa said on Saturday, when asked if he would be returning to two-time Bundesliga champion Dortmund next season."I want to be professional about it and just play hard to the last game of the season," he said.Kagawa spoke after Dortmund thrashed Kaiserslautern 5-2 away with one match left in the campaign, which his team won last weekend. He came on in the 66th minute and set up the fifth 10 minutes later for Dortmund, which stretched its unbeaten run to 27 games.Kagawa, whose contract with Dortmund expires in the summer of 2013, has been linked with Europe's biggest clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and AC Milan as the transfer window approaches.The latest report out of Europe claims United has offered Kagawa a three-year deal worth €6 million in annual salary — double what Dortmund has tabled and a figure that would make the 23-year-old the highest-paid Japanese player ever.Kagawa said it has been difficult enough remaining motivated without the distractions of all the transfer talk."It's been kind of a tricky week," he said. "It's hard to get up for it again after you've won the championship already."
Rose done for year as Bulls beat 76ers
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose crumbled to the floor, clutching his left knee. His season is over and the Bulls' title hopes just might be finished, too.
Down for the count: Bulls guard Derrick Rose loses control of the ball between a pair of Sixers defenders on Saturday in Chicago. The Bulls won Game 1 of their playoff series, but Rose will miss the remainder of the postseason after an ACL tear. APRose will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee late in Chicago's 103-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Saturday's playoff opener, casting a big cloud over a team eyeing a championship run.He scored 23 points and was playing more like the league's reigning MVP after missing 27 games because of injuries during the regular season, but his injury-plagued season came to an end as the Bulls were wrapping up an impressive victory.Rose crumbled to the ground after he drove the lane with about 1:20 left and the Bulls leading by 12. He was going for a layup when he came to a jump-stop and seemed to change his mind as the 76ers' Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen rotated over, passing off to a teammate before an awkward landing.Team medical personnel immediately rushed out and tended to Rose for several minutes as he was writhing in pain near the baseline before helping him to the locker room. Rose was taken to the hospital, and the results of the MRI were not good.Whether Rose should have been in the game at that point figures to be debated for a long time around Chicago. He checked back in with just under eight minutes left and the lead got as high as 20 shortly after that before the Sixers chipped away at it.With Philadelphia making a push, coach Tom Thibodeau decided to stay with Rose."I don't work backward like you guys do," Thibodeau said. "The score was going the other way."Veteran guard Richard Hamilton defended the decision, saying, "Philly was making a run. In playoff basketball, you never want to give a team confidence. . . . When you have a team down, you have to try to keep them down. They made a little run so we needed guys that could put the ball in the basket."Sixers coach Doug Collins also had Thibodeau's back."He knows what he's doing coaching his team," Collins said. "Thibs is my buddy. I have the ultimate respect for him. From his standpoint he wanted to finish that game for what he did. It's awful that Derrick got hurt."Thunder 99, Mavericks 98In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 25 points and hit the game-winning jumper from the foul line with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Thunder to a victory over Dallas in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.Durant maneuvered to the free throw line and got off a high-arcing shot over Shawn Marion that hit off the front of the rim and then off the backboard before falling through.The defending NBA champion Mavericks, who were out of timeouts, could not get a shot off before the buzzer.Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his 25 points in the final 5 minutes and hit two free throws with 9 seconds left to put Dallas ahead. Jason Terry added 20 points and Marion scored 17.Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points and Serge Ibaka chipped in 22 points and five blocks.James Harden scored 19 in his first game since suffering a concussion when the Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Peace hit him with an elbow last Sunday and earned a seven-game suspension.The second-seeded Thunder played catchup most of the night and had to wipe away a 94-87 deficit in the final 2? minutes to come away with the win. Durant capped a string of seven straight Oklahoma City points on a right-handed slam with 1:27 remaining.Dallas went back ahead with an out-of-control possession, with Harden knocking the ball away from Jason Kidd and then Nowitzki losing it, too, before Vince Carter missed a desperation baseline jumper. Ian Mahinmi rebounded the miss and got fouled, stepping to the line to hit two free throws with 1:03 to play.Durant drove to set up Ibaka's three-point play at the other end, bumping the Thunder ahead 97-96. Nowitzki committed a turnover and Durant missed along the baseline before the two All-Stars came through in the clutch — with Durant getting the last chance.Heat 100, Knicks 67In Miami, LeBron James scored 32 points before getting the fourth quarter off, Dwyane Wade added 19 and the Heat rode the strength of a 32-2 run to easily beat the Knicks in Game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series.Mario Chalmers added 11 points and nine assists for Miami, which turned 27 New York turnovers into a franchise playoff-record 38 points.J.R. Smith scored 17 for the Knicks, who lost Iman Shumpert to a torn knee ligament and have dropped 11 straight playoff games dating back to 2001. Carmelo Anthony missed 12 of 15 shots and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Baron Davis added 10 points for New York.Magic 81, Pacers 77In Indianapolis, Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson scored 17 points apiece to help sixth-seeded Orlando, playing without Dwight Howard, surprise the third-seeded Pacers in Game 1 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.Howard, the Magic's leading scorer and the league's top rebounder, will miss the rest of the season after having back surgery. The Magic played defense Howard would have been proud of down the stretch, overcoming a seven-point deficit by holding the Pacers scoreless for the final 4:05.David West scored 19 points, Danny Granger added 17 and Roy Hibbert had eight points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks for the Pacers. Granger traveled with 7.5 seconds left and the Pacers trailing by three.
Down for the count: Bulls guard Derrick Rose loses control of the ball between a pair of Sixers defenders on Saturday in Chicago. The Bulls won Game 1 of their playoff series, but Rose will miss the remainder of the postseason after an ACL tear. APRose will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee late in Chicago's 103-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Saturday's playoff opener, casting a big cloud over a team eyeing a championship run.He scored 23 points and was playing more like the league's reigning MVP after missing 27 games because of injuries during the regular season, but his injury-plagued season came to an end as the Bulls were wrapping up an impressive victory.Rose crumbled to the ground after he drove the lane with about 1:20 left and the Bulls leading by 12. He was going for a layup when he came to a jump-stop and seemed to change his mind as the 76ers' Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen rotated over, passing off to a teammate before an awkward landing.Team medical personnel immediately rushed out and tended to Rose for several minutes as he was writhing in pain near the baseline before helping him to the locker room. Rose was taken to the hospital, and the results of the MRI were not good.Whether Rose should have been in the game at that point figures to be debated for a long time around Chicago. He checked back in with just under eight minutes left and the lead got as high as 20 shortly after that before the Sixers chipped away at it.With Philadelphia making a push, coach Tom Thibodeau decided to stay with Rose."I don't work backward like you guys do," Thibodeau said. "The score was going the other way."Veteran guard Richard Hamilton defended the decision, saying, "Philly was making a run. In playoff basketball, you never want to give a team confidence. . . . When you have a team down, you have to try to keep them down. They made a little run so we needed guys that could put the ball in the basket."Sixers coach Doug Collins also had Thibodeau's back."He knows what he's doing coaching his team," Collins said. "Thibs is my buddy. I have the ultimate respect for him. From his standpoint he wanted to finish that game for what he did. It's awful that Derrick got hurt."Thunder 99, Mavericks 98In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 25 points and hit the game-winning jumper from the foul line with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Thunder to a victory over Dallas in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.Durant maneuvered to the free throw line and got off a high-arcing shot over Shawn Marion that hit off the front of the rim and then off the backboard before falling through.The defending NBA champion Mavericks, who were out of timeouts, could not get a shot off before the buzzer.Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his 25 points in the final 5 minutes and hit two free throws with 9 seconds left to put Dallas ahead. Jason Terry added 20 points and Marion scored 17.Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points and Serge Ibaka chipped in 22 points and five blocks.James Harden scored 19 in his first game since suffering a concussion when the Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Peace hit him with an elbow last Sunday and earned a seven-game suspension.The second-seeded Thunder played catchup most of the night and had to wipe away a 94-87 deficit in the final 2? minutes to come away with the win. Durant capped a string of seven straight Oklahoma City points on a right-handed slam with 1:27 remaining.Dallas went back ahead with an out-of-control possession, with Harden knocking the ball away from Jason Kidd and then Nowitzki losing it, too, before Vince Carter missed a desperation baseline jumper. Ian Mahinmi rebounded the miss and got fouled, stepping to the line to hit two free throws with 1:03 to play.Durant drove to set up Ibaka's three-point play at the other end, bumping the Thunder ahead 97-96. Nowitzki committed a turnover and Durant missed along the baseline before the two All-Stars came through in the clutch — with Durant getting the last chance.Heat 100, Knicks 67In Miami, LeBron James scored 32 points before getting the fourth quarter off, Dwyane Wade added 19 and the Heat rode the strength of a 32-2 run to easily beat the Knicks in Game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series.Mario Chalmers added 11 points and nine assists for Miami, which turned 27 New York turnovers into a franchise playoff-record 38 points.J.R. Smith scored 17 for the Knicks, who lost Iman Shumpert to a torn knee ligament and have dropped 11 straight playoff games dating back to 2001. Carmelo Anthony missed 12 of 15 shots and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Baron Davis added 10 points for New York.Magic 81, Pacers 77In Indianapolis, Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson scored 17 points apiece to help sixth-seeded Orlando, playing without Dwight Howard, surprise the third-seeded Pacers in Game 1 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.Howard, the Magic's leading scorer and the league's top rebounder, will miss the rest of the season after having back surgery. The Magic played defense Howard would have been proud of down the stretch, overcoming a seven-point deficit by holding the Pacers scoreless for the final 4:05.David West scored 19 points, Danny Granger added 17 and Roy Hibbert had eight points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks for the Pacers. Granger traveled with 7.5 seconds left and the Pacers trailing by three.Sunday, April 29, 2012
Coyotes top Predators in Game 1 on Whitney's OT goal
One that got by: Nashville's Martin Erat scores past Phoenix's Mike Smith in the third period of Game 1 on Friday night. The Coyotes edged the Predators 4-3 in overtime. APGLENDALE, Arizona — The Phoenix Coyotes have had a knack for withstanding nearly everything their opponent throws at them before landing the big blow.They know it can't keep going like this.Ray Whitney scored 14:04 into overtime and the Coyotes survived another late goal in regulation to open the Western Conference semifinals with a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night."The third period they cranked it up and we didn't respond," said Phoenix's Dave Tippett, who looked more like the losing coach than the winner. "We're fortunate to get the first one under our belt, but if we expect to have a chance to win this series, we're going to have to be far better than we were tonight."It's been like this pretty much throughout the playoffs for the cardiac Coyotes.Phoenix was 33-1 when leading after two periods during the regular season, but has struggled to close out playoff games. The Coyotes allowed four tying third-period goals against Chicago in the first round and did it again against the Predators, giving up one to Martin Erat on a power play with 4:42 left.Even with the Predators dominating the third period and overtime, the Coyotes wouldn't let them score, getting big saves from goalie Mike Smith and shuttling the puck out of their zone when they got tired — which was a lot.With a rare faceoff in Nashville's end in overtime, Phoenix won its first second-round playoff game as an NHL franchise when Whitney flipped a backhander between Pekka Rinne's pads after Martin Hanzal slipped a pass to him just outside the crease.Smith made 39 saves, Rostislav Klesla had a goal and an assist, and Phoenix won despite being outshot 25-7 after the second period. Radim Vrbata and Mikkel Boedker also scored for the Coyotes, the first team in NHL history to have six of their first seven playoff games go to overtime.Game 2 is Sunday in the desert."When we are up by a goal we seem to sit back and let teams come at us," said Whitney, who also had an assist on Vrbata's goal. "It is frustrating. It is something we discussed and tried to fix, tried to change."Nashville started slow, fought back every time Phoenix scored and mostly controlled the game after the second period.The Predators couldn't finish it off, though, unable to beat Smith after Erat's goal to lose a game they probably should have won.Brandon Yip had his first goal of the playoffs and Andrei Kostitsyn also scored for Nashville, which had a 42-24 advantage in shots."We had lots of chances," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "We just didn't have that one extra puck that went in."This mirror-image matchup was expected to come down to which team could play the same style best.Both teams have superb goaltenders, smart coaches and a defense-first style — attributes they used to get by more-skilled opponents in the first round.After winning their first division title as an NHL franchise, the Coyotes survived a rash of injuries and five overtime games to beat the Chicago Blackhawks and advance in the playoffs for the first time since 1987, when the team was still in Winnipeg.Nashville finished six wins and seven points ahead of Phoenix, but was the Western Conference's fourth seed because the Coyotes won the Pacific Division.The Predators beat nemesis Detroit in a five games in the first round behind Rinne, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second straight year. That gave Nashville a week off, plenty of time to heal and rest up — and gather some rust, apparently.Sluggish and out of synch, the Predators were on their heels early, leading to a power play midway through the first period. Vrbata capitalized, flipping a wrister from the left circle that skipped off Rinne's mask and over his stick shoulder.Lions to retire Inao's No. 24 jersey
The Seibu Lions will retire former Nishitetsu Lions ace Kazuhisa Inao's No. 24, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
It will be the first retired number since Seibu began to own the Lions in 1979. Inao died of cancer in November 2007 at age 70.In 1958, Nishitetsu came back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win the Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, with Inao winning four straight decisions from Game 4, three of them complete games.Three years later, Inao won a Japanese baseball single-season record-tying 42 games.Widely known as one of Japanese baseball's greatest pitchers of all time, Inao logged a lifetime 276-137 record with a 1.98 ERA, spending his entire career with the Lions until 1969.Inao led the PL in wins four times and in ERA five times. In 1993, he was inducted into Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame.Seibu plans to have all players on the team wear No. 24 in a game this summer.
It will be the first retired number since Seibu began to own the Lions in 1979. Inao died of cancer in November 2007 at age 70.In 1958, Nishitetsu came back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win the Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, with Inao winning four straight decisions from Game 4, three of them complete games.Three years later, Inao won a Japanese baseball single-season record-tying 42 games.Widely known as one of Japanese baseball's greatest pitchers of all time, Inao logged a lifetime 276-137 record with a 1.98 ERA, spending his entire career with the Lions until 1969.Inao led the PL in wins four times and in ERA five times. In 1993, he was inducted into Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame.Seibu plans to have all players on the team wear No. 24 in a game this summer.Former Yankee Skowron dead at 81
NEW YORK — Moose Skowron, a five-time World Series champion and one of only two players to hit three home runs in Game 7s, died Friday of congestive heart failure at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. He was 81.Skowron helped the New York Yankees win four titles in the 1950s and 1960s."There weren't many better guys than Moose," said former teammate Yogi Berra, the only other player with three Game 7 homers in the Series. "He was a dear friend and a great team man. A darn good ballplayer, too."Skowron became a star first baseman with the Yankees and went on to appear in eight All-Star Games over six seasons.After Skowron's playing career he returned to Chicago, where he was born and had worked for the White Sox since 1999 in the team's community relations department, making appearances.Skowron played for the Yankees from 1954-62, then won a fifth title with Los Angeles in the first season after he was dealt to the Dodgers for Stan Williams. He hit .282 in 14 major league seasons with 211 home runs and 888 RBIs, also spending time with the expansion Washington Senators (1964), the White Sox (1964-67) and the California Angels (1967). He was an All-Star from 1957-61, appearing in both games in 1959 and 1960, then was picked one final time in 1965.
Guardiola to quit as Barca manager
Out of the pressure cooker: Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola smiles at a news conference on Friday where he announced he would resign at the end of this season. APBARCELONA, Spain — In front of some of the players he has molded into one of the greatest soccer teams of all time, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola stepped down on Friday, bringing to a close a four-year reign of unprecedented success.Guardiola announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, explaining at a news conference held at Nou Camp that the demands of the job were too high and his energy levels too low to continue.Already Barcelona's most successful manager, Guardiola can add a 14th trophy when his team plays the King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao on May 25 in his last game.His assistant Tito Vilanova will then take over the team."Four years are long and they wear you down," Guardiola said. "I think that sincerely that the next person will have things to bring that I can't."Every day during four years, the demands are very high, the pressure, the necessary energy to push the players and enjoy it. I need to rest and move away."His announcement ended a difficult week for the team that saw it exit the Champions League semifinals to Chelsea following a loss to Real Madrid which will likely cost it a fourth straight Spanish title.Guardiola said he took the decision to quit in December but preferred to wait until the team's chase for major trophies was out of the way. He had extended his rolling one-year contract by February of the past two seasons but his decision not to do so this time led to ongoing speculation over his future."I'm very sorry for all of the uncertainty I created over this time over my future, maybe that was an error of mine," Guardiola said. "I didn't mean to create this kind of mood."Guardiola's news conference was attended by Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Victor Valdes, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez — although three-time world player of the year Lionel Messi, the player Guardiola built his team around, was absent."Leo is with us now," Guardiola said. "All the players are here with me. I don't remember any single title, rather the emotion I shared with my players. You do everything for the trophy, but you take away the feeling."Messi later said he was too moved by the moment to attend the news conference of the coach that had helped him become the club's all-time leading scorer with 243 goals."I want to thank Pep with all my heart for everything he has given me personally and professionally," Messi wrote on his Facebook page. "Due to the emotion I am feeling, I preferred not to be present at Pep's news conference and instead far from the media, above all because I know that they would look for the players' faces and that is something I decided not to show."The 41-year-old Guardiola has led Barcelona to 13 trophies since replacing Frank Rijkaard at the beginning of the 2008-09 season, surpassing Dutch great Johan Cruyff as the European powerhouse's most successful coach in its 113-year history.Under the former Spain international, Barcelona doubled its number of Champions League trophies with wins in 2009 and 2011, claimed three straight Spanish League titles, won two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, three Spanish Super Cups and one King's Cup.In 242 games, Guardiola has guided Barcelona to 175 wins, 46 draws and 21 losses and a goal difference of 618 to 178.Yokohama's Burrell the total package
HIRATSUKA, Kanagawa Pref. — Justin Burrell embodies the best attributes of professional sports.
Blessed with talent and youthful exuberance, the Yokohama B-Corsairs power forward keeps improving and stays focused to lead his team to success.B-Corsairs head coach Reggie Geary has witnessed the rookie's professionalism and ever-present commitment to excellence on a daily basis."Justin has been a pleasure to coach this year," Geary said. "It's been very enjoyable to watch his maturation as a player and person from day one with us in this his first year out of college."Justin has become more and more comfortable with being our go-to guy and with the responsibilities that come with it."He's a tireless worker, a good teammate who's quick to laugh with others, and unselfish to a fault at times," the coach continued. "He truly cares for those he plays with, and as good as a player as he is on the court, he's a better person off it."The St. John's product, named the Big East Conference's Sixth Man of the Year as a senior, represented the B-Corsairs in the 2011-12 All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena. Equally significant, he's the team's first bona-fide star, and for an expansion squad that's a history-in-the-making detail that will have greater meaning in the future.The B-Corsairs have won 20 of their last 28 games entering this weekend's two play dates, the final series of the regular season, against the Sendai 89ers in Tohoku. At 29-21, Yokohama owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, far better than the East's three other expansion clubs: Shinshu Brave Warriors (18-32), Chiba Jets (18-32) and Iwate Big Bulls (17-35).Burrell, averaging 18.9 points (eighth-best output in the league) and 9.9 rebounds (10th-best), is the team's high-energy tone-setter. For a first-year pro, shooting 52.3 percent from the field is no simple task, but he's been consistently good throughout the season.Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya described Burrell as a "joke machine," which elicited a good-hearted chuckle from the assembled media members after last Saturday's game against Sendai. After the laughter subsided, Kabaya called Burrell the team's "core player" and "the backbone of the team."Burrell recognizes his strengths and dedicates himself to improving them. He doesn't set up shop on the perimeter, waving his arms and demanding his teammates pass him the ball for a heavy load of 3-point shots.In fact, he's made more than three times as many dunks (51) as 3-point attempts (15). Call it his power game.Burrell's chiseled 211-cm, 107-kg frame is built for rugged competition in the paint. But he knows how to use his natural speed to make an impact."Justin Burrell is as quick as any big man as there is in the country," St. John's coach Steve Lavin was quoted as saying before Burrell's senior season.After seeing Burrell post double-doubles on April 20 and 21, including game-high totals of 21 points and 14 boards in the second game in Hiratsuka, 89ers coach Bob Pierce commented on the way Yokohama's No. 24 guides his team in the right direction."He's a very physical player who's athletic enough that he can get into the paint and score over people," Pierce said moments after declaring Burrell is a legitimate MVP candidate. "Not a lot of guys that can score over (Sendai's) Johnny Dukes or Rashaad (Singleton) and he did that many, many times. So the fact that he can do that puts him a cut above, and he rarely ever does anything outside of his comfort level."He plays within himself and doesn't force things and he trusts his teammates. You can tell just by listening to him on the court he's a great team player. He listens to his coach. He talks to his teammates. And it's rare to find somebody who has both those qualities as a young player coming out of college."I think Reggie made a great choice and getting Justin was one of the fine examples of the type of player that make the bj-league special."During one-on-one or group interviews, Burrell is a pleasant conversationalist. Polite and articulate, he expresses his opinion in thoughtful, measured tones, never relying on monosyllabic answers to dissuade journalists from speaking to him.He's an optimist, but not overly glowing in praise about what's occurred on the basketball court. Instead, he's quick to offer an honest critique about what he and his team can do better."Looking back on the season so far, I'm happy how it's turned out," the native New Yorker said. "Of course, a couple games got away from us that I wish we could have won. I like how our team has progressed, how we've gotten better, seeing guys in practice improve individually. Even our coaching staff has grown to trust us. They have put us in better situations as they have learned how we play."So over the course of the season I'm really proud how everybody has grown as a team and as individuals."No easy task for an expansion team. Nor is it a simple role to be a team leader as a rookie, playing for an expansion team in a foreign country — the latter two details only compound that challenge. But from the start, Geary, a former guard for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs before playing in several other countries, saw an unyielding determination and talent in Burrell that had him primed to be the team's anchor.In addition, Burrell trusted his coach's instincts."Coach Geary, he's really believed in me from the (start)," Burrell revealed. "He told me he's going to put the ball in my hands . . . and give me an opportunity to lead our team."I've always been a vocal leader, so I've always been able to express my opinion to people and people respond, but that can only work now if you lead by example as well."To be a leader, Burrell set out to "win sprints, never take a play off and play hard."Why the fuss about sprints?"I can't tell you to run hard if I'm not running hard myself," Burrell insisted. "I can't tell you to shoot harder, focus on your shots, if I'm not doing those things."Geary, a one-time defensive demon in the backcourt for the University of Arizona, received a terrific hoop education from longtime Wildcats coach Lute Olson.
Integral part: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell (24), who played college ball at St. John's, is a franchise cornerstone for the bj-league expansion team. YOSHIAKI MIURABurrell, on the other hand, benefited from the accumulated wisdom of two St. John's head coaches (Norm Roberts and Steve Lavin) and their staffs during his four years at the NYC school."Norm Roberts, he really instilled a lot of the grounds for my growth," Burrell said. "Coming in, I played at a high level (at Bronx, New York's Our Savior Lutheran High School and Maine's Bridgton Academy, a prep school) but I didn't understand what it takes to be efficient on the highest level. Coach Roberts taught me all those essential tools you need as a player to grow and be able to succeed."Mike Dunlap, one of Lavin's well-traveled assistants, reinforced the fundamental lessons that Burrell had picked up early in his college career."He taught me how to use those tools that Coach Roberts and his staff instilled in me: how to be physical, how to read zones, how to read defenses, read body language, learn when a player's tired," Burrell said of Dunlap.By all accounts, Burrell is a terrific student of the game, and his B-Corsairs teammates are equally adept at helping him thrive during the most difficult on-court situations."As far as my play goes, I really have to put the onus on my team. They've really put me in positions to score the basketball at a high level," Burrell said.He added: "We pride ourselves on this: everybody has a role on the basketball team. The more that role is defined, and the more that role is embraced by the players, and everybody does their job at a high level, hey, man, you're going to win a lot of games."Early in the season we were defining that, finding out about players. Now we're in a situation where we're in a groove. We've figured it out, we're rolling with it."Perhaps the B-Corsairs' ascension will continue with a trip to the Final Four on May 19-20 at Ariake Colosseum. But even if that doesn't happen, this season has been a genuine success for Geary's charges, especially Burrell."Justin is the best combination of size and skill in the league in my opinion," Geary said. "Others possess the skill, some even the size, but I haven't seen anyone else put the combination together better."He is a problem for the opposing team every night and he makes the game easier for his teammates."For Burrell, the bj-league may someday be remembered as only the first destination in a distinguished pro career.(Ex-Tokyo Apache post player Jeremy Tyler, now with the Golden State Warriors, made the jump to the NBA after reaping the benefits of working with Bob Hill during the 2010-11 campaign.)"For him to be only 24 years old, in his first year of professional basketball, and to play at such a high level successfully is very impressive," Geary said."As a former NBA player and NBA Development League head coach, I've worked with a number of players who have gone on to play in the NBA. Justin has all the physical and mental tools to play at the NBA level if given the opportunity."
Blessed with talent and youthful exuberance, the Yokohama B-Corsairs power forward keeps improving and stays focused to lead his team to success.B-Corsairs head coach Reggie Geary has witnessed the rookie's professionalism and ever-present commitment to excellence on a daily basis."Justin has been a pleasure to coach this year," Geary said. "It's been very enjoyable to watch his maturation as a player and person from day one with us in this his first year out of college."Justin has become more and more comfortable with being our go-to guy and with the responsibilities that come with it."He's a tireless worker, a good teammate who's quick to laugh with others, and unselfish to a fault at times," the coach continued. "He truly cares for those he plays with, and as good as a player as he is on the court, he's a better person off it."The St. John's product, named the Big East Conference's Sixth Man of the Year as a senior, represented the B-Corsairs in the 2011-12 All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena. Equally significant, he's the team's first bona-fide star, and for an expansion squad that's a history-in-the-making detail that will have greater meaning in the future.The B-Corsairs have won 20 of their last 28 games entering this weekend's two play dates, the final series of the regular season, against the Sendai 89ers in Tohoku. At 29-21, Yokohama owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, far better than the East's three other expansion clubs: Shinshu Brave Warriors (18-32), Chiba Jets (18-32) and Iwate Big Bulls (17-35).Burrell, averaging 18.9 points (eighth-best output in the league) and 9.9 rebounds (10th-best), is the team's high-energy tone-setter. For a first-year pro, shooting 52.3 percent from the field is no simple task, but he's been consistently good throughout the season.Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya described Burrell as a "joke machine," which elicited a good-hearted chuckle from the assembled media members after last Saturday's game against Sendai. After the laughter subsided, Kabaya called Burrell the team's "core player" and "the backbone of the team."Burrell recognizes his strengths and dedicates himself to improving them. He doesn't set up shop on the perimeter, waving his arms and demanding his teammates pass him the ball for a heavy load of 3-point shots.In fact, he's made more than three times as many dunks (51) as 3-point attempts (15). Call it his power game.Burrell's chiseled 211-cm, 107-kg frame is built for rugged competition in the paint. But he knows how to use his natural speed to make an impact."Justin Burrell is as quick as any big man as there is in the country," St. John's coach Steve Lavin was quoted as saying before Burrell's senior season.After seeing Burrell post double-doubles on April 20 and 21, including game-high totals of 21 points and 14 boards in the second game in Hiratsuka, 89ers coach Bob Pierce commented on the way Yokohama's No. 24 guides his team in the right direction."He's a very physical player who's athletic enough that he can get into the paint and score over people," Pierce said moments after declaring Burrell is a legitimate MVP candidate. "Not a lot of guys that can score over (Sendai's) Johnny Dukes or Rashaad (Singleton) and he did that many, many times. So the fact that he can do that puts him a cut above, and he rarely ever does anything outside of his comfort level."He plays within himself and doesn't force things and he trusts his teammates. You can tell just by listening to him on the court he's a great team player. He listens to his coach. He talks to his teammates. And it's rare to find somebody who has both those qualities as a young player coming out of college."I think Reggie made a great choice and getting Justin was one of the fine examples of the type of player that make the bj-league special."During one-on-one or group interviews, Burrell is a pleasant conversationalist. Polite and articulate, he expresses his opinion in thoughtful, measured tones, never relying on monosyllabic answers to dissuade journalists from speaking to him.He's an optimist, but not overly glowing in praise about what's occurred on the basketball court. Instead, he's quick to offer an honest critique about what he and his team can do better."Looking back on the season so far, I'm happy how it's turned out," the native New Yorker said. "Of course, a couple games got away from us that I wish we could have won. I like how our team has progressed, how we've gotten better, seeing guys in practice improve individually. Even our coaching staff has grown to trust us. They have put us in better situations as they have learned how we play."So over the course of the season I'm really proud how everybody has grown as a team and as individuals."No easy task for an expansion team. Nor is it a simple role to be a team leader as a rookie, playing for an expansion team in a foreign country — the latter two details only compound that challenge. But from the start, Geary, a former guard for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs before playing in several other countries, saw an unyielding determination and talent in Burrell that had him primed to be the team's anchor.In addition, Burrell trusted his coach's instincts."Coach Geary, he's really believed in me from the (start)," Burrell revealed. "He told me he's going to put the ball in my hands . . . and give me an opportunity to lead our team."I've always been a vocal leader, so I've always been able to express my opinion to people and people respond, but that can only work now if you lead by example as well."To be a leader, Burrell set out to "win sprints, never take a play off and play hard."Why the fuss about sprints?"I can't tell you to run hard if I'm not running hard myself," Burrell insisted. "I can't tell you to shoot harder, focus on your shots, if I'm not doing those things."Geary, a one-time defensive demon in the backcourt for the University of Arizona, received a terrific hoop education from longtime Wildcats coach Lute Olson.Integral part: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell (24), who played college ball at St. John's, is a franchise cornerstone for the bj-league expansion team. YOSHIAKI MIURABurrell, on the other hand, benefited from the accumulated wisdom of two St. John's head coaches (Norm Roberts and Steve Lavin) and their staffs during his four years at the NYC school."Norm Roberts, he really instilled a lot of the grounds for my growth," Burrell said. "Coming in, I played at a high level (at Bronx, New York's Our Savior Lutheran High School and Maine's Bridgton Academy, a prep school) but I didn't understand what it takes to be efficient on the highest level. Coach Roberts taught me all those essential tools you need as a player to grow and be able to succeed."Mike Dunlap, one of Lavin's well-traveled assistants, reinforced the fundamental lessons that Burrell had picked up early in his college career."He taught me how to use those tools that Coach Roberts and his staff instilled in me: how to be physical, how to read zones, how to read defenses, read body language, learn when a player's tired," Burrell said of Dunlap.By all accounts, Burrell is a terrific student of the game, and his B-Corsairs teammates are equally adept at helping him thrive during the most difficult on-court situations."As far as my play goes, I really have to put the onus on my team. They've really put me in positions to score the basketball at a high level," Burrell said.He added: "We pride ourselves on this: everybody has a role on the basketball team. The more that role is defined, and the more that role is embraced by the players, and everybody does their job at a high level, hey, man, you're going to win a lot of games."Early in the season we were defining that, finding out about players. Now we're in a situation where we're in a groove. We've figured it out, we're rolling with it."Perhaps the B-Corsairs' ascension will continue with a trip to the Final Four on May 19-20 at Ariake Colosseum. But even if that doesn't happen, this season has been a genuine success for Geary's charges, especially Burrell."Justin is the best combination of size and skill in the league in my opinion," Geary said. "Others possess the skill, some even the size, but I haven't seen anyone else put the combination together better."He is a problem for the opposing team every night and he makes the game easier for his teammates."For Burrell, the bj-league may someday be remembered as only the first destination in a distinguished pro career.(Ex-Tokyo Apache post player Jeremy Tyler, now with the Golden State Warriors, made the jump to the NBA after reaping the benefits of working with Bob Hill during the 2010-11 campaign.)"For him to be only 24 years old, in his first year of professional basketball, and to play at such a high level successfully is very impressive," Geary said."As a former NBA player and NBA Development League head coach, I've worked with a number of players who have gone on to play in the NBA. Justin has all the physical and mental tools to play at the NBA level if given the opportunity."Gallardo can't handle Cards
ST. LOUIS — Milwaukee starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo is well aware of his struggles against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Elevation: Los Angeles shortstop Dee Gordon jumps over Washington's Adam LaRoche after forcing him out while unsuccessfully trying to complete a double play in the fourth inning on Friday night. The Dodgers downed the Nationals 3-2. APHe simply doesn't know how to correct the problem.Gallardo's woes continued Friday night as he gave up eight earned runs in a two-inning stint during a 13-1 loss at St. Louis. Gallardo fell to 1-9 with a 7.05 ERA in 13 career regular-season starts against the Cardinals."He wasn't locating the ball at all," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Everything went wrong."Gallardo (1-2) surrendered just four earned runs in three seven-inning starts prior to Friday's contest. But he gave up eight runs on seven hits in the third inning. He also gave up six earned runs in 3? innings of an 11-5 loss to St. Louis on April 6."In the two or three starts I had before tonight, I just went out there and pitched my game," Gallardo said. "I wasn't thinking about too much. Today, I tried to do everything. I tried to do a lot more than I am capable of."Dodgers 3, Nationals 2In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw won his 10th straight decision, Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer and the Dodgers beat Washington in a matchup of the top two teams in the National League.Kershaw (2-0) allowed three hits over eight innings with six strikeouts and a walk. The league's reigning Cy Young Award winner became the first Dodgers pitcher to win 10 consecutive decisions since Ramon Martinez from August 1995 through May 1996.Padres 5, Giants 3In San Francisco, Nick Hundley matched his career high with four hits to help San Diego beat the Giants.Cory Luebke (3-1) pitched six strong innings to win his third consecutive start. He gave up two runs and seven hits.Cubs 5, Phillies 1In Philadelphia, Paul Maholm outpitched Roy Halladay to lead the Cubs past the Phillies.Rockies 18, Mets 9In Denver, Carlos Gonzalez was at the center of an 11-run fifth inning, hitting a homer and a single to drive in five of his six RBIs, and Colorado overcame Scott Hairston's cycle in a wild win over New York.Diamondbacks 5, Marlins 0In Miami, Joe Saunders pitched a three-hitter, Jason Kubel tied a career best with four hits and Arizona sent the hosts to their sixth straight loss.Astros 6, Reds 4In Cincinnati, Jose Altuve drove in two runs with a triple and a double, leading Wandy Rodriguez and Houston past the Reds.Braves 6, Pirates 1In Atlanta, Tommy Hanson allowed one run in six innings, Dan Uggla and Chipper Jones came through in a four-run seventh and the streaking Braves defeated Pittsburgh.Atlanta won for the 13th time in 16 games after an 0-4 start.AMERICAN LEAGUEYankees 7, Tigers 6In New York, Derek Jeter scored on a passed ball with one out in the ninth inning and the Yankees rallied to hand the Tigers their fifth straight loss, hours after Detroit left fielder Delmon Young was arraigned on a hate crime harassment charge.Young was arrested early Friday — four hours after the team arrived in New York — for a fight at his hotel during which police say he yelled anti-Semitic epithets. He faces a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge that entails targeting someone for his or her religious beliefs. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.Rays 8, Rangers 4In Arlington, Texas, Evan Longoria homered and drove in four runs to help Tampa Bay extend its winning streak to six games with a victory over Texas.Indians 3, Angels 2In Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth inning to lift the Indians over struggling Los Angeles.Albert Pujols went 1-for-4 in the Angels' fifth straight loss. Pujols is homerless in 20 games since signing a $240 million, 10-year contract — his longest drought to start a season.Athletics 5, Orioles 2In Baltimore, Brandon McCarthy pitched seven strong innings for his first win this season and Eric Sogard hit a two-run home run in a three-run second as Oakland beat the hosts.Mariners 9, Blue Jays 5 (10)In Toronto, Michael Saunders hit two home runs, including a grand slam in the 10th, and Seattle rallied to beat the Blue Jays to extend its win streak to a season-high four games.Ichiro Suzuki was 0-for-5 for Seattle, while Munenori Kawasaki was 1-for-1 and scored a run.Red Sox 10, White Sox 3In Chicago, Darnell McDonald hit a tiebreaking three-run double and homered to help Boston rally past the White Sox.Royals 7, Twins 6In Minneapolis, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler each hit a two-run homer, and Kansas City beat Minnesota for its third straight win.
Elevation: Los Angeles shortstop Dee Gordon jumps over Washington's Adam LaRoche after forcing him out while unsuccessfully trying to complete a double play in the fourth inning on Friday night. The Dodgers downed the Nationals 3-2. APHe simply doesn't know how to correct the problem.Gallardo's woes continued Friday night as he gave up eight earned runs in a two-inning stint during a 13-1 loss at St. Louis. Gallardo fell to 1-9 with a 7.05 ERA in 13 career regular-season starts against the Cardinals."He wasn't locating the ball at all," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Everything went wrong."Gallardo (1-2) surrendered just four earned runs in three seven-inning starts prior to Friday's contest. But he gave up eight runs on seven hits in the third inning. He also gave up six earned runs in 3? innings of an 11-5 loss to St. Louis on April 6."In the two or three starts I had before tonight, I just went out there and pitched my game," Gallardo said. "I wasn't thinking about too much. Today, I tried to do everything. I tried to do a lot more than I am capable of."Dodgers 3, Nationals 2In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw won his 10th straight decision, Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer and the Dodgers beat Washington in a matchup of the top two teams in the National League.Kershaw (2-0) allowed three hits over eight innings with six strikeouts and a walk. The league's reigning Cy Young Award winner became the first Dodgers pitcher to win 10 consecutive decisions since Ramon Martinez from August 1995 through May 1996.Padres 5, Giants 3In San Francisco, Nick Hundley matched his career high with four hits to help San Diego beat the Giants.Cory Luebke (3-1) pitched six strong innings to win his third consecutive start. He gave up two runs and seven hits.Cubs 5, Phillies 1In Philadelphia, Paul Maholm outpitched Roy Halladay to lead the Cubs past the Phillies.Rockies 18, Mets 9In Denver, Carlos Gonzalez was at the center of an 11-run fifth inning, hitting a homer and a single to drive in five of his six RBIs, and Colorado overcame Scott Hairston's cycle in a wild win over New York.Diamondbacks 5, Marlins 0In Miami, Joe Saunders pitched a three-hitter, Jason Kubel tied a career best with four hits and Arizona sent the hosts to their sixth straight loss.Astros 6, Reds 4In Cincinnati, Jose Altuve drove in two runs with a triple and a double, leading Wandy Rodriguez and Houston past the Reds.Braves 6, Pirates 1In Atlanta, Tommy Hanson allowed one run in six innings, Dan Uggla and Chipper Jones came through in a four-run seventh and the streaking Braves defeated Pittsburgh.Atlanta won for the 13th time in 16 games after an 0-4 start.AMERICAN LEAGUEYankees 7, Tigers 6In New York, Derek Jeter scored on a passed ball with one out in the ninth inning and the Yankees rallied to hand the Tigers their fifth straight loss, hours after Detroit left fielder Delmon Young was arraigned on a hate crime harassment charge.Young was arrested early Friday — four hours after the team arrived in New York — for a fight at his hotel during which police say he yelled anti-Semitic epithets. He faces a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge that entails targeting someone for his or her religious beliefs. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail.Rays 8, Rangers 4In Arlington, Texas, Evan Longoria homered and drove in four runs to help Tampa Bay extend its winning streak to six games with a victory over Texas.Indians 3, Angels 2In Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera singled home the winning run with one out in the ninth inning to lift the Indians over struggling Los Angeles.Albert Pujols went 1-for-4 in the Angels' fifth straight loss. Pujols is homerless in 20 games since signing a $240 million, 10-year contract — his longest drought to start a season.Athletics 5, Orioles 2In Baltimore, Brandon McCarthy pitched seven strong innings for his first win this season and Eric Sogard hit a two-run home run in a three-run second as Oakland beat the hosts.Mariners 9, Blue Jays 5 (10)In Toronto, Michael Saunders hit two home runs, including a grand slam in the 10th, and Seattle rallied to beat the Blue Jays to extend its win streak to a season-high four games.Ichiro Suzuki was 0-for-5 for Seattle, while Munenori Kawasaki was 1-for-1 and scored a run.Red Sox 10, White Sox 3In Chicago, Darnell McDonald hit a tiebreaking three-run double and homered to help Boston rally past the White Sox.Royals 7, Twins 6In Minneapolis, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler each hit a two-run homer, and Kansas City beat Minnesota for its third straight win.Tosu continues strong start by holding Reysol
KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — First-division debutants Sagan Tosu kept up their impressive start to the J. League season with a 1-1 draw away to reigning champions Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.
Full force: Shimizu S-Pulse's Toshiyuki Takagi nets the game-winning goal in the 77th minute against FC Tokyo on Saturday at Ajinomoto Stadium. Shimizu won 1-0. KYODOSagan went into the match at Hitachi Stadium fifth in the table with a division-lowest record of three goals conceded from seven games, but an opener in first-half stoppage time from Kashiwa's Hideaki Kitajima threatened to burst the Kyushu side's bubble.Teruaki Kobayashi pounced on a loose ball midway through the second half to rescue a point for Tosu, however, keeping Yoon Jong Hwang's side firmly among the leading pack in its first-ever campaign in the top flight."It was hot today, and this was the first time we have played in an atmosphere like this," said the South Korean, whose team now has 14 points from eight games. "We couldn't adjust to that, and in the first half we lost our concentration and allowed them to score."But in the second half the players fought until the end, and we managed to pull a goal back. A lot of our fans made the trip to watch us here, and it was their support that pushed the players on until the final whistle."An temperature of 18.9 C was recorded for the game, but with the pitch in the full glare of the sun for 90 minutes, the reality was almost certainly different."Both teams had to deal with it, so it was the same for everyone," said Tosu striker Yohei Toyoda. "I don't think it made the difference."Leandro Domingues twice went close to breaking the deadlock as Kashiwa made a strong finish to the first half, and the pressure paid off when Kitajima headed home Jorge Wagner's corner to send the home side into the break a goal up.Naoyuki Fujita almost leveled the score five minutes into the second half when he thumped a free kick against the crossbar, before Junya Tanaka rattled the woodwork at the other end with a volley from another Wagner cross.But with Reysol looking more and more likely to add to their tally, Kobayashi grabbed the equalizer. Kim Min Woo swung a free kick into the Kashiwa box, and Kobayashi was on hand to fire the ball home after it broke his way following a scramble in the six-yard area.Both teams had chances to claim all three points in a frantic finale, but Kashiwa substitute Masato Kudo missed the best of the them when his lunge at a Hiroki Sakai cross fell just short of connecting."We haven't been getting good results recently and we wanted to do all we could to win today," said Kashiwa manager Nelsinho. "They are a strong team and we knew they would keep fighting until the end. We created a lot of chances but we just couldn't put them away."All we are lacking at the moment is the final touch to put the ball in the net."Elsewhere in the J. League, Urawa Reds rebounded from defeat in last week's Saitama derby with a 2-1 win away to Nagoya Grampus, while Shimizu S-Pulse also picked up three points on their travels with a 1-0 victory over FC Tokyo. Sanfrecce Hiroshima did likewise, 4-1 over Kawasaki Frontale.League leaders Vegalta Sendai maintained their unbeaten record with a 1-0 win over Albirex Niigata, Kashima Antlers thumped Gamba Osaka 5-0, and Yokohama F. Marinos finally picked up their first victory of the season, 3-1 over Vissel Kobe.Omiya Ardija beat Consadole Sapporo 2-1, and in the day's late game Cerezo Osaka topped Jubilo Iwate 3-2.
Full force: Shimizu S-Pulse's Toshiyuki Takagi nets the game-winning goal in the 77th minute against FC Tokyo on Saturday at Ajinomoto Stadium. Shimizu won 1-0. KYODOSagan went into the match at Hitachi Stadium fifth in the table with a division-lowest record of three goals conceded from seven games, but an opener in first-half stoppage time from Kashiwa's Hideaki Kitajima threatened to burst the Kyushu side's bubble.Teruaki Kobayashi pounced on a loose ball midway through the second half to rescue a point for Tosu, however, keeping Yoon Jong Hwang's side firmly among the leading pack in its first-ever campaign in the top flight."It was hot today, and this was the first time we have played in an atmosphere like this," said the South Korean, whose team now has 14 points from eight games. "We couldn't adjust to that, and in the first half we lost our concentration and allowed them to score."But in the second half the players fought until the end, and we managed to pull a goal back. A lot of our fans made the trip to watch us here, and it was their support that pushed the players on until the final whistle."An temperature of 18.9 C was recorded for the game, but with the pitch in the full glare of the sun for 90 minutes, the reality was almost certainly different."Both teams had to deal with it, so it was the same for everyone," said Tosu striker Yohei Toyoda. "I don't think it made the difference."Leandro Domingues twice went close to breaking the deadlock as Kashiwa made a strong finish to the first half, and the pressure paid off when Kitajima headed home Jorge Wagner's corner to send the home side into the break a goal up.Naoyuki Fujita almost leveled the score five minutes into the second half when he thumped a free kick against the crossbar, before Junya Tanaka rattled the woodwork at the other end with a volley from another Wagner cross.But with Reysol looking more and more likely to add to their tally, Kobayashi grabbed the equalizer. Kim Min Woo swung a free kick into the Kashiwa box, and Kobayashi was on hand to fire the ball home after it broke his way following a scramble in the six-yard area.Both teams had chances to claim all three points in a frantic finale, but Kashiwa substitute Masato Kudo missed the best of the them when his lunge at a Hiroki Sakai cross fell just short of connecting."We haven't been getting good results recently and we wanted to do all we could to win today," said Kashiwa manager Nelsinho. "They are a strong team and we knew they would keep fighting until the end. We created a lot of chances but we just couldn't put them away."All we are lacking at the moment is the final touch to put the ball in the net."Elsewhere in the J. League, Urawa Reds rebounded from defeat in last week's Saitama derby with a 2-1 win away to Nagoya Grampus, while Shimizu S-Pulse also picked up three points on their travels with a 1-0 victory over FC Tokyo. Sanfrecce Hiroshima did likewise, 4-1 over Kawasaki Frontale.League leaders Vegalta Sendai maintained their unbeaten record with a 1-0 win over Albirex Niigata, Kashima Antlers thumped Gamba Osaka 5-0, and Yokohama F. Marinos finally picked up their first victory of the season, 3-1 over Vissel Kobe.Omiya Ardija beat Consadole Sapporo 2-1, and in the day's late game Cerezo Osaka topped Jubilo Iwate 3-2.Hot-shooting Kawabe sparks Hannaryz in win over Rizing
Taizo Kawabe came off the bench and scored a season-high 22 points on Saturday, leading the Kyoto Hannaryz to an 82-67 victory over the host Rizing Fukuoka.
Staying aggressive: Yokohama B-Corsairs guard Kenji Yamada dribbles the ball in Saturday's game against the host Sendai 89ers. Yokohama edged Sendai 62-61, extending its winning streak to eight games. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDKawabe buried 4 of 6 3-point shots and converted all five of his attempts from inside the arc in 28 electrifying minutes.The Hannaryz (34-17) are tied with the Osaka Evessa for the second-best record in the Western Conference entering the final day of the bj-league's seventh season.Jermaine Boyette added 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for Kyoto, Rick Rickert had eight points and nine boards and Lance Allred and Lee Cummard each scored seven points.Kevin Palmer paced the Rizing (32-19) with 34 points and 11 rebounds and Carlos Dixon had 18 points.Fukuoka missed 19 of 22 3-point shots.Evessa 89, Lakestars 84In Osaka, Mike Bell's 17-point, 20-rebound effort guided the Evessa to a gritty victory over Kansai rival Shiga.Satoshi Takeda and Shota Konno each had 15 points for Osaka (34-17) and Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall both scored 11. Bobby St. Preux contributed nine points and seven assists.Six Shiga players scored in double figures: Yu Okada (15 points), Dionisio Gomez (14), Julius Ashby (12), Ray Nixon and Shinya Ogawa (11 apiece) and Bryant Markson (10).The Lakestars slipped to 33-18.B-Corsairs 62, 89ers 61In Sendai, for the third straight game, Yokohama defeated the 89ers. This time, Justin Burrell's dunk — on an assist from Draelon Burns — with 5 seconds remaining was the different.Burrell led the B-Corsairs (30-21) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He was 6-for-17 from the field, but his three dunks were significant as Yokohama stretched its winning streak to eight games. (Burrell is the subject matter for Sunday's Hoop Scoop column in The Japan Times.)B-Corsairs big man Chas McFarland had 10 points and eight rebounds and Masayuki Kabaya poured in nine points, Marcus Simmons had eight and Burns scored seven and dished out four assists.Yokohama escaped with the win despite shooting 13-for-24 at the free-throw line.For Sendai, which has scored 62 or less points in the past three games against Yokohama, Dan Fitzgerald, who later went the hospital to get stitches in his head after was the high scorer with 22 points and Johnny Dukes and Rashaad Singleton each had 14 points. Takuya Komoda scored nine points and Hikaru Kusaka had six assists. Singleton pulled down 13 rebounds."Mental mistakes cost us at the end," 89ers coach Bob Pierce said after his team fell to 25-26.Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 87In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, a 30-point fourth quarter ignited Hamamatsu Higashimikawa to a narrow win over the hosts.Jermaine Dixon led the Phoenix with 22 points and seven assists, while Gyno Pomare had 16 points and nine rebounds. Shoji Nakanishi scored 13 points and Wayne Arnold and Jeffrey Parmer both had 12 for the two-time defending champions.Hamamatsu (36-15) sits atop the Eastern Conference."Way to get that great team victory today," Dixon wrote on Facebook. "We fought to get that win."Derek Raivio scored 20 points for Shinshu (18-33), Edward Morris pumped in 19 and Lee Roberts (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Tyler Hughes (10 points, 13 boards) both recorded double-doubles. Takanori Goya, the Toyama Grouses' first-ever draft pick, finished with 12 points and four assists.Broncos 75, Albirex BB 74In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, John "Helicopter" Humphrey sank five 3-pointers and scored 32 points in the Broncos' narrow victory over Niigata.Jayme Miller supplied 18 points and 12 rebounds for the victors and Yuki Kitamuki, a Bronco since 2006, contributed seven points and six assists.Saitama (16-35) will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.For the Albirex (27-24 under first-year coach Matt Garrison), Nile Murry scored 16 points, Chris Holm had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Bennet Davis scored 12.Golden Kings 85, Grouses 64In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed put 22 points on the board on 10-for-14 shooting and David Palmer chipped in with 13 points and 10 boards for title-contending Ryukyu.Naoto Kosuge scored 12 points and Tsubasa Yonamine had six assists for the Golden Kings (38-13).Devin Searcy paced the Grouses (25-26) with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while teammates Brian Harper, Masashi Joho and Ira Brown scored 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.HeatDevils 83, Five Arrows 82In Takamatsu, Oita edged the lowly hosts, getting a big boost from Wendell White's 23-point, 16-rebound, five-assist night and T.J. Cummings' 31 points.The Five Arrows (2-49) lost their 24th straight game.Taj Finger added nine points and eight boards for the HeatDevils (22-29) and Naoto Takushi handed out seven assists.Takamatsu big man Paul Butorac had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroyuki Kikuchi scored 20 points.Susanoo Magic 97, Shining Suns 75In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Michael Parker, a day away from winning his fourth straight scoring title, had 30 points and five assists as Shimane manhandled the Shining Suns.B.J. Puckett added 19 points and seven boards for the Magic (27-24) and Micah Williams scored 16 points with four assists. Jumpei Nakama scored nine points Koki Yabuuchi had seven points and five assists and Jeral Davis provided seven points, eight boards and four blocks in 17 busy minutes.Dexter Lyons had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Miyazaki (22-29), Tsubasa Yonezawa scored 13 and Taishiro Shimizu had 12.Big Bulls 82, Jets 77In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy scored a game-high 27 points and Makoto Sawaguchi had 15 as the expansion Big Bulls won for the fourth time in their last five games.For Iwate (18-33) Shawn Malloy finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Gordon Klaiber had 10 points and 13 boards, Jamal Boykin scored seven points and Yoshiaki Yamamoto had six points and four assists.Jamel Staten led Chiba (18-33) with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Shota Isshiki was 5-for-6 on 3s and scored 18 points. Takaki Ishida added 15 points and Gaston Moliva raked in 11 rebounds. Guard Maurice Hargrow, the league's third-leading scorer (21.6 points per game), missed his first game of the season due to a torn calf muscle.
Staying aggressive: Yokohama B-Corsairs guard Kenji Yamada dribbles the ball in Saturday's game against the host Sendai 89ers. Yokohama edged Sendai 62-61, extending its winning streak to eight games. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDKawabe buried 4 of 6 3-point shots and converted all five of his attempts from inside the arc in 28 electrifying minutes.The Hannaryz (34-17) are tied with the Osaka Evessa for the second-best record in the Western Conference entering the final day of the bj-league's seventh season.Jermaine Boyette added 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for Kyoto, Rick Rickert had eight points and nine boards and Lance Allred and Lee Cummard each scored seven points.Kevin Palmer paced the Rizing (32-19) with 34 points and 11 rebounds and Carlos Dixon had 18 points.Fukuoka missed 19 of 22 3-point shots.Evessa 89, Lakestars 84In Osaka, Mike Bell's 17-point, 20-rebound effort guided the Evessa to a gritty victory over Kansai rival Shiga.Satoshi Takeda and Shota Konno each had 15 points for Osaka (34-17) and Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall both scored 11. Bobby St. Preux contributed nine points and seven assists.Six Shiga players scored in double figures: Yu Okada (15 points), Dionisio Gomez (14), Julius Ashby (12), Ray Nixon and Shinya Ogawa (11 apiece) and Bryant Markson (10).The Lakestars slipped to 33-18.B-Corsairs 62, 89ers 61In Sendai, for the third straight game, Yokohama defeated the 89ers. This time, Justin Burrell's dunk — on an assist from Draelon Burns — with 5 seconds remaining was the different.Burrell led the B-Corsairs (30-21) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He was 6-for-17 from the field, but his three dunks were significant as Yokohama stretched its winning streak to eight games. (Burrell is the subject matter for Sunday's Hoop Scoop column in The Japan Times.)B-Corsairs big man Chas McFarland had 10 points and eight rebounds and Masayuki Kabaya poured in nine points, Marcus Simmons had eight and Burns scored seven and dished out four assists.Yokohama escaped with the win despite shooting 13-for-24 at the free-throw line.For Sendai, which has scored 62 or less points in the past three games against Yokohama, Dan Fitzgerald, who later went the hospital to get stitches in his head after was the high scorer with 22 points and Johnny Dukes and Rashaad Singleton each had 14 points. Takuya Komoda scored nine points and Hikaru Kusaka had six assists. Singleton pulled down 13 rebounds."Mental mistakes cost us at the end," 89ers coach Bob Pierce said after his team fell to 25-26.Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 87In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, a 30-point fourth quarter ignited Hamamatsu Higashimikawa to a narrow win over the hosts.Jermaine Dixon led the Phoenix with 22 points and seven assists, while Gyno Pomare had 16 points and nine rebounds. Shoji Nakanishi scored 13 points and Wayne Arnold and Jeffrey Parmer both had 12 for the two-time defending champions.Hamamatsu (36-15) sits atop the Eastern Conference."Way to get that great team victory today," Dixon wrote on Facebook. "We fought to get that win."Derek Raivio scored 20 points for Shinshu (18-33), Edward Morris pumped in 19 and Lee Roberts (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Tyler Hughes (10 points, 13 boards) both recorded double-doubles. Takanori Goya, the Toyama Grouses' first-ever draft pick, finished with 12 points and four assists.Broncos 75, Albirex BB 74In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, John "Helicopter" Humphrey sank five 3-pointers and scored 32 points in the Broncos' narrow victory over Niigata.Jayme Miller supplied 18 points and 12 rebounds for the victors and Yuki Kitamuki, a Bronco since 2006, contributed seven points and six assists.Saitama (16-35) will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.For the Albirex (27-24 under first-year coach Matt Garrison), Nile Murry scored 16 points, Chris Holm had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Bennet Davis scored 12.Golden Kings 85, Grouses 64In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed put 22 points on the board on 10-for-14 shooting and David Palmer chipped in with 13 points and 10 boards for title-contending Ryukyu.Naoto Kosuge scored 12 points and Tsubasa Yonamine had six assists for the Golden Kings (38-13).Devin Searcy paced the Grouses (25-26) with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while teammates Brian Harper, Masashi Joho and Ira Brown scored 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.HeatDevils 83, Five Arrows 82In Takamatsu, Oita edged the lowly hosts, getting a big boost from Wendell White's 23-point, 16-rebound, five-assist night and T.J. Cummings' 31 points.The Five Arrows (2-49) lost their 24th straight game.Taj Finger added nine points and eight boards for the HeatDevils (22-29) and Naoto Takushi handed out seven assists.Takamatsu big man Paul Butorac had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroyuki Kikuchi scored 20 points.Susanoo Magic 97, Shining Suns 75In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Michael Parker, a day away from winning his fourth straight scoring title, had 30 points and five assists as Shimane manhandled the Shining Suns.B.J. Puckett added 19 points and seven boards for the Magic (27-24) and Micah Williams scored 16 points with four assists. Jumpei Nakama scored nine points Koki Yabuuchi had seven points and five assists and Jeral Davis provided seven points, eight boards and four blocks in 17 busy minutes.Dexter Lyons had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Miyazaki (22-29), Tsubasa Yonezawa scored 13 and Taishiro Shimizu had 12.Big Bulls 82, Jets 77In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy scored a game-high 27 points and Makoto Sawaguchi had 15 as the expansion Big Bulls won for the fourth time in their last five games.For Iwate (18-33) Shawn Malloy finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Gordon Klaiber had 10 points and 13 boards, Jamal Boykin scored seven points and Yoshiaki Yamamoto had six points and four assists.Jamel Staten led Chiba (18-33) with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Shota Isshiki was 5-for-6 on 3s and scored 18 points. Takaki Ishida added 15 points and Gaston Moliva raked in 11 rebounds. Guard Maurice Hargrow, the league's third-leading scorer (21.6 points per game), missed his first game of the season due to a torn calf muscle.
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