Sports News

SAN FRANCISCO - Pablo Sandoval finished with five RBIs and the San Francisco Giants rode a 10-run inning to an 11-6 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday, assuring the Pirates their 16th consecutive losing season.

MINNEAPOLIS - Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Dusty Ryan homered and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 on Sunday.

DENVER - Pinch-hitters Darin Erstad and David Newhan had back-to-back run-scoring hits in the eighth inning, lifting the Houston Astros to a 7-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

SEATTLE - Jose Lopez hit two homers, Ryan Feierabend went from idle to impressive and the Seattle Mariners sent the New York Yankees tumbling into fourth place with a 5-2 victory on Sunday.

ARLINGTON, Texas - David Ortiz hit his first home run in 20 games, Paul Byrd pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings to win his fourth straight decision and the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 7-2 Sunday to move within 1 1/2 games of the AL East lead.

SAN FRANCISCO - Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals took all the unpredictable fun out of an NFC West rivalry known for some of football's wackiest endings.

SAN DIEGO - Jake Delhomme came back with a jolt that the San Diego Chargers won't soon forget. Delhomme threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dante Rosaraio as time expired to lift the Carolina Panthers to a shocking 26-24 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

CLEVELAND - T.O. and his talented teammates were way too much for the Browns. Terrell Owens caught a 35-yard touchdown pass, Tony Romo effortlessly picked apart Cleveland's secondary, Marion Barber scored on a pair of 1-yard runs and the Dallas Cowboys opened a season they expect to end with a Super Bowl title by overwhelming the Browns 28-10 on Sunday.

BALTIMORE - Chad Johnson has changed his name, but his jersey remained the same Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco, but the NFL decided against allowing him to put his name on his jersey.

DENVER - The Denver Broncos signed linebacker D.J. Williams to a five-year contract extension Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing were among seven new members inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.

CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers signed center Lorenzen Wright on Friday to help offset the loss up front of forward Joe Smith.

Sporting News caught up with Todd Quinter, Olympics scout and Suns director of player personnel, to talk about his experience scouting the basketball overseas. Among the highlights: trying to find a proper meal in Nanjing, the atmosphere of the European game, and Rudy Fernandez is the real deal.

RYE BROOK, N.Y. - He was drafted more than 14 months ago, and even then he looked too old to be a first-year player, so it's easy to forget that Greg Oden is technically a rookie.

LOS ANGELES - LeBron James could be excused for his poor shooting from behind the arc, and for being blown out in a game of H-O-R-S-E with a warehouse worker in a beach exhibition. James was still floating in the clouds from his Olympic experience.

BARCELONA (AFP) - England's senior players, including David Beckham and John Terry, are attempting to quash any talk of revenge as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday that could begin to define the new Fabio Capello era.

BERLIN (AFP) - Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the organising committee for the 2010 World Cup, insisted Sunday South Africa "is on time" to host the tournament and dismissed rumours Germany could step in as a replacement.

ROME (AFP) - Midfield stalwart Gennaro Gattuso will miss Italy's World Cup qualifier against Georgia at Udine on Wednesday after injuring his wrist in training.

BARCELONA (AFP) - Fabio Capello has warned Croatia that England have no intention of playing for a draw in Wednesday's crucial World Cup qualifier.

LONDON (AFP) - Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Donadoni appear the frontrunners to take over from Alan Curbishley as manager of West Ham, but the club insisted Sunday there were no clear favourites as they confirmed a four-man shortlist.

A newly formed Russian hockey league accused the NHL of poaching two of its players when the Los Angeles Kings agreed to terms with two draft prospects last week.

DALLAS - Dallas Stars center Stu Barnes is retiring after 16 years in the NHL.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, keeping one of the club's best young players with the Sharks through the 2012-13 season.

DENVER - Patience paid off for the Colorado Avalanche, who signed Joe Sakic to a one-year, $6 million contract Wednesday after he decided to play a 20th season in the NHL rather than call it a career.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Scott Gordon faced a probing question in the time between accepting the job as head coach of the New York Islanders and his introductory news conference.

CONWAY, S.C. - Ryan Meyers turned a botched snap on a field-goal attempt into a 16-yard touchdown pass to Adrien Schriefer with no time left Sunday, giving Colgate a 23-19 victory over Coastal Carolina.

NEW YORK - East Carolina can't play the underdog role anymore. After opening the season by upsetting two ranked teams, the Pirates earned themselves a place in the AP Top 25 for the first time in nine years.

WASHINGTON - Kenny Mitchell had 68 receiving yards and a touchdown on two long catches in the fourth quarter, leading Georgetown to a 12-7 win against Howard.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was good early and even better late, enough to help No. 5 Florida snap a six-game losing streak against rival Miami. Tebow threw two touchdown passes, speedster Percy Harvin ran for a score and the Gators used a swarming defensive effort to beat the Hurricanes 26-3 Saturday night at The Swamp.

SEATTLE - Jan Jorgensen busted through the line and blocked Ryan Perkins' 35-yard extra-point attempt with 2 seconds left in regulation, and No. 15 BYU held on to a 28-27 win over Washington on Saturday.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Britain's Andy Murray advanced to his first Grand Slam final by stunning world number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer on Monday.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Britain's Andy Murray advanced to his first Grand Slam final by upsetting world number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer on Monday.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Zimbabwe's Cara Black completed a US Open doubles double title run here Sunday, joining South African-born American Liezel Huber in winning the women's doubles final.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams will have to wait until Sunday to meet in the US Open final with the added incentive of the WTA's world number one ranking on the line along with the final Grand Slam title of 2008.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Forecasts of rain for Saturday have prompted the US Tennis Association to schedule an earlier than normal start for the US Open men's semi-finals and make back-up plans for title matches.

ST. LOUIS - Camilo Villegas gave golf fans a real reason to pay attention to him — a trophy. A marketing dream with his model looks and stylish dress, Villegas won for the first time on the PGA Tour with three big putts on the back nine at Bellerive on Sunday for a wire-to-wire victory in the BMW Championship.

HELSINGOER, Denmark - Annika Sorenstam ended her pro career in Europe by finishing third Sunday at the Nykredit Masters.

The LPGA Tour's "mea culpa" didn't need much translation.

MEXICO CITY - Lorena Ochoa of Mexico says a new LPGA Tour policy requiring players to be effective in English starting in 2009 is a "little drastic."

NEW YORK - Chad Campbell lingered in the parking lot of a Dallas hospital as his wife waited inside to get the latest report on their first child, due to be born later this week.

HOUSTON - Local favorite Juan Diaz scored a close split decision in 12 rounds over Australia's Michael Katsidis for the IBO world lightweight title Saturday night.

BERLIN - Russian giant Nikolai Valuev won the WBA heavyweight championship Saturday night, using his left jab to outpoint American John Ruiz in an unanimous decision.

NEW YORK - Police say a promising New York City boxer is dead after being shot during a fight in the Bronx.

Oscar De La Hoya finally has an opponent for his farewell fight — only the Golden Boy's tantalizing matchup with Manny Pacquiao might not be his final bout after all.

CHICAGO - Jabir Herbert Muhammad, a longtime manager of boxer Muhammad Ali, has died following heart surgery. He was 79.

JOLIET, Ill. - Helio Castroneves won the race in the second closest finish in the history of the IndyCar Series, but it wasn't enough to stop Scott Dixon from taking his second championship.

RICHMOND, Va. - Jimmie Johnson has momentum on his side and history in sight.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Felipe Massa was declared the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting a corner during a late duel with world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

RICHMOND, Va. - Steady rain that began Friday night and expectations that it would continue through Saturday with Tropical Storm Hanna moving in forced NASCAR to postpone Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tony Stewart and Joey Logano will not be on probation in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after all.

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Skip Holtz followed his biggest coaching victory at East Carolina with an even more impressive one. Jonathan Williams had two short touchdown runs, quarterback Patrick Pinkney was nearly perfect and the Pirates routed No. 8 West Virginia 24-3 on Saturday for their third straight win over a ranked team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did. Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. 3 Ohio State before the Buckeyes righted things in the fourth quarter and went on to win 26-14 Saturday.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was good early and even better late, enough to help No. 5 Florida snap a six-game losing streak against rival Miami.

BALTIMORE - Chad Johnson has changed his name, but his jersey remained the same Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco, but the NFL decided against allowing him to put his name on his jersey.

NEW YORK - Ominous clouds overhead, the sort of hard court that troubled him this season underfoot, Roger Federer sensed something Saturday he hadn't in quite a while. He was playing exactly like that guy named Roger Federer.

NEW YORK - More than two out of three people worldwide tuned in for the Beijing Olympics.

The four American cyclists who arrived for last month's Beijing Games wearing black masks and were subsequently ordered to apologize for offending the host nation are seeking an apology from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

CHICAGO - The thought of wearing a skintight swimsuit in public makes many people cringe. But gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps said he wouldn't be surprised if he dons his Speedo when he hosts the Sept. 13 season premiere of "Saturday Night Live."

CHICAGO - Thousands of spectators cheered Olympic medalists Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Kobe Bryant on Wednesday as the city of Chicago got a high-profile boost to its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee is investigating the silver and bronze medalists in the men's hammer throw in Beijing for suspected doping offenses.