NHL's Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg

The NHL will return to Winnipeg next season, 15 years after shaky economics and the lack of a local owner led to the sale of the Jets and the team's move from the frigid prairie city to Phoenix.

Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday that the Atlanta Thrashers had been sold to True North Sports and Entertainment and will play in Winnipeg's MTS Arena next season under a name still to be determined. The reported price was $170 million. The transaction must be approved by the league's Board of Governors on June 21, but that's expected to be a formality.

Realigning the NHL's divisions is also expected to be discussed by the governors, but it's unclear whether that will happen for next season. Atlanta, which entered the NHL as an expansion team for the 1999-2000 season, played in the Southeast Division. The NHL usually announces its schedule in June for the upcoming season.

"We get to be back in a place we wish we hadn't left in 1996," Bettman said at a news conference held in Winnipeg and televised throughout Canada. "We don't like to move franchises. Sometimes we have no choice."

Fans in Winnipeg partied on downtown streets, where they watched the news conference on massive TV screens. A name for the team has not been chosen, although popular sentiment seemed to be in favor of reviving the Jets name, abandoned when that team moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes.

The Thrashers, the NHL's second venture into the Atlanta market, made the playoffs only once. In a statement posted on the Thrashers' website, Atlanta Spirit executives Bruce Levenson and Michael Gearon said they had tried to find buyers who would keep the team in Atlanta, but "nobody has come forward."

Astros 12, Cubs 7: An absolute breeze for the offense

Hunter Pence sounded at the end of the game like you might after a great first date or after you’ve discovered a hidden gem of a restaurant.

“We need to do this more often,” Pence said.

Indeed. The Astros put an end to a frustrating first third of the season, using 16 hits including four home runs to cover up some messes in other phases of the game and blast the Chicago Cubs 12-7 on an ideal hitting day at Wrigley Field.

Every starter had a hit as the offense erased a shaky performance from both starting pitcher Aneury Rodriguez and the defense in the first four innings. Aided by several misplays in the sun-soaked cheap nfl jerseys outfield, Chicago built a 6-3 lead in a game and was cruising toward winning a game that appeared to be first-to-21 with the win blowing out.

But Michael Bourn tripled and scored on Clint Barmes’ second home run of the season in the fifth inning. Then Hunter Pence found a similar spot in left-center field for his seventh home run of the year and the Astros’ first set of back-to-backs since last May.

And after Sergio Escalona began what was a much-needed tremendous day for the bullpen with a scoreless fifth in relief of an ineffective Aneury Rodriguez, J.R. Towles homered down the left field line to give the Astros a lead they would build on rather than lose.

“Barmes was the big hit to wake us up,” Pence said. “Once he put us within one, then we just never stopped from there.”

They need to do this more often.

It was just win No. 20 in the first 54, putting them on pace for a 60-102 record, but it featured season highs in hits, home runs and with nine, extra-base hits.

“It’s been a rough year, and it’s not been easy,” Barmes said. “It’s been really hard to go out every day and grind through some of the losses that we’ve taken. I think there’s a lot to be said for the guys in this clubhouse who expect to win, and we’re in games every day.

“It was definitely a game that was needed for us.”

As much as the offense revitalized in the opener of the three game set, the bullpen may have needed it more.

Enerio Del Rosario was the star out of the bullpen, retiring the first five batters in the Cubs order on the brutal day for pitching – both with the wind and with outfielders constantly battling the sun. None of those five hit the ball in the air, and after a single from the injured Alfonso Soriano’s mid-game replacement Blake DeWitt, Del Rosario got a soft liner from Tony Campana to end the seventh.

Wilton Lopez tossed a scoreless eighth with some good defense behind him, and Mark Melancon gave up a run in the ninth as the Astros conceded two bases for outs after a leadoff double.

“You walk out with the heat and the wind blowing out, and you knew that it might be a long one, and sure enough it was,” manager Brad Mills said. “And that makes it even more impressive what our bullpen was able to do.”

By the time Melancon was in there, they could afford to shrug over one run. The Astros got a pair in the top of the seventh on a key error on Brett Wallace’s grounder and a Chris Johnson double. And that lead grew to six at its apex when Jeff Keppinger put an end to any drama for a dwindling crowd of Chicagoans and rapidly growing crowd of gulls with a three-run shot in the ninth.

It was Keppinger’s first since returning from the disabled list and gave him three hits on the day, joining Bourn and Pence in that category. Every starting position player had a hit with Lee and Johnson contributing two apiece.

“Everybody was contributing and getting big hits in big situations,” said Towles, whose go-ahead shot was certainly among the biggest.

They need to do that more often.

Federer sets quarter-final record at French Open

Roger Federer set yet another record by reaching the French Open quarter-finals Sunday, and Novak Djokovic closed in on a pair of his own.

Federer extended his quarter-final streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka.

“Twenty-eight quarter-finals in a row, that's great,” Federer said. “But that's another opportunity for me to go one step further.”

Shortly after Federer's match on Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic maintained his perfect season and stretched his overall winning streak to 43 matches by beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

“I'm definitely playing the best tennis of my life,” Djokovic said, “and I'm trying to stay focused on each game and we'll see how far I can go.”

Federer and Djokovic could meet in the semi-finals.

Also Sunday, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova knocked out the highest seeded player remaining in the women's draw, beating No. 3 Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. Defending champion Francesca Schiavone later advanced by defeating No. 10 Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Federer, a 16-time major champion who completed a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2009, improved on the mark he shared with Jimmy Connors. The last time Federer failed to reach the quarterfinals at a major was at the 2004 French Open, when he was the top-seeded player but lost to Gustavo Kuerten in the third round.

Federer again dominated with his serve Sunday. He was broken once early in the third set, but broke back twice to remain one of four players to have won every match in straight sets.

“I was playing with the wind against me, and it was a bad game because all of a sudden there was more wind, and I had the feeling that I was playing against the wind and not against Stan,” Federer said of the third set. “So in the end I made wrong decisions.”

Federer also beat Wawrinka, his Davis Cup teammate, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. In 2008, the Swiss pair teamed up to win the doubles gold at the Beijing Olympics.

“In the third set I had a few openings, and if I had managed to serve a little better and hold on to my break, maybe anything could have happened,” Wawrinka said.

Besides his record 16 major titles, Federer also set a record of 23 straight Grand Slam semifinal appearances. That run ended at last year's French Open, when he was beaten in the quarter-finals.

Federer set his quarter-final streak in 28 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, while Connors skipped some in his run.

In the next round, Federer will face either No. 7 David Ferrer or No. 9 Gael Monfils.

Djokovic is 41-0 in 2011, including a pair of clay-court final wins over top-ranked Rafael Nadal. If he beats unseeded Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals, he will match John McEnroe's record for the best start to the season.

“To beat him you need to produce the perfect match and not make any mistakes. You need to play like Nadal, hit the ball really strong, to make him run. But only a few guys can beat him at the moment,” Gasquet said. “Even Nadal struggles to organize his game when he plays against him.”

With three more wins, Djokovic will equal Guillermo Vilas' overall Open era record of 46 consecutive wins.

“Actually, I think I'm playing really well at this moment,” said Djokovic, whose winning streak dates back to last year's Davis Cup final. “And this match today I think I even increased a level since the last match, which makes me even happier.”

Fognini, the first Italian to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros since 1995, overcame a cramping left leg and five match points to defeat Albert Montanes of Spain 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9.

The third-seeded Zvonareva followed No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 2 Kim Clijsters out of the tournament after losing to Pavlyuchenkova, at 19 the youngest player still in the tournament. Wozniacki and Clijsters both lost in the third round.

No. 4 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus is now the highest seeded player left.

“I don't really want to comment on this, because, well, it's not of my business,” Pavlyuchenkova said. “I'm just trying to do my thing, focusing on me. ... The rest, I don't really care.”

It is only the third time that none of the top three seeded women has reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, which began in 1968, and the first time at the French Open. It also happened at Wimbledon in 2008 — when the top four were eliminated by the end of the fourth round — and at the Australian Open in 1997.

Zvonareva reached the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals last year and the Australian Open semifinals in January. She saved two match points in the final game against Pavlyuchenkova before hitting a forehand long on the third.

The fifth-seeded Schiavone reprised her postmatch ritual from 2010 after beating Jankovic, kneeling down and giving a kiss to the clay court.

Jankovic's loss means she will fall out of the top 10 in the WTA rankings released after the tournament ends. She's been there since February 2007, the longest active stay in the top 10.

Marion Bartoli also reached the quarter-finals. The 11th-seeded Frenchwoman advanced when Gisela Dulko retired with an injury while trailing 7-5, 1-0.

Dwyane Wade downplays injury concerns entering Finals

His numbers might be hurting, but guard Dwyane Wade continues to stress that he is not ailing beyond the grind of a season about to enter its eighth month for the Miami Heat.

Not nearly as dynamic with his productivity since diving into the stands on the final play of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, Wade finished the conference finals against the Chicago Bulls averaging 18.8 points on .405 shooting, after averaging 30.2 points on .526 shooting a round earlier against Boston.

Wade had a heating pad on his left shoulder prior to Thursday's 83-80 series-clinching victory at the United Center, with the team's training staff working on the shoulder during timeouts.

"I had shoulder surgery before," he said, noting it is discomfort that never completely dissipates. "Every now and then I have to try to keep it loose."

Coach Erik Spoelstra refused to bite when asked if there were any injury specifics with Wade.

"As far as the injuries, that's just a competitive series," Spoelstra said of the 11-day grind against the physical Bulls. "There's nothing significant, other than the normal bumps and bruises from this really combative series."

Unlike the NFL, NBA teams are not required to detail specific injuries.

"Soreness from the contact and the nature of the series," was Spoelstra's summation of how Wade came out of the Bulls series, "Five games of it. And even the series before was very physical."

Game 7 between Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning guarantees glory

The Canucks can stop waiting. On Friday, the Western Conference champ will know who stands in the way of their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

That may be the only certainty surrounding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Bruins and Lightning.

It’s been a series that has wiped out expectations. Goalies Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson have been inconsistent after dominant starts to the postseason. Two teams known for their defense have dabbled in pond hockey, racking up more goals than anyone planned.

It sets up a Game 7 nearly impossible to call.

“I’m not going to expect anything,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher said.

“Because every time we expect something the opposite happens. … I think both teams have tried to adapt to each other and surprise each other with what’s coming at them.

There is one other certainty. Somebody will be the hero. Someone will score the game-winning goal.

Our picks for the top candidate:

Tampa Bay: Simon Gagne

Playing at home, Boston will get the matchup they want, and all the Bruins’ attention will be on Martin St. Louis to make sure he doesn’t beat them like he did in Game 6. It’s the perfect opportunity for Gagne, who has three of his five playoff goals in this series, including the game-winner in Game 4.

“He’s very poised under pressure,” Boucher said of Gagne on Thursday. “Even for the big games, you don’t see any signs of nervousness. I’d say that’s his biggest asset.”

Boston: David Krejci

In Game 6, Krejci became the first Boston player since Cam Neely to register a hat trick in the playoffs, but his efforts were overshadowed by a loss. He has four game-winning goals this postseason, more than any other NHL player. After scoring just one goal in his first seven games of the playoffs, Krejci has nine in his last 10 but realizes the stakes are higher in Game 7.

“We know it’s going to be hard,” he said. “We’ve been here before so it’s nothing new for us. It’s going to be a battle tomorrow but I think we’re ready.”

Wilson Valdez picks up win as Phils outlast Reds in 19 innings

 Infielder Wilson Valdez (FSY) wound up as the winning pitcher early Thursday when the Philadelphia Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast the Cincinnati Reds 5-4.

A dwindling crowd at Citizens Bank Park saw Raul Ibanez (FSY) hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to decide the longest major league game of the season. It ended at 1:19 a.m. after 6 hours, 11 minutes

Valdez threw a hitless 19th inning in his first major league pitching appearance. Phillies fans stood and cheered when he shifted from second to the mound.
The first batter Valdez faced was Joey Votto (FSY), and the reigning NL MVP flied out to deep center field.

Valdez became the first position player to become a winning pitcher since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne in 2000.

Jays' Jo-Jo Reyes ties mark for consecutive winless starts

As he moved ever closer to becoming an ignominious entry in the record books, Jo-Jo Reyes put together a string of his best performances, trying desperately to earn that elusive win.

The Blue Jays' left-hander pitched seven shutout innings in his last start, to no avail. He registered a 3.06 ERA in his cheap nfl jerseys previous six outings, but only got a loss and five no-decisions.

On Wednesday, he couldn't overcome the weight of baseball history, not to mention the Yankees' resurgent offense.

Reyes (0-4) took the loss in Toronto's 7-3 defeat at Yankee Stadium, tying a record with his 28th consecutive winless start. He shares the dubious distinction with Cliff Curtis of the Boston Braves, who set the original mark in 1910-11, and the Oakland Athletics' Matt Keough, who matched it in 1978-79.

Reyes' spell of futility has stretched for a longer time than those two. His last victory came on June 13, 2008, when he beat the Angels 5-2 as a member of the Braves.

"I'm not worried about that streak,'' Reyes, 26, told news reporters. "When I step on the rubber, all I'm worried about is executing the pitch.''

Andruw Jones and Mark Teixeira belted homers off Reyes, who gave up five earned runs in three innings as his ERA climbed to 4.70. It was 4.07 going into the game.

That was considerably better than his career standard. Reyes, the Braves' second-round pick in the 2003 draft, was 5-18 with a 5.93 ERA in five seasons going into Wednesday, and had lost 12 consecutive decisions with a 6.41 ERA during the streak.

However, recently he had shown signs of the pitcher who once led the Braves' farm system by posting a 12-1 record in 2007.

His last time out, Friday at Toronto's Rogers Centre, Reyes left after seven innings with a 2-0 lead over the stros, only to watch the bullpen implode in a 5-2 loss.

"Jo-Jo wasn't as sharp as he's been,'' Blue Jays manager John Farrell said Wednesday. "He didn't have a consistent location or a consistent command, and it cost him. Regardless if it's a guy coming off of the bench for them, like Jones, they have a potent lineup.''

Reyes' 13 losses in a row put him almost halfway to the record of 27 set by the New York Mets' Anthony Young between 1992-93.

National League roundup: Ex-CMU ace Josh Collmenter loses to Rockies

Carlos Gonzalez homered twice and the Colorado Rockies became the first team to decipher Josh Collmenter's tomahawk-throwing style, rallying past Arizona, 12-4, Tuesday despite losing pitcher Jorge De La Rosa in the opener of the day-night doubleheader.

De La Rosa exited in the third inning with soreness in his left elbow. Colorado ended its three-game skid and stopped the Diamondbacks' six-game winning streak in this makeup from an April 3 snowout.

Greg Reynolds (2-0) threw 3 2/3 effective innings, allowing one run and three hits. He was recently called up and set to start Saturday, but was pressed into duty when De La Rosa, coming off his first career complete game in a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia, had to leave.

Collmenter (Central Michigan), the Arizona rookie with the unusual straight overhand delivery, blanked Colorado for three innings to run his scoreless streak to 24 before he gave up solo homers to Gonzalez and Seth Smith in the fourth.

Collmenter, 25, allowed five runs, although just two of them were earned, and five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one in a shaky outing after two solid starts that had the baseball world abuzz.

Coming into the game, Collmenter had allowed just two runs in 26 innings, with 15 strikeouts and one walk.

Tiger slumps to 12th in world rankings

Tiger Woods plummeted depths he has not reached in 14 years when he dropped four spots to 12th in the world rankings issued on Monday.

The former world number one has not triumphed anywhere since the 2009 Australian Masters and has been steadily losing ranking points because of his recent struggles on and off the course.

In Monday's rankings, Woods is sandwiched by fellow Americans Bubba Watson (in 11th) and Dustin Johnson (13th), the first time he has been out of the top 10 since he was 13th on April 6, 1997.

Ever since his private life unravelled in sensational fashion at the end of 2009 and he tried to repair his crumbling marriage, Woods has been a shadow of the player he once was.

It has been almost three years since he clinched the last of his 14 major titles and the prospect of adding any more in the near future receded after he withdrew from this month's Players Championship because of injury.

Aged only 35, Woods has already had four surgeries on his troublesome left knee and his latest injury setback comes at an inconvenient time with the second major of the year, the U.S. Open, fast approaching.

Woods is a three-times winner of his national open and had initially planned to compete in the Quail Hollow Championship, the Players and then the June 2-5 Memorial tournament to complete his U.S. Open build-up.

However, he was forced to pull out of Quail Hollow because of mild strains to his left knee and left Achilles' tendon and those same injuries led to his withdrawal from the Players the following week.

Woods is rapidly running out of time in his preparations for the June 16-19 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

He has repeatedly said he would quit the game whenever he felt he was unable to compete at the highest level.

"For me it is very simple, it (the time to quit) is when my best isn't good enough any more," Woods told Reuters shortly before he won his most recent major at the 2008 U.S. Open.

"I could not live with myself going out and practising and preparing as hard as I do and knowing that if I go out and play my best someone is just going to beat me."

UCI rejects allegations of Lance Armstrong cover-up

In a strongly-worded statement released on Monday, the UCI said the allegations made by Armstrong's former team mate Tyler Hamilton on the U.S. television version of "60 Minutes" on Sunday were "completely unfounded."

"The International Cycling Union categorically rejects the allegations made by Mr Tyler Hamilton, who claims that Lance Armstrong tested positive for EPO during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland and had the results covered up...," the statement said.

During the interview, Hamilton confessed to cheating himself but insisted he was not alone and painted a sordid picture of a doping culture in the sport.

The former Olympic champion, who handed back his gold medal last week after his admission, said doping was widespread and he pointed the finger at seven-times Tour de France champion Armstrong, saying the American not only cheated but also escaped punishment after being caught.

DENIED ACCUSATIONS

The UCI categorically denied the accusations made by Hamilton, accusing him of trying to discredit the sport.

"The UCI is deeply shocked by the seriousness of the allegations...and wishes to state once again that it has never altered or hidden the results of a positive test," the UCI said.

"The allegations of Mr Tyler Hamilton are completely unfounded. The UCI can only express its indignation at this latest attempt to damage the image of cycling by a cyclist who has not hesitated to abuse the trust of all followers of cycling on several occasions in the past.

"At no time did he see fit to inform the UCI of the events he claims to have witnessed 10 years ago, and which he is now using in his attempt to harm the UCI.

"The UCI can only confirm that Lance Armstrong has never been notified of a positive test result by any anti-doping laboratory."

Armstrong has repeatedly had to fend off accusations that he cheated despite always maintaining his innocence and never failing a dope test.

Two former team mates, Floyd Landis and now Hamilton, have said he tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin) during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland but escaped punishment after the UCI intervened on his behalf.

The UCI commenced legal action against Landis this month and hinted that it could do the same with Hamilton.

"The UCI will continue to defend its honor and credibility by all means available, and reserves the right to take any measures it deems necessary against Mr Hamilton or any other person," the ruling body said.

Noah says he "got caught up" yelling at fan

Chicago centre Joakim Noah is acknowledging saying "something" toward a fan during the first quarter of the Bulls' Eastern Conference finals game in Miami on Sunday night.

Television cameras showed Noah exchanging words with someone near the Bulls bench. Noah appeared to use an obscenity in those remarks.

"I got caught up," Noah said. "I don't mean no disrespect to anybody."

Noah picked up his second foul with 6:26 left in the opening quarter. Cameras remained on Noah as he went to the bench. The incident occurred after Noah sat down.

The NBA declined immediate comment. The Bulls lost to Miami 96-85, falling behind 2-1 in the series.

Toms Rallies at Colonial for 13th Career Win

David Toms was beginning to wonder if he could ever win again on the PGA Tour. Now he has the most satisfying victory of all.

More than five years after he last won, a week after losing in a playoff and a day after blowing a seven-stroke lead at Colonial to go into the final round trailing, the 44-year-old Toms shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday to win at Hogan's Alley.

"I'm not dreaming, am I? This is actually happening, right?" Toms asked when he entered the interview room wearing the championship plaid jacket. "Wow, I didn't know if this day would ever come again."

Toms regained the lead for good from Charlie Wi with an eagle with a wedge shot from 83 yards at the par-5 11th hole, and finished 15 under — a stroke ahead of Wi.

"It's one of the most perfect shots I've ever hit," Toms said.

Toms' long-elusive 13th career victory came a week after a playoff loss to K.J. Choi at The Players Championship, when he missed a short par putt on the extra hole for his sixth runner-up finish since last winning in January 2006 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

"To win after this time frame and to come back after what happened last week certainly means more to me than any other victory," said Toms, the 2001 PGA Championship winner.

Wi started the final round with a one-shot lead that he quickly expanded with birdies on the first two holes. He finished with a 69 for his fourth career runner-up finish without a win.

"It's great to finish second on the PGA Tour anytime, but it's a little bittersweet," Wi said. "I had a three-shot lead after the first two holes and thought I had a pretty good handle on myself, in control. ... I certainly didn't give it to him. He definitely earned it."

After that playoff loss at TPC Sawgrass, Toms had an opening 62 at Colonial for his best score in 429 rounds — since a career-best 61 during in his Hawaii victory. Toms followed with another bogey-free 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament (124), and opened the third round with another birdie.

At 17 under through 37 holes and seemingly in control, Toms instead had three bogeys in the next five holes. There was later a three-putt from 7½ feet for double bogey and Wi took the lead with a 32-foot birdie at the par-3 16th Saturday.

Wi, the 39-year-old South Korean who made his 100th cut on the PGA Tour this weekend, had the two opening birdies Sunday while playing partner Toms missed both greens but managed pars.

Toms finally caught up at 13 under after Wi missed the green with his approach at the par-4 10th and two-putted from 13 feet for a bogey.

"The momentum I think started (to change) on 10, because I was one shot ahead of him and I was in the middle of the fairway," Wi said. "The killer was my poor drive on 12."

The clincher for Toms came on Colonial's longest hole, the 635-yard 11th.

After laying up to a perfect spot short of the green, and Wi's ball sitting in a frontside bunker, Toms' wedge shot from 83 yards bounced once, landed just behind the pin and then rolled back into the cup.

"When something like that happens, it's like it's meant to me," Toms said.

Toms pumped his arms over his head with a wide smile on his face before Wi blasted to 4½ feet for a birdie putt that still had him a stroke behind.

At No. 6, Toms putted off the fringe with an 18-foot birdie chance that slid just past the hole. He still gained a stroke when Wi missed a 4-foot par putt. The margin was down to one after Toms' birdie at the 440-yard No. 7 hole, when he hit his approach to 10 feet.

Wi made another birdie on the 192-yard 16th hole Sunday, an 8-footer. But Toms sank a 4½-foot par to maintain his two-stroke edge, and give him a needed margin since he bogeyed the 17th hole after his approach into a greenside bunker.

 Stuart Appleby, playing in the group ahead of Toms and Wi, was at 12 under and only one stroke behind the leaders when he teed off at No. 12. About the same time Toms was preparing for his tournament-turning shot on the adjacent hole, Appleby's tee shot rattled through the trees.

That bogey was part of a 7-over finish over the final seven holes. After playing the front nine at 4-under 31, Appleby shot 43 on the back for a 74 and finished 4 under, tied with 14 other players for 16th place.

Charlie Wi on top; David Toms blows 7-shot lead

Charlie Wi began the third round at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, just hoping to cut into playing partner David Toms' big lead. Wi didn't expected to be leading the Crowne Plaza Invitational at the end of the day.

But Toms blew a seven-stroke margin Saturday, and Wi took the lead with a 32-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th hole. At 13 under par after a 4-under 66, Wi has a one-stroke stroke edge over Toms - and the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career.

"I'm very pleasantly surprised. I played really well today and David didn't," said Wi, who began the day hoping to get within three or four strokes. "It's such a crazy game."

Soon after a weather delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes, Wi's tee shot at No. 16 landed on the back side of the green and Toms pushed his shot right and into the rough. Wi holed the birdie putt before Toms' 16-foot par chance just missed for a two-stroke swing that changed the top of the leaderboard.

"Tough day overall," said Toms, who shot 74 after building his huge lead with two bogey-free 62s.

Toms opened with a birdie Saturday but had three bogeys in a five-hole stretch. Wi started with two birdies.

Even worse for Toms was a three-putt from 7 1/2 feet for double bogey at No. 14, where Wi chipped to 12 feet to save par before the delay.

Wi made his 100th cut in 147 PGA Tour events, but the 39-year-old South Korean has never won.

LPGA: Angela Stanford birdied four of the final five holes to beat Paula Creamer 2-up and set up an all-America semifinal with Cristie Kerr in the Sybase Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J.

Top-seeded Na Yeon Choi of South Korea will face No. 3 Suzann Pettersen of Norway in the other semifinal this morning at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. The championship in the $1.5 million tournament will be decided this afternoon, with Stanford looking to reach the final for the second straight year. She lost to Sun Young Yoo last year.

European Tour: Luke Donald will meet Martin Kaymer in the semifinals of the World Match Play Championship today in Casares, Spain, with the No. 1 spot in the world rankings firmly in their sights after the elimination of top-ranked Lee Westwood. Westwood's loss to Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter in the final 16 left him vulnerable at the top of the rankings. Poulter faces Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, who is No. 108, in the other semifinal.

Santos gives up first runs in Sox's 10-inning defeat

At the lowest point of last season, the White Sox turned to interleague play for help. Their 15-3 record against the National League helped propel them back into the American League Central race.

But this is another season, and the Sox started interleague play Friday with a devastating 6-4, 10-inning loss to the Dodgers that featured Sergio Santos' first implosion of the season.

Santos blew the save in the ninth on a two-out home run by Russ Mitchell — his first run allowed after 20 scoreless cheap jerseys innings over 16 appearances — then allowed three more runs in the 10th before being removed.

"It's tough," Santos said. "It's a game we should have won, especially with two outs. I've got to come in and do my job.

"It's baseball. Now here comes another challenge. I lost the game for us, and it's how I bounce back from this and pitch tomorrow. … No excuses. I just didn't make my pitches."

Santos was the last reliever in baseball with a 0.00 ERA. Now it's up to 1.69.

"He did his job; he made one mistake that tied the ballgame," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The question is how he will be tomorrow. I think he'll be fine."

Guillen tried to remain upbeat, even though the loss dropped the Sox back to nine games behind the Indians, calling it a "great ballgame."

It almost was for the 24,121 fans at fog-shrouded U.S. Cellular Field.

Phil Humber pitched seven strong innings, leaving with a 3-2 lead over Ted Lilly, whose last start against the Sox produced eight no-hit innings for the Cubs. Humber has a 2.38 ERA in his last five starts.

"Nothing new," Guillen said. "He did the same stuff he has done all year. He pitched a great game."

Humber had limited right-handed hitters to a major-league-best .100 batting average and had allowed only one homer to a righty in his previous 22 games.

That changed in the first inning when right-hander Jamey Carroll doubled and right-hander Matt Kemp homered.

"We scored enough runs to win," Humber said. "Sergio gets the loss, but I gave up a (two-run) homer. It goes on Sergio's record, but the game should have been 3-0 in the ninth."

After the Dodgers took the lead, the Sox responded with three runs in the second, two coming on Gordon Beckham's fourth homer. Lilly was spotless the next five innings, and the game came down to the 10th.

With one run home for the Sox and a man on third base, Paul Konerko grounded out against former teammate Mike MacDougal to end it.

The Sox had expected more, coming into this series with 11 victories in their last 12 interleague games. In fact, they had won at least 12 interleague games every season since 2005, except for a 4-14 record in 2007.

"I wish I played in the National League; my record would be better," Guillen joked. "Since I got this job, we've played very good against the National League."

Hincapie says he witnessed Armstrong doping: report

A report by "60 Minutes" says George Hincapie, a longtime member of Lance Armstrong's inner circle, has told federal authorities he saw the seven-time Tour de France winner use performance-enhancing drugs.

A segment of the report aired Friday night on the "CBS Evening News," one day after it broadcast an interview with another former member of Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team, Tyler Hamilton, who said he also used PEDs with Armstrong.

Hincapie has often been depicted as one of Armstrong's most loyal teammates and was with him for all seven Tour victories. In an interview last year, Armstrong said Hincapie was "like a brother to me."

Hincapie is among a number of former Armstrong teammates and employees who have appeared before a federal grand jury in Los Angeles investigating doping in cycling. Hamilton said he testified for six hours before the panel.

Armstrong has never tested positive and has steadfastly denied doping.

Using unidentified sources, "60 Minutes" reported that Hincapie testified that he and Armstrong supplied each other with the endurance-boosting substance EPO and discussed having used another banned substance, testosterone, to prepare for races. Citing the ongoing investigation, Hincapie declined to be interviewed by "60 Minutes," which will air its piece on the Armstrong investigation at 7 p.m. ET Sunday.

Reached by The Associated Press at the Tour of California in Solvang, Hincapie said he didn't want to talk about the "60 Minutes" report.

"It's just unfortunate that that's all people want to talk about now," he said. "I'm not going to partake in any cycling-bashing. I have done everything to be the best I can be. … I want the focus on the future of the sport, what it's done to clean itself up. I believe in cycling and want to support it."

Asked to comment on the newest "60 Minutes" report, Armstrong spokesman Mark Fabiani said: "We have no way of knowing what happened in the grand jury and so can't comment on these anonymously sourced reports."

The Hincapie and Hamilton revelations come a year after Floyd Landis, who had his 2006 Tour title stripped for using steroids, turned the focus of the feds' cycling investigation onto Armstrong, claiming he and Armstrong had both used drugs while on the U.S. Postal team.

But while Hamilton and Landis have credibility problems that Armstrong has pointed out -- both cyclists denied using drugs for years before changing their story and implicating Armstrong — there aren't nearly as many issues with Hincapie.

The 37-year-old cyclist from New York has no known positive tests. He was on the Postal team even before Armstrong and, once Armstrong joined it, the two were frequent roommates on the road.

When Landis alleged that drug use was common on the U.S. Postal team — and included Hincapie among those who doped — Hincapie responded by saying, "It bothers me, because I've been doing this for 17 years and never heard anything bad about me."

After CBS aired the Hamilton interview Thursday night, the cyclist gave his 2004 Olympic gold medal back to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which said it is working with the International and U.S. Olympic committees on an investigation.

"60 Minutes" also released an excerpt from another Armstrong teammate, Frankie Andreu, who said he took banned substances because lesser riders he believed were doping were passing him during races.

"Things were just getting faster and faster and sprinters were getting over the big mountains and winning, you know, climbing stages," Andreu said in the interview. "There's 200 guys flying over these mountains and you can't even stay in the group. And it's just impossible to keep up. And it's like, 'What the hell's going on here?"'

After the Hamilton and Andreu interviews went public, Armstrong launched a website refuting the claims and calling into question the credibility of Andreu, Hamilton and Landis. He also posted a letter addressed to CBS News, calling the "60 Minutes" reporting "disgraceful journalism."

Meantime, a pair of Armstrong's former European teammates told the AP they had no knowledge of doping within the ranks of the U.S. Postal team.

Pascal Derame, a Frenchman who was on the 1999 Tour-winning team with Armstrong, said he never saw Armstrong dope, but also conceded he wasn't in the cyclist's inner circle. Steffen Kjaergaard of Norway, who rode for U.S. Postal in 2000 and 2001, said he didn't feel any pressure to dope and "didn't have any hints — 'You should do this. You should do that.' "

Cardinals finish two-game sweep

First-year starter Kyle McClellan became the National League's first six-game winner and backup catcher Gerald Laird made his 10th start of the season count with a two-run double as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Thursday for a two-game sweep.

Allen Craig homered in a three-hit game as the stand-in cleanup batter for injured Matt Holliday. The Cardinals completed a 4-0 homestand behind stingy pitching that allowed only five runs. They jumped a half-game ahead of the Reds atop the NL Central.

J.A. Happ (3-5) had a season-high eight strikeouts for the Astros, allowing three runs in six innings. Houston has lost five in a row, totaling just 29 hits while getting outscored 22-10.

Albert Pujols was 0 for 3 with a walk and has gone a career-high 91 at-bats since his last home run. Pujols has been stuck on seven homers since April 23 and the homerless drought tops his previous worst of 89 at-bats at the end of the 2009 season when he led the NL with 47.

After the start was delayed 55 minutes by rain, McClellan (6-1) allowed two runs in eight innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He retired the first 10 in order before Clint Barmes doubled with one out in the fourth for the Astros' first baserunner.

Barmes went to third on Hunter Pence's single and scored on Carlos Lee's sacrifice fly.

McClellan hurt himself in the eighth with two wild pitches, doubling his season total. The second allowed Humberto Quintero to score the Astros' second run.

The previous three seasons McClellan had been a setup man, and he replaced injured Adam Wainwright in the rotation this year. The right-hander has worked eight innings in two of his last three starts and he bounced back from his first loss in his previous appearance.

Fernando Salas worked the ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

The Cardinals opened the second with a single, walk and Laird's fifth double of the season - one more than Pujols in only his 43rd at-bat - off the base of the left-field wall. Laird made his first start in eight days for the Cardinals, who are 8-2 when he starts.

Craig hit his second homer and first since April 11 on a full count leading off the sixth to make it 3-1. St. Louis capitalized on second baseman Bill Hall's fielding error to start the seventh with an RBI single by Ryan Theriot for a 4-1 cushion.

Angels come up empty again in 3-0 loss to Mariners

The first 20,000 fans who enter Safeco Field on Thursday will receive a Franklin Gutierrez "Death to Flying Things" fly swatter to commemorate the Gold Glove Award the Seattle Mariners center fielder won last season.

If they run out of giveaway items, they can always snag a few of those fly swatters in the Angels' bat rack.

The balsa wood-wielding Angels were shut out for the second consecutive game Wednesday night, managing five hits in a 3-0 loss to the Mariners, and it has gotten to the point where the Angels need Mapquest to find home plate.

They've now gone 21 innings without a run, mustering eight hits, all singles, in that span. They've lost four straight games and six out of seven.

"You have to score runs to win," Angels pitcher Jered Weaver said, "and it didn't happen tonight."

Weaver suffered his fourth straight loss after going 6-0 with an 0.99 earned run average in his first six starts.

The right-hander gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one, a mediocre outing against a team that ranks 13th in the American League in runs, home runs, average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Weaver (6-4) gave up all three runs in the first three innings but retired eight of the last nine batters he faced, three by strikeout.

"He was a little out of sync and really fighting himself out of the stretch, trying to find his rhythm," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "But he finished strong and gave us a chance to win."

Weaver's old Cal State Long Beach teammate, Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas, gave up four hits in seven shutout innings and had a season-high nine strikeouts to improve to 3-2.

The Angels threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and an infield single, but pinch-hitter Hank Conger struck out looking at a full-count fastball by reliever Jamey Wright.

The Angels are now batting .198 (39 for 197) in six games on the trip. Peter Bourjos, who struck out twice and flied out Wednesday night, is hitless in his last 23 at-bats and has one hit and 13 strikeouts in his last 29 at-bats.

Torii Hunter was hitless in three at-bats and is one for 20 on the trip. Mark Trumbo had a single in three at-bats but is in a four-for-28 slump.

Power has also been in short supply for the Angels, who hit 24 homers in their first 19 games but have hit 10 in the last 25 games.

Howie Kendrick and Trumbo share the team lead with six homers, but Trumbo hasn't hit one since May 5, and Kendrick hasn't hit one since April 20. Hunter, their cleanup batter, hasn't homered since April 21.

"I have to be accountable and get things done," Hunter said, adding that the home run drought is not a concern.

"I know they come in spurts," said Hunter, who is batting .223 and has grounded into a league-high 12 double plays. "Right now I'm concentrating on hitting the ball, getting my average and on-base percentage up. I'm not trying to do so much. I'm trying to take what the pitchers are giving me."

The lack of power wouldn't sting as much if the Angels were hitting in the clutch. The Angels went one for six with runners in scoring position Wednesday; they're five for 44 (.114) on the trip and hitting .233 on the season.

"The real Achilles' heel besides the lack of home runs is our hitting with runners in scoring position," Scioscia said. "That's costing us runs and putting pressure on the pitching staff."

Woods to fall out of top 10 in world ranking

For his golf, Tiger Woods is about to fall out of the top 10 in the world for the first time in 14 years. For his star power, he still ranks ahead of any other athlete.

Woods, whose last win came 18 months ago at the Australian Masters, will drop to at least No. 11 in the next world ranking published Monday. It will be the first time he is out of the top 10 since he was No. 13 on April 6, 1997, the week before he won the Masters for the first of his 14 majors.

Forbes, meanwhile, says he's still the No. 1 celebrity in the sports world.

Woods checks in at No. 6 on Forbes' annual "Celebrity 100" list of the most powerful people or groups in the entertainment business. Lady Gaga tops the overall rankings, followed by Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, U2 and Elton John.

Miami Heat star LeBron James is the second-ranked athlete behind Woods at No. 10. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is No. 14.

Forbes estimated Woods' total earnings last year to be $75 million, making him the highest-paid athlete. The magazine put Bryant's earnings for the last 12 months at $53 million, followed by James at $48 million and four-time major winner Phil Mickelson at $47 million.

Woods won't be able to improve on his golf ranking anytime soon.

He started the year at No. 2 and has been steadily dropping points. Woods, who tied for fourth at the Masters last month, withdrew from The Players Championship last week because of injuries to his left knee and left Achilles. He said on his website Monday that he will try to return June 16-19 at the U.S. Open.

"I'll do whatever is necessary to play in the U.S. Open, and I'm hopeful I can be there to compete," he said.

Woods has been atop the world ranking for 623 weeks in his career, by far the longest of any golfer since the ranking began in 1986. He had been No. 1 from June 2005 until Lee Westwood of England supplanted him last November.

Since revelations of adultery emerged Thanksgiving night in 2009, Woods has seriously contended in only one tournament - he lost in a playoff at Chevron World Challenge in December after losing a four-shot lead in the final round. He has been in the top five in only four other tournaments.

Nowitzki leads Dallas past Oklahoma City, 121-112, in Western finals opener

Dirk Nowitzki showed no rust from a long layoff, making 10 of his first 11 shots and an NBA playoff-record 24 straight free throws on the way to 48 points, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 121-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night.

Jason Terry scored 24 points and J.J. Barea added 21 points as the Mavericks picked up where they left off in a sweep cheap jerseys of the Lakers nine days before. They broke open a tight game with a 13-0 run late in the second quarter and never trailed again, stretching their franchise-record postseason winning streak to seven games.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Dallas, where the Mavs are 6-0 this postseason.

The Thunder — fresh off a seven-game series against Memphis that included a total of four overtimes — led by nine early in the second quarter, then went 6:28 between baskets. They missed 10 shots during that drought and were down by 11 when it ended. They eventually trailed by 16 before clawing within five points with 3:42 left, and six with 48.5 seconds to play.

Kevin Durant followed his 39 points in Game 7 of the previous round by scoring 40, one shy of his most ever in a playoff game. While Nowitzki dominated, Durant’s scoring binge merely helped his team stay close.

Russell Westbrook went from a triple-double in his last game to 20 points, three assists and three rebounds. He missed 12 of his 15 shots, including 10 of his first 11. Despite his poor aim, he had taken more shots than Durant at one point late in the third quarter, fueling the critics who say he’s too much of a scorer and not enough of a distributor.

The Thunder’s big problem, though, was Nowitzki.

Six guys tried stopping him, and the big German either shot over them or put them in foul trouble. He made 13 free throws in the third quarter alone. And when Oklahoma City sent a second defender at him, Nowitzki usually passed to the teammate left open.

Nowitzki finished 12 of 15 from the field and a perfect 24 of 24 at the line. He was two points shy of his most ever in a playoff game. He also had six rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

How good was he? On the series when Nowitzki missed for the first time, a teammate got the ball back to him, and he found Tyson Chandler for a layup.

“I was really looking to shoot early and was able to get my rhythm after the first couple of shots,” Nowitzki said. “I kept attacking and my teammates kept feeding me and feeding me and I was able to take advantage over some smaller players.”

The Thunder came into the series unsure how it would handle Nowitzki because their usual defender, Jeff Green, was traded in February. Serge Ibaka went at him first, then got two quick fouls, turning things over to Nick Collison. Kendrick Perkins, Durant, Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden all took turns with little success.

When things tightened up in the final minutes, Nowitzki helped protect Dallas’ lead with two jumpers over the outstretched arms of 6-foot-10 Serge Ibaka, and an assist on a 3-pointer by Terry with 28.9 seconds left. Chants of “M-V-P!” echoed almost every time he went to the foul line in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks is going to have to figure something out quick.

The good news for Brooks is that his youngsters kept scrapping all the way to the end. Down a lot on the road to a well-rested veteran team, they could have considered this game a lost cause and saved energy for the next game. Perhaps they remembered Dallas’ history of blowing big, late leads. Earlier this postseason, the Mavericks coughed up a 23-point lead over the final 14 minutes against Portland.

Bruins' Bergeron to miss Game 2

Injured Boston forward Patrice Bergeron will not play in Tuesday night's crucial Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bergeron did not take part in the pre-game warmups, all but confirming his absence against the Lightning, who lead the best-of-7 series after Saturday's 5-2 victory.
"As far as Bergeron is concerned; if he is in, I think you will see him in warmups," Boston coach Claude Julien said after Tuesday’s morning preparations.
Bergeron has not played since last Friday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, suffering a concussion on a hit by Philadelphia's Claude Giroux. But, he has skated in each of the past four days with no reported setbacks.

Tuesday morning, Bergeron took part in the optional morning skate, doing line rushes and other drills.

As is usually the case with morning skates, however, there were no contact drills. Bergeron has yet to take part in contact drills during his recuperation process.
Monday, Bergeron skated for almost an hour – his longest workout yet – including some power-play work at the start of practice. He also remained for first part of the full practice, although he left just before the team started some battle drills and down-low work in the offensive zone.

In other injury news, power forward Milan Lucic took the ice for pre-game warmups after skipping the morning skate and then leaving TD Garden around noon with a noticeable limp. Lucic took a shot off his right foot during Monday's practice.

Bruins' Bergeron to miss Game 2

Injured Boston forward Patrice Bergeron will not play in Tuesday night's crucial Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bergeron did not take part in the pre-game warmups, all but confirming his absence against the Lightning, who lead the best-of-7 series after Saturday's 5-2 victory.
"As far as Bergeron is concerned; if he is in, I think you will see him in warmups," Boston coach Claude Julien said after Tuesday’s morning preparations.
Bergeron has not played since last Friday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, suffering a concussion on a hit by Philadelphia's Claude Giroux. But, he has skated in each of the past four days with no reported setbacks.

Tuesday morning, Bergeron took part in the optional morning skate, doing line rushes and other drills.

As is usually the case with morning skates, however, there were no contact drills. Bergeron has yet to take part in contact drills during his recuperation process.
Monday, Bergeron skated for almost an hour – his longest workout yet – including some power-play work at the start of practice. He also remained for first part of the full practice, although he left just before the team started some battle drills and down-low work in the offensive zone.

In other injury news, power forward Milan Lucic took the ice for pre-game warmups after skipping the morning skate and then leaving TD Garden around noon with a noticeable limp. Lucic took a shot off his right foot during Monday's practice.

Dodgers go quietly again in 2-1 loss to Brewers

That’s the way it’s going for the Dodgers these days. Make a mistake, and it proves costly. They can only count on strong starting pitching for so long.

The Dodgers got another strong starting effort Monday, this time by right-hander Jon Garland, but it again fell short in a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

A mistake cost Garland the game, but at least it was his own.

The score was tied 1-1 in the sixth inning when Corey Hart led off with a double. Garland got the next two outs and appeared ready to pitch out of trouble with pitcher Shaun Marcum up.

Only Garland walked him. Walked the opposing pitcher.

Always a major baseball no-no, this one made worse coming with two outs.

Which brought up Rickie Weeks, who had already singled and lined out with a drive left-fielder Jay Gibbons caught crashing into the wall.

Weeks promptly singled again, and the Brewers had their 2-1 lead.

The Dodgers have now lost three consecutive games, scoring a combined three runs in the defeats.

The Dodgers scored against Marcum (5-1) in the fourth inning on consecutive singles byJamey Carroll and Aaron Miles, and a sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp.

The Dodgers had a couple of other prime chances, but the big hit continues to be as elusive as a Jonathan Broxton changeup.

Gibbons led off the fifth inning with a double, and didn’t advance a step.

Juan Uribe and James Loney led off the seventh with hits, and stood by silently while Marcum recorded three consecutive outs, including pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro on a pop fly. The weakness of the Dodgers' bench is pretty clear when Navarro is pinch hitting late in consecutive games.

Marcum left after seven innings, holding the Dodgers to one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Which proved just a tad better than Garland’s six innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out one.

The score actually could have been tied 2-2 after nine innings, but for a home-run stealing catch by Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez on a Uribe drive in the second inning.

Gomez sprinted back to the left-center wall, jumped at the last moment, gloved the drive just over the wall and pulled it back for a remarkable catch.

2011 NBA Playoffs: Heat, Bulls, Spoelstra and "Small Ball"

After the Chicago Bulls’ utter dominance on the boards in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, some pundits have said that Erik Spoelstra should move away from going to his small lineups that usually feature LeBron James at the power forward position. We know that the Heat should focus on rebounding before Game 2, but would a move in the rotation help that sufficiently?

The Bulls showcased some athleticism in Game 1 that the Heat probably were not expecting to see. Everyone knows that Derrick Rose is quick and that Luol Deng is a long, athletic player, but Taj Gibson made some impressive plays. He had a thunderous dunk, taking the ball right over Dwyane Wade’s head for the jam. In the fourth quarter, Gibson grabbed a missed 3-point shot and slammed the ball home in one motion.

Miami’s small lineups match Chicago’s athleticism, so moving away from that rotation may simply create another hole. Spoelstra could activate Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but he is too slow to defend the pick-and-roll. If he gets out of position, Joakim Noah could easily tip-in shots. And although Erick Dampier rebounded the ball well during the regular season, he hasn’t played during this entire postseason. Besides, James is 6-foot-8 and weighs 250 pounds. He is only listed one inch shorter than Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson. Having him at the four shouldn’t put Miami at a deficit at all.

Spoelstra doesn’t have much in his center rotation, so he could continue to use Joel Anthony as the starter and play Jamaal Magloire when the burly center Omer Asik checks in. Udonis Haslem is a great rebounder, but he does not appear to have the same lift he had before he sustained his severe foot injury in late November. Haslem should continue to play and work his way back, but he is not a solution.

The rebounding responsibility falls primarily on the three players who comprise almost two-thirds of the Heat’s payroll. Although Chris Bosh had nine rebounds in Game 1, only two of those came in the second half. Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN’s Heat Index documented all of Chicago’s 19 offensive rebounds and identified Bosh as the culprit of five of them. Wade and James should also grab more boards and box out their men. I know those two like to get out in the open court once a shot is fired, but the Heat can’t have Luol Deng rebound his own perimeter miss after James contests the shot. If a Bull attempts a shot in the paint, Anthony will usually contest the shot, putting him out of position to rebound. But Bosh, James and Wade should all be in position to crash the boards.

C.J. Watson also grabbed two offensive boards in the game, so Mario Chalmers needs to box out his man as well. Spoelstra could use a bit more of Mike Miller. The Heat’s fourth-highest paid player has disappointed with his 3-point shooting, but hustles and rebounds.

Some have overreacted to this loss, but it’s not as if the Heat lost by 21 in AmericanAirlines Arena. This team still has another chance to steal home-court advantage Wednesday night. If the Heat simply do a better job of sending more players to the glass and boxing out, they should be fine.

Olympic marathon champ Sammy Wanjiru dies in fall

Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died in a fall from a balcony after a domestic dispute involving his wife and another woman, police said Monday.

One police official said Wanjiru committed suicide, while another said he jumped to stop his wife from leaving the house after she discovered him with another woman.

The 24-year-old runner died late Sunday after jumping from a balcony at his home in the town of Nyahururu, in the Rift Valley, said John Mbijiwe, the police chief in Kenya's Central Province.

"The fact of the matter is that Wanjiru committed suicide," said national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe.

Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere also said initial reports indicated Wanjiru killed himself, though a local official offered a different account.

"Wanjiru came home with another woman friend at around 11:30 p.m. and then when his wife came home and found them she inquired who the lady was," area police chief Jasper Ombati said. "They got into an argument. His wife locked them in the bedroom and ran off.

"He then jumped from the bedroom balcony. He is not here to tell us what he thinking when he jumped. We do not suspect foul play. In our estimation we think he wanted to stop his wife from leaving the compound."

Ethiopian distance running great Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion and world record-holder in the marathon, said on his Twitter feed that he was "totally shocked" by the news.

"My thoughts are with his family and all his friends and colleagues," Gebrselassie said.

"Of course one wonders if we as an athletics family could have avoided this tragedy," he said.

American marathon runner Ryan Hall posted on Twitter: "Incredibly sad news about Sammy. I am shocked and saddened."

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to win a gold medal in the marathon, finishing in an Olympic-record 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds.

"Sammy Wanjiru was an accomplished runner who will be remembered for winning the first Olympic gold medal for Kenya in marathon and setting a new Olympic record in the process," the International Olympic Committee said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Wanjiru had a history of domestic problems. Last December, he was charged with wounding his security guard with a rifle and threatening to kill his wife and maid. The runner denied all charges and was released on bail.

Wanjiru made an early start to his career, moving at age 15 to Japan, where he attended school in Sendai - a city hard hit by this year's tsunami - and won several major cross-country events while also competing in track competitions.

Moving to Europe to advance his promising career, Wanjiru won the Rotterdam Half Marathon in 2005 in a world-record time. He twice improved on that record before stepping up to the full marathon in 2007, winning the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.

The following year he finished second in the prestigious London marathon, and then claimed the biggest prize of his career by taking Olympic gold in Beijing.

Wanjiru became the youngest runner to win four major marathons. Along with the Olympics, he won in London in 2009 and in Chicago in 2009 and 2010, running the fastest ever time recorded in a marathon in the United States.

Bronx fans make loyalty to Posada known

The fans in the right-field bleachers usually reserve their nightly roll call for players on the field, but they made an exception on Sunday night for Jorge Posada, who started the game on the bench.

After finishing their attendance check with Alex Rodriguez, the so-called "Bleacher Creatures" chanted "Jorge, Jorge" and received a wave from the the designated hitter in the Yankees' dugout.

When Posada pinch-hit for Andruw Jones in the eighth inning, what remained of the crowd of 46,945 gave him a standing ovation. Posada drew a walk against Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard.

"Jorge is loved in our clubhouse," manager Joe Girardi said. "Jorge is loved by the fans. Jorge has meant a lot to this organization. I'm not surprised. This has been a great player for a long time."

"I heard the energy from the crowd," Bard said. "I think that's pretty cool that they're standing behind him, but I still wanted to get him out."

Posada, who asked out of the lineup on Saturday after being dropped to ninth, apologized to his manager before Sunday's game. He spoke with the media prior to the game but did not appear in the clubhouse afterward.

Yanks will rest Soriano through Tuesday
NEW YORK -- Rafael Soriano will not be available to pitch in the Yankees' upcoming two-game series against the Rays, as the right-hander has been shelved until Wednesday.

The $35 million setup man is experiencing recurring tightness in his right elbow.

"I'm going to throw a bullpen [session on Monday] and see how I feel," Soriano said after the Yankees' 7-5 loss to the Red Sox. "If everything goes fine, I'll be ready on Wednesday."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that the tightness Soriano feels is different than what he felt last week, when the hurler requested an MRI exam to ease his mind.

"He had a little pain before," Girardi said. "Today, he was a little sore; he said he had stiffness. That could have been because he hadn't thrown in five days."

Soriano appeared on Friday against the Red Sox after having not pitched in a game since May 8 in Texas. He has been experiencing some discomfort since appearing in back-to-back games on April 30 and May 1.

"Until he gets through the clear, it's an issue," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "So until I'm not having to ask, 'How's he feel today?' it's obviously going to be a concern."

In the first year of a three-year deal, Soriano is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances. He saved an American League-leading 45 games last year for Tampa Bay.

"It's not easy for me," Soriano said. "I'm with a new team. I try to do my best. I can't right now. Nothing happens because I cannot pitch."

In tough time, Posada has Jeter's support
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter has few friends closer than Jorge Posada, and after hearing his longtime teammate's explanation for Saturday's events, the Yankees' captain is offering his support.

"He's a brother -- we've been together a long time," Jeter said. "If I thought he did something wrong, I'd be the first one to tell him."

Jeter said that he was not aware of what was percolating with Posada during the Yankees' 6-0 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday, which was why the captain had not addressed the topic after the game.

Posada asked manager Joe Girardi to take him out of the lineup, later telling reporters he had dual reasons: minor back stiffness and needing a mental health day after beginning the season with a .165 batting average.

"It's not the first time I've had a teammate that's asked out of the lineup," Jeter said. "It's just that it's sort of a much bigger deal.

"One thing we've always been told, and Joe will be the first one to tell you, he's always told us if we feel like we need a day, let him know. It's my understanding that's what happened. He needed a day to clear his mind, and it's understandable."

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera said that Posada's actions could be swiftly resolved.

"Yesterday, it definitely was [a distraction]," Rivera said. "It's over. Today's a new day. The sun came out today, and with that, we just have to go out and play baseball."

Posada apologized to Girardi on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, but Jeter said there was no need for the 39-year-old switch-hitter to address his teammates.

"Obviously, he's frustrated," Jeter said. "He's not the only one that's had a slow start. I know how frustrating it can be. It can weigh on you after a while."

Facing the unexpected part of Girardi's job
NEW YORK -- The Yankees may have spared few expenses in constructing their state-of-the-art home facility, but Joe Girardi can think of a few things he wishes came with the keys to the manager's office.

While Girardi might not have been able to forecast exactly how he would handle a situation with a proud veteran like Jorge Posada, the fact that issues would pop up on the radar weren't much of a surprise.

"The one thing about my job in managing great Yankees that have had great careers, they're getting older," Girardi said. "There's nothing that I can go to.

"There's no manual on my desk, there's no crystal ball on my table that I can go to and say, 'This is exactly how you're supposed to do it.'"

But, as he signed his first contract with the Yankees for the 2008 season, Girardi could look a few years down the line and accurately predict that there would be speed bumps on the horizon.

Girardi closely guarded Mike Mussina's secret that he planned to retire in 2008, and he had an inkling that Andy Pettitte might ride off into the sunset after last season.

Posada has given no public indication that this might be his last year, but he is a free agent after the season. While both are under contract past 2011, there are also clearly more yesterdays than tomorrows ahead for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Girardi recalled the words of Kirk Gibson, who once said that a player dies twice -- the first time, when they rip their uniform off for the last time. It hasn't gotten any more pleasant handling the inevitable.

"I hate to say it's probably about what I expected," Girardi said. "But I knew in taking this job there would come a time that if I managed long enough, you would see some great Yankees retire.

"That necessarily wasn't going to be easy. I know how much they love to play the game, and I know how much they love being a Yankee."

Bombers bits
Sunday marked the 70th anniversary of the beginning of Joe DiMaggio's iconic 56-game hitting streak. He singled off the White Sox Eddie Smith in a 13-1 loss at Yankee Stadium. ... Entering play on Sunday, the Yankees had averaged 3.9 runs in their last 15 games after averaging 5.7 in their first 22. Saturday's game marked New York's fourth shutout this season. ... University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari was on the field during batting practice on Sunday. Cashman introduced him to Posada. ... Injured right-hander Phil Hughes said he made about 45 throws on Sunday from a distance of 90 feet and felt good. He will have Monday off and resume throwing on Tuesday.

Posada brouhaha might be first of many in Bronx

Jorge Posada's days as a Yankee are numbered. The moment he told his manager he'd rather sit down than hit from the No. 9 hole sealed it. The real shame is that he's likely just the first in a long line headed out the door in New York.


Posada wasn't in the lineup against the Red Sox on Sunday by design, as opposed to Saturday night, when he simply defaulted. Both he and manager Joe Girardi insisted no bad feelings carried over.


"Everything happens for a reason. You learn from it," said Posada, smiling and laughing as he made his way around the clubhouse.


Girardi wasn't in the mood for flashbacks, either, beyond conceding what he saw less than 24 hours earlier wasn't the typical Jorge Posada face. "Yeah, he was a little emotional. I was emotional in there because he's one of my guys."

"I feel for what he's going through," Girardi added.


The funny thing is that Posada, for all the fuss he kicked up, could turn out to be the least of the Yankees' headaches. He's 39, making $13.1 million and can't hit a lick against lefties. But he's also in the final year of a four-year deal. So if you still believe the Yankees are rich enough to keep burying the occasional mistake, maybe that's all this turns out to be.


Either way, Posada will be gone soon enough. And whenever that turns out to be, the sitdown will seem like little more than a hiccup in a career packed with championship moments. One bout of selfishness might not change the way New Yorkers view him jumping into a teammate's arms at the start of all those celebrations. But the resentment could grow once those same fans begin totaling up the real costs of what the Yankees spent to keep most of the faces in those photos together.


If you put an ear to the ground outside the billion-dollar palace the franchise opened across the street from the original just two years ago, you can almost hear the foundation creaking under all those dollars. Derek Jeter, who turns 37 next month, isn't quite hitting his weight and his deal has two years to run. Alex Rodriguez, 35, is hovering around .250 and he's owed around $24 million a year until he's 42. Throw in ace CC Sabathia, 30, who's due $23 million a year through 2015, and you can see how nostalgia gets expensive in a hurry.


"It's sad, because you'd always like those things to last forever," former manager Joe Torre said earlier this week. "They were part of something very unique."


They were also part of an era when we were lulled into thinking that the best players in every game could blow past their expiration dates like they were stamped in invisible ink. For decades, players simply got older, not better, when they skidded into their mid-30s and beyond. The easy explanations were better diets and conditioning regimens. The came revelations of performance-enhancing drugs, and we learned so many weren't beating Father Time so much as cheating him.


There's no reason to impugn the reputations of any of those names above, save A-Rod, who admitted what he called a flirtation with PEDs a few years ago. Likewise, we can laud baseball's efforts to keep PEDs out of the game while remaining suspicious that some players and some drugs are still beating the system. What seems undeniable is that the combination of factors that allowed guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to own the game at an age when it should have owned them.


Those in the Yankees' front office were far from the only people suffering buyer's remorse, of course. Lots of other great athletes, from Michael Jordan to Brett Favre to Lance Armstrong tried comebacks to cash in on the trend and they all ended badly. Yet it's often the greatest athletes who are the last to understand that.


"It's not the first time that someone has come out of the lineup," Jeter said about Posada, a good friend. "If you need a day, you need a day. ... If I thought he did something wrong, I'd be the first to tell him."


But who's going to tell everyone else?