Gay overhauls Powell for 100 world title 5 minutes ago

Gay overhauls Powell for 100 world title 5 minutes ago



OSAKA, Japan - Tyson Gay is the world champion. In a 100-meters final that delivered all it promised Sunday, Gay was slower out of the blocks. Once his legs got pumping, he caught and surged past Asafa Powell to claim his first gold medal at a major international championship in 9.85 seconds.

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Powell, sensing defeat, was passed by Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas at the tape in 9.91. Powell, a co-holder of the world record at 9.77, was third in 9.96 and remains without a major title.

Watched under a full moon by Japanese Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and some 40,000 fans at the Nagai stadium, Gay pumped his arms, beat his chest and shouted in delight in the victory that ended weeks of nervous preparations.

Powell showed little emotion — his sullen demeanor said it all.

Gay, regularly slower out of the blocks than Powell, had feared a false start, which would put him even more on edge. But the race went off smoothly. And with his head wobbling from side to side, Gay hit his groove.

With his first global title, Gay's surely the favorite for next year's Olympics in Beijing.

Although the 100 was tough to predict, nothing was easier than picking Carolina Kluft for an unprecedented third straight heptathlon title. And the 24-year-old Swede did it with a European record, becoming the second best heptathlete of all time after American Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Kluft easily stretched her five-year unbeaten streak, earning 7,032 points to eclipse Russian Nikitina Larisa's 18-year-old European record by 25 points.

Immediately after setting the record, Kluft led all her competitors hand in hand around the stadium, the gesture as much the essence of Kluft as the outstanding performances.

In a tense shot put final, New Zealander Valerie Vili overtook defending champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus with her last attempt of 20.54 meters. Ostapchuk, who held the lead from the opening throw, had one attempt to go but was stranded just 6 centimeters short. Olympic silver medalist Nadine Kleinert of Germany took bronze with 19.77.

Misery came just as late to Bershawn Jackson, the defending champion in the 400 hurdles. The American was leading in his semifinal but stumbled on the last obstacle, totally lost his momentum and let two rivals pass. That result pushed him out of Tuesday's final. Olympic champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic led the way.

In the women's 100 second-round heats, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica cruised into the semifinals with a time of 11.08, hardly breaking a sweat in temperatures that soared into the high 80s late Sunday.

Her main rival, U.S. champion Torri Edwards, won her heat in 11.13, easing up at the finish. "I feel confident I can take this thing, the track is fast," she said. "It's hot, but sprinters like the hot weather."

Defending champion Lauryn Williams was second in her heat, advancing in 11.16.

Perez became the first man to win three successive 20-kilometer walk titles, enough to make him a star in his native Ecuador. Together with the 1996 Olympic title, the 33-year old became a quadruple gold medalist at major competitions.

"I knew I could be the first with three consecutive golds but shortly after the start I forgot about this — I needed to concentrate," he said. "One more medal is not that important."

Spain's Francisco Javier Fernandez was reinstated to silver in the walk after being disqualified for lifting over the final stretch to catch Tunisia's Hatem Ghoula.

In a sport notorious for its technical infractions, Fernandez had both feet off the ground as he raced past Ghoula. The jury of appeal ruled it was insufficient to merit a disqualification. Both racers were given the same time of 1 hour 22.40 minutes, 20 seconds.

The appeal cost Mexico's Eder Sanchez the bronze.

Vick suspended indefinitely without pay By DAVE GOLDBERG and LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writers

Vick suspended indefinitely without pay By DAVE GOLDBERG and LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writers
57 minutes ago



For all the big words and life lessons Roger Goodell included in his booming reaction to Michael Vick's admission of involvement in dogfighting, the NFL commissioner's message seemingly could have been whittled to two words: Nice try.

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Goodell suspended the Atlanta Falcons quarterback indefinitely without pay Friday, just hours after Vick filed a plea agreement that portrayed him as less involved than three co-defendants and guilty mainly of poor judgment for associating with them.

In a letter to Vick, Goodell admonished him for "reprehensible" acts and for associating with people engaged in gambling in violation of NFL rules. He also rebuked him for seemingly trying to paint himself as something other than the ringleader.

"You are now justifiably facing consequences for the decisions you made and the conduct in which you engaged. Your career, freedom and public standing are now in the most serious jeopardy," Goodell wrote. "I hope that you will be able to learn from this difficult experience and emerge from it better prepared to act responsibly and to make the kinds of choices that are expected of a conscientious and law abiding citizen."

Vick acknowledged bankrolling gambling on the dogfights, but denied placing bets himself or taking any of the winnings. He admitted that dogs not worthy of the pit were killed "as a result of the collective efforts" of himself and two co-defendants.

Goodell decided not to wait until Monday, when U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond, Va., formally receives the plea and schedules a sentencing likely to land Vick in prison for one to five years.

The commissioner said Vick's admitted conduct was "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible." Even if he didn't personally place bets, Goodell said, "your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player."

Goodell freed the Falcons to "assert any claims or remedies" to recover $22 million of Vick's signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004.

The commissioner didn't speak to Vick but based his decision on the court filings. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell might meet with Vick in the future, and Goodell said he would review the suspension after all the legal proceedings.

"You have engaged in conduct detrimental to the welfare of the NFL and have violated the league's personal conduct policy," Goodell told Vick in a letter after meeting in New York with Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank supported Goodell's decision.

"We hope that Michael will use this time, not only to further address his legal matters, but to take positive steps to improve his personal life," Blank said.

Nike, meanwhile, terminated its contract with Vick.

Earlier Friday, a "summary of facts" signed by Vick and his lawyers was filed along with his written plea agreement on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge.

"While Mr. Vick is not personally charged with or responsible for committing all of the acts alleged in the indictment, as with any conspiracy charge, he is taking full responsibility for his actions and the actions of the others involved," the defense team said in a written statement after the plea agreement was filed.

"Mr. Vick apologizes for his poor judgment in associating himself with those involved in dog fighting and realizes he should never have been involved in this conduct," the statement said.

Vick and his lawyers said his involvement was limited when it came to the enterprise known as the Bad Newz Kennels.

"Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role," Vick's defense attorney, Billy Martin, said in telephone interview. "Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident."

In court papers, Vick said he provided most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies, echoing language in plea agreements by the three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

When the dogs won, the statement said, gambling proceeds were generally shared by Taylor, Peace and Phillips.

"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the court document said.

According to the statement, Vick also was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions in April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging.

"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts" of Vick, Phillips and Peace, the statement said.

In the plea agreement, the government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound by any recommendation or by the guidelines.

Hudson has a reputation for imposing stiff sentences, according to lawyers who have appeared in his court. The judge will set a sentencing date at Monday's hearing.

Martin said Vick will "speak to the public and explain his actions." Though he declined to say when and where, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, a syndicated program based in Dallas, said it will have a live interview with Vick on Tuesday.

The case began in April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided a Surry County property owned by Vick and found dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent. The three co-defendants later pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Vick.

Taylor was the first to change his plea, saying Vick financed the dogfighting ring's gambling and operations. Peace and Phillips soon followed, alleging that Vick joined them in killing dogs that did not measure up in test fights.

The sickening details outlined in the indictment and other court papers prompted a public backlash against Vick, who had been one of the NFL's most popular players.

Animal-rights groups mobilized against Vick — even protesting at NFL headquarters in New York — and sponsors dropped him.

"It is fitting that the NFL has suspended him," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "He's now a role model for something terrible, and it's not appropriate that he suit up in an NFL uniform."

___

Associated Press Writers Matthew Barakat in McLean, Va., and Hank Kurz Jr. and Michael Felberbaum in Richmond contributed to this report.

Rangers set records in 30-3 rout By The Associated Press

Rangers set records in 30-3 rout By The Associated Press
1 hour, 4 minutes ago



The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

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"That was ridiculous. I have never been in anything like that in my life," said Jarrod Saltalamacchia, one of two Texas players who homered twice and drove in seven runs.

It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Hours after announcing manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season, the Orioles absorbed the most one-sided defeat in franchise history and set a team record for hits allowed (29).

And that was just Game 1 of a doubleheader.

Trailing 3-0 in the opener, the last-place Rangers at last did something right. They scored five runs in the fourth inning, nine runs in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six more in the ninth.

"This is something freaky. You won't see anything like this again for a long, long time. I am glad I was on this end of it," said Marlon Byrd, who hit one of two Texas grand slams.

The Rangers kept right on hitting in the nightcap, too, although at a decidedly tamer pace. Travis Metcalf drove in four runs and Texas used a three-run eighth for a 9-7 victory.

With the sweep, the Rangers set an AL record for runs in a doubleheader, surpassing the 36 scored by Detroit in 1937.

"What am I going to remember about today? Thirty runs scored in one game and having to play another one after that," Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "It was a very strange day."

In other AL games, it was: New York 8, Los Angeles 2; Tampa Bay 2, Boston 1; Cleveland 11, Detroit 8; Minnesota 8, Seattle 4; Oakland 4, Toronto 1; and Kansas City 7, Chicago 6.

Travis Metcalf hit the other grand slam for the Rangers after being called up from the minors earlier in the day. Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez, the bottom two batters in Texas' lineup, each homered twice and finished with seven RBIs.

David Murphy had five of Texas' 29 hits, the most by a major league team since Milwaukee had 31 in a 22-2 victory over Toronto on Aug. 28, 1992, according to Elias.

The Rangers totaled 28 runs in their previous nine games, including two runs on seven hits in their last two. Texas set a team record for runs in a doubleheader — before the second game even started.

"I knew we'd get the bats going, but I never expected anything like this," manager Ron Washington said. "When the faucet is on, you want it to stay on. You never want to cut it off."

Daniel Cabrera (9-13) took the loss, giving up six runs and nine hits in five-plus innings.

Winning pitcher Kason Gabbard (6-1) allowed three runs in six innings.

Even with the one-sided score, Wes Littleton earned his second major league save by pitching three scoreless innings.

Yankees 8, Angels 2

At Anaheim, Calif., Andy Pettitte tossed seven strong innings to win his fifth consecutive start and New York salvaged the finale of a three-game series.

Pettitte (11-7) beat John Lackey (15-8) and came to the rescue for the Yankees yet again, one night after the Angels roughed up New York's pitching staff in an 18-9 rout highlighted by Garret Anderson's 10 RBIs.

The victory was Joe Torre's 1,150th as New York manager, surpassing Casey Stengel for sole possession of second place on the franchise list behind Joe McCarthy (1,460).

Bobby Abreu homered for the Yankees, who moved within five games of AL East leader Boston. They're 1 1/2 back of Seattle in the wild-card race. The AL West-leading Angels remained two games in front of the Mariners.

Devil Rays 2, Red Sox 1

At St. Petersburg, Fla., B.J. Upton hit a two-run homer and Tampa Bay beat Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-10) for the third time this season. Edwin Jackson (4-12) allowed one run in six innings.

Al Reyes retired Jason Varitek with two on for his 19th save in 21 opportunities. The Red Sox stranded 14 runners and fell to 9-3 against the Devil Rays this season.

Indians 11, Tigers 8

At Detroit, Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run homer and Cleveland beat Justin Verlander (13-5) to increase its AL Central lead to 1 1/2 games over the Tigers. The Indians overcame homers by Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames.

Gary Sheffield will be out of Detroit's lineup for at least the rest of the current homestand because of a sore right shoulder that has bothered him for more than a month.

Twins 8, Mariners 4

At Minneapolis, Michael Cuddyer's grand slam fueled a seven-run first inning against Miguel Batista (13-9), and the Twins ended Seattle's five-game winning streak.

Carlos Silva (10-12), who entered with the second-worst run support among AL starters, cruised with the big lead and completed seven innings for his first victory this month.

Athletics 4, Blue Jays 1

At Toronto, Esteban Loaiza (1-0) came off the disabled list and won his season debut, outpitching A.J. Burnett (7-7) to help Oakland finish a three-game sweep.

The Athletics (64-64) have won four straight and eight of 10 to reach .500 for the first time since the All-Star break. Alan Embree earned his 16th save.

Royals 7, White Sox 6

At Chicago, Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs for the Royals, who ended a three-game skid and kept the White Sox from completing their first series sweep at home since last August against Detroit.

Brian Bannister (10-7) won for the fifth time in seven starts and lowered his ERA to 3.28, eighth-best in the AL. Kansas City struck early against struggling Jose Contreras (6-16).

Jenks denied major league record in win By The Associated Press

Jenks denied major league record in win By The Associated Press
1 hour, 22 minutes ago



Bobby Jenks fell short of a major league record before finishing off the Royals. Ryan Budde ended the New York Yankees' night with a game-winning hit for the Angels.

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Jenks settled for a share of the record when Joey Gathright broke the Chicago closer's string of 41 straight outs, and then stopped the White Sox's worst skid in 16 years by saving a 4-3 victory over Kansas City on Monday night.

Jenks, who tied Jim Barr's mark of 41 for San Francisco in 1972 last Sunday, gave up a single to Gathright to lead off the ninth.

"I messed that one up myself," Jenks said. "I shook off slider to go back to curveball. But he's hot, tip my hat."

Budde doubled in the winning run in the 10th inning to lift Los Angeles to a 7-6 win. It was his first RBI and extra-base hit in the majors.

"It feels great, a dream come true. Wow!" said a grinning Budde, who made his big league debut July 31. "To do it against the Yankees is awesome."

Budde hit a 2-0 pitch from Sean Henn (2-1) into right-center to score Howie Kendrick, who had doubled to right with one out.

In other AL games, it was: Seattle 9, Minnesota 4; Boston 6, Tampa Bay 0; and Oakland 6, Toronto 4. Texas' game at Baltimore was postponed by rain and will be made up Wednesday as the opener of a doubleheader.

At Chicago, Jenks retired the next three batters after Gathright's hit for his 34th save in 39 chances. Danny Richar and Scott Podsednik homered for the White Sox, who avoided losing nine in a row for the first time since Aug. 19-28, 1991.

"It feels weird. I forgot the last time we shook hands. I forgot what to do, I was confused," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Matt Thornton pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings to earn the win. David Riske (1-3) was charged with the loss.

The AL West-leading Angels' second straight victory kept them two games ahead of Seattle, which beat Minnesota 9-4. The visiting Yankees dropped five games behind Boston in the AL East and had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Darren Oliver (0-1) pitched a perfect 10th to get the victory.

"It's tough to take, but both teams can't win," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It's tough to lose games like that, but you understand it's going to happen. We didn't beat ourselves, they beat us."

Alex Rodriguez hit his major league-leading 40th homer and Jorge Posada also connected for New York. Mariners 9, Twins 4

Raul Ibanez homered twice and drove in three runs to lead Seattle to its fourth straight win.

Richie Sexson and Kenji Johjima also went deep for the visiting Mariners, who also have won seven of nine to improve to a season-high 18 games over .500.

Seattle's Horacio Ramirez (8-4) allowed nine hits and four earned runs in 7 1-3 innings, his longest outing of the season.

The Mariners chased Minnesota starter Matt Garza (2-4) in the third inning. He was charged with seven runs and nine hits, recording just seven outs.

Ibanez is hitting .431 (28-for-65) in August. He leads the league with nine home runs this month, all in his last 13 games. He hit six in his first 97 games.

Red Sox 6, Devil Rays 0

Tim Wakefield allowed four hits over seven innings to improve to 19-2 against Tampa Bay.

Wakefield (15-10) struck out five and walked one, and moved into a tie for the major league lead in wins this season. The knuckleballer, who is 9-0 at Tropicana Field, has the most wins by any Tampa Bay opponent.

Mike Lowell homered for the AL East-leading Red Sox, who are 11-8 in August.

Scott Kazmir (9-8) gave up six runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings for Tampa Bay.

Athletics 6, Blue Jays 4

Jack Hannahan hit his first major league home run and Joe Blanton remained unbeaten in August for Oakland.

Nick Swisher also homered for visiting Oakland, which has won six of eight. Swisher singled twice and went 3-for-4.

Blanton (11-8) allowed one run and six hits over seven innings, walking none and striking out six to improve to 3-0 with a 3.96 ERA in four August starts.

Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum lost for the first time in six starts. Marcum (10-5) allowed six runs and nine hits over three innings, matching his shortest outing of the season.

Vick to plead guilty in dogfighting case By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer

Vick to plead guilty in dogfighting case By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 10 minutes ago



RICHMOND, Va. - Less than a month after saying he looked forward to clearing his name, Michael Vick now acknowledges the heinous acts associated with his name are true.

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The Atlanta Falcons quarterback said through a lawyer Monday that he will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, an admission that likely will mean prison time.

For now, any hopes of salvaging his NFL career are secondary to his impending confinement.

"His focus is on his family, his focus is on answering to this judge," Vick's lead defense attorney, Billy Martin, told The Associated Press after announcing the plea agreement Monday.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson can sentence Vick to up to five years in prison and fine him $250,000, although federal sentencing guidelines will call for less. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms are not final, told the AP that prosecutors will recommend a sentence of a year to 18 months.

The official said such a sentence would be more than what is usually recommended for first-time offenders, reflecting the government's attempt to show that animal abusers will receive more than a slap on the wrist.

Vick will return Monday to the same courthouse where he pleaded not guilty and resolved to prove his innocence just 25 days ago. This time he will plead guilty, and Hudson will schedule a date for sentencing.

Since that initial court appearance, all three of Vick's co-defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate in the government's case against him, including testifying against him if the case had gone to trial in November as scheduled.

The co-defendants said Vick bankrolled virtually the entire "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in rural southeastern Virginia, including providing gambling funds, an act that could trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy.

Two of them also said Vick participated in the brutal executions of at least eight underperforming dogs.

Facing those allegations and the prospect of a superseding indictment from a new grand jury that began meeting Monday, Vick opted to change his plea.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made," Martin said in a statement. "Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

The NFL noted in a statement that Vick's admission wasn't in line with what he told commissioner Roger Goodell shortly after being charged.

"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons," the NFL said.

The league, which barred Vick from training camp, said it has asked the Falcons to withhold further action while the NFL's own investigation wraps up.

The Falcons said they were "certainly troubled" by news of the plea, but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request.

Vick's Atlanta attorney, Daniel Meachum, told the AP that Vick is taking a chance with his guilty plea as far as his career is concerned because there have been no discussions with the league in recent days.

"There's no promise or even a request of the league to make a promise," Meachum said.

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said in a statement:

"We believe the criminal conduct to which Mr. Vick has pled guilty today cannot be condoned under any circumstances. Speaking personally, as I have previously stated, the practice of dog fighting is offensive and completely unacceptable. I can only hope that Mr. Vick, who is young man, will learn from this awful experience."

Martin said Vick is paying a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior, but he emphasized that his client takes full responsibility.

"There were some judgment issues in terms of people he was associating with," Martin said in a telephone interview. "He realized this is very serious, and he decided to plead so he can begin the healing process."

Another defense attorney, James D. "Butch" Williams Jr., alluded to the harsh public backlash against Vick since the July 17 indictment detailed the abuse of dogs on Vick's property in Surry County, Va.

"Michael is a father, he's a son, he's a human being; people oftentimes forget that," he said.

Animal-rights activists said they hoped the high-profile case would increase public awareness and help bring down other dogfighting rings.

"The only good that can come from this case is that the American people dedicate themselves to the task of rooting out dogfighting in every infected area where it thrives," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.

Quanis Phillips of Atlanta, Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach and Tony Taylor of Hampton have pleaded guilty to the same charges facing Vick: conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Phillips and Peace will be sentenced Nov. 30, Taylor on Dec. 14.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in Surry County found 66 dogs, some of them injured, and items typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. The former Virginia Tech star also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.

The July 17 indictment said dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means. The grisly details fueled public protests against Vick and cost him some of his lucrative endorsement deals.

___

Associated Press Writers Harry R. Weber and Doug Gross in Atlanta, Michael Felberbaum in Richmond and Lara Jakes Jordan in Washington contributed to this report.

Mariners rally for victory over Chicago 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

Mariners rally for victory over Chicago 2 hours, 17 minutes ago



SEATTLE - Kenji Johjima hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Seattle's four-run sixth and the Mariners rallied to beat Chicago 7-5 Saturday night, handing the White Sox their season-high seventh straight loss.

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Jeff Weaver (5-10) allowed four runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings for the Mariners, who moved within two of the AL West-leading Angels. Seattle also kept its half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the wild-card race.

Chicago led 3-0 early but committed two errors and Ehren Wassermann threw a wild pitch in the sixth. Jim Thome went deep twice and A.J. Pierzynski also connected for the White Sox.

Raul Ibanez's run-scoring single in the fourth cut it to 3-1 and Seattle pushed across two more runs in the fifth to tie it.

Jose Guillen came up with runners on second and third and two outs and hit a two-hopper toward third baseman Josh Fields. On the second hop, Fields had to duck to avoid being hit as the ball spun into left field. Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt score to make it 3-all.

Johjima's run-scoring single in the sixth put Seattle in front. Richie Sexson scored on an error by center fielder Jerry Owens, Jose Vidro singled in a run and Ichiro Suzuki scored on Wassermann's wild pitch.

Weaver struck out five and walked one. He threw a five-hit shutout in his previous start last Sunday against Chicago.

J.J. Putz worked the ninth for his 36th save, matching his career high.

John Danks (6-11) gave up four runs and nine hits in five-plus innings for the White Sox.

Thome hit a two-run drive off George Sherrill in the eighth to cut it to 7-5. It was his second of the game, 20th of the season and No. 492 for his career. It also was his 39th career multihomer game and first since April 18 against Texas.

Notes:@ Every starter in the Mariners' lineup had at least one hit except Suzuki, who ended his 10-game hitting streak. ... The Mariners are now 24-8 against left-hander starters, best in the majors. ... The Sox's seven-game losing streak in the longest since the club lost seven from Aug. 12-20, 2005.

Mariners rally for victory over Chicago 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

Mariners rally for victory over Chicago 2 hours, 17 minutes ago



SEATTLE - Kenji Johjima hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Seattle's four-run sixth and the Mariners rallied to beat Chicago 7-5 Saturday night, handing the White Sox their season-high seventh straight loss.

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Jeff Weaver (5-10) allowed four runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings for the Mariners, who moved within two of the AL West-leading Angels. Seattle also kept its half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the wild-card race.

Chicago led 3-0 early but committed two errors and Ehren Wassermann threw a wild pitch in the sixth. Jim Thome went deep twice and A.J. Pierzynski also connected for the White Sox.

Raul Ibanez's run-scoring single in the fourth cut it to 3-1 and Seattle pushed across two more runs in the fifth to tie it.

Jose Guillen came up with runners on second and third and two outs and hit a two-hopper toward third baseman Josh Fields. On the second hop, Fields had to duck to avoid being hit as the ball spun into left field. Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt score to make it 3-all.

Johjima's run-scoring single in the sixth put Seattle in front. Richie Sexson scored on an error by center fielder Jerry Owens, Jose Vidro singled in a run and Ichiro Suzuki scored on Wassermann's wild pitch.

Weaver struck out five and walked one. He threw a five-hit shutout in his previous start last Sunday against Chicago.

J.J. Putz worked the ninth for his 36th save, matching his career high.

John Danks (6-11) gave up four runs and nine hits in five-plus innings for the White Sox.

Thome hit a two-run drive off George Sherrill in the eighth to cut it to 7-5. It was his second of the game, 20th of the season and No. 492 for his career. It also was his 39th career multihomer game and first since April 18 against Texas.

Notes:@ Every starter in the Mariners' lineup had at least one hit except Suzuki, who ended his 10-game hitting streak. ... The Mariners are now 24-8 against left-hander starters, best in the majors. ... The Sox's seven-game losing streak in the longest since the club lost seven from Aug. 12-20, 2005.

Tiger wins PGA Championship by 2 shots By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

Tiger wins PGA Championship by 2 shots By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
46 minutes ago



TULSA, Okla. - A season of first-time major winners ended with a familiar champion — Tiger Woods, who seems to win them all.

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Challenged only briefly Sunday along the back nine of steamy Southern Hills, Woods captured the PGA Championship to win at least one major for the third straight season and run his career total to 13 as he moves closer to the standard set by Jack Nicklaus.

Woods closed with a 1-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Woody Austin, a gritty journeyman whose consolation prize was earning a spot on the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup.

Ernie Els also made a brief run at Woods, but the ending was all too familiar.

The only thing different about this title was how it ended. Woods became the first major champion in seven tries to make a par on the 72nd hole at Southern Hills. And it was his first major as a father, walking into the scoring room with wife Elin holding their 2-month-old daughter, Sam Alexis.

Naturally, the kid was dressed in red.

"That's a feeling I've never experienced before," Woods said. "To have her here, it brings chills to me. I was surprised she was out here, to see her and Elin there. It's just so cool."

Woods, who has never lost a tournament when leading by more than one going into the last round, stretched his three-shot lead to five with back-to-back birdies that appeared to siphon all the drama out of the final major of the year. Austin made a surprising charge, however, and Woods three-putted for bogey on the 14th that dropped his lead to one.

That was as close as it got.

Woods hit two perfect shots on the 15th and holed a 10-footer for birdie, pointing to the cup after it fell.

"Winning becomes almost a habit," Els said after his 66. "Look at Tiger."

Woods, who finished at 8-under 272, now has more majors than the rest of the top 10 in the world combined. At age 31, he is well ahead of the pace Nicklaus set when he won his record 18 professional majors. Nicklaus was 35 when he won his 13th.

Austin closed with a 67 and earned plenty of crowd support as the working class hero.

Austin, a 43-year-old former bank teller playing in only his 15th major, had a 12-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole that would have tied him for the lead, but it slid by on the left. He never seriously threatened birdie the rest of the way in closing with a 67.

The highlight was a 60-foot chip-in for birdie on the 12th, with Austin tugging on his ear to get the crowd to pump it up.

"I was trying to get them to go crazy for someone else, so he'd know there's someone else out here," Austin said. "There's no roar like his. It was nice to hear the loudest one I've ever heard for me."

But it wasn't enough.

After his three-putt bogey on the 14th, Woods hit every fairway and every green the rest of the way. Woods' final stroke was a 3-foot par on the 18th hole, and he took his time. In the last major at Southern Hills, Retief Goosen three-putted from 12 feet that forced him to win the U.S. Open the following day in a playoff.

Woods removed the ball from the cup and stuck it in his pocket, then removed his cap and thrust both arms in the air as sweat poured down his face from a fourth straight day with temperatures topping 100.

He won for the fifth time this year — no one else has won more than twice — and for the second straight week, coming off an eight-shot victory in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone.

Stephen Ames, who played in the final group with Woods, made bogey on the first two holes and wound up with a 76.

Arron Oberholser settled down after a bogey-bogey start for a 69 that gave him a tie for fourth at 1-under 279 and secured a spot in the Masters next year. John Senden shot 71 and also finished at 279.

Els said if had been watching from home, he would have bet the house on Woods winning his 13th major. Inside the ropes, the Big Easy played as though he had an ace up his sleeve. Birdies on two of the first five holes at least got his name on the leaderboard, and Els kept plugging away with another birdie on the eighth that briefly drew him to within two shots.

Woods was two groups behind, and after a sluggish start, he began to separate himself from his challengers. He followed a 5-foot birdie on the seventh with a 25-foot birdie putt from just off the green at the par-5 eighth. Woods backpedaled as the ball drew near the hole, then slammed his fist in celebration.

But his knee buckled slightly on the slope, and he appeared to wince. His walk was steady down the ninth fairway, but that five-shot lead was anything but that.

Els continued to gamble, waiting for the 10th green to clear and belting driver on the 366-yard dogleg to just left of the green, leaving him a simple up-and-down for birdie. And even though he missed a 6-foot birdie on the 11th and took bogey on the 12th with an approach into the back bunker, the South African didn't back down.

He two-putted for birdie on the 13th, then hit his tee shot on the 14th about 4 feet behind the hole for another birdie to reach 6 under, only two shots behind. And when Woods three-putted the 14th, the lead was a single shot.

"I felt like, you know, I got myself into this mess, now I've got to go earn my way out of it," Woods said. "I did some serious yelling at myself going to the 15th tee."

The bigger threat turned out to be Austin.

Wearing the same shirt he had on when he closed with a 62 to win in Memphis, he ran off three straight birdies starting at No. 11, the most unlikely coming at No. 12 when he chipped in from the front of the green to a back pin.

The cheers died in the final hour and the outcome was inevitable.

Until proven otherwise, Woods simply doesn't lose when he has the lead going into the final round. He took control of this tournament with his record-tying 63 in the second round, and became the fifth player to shoot 63 in a major and go on to win.

Woods seizes control at Southern Hills By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

Woods seizes control at Southern Hills By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
1 hour, 50 minutes ago



TULSA, Okla. - Tiger Woods saved his best golf for the last major. Woods followed his record-tying 63 at Southern Hills with a round that wasn't anything special Saturday, but no less effective at the PGA Championship. He made 15 pars in his 1-under 69, giving him a three-shot lead over Stephen Ames going into the final round.

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It felt much larger considering the history of the world's No. 1 player.

Woods is 12-0 when going into the final round of major with at least a share of the lead, and he has never lost any tournament when leading by more than one shot after 54 holes.

"I accomplished my goal today," Woods said. "My goal was to shoot under par and increase my lead. And I was able to do that."

A blue towel was draped over his shoulder as Woods, his shirt soaked with sweat from spending four hours in 100-plus degrees, sat in an air-conditioned room.

A white flag might be in order for everyone else.

"The statistics will tell you, yes, it is over," Ernie Els said after a 69 left him six shots behind. "But as a competitor, I can't sit there and tell you it's over. I can't ever do that."

But if he were watching from his house?

"If I was not a golfer — a fan on the couch — I'd be putting my house on him, yeah," Els said.

Woods made it look as though this were a Sunday afternoon and he was protecting his lead, not taking on many flags or working too hard for par. He picked up his lone birdies at Nos. 4 and 12, and had two par saves of about 10 feet on the front nine that allowed him to keep his distance from Scott Verplank and the rest of the field.

Woods finished at 7-under 203 and will play in the final round of a major for the third time this year. He was trailing at the Masters and U.S. Open and never caught up, but the odds are much higher in his favor of capturing his first major of the year.

Ames made a 12-foot birdie on the final hole for a 69 that put him in the final group of a major for the first time. Just his luck he gets Woods, spotting the 12-time major champion a three-shot lead.

Ames bristled when his loss to Woods in the Accenture Match Play Championship last year was brought up again. He jokingly said that anything could happen "especially where he's hitting the ball," and Woods went on to a record 9-and-8 victory two days later.

This time, Ames figures he has nothing to lose.

"For me, it's a great opportunity of being in the situation," he said. "Tiger's going for his 13th. I'm looking for my first."

Only five players remained under par at Southern Hills.

Woody Austin lost his chance to be in the final group when he took bogey on the final hole for a 69, leaving him at 207. Johnson Senden had a 69 and was another shot back, followed by Els.

Verplank held his own until a double bogey from the rough and trees on the signature 12th hole, and a three-putt from the back of the 18th green for bogey sent him to a 74.

For the briefest moment, the former U.S. Amateur champion from Oklahoma State pulled within one shot. Verplank dribbled an 8-foot birdie putt down the hill and into the cup at No. 4 to reach 5 under, only to watch Woods hole a 6-foot putt to match his birdie and restore the margin to two shots.

Walking to the fifth tee, Verplank smirked and said, "That guy makes everything."

It sure looked that way.

Woods atoned for a poor chip on the third with a 10-foot par save, and saved par from 10 feet again on the eighth after hitting into a bunker. His streak of 24 straight holes without a bogey ended when he hit 6-iron into the bunker on the 14th and missed from 18 feet.

He led by as many as five shots on the back nine until that bogey on 14. Even so, it was his largest lead going into the final round of a major since the 2005 Masters, which he won in a playoff over Chris DiMarco.

"If you're trying to win a tournament like this, he's the wrong guy to let get out ahead of you," Verplank said.

One after another, players finished their rounds, looked at the top of the leaderboard and figured it would require their best round to have any chance of winning. They have seen this before.

And so has Woods, even if he won't concede the tournament is over.

This is only the fifth time in his career that Woods came to the final major of the year without winning one, although he arrived at Southern Hills fresh off an eight-shot victory at a World Golf Championship. But the work is not done.

"I've always said in order to have a great year you have to win a major championship," he said. "You can win every tournament, but the majors are where it's at. And this year, I've had some opportunities to deal with this. I haven't done it. I'm in good shape going into tomorrow and hopefully, I can get it done."

The only low scores were in the morning, when the greens were still smooth. Boo Weekley had a chance to shoot 63 until he hit his approach on the 18th about 45 feet away and took three putts for a bogey and a 65.

Playing with Weekley was Sergio Garcia, but not for long. Weekley marked down a 4 for Garcia on the 17th hole when the Spaniard made 5, and Garcia signed it anyway and was disqualified.

Trevor Immelman had a 66, but all that got him was to 1 over par, eight shots behind a guy who has never lost a lead in the majors.

Woods looked as though he might come back to the field, but he steadied himself quickly. He saved par twice on the first three holes, then wiggled his way out of trouble on the par-5 fifth when he bounced his third shot out of the rough, under a tree and tumbling up to the green about 35 feet left of the pin.

He left several birdie putts short, but rarely had to grind for par.

That left him where he wants to be — in the lead at a major, daring anyone to catch him. The 11 guys who have been paired with him in the final round of a major (Garcia did it twice) still haven't figured it out.

Someone asked Woods what effect his presence atop the leaderboard had on the rest of the field, what would cause a three-time major champion like Els to say he would bet the house on Woods if he weren't trying to beat him.

"Maybe because I've won 12 majors," he replied.

Storm, well, storms to lead at PGA By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer

Storm, well, storms to lead at PGA By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer
4 minutes ago



TULSA, Okla. - England's Graeme Storm shot a five-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead over John Daly and take the early clubhouse lead in the first round of the PGA Championship.

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For his part, Daly prepared for the PGA by pulling slot machine handles. He dealt with the oppressive heat by smoking cigarettes and loading up on caffeine. At one point, he was the clubhouse leader. Asked how he did it and he was honest: "I have no idea."

This was no heat-induced hallucination, golf fans. Daly shot a surprising 3-under 67 at steamy Southern Hills.

"I can't remember, to tell you the truth," he said when asked to recount his birdies in the 95-plus-degree heat. "I only had like three heat strokes out there."

One thing was certain: The solid play left him in contention without the benefit of practice. Instead, Daly spent the early part of the week at a nearby casino playing slots.

"Everybody's different," he explained of his less-is-more practice regimen. "I'm in better shape than Tiger."

Whatever.

But skipping practice has worked before for golf's favorite carnival act. In 1991, he took the sport by storm, winning the PGA at Crooked Stick after coming in as the ninth alternate and playing without benefit of a practice round.

"I talked to Vijay (Singh) at the British Open and he said he came in eight days early," Daly said. "I just can't do that. I get burned out. I like spending time with my kids and family, riding in a golf cart. That's how I get ready for a major."

Arron Oberholser, John Senden, Woody Austin and J.J. Henry were all three shots behind as temperatures climbed into the 100s for the afternoon.

Masters champion Zach Johnson started with a bogey, then hit his approach on No. 2 into the lake behind the green, en route to a double bogey and a 3-over par start.

Tiger Woods finished at 1-over 71 after an up-and-down day that included a chip-in to save par on No. 17, but a couple of undercooked approach shots that resulted in bogeys — the product of a swirling wind that kicked up during his second nine.

"I felt like I hit the ball better than my score indicates," Woods said. "Every time I missed, I missed ever so slightly in the wrong spot. That's how it goes."

On the other hand, it seemed like every decision Daly made turned out well.

He cranked a driver deep into the woods on No. 12 — probably an unwise club choice given how far he hits it — and seemed to be in big trouble. But after carefully measuring off his yardage, he hit a wedge that flew under one tree and over another and landed the ball 20 feet from the hole to save par.

On the short par-4 17th, he took out driver, then exchanged it for a safer 2-iron to make par. On 18, he inexplicably hit driver and got lucky when the ball landed on a small slice of fairway that bisects a bunker and a stream. He made par there, too.

Obviously, Daly will never apologize for hitting driver.

"If I'm going to make a big score, I'd rather make a big score being aggressive than being conservative," he said.

He said he ironed out his driver problems during a practice round at the casino's golf course. And he credited his good score to improved putting that resulted from a novel approach.

Novel for him, at least.

"I walked behind the hole to read some putts, which I never do," Daly said. "I bent down to look at some putts, which is not something I've done. I stood over some putts longer than I normally do — for six or seven seconds instead of three or four or five."

Growing up in Arkansas, he got used to beating the heat.

"You just light up a cigarette, drink some caffeine and it actually works," he said. "I'm used to it. It bothers me, but I'm used to it — let's put it that way."

He left the course Thursday guaranteed a longer stay atop the leaderboard than the last time he led a major — just three weeks ago when he pitched in on the 11th hole at the British Open to briefly take the lead in the first round at Carnoustie.

He followed by dropping eight shots over the next seven holes en route to missing the cut.

"It was very disappointing, but it wasn't from bad golf shots," Daly said. "That's what I'm finally realizing."

Daly's personal life has been almost as big a train wreck as his golf game of late. Last year, he wrote a book divulging he's lost between $50 million and $60 million by gambling over the last 12 years. More recently, he made a splash when he showed up to the tournament in Memphis, Tenn., with scratch marks across his face, the result of what said was an attack by his wife, Sherrie, with a steak knife.

He has withdrawn from four tournaments this year, missed the cut in eight more and seen his world ranking slide to No. 423.

Nobody figured he'd be much of a factor in this tournament — at least not in the conventional sense.

"The caddies were laying odds as to who would fall first, me or my caddie," Daly said, "but we made it all 18 holes."

NFL improves instant replay capabilities By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer

NFL improves instant replay capabilities By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer
1 hour, 9 minutes ago



NEW YORK - All the fans who ever grumbled that they could do a better job than NFL referees — well, maybe they were right. Or at least some of them had better equipment with which to make instant replay decisions. So the league this season is switching to high definition technology for its officials to use to review plays on the field.

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"As more people were getting high definition TV at home, they actually had a better view than the referee charged with making the decision," said Dean Blandino, the NFL's director of instant replay. "That could've bit us in the rear if we continued that."

HD systems have been installed in all but three stadiums and will be in use during the preseason. The three exceptions are due to the New York teams, Dallas and Indianapolis awaiting the opening of new facilities, which will have HD capabilities. For now, their current stadiums have HD hardware but not the signal, which means the image quality is better than before but not as good as in other cities — or in fans' homes.

This is the first time the NFL has upgraded its technology since reinstating instant replay in 1999.

"The biggest concern we've heard from referees is about the quality of the picture they were viewing," Blandino said.

That shouldn't be a problem anymore. The HD images are five times sharper than the previous standard definition system, according to Harris Corporation, which supplies the NFL's replay equipment.

Even without the clearer picture, referees would have an easier time seeing the video with the new monitors. The screens are bigger — 26 inches compared with 20 — and officials no longer have to view them from a set distance. Instead, they can stand closer or farther away if they choose.

But the greatest impact will come from the crisper images. The difference between standard and high definition is particularly stark for slow motion replays and freeze frames, said Rich Zabel, a vice president at Harris.

Not only will the HD systems allow refs to make better calls, Blandino said, but they'll have another effect fans can appreciate: quicker decisions.

About half of the situations that have been reviewed since 1999 involved whether a potential catch was complete or incomplete, Blandino said. He believes the new HD replays will help officials greatly with that type of call.

"What used to be, 'Is this foot in or out of bounds?'" Zabel said, "is now that you can see the blades of grass between the foot and the sideline."

Quinn has first practice - indoors By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer

Quinn has first practice - indoors By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
1 hour, 13 minutes ago



BEREA, Ohio - Thunder boomed and lightning danced above Browns headquarters Thursday afternoon. Moments later, Brady Quinn's first practice was moved out of sight from Cleveland fans eager to see him.

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In two days, Quinn has gone from holdout to rained out. The waiting goes on.

Heavy rains and a forecast for more wet weather forced the team to use its indoor facility on Thursday, further delaying Quinn's initial public workout since he signed a five-year, $20.2 million contract and reported to training camp.

Quinn missed 11 days and 16 practices before finalizing his deal, which could pay him $30 million if he reaches playing incentives. Quinn's first official day of practice was Wednesday, but that was closed to fans and media.

Shortly after the Browns shifted Thursday's two-hour session inside, Cook family members from Lima, Ohio, were turned back at the back-lot gates and slowly trudged back to their car dripping with disappointment.

"I was hoping to see Brady," said 11-year-old Andrew Cook, carrying an orange helmet and wearing a white No. 10 Quinn jersey under his see-through poncho.

He wasn't alone. Dozens of Browns fans tiptoed through puddles up and down Beech Street behind the club's suburban facility. Stormy weather caused the Browns to move three practices inside in the past five days.

With the team off Friday, Cleveland fans who are hoping Quinn can return the Browns to glory won't get to see the former Notre Dame quarterback until Saturday's exhibition opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Quinn isn't expected to get much playing time and will likely take only a few snaps in the fourth quarter.

Quinn was expected to compete with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson for Cleveland's starting job, but his holdout all but guaranteed he will begin the season as the Browns' No. 2 or No. 3 QB.

Currently, he's fourth on the depth chart behind Frye, Anderson and Ken Dorsey.

During his holdout, the Browns installed several phases of their new offense, so Quinn has a lot of catching up to.

On Wednesday, Quinn said he hoped Browns fans would forgive his tardiness. However, it may take a few of them a little while to get over his absence while agent Tom Condon did business with the Browns.

"I was a little upset with his agent trying to figure out what level of millionaire he (Quinn) wants to be," said Bob Cook, who brought Andrew, his wife, Lesley and daughter, Hailey, to camp. "I think Brady was getting frustrated, too. It hurt him. He had a chance to start. I don't think he's going to start now."

Bonds' gear en route to Hall of Fame By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer

Bonds' gear en route to Hall of Fame By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer
15 minutes ago



ALBANY, N.Y. - Barry Bonds' batting helmets, hand marked with #755 and #756 on the bills, arrived in New York on Thursday en route to Cooperstown.

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The helmet Bonds wore when he hit the home run that tied Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record and the one he was wearing Tuesday when he broke the mark were briefly displayed at Albany's airport on the way to the Hall of Fame. Fresh off a flight from San Francisco, Hall vice president Jeff Idelson pulled the helmets out of a wrinkled shopping bag to show reporters and a few travelers who poked their heads through the scrum of news photographers.

"It's history," said Bobbi Marchetti, a Lake George, N.Y., resident who was picking up her son from the flight.

Also displayed were plate umpire John Hirschbeck's ball-strike clicker, the score sheet used by San Francisco broadcaster Duane Kuiper, a ball signed by the umpiring crew and tickets from both games.

The items will go on display Friday in Cooperstown.

Idelson said Bonds has been gracious about donating memorabilia and expects more of his game-used items to make it to the Hall of Fame.

"He's promised that he'll send his uniform, probably when his career ends," Idelson said, adding that Aaron waited until retirement to donate the uniform he wore for home run No. 715.

In the interim, Idelson expects to receive lineup cards plus a base or home plate from the two games.

Already on their way to Cooperstown are a game-used baseball signed by the Giants' starting lineup and manager Bruce Bochy, and another signed by the Washington Nationals' starters and manager Manny Acta.

It's not clear if the Hall will land the home run balls, which were snagged by fans in the stands. Idelson has talked to the 33-year-old plumber from La Jolla, Calif., who has No. 755, but has not been able to reach the 21-year-old college student from Queens who has the record-breaking ball.

Hall of Fame officials have said they expect an increase in attendance because of new items from Bonds. It's not clear if the artifacts from the polarizing slugger will be viewed with the same reverence as items from Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Marchetti and her son Mike, a San Francisco resident and Giants fan, both said it was exciting to see the helmets. But they stopped short of saying they were fans of Bonds.

"I hope he hasn't misused his talent," Bobbi Marchetti said, "because he has plenty of it."

1982 Derby winner Gato Del Sol dies 24 minutes ago

1982 Derby winner Gato Del Sol dies 24 minutes ago



PARIS, Ky. - Gato Del Sol, the winner of the 1982 Kentucky Derby and the second-oldest living Derby winner, died at 28.

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The horse was euthanized Tuesday because of age-related infirmities, owner Arthur Hancock told The Associated Press.

"My life's dream was to win the Kentucky Derby and he realized that for me," Hancock said. "He was a sweet horse. He'd never bite or kick. It was really a fairy tale come true."

The Hancocks, in Saratoga for the horse sales, knew from their veterinarian that the horse had begun to rapidly deteriorate. Gato Del Sol was buried near the Hancocks' house at the Paris farm where he spent his retirement in a 2-acre paddock.

The oldest surviving Derby winner is now Genuine Risk, who in 1980 became only the second filly to win the race.

After his racing career ended, Gato Del Sol was put out to stud but didn't perform well in the U.S. Hancock sold him to a German breeder, hoping the horse would produce distance runners better suited for European grass racing. The horse didn't succeed there, either.

Eight years ago, Hancock's wife, Staci, feared Gato Del Sol could end up in an overseas slaughterhouse and insisted they bring their Derby winner home to live out his remaining years. The Hancocks spent $18,000 — $5,500 to buy him back and $12,500 to ship him home.

The investment proved fruitful, Hancock said, as people from across the globe came to visit the horse.

"It kind of legitimized Stone Farm, put us on the map," Hancock said. "He was a precious gift."

In 1982 Gato Del Sol, a gray horse trained by the late Eddie Gregson and ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, went off at 21-1 in the 19-horse Derby field and charged from last place to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Laser Light.

Hancock chose to skip the Preakness to wait for the Belmont Stakes, in which the son of Cougar II finished second. Gato Del Sol raced into his 6-year-old season before being retired with seven victories in 39 starts while earning $1.3 million.

Garcia gets early breaks for early lead By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer

Garcia gets early breaks for early lead By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer
29 minutes ago



TULSA, Okla. - The breaks certainly weren't going against Sergio Garcia to start the PGA Championship. Seeking a strong return to the majors after his heartbreak at the British Open, Garcia began the PGA with a string of three straight birdies Thursday to take the early lead at 3-under par through five holes, tied with Colin Montgomerie and Austrian Markus Brier.

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Tiger Woods opened his day with a birdie on No. 10 and was 1 under through three holes.

One shot behind the leaders was a big group including Retief Goosen, who won the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills, Ernie Els and 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem.

Three weeks ago, Garcia lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff at Carnoustie and caused quite a stir when he blamed fate, luck, the golf gods — basically everyone but himself — for losing the lead on the last day.

On Wednesday, he finally gave Harrington the credit he deserved for winning and said he was simply speaking from the heart after his disappointment.

"Yeah, I was emotional," he said. "I opened myself up to you guys, and I said what I felt. That's pretty much it."

Through five holes at steamy Southern Hills, it was apparent that he's still striking the ball well.

Wearing a white shirt and stoplight-red pants, Garcia just missed a putt on No. 10, which could be the easiest par-4 on the course, and his birdies came on Nos. 11, 12 and 13. No. 12, a 458-yard par-4, is considered by many, including Arnold Palmer, to be one of the toughest holes in major tournament golf.

Garcia is largely considered the Best Player to Never Win a Major, a title that could once be rightfully claimed by Montgomerie. Also starting on the back, Monty made three straight birdies on 12, 13 and 14 to pull into a tie with Garcia.

This tournament, of course, figured to be a long, grueling endurance test, with forecast highs around 100.

The hottest tournament ever? Maybe not.

"Singapore is probably the hottest I've been," Goosen said Wednesday.

OK, so maybe Singapore's hotter.

But a recent study published in Golf World magazine found that all six previous majors at Southern Hills were among the 25 hottest in history.

It figures this week could easily produce a long-lasting image — a la Ken Venturi staggering to the finish with heat exhaustion during the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional, or Montgomerie wearing dark pants and shirt during his U.S. Open playoff at Oakmont, or pre-buff Phil Mickelson uncomfortably schvitzing through the sauna that became Bethpage in 2002.

"I love playing in the heat for a couple reasons," said Mickelson, the three-time major champion who is now in much better shape to handle the elements. "It loosens the muscles in your body up. You're able to swing a lot more rhythmically and the ball flies a lot straighter because you don't have the resistance."

Mickelson had an afternoon tee time.

Woods, hoping to avoid his first majorless season since 2004, says other than drinking more water and changing gloves more frequently, heat is no big deal.

He opened the day by hitting his approach shot on No. 10 to 8 feet. Arriving at the green, he read the putt, transferred some sweat from his forearms to his pants, then stepped up and made it to get to red numbers right away.

An apparent misread on No. 11 cost him a chance at another birdie and a 12 footer for birdie on No. 12 slid just outside the cup.

Mariners beat Orioles; lead wild card By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer

Mariners beat Orioles; lead wild card By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
1 hour, 58 minutes ago



BALTIMORE - Jose Vidro homered and drove in four runs, Ichiro Suzuki had three hits, and the Seattle Mariners beat Jeremy Guthrie and the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 Wednesday night.

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Vidro hit a two-run homer in the first inning and added sacrifice flies in the fourth and sixth. He went 3-for-3, scored twice, and the four RBIs matched a season high.

Jose Guillen and Raul Ibanez also homered for the Mariners, who have won eight of 11. It was the third home run in two games for Ibanez, who had gone 31 games without one until Tuesday night.

With the win, Seattle took over the lead in the AL wild card race. The Mariners lead Detroit by percentage points, and New York by a half game. The Tigers and Yankees both lost Wednesday night.

Seattle has outscored Baltimore 18-7 in the first two games of the series that concludes Thursday. Suzuki has six hits in the two games, lifting his career batting average against Baltimore to .384.

Felix Hernandez (8-6) gave up four runs and 10 hits in 6 2-3 innings. The victory improved the 21-year-old's career record to 24-24; he hasn't been over .500 since Aug. 2, 2006.

J.J. Putz got the final four outs for his 33rd save in 35 chances. He got Ramon Hernandez to ground out with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning.

Miguel Tejada had three hits and his 1,000th career RBI, and Nick Markakis drove in two runs for the Orioles. Baltimore has lost three of four and six of nine.

Guthrie (7-4) allowed five earned runs and eight hits in four innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. The rookie's ERA swelled from 2.98 to 3.22, the highest it's been since May 13.

After yielding three earned runs in only one of his first 11 starts, Guthrie has done it in five of his last eight outings.

Seattle needed only seven pitches to take a 2-0 lead. After Suzuki hit a leadoff single, Vidro hit his fourth homer — the first since May 25.

Baltimore got a run in the bottom half when Corey Patterson tripled and scored on a single by Markakis.

After the Mariners scored an unearned run in the third, Baltimore pulled even in its half when Kevin Millar hit a run-scoring double and scored on a single by Tejada.

A sacrifice fly by Vidro and a two-run homer by Guillen made it 6-3 in the fourth. Ibanez homered to center on reliever Rob Bell's first pitch in the fifth inning, and Markakis hit a run-scoring groundout in the bottom half.

Notes:@ The game-time temperature was announced at 101 degrees. ... Guthrie has allowed 14 homers this season, four in his last two starts. ... Seattle OF Ben Broussard returned to the team after missing Tuesday's game to be his wife, who gave birth to the couple's second daughter Monday. ... The Mariners have been outscored 90-60 in the first inning this season.

Bonds hits No. 757 as Giants win 5-0 By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer

Bonds hits No. 757 as Giants win 5-0 By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
2 hours, 23 minutes ago



SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds wasted no time adding to his home run record: this time, with a two-run shot into the water for No. 757. It helped Bruce Bochy to his 1,000th managerial victory, too.

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Bonds hit a towering homer into McCovey Cove in the first inning of the San Francisco Giants' 5-0 win against Washington on Wednesday, one night after breaking Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record with his 756th.

Pitcher Matt Cain later hit his first career home run and overran first base before tapping his left foot on the bag and taking off on his trot, clearly having not paid close enough attention to Bonds' regular trips around the bases. Cain connected for the solo shot in his 112th at-bat and was the first Giants' pitcher to homer since Jason Schmidt on Aug. 7 last year at Arizona. It hadn't happened at home since Schmidt did it two years ago.

In his first at-bat since becoming home run king, Bonds sent a 1-1 pitch from Tim Redding into the bay beyond the right-field arcade, a 438-foot drive that was his 35th career splash hit and second this year.

When Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record with No. 71 in 2001, he homered again in his next at-bat to increase the record just like he did Wednesday. Bonds also connected in consecutive chances April 13 at Pittsburgh.

He received a warm standing ovation when he ran out to his spot in left for the first inning and tipped his hat and waved before blowing on his hands to get warm on another cool summer night in the Giants' ballpark by the bay when first-pitch temperature was 62 degrees.

Bonds smiled and nodded his head to some fans on his way to the on-deck circle in the first, then wasted no time adding to his record total.

Bonds finished the night 1-for-2 with a walk. He drew a six-pitch walk in the fourth — his 115th free pass, matching his total from 2006 — and grounded out to shortstop against a shifted infield in the sixth.

Bonds' 757 blast helped Cain (4-12) end a five-start winless stretch with his first victory since July 4 at Cincinnati, while Bochy became the 55th skipper in major league history to reach the 1,000 win mark. He is sixth among active managers.

Omar Vizquel and Bengie Molina added RBI singles for San Francisco, which played the eighth game in a stretch of 31 games in 30 days. The Giants have a makeup doubleheader Monday in Pittsburgh after a home weekend series with the Pirates.

Redding (1-3) became the 447th pitcher to surrender a home run to Bonds after Mike Bacsik served up the record-breaking solo drive a night earlier. Bonds hit his 23rd homer of the season, then tipped his cap when he came out in the top of the second to play left field.

Cain allowed three hits and struck out three in six innings. Jack Taschner retired six of seven hitters in two innings and Vinnie Chulk finished the four-hitter for the team's eighth shutout. Washington was blanked for the ninth time.

Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young left in the second inning because of tightness in his left hamstring. Young, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Nationals in late July, apparently hurt himself running out a routine grounder in the first.

Young, hitting .333, is hitless in six at-bats since hitting a home run in the 10th inning of Monday night's 3-2 loss to San Francisco. Robert Fick replaced him in the lineup.

Notes:@ The fan who retrieved Bonds' 757th ball, regular cove kayaker Martin Wong, was whisked away to have the souvenir authenticated. This was Wong's first ever Bonds ball. ... Felipe Lopez stole his 17th base in the first for the Nationals after a leadoff single. ... San Francisco drew 42,991 fans for its 31st sellout. The Giants have played in front of 29 straight sellout crowds, home and away (15 in San Francisco).

Jones: Steroid question could dog A-Rod By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer

Jones: Steroid question could dog A-Rod By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer
Wed Aug 8, 11:57 PM ET



NEW YORK - Chipper Jones predicted Alex Rodriguez will be the next player answering questions about steroids if he gets close to breaking the home run record.

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The Atlanta Braves star said Wednesday that A-Rod probably will face suspicions about steroid use — just as new home run king Barry Bonds has — because Jose Canseco recently hinted he has salacious information to disclose about Rodriguez.

"I don't doubt it," Jones said. "There's been a lot of validation to some of the things that Jose Canseco has said over the years. At first when it came out a lot of people didn't want to give him a lot of credit for it. But a lot of it has been proven true. Now, when he opens his mouth, people listen. And unfortunately, this cloud is following probably two of the best players of this century."

Canseco, who hit 462 homers during his 17-year major league career, attracted the attention of Congress in 2005 with an autobiography, "Juiced," that accused several top players of steroid use. They included Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, who later was suspended for violating baseball's steroids policy.

Canseco also admitted using steroids.

Last month, the 1988 AL MVP told WEEI-Radio in Boston that in an upcoming book he has "other stuff" on Rodriguez, the New York Yankees slugger who recently became the youngest member of the 500-homer club.

Canseco said A-Rod was a "hypocrite" and "was not all he appeared to be," according to ESPN.com. But Canseco wouldn't say whether A-Rod had used steroids.

Rodriguez has declined to comment.

"I think it will follow him," Jones said. "There's going to be the questions because his name's been brought up. If I had to pose a guess on A-Rod, I would say no. But I don't know. He's going to have to answer the questions. And that goes for everybody that approaches the number. It's just so farfetched, the numbers that those guys are putting up. And a lot of it comes from the era that they're playing in."

Bonds broke Hank Aaron's career mark with his 756th homer Tuesday night and insisted the record is not tainted. Asked what he thought, Jones said: "I'm going to reserve judgment. Let's put it that way."

"But it's unfortunate for the game that there is such a cloud hanging over it. Hopefully, everything will come out and Barry will be cleared and we can all say that Barry is the true home run champ and that there is no asterisk, there's nothing tainted," Jones said.

"There's nothing any of us ballplayers would want more, to be honest with you. Because I'm playing in the steroid era. Everything that I do is going to be judged. It's the same with a lot of good ballplayers that have put up a lot of good numbers in this era that did it the right way."

Jones, who hit a two-run double against the New York Mets on Wednesday night, also pointed to baseball's ongoing steroids investigation, led by former Senate majority leader George Mitchell.

"Time is going to tell for a lot of people, until this Mitchell investigation is complete. And it's not just (Bonds and Rodriguez), but they're the poster children because they are the two best players in the game, or have been. It's inevitable. It's just the way things are now," Jones said.

Alou's tiebreaking homer lifts Mets 4-3 By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer

Alou's tiebreaking homer lifts Mets 4-3 By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer
Wed Aug 8, 11:55 PM ET



NEW YORK - Moises Alou hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Billy Wagner escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the ninth to help the New York Mets edge the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday night.

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Wagner earned his 350th career save and extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings when slumping Andruw Jones grounded into a game-ending double play. Jeff Francouer bounced into a force play at the plate for the first out of the inning.

Shawn Green went 4-for-4 for the Mets, who beat Atlanta for only the fourth time in 11 meetings this season. Luis Castillo's broken-bat, two-run single off reliever Ron Mahay tied the score with two outs in the seventh.

By rebounding from a 7-3 loss Tuesday night, the NL East leaders increased their cushion over the Braves to 4 1/2 games. Atlanta had won three straight overall.

After a nifty pitchers' duel between fortysomethings John Smoltz and Orlando Hernandez, the Braves went ahead 2-1 in the sixth on a two-out, two-run double by Mets nemesis Chipper Jones. Mark Teixeira followed with an RBI single.

Wagner entered in the ninth with a 4-3 lead, but Chipper Jones and Teixeira hit consecutive singles before the closer walked pinch-hitter Chris Woodward, who was squaring around to bunt.

Francouer, on a recent tear, hit a grounder to third baseman David Wright for an out at the plate. Andruw Jones, struggling through a poor season and dropped to seventh in the lineup for the second time this season, then hit a grounder to Castillo at second for a tailor-made double play.

The victory preserved, Castillo did a jubilant little dance with shortstop Jose Reyes. It was Wagner's 26th save in 27 chances this year. He has not permitted a run in 19 outings since June 15.

After two long flyouts earlier in the game, Alou drove an 0-2 pitch from Rafael Soriano (2-3) over the left-field fence.

Aaron Heilman (7-3) worked a scoreless eighth for the win, becoming the first Mets pitcher to beat the Braves this season other than Oliver Perez.

Wright hit a sacrifice fly in the first off Smoltz, who left with a 3-1 lead. He was charged with three runs — two earned — and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Hernandez allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings. He didn't give up a hit until Brian McCann's leadoff single in the fifth.

Notes:@ The gametime temperature was 93 degrees, the highest at Shea Stadium since a 98-degree day on Aug. 9, 2001, against Milwaukee. ... Mets CF Lastings Milledge made an excellent catch on Chipper Jones' drive in the fourth inning. Milledge crashed into the fence with his left shoulder and tumbled to the ground, but held onto the ball.

It'll be hot finale at PGA Championship By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

It'll be hot finale at PGA Championship By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
Wed Aug 8, 11:58 PM ET



TULSA, Okla. - High noon at Southern Hills looked more like a ghost town. Wednesday before a major championship usually is bustling with activity, especially at the PGA Championship, the last chance for players to win a major until the azaleas bloom in April at Augusta National. But it's particularly quiet here, so quiet you could almost hear drops of sweat sizzling on the sidewalk.

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"My guess is a lot of guys are playing practice rounds at 4 a.m.," Paul Goydos said.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington was among the brave. He teed off shortly before noon to play 18 holes as the temperature climbed toward 100 degrees, and it looked even hotter with a flame shooting from the top of a refinery on the horizon. An elderly gentleman approached to say he was from Ireland, and Harrington looked toward the blazing sun.

"You're a long way from home," he said.

They are a long way from the gray skies and cold rain of Carnoustie, where Harrington won three weeks ago.

Heat figures to be as intimidating as anything defending champion Tiger Woods might do at Southern Hills, which has a history of hosting some of the hottest majors. Retief Goosen, who won the U.S. Open here in 2001, played nine holes and went through five bottles of water.

Not too many players went more than nine holes, if that much.

"I can't imagine anyone practicing a lot," Chad Campbell said. "You don't want to wear yourself out."

Woods stopped playing a practice round on Wednesday at the majors a few years ago, and he must have been especially glad to have changed his routine at Southern Hills. He arrived about 8 a.m. and hit balls for an hour before heading for the putting green.

The world's No. 1 player has one last chance to add a major to his collection this year, and there are mixed feelings about his chances. Woods has not played Southern Hills particularly well in two recent trips, although he points out that he was an emotional wreck in 1996 with his father in the hospital, and didn't know where the ball was going at the 2001 U.S. Open.

And while Southern Hills has a history of wire-to-wire winners, there is nothing about the Perry Maxwell design that tends to favor a particular style, whether it's long or short, great irons or great short games.

"If Tiger wins this week — if he can dominate on a golf course like this — then we're all done," Goydos said.

The Bermuda rough is only about 3 inches, deep enough that balls sink to the ground and can be hard to find, but not so much that players have no choice but to hack out onto the fairway. The greens are pure, but not linoleum slick like Oakmont.

The PGA Championship has earned a reputation in recent years as being the most fair major.

And given its spot on the calendar, the hottest major. That explained why it was so quiet on the eve of the final major.

Twenty minutes after Harrington teed off, the first fairway remained wide open. In recent years, the biggest problem with practice rounds at the majors is that they take up to six hours with so many players hitting putts and chips from every conceivable angle.

"There was no one ahead of us and no one behind us," Kevin Sutherland said after playing nine holes with Goydos. "We stood on the ninth green for five minutes telling stories and we never saw anyone in the fairway."

Even a quick practice round was no picnic. Sutherland was in the clubhouse when someone passed by and slapped him on the shoulder, only to look down at a hand dripping wet.

"Just got out of the pool," Sutherland told him.

For Stephen Ames, it brought back fond memories.

"I'm going to play nine holes and then find a nice mango tree," said Ames, who grew up in Trinidad & Tobago. "That's what we used to do on days like this. Find a nice mango tree and hit balls in the shade. We'd cut down the grass and hit balls. Very nice."

Not so nice was Darren Clarke's wardrobe on Wednesday, in which he surely borrowed a chapter from Colin Montgomerie on how not to dress when the temperature hits triple digits. Monty famously wore navy blue slacks and a shirt in the 1994 playoff at Oakmont. Clarke wore black pants and a black shirt.

"Weight-loss program," he said.

The heat is getting plenty of attention, and while it's true that players are going through bottles of water as frequently as John Daly goes through a pack of cigarettes, it is not terribly surprising.

The PGA Championship is in August. It's supposed to be hot.

The most recent exception was Whistling Straits in northern Wisconsin a few years ago, when it was so chilly in the third round that some fans brought Green Bay Packers jackets to the tournament. But it was stifling in Atlanta in 2001 and in New Jersey two years ago.

"Baltusrol was the worst," Sutherland said. "The cuffs of my pants were soaked because that's where the sweat was running."

Goydos pondered the heat during a breakfast of cantaloupe, bacon and a Danish — no need to check him for steroids — and wondered what everyone was expecting.

"If you come to Tulsa for the PGA and are shocked to find it too hot," he said, "you might need to find a new profession."

One only has to see the motorized fans, 50 inches in diameter, around most of the greens at Southern Hills. The tournament arranged for Precision Air Systems out of Pompano Beach, Fla., to deliver 21 of these massive fans for the PGA Championship.

They deliver air that is about 10 degrees cooler and will help keep the greens alive. The fans have been running 24 hours a day since Tuesday. Workers will remove them Thursday morning before the first round, replace them after the round and repeat the process until the PGA Championship has a winner.

"I wish they'd leave them on during the tournament," Rory Sabbatini. "And add some misting for us."