Jaguars give Mularkey the boot after just one season

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — The more Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan watched his team play, the more he realized one thing:

"We needed a rebuild from the ground up," Khan said.

So the Jaguars fired coach Mike Mularkey on Thursday after just one season, the worst in franchise history. The move came 10 days after Khan fired general manager Gene Smith.

Khan also introduced new GM David Caldwell on Thursday, and by parting ways with Mularkey, gave him a clean slate heading into 2013.

"I've always been a part of a winner," said Caldwell, who signed a five-year deal. "I've never been a part of a losing team."

But maybe the biggest news of the day came when Caldwell said New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, a Jacksonville native who starred at nearly Florida, is not in the team's plans.

"I can't imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar — even if he's released," Caldwell said.

Caldwell took slightly more time to decide on Mularkey.

Mularkey, who went 2-14 this season, became the eighth head coach fired since the end of the regular season. He looked like he would be one and done when Khan parted ways with Smith last week and gave Mularkey's assistants permission to seek other jobs.

Even though Khan ultimately hired Mularkey, Smith directed the coaching search last January that started and ended with the former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator.

"I felt like we needed a fresh start here," Caldwell said. "Coming in here as a first-time general manager, I'm looking for a co-builder of our team. When I talked to Shad in terms of a culture change along the football side, I felt like it was more of that. I felt like it was an atmosphere of change. I felt like that to do that, you've got to have a fresh start across the board."

Mularkey's brief tenure — he didn't even last a year — was filled with mistakes. His biggest one may have been his loyalty to Smith, who assembled a roster that lacked talent on both sides of the ball.

Mularkey probably stuck with Smith's franchise quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, longer than he should have. And the coach's insistence that the team was closer than outsiders thought and his strong stance that he had the roster to turn things around became comical as the losses mounted. The Jaguars lost eight games by at least 16 points, a staggering number of lopsided losses in a parity-filled league.

CLEVELAND — Rob Chudzinski's first head coaching job will be with the team he loved as a kid.

Chudzinski, who spent the past two seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator, has been hired by the Cleveland Browns as their sixth full-time coach since 1999.

The Browns are hoping the first-time head coach can end years of despair and constant losing and maybe resurrect a franchise that has made just one trip to the playoffs in the past 14 years.

A Browns spokesman confirmed Chudzinski's hiring Thursday night and said he will be introduced at a news conference on Friday.

Chudzinski will be the Browns' 14th coach in team history. For the past two years, the 44-year-old has worked with talented Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Chudzinski has had two previous stints with the Browns as an assistant coach. He coached tight ends for Butch Davis in 2004, and then came back to the Browns in 2007 and was Cleveland's offensive coordinator for two seasons under Romeo Crennel.

Chudzinski grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he pulled for the Browns. Chudzinski interviewed with the team on Wednesday, and was viewed by many to be a long shot for the job.

NEW YORK — When he ended his life last year by shooting himself in the chest, Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease often linked with repeated blows to the head.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health said on Thursday the former NFL star's abnormalities are consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The hard-hitting linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May, and his family requested the analysis of his brain.

"We saw changes in his behavior and things that didn't add up with him," his ex-wife, Gina, said. "But (CTE) was not something we considered or even were aware of. But pretty immediately (after the suicide) doctors were trying to get their hands on Junior's brain to examine it."

The NIH, based in Bethesda, Maryland, studied three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

View the original article here

Barcelona coach Vilanova to have surgery after cancer relapse

BARCELONA, Spain — For the second time in two years, Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova is stepping aside from soccer to take care of his health.

Barcelona said Vilanova was to have surgery on Thursday and undergo several weeks of chemotherapy after doctors discovered a recurrence of a throat ailment, the club said Wednesday.

The 44-year-old coach underwent an operation to remove a tumor from the saliva gland in November 2011 when he was Pep Guardiola's assistant.

Vilanova will likely spend four days in a hospital before undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for about six weeks, the club said.

The statement said Vilanova could be able to remain in charge of the team while undergoing treatment.

"During this time, depending on his evolution, Vilanova may be able to combine treatment with his work regime," the club said.

Assistant coach Jordi Roura is expected to take over the team in the meantime. Barcelona plays Valladolid in the Spanish League on Saturday.

Vilanova took over as Barcelona's team coach from Guardiola last summer after passing medical checks.

Wednesday's announcement came one day after the club solidified its future with all-time top scorer Lionel Messi, playmaker Xavi Hernandez and team captain Carles Puyol all signing multiyear contract extensions.

Under Vilanova's guidance, Barcelona has made its best-ever start to a season, winning a Spanish record of 15 of its first 16 league games. The club leads the standings with 46 points, nine ahead of Atletico Madrid and 13 in front of archrival Real Madrid.

Vilanova's son, Adria, used his Twitter account to give thanks for the support being offered his father.

"Thank you all for your support, you are truly great, everything is going to work out," he tweeted.

Earlier Wednesday, Barcelona canceled meetings with the club president and journalists after reports of Vilanova's illness emerged. Several hours later, the club issued the statement confirming the medical situation.

"Very sorry to hear the news," Xavi said on Twitter.

LEEDS, England — Chelsea scored five goals in a masterful second-half display to beat old rival Leeds 5-1 on Wednesday, setting up a meeting with Swansea in the semifinals of the League Cup.

A shock was on when Leeds went in at halftime 1-0 up thanks to Luciano Becchio's 37th-minute goal at a rain-soaked Elland Road.

However, Chelsea was clinical after the break, equalizing through Spain playmaker Juan Mata in the 47th before adding four more goals in a ruthless 19-minute spell. Branislav Ivanovic, Victor Moses, Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres were the scorers for the European champions, who have won the League Cup four times — most recently in 2007.

"We had a word with ourselves at halftime and the early goal gave us an impetus to go on and win it," Chelsea captain Frank Lampard said.

By moving into the last four, where it is also joined by Aston Villa and fourth-tier Bradford, Chelsea went some way to making up for the frustration of losing the Club World Cup final to Corinthians 1-0 on Sunday.

View the original article here

Sanfrecce let off hook after Ono misfires late

YOKOHAMA — Sanfrecce Hiroshima escaped with minimal damage to their J.League title ambitions after Yokohama F. Marinos missed a second-half penalty in a 0-0 draw with the division leaders on Saturday.

By any means: Hiroshima's Koji Morisaki moves the ball in front of F. Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa during their match on Saturday in Yokohama. KYODO

Sanfrecce went into the game at Nissan Stadium with a five-point lead over Vegalta Sendai and Urawa Reds at the top of the table, but that position hung in the balance when substitute Mihael Mikic brought down Yokohama's Yuji Ono inside the box in the 75th minute.

Ono took the kick himself only to blast it high over the crossbar, however, allowing Sanfrecce to breathe a sigh of relief and open up a provisional six-point gap with Vegalta and Reds playing later in the evening.

Vegalta went on to cut Sanfrecce's lead down to three with a 2-1 win over Gamba Osaka, but Urawa's championship hopes took a severe hit after a humiliating 2-1 home loss to Consadole Sapporo, who last weekend became the fastest team to be relegated in J.League history.

"We were lucky, but we need to be lucky if we want to be champions," said Mikic. "In the last 10 minutes we had chances to win. Of course one point away against Yokohama is good, but if we had won today we would have had one hand on the trophy.

"Now we have six more games, starting with a hard home game against Kashiwa and then an away game against Gamba. We must play these next two games at 100 percent and win them if we want to be the champions."

Hiroshima has never won the title despite being one of the J.League's original members, but Mikic is undaunted by the task in hand.

"It is a new position," said the Croatian. "Maybe we don't have so much experience, but we have the best age. Maybe that will help us to become the champions."

Both teams enjoyed spells of possession without being able to do much with it in a first half of tentative shadow boxing, and a pair of shots from Yokohama's Dutra was the nearest either side came to troubling the opposition goal.

The second period began in far livelier fashion, however, and after Manabu Saito had gone close to giving Marinos the lead, Sanfrecce's Hisato Sato drew a smart reflex save out of goalkeeper Tetsuya Enomoto before Hironori Ishikawa crashed the followup into the side-netting.

The match gradually lapsed back into a cagey stalemate, but Ono provided a rare moment of penetration when he burst into the box and went down under Mikic's challenge. The 19-year-old's effort from the spot left much to be desired, however, and Sanfrecce almost snatched the win at the death when Kohei Shimizu ghosted in to shoot wide in injury time.

"In the first half both teams were testing each other out, and although we were hanging on at times we stuck with it," said Sanfrecce manager Hajime Moriyasu. "The first half was about patience, and in the second half we tried to raise it up a gear. We had our chances, but couldn't get the goal.

"We always look to get three points, but I want to look at the positives and keep moving forward. This point has allowed us to keep moving on toward the last six games."

Elsewhere in the J.League, Yoichiro Kakitani hit the winner in the 86th minute as Cerezo Osaka beat Sagan Tosu 3-2 to pull further away from the relegation zone, while Kashima Antlers also took a step toward safety with a 5-1 win over FC Tokyo.

Albirex Niigata drew 0-0 with Vissel Kobe, Nagoya Grampus also played out a scoreless tie with Omiya Ardija, and Kashiwa Reysol beat Kawasaki Frontale 1-0.

In the day's other game, Taisuke Muramatsu scored the only goal to give Shimizu S-Pulse a 1-0 win over Jubilo Iwata in the Shizuoka derby.

View the original article here

Giants' Sawamura returns to form after shaky stretch

Hirokazu Sawamura (10-10) threw five shutout innings on Saturday to earn his first win since Aug. 14 as the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Yokohama BayStars 6-0 at Tokyo Dome.

Sawamura allowed one hit, a first-inning leadoff single and two walks, while striking out one batter. The Central League's 2011 Rookie of the Year was coming off a stretch of five games in which he had allowed 19 runs in 25 2/3 innings.

"With all the great support I got from the fans, it was fun pitching," Sawamura said.

Giants leadoff man Hisayoshi Chono had three hits to take over the league lead with 173 on the season. Chono singled in a run in the fourth and hit his 14th homer of the year in the seventh.

The BayStars' Alex Ramirez, who needs seven hits to reach 2,000 in Japan, did not play. Yokohama has four games remaining in the season.

Carp 4, Swallows 2

At Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, Shota Dobayashi hit a pair of solo homers, and Keisuke Imai (4-8) held batters to two runs over six innings as Hiroshima beat Yakult in game that was called with none out in the bottom of the ninth due to rain.

The Carp snapped a six-game winless streak against the Swallows, including one tie, for a 9-12 record with two ties against Yakult. Dobayashi hit a tiebreaking leadoff shot off Takehiko Oshimoto (4-1) in the seventh and went deep for his 14th homer of the year in the ninth.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Lions 2, Marines 1

At Seibu Dome, Chiba Lotte closer Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-6) blew a one-run, ninth-inning lead by allowing a leadoff single and issuing four walks to force across the tying and winning runs in a loss to Seibu.

Pinch hitter Chris Carter and light-hitting utility infielder Takuya Hara drew consecutive two-out, bases-loaded walks in the ninth.

Lions starter Takayuki Kishi (11-12) went the distance to win for the first time since Aug. 28.

Eagles 2, Hawks 1

At Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, Akihisa Makida's two-run homer in the second inning off Yang Yao-hsun (2-3) was all Tohoku Rakuten needed against third-place Fukuoka Softbank, moving the fourth-place Eagles back to .500 for the first time since July 27.

Wataru Karashima (8-5) limited the damage to one run on three hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Koji Aoyama worked the ninth and set a club record with his 22nd save.

View the original article here

Oda solid in return after long layoff

OBERSTDORF, Germany — Nobunari Oda marked his return from injury by taking a commanding lead after the men's short program at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany on Thursday.

Skating in his first competitive event since injuring his left knee at the Trophee Bompard in Paris last November, the 25-year-old Oda fell on his opening quad toeloop, but nailed a triple axel and a triple flip-triple toeloop after that to score 79.64 points, well clear of second-place Konstantin Menshov of Russia.

"Overall the flow of my performance was not bad. I didn't feel any pain whatsoever in my knee," said Oda. "There is not much time until the (Sochi) Olympics so I want to get better and better and show what I am capable of."

Menshov scored 69.30 while American Keegan Messing was in third place with 68.56.

View the original article here

Real Madrid beats Vallecano a day after act of sabotage

BARCELONA, Spain — Real Madrid recorded its much-needed second victory of the season without putting on a performance worthy of the Spanish champions on Monday, winning 2-0 at Rayo Vallecano after goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema scored the 13th-minute opener and Ronaldo added a penalty in the 70th after Jordi Amat had handled the ball in the box to keep Madrid eight points behind Spanish League leader Barcelona after five rounds.

"Rayo has a great team with quality players and they made it very tough for us," said Madrid defender Pepe. "We have to keep fighting. This has just begun and we have to take each game seriously, so we can cut into (Barcelona's) lead little by little."

In a match delayed by a day due to the stadium lights at Vallecas Stadium being cut in an act of sabotage, Madrid showed little of the verve from its memorable victory over Manchester City in the Champions League last week.

Instead, Jose Mourinho's squad returned to its uninspired domestic form against one of the league's more modest teams, needing a flash of individual talent and a defensive error to take the critical three points.

While far from bubbling with praise for his players, Mourinho has obviously seen improvement since the previous round when he said he "didn't have a team" and questioned his players' commitment after losing 1-0 at Sevilla.

"The team was a team (tonight), but we could have played better," said Mourinho. "During long stretches of last season we were always on target and routed our rivals, but right now we are not playing well. We have no confidence."

Also, Sevilla won 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna thanks to second-half goals by Alvaro Negredo and Ivan Rakitic, keeping the Andalusian side undefeated and four points behind Barcelona.

The Spanish capital derby was held after electricians repaired the various cables that were damaged at Rayo's stadium by unidentified persons on Sunday, in what club president Raul Martin Presa called "football terrorism."

Sergio Ramos returned to the starting team after Mourinho had left him on the bench for Madrid's win over City, apparently singling out the Spain defender for his team's loss in the previous round.

"I don't know if it was a punishment," said Ramos, adding that he thought his absence from the City match was due to "tactical reasons."

Angel Di Maria teed up Madrid's opener when the Argentina international was given time on the left flank to pick out Benzema at the far post and thread a pass between three defenders for his striker to tap into the net. It was Benzema's first goal in the league this season.

Twice in the first four rounds, Madrid had looked set to cruise to an easy win after going ahead early, only to let victory slip away. And Mourinho's team appeared close to repeating the pattern on Monday after slowing up following a strong start.

Rayo almost struck back from a set piece in the 33rd. Striker Andrija Delibasic drew a reflex save from goalkeeper Iker Casillas with his header, and Xabi Alonso was well positioned on the goal line to block Jose Casado's volleyed rebound.

Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa came near to gifting Rayo an equalizer in the 52nd when he failed to spot Leonardo Carrilho before passing back to Casillas, but the forward squandered the chance.

View the original article here

Evessa GM Nomamoto fired after team's rocky preseason start: sources

Hirotaro Nomamoto, the Osaka Evessa general manager since the team entered the bj-league in 2005, was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, sources familiar with the situation told The Japan Times.

Longtime star: Former Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington holds up his 2011-12 All-Star Game MVP trophy in January at Saitama Super Arena. Washington's departure in March took away the team's main tone-setter. YOSHIAKI MIURA

The Evessa went 0-3 in preseason play, and Nomamoto lost his job two days after their final preseason game. They suffered blowout losses to the Kyoto Hannaryz (78-58), host Shiga Lakestars (89-62) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (75-62) in succession in the Seiki Cup, which ended on Monday.

The Evessa are three weeks away from playing host to the Takamatsu Five Arrows, who are coming off a 2-50 season, in their season-opening series under new coach Zoran Kreckovic.

One longtime bj-league insider said Friday he was not surprised that Nomamoto was made the apparent fall guy for the Evessa's performance in the three-day tournament.

"Losing to the rival Kansai teams and Hamamatsu by a total of 60 points (is unacceptable)," the source said. "Beating Shiga and Kyoto is a priority in Osaka."

After all, the Evessa are expected to win — nothing more, nothing less. They captured championships in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and finished runnerup in 2009-10, in original coach Kensaku Tennichi's final season.

Entering this season, the Evessa's overall regular-season record is 227-103. They have appeared in six of seven Final Fours.

Though Kreckovic, the veteran bench boss from Serbia, may build a strong team as the season progresses, it appears the team has already pushed the panic button. And this comes only four months after coach Ryan Blackwell, Tennichi's replacement, was not offered a new contract despite leading the Evessa to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, and a 67-35 record in the regular season.

Blackwell took the Evessa to the Final Four in May 2011 as a rookie head coach. And the team appeared on the verge of another trip to Ariake Colosseum last season, but two-time MVP Lynn Washington's season ended on March 13, when he was arrested on suspicion of smuggling marijuana into Japan.

Washington, the emotional soul of the team's three championship teams, was exonerated of all charges after 18 days in police custody in Osaka, but never played another game. And an era of Evessa basketball came to a crashing halt in the offseason.

Only three of the 12 men on the current Evessa roster were with the team last season. Ultimately, permitting that massive roster turnover goes back to Nomamoto's work as the day-to-day supervisor of on-court personnel. Nevertheless, team owner Koichi Sato and team president Hidetaka Isomura have the authority to dictate changes and demand results for the organization.

"This all goes back to last season when they broke up a very good team that could've challenged for a championship this year," the league insider said. "It's hard to bring in a new coach and imports who aren't familiar with the Japanese basketball culture and expect positive results . . . at least right away."

When he was contacted by The Japan Times on Friday, team spokesman Makoto Yamada wouldn't confirm or deny that Nomamoto is no longer the Osaka GM.

It's unclear at press time if Nomamoto will be reassigned to another position within the organization.

Did Nomamoto find suitable replacements for departed stars Mike Bell, Bobby St. Preux, Cohey Aoki and Washington and dependable big man Wayne Marshall?

The verdict is still out.

But one talent evaluator who has kept close tabs on the Western Conference for years is already convinced that the Evessa's four new imports — center Larry Cox, power forward Andre Coimbra, small forward Nathan Walkup and point guard Temi Soyebo — are not adequate replacements for the aforementioned ex-Evessa standouts.

"The team is fractured," another source said.

Meanwhile, just two days after the Phoenix routed the Evessa, bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi reportedly visited Osaka on official league business.

Was Kawachi there to hold talks with Panasonic Corp. officials after the Panasonic Trians had announced on Monday they are folding after the 2012-13 JBL season?

Perhaps. If so, it would support the rumor that Panasonic will merge its basketball operations with the Evessa and their parent company, Human Holdings Co., Ltd, to form a stronger business backbone for the bj-league team.

View the original article here

Orfevre named favorite for Arc after Prix Foy win

PARIS — Japanese equine star Orfevre was promoted to favorite for the world's most prestigious middle-distance race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, after winning the influential Arc trial, the Group Two Prix Foy, at Longchamp on Sunday.

The 2011 Japanese Triple Crown winner — who will bid to end a 32-year win drought for Japan which has seen three of its 12 runners finish in the frame — came home ahead of three-time European Group One winner Meandre in a slowly run five-runner race.

Some bookmakers made him favorite on the back of the win — William Hill makes him 4/1 favorite — but some remained loyal to last year's Arc winner, German filly Danedream, who will bid to become the first horse to land successive Arcs since Alleged in 1978-79.

However, despite the victory leaving some question marks about how it would translate to a far bigger field and a rougher race in the Arc on Oct. 7, the four-year-old colt impressed his rider, 31-year-old Belgian Christophe Soumillon.

"I was very happy with the performance, the pace was a bit slow and he was a bit fresh but I just wanted to keep track of him on his first time at Longchamp," said Soumillon, who has won two Arcs on Dalakhani in 2003 and the remarkable filly Zarkava in 2008.

"In two strides I got exactly what you need from an Arc de Triomphe horse. Its just what you want from a horse three weeks before the Arc.

"Hopefully he can improve a bit as he needs to improve to win an Arc but the trainer has done a perfect job so far."

Zarkava's connections will hope last year's Arc runnerup Shareta emulates her after the latter won the Group One Prix Vermeille — the race Zarkava won in 2008 before winning the Arc — under Christophe Lemaire.

Her victory saw trainer Alain de Royer Dupre extend his record number of wins in the race to seven while owner the Aga Khan was winning it for the sixth time to edge to within one of the record for a winning owner of seven held by the late Marcel Boussac.

View the original article here

Japan, Israel tied up after first day of David Cup World Group playoff

Japan and Israel are deadlocked 1-1 following the opening day of play in their Davis Cup World Group playoff at Ariake Colosseum on Friday.

Japan No. 2 Go Soeda beat Israel No. 1 Dudi Sela in four sets 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the opening match, while Israel No. 2 Amir Weintraub downed Japan No. 3 Tatsuma Ito 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the second singles contest.

Ito was playing in place of Japan No. 1 Kei Nishikori, who was ruled out Friday morning with a shoulder injury. Nishikori has not been completely scratched from the tie and could play in the reverse singles matches on Sunday.

Israel captain Eyal Ran was pleased to have the tie even after the first day of action.

"This was a classical day of Davis Cup with the players going all out and fighting for their country," he commented. "We are in this tie and I think we can do it now."

Soeda, ranked 55th in the world, displayed a strong forehand and played solidly from the baseline in recording the victory under a blazing sun on the hardcourt.

The win was the first for Soeda against Sela in four career matches.

"I knew I had to win. I couldn't lose," said Soeda. "I was under pressure to show my best. It was a tough match and a big win for me."

After Sela broke Soeda's serve to open the match, the Japanese broke right back. Following the fifth game, Sela took an injury timeout.

Soeda broke in the sixth game with a volley to go up 4-2. He then broke again in the eighth game to take the set 6-2 in 46 minutes.

Soeda had eight winners in the first set, while Sela committed 21 unforced errors.

Sela, ranked 98th, served better in the second set, getting in 74 percent of his first serves, but after breaking Soeda in the first game and holding serve to go up 2-0, he came undone with several more unforced errors.

Soeda took six of the next eight games, breaking Sela in the 10th game to claim the set in 43 minutes.

Sela had 19 unforced errors in the second set.

The Israeli battled back in the third set, using an effective backhand to help record 14 winner's to Soeda two and claimed the set 6-3 in 34 minutes.

Sela broke twice and saw Soeda rack up 14 unforced errors in the set.

"I was tired in the third set and then Sela started playing really well," Soeda commented. "There was an overrule on a call and I lost focus and he took the momentum from me. Then in the fourth set I started playing aggressively again and was able to get it back."

The 28-year-old Soeda closed out the match by getting in 74 percent of his first serves in the fourth set and converting several key points to clinch the victory.

"The start of the match was tough," noted Sela. "I was short with my balls and he was aggressive. I felt better in the second set, but he was solid and didn't give me any free points."

Sela recognized fatigue in his opponent in the third set and capitalized on it.

"I was more aggressive in the third set. He was getting tired at the end of that set. If he kept playing like that, I thought I could win the match, but then he took the first two games of the fourth set at love. He deserved to win."

Weintraub routed Ito in the second match, registering the triumph in just 1 hour, 55 minutes. Weintraub didn't let his lower ranking (223) hold him back against Ito (67th), dominating in every phase of the game.

Weintraub exhibited a strong serve (11 aces) and excellent groundstrokes in the clinical victory. Ito was bedeviled by his 49 unforced errors in the defeat.

"I was surprised when I heard that Nishikori wasn't going to play, but I was concentrating on myself," said Weintraub. "It was good news for us. It wasn't easy against Ito, but of course Nishikori has a higher ranking."

In analyzing his performance, the 25-year-old Weintraub gave himself high marks.

"My serve was very good. He didn't break me the whole match," he said. "I used good combinations, mixing up speeds and playing strong from the baseline. This was one of the better wins in my career."

Saturday's doubles match will see Ito and Yuichi Sugita take on Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.

View the original article here

Grouses need coach after Shimoji steps down

After nearly finishing with their first winning season in franchise history, the Toyama Grouses will not have Kazuaki Shimoji at the helm in 2012-13. Serious health issues appear to be the primary factor, league insiders told The Japan Times.

Short stint: Toyama Grouses coach Kazuaki Shimoji will not return for a second season due to health issues. ED ODEVEN

The Eastern Conference club announced on Wednesday that Shimoji would not return for a second full season in charge. His contract had expired and that opens the door for another coach to step in.

Shimoji took over as head coach in February 2011, when Kohei Eto was fired with the team stuck in last place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-18 record. Shimoji led the Grouses to a 5-13 record to close out the season.

Toyama went 25-27 this past season and guard Masashi Joho became the first Grouses player to be named to the league's Best Five team. Shimoji's overall coaching record was 30-40 with the Grouses. The 35-year-old had served as an assistant coach for the Niigata Albirex BB since 2006 before joining Toyama.

The Grouses were a strong rebounding team this past season, and that inside muscle — led by Devin Searcy's 10.7 boards per game (tied for the fourth-best output in the league) — gave the team their first taste of respectability since joining the league along with the Takamatsu Five Arrows as expansion clubs in the fall of 2006. (The Grouses were 61-171 in the regular season entering 2011-12.)

Shimoji's departure didn't shock one league insider.

On Wednesday, the source told The Japan Times, "I don't know who the next coach will be, but a (former Grouses player) told me last week that Shimoji had health problems. He said that he wouldn't be surprised if Shimoji never coaches again."

One veteran coach reacted to the news this way: "What a shame. . . . Maybe back to the drawing board (for Toyama)."

"Mr. Shimoji has had a major heart problem, and he had big surgery on his heart three times in the past," another league insider said.

The source said Shimoji had coped with Marfan Syndrome, which is described by Webster's New World College Dictionary as "a hereditary disorder characterized by abnormalities of the blood circulation and the eyes, abnormally long bones in the limbs and very mobile joints."

Wikipedia cites heart defects as a major issue that people with Marfan Syndrome must cope with.

While apparently enduring serious health problems, Shimoji had invigorated the Grouses and helped the franchise build for a successful future. At the same time, "he completed one of his dreams," a Hokuriku-based hoop pundit pointed out, "to become a head coach in the bj-league. But at the end of the season, he felt his (physical) condition exhausted him too much."

"It is unlikely he will come back to this league for a head coaching job," the source predicted.

The Grouses, Miyazaki Shining Suns and Osaka Evessa will join seven other clubs with already announced newly hired sideline supervisors in the 21-team circuit for the upcoming season.

Shimoji issued a statement thanking the team's entire staff, as well as boosters, volunteers and the local media, for their support and encouragement.

"The players gave me fighting spirit through competition," he said. "I really appreciate it . . . "

View the original article here

Jones livid after loss to Barbarians

Japan coach Eddie Jones tore into his team following a 40-21 loss to the French Barbarians on Wednesday, threatening to resign if he does not see a change in the attitude of the players.

The defeat followed three straight losses at home to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup and Jones, who took over for John Kirwan at the start of the year, did not like what he saw from the Brave Blossoms who were not at full strength, featuring several inexperienced players.

"It was disgusting today," the former Wallabies boss said. "There's no other way to look at it. We had 15 players out there who did not put their bodies on the line, and that's my fault as coach.

"We can't train any harder, we can't train with any more intent. Players understand the game plan, but they weren't physical. How you can play rugby and not be physical?"

When captain Toshiaki Hirose laughed as he stumbled for words, Jones' temper reached the boiling point. Hirose was nearly in tears as the Australian continued to unload on the team.

"It's not funny!" he said. "That's the problem with Japanese rugby, seriously. We're not serious about winning. If we want to win, we have to go out and physically smash people."

View the original article here

Gonzalez thrives after recent return to Giants

Edgar Gonzalez is back and he's hit the ground running.

Back to speed: Edgar Gonzalez is getting back into the groove after returning to the Yomiuri Giants from a period of inactivity in the United States. KYODO

After a long time spent off the diamond in the U.S., Gonzalez, who recently returned to play for the Yomiuri Giants, was essentially ushered off the plane and onto the field upon arriving back in Japan.

Not that he's complaining.

"It's going good," Gonzalez said last week. "I just got back a little while ago and got a couple of games under my belt. I hadn't played in 20-something days before I came here. I played one game in the minors and then I came up. So, it's taking some time, but I feel really good."

Gonzalez is hoping to use the experience he gained from his last stint in Japan to his advantage this time around.

"The adjustment is going to be a lot quicker than it was before," he said. "There's always an adjustment period when you go somewhere else, but it'll be a lot quicker just by knowing the league and being pretty comfortable with it."

Gonzalez has appeared in eight games for the Giants this year and is looking more comfortable with each at-bat.

He was hitless in his first four games (eight plate appearances), then finished with two hits in each of the next three, driving in three runs over that span. On Tuesday, he homered and finished with three RBIs in Yomiuri's 5-1 win over the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

Gonzalez has a .304 average, one home run and six RBIs in the short period of time he's been back in the fold.

"I'm hoping to help offensively," Gonzalez said. "The team's already got really good pitching. I think with a little bit of offense, this team can go a long way and I hope I can help with that."

He also got to see a bit of history not long after his return, having been present for teammate Toshiya Sugiuchi's no-hitter against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on May 30.

It wasn't the first no-hitter Gonzalez had been a part of, but it had a decidedly nicer outcome than the last, when he was a member of the San Diego Padres squad that was no-hit by San Francisco Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez on July 10, 2009. Oddly enough, current Yomiuri infielder John Bowker was playing with San Francisco during that game.

"I came in to pinch hit in the eighth inning, and I hit a ball that was a home run, but (Aaron) Rowand caught it on top of the fence and brought it back," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is no stranger to Japan or the Giants. He spent the 2010 season with the team, appearing in 100 games and hitting .263 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. He spent most of the next season with Triple-A Fresno (San Francisco Giants), hitting .315 with 14 home runs and 82 RBIs in 137 games.

From there he had a brief stint in the Chicago Cubs' organization, but played just nine games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs before asking for and being granted his release in order to come back to Yomiuri.

"Everything is pretty much the same," Gonzalez said of being back. "Some of the foreigners are different. They're a really good group of guys, so I'm happy to be back and I'm happy to see that."

While familiar with many things in Japan, Gonzalez is aware the robust offensive environment he experienced in 2010 has changed with the introduction of NPB's new ball, which helped send offensive numbers plummeting in 2011.

The San Diego native says he's not worried about it having a major effect on his game.

"I'll just take it how it goes," he said. "Plus, I don't consider myself a home run hitter. I consider myself a singles hitter or a doubles hitter. As long as I keep on doing that, I'll be fine."

View the original article here

Barton arrested after nightclub fight

LIVERPOOL, England — Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton was reportedly arrested on Monday on suspicion of affray after being involved in an altercation outside a nightclub in his hometown in northern England.

The 29-year-old Barton says he was punched in the back of the head in the early hours after clashing with two 21-year-old men, who were arrested.

Barton and a 20-year-old man were arrested later Monday.

"Following an altercation in Eberle Street, Liverpool city center, in the early hours of this morning, four men have been arrested on suspicion of affray," Merseyside Police said. "Two 21-year-old men were arrested at the scene in the early hours of this morning and another two men, a 20-year-old from the Liverpool area and 29-year-old from the Widnes area, were arrested this afternoon.

"The two 21-year-old men and the 20-year-old man have been questioned by officers and have been released on bail pending further inquiries. The 29-year-old man remains in police custody where he will be questioned by detectives."

View the original article here

Venus follows sister out of French Open after loss to Radwanska

Out of reach: Venus Williams hits a return to Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on her way to a 6-2, 6-3 defeat in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday. AFP-JIJI

PARIS — Used to be that Venus Williams was the one who was highly ranked, the one considered a title contender, the one who would dominate foes so thoroughly that matches would be tidily wrapped up in an hour.

Now 31, and figuring out from day to day how to handle an illness that saps her strength, Williams was on the wrong end of a lopsided 60-minute defeat in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday.

Looking glum and lacking the verve that carried her to seven Grand Slam titles, Williams barely put up any resistance and lost 6-2, 6-3 to No. 3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland at Roland Garros. Coming a day after her younger sister Serena was stunned in the first round by 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France, the early exit marked the first time in 43 major tournaments with both in the field that neither Williams got to the third round.

"I felt like I played," Williams said after making a hard-to-fathom 33 unforced errors, 27 more than Radwanska. "That pretty much sums it up."

This one was not exactly an out-of-nowhere upset, considering that Williams is ranked 53rd now, never has been as good on clay as on other surfaces, lost to Radwanska 6-4, 6-1 two months ago, and is learning how to be a professional athlete with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.

Still, the meek way Williams departed was striking, considering that she has been ranked No. 1, has appeared in 14 major finals to Radwanska's zero, and from 2008-10 won 10 of the 11 sets the two played against each other.

"I don't know if I ever asked myself, 'Why me?' I mean, obviously it's frustrating at times. I don't know if there's anything mental more I can do at this point, but there's a lot of stages to go through with this kind of thing," said Williams.

"There's a lot of people who have it a lot worse than I do. I'm still playing a professional sport, so I have to be very positive. And I'm going to have ups and downs. I haven't gotten to the 'Why me?' yet. I hope I never get to the 'Why me?' I'm not allowed to feel sorry for myself."

While never advancing past the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament, Radwanska has shown signs of being ready for a major breakthrough, with three lesser titles and a tour-high 38 victories in 2012. Of her seven losses, six were against No. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka.

"Of course, when I saw the draw, I wasn't very happy, because Venus as a second-round opponent, it's not easy," Radwanska said. "Maybe she just had a bad day here."

On an easy day for the top-seeded players, Azarenka breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany 6-1, 6-1, while the No. 1 man, Novak Djokovic, extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 23 matches by beating Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-0, 6-4, 6-4.

Also Roger Federer managed to make things look easy at the top. Now No. 3, he went through a bit of a glitch and dropped a set before earning his record-breaking 234th Grand Slam match victory, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 against 92nd-ranked Adrian Ungur of Romania.

With the win, the 16-time Grand Slam champion broke a record he shared with Jimmy Connors for most career victories at major tournaments in the Open era, which began in 1968.

But he was less than his dominant self, wasting two match points in the third set before losing the tiebreaker.

"Instead of being aggressive, I let him show me what he could do," Federer said. "He played two beautiful shots, and then I started not playing very well."

View the original article here

Yoshida returns focus to Olympic three-peat after rare defeat

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-JIJI

Incredibly 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.

View the original article here

Kings looking for sweep after defeating Coyotes in Game 3

On the brink: Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) scores past Coyotes goalie Mike Smith in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday in Los Angeles. The Kings won 2-1. AP

LOS ANGELES — When Daymond Langkow beat Jonathan Quick on a breakaway and celebrated Phoenix's first lead in the Western Conference finals, captain Dustin Brown was almost curious how his Los Angeles Kings would respond to the first serious adversity they've faced in weeks.

Their answer told Brown that this unbelievable bunch of Kings is almost ready to play for the Stanley Cup.

Anze Kopitar scored the tying breakaway goal just 2:07 later, Dwight King added the winner early in the third period and Los Angeles rolled to the brink of its first Stanley Cup final in 19 years with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the West finals.

Quick made 18 saves, and the eighth-seeded Kings improved to 11-1 in an undeniably charmed run through the NHL postseason by a franchise with 44 seasons of frustrating, Cup-free history.

For the third straight series, the West's final playoff team will play for a sweep in Game 4.

"Phoenix was a lot better tonight, but we found a way to win," Brown said. "That's what it takes this time of year. It's exciting. There's a lot of guys in here that haven't experienced this . . . but the thing that's made this work is how we're handling all this. We're up 3-0 again."

Although the Kings trailed for the first time in nearly 18 periods since April 28, they bounced back swiftly before largely controlling the third period. King scored his fourth goal in three games against the Coyotes, who face a deficit only three teams have overcome in NHL playoff history.

King connected 1:47 into the third, beating Mike Smith high to the glove side. The massive rookie scored two goals in the series opener and added the winner in Game 2.

"Everybody is answering the challenge and being better," said King, who has outscored Phoenix all by himself in the series. "We're playing good, playing consistent. With the way we're going, we're tough to beat right now."

Smith stopped 26 shots in a standout performance for the third-seeded Coyotes, who must win four straight to reach their first Stanley Cup final.

"None of us planned on being in (a 3-0 hole)," Phoenix's Shane Doan said. "I don't think it's disbelief, but I think it's (disappointment)."

In front of a long-suffering crowd gratefully enjoying its unexpected good fortune after decades of disappointment, the Kings dominated the third period in front of Quick. They forechecked relentlessly in the final minutes, forcing Smith to play a long stretch without his goal stick because Phoenix couldn't clear the zone so he could retrieve it.

The crowd soaked in another memorable performance during the best playoff run by this Second Six franchise since Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille led Los Angeles to its only conference title in 1993, while the Coyotes wondered if their own remarkable postseason run has any chance of continuing beyond Sunday.

"We want to play with a lead, but we didn't even have a chance," Phoenix's Mikkel Boedker said. "They got a breakaway and came right back. . . . They're a good team, and we know that, but the series isn't over. We still have time to win it."

Los Angeles largely dominated the first two games of the series in Glendale, outshooting the Coyotes 88-51 while winning by a combined 8-2. Phoenix had no more luck than Vancouver or St. Louis against the surprising No. 8 seeds, who finished two points behind the Pacific Division champion Coyotes in the regular season before steamrolling the West's top two teams in a combined nine games.

"We'll take a couple of days here and rest up, and what have we got to lose?" Phoenix coach Dave Tippett asked. "We'll come here and play as hard as we can. We'll give a real honest evaluation of who we are and how we got here."

View the original article here

Lawrie may be facing ban after ump dustup

TORONTO — Brett Lawrie called it an "unlucky bounce." Major League Baseball is likely to call it a suspension.

Homeward bound: Baltimore's Adam Jones rounds third base after hitting a solo homer during the Orioles' 5-2 win over the Yankees on Tuesday. AP

A furious Lawrie slammed his batting helmet to the ground after he took strike three and it struck plate umpire Bill Miller in the hip as the ninth inning turned nasty Tuesday night in Toronto's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

"That was not my intention at all," Lawrie said. "I've never, ever done anything to go at an umpire before in my life, and I didn't mean to tonight. I apologize for that."

"It's just my passion for the game," he said. "I wanted to help my teammates out as best I could. That's the pride I have in this game. I leave my emotions out on the field."

Miller was later hit by a drink thrown by a fan while walking off the field after the game.

The trouble began with one out in the ninth and Lawrie trying to work a walk off Rays closer Fernando Rodney. On a 3-1 pitch, Lawrie started toward first base but was stopped short as Miller called strike two. Rodney stared in at Lawrie, and Miller helped settle the tension.

On a full-count pitch that he thought was ball four, Lawrie again headed toward first base. When Miller called strike three, Lawrie crouched in disbelief. Lawrie dropped his bat, gestured at Miller and shouted, and was ejected.

Lawrie then started toward Miller, wound up with his right arm and threw down his helmet. It bounced at the umpire's feet and ricocheted up into him.

"Upon seeing that he was ejected, he took several steps toward me and fired his helmet. It hit me in the right hip," Miller said.

Miller said he has already filed his report with MLB about the incident.

Lawrie said he felt Miller made "kind of a late call" on strike three.

Toronto manager John Farrell came out to restrain his 22-year-old third baseman, who's in his first full season in the majors. After Lawrie returned to the dugout, Farrell was ejected for arguing the call.

Orioles 5, Yankees 2

In Baltimore, Chen Wei-yin pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Adam Jones homered and the Orioles beat CC Sabathia and New York.

Chen (4-0) allowed two runs, struck out four and walked two in a masterful performance. Making his seventh major league start, the 26-year-old Taiwan native took a shutout into the seventh inning.

Red Sox 5, Mariners 0

In Boston, Josh Beckett redeemed himself less than a week after being booed off the mound, striking out a season-high nine.

Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases for Seattle and teammate Munenori Kawasaki finished 0-for-3.

Angels 4, Athletics 0

In Anaheim, Ervin Santana struck out nine during 7? innings of four-hit ball and Albert Pujols drove in two runs with infield singles.

Royals 7, Rangers 4

In Arlington, Texas, Mike Moustakas homered, while Billy Butler and Brayan Pena each drove in a pair of runs.

Indians 5, Twins 0

In Minneapolis, Derek Lowe pitched his first shutout in nearly seven years.

Tigers 10, White Sox 8

In Chicago, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Raburn and Austin Jackson homered during an eight-run rally in the sixth.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Padres 6, Nationals 1

In Washington, Stephen Strasburg left after only four innings, matching the second-shortest appearance of his 25-start career.

Cardinals 7, Cubs 6

St. Louis, Yadier Molina hit an RBI single off second baseman Darwin Barney's glove with two outs in the ninth inning.

Braves 6, Reds 2

In Atlanta, Brian McCann homered and the Braves scored four runs in the third inning to deal Johnny Cueto his first loss.

Brewers 8, Mets 0

In New York, Zack Greinke ran his scoreless streak to 15 innings and Travis Ishikawa homered twice. Norichika Aoki was 2-for-5 for Milwaukee.

Marlins 6, Pirates 2

In Miami, Marlins ace Josh Johnson allowed two runs over seven innings.

Phillies 4, Astros 3 (10)

In Philadelphia, Hunter Pence atoned for a ninth-inning error by hitting his second home run of the game for the Phillies.

Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 1

In Los Angeles, Wade Miley wiggled out of a couple jams while pitching into the seventh and Arizona snapped the Dodgers' five-game winning streak.

Rockies 5, Giants 4

In San Francisco, Marco Scutaro hit a leadoff homer against Giants closer Santiago Casilla in the ninth inning.

View the original article here

Djokovic blasts surface after losing in Madrid quarters

Surface concerns: Novak Djokovic reaches to return a shot from Serbian compatriot Janko Tipsarevic in their quarterfinal match at the Madrid Open on Friday. Tipsarevic won 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. AP

MADRID — Novak Djokovic joined Rafael Nadal in declaring he won't play again on the new blue clay court at the Madrid Open after losing to Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 Friday in an all-Serb quarterfinal.

Tipsarevic won for the second time in five matches against Djokovic, who last lost at this stage in November at the Paris Masters.

"I want to forget this week as soon as possible and move on to the real clay courts," the top-ranked Djokovic said. "Here you can't predict the ball bounce or movement. They can do whatever they want, but I won't be here next year if this clay stays."

On the women's side, Serena Williams eased past Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals. Also making the semis was top-ranked Victoria Azarenka, who rallied past French Open winner Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Azarenka agreed with Nadal and Djokovic in their criticism of the court.

"You feel unstable sometimes, actually, a lot of times," she said. "But right now there is no point on talking about it. After the tournament, all the players can get together and discuss it."

Nadal lost to Fernando Verdasco on Thursday. Afterward, the Spaniard said he wouldn't return to the tournament unless it reverts to red clay. Djokovic described the new surface as slippery.

Tipsarevic had to save four break chances to force the first-set tiebreaker that he dominated. The seventh-seeded Tipsarevic broke Djokovic to go ahead in the second set and completed the upset after Djokovic hit two late aces to save three match points.

Tipsarevic next plays Roger Federer, who defeated David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4. The blue clay didn't stop the 16-time Grand Slam champion from deploying his usual array of unreachable shots.

He is unbeaten in 13 matches with the sixth-ranked Spaniard, who didn't help his cause by serving seven double-faults. Federer struck back-to-back aces to clinch the win, improving his record to 24-3 this year.

View the original article here

Igawa pulled after injury in Buffaloes debut

KOBE — Left-hander Kei Igawa made his first start back in Japan in six years, but the New York Yankee throwaway left early with an injury in the Orix Buffaloes' 1-0 defeat to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks on Wednesday.

He's back: Kei Igawa's debut with the Orix Buffaloes was cut short by an injury. KYODO

Softbank starter Kenji Otonari (3-2) threw 6? scoreless innings before the game was handed over to the bullpen. He struck out eight and walked one. Brain Falkenborg fanned three in the ninth for his 13th save.

Igawa (0-1) yielded one run in 3? innings while striking out three and walking one at Hotto Motto Field Kobe.

It was Igawa's first time back pitching for a Japanese team since Oct. 16, 2006, when he pitched for the Hanshin Tigers in a game against the Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium

Kenji Akaishi poked a grounder off Igawa between third and shortstop with runners at the corners to score the sole run with one out in the third.

"I had a chance, and I tried to be aggressive," said Akaishi, who has hit in seven consecutive games. "The ball went in a perfect location."

In December, 2006, the Yankees signed Igawa to a five-year, $20 million contract after winning the exclusive negotiating rights with a $26 million bid under the posting system.

But he ended up winning just two games (with four losses) and spent most of his time in the minor leagues, turning out to be a major bust on the Yankee's payroll before his contract expired last year.

Marines 4, Fighters 1

At Chiba's QVC Marine Field, Shunsuke Watanabe gave up one run over five innings despite scattering seven hits, and Chiba Lotte beat Hokkaido Nippon Ham in a game that was called in the bottom of the fifth due to rain.

Tadahito Iguchi sparked a three-run first against Brain Wolfe (2-3) with a one-out, run-scoring single, and Kazuya Fukuura added an RBI single in the third. Micah Hoffpauir homered in the fifth for Nippon Ham.

Eagles 1, Lions 0

At Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, Takashi Kawai (1-0) went 6? scoreless innings, Asahisa Makida hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Tohoku Rakuten edged Seibu to snap a three-game skid.

Koji Aoyama escaped a two-on jam in the ninth for his first save this season. Takayuki Kishi (3-3) limited the damage to one run in eight innings but took the loss.

CENTRAL LEAGUE

Giants 8, BayStars 5

At Tokyo Dome, D.J. Houlton tossed two-run ball over seven innings, Yoshitomo Tani hit a three-run homer, and Yoshinobu Takahashi went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Yomiuri ended Yokohama's unbeaten streak at five games.

Shuichi Murata had a game-tying single and Takahashi gave Yomiuri the lead with a single of his own in the third. Tani went deep off Giancarlo Alvarado (1-4) to make it 6-2 in the fifth.

Dragons 8, Swallows 3

Tigers 6, Carp 2

View the original article here

Blackburn relegated after home loss to Wigan

BLACKBURN, England — Blackburn was relegated from the Premier League, with Wigan ensuring its survival in a 1-0 victory Monday night on Antolin Alcaraz's goal in the 87th minute.

A lot at stake: Wigan's Shaun Maloney (left) and Blackburn's Morten Pedersen vie for the ball in Premier League action on Monday night at Ewood Park. Wigan won 1-0. AFP-JIJI

Blackburn, the 1995 champion, is 19th at 8-22-7 and will go down to next season's League Championship along with last-place Wolverhampton (5-22-10). The third team to be relegated will be determined Sunday.

Blackburn fans spent much of the game protesting against manager Steve Kean.

"I've got nothing but admiration and respect for him," Blackburn defender Bradley Orr said. "It's not through lack of effort but we fell short as a group of players, and it's resulted in relegation. I can't put my finger on why, it's really hard to take."

Wigan (10-17-10) won for the sixth time in eight games and improved to 15th place.

"It doesn't seem real yet," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said. "It's a great feeling because you could feel the tension."

There were ugly scenes at the final whistle when some Blackburn fans ran onto the field at Ewood Park. Earlier, a chicken was released onto the field, a pointed reminder of the home supporters' antipathy toward owner Venky's, a chicken-meat company.

Going into Sunday's season finales, three teams are at risk of relegation. Aston Villa (7-13-17) has 38 points, one ahead of Queens Park Rangers (10-20-7) and three in front of Bolton (10-22-5). Aston Villa is at Norwich, Bolton at Stoke and QPR at Manchester City.

Aston Villa is the safest, holding a plus-7 goal difference advantage over Bolton.

Manchester City (27-5-5), seeking its first league title since 1968, leads crosstown rival Manchester United on goal difference, plus 63 to plus 55. The top two teams haven't finished even on points since 1989, when Arsenal and Liverpool also had the same goal difference and the Gunners won on total goals, 73-65.

Reading and Southampton earned promotion by finishing 1-2 in the League Championship. West Ham advanced to the final of the promotion playoff for the third spot, beating visiting Cardiff 3-0 Monday on goals by, Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Vaz Te and Nicky Maynard for a 5-0 aggregate win.

In the other semifinal, Blackpool takes a 1-0 lead to Birmingham for Tuesday's second leg. The winners meet at Wembley Stadium on May 19.

View the original article here