She credited describes UConn freshman displays Tiffany Hayes, who played suffocating defense " I couldn' t even breathe, I felt like " Kurz said " I mean I could get no easy shot off, so she definitely did a great job keying in on me " The Wildcats took 30 shots from behind the arc, making eight. Reyes added an RBI single with two outs and Lo Duca followed with a two- run single, making it 7- 2. Would he like to see Ramirez, who is unsigned, return " Why not " he said, though he knows it won' t happen But, Ortiz added " We' re going to be fine. Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of the tournament, liked the timing of the pitching pairing as he adjusted from the pressure of the WBC to spring training " Luckily today, going up against Kenshin- san on the other side gave me a change to get revved up " Matsuzaka said through an interpreter " When I' m going up against any Japanese player, whether pitcher or position player, I' m always keeping an eye out on what kind of game they' re going to pitch or how they' re doing in the batter' s box " With the designated hitter being used, Kawakami didn' t get to hit against Matsuzaka. The Heat went 2- 1 in their three games without O' Neal, who sprained his left knee Feb 22 against Chicago. If completed, the trade would be the NBA' s third blockbuster deal of the month. The game was tied at 50 at the half, but the 76ers dominated Detroit' s mix- and- match lineup in the third quarter, and built a 77- 70 lead.

Two of the league' s lowest- tempo offenses combined for a low- scoring first half, with New Orleans holding a 39- 37 advantage behind eight points and seven assists from Paul . Luis Matos and Melvin Mora hit successive home runs in the fifth inning and Miguel Tejada and Jeff Conine also connected for the Orioles, who hit an AL- low 14 homers during spring training " We basically have a veteran bunch of players, so they know what to do once the light switch goes on " hitting coach Terry Crowley said " I' m very happy with the outcome today " For good reason The Orioles batted 260 in spring training and went 14- for- 36 389) on Monday . We have to win enough to get in " Joel Zumaya pitched hitless ball for two innings and Todd Jones worked a scoreless ninth . Updated: October 21, 2005, 4: 37 PM ET Fans send rock' em, sock' em Astros off to Chicago Email Print Share Associated Press HOUSTON- Eulalia Torres' five children were born in Chicago, and she still has family in the Windy City . Uggla hit a bases- loaded, two- out single in the ninth inning to help the Florida Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 5- 4 Sunday for a doubleheader sweep " Any situation, any pitcher, any count, he is the guy you want at the plate right now " Wes Helms said " He' s about as locked- in as I' ve ever seen him " Tyler Walker( 2- 3) gave up a double to Helms to open the ninth, then gave way to Brian Wilson, who issued consecutive two- out walks. Upton homered on the right- hander' s first pitch of the game, and Gross added a two- run shot after the Boston starter walked Dioner Navarro in the fourth. The teams combined for 10 runs and 138 pitches in the first two innings, which took 74 minutes to play.

The Cavs got 14 of those points on seven dunks, including a spectacular alley- oop by James . Posey' s a personal friend, and I' ll be rooting for him- other than when they' re playing against us[ The Hornets] are getting a great leader, obviously a great 3- point shooter, but really a great leader on the floor " Getting Posey is a huge coup for the Hornets, who are coming off a breakthrough season and increasingly billed as a future power in the West with quality starters such as David West, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic surrounding face of the franchise Chris Paul . Howard, who scored 31 points against Memphis last week, made the crowd gasp a few times with thunderous dunks . The Irish led by as many as four five times in the closing minutes of this one, but a turnover with four seconds remaining led to Mooney' s last- second shot " Big leads are tough to play with " Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said " I don' t care who you are or where you are because then you' re protecting something, and they' re not . The only time he ever played in this ballpark was during the 2006 World Baseball Classic " It' s a great place to play and a great place to hit " Jones said after the game " You want to play a good team like the Angels and kind of strut your stuff. Thornton struck out six straight batters dating back to Monday. Portland took charge midway through the third period with a 10- point run after Delk hit a basket to pull the Hawks within 56- 54.

He went a combined 17- 19 his first two years with the Rockies, then was 2- 4 with a 7 90 ERA in seven games last season . He took a little off down over the plate, and I really got great extension on the ball and I was like` Man, if that doesn' t go out, I might have to consider hanging it up " Piazza said . Frank Francisco, 25, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault, Alameda County deputy district attorney Erin Kingsbury said . Detroit' s 4- 0 victory over the White Sox officially eliminated the Royals from the AL Central race with 35 games remaining . Marcus Thames hit his second homer in as many games for the Tigers, who lost for the first time in seven games. Reams of documents have been released since prosecutors dismissed the felony charge against the NBA star on Sept 1. He now has as many homers as he does singles this season# 8226& nbsp; J P.

It feels great to contribute " Houston manager Cecil Cooper said before the game that he didn' t think Bazardo was ready to start . Denver beat defending NBA champion Miami 123- 107 at home Friday night, then traveled to Texas after the game to take on the runner- up Mavericks " Anytime you play two teams like Miami and Dallas back- to- back, it' s going to be trouble " Anthony said " We knew it was going to be a test " Anthony credited the Mavericks' defense for his cold- shooting night " The shots I normally make I didn' t make " Anthony said . During the 1995 Stanley Cup final, Slava Kozlov of the Red Wings entered the zone from the left side of the ice In comes Stevens; down goes Kozlov Series over . Cashman said that estimate, which includes the surgery, is based on the initial doctors' reports and what other players with similar injuries had missed, according to the Daily News . 8 million payroll on opening day was the third- biggest in the NL, trailing the Mets and Dodgers. Capuano' s RBI single was the first hit by a Brewers pitcher this season. 5 and was placed on the injured list a week later, missing 24 games.

Even so, the Celtics improved to 32- 1 against teams with losing records . Police have said Reyes was not in a crosswalk and was rushing to catch a bus when he was hit " You got to send an ambulance right now, man " Stallworth told the 911 operator Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . Earlier this week, Saints GM Mickey Loomis had referred to the surgery as a microfracture procedure, while stressing that it wasn' t the most serious type of microfracture surgery " I wouldn' t want to call it minor, because he' s got a pretty significant period of rehab time " Loomis said earlier this week, according to The Times- Picayune " But at the end of it, he shouldn' t have any issues " Bush has had four minor injuries on his left knee and missed 10 of the Saints' past 20 games dating back to December 2007 . Jacoby played 11 seasons for Atlanta, Cleveland and Oakland, hitting 270 with 120 homers and 545 RBIs Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press . He also was pursued by Boston and the New York Yankees this offseason. Yahoo! Sports first reported Friday that Vick planned to enter a drug treatment program at Leavenworth. Updated: October 5, 2004, 3: 27 PM ET Torre carries 11 pitchers for ALDS Email Print Share Associated Press NEW YORK- Jason Giambi was dropped Tuesday from the New York Yankees' roster for their first- round playoff series against the Minnesota Twins.

Carroll told The Denver Post from his Florida home that he was comfortable in Denver and didn' t seek a trade " I never asked for that I want that on the record That' s not the type of player or person I am I know my role . Rucker helped Carolina reach the Super Bowl in the 2003 season and the NFC Championship Game in 2005, and he ranks second in the team' s 13- year history with 553 tackles and 55# 189; sacks, including a career- best 12 in 2003, and one Pro Bowl appearance . It was still three with 9 minutes to go before Carrem Gay' s 15- footer sent the Blue Devils on the 11- 0 burst " We did not defend and that' s the only way we score " Ryan said . Willy Taveras bunted for a single that extended his hitting streak to a club- record 26 games, and Adam Everett homered and drove in a pair of runs for the defending NL champions, who have lost 9 of 12 and are starting to feel desperation . Game notes Blue Jays OF Vernon Wells was a late scratch because of flulike symptoms. Negotiations to extend the deal began last summer after the 58- year- old Jackson decided he was well enough to continue coaching, but ended last week " I have no hard feelings at all " Jackson said before Wednesday night' s game in Houston " I actually think it' s the right move for them to make with all the free agents they have this summer " Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton are three of eight Lakers eligible for free agency after the season. Burrell' s second homer since signing with the Rays- ending a stretch of 33 games and 104 at- bats without a homer- ruined an otherwise strong performance for Joe Blanton( 4- 4, who struck out 10 while yielding two runs and six hits in seven- plus innings " On a night like tonight, when both pitchers are throwing like that, it' s whoever can put a crooked number on the board.

He took advantage of openings created by the Dallas strategy to double- and triple- team Stoudemire . 27 in Richmond and also faces possible prosecution on state charges . 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine That was just one controversy in Sapp' s career . Report: A- Rod Could Face Suspension- Andrew Marchand talks about the latest news in the Alex Rodriguez saga 5 . SportsCenter Top Plays- Dynamite dunks and delicious dishes? Got' em There' s also Alexander Semin taking it up a notch from his knees 12. He blew his previous two save opportunities " I' m pretty happy, but I still think I can do better " said Lidge, who allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts " In a one- run game, the save is all that matters " Houston, coming off its first back- to- back losses of the season, snapped Cincinnati' s winning streak at six games and improved to 8- 1 in one- run games. Arizona has banned alcohol in both clubhouses, which ruled out the traditional beer or champagne shower " They told me to pretend it was Cristal " said Hammel, who went 0- 6 last year.

Glavine' s 27 career wins against the Reds are the most for any active pitcher against Cincinnati Wright got his 20th stolen base of the season . Upton added a two- run drive off winner Brian Bruney, then rookie Evan Longoria connected against Bruney( 1- 0) for his first major league home run But Cano, who entered hitting . The Post said a potential trading partner for the Broncos is Jacksonville, which has the No 8 pick . Suzuki' s fifth- inning single gave him 255 hits, two shy of George Sisler' s 84- year- old major league record, and the Seattle Mariners sent the Athletics into second place in the AL West for the first time since Aug 5 with a 4- 2 victory Wednesday night Suzuki has four games remaining to get the record . Martinez' s first- inning homer was the 10, 999th in Indians franchise history. Matsuzaka was scheduled to fly to the United States on Wednesday and give a brief news conference at the airport. He signed a minor league contract with the Phillies on June 23, and made his National League debut six days later against the New York Mets Romero had a 1 24 ERA in 51 games with the Phillies.

While the Rangers hadn' t anticipated Danks being one of their starters this season, the left- hander won the final spot in the White Sox rotation during spring training . Wilson Wilson, a three- year veteran, was arguably the most consistent defender in the Giants' secondary last season and his coaches are expecting more from him in 2007 . He declined to take any questions about the vacancy, but acknowledged he interviewed for the job . Houshmandzadeh is missing another week of practice with a sore back, though Mora expects him to play again Sunday# 8226& nbsp; Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane could miss his second consecutive game because of a calf injury . Francona pulled catcher Jason Varitek and first baseman Youkilis after four innings Right fielder J D Drew left with tightness in his lower back after three. The third- round draft pick out of Stanford went 22- of- 28 for 234 yards passing with a touchdown and interception, helping the Bills produce a season- high in yards passing yards( 304, first downs( 19) and points Edwards' 78. Updated: January 1, 2009, 9: 49 AM ET Mayo is AP' s top defensive rookie Comment Email Print Share Associated Press NEW YORK- Jerod Mayo firmly answered everyone who criticized the New England Patriots for taking him with the 10th pick in April' s draft by winning The Associated Press 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award] EnlargeAl Pereira/ Getty ImagesJerod Mayo( center, seen making a goal line stop on the Jets' Thomas Jones this season, led the Patriots in tackles as a rookie.

At this point, Leyland thinks his starting shortstop will be healthy for the season opener, but he' s not 100 percent certain . Andruw Jones, who hit his first homer of the year on Tuesday, drove Ryan Wagner' s pitch deep into the left- field seats to make it 5- 0 the seventh . Cameron was doubled off second base by Nady to end the third when he lingered on the basepaths after Prince Fielder flied out Braun is hitting 404( 19- for- 47) in his past 11 games . But after botching his third save opportunity in four games, Capps was determined to make amends in the 10th " I wanted it Whatever the situation . Weaver' s only mistake was a home run to Aaron Hill in the fourth " The Blue Jays had been swinging the bats exceptionally and for him to come in there and hold them to a run and go the distance, it was pretty impressive " Angels catcher Jeff Mathis said. The Rays also trail Texas by 2 1- 2 games in the wild- card race " They play us tough. Cartwright said after the boat passed the safety checkup, Benson was asked to board the LCRA craft for a sobriety test.

Alou, who spent the past two seasons with the Giants, was back in the lineup for the first time since Thursday after recovering from soreness in his left knee He went 0- for- 4 with a walk . Slumping right fielder Jay Bruce entered in the bottom of the ninth . After a five- run, two- out rally by the Tigers in the sixth against starter Scott Baker, Minnesota' s bullpen held up . The Brewers are 5- 0 against them this season " There' s not much you can say, they' ve had our number and you try to put that in the past, but then they' ve beat us every time this year " Freddy Sanchez said " You can' t say much about it- just try to get them the next time " The superstitious Brewers barely discussed the streak " What do I think of that? We' re going to Cincinnati[ to play Wednesday " manager Ken Macha said . In the third, they put runners on first and third with one out, but Ortiz struck out and Mike Lowell bounced weakly to first after Bay walked to load the bases. The last year of the contract is a player option, according to agent Doug Neustadt Neustadt declined to give financial details of the deal Diener, a two- year veteran, averaged 3 8 points and 1 3 assists in 11 minutes per game for the Magic last season Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider. Yao is gone until at least mid- February and faces his third injury rehab in a year.

Tiger Woods sat a few feet from the court, tapping his foot and swaying his shoulders to the booming arena music . Game notes The Devils went 4- 1 on their annual Thanksgiving road trip . Sabean, 48, received 16 votes from 60 baseball executives to win the award . Purdue countered with a three- point play by Rayburn before Wisdom- Hylton' s jumper inside cut the deficit to one . Kansas City' s Bo Jackson was the last to do it in September 1988. He will be examined Monday in Atlanta before the Braves play the Angels, though Cox said Jones won' t play that night " He' s been playing through some pain and, out of your leader, that' s what you want " teammate Ryan Langerhans said of Jones, who was hitting in the. I love motorcycles " Kent said with a smile before Friday' s workout at the Dodgers' spring training complex.