Hamilton earns pole position in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Lewis Hamilton maintained McLaren's recent dominance by claiming pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, and said on Saturday the season was mapping out perfectly for a Formula One championship challenge.

Hamilton gave McLaren a fourth consecutive pole for the first time since 1999, and his chances of also making it four straight wins in Sunday's race were boosted by Williams' Pastor Maldonado snatching a surprise second place in qualifying, providing a buffer to the Briton's title rivals.

"We have put ourselves in the best position, so we need to capitalize on that," Hamilton said. "We've done the work we need to do to put us in a strong position for tomorrow — the key will just be to stay out of trouble and look after the tires.

"I've always believed that if we could start the season strongly, we'd be able to pull ahead. We've been there or thereabouts all season, but now we're starting to see the real strength of my team pull through."

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel qualified a disappointing third after being the fastest in all three practice sessions. He was surprised he couldn't manage at least a front-row spot.

"It's hard to say what happened. A little disappointed, especially Q3," Vettel said. "It's a shame it didn't come together at the end."

Maldonado provided the shock of the night by taking second. Aside from his surprise win at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Venezuelan has been in the points only one other time this season.

He was even more enthused about the chances for a shock victory by the fact that the car performed well during the long-stint, heavy-fuel race settings.

"I'm really looking forward to the race because yesterday we showed very good pace, very consistent. So I think it is going to be a good one for us this time," he said.

Jenson Button of McLaren qualified fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who holds a 37-point lead over Hamilton in the championship standings with seven races to go.

"We were not quick enough in free practice, and not quick enough in qualifying," Alonso said. "The McLarens were unbeatable, at least for pole.

"Starting fifth, on the inside, we have a good position to fight for the podium, which is maybe the maximum for the weekend."

Force India's Paul di Resta equaled a career best by qualifying sixth, one place ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber, who was cleared by stewards after complaints by Marussia's Timo Glock that the Australian caused interference in the first qualifying session.

Lotus' Romain Grosjean will start from eighth, recovering from heavy contact with a wall earlier in the qualifying session. The Frenchman again beat teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who was down in 12th, dealing a blow to his championship challenge.

Mercedes pair Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished ninth and 10th, having failed to set times in Q3. Instead they only did formation laps on harder tires, meaning they will start on that rubber in the race, giving them different strategies to the cars ahead.

Felipe Massa of Ferrari qualified 13th, a place ahead of Sauber's Sergio Perez, who finished second in the previous race but whose car had been off the pace throughout practice.

At the tail end of the grid, Charles Pic of Marussia was to have 20 seconds added to his race finishing time as punishment for ignoring red flags during practice.

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Hamilton rips two more HRs

ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton stood in the Texas outfield as the cheers got louder and louder. It was the first time the slugger really didn't know what to do.

Back on track: Yu Darvish throws a pitch in the second inning against Los Angeles on Friday. The Rangers beat the Angels 10-3. AP

Already with two homers in the first game back since a four-homer performance on the road earlier this week, Hamilton no longer could suppress a smile. He acknowledged the ovation with a wave of his glove.

"That was cool," Hamilton said after the Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 10-3 on Friday night. "You don't know what to do in that instance because it was in the middle of a game."

Yu Darvish struck out seven while C.J. Wilson faced only five batters in his first game against his old team, forced out by a one-hour, 56-minute rain delay in the first inning.

Darvish (5-1) worked into the sixth. His 93rd and final pitch came four hours after his first one.

"Yu pitched great. I was proud of him coming back out there and sticking it out, doing what he's got to do," Hamilton said.

Hamilton became only the 16th player in major league history with four homers in a game when he accomplished the feat Tuesday night in Baltimore.

The slugger, who is eligible for free agency after the season, leads the majors with his .407 batting average, 17 homers and 40 RBIs.

Darvish, coming off his first loss Sunday at Cleveland, walked three and gave up three hits. During the rain delay, he kept throwing every 15 minutes.

"The whole time I expected to stay in the game," Darvish said through his translator. "No matter what time, or how long the delay, I kept myself ready to pitch."

Yankees 6, Mariners 2

In New York, Raul Ibanez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off former Seattle teammate Felix Hernandez in the sixth inning, Robinson Cano had four hits and the Yanks beat the Mariners.

New York's Hiroki Kuroda (3-4) went seven innings to improve to 3-1 at home, allowing a leadoff homer to Dustin Ackley and another in the sixth to Montero. He scattered six hits on two runs, walked two and struck out two.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki was 0-for-4.

Orioles 4, Rays 3

In Baltimore, Nick Johnson's first homer in two years gave the hosts a seventh-inning lead and the Orioles edged Tampa Bay in a duel for first place in the AL East.

Red Sox 7, Indians 5

In Boston, Dustin Pedroia had three hits and three RBIs to back an effective outing by Clay Buchholz, and the Red Sox beat Cleveland to snap a three-game skid.

Athletics 11, Tigers 4

In Oakland, Brandon Inge hit a three-run homer and Josh Reddick homered twice and had a career-high five RBIs as the hosts pounded Detroit.

White Sox 5, Royals 0

In Chicago, Adam Dunn hit his 11th homer to match his total from last season, to lead Gavin Floyd and the White Sox.

Twins 7, Blue Jays 6

In Minneapolis, Darin Mastroianni got his first major league hit and drove in three runs to help the Twins top Toronto.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Marlins 6, Mets 5

In Miami, Greg Dobbs' single with two outs in the ninth inning scored Emilio Bonifacio from second base, and the Marlins rallied to end New York's five-game winning streak.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 3

In Los Angeles, Chris Capuano won his fourth straight outing and the Dodgers got home runs from Andre Ethier, Mark Ellis and Juan Uribe in a win over Colorado.

Nationals 7, Reds 3

In Cincinnati, Roger Bernadina and Danny Espinosa each hit a two-run homer in one of Washington's biggest scoring splurges of the season.

Astros 1, Pirates 0

In Pittsburgh, Bud Norris allowed three hits in six sharp innings, leading Houston to the win.

Phillies 7, Padres 3

In Philadelphia, Carlos Ruiz went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs for the Phillies, and John Mayberry Jr. homered and drove in three runs.

Braves 9, Cardinals (12)

In St. Louis, Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer in the 12th and Atlanta beat the Redbirds, ruining the Cardinals' celebration honoring former manager Tony La Russa.

Brewers 8, Cubs 7 (13)

In Milwaukee, Corey Hart hit an RBI single in the 13th for the Brewers.

Diamondbacks 5, Giants 1

In Phoenix, Paul Goldschmidt hit his first home run since his initial at-bat of the season, rookie Patrick Corbin allowed three hits over seven innings and Arizona ended a five-game losing streak.

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Hamilton blasts four homers

Hit machine: Josh Hamilton watches his eighth-inning home run, his fourth of the game, against the Orioles on Tuesday. AP

BALTIMORE — Moments before he made history with his final swing in an incredible four-homer performance, Josh Hamilton stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with a surprising sense of calm.

The Texas Rangers slugger had never before hit more than two home runs in a game, and he already had three. So as he took his place in the batter's box against Baltimore right-hander Darren O'Day, Hamilton already had a feeling of accomplishment.

"I just went up like it was any other at-bat because if I don't hit one," Hamilton reasoned, "I've still had a really good night."

It turned out to be unforgettable.

Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three different pitchers to carry the Rangers to a 10-3 victory Tuesday.

Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, added another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and topped it off with a one-for-the-books shot against O'Day. During the last at-bat, Hamilton took a mighty hack and missed, lined a foul into right-field seats and then sent an 0-2 pitch over the center-field wall.

"Obviously it's, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career," Hamilton said. "I was saying after I hit two I've never hit three in a game before, and what a blessing that was. Then to hit four is just an awesome feeling, to see how excited my teammates got.

"It reminds you of when you're in Little League and a little kid, and just the excitement and why we play the game. Things like that. You never know what can happen. It was just an absolute blessing."

Hamilton also doubled in the fifth inning. His 18 total bases is a new single-game American League record, and his eight RBIs are a career high.

"Amazing," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Josh came out tonight, and he wasn't going to be denied."

The last player to hit four home runs in a game was Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003, for Toronto against Tampa Bay. Two of the 16 players to hit four homers in a game did it before 1900.

"History was witnessed tonight," Washington said.

"It's like anything else — you do something good or something incredible happens, it takes a little bit for it to sink in," Hamilton said. "I think when I get away from everybody and I have some time to myself, I think it might then."

Hamilton is the sixth AL player to perform the feat. The last to hit four homers in a game against the Orioles was Rocky Colavito in 1959, at old Memorial Stadium.

Hamilton leads the AL with 14 homers and 36 RBIs, and his 5-for-5 effort raised his batting average to .406.

He also set the Texas single-game club record with five extra-base hits, breaking the mark of four held by eight players.

Yankees 5, Rays 3

In New York, David Robertson struck out Carlos Pena with the bases loaded to end a rocky ninth inning in his first save chance since Mariano Rivera's season-ending knee injury.

Twins 5, Angels 0

In Minneapolis, Scott Diamond pitched a career-best seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer.

Tigers 6, Mariners 4

In Seattle, Justin Verlander won his 12th straight decision on the road and Prince Fielder homered.

Ichiro Suzuki was 1-for-4 with an RBI for the Mariners.

Royals 6, Red Sox 4

In Kansas City, Billy Butler hit a mammoth three-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Royals past Boston.

Athletics 7, Blue Jays 3

In Oakland, newcomer Brandon Inge hit a game-ending grand slam to cap a five-run ninth-inning rally for the A's against Toronto.

White Sox 5, Indians 3 (10)

In Cleveland, Alex Rios tripled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning for Chicago.

White Sox pinch hitter Kosuke Fukudome was 0-for-1.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pirates 5, Nationals 4

In Pittsburgh, Rod Barajas hit a two-run homer off Washington closer Henry Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth.

Mets 7, Phillies 4

In Philadelphia, Lucas Duda had a tiebreaking, two-out RBI single in the seventh and the Mets took advantage of a defensive blunder.

Astros 3, Marlins 2

In Houston, pinch hitter Brian Bogusevic hit an eighth-inning RBI double and the Astros ended Miami's season-long seven-game winning streak.

Braves 3, Cubs 1

In Chicago, Dan Uggla hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning to lift Atlanta.

Brewers 8, Reds 3

In Milwaukee, Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run triple, helping the Brewers shake off their recent offensive struggles.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1

In Los Angeles, Ryan Vogelsong pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season and the Giants ended a streak of 12 straight winning decisions at home by Clayton Kershaw.

Cardinals 6, Diamondbacks 1

In Phoenix, Carlos Beltran homered in his first two at-bats, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs for St. Louis, which handed Arizona its fourth consecutive loss.

Padres 3, Rockies 1

In San Diego, Will Venable tripled and scored in the first, then doubled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning to back 37-year-old starting pitcher Jeff Suppan.

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Armstrong, Hamilton in eatery row

New York — A lawyer representing Tyler Hamilton told the ESPN.com on Monday he felt compelled to notify federal authorities about an incident involving his client and fellow cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Hamilton, who has accused the seven-time Tour de France winner of doping, and Armstrong had a conversation in an Aspen, Colorado, restaurant Saturday. Attorney Chris Manderson said Hamilton told him Armstrong made derisive comments, while the restaurant co-owner and friend of Armstrong told ESPN.com: "It was not a big confrontation."

Federal officials are now in their second year of investigating doping in cycling. A Los Angeles-based grand jury is hearing evidence that could lead to charges of fraud, conspiracy and drug trafficking against Armstrong and his team.

"Lance Armstrong is a possible defendant in an investigation that's been widely reported, and Tyler is a probable witness," Manderson told the website.

Armstrong told Outside Magazine the incident was "certainly awkward for both of us" and "truly uneventful."

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Vettel holds off Hamilton in Spain

BARCELONA, Spain — Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel held off Lewis Hamilton to win the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, edging his closest championship contender to capture his fourth victory in five races this season.

The Red Bull driver took the lead for good after the second round of pit stops to beat Hamilton by 0.6 seconds and widen his advantage atop the standings to 41 points over his McLaren rival.

The German lost use of his KERS power boost and Hamilton tucked in behind him, but Vettel clung to the lead over the final dozen laps, becoming only the fifth winner in 21 races at the Catalunya Circuit who didn't start on the pole and the first in the last 11 races.

"A lot of people said today wouldn't be a race—that's why I'm even more happy we made it," Vettel said. "The last 10 laps I felt tires going away and I was praying. On top of that sometimes KERS on, sometimes KERS off. It wasn't an easy race."

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Hamilton points finger at Armstrong

NEW YORK — Lance Armstrong's former teammate, Tyler Hamilton, says Armstrong and other team leaders encouraged, promoted and took part in a doping program in an effort to win the Tour de France in 1999 and beyond, according to a report aired Sunday night on the "60 Minutes" television program.

Hamilton said he saw Armstrong take performance-enhancing drugs, EPO and testosterone and also saw him receive a banned blood transfusion in 2000.

"I feel bad that I had to go here and do this," Hamilton said in his first public admission of doping throughout his career. "But I think at end of the day, like I said, long-term, the sport's going to be better for it."

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