Baltimore snaps streak of 14 straight losing seasons

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles have too much else going on to be overly excited about ending their miserable run of 14 consecutive losing seasons.

Positive gains: Baltimore's Chen Wei-yin pitches during the Orioles' 3-2 win over the Rays on Thursday. AP

Manny Machado blooped an RBI single that eluded left fielder Matt Joyce's desperate dive with two outs in the 14th inning, and Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 3-2 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep and remain atop the AL East.

With their 81st victory — and 13th in a row in extra innings — the Orioles are assured no worse than a .500 record for the first time since 1997.

"There's a bigger goal in mind," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "That wasn't the goal from Day One this spring. Really, Day One of the offseason. It's watching other teams for years and saying, 'We want to do what they're doing. We'd like to get a chair at the dance, you know?' "

It's been an incredible season for the Orioles, who finished in the cellar in each of the previous four years. Baltimore (81-62) remained in a first-place tie with the New York Yankees, who beat Boston 2-0 on Thursday night.

After briefly celebrating a victory that capped a 5-2 homestand against the Yankees and Rays, Baltimore packed in the clubhouse for a trip to Oakland.

"It makes that West Coast trip a little easier when you win," said closer Jim Johnson, part of a bullpen that kept Tampa Bay scoreless on four hits over the final 6? innings. "You can enjoy it for a little bit, the five hours you're on the flight, but that's about it."

The Rays fell four games back in the division by virtue of yet another one-run defeat punctuated by a lack of offensive punch. Tampa Bay has lost 13 of its last 16 one-run games, including a 3-2 decision Wednesday night.

"It's just the same old story: We can't score enough runs," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We pitched extremely well, we played well in the field overall, loved the effort."

Sixteen pitchers took part in the game, which lasted 5 hours, 14 minutes. Tampa Bay used a club-record 26 players.

The Orioles' success in extras this season matches the longest in the majors since Cleveland won 13 straight extra-inning games in 1995.

Randy Wolf (2-0) earned the win by striking out Joyce with two on in the top of the 14th. Baltimore has won 14 of 19 overall and is 26-11 since Aug. 3.

Although the Orioles blew a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning, they improved to 64-0 when leading after the seventh.

Yankees 2, Red Sox 0

In Boston, Derek Jeter shook off an injury to tie Willie Mays for 10th place on the career hits list (3,283), backing Phil Hughes and helping New York maintain a share of the AL East lead. The Yankees won consecutive games for the first time in a month.

New York's Ichiro Suzuki was a late-inning defensive replacement in right field.

Angels 6, Athletics 0

In Anaheim, ace Jered Weaver (17-4) allowed two hits in seven innings and struck out nine in his first start since skipping a turn in the rotation because of biceps tendinitis.

Indians 5, Rangers 4

In Arlington, Texas, Jason Kipnis hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Joe Nathan and Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak.

Rangers reliever Koji Uehara worked a scoreless ninth inning.

Blue Jays 8, Mariners 3

In Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion hit his 40th home run, Adam Lind also connected and the Blue Jays sent Felix Hernandez to his third straight loss.

Second baseman Munenori Kawasaki was 0-for-1 after entering the game as a defensive replacement for Seattle.

Twins 4, Royals 3 (10)

In Minneapolis, Denard Span had a game-ending RBI double in the 10th and the Twins rallied for a victory over Kansas City.

Tigers at White Sox — ppd.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cardinals 2, Dodgers 1

In Los Angeles, Allen Craig drove in Shane Robinson with the go-ahead run in the seventh, and St. Louis extended its NL wild-card lead over Los Angeles to two games with a victory over the struggling Dodgers.

Lance Lynn (15-7) pitched six innings of five-hit ball to earn his first win since July 27 for the Cardinals, striking out seven in the All-Star's return to the rotation after a bullpen demotion.

Astros 6, Phillies 4

In Houston, pinch hitter Jed Lowrie delivered a two-run double in the eighth inning and the Astros stung Philadelphia.

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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.

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F.A. Cup final losing more luster

LONDON — The downgrading of the F.A. Cup, football's oldest knockout competition, continues. Saturday's final between Manchester City and Stoke City will be one of the lowest profile of all-time.

Not because the participants are not from English football's traditional elite, but because for only the third time in history there are league matches the same day.

Instead of monopolizing the spotlight, the Wembley showdown will play second fiddle to Blackburn vs. Manchester United, where Sir Alex Ferguson's team should clinch the point it needs to secure its 19th title around half an hour before the final kicks off.

There are three other Premier League games starting at 12:45 p.m., two and a quarter hours before the final.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis called the scheduling, caused by the necessity for Wembley to be free for two weeks before the Champions League final between United and Barcelona "disgusting."

He said: "It's traditionally a special game on its own at the end of the season but that's not the case this year."

The Premier League should have insisted clubs play on Sunday or Monday, but Sky Sports, which doesn't have the contract for the F.A. Cup (indeed, the competition barely exists on the station) had other ideas.

It is one thing for many clubs to field weakened teams in the competition, but when the final becomes the dessert to the Premier League's main course it is easy to understand why Spurs manager Harry Redknapp believes Saturday's game will mean "virtually nothing" except to fans of City and Stoke.

All of which should not detract from what could be a fascinating final between teams with contrasting styles and spending potential.

Manchester City splashed out ?127 million last summer on new recruits, Stoke a humble ?11 million. Roberto Mancini's side guaranteed fourth place with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Spurs last Monday, the team still struggling to get off the leash, which the Italian tends to keep it on.

Carlos Tevez, City's main and at times only goal threat, has recovered from a hamstring injury, but it is difficult to see Mancini opting for the sort of offensive game that Pulis' Stoke prefers.

Stoke is an easy and unfair target for criticism because of its so-called long-ball style. When Barcelona play the ball 50 meters it is a long pass, when Stoke does this it is a long ball.

Arsenal's Arsene Wenger compared Stoke's style to rugby, overlooking the fact Stoke has had fewer yellow and red cards than the Gunners this season, while when Arsenal was winning trophies it had one of the worst disciplinary records in England.

Stoke is one of the few teams to play with two orthodox wingers in Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington. Strikers Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters are a handful for any defense, while the midfield trio of Marc Wilson, Dean Whitehead and Rory Delap are industry personified.

Pulis is free of the ego problems that Mancini has with some of his players, who think nothing of showing public dissent toward their manager, who faces a no-win situation today.

Given the money it has spent City is expected to lift the Cup. If it does, credit will be given to the amount of cash invested; should it lose, Mancini will be blamed for not making the most of City's expensive (and in many cases, overpriced) imports. David Silva, YaYa Toure and James Milner have been impressive. Edin Dzeko and Jerome Boateng lead the list of those who, so far, have underachieved.

In the 1-0 semifinal win over United, City showed the attacking potential that is too often kept under wraps. Stoke will go for it, though the suspicion remains Mancini will have his cautious hat on at Wembley.

But whatever the excitement level — the last four games between the teams have ended in draws so be prepared for extra time — the F.A. Cup final is destined to be overshadowed by events at Blackburn preceding it.

In England the Premier League rules supreme.

* * *

LORD TRIESMAN lost his role as chairman of the Football Association a year ago because he was the victim of entrapment, a secretly taped conversation.

Melissa Jacobs, a former ministerial aide he believed he could trust, sold the details of their dinner date to a Sunday tabloid. The disclosures were little more than personal thoughts about England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Its publication cost Lord Triesman his job with the F.A, another victim of a tabloid "kiss and tell." He could not deny anything as it was all recorded.

Last week Lord Triesman told the House of Commons select committee that four FIFA members sought bribes in return for backing England's failed 2018 (World Cup bid, the revelation as surprising as Arsenal conceding a goal from a set-piece.

I have no doubt of the validity of Triesman's allegations against FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who always seems to be mentioned in any controversy, Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz, Brazilian Ricardo Teixeira and Thai Worawi Makudi.

Trieman's claims will make people suspect there could be more than just two villains on world football's most powerful committee.

FIFA has become a discredited body with a third of the executive committee having various fingers pointed at them, a worrying — to put it mildly -statistic, but when Blatter is re-elected for a fourth term on June 1, do not expect any new heads to roll.

Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.

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