Return of Godzilla: Hideki Matsui rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in his debut with the Rays. KYODOST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Hideki Matsui made a great first impression in his Tampa Bay debut.
Hideki Matsui hits a two-run home run during Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss against the White Sox on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Matsui, appearing in his first MLB game of the season, homered in the second at-bat of his Rays debut. KYODO PHOTOMatsui provided all the Rays offense with a two-run homer in Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.The Rays purchased the 2009 World Series MVP's contract from Triple-A Durham before the game."It was nice to hit the home run, but we lost the game," Matsui said through a translator. "Physically I feel fine. So hopefully I can just keep building from here."Philip Humber won for the first time since throwing a perfect game in April, helping the White Sox extend their winning streak to seven games.Humber (2-2) was 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA over six starts since his gem against Seattle on April 21. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings Tuesday.Matsui put the Rays ahead 2-0 on a long homer to right off a Humber fastball in the fourth. It was his first homer since Sept. 19 against Texas while with Oakland."Absolutely great," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "The new guy in town homers."Matsui, who turns 38 on June 12, started in left field. He played 13 games with Durham after signing a minor league contract with Tampa Bay on April 30."He's been a quality batsman in the league for a long time," Humber said. "First pitch of the at-bat, I felt like it was a pretty decent pitch, but he put a good swing on it. You've got to tip your cap sometimes, but he's a good hitter and it's not a mistake he's been around as long as he has."Matsui has 174 homers in the majors, and 506 overall when you include his time playing with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan."He looked really good," Maddon said. "He had a great first game for us."Matsui got a nice welcome, with a few fans giving him a standing ovation, before his first at-bat. He finished 1-for-4.
Angels 5, Yankees 1In Anaheim, Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo homered, Dan Haren pitched into the eighth inning, and the Angels extended their longest winning streak in nearly three years to eight games.
Mariners 10, Rangers 3In Arlington, Texas, John Jaso drove in three runs and starter Jason Vargas pitched into the seventh inning.Ichiro Suzuki finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for Seattle.
Red Sox 6, Tigers 3In Boston, David Ortiz homered and hit two doubles, and the Red Sox moved above .500 for the first time this season, tagging Justin Verlander for 10 hits in a win over Detroit.
Blue Jays 8, Orioles 6In Toronto, Brett Lawrie had three hits and three RBIs, and Ricky Romero won for the seventh time in nine starts against Baltimore.
Royals 8, Indians 2In Cleveland, Mike Moustakas had a career-best four RBIs to help rookie Will Smith get his first major league win, leading Kansas City past the Indians.
Twins 3, Athletics 2In Minneapolis, Josh Willingham hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Minnesota over Oakland.
NATIONAL LEAGUEMarlins 3, Nationals 1In Miami, Anibal Sanchez allowed only an unearned run in seven innings to remain unbeaten in 19 starts against Washington.
Braves 5, Cardinals 4In Atlanta, Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer, Michael Bourn also went deep and the Braves snapped and eight-game skid, their longest losing streak in more than two years.
Cubs 5, Padres 3In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano homered, Jeff Samardzija struck out eight in seven innings and the Cubs beat San Diego.
Mets 6, Phillies 3In New York, Jeremy Hefner earned his first victory in the majors, highlighting the occasion by homering for his first big league hit.The 26-year-old rookie became the first major league pitcher to hit his first homer in his first win since 2002, when Dennis Tankersley did it with San Diego.
Reds 8, Pirates 1In Pittsburgh, Jay Bruce had three hits, including a pair of doubles and Todd Frazier drove in two runs.
Brewers 2, Dodgers 1In Los Angeles, Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer, getting back at Dodgers fans who booed his every move.
Giants 3, Diamondbacks 1In San Francisco, Melky Cabrera got his 50th hit of the month to spark the go-ahead rally and Buster Posey drove in a pair of runs.
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Unexpected: Russia's Valeria Zholobova celebrates after ending Saori Yoshida's 58-match winning streak on Sunday in the 55-kg final at the World Cup meet in Tokyo. AFP-JIJIIncredibly long winning streaks come as natural to Saori Yoshida as enjoying ice cream cones on hot summer days for the rest of us.
For the record, freestyle wrestler Yoshida's 58-match winning streak came to an end on Sunday at the World Cup meet in Tokyo. Russia's Valeria Zholobova, just 19 years old, was the better grappler in their match. For anyone else, 58 straight wins would seem like an out-of-this-world accomplishment. For Yoshida, however, the bar is set so high, that a loss, any loss, is a jaw-dropping, stop-the-presses shocker."Going to London will mean nothing if I don't three-peat, so I have to fix the problems which need addressing," Yoshida was quoted as saying by Kyodo News after Sunday's defeat at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.She is, after all, a two-time gold medalist, and one of Japan's biggest medal hopefuls for the 2012 Summer Olympics.Nobody likes to lose, but who says this is a bad time for Yodida to taste defeat? In fact, it probably came at the best possible time. It may even lessen the pressure of having to keep the streak alive in order to attain gold; at least those were my initial thoughts on Sunday after watching a replay of the Yoshida-Zholobova match on TV.The 29-year-old Mie Prefecture native probably didn't need any additional motivation to be fired up for her third Olympics, but this will surely push her to be more focused on her techniques and conditioning in the weeks before the competition commences in London.And no one can excuse her of fearing the spotlight, as evidenced by her decade of dominance in national (10 consecutive titles) and international (victories at nine straight world championship since 2002) competitions.You can argue that Yoshida doesn't face the wealth of talent that athletes must contend with in other sports, but that doesn't cheapen her accomplishment. The sport may not appear to have as many elite-level competitors as, say, figure skating or tennis, but there are skilled practitioners throughout the world who have what it takes for greatness.In addition, she has been so good for so long that any loss is a major headline. Which takes us back to January 2008, when Yoshida's 119-match winning streak ended against American Marcie Van Dusen in Taiyuan, China.It wasn't the end of the world, of course."It is a big shock to lose my first match at an international meet," she told reporters after the match. "I realize I have to train even harder."That loss, too, arguably came at the right time. Yoshida diligently prepared for the Beijing Games and, as stated above, collected another gold medal.Don't expect Sunday's setback to decrease Yoshida's workload or preparations for London. Instead, expect tackling, as noted by AFP-Jiji in its story after Yoshida's Sunday defeat, to be the key area of emphasis she works on with her coach, Kazuhito Sakae."After losing, I really struggled for six months to get back on my feet, and today I couldn't help but feel anxious," Yoshida was quoted as saying after winning the gold in 2008. "I went for two straight titles, but compared to Athens there was so much more built up inside me this time. I aim to three-peat in London in 2012."As they say in Hollywood and beyond, the plot thickens.
Fallen idol: Dennis Rodman leaves family court in Orange, California, on Tuesday. APThe flamboyant former player known for his rebounding skills and wild, off-court behavior was sentenced Tuesday to 104 hours of community service after being found guilty last year of four counts of contempt for failing to pay child support.The ruling also placed Rodman, 51, on three years of informal probation on the condition he keep up his child and spousal support payments.It was the latest development in a series of legal disputes that began in 2004, when Rodman's wife at the time filed for divorce.Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barry Michaelson urged Rodman — who wore a black button down shirt and jeans to the family court hearing — to put his basketball skills to good use in his service."My suggestion is to use your talents as a motivator, as a fine, fine athlete and as a fine person to assist others in need," Michaelson said.Rodman still faces additional contempt charges and is accused of owing back child support in an amount that attorneys for Michelle Rodman, his ex-wife, say exceeds $800,000.The towering Rodman, who sports face jewelry, said he would do whatever community service was required near his home in Florida, possibly working with children."It's all about the kids," Rodman said of the ex-couple's two children, after the hearing. "It does suck the fact that it had to come to this."Rodman was found guilty by a judge of the four counts of contempt involving child support owed in 2009 and 2010.Rodman's attorney Linnea Willis said the four charges stemmed from a period of time when he was expected to pay $50,000 a month in child support. That amount has since been reduced to $4,500 for child and spousal support. Rodman is now current on those obligations, she said.Rodman, also known for his sometimes Technicolor hair, married in 2003. For years, he and his former wife have been feuding over custody and support of their children, ages 10 and 11.Michelle Rodman declined comment after Tuesday's hearing. Her attorney, Jack Kayajanian, said he was pleased with the ruling and an award of $32,500 in attorney's fees.Outstanding disputes over child support and additional contempt charges will be addressed at a hearing on June 22.Willis said Rodman owes far less money in back child support than claimed by attorneys for his ex-wife.Court documents filed earlier this year indicated that Rodman was broke. His tax return from 2010 shows he earned roughly $150,000, but his financial manager Peggy King said he owes significant back taxes.She also said Rodman's alcoholism has tarnished his image and made it difficult for him to obtain corporate endorsements and other work.
On top of his game: Toshiya Sugiuchi pitches against the Eagles on Wednesday at Tokyo Dome. KYODOExcept this time he did it in spectacular fashion.The Yomiuri Giants southpaw tossed a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday night.It was the second "no-no" in NPB this season. Hiroshima Carp right-hander Kenta Maeda did it against the Yokohama BayStars on April 6 at Yokohama Stadium."I can't believe it," Sugiuchi said in front of a crowd of 42,321 after the game. "I'm honored (to be the 75th pitcher to achieve the feat in league history)."It was the 86th no-hitter overall.Yoshinobu Takahashi broke a 0-0 tie in the seventh with an opposite-field two-run homer off Rakuten starter Masahiro Tanaka, giving Sugiuchi a big boost."The opponent (Tanaka) was great, but Sugiuchi was perhaps even better," Takahashi said. "We wanted to do something, wanted to give him some run support by any means."Sugiuchi said, "I knew I wasn't giving up any hits from the first inning and I got better as the game wore on. And when Yoshinobu-san hit the two-run homer, I was extremely pleased, but what I thought first was to give the team a win."The 31-year-old Sugiuchi (7-1), who moved to Yomiuri from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks this past offseason, was tantalizingly close to completing an even greater achievement: a perfect game.Sugiuchi was sharp from the beginning, mixing things up with his fastball and slider, and retired the first 26 batters he faced.But he walked pinch hitter Toshiya Nakashima from a 3-2 count with two outs in the ninth.Sugiuchi kept his cool and successfully struck out the next batter, Ryo Hijirisawa, on a called strike to complete the no-hitter."Of course, it would've been better had I done it," Sugiuchi responded when asked if he wanted to finish the game with 27 batters. "But winning is much more important to me. Besides, we played against 'Ma-kun' (Tanaka), so we just wanted to get a win, no matter how we would do it."At the end of the day, even if I had given up a hit (to Hijirisawa), it would've still been fine with me as long as we got the win. So I wasn't disappointed (when I missed a perfect game)."
What a moment: Giants pitcher Toshiya Sugiuchi exults after the final out of his no-hitter against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Wednesday at Tokyo Dome. KYODOA perfect game in the NPB hasn't taken place in nearly two decades. The last man to do it was former Yomiuri pitcher Hiromi Makihara, who achieved the feat against the Carp at Fukuoka Dome on May 18, 1994.It was the first no-hitter for Sugiuchi as a pro, but he did it once in the first round of the 1998 National High School Championships at Koshien against Hachinohe Kodai Ichiko of Aomori Prefecture."You need some luck," Sugiuchi chuckled.Giants skipper Tatsunori Hara smilingly tipped hit hat to Sugiuchi, who wears the club's ace number, 18."While we all were pretty nervous, it was great that we finished ahead," Hara said. "(Sugiuchi) showed a great pitching through the nine innings. His control, sharpness on his pitches, speed . . . everything was great today."Meanwhile, Tanaka (2-2), who made his first start since April 19 due to a lower back injury, was nearly as good as Sugiuchi. But in the end, he was overshadowed by the historic performance of the Giants lefty, who had been 0-4 against Tanaka.Tanaka allowed five hits and gave up both Yomiuri runs on Takahashi's homer while striking out 11. He also went the distance, but was saddled with the loss.Sugiuchi, who is 28-8 in May in his career, is currently unbeaten at 4-0 in the month this year. Sugiuchi, who fanned 14, also notched his 53rd double-digit strikeout game to move into fifth place on the all-time list, passing former Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish.
Into the groove: Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he and swing coach Sean Foley have corrected problems in his swing. APDUBLIN, Ohio — After a comfortable practice round at the site of the U.S. Open Tuesday, Tiger Woods mingled with hand-picked fans in an online chat that touched on everything from if he can regain his winning ways to whether he's still having fun playing golf."We're excited about what we're working on. I hadn't played well in a couple of weeks but we know what it is," Woods said of problems in his swing that he has addressed with swing coach Sean Foley. "It's a matter of getting (repetitions) in and getting the trust in it."Woods took questions from several fans including a sergeant with the Ohio National Guard, Olympic triple-jump hopeful Erica McLain and others in the 34-minute chat — called a "hangout."Woods practiced at Olympic earlier in the day. He said he hit a 9-iron into one green on the Lake Course that bounced flag high."It's going to be one heck of a test," Woods said.Woods has won 14 majors, but none since the 2008 U.S. Open. He was headed Tuesday evening for the Memorial, founded by Jack Nicklaus, who won a record 18 majors. That remains Woods' ultimate goal."I figure it's going to take a career," Woods said. "It took Jack 24 years. This is my 17th year into it. I still feel like I've got plenty of time. It's about giving myself the most amount of opportunities to win them on the back nine on Sunday. The more chances I give myself, I figure I'm going to clip a few of them."There were few if any revelations in the chat. This is the second time this year that Woods has not met with reporters at a tournament but instead reached out to friends and fans online.Speaking after a practice round at the Memorial, Masters champion Bubba Watson was asked if he would consider going online to reach out to his biggest fans."Tiger's online chat? I actually think it's neat. I can see that working out for me," he said. "Again, I don't come to the media center as much as he does, so I still like this. I feel cool up here. Yeah, I could see doing something like that, but I'd still come to the local media and talk here. He does it every week no matter how he plays, so it's still new to me."Watson has been besieged by requests from sponsors, tournaments, media and others since his dramatic win in April at Augusta National. He said he's just learning now what it's like to be in such demand."I've got a lot more friends than I used to have," he said with a wide grin. "I wasn't very popular before, but now I've gotten a lot more popular."Questions on Woods' website ranged from who he looked up to the most as a kid to why he didn't recapture some of his old championship magic by switching from Foley back to former swing coach Butch Harmon.Mixed in were some responses from awed fans."No questions," wrote NateDogg8896. "Just wanted to say you're the most amazing person on the planet."Another poster wondered why Woods is now wearing white golf shoes so often.After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in late March, Woods came into the Masters as a favorite. He finished tied for 40th there, missed the cut at the Wells Fargo and then tied for 40th again at The Players two weeks ago.Woods said he still has fun playing golf, despite the meltdown he had during the Masters that included kicking a club and swearing."I love competing, mixing it up with the guys, trying to beat all of them," Woods said. "That's the rush, that's the fun. Obviously it's a lot more fun when you're winning than when you're 40th. That's something I'm still working on."
Under the microscope: Italian players, headed by Leonardo Bonucci, train in Parma, Italy, on Monday. APROME — Premier Mario Monti suggested Tuesday that Italian soccer be suspended for two to three years after the latest match-fixing scandal rocked the national team and again tarnished the sport's image in the country just a week before the European Championship.Dawn raids on Monday resulted in 14 arrests — including Lazio captain Stefano Mauri — to bring the total number of suspects arrested in the match-fixing inquiry to about 50 since last year. Many more have been placed under investigation."Football should be stopped for two to three years," Monti said on Tuesday in a powerful message to Italy's soccer authorities on the need to clean up the game. "It is not a proposal by the government but a question I am asking as someone who was passionate when football was still football."Monti made the comments while standing beside the prime minister of Poland, which is co-hosting Euro 2012 with Ukraine starting June 8."I'm not making a proposal, and even less is it a proposal that comes from the government, but it's a desire that sometimes I feel inside me: That it would really benefit the maturity of us Italian citizens if this game was completely suspended for two to three years," he said.He also ruled out the use of public money to bail out teams in difficulty.Police swept through the Italian national squad's training camp near Florence on Monday as part of the operation and Italy defender Domenico Criscito was left off the Euro 2012 squad after he was placed under investigation.Antonio Conte, who coached Juventus to the Serie A title this term, was also officially notified that he is under investigation for alleged wrongdoing while in charge of Siena in 2010-2011.Apart from those arrested Monday, three people have been placed under house arrest and two others are to present themselves to authorities. Five of the arrests were made in Hungary.Numerous others have had their houses searched, including Chievo Verona striker Sergio Pellissier as well as Conte and Criscito.The investigation was started by judicial authorities in Cremona last year. It has resulted in former Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni being banned from soccer for 3? years, and the arrest of former Lazio captain Giuseppe Signori.Serie A clubs Atalanta, Novara and Siena were among the 22 Italian teams notified at the beginning of this month that they are being investigated by sports authorities.Prosecutors in Cremona have detailed an extensive match-fixing ring stretching as far as Singapore and South America that was allegedly in operation for more than 10 years.Italy has only recently recovered from the 2006 match-fixing scandal — known as Calciopoli — that resulted in Juventus being relegated to Serie B for a season, plus points penalties for several other Serie A teams and long bans for club and refereeing officials.The Italian national team reacted in the best possible way, winning the World Cup that year.PARMA, Italy — Defender Andrea Ranocchia and striker Mattia Destro were cut from Italy's final 23-man squad for the European Championship on Tuesday, while defender Leonardo Bonucci was included despite reportedly being under investigation for match-fixing.Italy coach Cesare Prandelli trimmed his provisional squad from 32 to 25 on Monday. One of the players axed was Zenit St. Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito, who was officially placed under investigation for possible match-fixing when he played at Genoa."It was very painful on a human level to remove Criscito from the group," Prandelli said. "But we couldn't give him the pressure of taking this story around Europe, we wanted to protect him. He immediately told me he had nothing to do with it and we believe in 'Mimmo.'"The most annoying thing is that some people have put Bonucci's case together with Criscito's. I repeat, Bonucci has not received any official notification from the prosecutors. That's why he's coming with us to the Euros. We all want to play, to win. And to come out of it clean."
Beaten: Serena Williams reacts during her 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 first-round loss to Virginie Razzano at the French Open on Tuesday. APPARIS — For more than a decade, whatever the state of her health or her game, no matter the opponent or arena, Serena Williams always won first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments.
Giant-killer: Virginie Razzano plays a shot against Serena Williams at Roland Garros on Tuesday. APAlways.Until Tuesday at the French Open. Until Williams came within two points of victory nine times, yet remarkably failed to close the deal against unheralded and 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France.Until a theatrical, 23-minute final game filled with 30 points, more than enough to fill an entire set, featuring ebbs and flows, high-pressure shotmaking and nerves — and even thunderous protests from the crowd when the chair umpire docked Razzano a point. That look-away-and-you-miss-something game included five wasted break points for Williams, and seven match points that she saved, until Razzano finally converted her eighth, 3 hours and 3 minutes after they began playing.All told, until Tuesday, Williams was 46 for 46 in openers at tennis' top venues, and those encounters tended to be routine and drama-free, befitting a woman so good that the goal — and 13 times, the end result — was a major championship.Not this time. Now Williams' first-round Grand Slam record is 46-1 after as stunning a denouement as could be in a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 loss to Razzano on the red clay at Roland Garros.The fifth-seeded Williams, considered by many a pre-tournament favorite, led 5-1 in the second-set tiebreaker, before dropping the next 13 points in a row."I've been through so much in my life, and . . . I'm not happy, by no means," said Williams, her eyes welling with tears. "I just always think things can be worse."The 30-year-old American returned to action last year after missing about 10 months because of a series of health scares, including two foot operations and blood clots, a scary stretch she says altered her worldview.The rowdy spectators in Court Philippe Chatrier chanting Razzano's first name would have been pulling for her anyway, of course, because of her citizenship. But their support was particularly strong because of her recent heartbreak, well-known in France: Razzano's fiance — Stephane Vidal, also her longtime coach — died at age 32 of a brain tumor in May 2011, a little more than a week before her first-round match at last year's French Open.He had encouraged her to go ahead and enter the tournament, so she did, honoring his memory by stepping on court to play, a black ribbon pinned to her shirt. When she walked out of the locker room for what turned out to be a straight-set loss, she wore a gold chain that Vidal had given her as a Valentine's Day gift a few years earlier."Honestly, the past is the past," Razzano said Tuesday. "I think now I did my mourning. I feel good today. It took time."Said Williams: "I know of her story and her husband. We all have stories. I mean, I almost died, and Venus is struggling herself. So, you know, it's life. You know, it just depends on how you deal with it. She obviously is dealing with it really well."Defending men's champion Rafael Nadal had no such trouble, starting his quest for a record seventh French Open title by beating Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Maria Sharapova had an even easier time, scoring a "double bagel" in her 6-0, 6-0 win over Alexandra Cadantu of Romania.PARIS — Forty-one-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm's hopes of becoming the oldest player to win at the French Open in the professional era were crushed Tuesday with a first-round defeat to Italian 14th-seed Francesca Schiavone.Schiavone, the 2010 champion at Roland Garros and runnerup to China's Li Na last year, was never in serious danger against the Japanese former world No. 4, prevailing 6-3, 6-1 in 74 minutes to move into the second round."I didn't completely fall apart after losing the eighth game (in the first set), but I couldn't make any headway," said Date-Krumm. "I couldn't put her in a corner and I'm not even half satisfied with the way I played."It was not all bad news for Japan, though, as Ayumi Morita came from behind to win her opening match for the second year in a row, beating 39th-ranked Polona Hercoq of Slovenia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Perfect timing: Japan's Saori Sakoda spikes the ball against Cuba's Yanelis Santos in a FIVB Olympic Volleyball world qualifier on Friday in Tokyo. Japan defeated the three-time world champions in five sets. KYODOThe hosts, chasing one of the final four berths at the London Olympics available here, beat three-time Olympic champion Cuba 25-23, 18-25, 25-16, 23-25, 17-15. The five-set win earned Japan two points in the standings, moving it into second place on 11, four points back of Russia in the eight-team, round-robin tournament.It was power against power as the sides blasted away in the first five-set match of the tournament. Saori Sakoda and Saori Kimura spearheaded the Japan attack with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Yukiko Ebata contributed 10 tallies.It was Sakoda's late-match heroics that carried Japan to the stirring victory this night as she dominated in the fourth and fifth.Yoana Palacios had a match-high 22 points in the loss. Wilma Salas added 19 for Cuba, while Rosana Giel and Yanelis Santos finished with 17 and 16.Cuba made 40 unforced errors compared to only 11 by Japan. The defeated side held the advantage in blocks 16-4 and both sides scored via eight aces. "I was very happy to win," Sakoda said. "We want to do the same thing again tomorrow. Wearing the Japan uniform means always having to be prepared. My job is to chance the flow and mood of the game when I come in. I was able to do it tonight."Added Kimura: "I was determined to destroy their attack with a strong serve."The Russians, who take on Japan on Saturday, defeated Serbia 25-18, 25-11, 14-25, 25-22 as the Serbs became the first team in the tournament to take a set off Russia.Thailand improved to nine points with a 25-19, 25-19, 25-20 victory over Peru, while South Korea joined the Thais at nine with a 25-8, 25-12, 25-18 win over winless Taiwan.
Too hot to handle: Heat guard Dwyane Wade attempts a layup as Pacers center Roy Hibbert defends during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday in Indianapolis. APINDIANAPOLIS — Miami's Big Two was more than enough to finish off the Indiana Pacers.Dwyane Wade and LeBron James turned around a season on the brink with perhaps the most remarkable week of their high-powered partnership, capped off by a 105-93 victory in Game 6 Thursday night that sent the Heat back to the Eastern Conference finals.Wade scored 41 points, James had 28, and Miami wrapped up the series 4-2, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia.But this was about more than one game.This was a dazzling trilogy, Wade and James taking control when the Heat were down and looked like they might be out."In the regular season, we've had some good games," Wade said. "But I don't know if we've ever had three in a row like that in the playoffs."Seven days earlier, Miami trailed 2-1 in the series after getting routed 94-75 in Indianapolis. The fired-up Pacers had another game on their home court and a chance to build a commanding lead.Instead, the Big Three-Turned-Two took over.With Chris Bosh sidelined by an abdominal injury, James and Wade soared to new heights in their two-man game. Over the course of three dazzling games, James scored 98 points, grabbed 34 rebounds and dished out 24 assists. Wade had 99 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists."Ever since Game 3, they've played at such a high level," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "I don't know if anybody can beat them."The Heat rallied from an early 11-point deficit, riding the hot hand of Wade in the opening half. He scored 26 points by the break, tying Tim Hardaway's 16-year-old franchise record for most playoff points in the first two quarters. James hit consecutive baskets with just over a minute remaining to close it out."We understand that when Chris went out, we had to step up," Wade said afterward. "The team looked to us to lead."Bosh hopes to return at some point, but it might not matter.Not the way Wade and James are playing."Chris Bosh is an awesome basketball player, but when he goes down, that just means more touches for LeBron and Wade," Vogel said. "That's not exactly an advantage."In a game of spurts, the decisive one came in the closing minutes of the third quarter.The Pacers tied it at 66 on Darren Collison's 3-pointer, but it was all Heat the rest of the period. They closed on a 13-3 run, capped by Mario Chalmers' buzzer-beating 3 from the corner. Wade, who was on the bench getting his customary breather at the end of the quarter, leaped from his seat as the ball left Chalmers' hand at the far end, raced along the baseline and pumped his fist when it swished.
Off we go: Ryo Ishikawa watches his tee shot on the 11th hole at the Colonial on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. KYODOJohnson opened his round with a 40-foot birdie putt on his first hole, No. 10. After blasting from a greenside bunker at No. 12 to save par, he had four birdies in a row on a day when gusty wind whipped through the big oaks lining the fairways at Hogan's Alley.Even though he has made the cut in all 12 tournaments he has played this season, Johnson hasn't won since the Colonial two years ago.Jason Dufner was a stroke back along with U.S. PGA Tour rookie Harris English, Tom Gillis and Kyle Reifers."Today was great. I got off to a good start, just hit some quality shots. I didn't put myself ever in a position that was too worrisome," Johnson said. "I kept the golf course in front me. I attacked when I could attack. I had a couple of nice saves when I needed it. ... I've got zero complaints."Dufner won the Byron Nelson Championship last week, and both of his PGA Tour victories have come in the last four weeks. He started at Colonial with three consecutive birdies, was 5 under after a 10-foot birdie putt at the 174-yard eighth hole, then overcame two bogeys in a three-hole stretch.Johnson opened with the big birdie putt at the 396-yard 10th hole on way to his 13th consecutive under-par round at Hogan's Alley. He set the Colonial tournament scoring record with his 21-under 259 in 2010, when he had a pair of 64s in his last PGA Tour victory.After hitting into a greenside bunker at the 435-yard 12th, he blasted to 9 feet to save par."The big putt that got me going," he said. He then had four consecutive birdies, a span that included two par 3s and all the putts between 14-21 feet.Sergio Garcia, the 2001 Colonial champ in the same group as Johnson, shot a 66 to match Chris DiMarco, Tommy Gainey and Andres Romero.The 22-year-old English had never played a full round at Colonial until Thursday. That came three days after he shot rounds of 60 and 63 during a British Open qualifier at Gleneagles. That is a much more wide-open layout about an hour from Colonial."Three bogey-free rounds I have had in a row, which I've never done," English said. "I'm playing solid golf and not really getting out of position. I'm getting my putter going. I'm hitting it to 15 or 20 feet a lot and seemed to be making a good many of those. It's just been good."English, a winner last year on the Nationwide Tour as an amateur, has made 11 of 14 cuts in his first season on the PGA Tour.Garcia had an eagle-3 at the 558-yard No. 1, getting him to 5 under through 10 holes. His only bogey came after hitting his tee shot at the dogleg-left third hole into a greenside bunker, and he saved par out of bunkers his last two holes. He hasn't won on the PGA Tour in four years.Defending champion David Toms, in the group with Johnson and Garcia, had only one birdie in an opening 74. Last year, the 45-year-old Toms started with consecutive rounds of 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.Dufner's approach at No. 9 was just off the back fringe, and he chipped to 6 feet before his par putt circled the cup without falling. A 25-foot birdie attempt at No. 10 rolled over the right edge of the cup, then he bogeyed the 635-yard 11th hole when his third shot went in a greenside bunker and he then two-putted from 9 feet.Dufner was playing with Matt Kuchar, who two weeks ago won The Players Championship, and Rickie Fowler, The Players runner-up who the week before that got his first PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow.
A moment to treasure: A young fan receives an autographed baseball from Lions pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii on Friday at Seibu Dome. KYODOChiba — Tetsuya Utsumi allowed two runs in eight innings to pitch the Yomiuri Giants to their seventh straight interleague victory on Friday.Utsumi (4-4) allowed five hits but no walks, while striking out five in a 4-2 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines at QVC Marine Field.The Giants are now 10-0 with three ties since their last loss on May 5. Yomiuri has won 10 straight decisions for the first time in three years."I worked very carefully from the start, and it went according to plan, with the guys scoring some early runs," said the southpaw.The visitors took the lead in the second after Shuichi Murata led off with a double against submarine right-hander Shunsuke Watanabe (2-2). With two outs, Murata scored on a single by Yoshitomo Tani, who had two RBIs.A leadoff single by John Bowker and RBI doubles by Hisayoshi Chono and Hayato Sakamoto made it 3-0 in the fifth.With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, the Marines' Masahiko Tanaka doubled home two runs to make it close.Utsumi called the runs "a waste," but was pleased as punch to help keep the streak alive."There's an incredible atmosphere right now," he said. "We're playing great ball now, and we want to keep operating at this peak level for as long as we can."Lions 10, Swallows 0At Seibu Dome, Seibu's Kazuhisa Ishii (4-1) threw his first shutout in five years with a five-hitter against his former club, snapping the Lions' four-game losing streak.Tokyo Yakult, which has now lost six games in a row for the first time in two seasons, never got a runner as far as second base against its former ace, while Seibu racked up season highs in runs and hits (14).Tigers 5, Hawks 0At Fukuoka's Yahoo Dome, Jason Standridge (4-3) allowed three hits and a walk over seven innings against his first club in Japan and two Hanshin relievers completed the three-hit shutout of Japan Series champion Fukuoka Softbank.Matt Murton had three hits for the Tigers, who won their second straight. His RBI single opened the scoring in the fourth and his first homer of the season made it 2-0 in the seventh.Buffaloes 4, Carp 3 (10)Dragons 5, Fighters 5 (10)BayStars at Eagles — ppd.Kokubo deactivatedFukuoka — Hiroki Kokubo's pursuit of his 2,000th-career hit was put on hold on Friday, when the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks deactivated their 40-year-old captain with a herniated disc.Kokubo, who needs just one hit to reach the milestone, suffered back pain against the Hiroshima Carp on Wednesday, when he was 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts."I anguished over the decision, but even if I play, the fact is that I probably won't be able to produce," said Kokubo, who underwent an MRI earlier in the day. "I've never had a herniated disc before, so I don't understand it. Even speaking is painful."Kokubo had two hits on Tuesday, and with his goal in sight, the Hawks drew a home crowd of 36,658, their best-attended midweek game this season."Although I am only one hit away, being fit on the field is part of a professional's duty," he said.
In remembrance: Dan and Susie Wheldon pose for photos after his victory in the Indianapiolis 500 on May 30, 2011. APINDIANAPOLIS — Susie Wheldon somberly celebrated her late husband's Indianapolis 500 victory Thursday.Seven months after Dan Wheldon was killed in a horrific crash at Las Vegas, Susie and their two children came to Indianapolis to accept the champion's ring."He loved Indianapolis Motor Speedway so much," she said softly as cameras clicked. "I'm proud to be here with our two children, Sebastian and Oliver, and to represent him as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500."Wheldon didn't take questions during the brief ceremony, but did thank racing fans for showing love and support following the fatal crash.After posing for photos with the track owners and the ring, two-time Indy winner Dario Franchitti, a close friend of former teammate of Dan Wheldon, walked into the room, gave Susie Wheldon a hug and urged her to try the ring on. She did it with her customary smile.Series officials said they believed it to be her first trip back to Indy since the city's public memorial service in October.The 14-karat gold ring includes one full karat of diamonds with Wheldon's name on one side of the ring. It was made by Herff Jones and is valued at $5,000.Wheldon won Indy in 2005 and won it for the second time last year when race leader JR Hildebrand crashed on the last turn of the last lap. Wheldon passed the skidding car in the final straightaway and Hildebrand finished second."You know he was pretty good around here, but every time he was here, he'd be like 'Oh, look at the flags blowing' or 'Oh, they changed the pictures in the Pagoda,' " said Tony Kanaan, another close friend and former teammate.Fans will get to see Wheldon's No. 98 car in the Pagoda Plaza this weekend and are being asked to display the cardboard sunglasses that will be handed out for Sunday's race on laps 26 and 98 — representative of the two winning numbers Wheldon had at Indy.Team owner Bryan Herta will take the No. 98 car that won last year's race around the oval during pre-race ceremonies. Ryan Hunter-Reay is wearing a special helmet in honor of Wheldon, and Kanaan is bringing a new pair of sunglasses to the track Sunday, too."Hopefully, you guys will understand," Kanaan said, drawing laughter. "I said the two toughest races would be here and St. Pete because that's where he lived and this one because he's the defending champ. I hope after this race we can put some closure on this, but it will be very emotional."
The game in Oslo is the first of two pre-Euro friendlies — Belgium at Wembley next Saturday, when the Hawk-Eye goal-line technology will be used, is the other — and the new manager will be without the Chelsea contingent of John Terry, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, who have been given extra time off after their Champions League exertions; Wayne Rooney, suspended for the first two matches, will not be considered for the friendlies; Glen Johnson and Scott Parker will not be risked because of injuries.The center of attention will be Liverpool striker Andy Carroll, who is set to lead the attack in the absence of Rooney. Carroll has one goal from his three international appearances but finished the season strongly with two outstanding displays against Chelsea. Rio Ferdinand's supporters will point out that Carroll overpowered John Terry in these matches yet the Chelsea captain was still chosen ahead of the Manchester United defender "for football reasons."At Newcastle, where Carroll learned his trade, they made sure they got the ball to him as quickly and often as possible, the striker using his 191-cm frame to dominate in the air.His ?35 million move to Liverpool saw Carroll struggle to impose himself as he had previously to the extent the most expensive English footballer became the butt of jokes, "The F.A. have brought in a new ruling — anyone found passing to Andy Carroll will automatically receive a yellow card for time-wasting,"If Hodgson goes with a central striker flanked by two other attackers, Carroll is the only one of the trio suited to such a role. Should the new manager decide on two up front, Carroll's ability to hold the ball up and bring other players into the game would be ideal for the nippy Jermain Defoe.The Harry Redknapp fan club among the media will no doubt be ready to pounce if England fails to win in style, but Hodgson will be looking for individual positives from Oslo, none more than Carroll.* * *A WEEK after the most incredible, unlikely and still unbelievable Champions League victory by the worst Chelsea side in Roman Abramovich's nine-year tenure, Roberto di Matteo is still the interim manager. Chelsea beat a Bayern Munich side who had dominated the Blues for most of the 120 minutes, as Barcelona did in the semifinals, by defending in a manner that was effective but as difficult to penetrate as it was to watch.Like the Catalans, the Bavarians were profligate, both sides missing penalties which were both conceded by the hero of the night in Munich, Didier Drogba who, to the surprise of no one in the end, won the match with his shootout spot-kick. There was a growing sense of inevitability about this.Most interim managers who had the F.A. Cup and Champions League on their CV within two weeks of each other would have been handed the job permanently but Chelsea is not like most clubs. Or to be more precise, Abramovich is not like any other owner. Di Matteo has been left in limbo, the Russian and his advisers no doubt aware that while Chelsea did brilliantly to overcome two teams which were technically better it, parking the bus in your penalty area is not a tactic that wins the Premier League.You do not beat Stoke, West Bromwich, West Ham or Everton by adopting what is almost a 8-1-1 formation and in the league under RDM Chelsea, who finished sixth, picked up 15 out of a possible 33 points.With Pep Guardiola on a year's sabbatical and Jose Mourinho signing a new contract at Real Madrid, Abramovich's options are limited but Laurent Blanc, whose contract with France ends after Euro 2012, remains a leading contender.The new head coach will have to do without the services of Drogba, who announced his departure from Stamford Bridge earlier this week. The Ivorian's Chelsea career has seen its share of controversies and to many he will be remembered as a player built like a heavyweight boxer who goes over with the slightest touch. But Drogba invariably saved his best for the big occasion and his nine goals in finals for Chelsea underlines his value to the side when it really mattered.* * *I HAD hoped the Football Association would not so much throw the book at the odious Joey Barton as the entire library. The 12-match ban plus a ?75,000 fine handed to him for three charges of violent conduct in Queens Park Rangers' final game of the season against Manchester City was something of a result.It means the soon to be former QPR captain will not be available to play again until December 1. Rangers, who are holding a private inquiry into Barton's behavior at the Etihad Stadium, have three realistic options: to pay him his basic salary of ?80,000 a week for four months' training, terminating his contract, worth ?10.5 million over the next three years or paying him off.Rangers will seek legal advice about sacking Barton but a few years ago a player broke the jaw of a teammate after a row about a game of cards and after 12 different disciplinary hearings it was ruled not to be a sackable offense. Only on Planet Football could anyone get away with this.Last summer, a newspaper linked Barton with Manchester United, prompting the response from Sir Alex Ferguson: "What sort of manager do they think I am?"Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.
Stretch out: Cardinals second baseman Tyler Greene dives after a ball hit by the Phillies' Placido Polanco on Friday in St. Louis. The play resulted in an RBI single. Philadelphia won 10-9. APSEATTLE — The gem Dan Haren tossed Thursday night looked awfully familiar to Albert Pujols. Except this time instead of Pujols getting fooled by what Haren was tossing, he was helping the Los Angeles Angels' right-hander put together one of the finest efforts of his career."He makes good hitters look pretty bad including myself, he has in the past," Pujols said. "He is pretty amazing when he keeps the ball down.Pujols had three hits, including his 450th career home run, and Haren struck out a career-high 14 to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.Pujols, a newcomer to the AL West rivalry, made his presence known immediately. He lined a two-run shot off Seattle starter Jason Vargas (5-4) with one-out in the top of the first, and added line-drive singles in the fourth and sixth innings. It was just his third three-hit game this season.And those three runs proved to be plenty for Haren (2-5), who tossed the sixth shutout and 16th complete game of his career. He allowed four hits and only one Mariners baserunner reached third base. Only one other pitcher in Angels history had more strikeouts without allowing a walk than Haren did against Seattle.After struggling with a sore back for the early part of the season, putting together that kind of performance was gratifying for Haren."Even pitching at 80 percent I should get better results than I have been getting in prior starts. I think it was obvious tonight that my stuff was better and I was feeling better in general," Haren said. "I'm happy obviously to win a game. I forgot what it felt like."Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki finished 1-for-4 in the loss.Indians 2, Tigers 1In Cleveland, Justin Masterson (2-3) matched Justin Verlander pitch for pitch for his first career win over Detroit, and the first-place Indians did just enough to complete a three-game sweep of the underperforming Tigers.Choo Shin Soo homered on the third pitch from Verlander (5-2) as Cleveland won for the eighth time in 10 games and opened a six-game lead over third-place Detroit in the AL Central.White Sox 11, Twins 8In Chicago, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios hit back-to-back homers and Alejandro De Aza added a grand slam to cap a six-run sixth, leading the White Sox to a victory over Minnesota.A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo also went deep as Chicago won for the sixth time in seven games.NATIONAL LEAGUEReds 6, Braves 3In Cincinnati, rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco capped a series full of homers with his first career grand slam, leading his club to a victory over Atlanta.The Reds completed their first four-game sweep of the Braves in Cincinnati since 1980 at Riverfront Stadium.Giants 14, Marlins 7In Miami, Melky Cabrera had three hits and drove in four runs for San Francisco, which gave starter Ryan Vogelsong robust run support for a change.Vogelsong (3-2) allowed three runs in 6? innings, which hiked his ERA to 2.50. The Giants had scored 22 runs in his previous seven starts.Padres 11, Mets 5In New York, Will Venable hit a pair of RBI doubles and Cameron Maybin had two run-scoring singles as San Diego broke out the offense after a long rain delay.Phillies 10, Cardinals 9In St. Louis, Shane Victorino and Freddy Galvis each drove in three runs, including Galvis' go-ahead single in the sixth inning, in Philadelphia's close win.
Back on track: Junya Tanaka is determined to help J. League champions Kashiwa Reysol climb the table. KYODOKASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — Last year may have been a dream come true for Kashiwa Reysol, but forward Junya Tanaka is determined to prevent 2012 from turning into a nightmare.Having pulled off the most unlikely title win in J. League history last season hot on the heels of promotion from the second division, Kashiwa currently finds itself in a position hardly befitting of a champion. Five defeats in 11 league matches have left the Chiba side hovering above the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's game against Albirex Niigata, with leaders Vegalta Sendai fast disappearing over the horizon 13 points away.Amid the gloom, however, a spark is beginning to flicker. Progress to the knockout round of the Asian Champions League was achieved with a 2-0 win over South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors last week, before Cerezo Osaka were dispatched 2-1 last Saturday to give Reysol their first back-to-back league victories of the season.Scoring the winner was Tanaka, a 13-goal hero last season who helped Kashiwa turn miraculous comebacks into something of a routine occurrence. Having fallen behind against Cerezo on Saturday, the 24-year-old was happy to rekindle that spirit."It's a matter of confidence," Tanaka said at Reysol's training ground earlier this week. "We are beginning to remember how we played last year. Against Cerezo we went a goal behind, and this year when that has happened we haven't really been able to recover. Last year we came from behind to win seven times, and against Cerezo we felt that ability coming back to us."We've made a mess of the start of the season. We're 15th in the table but we have won three games in a row, and that gives us confidence. I believe we can keep climbing the table."Having experienced the full spectrum of relegation, promotion and championship glory in just 2? years at the club, Tanaka knows things do not always go as planned. The forward was unable to save Reysol from the drop when he made his debut in 2009 while still studying at Juntendo University, but successive second- and first-division titles in his first two years as a professional marked an epic turnaround."I probably had more experience crammed into those two years than any other player," he said. "I experienced relegation while I was still a university student, and during the last two or three years I have experienced a lot of emotions and a lot of ups and downs."The manager always says it, but it's very important to keep aiming higher. You might be feeling low, but you have to do your best not to show that on the pitch. The last two years were a great learning experience."The end result was a first-ever league title that no one saw coming. Reysol dropped only five points from their opening nine games to claim top spot early in the season, then held their nerve over the summer before clinching the silverware on the final day ahead of Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka."At the start we were just giving it all we had, and then by the middle of the season we were still on top of the league," Tanaka said. "From then on I started to set my sights on the title. There was a time during the summer when the lead changed hands, but all throughout I was focused on the title."At the end we were neck-and-neck with Nagoya and Gamba, so when it was all over I felt a real sense of relief. The sense of achievement at seeing it through to the finish was huge."Winning the title brought qualification for last December's Club World Cup, but also personal recognition for Tanaka. The forward received his first national team callup for a World Cup qualifier against North Korea last September, before making his debut as a halftime substitute in February's friendly win over Iceland."I had never been called up at any age level before, so for me it was something new," he said. "I wanted to see what the people involved were like and what kind of level they played at. To see that for myself was like stepping into a new world. Each player is of a very high level, and they all have a very strong mental approach to the game. Technically, they don't make many mistakes."Given Tanaka's progress, however, it is tempting to wonder where he might be now had he begun his professional career earlier. A university education is practically unheard of for aspiring players in Europe, but Tanaka believes the system has much to offer."For players like me who don't have the skill or physical ability to turn pro after finishing high school, four years at university allows you to develop," he said. "If you make good use of that time, you can go on to become a pro."On the other hand, the number of players who fall by the wayside is not small. It really depends on each person. For me, I qualified as a PE teacher and became a pro player, so I would say the system works."
Take this: Saori Kimura spikes the ball during Japan's Olympic qualifying match against South Korea on Wednesday. KYODOJapan, which has nine points from four games to sit in second place behind Russia, had not lost to South Korea since October 2008. Japan dropped the first set 18-25 before bouncing back to take the second 25-22 thanks to Saori Kimura, who led Japan with 21 points for the night.But the Koreans again grabbed the lead by capturing the third set 25-17, and won the last set 25-13 to wrap up the victory. South Korea is fourth on six points with a pair of wins and defeats.Earlier, three-time Olympic champion Cuba lost 25-21, 25-23, 25-19 to Serbia.The defeat left the Cubans with three points from four games in danger of missing the Games for the first time since 1988. Serbia improved to nine points.Russia remained perfect in four games with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-9 win over Peru, which has three points from its lone win. Russia was led by its star Ekaterina Gamova, who scored 15 points.In Wednesday's other match, Thailand improved to 2-2 in the tournament with a 25-16, 25-18 win over winless Taiwan.
Rare win: South Korea celebrates its victory over Japan on Wednesday. FIVB
Yes!: Chicago's Tony Campana (left) celebrates beside Houston's Matt Downs after being called safe at third base on Tuesday. APPHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals continued their domination of the Philadelphia Phillies.Jordan Zimmermann pitched six solid innings, and Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel homered to lead the Nationals to a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.Harper tripled, singled and drove in two runs for the Nationals, who won their third straight overall and beat the Phillies for the sixth straight time in Philadelphia — something that never had been done in the franchise's 43-year history. Washington has defeated Philadelphia in four of the five meetings this season and 13 of the last 16 overall.Roy Halladay (4-4) continued his indifferent season with his second-worst start of the season, going six innings and allowing five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts and one walk.It was especially surprising against the Nationals, a franchise Halladay has dominated with an 11-1 record and 2.28 ERA in 16 career starts. His last loss to the Washington franchise came on June 28, 2002 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays against the then-Montreal Expos."You've got to be aggressive against him because he'll throw strikes," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said of Halladay. "He's a Hall of Famer, you better be up there swinging."Harper did just that by belting the first pitch he saw, a 127-kph curveball, to right-center for a two-run triple in the third inning."He hung a curveball to the kid and he smoked it," Johnson said. "It was a turning point in the game as far as I'm concerned."Said Harper, "I was looking for a first-pitch curveball and I got it. I was just trying to hit something up the middle and score some runs."Mets 3, Pirates 2In Pittsburgh, Lucas Duda smacked a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the eighth.Reds 4, Braves 3In Cincinnati, Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a pair of homers off Brandon Beachy.Marlins 7, Rockies 6In Miami, Ricky Nolasco gave up three runs in the first inning, then settled down to set a franchise record for career victories.Cardinals 4, Padres 0In St. Louis, Adam Wainwright threw a four-hitter and the Cardinals beat San Diego.Giants 6, Brewers 4In Milwaukee, Buster Posey homered off the Miller Park scoreboard and had three RBIs.Milwaukee's Norichika Aoki was 2-for-4 with an RBI.Astros 2, Cubs 1In Houston, J.D. Martinez hit the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning and Jose Altuve had a solo homer.Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 7In Phoenix, Ivan De Jesus hit a two-run double with two outs in the ninth to give the Dodgers the lead.AMERICAN LEAGUEIndians 5, Tigers 3In Cleveland, Chris Perez, greeted by a standing ovation from the time he left the bullpen, worked another scary ninth inning for his 14th save.Angels 4, Athletics 0In Oakland, C.J. Wilson and Ernesto Frieri combined on a one-hitter.Rangers 3, Mariners 1In Seattle, Elvis Andrus lined a two-strike pitch into the left-center field gap for a two-run triple, and Texas snapped the Mariners' winning streak at four.Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-4 for Seattle.Yankees 3, Royals 2In New York, Robinson Cano homered, and Phil Hughes beat Kansas City for the second time this month.Rays 8, Blue Jays 5In St. Petersburg, Florida, Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer during a five-run fourth.Twins 9, White Sox 2In Chicago, P.J. Walters tossed his first career complete game.White Sox outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was 0-for 1.Orioles 4, Red Sox 1In Baltimore, Brian Matusz allowed two hits and struck out nine batters.
Birds of a feather: Marines captain Toshiaki Imae (left) and pitcher Seth Greisinger celebrate after Lotte's 5-1 win over Yakult on Wednesday. KYODOYomiuri is 9-0 with three ties since its last loss on May 5.Sugiuchi, who led the PL in strikeouts in 2007 and 2008 before moving to the Central League this season as a free agent, outdueled Lions right-hander Takayuki Kishi, who fell to 4-4 despite a solid eight innings.Two-time CL home run leader Shuichi Murata hit his third homer since joining the Giants over the winter, a leadoff shot in the second that gave Sugiuchi the only run he'd need.The Giants, who had just three hits and no walks, added a run in the eighth on a safety squeeze by former Lion Yoshihito Ishii.Sugiuchi (6-1) allowed four hits and issued four walks, while striking out eight. The lefty left after walking the first two batters he faced in the ninth.Tetsuya Yamaguchi came on and walked the bases loaded before striking out a batter and inducing a game-ending double play.The Giants moved to within one game of the CL-leading Chunichi Dragons, who lost in Sendai.Hawks 6, Carp 3At Fukuoka's Yahoo Dome, Hiroki Kokubo's bid for his 2,000th career hit will have to wait after he went 0-for-3 in Softbank's win over Hiroshima.Seichi Uchikawa opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single and Nagisa Arakaki (4-1) allowed three runs in 6? innings.Marines 5, Swallows 1At Chiba's QVC Marine Field, Seth Greisinger (5-1) allowed four hits without issuing a walk in seven scoreless innings as PL-leading Lotte handed Yakult its fourth straight loss.Toshiaki Imae broke the ice for the hosts with an RBI single in the fifth. Katsuya Kakunaka's two-run triple made it 3-0 in the sixth and Shunichi Nemoto tripled in another run in the seventh.Fighters 3, BayStars 1At Sapporo Dome, PL ERA leader Mitsuo Yoshikawa (4-1) allowed a run in five-plus innings despite giving up seven hits and two walks as Hokkaido Nippon Ham downed Yokohama. Yoshikawa has a 1.13 ERA.Kensuke Tanaka opened the scoring with a first-inning RBI triple and scored himself on an infield single by Atsunori Inaba. Daikan Yoh's sacrifice fly plated Inaba in the fourth.Eagles 4, Dragons 0At Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, Shintaro Masuda belted his first career home run, a two-run shot, and four Rakuten pitchers combined on an eight-hit shutout as the Eagles beat Chunichi for their third straight win.Wataru Karashima (2-1) kept the ball down and held the Dragons to five hits and a walk over six innings. Chunichi lefty Kenichi Nakata (3-3) allowed three runs in seven innings.Tigers 8, Orix 2At Osaka's Kyocera Dome, lefty Minoru Iwata (3-5) gave up two runs in 5? innings and Hanshin had 11 hits in taking the second game of this year's Kansai derby over Orix.The Buffaloes, who had won three straight since losing star center fielder Tomotaka Sakaguchi to injury on May 17, deactivated slugging outfielder Takahiro Okada before the game due to a hamstring injury that has plagued him since April.
Royal flush: Phoenix's Mikkel Boedke takes a tumble as Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar watches on during the Kings' 4-3 win on Tuesday. APGLENDALE, Arizona — Skating between the circles, Dustin Penner saw the puck bouncing his way. A scrum of players thrashing in front of him, he fired a shot through the crowd and between Phoenix goalie Mike Smith's pads.Fortunate? Maybe a little, but it was all the Los Angeles Kings needed to get where they haven't been since Wayne Gretzky glided across the ice in Southern California.Penner scored 17:42 into overtime and the Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup finals for the second time as a franchise after beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night."I got a lucky bounce," Penner said. "I just waited for it to settle down, and I got a chance to get it in the net."The kings of the road, Los Angeles will play for hockey's ultimate prize for the first time since 1993 after taking down the Western Conference's top three seeds.The Kings knocked off No. 1 Vancouver, the Presidents' Trophy winner, No. 2 St. Louis and rounded it out with a five-game win over the No. 3 Coyotes in the conference finals to become the second No. 8 seed — along with Edmonton in 2006 — to reach the Stanley Cup finals.They played hard, utilized their skill and size, and won away from home like no other team in NHL history.After losing Game 4 at home, Los Angeles closed out Phoenix in the desert for its NHL-record eighth straight road victory of the playoffs. The Kings became the first team to go undefeated on the road en route to the Stanley Cup finals and have won 10 straight road playoff games over two seasons, another record.Anze Kopitar scored Los Angeles' fifth short-handed goal of the playoffs, Drew Doughty had a goal an assist, and Mike Richards also scored for Los Angeles. Jonathan Quick had some big saves in the third period and overtime, and Penner capped it by gathering a bouncing puck and beating Smith for his third goal of the playoffs.Next up for the Kings is a trip to the New York metropolitan area. They will play Game 1 on May 30 at either the New York Rangers or the New Jersey Devils. L.A. last played in the final round 19 years ago, vs. Montreal."There hasn't been much success as an organization, but we've got an opportunity to play for the Cup," said Kings captain Dustin Brown, who angered the Coyotes with a hit that knocked defenseman Michal Rozsival from the game just before Penner's goal. "But there's still a lot of work to be done."The Coyotes avoided being swept out of their first conference finals with a gutty win in Los Angeles on Sunday. They couldn't extend the series another game despite jumping on the Kings early, unable to stop Los Angeles' waves of skilled players or Penner's final shot.Taylor Pyatt had a goal and an assist, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Keith Yandle also scored, and Smith made some superb saves while facing 51 shots."I have been knocked out in the first round a lot and you think it is going to feel better when you get to the next round, but I don't care when you get knocked out," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "It feels awful and you don't want to be a part of it and you wish you could keep going."
Fine-tuning: Shinji Kagawa (left) vies for the ball during Japan's 2-0 win over Azerbaijan on Wednesday. KYODOFUKUROI, Shizuoka Pref. — Shinji Kagawa showed exactly why he has Manchester United and a host of other leading European clubs on his trail Wednesday, scoring with a cracking finish to put Japan on the way to a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan in a warmup for next month's World Cup qualifiers.The Borussia Dortmund star struck three minutes before the interval and also had a hand in the second goal, scored by Shinji Okazaki, before making way for Arsenal starlet Ryo Miyaichi to make his eagerly anticipated senior national team debut midway through the second half at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa.Hiroki Sakai and Hideto Takahashi also won their first caps and CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda had a solid outing after a nine-month injury-related absence in Japan's last game before three World Cup qualifiers against Oman, Jordan and Australia.Coach Alberto Zaccheroni on Thursday will name his squad for the home qualifiers against Oman and Jordan at Saitama Stadium 2002 on June 3 and 8, respectively, and the trip to Brisbane to meet Australia on June 12. Japan are also drawn against Zico's Iraq in Group B."Everything fell into place for the goal," Kagawa said. "But we had a bundle of chances and we probably should have scored more."Takayuki Morimoto, recalled as cover for injured Southampton striker Tadanari Lee, started up front with Honda in the hole alongside Kagawa and Okazaki.The Novara hitman thought he had fired Japan in front in the 17th minute, but the linesman was quick to raise his flag for offside, and Kagawa went close moments later when he drilled just wide of the left-hand post.Honda, looking sharp in his first national team game since scoring in a 3-0 win over South Korea last August, nearly brought the home fans to their feet with a 30-meter free kick that hit the woodwork and Azerbaijan goalkeeper Kamran Aghayev before going out for a corner.Morimoto only lasted 37 minutes and left the field with an injury and was replaced by Ryoichi Maeda, much to the delight of Jubilo Iwata fans among a crowd of 30,276.Japan's dominance finally paid off on 42 minutes with a wonderfully worked goal set up by Honda and Makoto Hasebe.Hasebe collected Honda's flick to pick out Kagawa with a raking pass, and the 23-year-old bamboozled Maksim Medvedev with a clever piece of skill before burying the ball inside the far post.Azerbaijan missed a good chance to level two minutes into the second half, Jihan Ozaraka creating space with a surging run and blasting into the side netting before Japan doubled their lead.Honda got on the end of Kagawa's cross to head the ball into the danger zone for Okazaki to scramble home."I played just like I always do," Honda said. "Every game I'm in I expect to win, and we did just that so I'm happy. I think I can play a lot better and so can the rest of the team."If we play up to our potential, we're good enough to win all three games."The crowd reserved one of the biggest cheers of the night for Miyaichi as he came on for Kagawa shortly after the hour mark, but the 19-year-old was unable to respond with a goal."I was a little nervous out there, but I'm thrilled to have set foot on the pitch for the national side," Miyaichi said. "I expect the qualifiers to be nothing short of difficult."