Garcia Coach unveils Jon Gruden imparts said he was optimistic that Garcia, who missed part of training camp with a similar injury, will be able to play. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him this morning and tell him that I love him. LOUIS- Quarterback Tony Romo, who has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand, dressed as the Dallas Cowboys' backup behind 40- year- old Brad Johnson on Sunday. Everything went well " Luis Terrero gave Chicago a 3- 1 lead in the fourth with a long three- run homer to left, and Tadahito Iguchi added an RBI single in the sixth. Updated: December 4, 2006, 2: 10 PM ET Players rumored to throw games; league investigating Email Print Share Associated Press SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic- Dominican baseball officials were investigating rumors that players on a winter league team took money to throw games, the league president said Monday. But in the great court of public opinion, and in that lesser but nonetheless powerful court of baseball writers who vote for the Hall of Fame, he has been pronounced guilty by a split decision " I think people have made their minds up on everything, no matter what the story is, whether it' s right or wrong " says Clemens' former teammate, Craig Biggio, who probably is headed to the Hall of Fame himself " Everybody has really forgotten all the good things that he' s done " No, Clemens' seven Cy Young Awards and his history of good works haven' t been part of the conversation. Gregg Zaun hit a leadoff homer in the ninth Toronto off Todd Jones.

Fortson was not made available to the media Wednesday, but the eight- year veteran believes he' s being unfairly targeted by officials " It was pretty bad before, but it was no where near as bad as it is now, where you get technicals for smiling, get thrown out of games for no reason " Fortson said recently " It' s tough to go through that every day " Fortson was whistled for a technical foul in the first half and a flagrant foul in the second half of Tuesday night' s 110- 107 overtime loss to Golden State . The Diamondbacks won their second straight game after having dropped nine of their previous 10 . That$ 68 million, eight- year deal was closed in a rush because the Redskins wanted to beat a deadline for salary- cap purposes- and Arrington and Poston later said the team bilked him out of a$ 6 5 million bonus . Overall, the official price for 17, 000 suite and club seats will be$ 1, 000 each . But they' re said to be less than optimistic about matching up with the Devil Rays and unsure whether Byrnes would provide the kind of production they' re looking for. All four of Pujols' two- homer games this year have come on a Sunday. Scot Shields pitched a hitless eighth and Rodriguez got three outs in the ninth, striking out pinch- hitter Ryan Garko with the tying run at second " Don' t get me wrong.

Hopefully, we' ll have time to grow, but right now we are in a tense situation " The Nets( 25- 32) are clinging to a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with 25 games left in the regular season Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . The last time they won 18 road games in a season was 1996- 97# 8226& nbsp; Jonathan Toews has seven points in his last three games( 4 goals, 3 assists# 8226& nbsp; The Panthers were shut out for the first time since a 4- 0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Dec . There has been speculation Mora' s job security is tenuous, and owner Arthur Blank recently told the Atlanta Journal- Constitution that an 8- 8 record and a non- playoff year were not acceptable . Chiefs fans are the finest in all of professional football " Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . Josh McDaniels bio# 8226& nbsp; Won three Super Bowls in eight seasons with Patriots# 8226& nbsp; Patriots offensive coordinator/ QB coach since 2006# 8226& nbsp; Patriots set NFL records for points, TDs scored in 2007# 8226& nbsp; Will be 12th head coach in Broncos history McDaniels began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, working under head coach Nick Saban. Reyes had a run- scoring single that chased Marquis in the sixth and scored on Delgado' s groundout. A day after hammering out a season- high 20 hits in a 12- 2 win over Oakland, the Twins managed only six singles and one extra base hit while losing for the sixth time in their last eight games.

Bochy tinkered with his lineup again, moving Fred Lewis into the leadoff spot, Winn to No 3 and Sandoval to No 6, all for the first time this season The Giants have won their first two home series The Diamondbacks are hitting . Updated: February 22, 2008, 11: 36 AM ET Wolves get Snyder, 2010 pick, cash from Rockets for Green Comment Email Print Share Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS- Gerald Green got his wish Thursday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves trading the 2007 slam dunk champion to the Houston Rockets for guard Kirk Snyder, a second- round draft pick in 2010, and cash considerations . Towers allowed six runs and seven hits in four- plus innings in his second start for Toronto since being recalled from the minors last Sunday " It' s trying " Towers said " I' m still trying to get these guys out in the major leagues . But the Orioles left the bases loaded, as did the Devil Rays in the top of the inning Both teams scored twice in the fourth Singles by B J . Willis said Girardi has played a role in the Marlins' surprising success " Skip is doing a great job of keeping us humble and poised " Willis said " I love the job he is doing " Before the latest victory, Loria declined to endorse Girardi' s work in his first year as manager. Detroit still has the best record in the AL but has lost 19 of 28 games. The 41- year- old lefthanded slugger, who heard from the hecklers all night, drew an intentional walk in the first and singled to right field in the fourth.

Youkilis made it 4- 0 with his two- run shot in the fourth after Lowell led off with a double . He intends to use Gasol in the post " He' ll have to do all the things we count on in the NBA for centers . They even signed former Atlanta defensive tackle Grady Jackson to a one- year contract last week . Runyan was so sure it would be better for the Eagles to run out the clock rather than score and risk a freak comeback, he pursued his running back downfield on the play, yelling the whole time " I looked back and I saw all 6- 7 or 6- 8 of him running toward me saying' Get down " Westbrook said " So, I got down " Eagles coach Andy Reid credited Westbrook' s Villanova education for the decision to stop short of the goal line, but at least some credit should go to- in the words of Bo Schembechler- a Michigan Man " They were going to let us score to get the ball back, so I suggested this because then they won' t get it back " Runyan said " In a crazy game like this, you never know, you are a long kickoff return or a crazy play and an onside kick away from possibly losing the game " Reid admitted Monday that Runyan is " a smart guy " but said he was more impressed that Westbrook- who isn' t really programmed to throttle down in the open field- was able to listen to his tackle' s advice " Whether Jon Runyan was making the call or not, for a running back to execute it and understand what' s being said when you' re going in for a touchdown is something else " Reid said " Sometimes it' s hard to get a guard and a tackle to communicate, let alone a running back who' s 15 yards down the field to listen to his offensive tackle " he said . When I return to the lineup, I' ll be happy again " Sosa has been on the disabled list since May 16 because of a sprained ligament in his back, brought on by two violent sneezes. as well as provide a great veteran presence " Sabean hopes Bonds and Alou can play at least 120 games each. The Red Sox have talked in the past about deals built around either pitcher Jon Lester or center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Eveland then hit Paul Konerko leading off the fourth and walked Joe Crede before Quentin, in a 2- for- 17 skid, turned on a belt- high fastball . I wasn' t sure if it was going to get out and it fought through the rain " Kennedy gave up two more runs in the sixth . Updated: May 9, 2006, 11: 20 PM ET Fourth- quarter comeback gives hope to Cleveland Email Print Share Associated Press AUBURN HILLS, Mich- The Cleveland Cavaliers finally showed up in the second round of the NBA playoffs- seven quarters too late . Rafer Alston was fouled and hit two free throws for the final margin . Bell said Sweeney will continue his rehab assignment through the weekend with Triple- A Omaha and that his progress will be reevaluated on Monday, a day off for the Royals. Greg Dobbs hit a two- run homer off Mike Pelfrey( 13- 9) and the Phillies took the opener of a crucial series between the top teams in the division. Fast Facts# 8226& nbsp; The Indians tied a season high with a seven- run eighth inning, helping Cleveland snap a 10- game losing streak# 8226& nbsp; The 13 runs allowed were the most allowed by the Rays all season# 8226& nbsp; With the loss, the Rays dropped their fourth straight game for the second time this season- ESPN Research " It feels pretty good- a lot better than what we had been doing.

He appeared in 11 playoff games for the Pistons last season and recorded eight steals Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN . Since the timeline for those two players to return is unknown, the rest of the bench knows it will have to step up " Manu and Brent are huge offensive weapons off the bench " said Matt Bonner, who scored 12 points " So I wouldn' t say it adds pressure on us but it definitely makes things easier if other guys off the bench can come in and provide a lift on offense " The Bulls, though, had issues of their own . Smith, TE; Tony Moll, OL Broncos at BengalsDenver: QB Tom Brandstater, S Josh Barrett, DT Chris Baker, OT Brandon Gorin, OLB Jarvis Moss, DE Le Kevin Smith, WR Brandon Lloyd, guard Chris Kuper Cincinnati: Scott Kooistra, OL; Frostee Rucker, DE David Jones, CB; DeDe Dorsey, RB; Jerome Simpson, WR; Jordan Palmer, QB; Chase Coffman, TE; Tom NelsonCowboys at Bucs Dallas: Stephen McGee, Mike Hamlin, Jason Williams, Montrae Holland, Duke Preston, Pat McQuistan, Kevin Ogletree, Curtis Johnson Tampa Bay: Josh Freeman, E J . Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers were honored Wednesday with the Hank Aaron Award, which goes to the top offensive player in each league . And I certainly know they' re two proud individuals that only like to do the right thing. Betemit, a switch- hitter, also played for the Braves and Dodgers In 496 games over six seasons, he has batted 260 with 42 homers Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. Updated: April 21, 2008, 3: 56 PM ET Dimitroff says other teams have contacted Falcons about draft pick Comment Email Print Share Associated Press FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga- Thomas Dimitroff faces a crucial decision Saturday with the Atlanta Falcons holding the third pick in the NFL draft.

I' m not going to be throwing shutouts out there, so we' re going to have to score some runs and play some good defense " Redman( 3- 4) struck out one and walked three . Louis Cardinals 16- 8 Wednesday night " I was wondering why that wasn' t a hit " Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said " That was a hit He cleanly beat that out . Cassell sat out Saturday' s practice, hoping rest would help alleviate the pain that sent him to the bench in the third quarter of Game 1 " Crying isn' t going to make it better " Cassell said Saturday " I just have to continue to do what I can do when I' m out there " Cassell, playing in obvious pain, scored 16 points in 32 minutes Friday before heading to the bench for good with 1: 27 remaining in the third quarter . Game notes This was the seventh 1- 0 game in the history of Tropicana Field, and the first this season . I got ahead of them, and when I had a chance to put them away, I did " When you' re in the bullpen, you' ve got to slam the door any way you can " he added " I had to come up big in that eighth inning. Damir Markota scored 13 and four other players were in double figures Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. That' s a trap that young players fall into and one he' s got to stay away from " Hurdle gave Jennings every opportunity to pick up a win, letting him pitch into the seventh.

I thought it was just a wonderful, first- time- back outing . But three members of the Toronto Blue Jays organization that season, including two trainers, said they did not recall Clemens having an abscess in 1998, the newspaper reported . I knew he would break out of that drought eventually the way he crushed the ball " After Donnie Murphy hit his first homer of the season, a two- run shot in the ninth off Darren Oliver to make it 6- 4, Francisco Rodriguez got one out for his 26th save in 29 chances . Duncan had a two- run double in a three- run fourth that put the Cardinals ahead 5- 1 . San Antonio then won Games 5 and 6 en route to winning the championship " If we get this one, it takes a lot of wind out of their sails " San Antonio' s Tim Duncan said of Game 3 " We have to know the crowd is not going to be there for us. He looks at it as a way to expand his game " If we' re a couple of runs down or we need to get something started, I' m going to do whatever it takes to help " he said " I figured out I' m a pretty good bunter if I just stay there and bunt instead of trying to run to first before I bunt " Not many third- place hitters have bunting in their bag of tricks, especially one who knocked in 130 runs last year. Glaus finished in the top 10 among NL third basemen in RBIs, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage last year He set a Cardinals team record for fielding percentage 982) by a third baseman, a mark that led the league Glaus has a career batting average of.

Cleveland also was without guard Larry Hughes( bone bruise, left leg, forward Donyell Marshall( sprained right wrist) and forward Cedric Simmons( sprained left ankle . Eric Staal had his team- leading 18th goal, Anton Babchuk also scored on the power play and Tuomo Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov had two assists apiece for the Hurricanes . A 50- second amateur video posted with a news story on The Miami Herald' s Web site shows emergency workers tending to Reyes and a police officer giving Stallworth a field sobriety test, scanning the air with a laser pen in front of the receiver' s face " Oh, no they not? They not saying nothing' s wrong with you " a man can be heard asking at the beginning of the video . The former catcher grew up in Tampa, Fla, where the Reds used to hold spring training, and signed with the Reds in 1980 . Buchholz( 1- 1) retired his first nine batters before hitting Duffy on the foot with a pitch in the fourth. Challenging might be a more apt adjective, especially with Brown saying " they must have seen something in my side sessions. Ramirez led off with a double and scored on Nixon' s single.

Updated: November 26, 2004, 3: 19 PM ET Team adds police by bench Email Print Share Associated Press TORONTO- A threat made against Toronto Raptors guard Vince Carter caused the team to increase security at Wednesday' s game against the New York Knicks . He sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of Sacramento' s win over Denver on Tuesday night, hobbling through the final minutes . Nowitzki had a shot to win the game for Dallas, but his 3- pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim with the game tied at 102 " Our guys were battling We were rebounding We were getting after it . They don' t mind cooperating with the league, but it can' t be done at all costs " Training camps open in two weeks, the first preseason game is scheduled for Oct 1 in Utah . I' m definitely aware of concussions and what it could possibly do to my future. Vilma was arrested last month during a traffic stop in Miami on charges that included resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, but prosecutors agreed this week to drop the charges after he agreed to give to charity and clear up outstanding tickets John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN The Associated Press contributed to this report. The 24- year- old Aybar was expected to be a key backup for the Braves last season, but he injured his right hand, reportedly battled substance abuse problems and wound up missing the entire year.

RHP Brad Ziegler, who is playing for Team USA, is the only A' s player left in the WBC . reaches the final, he could go up against Argentina' s Sanchez, who is 5 inches taller, or Spain' s Jose Calderon, who plays for the Toronto Raptors Paul isn' t worried about facing more experienced players . The left- hander, who has won four straight starts at home, wound up allowing three runs and five hits over 7 1/ 3 innings " If he can keep that going, there' s no telling what can happen " Rays center fielder B J Upton said . After reaching first, Giambi clapped his hands in excitement as the crowd followed suit . As part of another throwback night, the Rockets wore their red and yellow uniforms from the 1970s The Cavs wore their usual white home uniforms. The Celtics shooting star even had to take an overnight flight from Los Angeles after spending time with him at a hospital. The no- goal was confirmed by video replay and induced a disgusted spit from Crosby on the bench.

The Royals have needed both an outfielder and a run producer since failing to keep free agent Raul Ibanez, who signed with Seattle after hitting . Roberts started at third, batted ninth and went 0- for- 3 with a strikeout . Nearly one year to the day of Webber arriving from Sacramento in a trade, he enjoyed one of his finest games of the season, making 10 of 16 shots from the floor . But NBA officials have said the 80- person staff in China is set to grow five times in the next several years with increased revenues sure to follow . A call seeking comment from Gillette was not returned Monday " Gillette told me to pick out an organization " to help, said Damon, whose shaving will take place May 21 in Boston. Vizquel singled to tie it before Vizcaino struck out pinch- hitter John Bowker to end the inning Hernandez gave up five hits and four runs in 5 1/ 3 innings He didn' t strike out a batter and walked two Game notes Former Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr was in attendance. I can pick their brains at any time " By making the trade, Chicago saves about$ 18 million under the salary cap.