Weaver Shuts Down Birds in Angels' 3-0 Win

Weaver (10-1) won his fourth straight outing since coming off the disabled list, striking out five and walking one while lowering his ERA to 1.96. Weaver joined Sandy Koufax (1963-64) as the only pitchers since 1950 with consecutive seasons of double-digit wins and an ERA under 2.00 before the All-Star break. During his seven-year career, the Angels' ace is 59-26 with a 2.84 ERA in 110 starts before the All-Star break. Last season he was 11-4 with a 1.86 ERA in 19 starts before the break. Scott...

Read More

In N.H.L. Free Agency, Wild Sign Parise and Suter

Parise, the 27-year-old captain who led the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals this past season, said in a conference call, “I loved playing in New Jersey.” He added that it was “very, very hard to leave” and “at the end it was between New Jersey and Minnesota. That’s what it came down to: just the idea of being able to come home and be around family.” Ryan Suter, who established himself as one of the best defensemen in hockey with the Nashville Predators, also signed a 13-year, $98 million contract...

Read More

Crusaders Get Carter Back for Chiefs Showdown

The seven-times champions lost to the Wellington Hurricanes last week and defeat to the championship-leading Chiefs in their penultimate match on Friday would almost certainly leave them without a place in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Carter was recalled at flyhalf after recovering from a hamstring injury to take back the kicking duties after replacement back Tyler Bleyendaal missed what would have been a match-winning penalty from halfway last Saturday. Number eight Reed, who has...

Read More

LeBron, Kobe Return to U.S. Team for London Games

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams return for another bid for Olympic glory and will spearhead a potent roster in London where the U.S. are favorites. Colangelo announced the selections after two U.S. team training sessions in Las Vegas, though final approval is still required by the U.S. Olympic Committee. "We projected we would have difficulty getting down to a roster of 12, regardless of the number of injuries that have taken place, because they are such...

Read More

2012 Tour de France — Britain’s Wiggins in Yellow Jersey After First Climb

Wiggins received the leader’s yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara after the 123-mile trek from Tomblaine. Cancellara, a Swiss time-trial specialist, had led since winning the prologue a week ago. Wiggins, who began the day seven seconds behind Cancellara in second place, leads the defending champion, Cadel Evans of Australia, by 10 seconds. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy is also 10 seconds off the pace in third. “It’s a great day for the team; we won the stage and took the yellow jersey,” Wiggins said....

Read More

Allen Chooses to Sign With Miami Heat

Allen told the Miami Heat on Friday night that he intends to accept their contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning NBA champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini mid-level, worth about $3 million a year. Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted the news just after 9:30 p.m., or about 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Europe, where Arison has been for several days. "I was just woken up with great news,"...

Read More

Jantjies Kicks Lions to Just Third Win

They held on following a fantastic comeback by the Rebels who scored three second-half tries to turn a 24-7 deficit into a 32-27 lead at Ellis Park. But replacement flanker Jaco Kriel charged down the blindside to score an equalising try, which Jantjies converted from the touchline. He then kicked a penalty on the final hooter to stretch the winning margin to five points. The Lions played with enormous confidence and freedom in the first half, running in three tries and Jantjies kicked a penalty...

Read More

Korean Choi Takes Control of U.S. Women's Open

On a breezy day with tricky hole locations at Blackwolf Run where only four other sub-par scores were recorded, Choi put herself in prime position to win her first major title. The 24-year-old Korean, who has triumphed five times on the LPGA Tour, seized control of the tournament in masterly fashion with eight birdies and a sole bogey to finish at eight-under 208. "I hit a lot of good shots today, my 14 clubs worked very well," a beaming Choi told reporters after totaling 26 putts on fast-running...

Read More

Blackwolf Run Shows Teeth, but Not as Tough as '98

Fourteen years after the central Wisconsin course humbled the world's best female players in the U.S. Women's Open, Pete Dye's diabolical design is playing easier. In 1998, Se Ri Pak and Jenny Chuasiriporn tied for the 72-hole lead at 6-over par, with Pak winning the title in a dramatic 20-hole playoff. The cut line in the Open on Friday in its return to Blackwolf Run was only 5 over. The course is nearly 500 yards longer today but the USGA gave players a break by making the long seventh hole a...

Read More

U.S. Olympic Basketball Team Is Unveiled

The Clippers’ Blake Griffin, the Thunder’s James Harden and the 76ers’ Andre Iguodala were added to the nine players who had already secured a spot. All three will play in their first Olympics. The three players who were nominated but not selected to the roster were Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, the top pick in this year’s N.B.A. draft. Coach Mike Krzyzewski decided to place the biggest emphasis on athleticism. Many of the players who already had a spot on the team, like LeBron James,...

Read More

Double Joy for Serena as She Captures Crown With Venus

Six and a half hours after lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for the fifth time, Serena teamed up with her 32-year-old sibling to down Czech sixth seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5 6-4. Venus, a first-round loser in singles, fired an ace to complete the 78-minute victory on a floodlit arena just 10 minutes before the 11pm (2200 GMT) cut-off time for Centre Court play. It was a fifth All England Club doubles title for the duo, and 13th overall. After watching Serena, 30, win her three-set...

Read More

Special Report: Formula One: McLaren's Barrier-Breaking, Winning Bet

Born of a white mother and a black father, who are both British, Hamilton became the first mixed-race world champion, opening a door for perceptions to change in auto racing, a sport in which there had never before been a black or mixed-race star of such stature. But one of the bigger and more original aspects of Hamilton’s story is the major investment in his career made by the McLaren team since he was a boy of 13. At 10, he had approached Ron Dennis, the McLaren team owner, when they were both...

Read More

Ambitious QPR Close In on Manchester United's Park

QPR owner Tony Fernandes would not confirm the signing but told Reuters at the British Formula One Grand Prix that the club would be making an announcement on Monday at 15:00 British Time (1400GMT). "Lots is happening in the club. We've signed five players, we've got a few more to announce," said the Malaysian aviation entrepreneur. Reports said the agreement, which could potentially be worth 5.0 million pounds ($7.75 million), will cost QPR an initial transfer fee of 2.0 million for the 31-year-old...

Read More

Twins' Bullpen Can't Hold Off Rangers in Extras

Unfortunately for the Twins, they couldn't do it in extra innings. Nelson Cruz hit an RBI double off reliever Kyle Waldrop (0-1) in the 10th inning that scored Adrian Beltre to lead the Rangers to a 4-3 victory that snapped their five-game losing streak. "Cruz swung the bat well," manager Ron Washington said. "We were due to finally put together something offensively. Texas' Josh Hamilton had a home run, walk and a run scored as the designated hitter one night after leaving in the fifth inning...

Read More

Hesjedal Joins List of Injury Withdrawals

In total 17 riders have so far withdrawn after a brutal first week at the world's greatest race, with FDJ-Big Mat team boss Marc Madiot telling Reuters: "It has not been cycling, it has been Rollerball." Canadian Hesjedal had talked up his chances in the three-week event but a leg injury on Friday's sixth stage has ended the Garmin rider's participation as he now looks to get fit for the London Olympics at the end of the month. "It's very disappointing to leave the Tour this way. I was in good...

Read More

O's Handcuffed by Weaver in 3-0 Loss to Angels

Hammel pitched much better that he did on June 26 in his previous matchup with Weaver at Baltimore. But the Los Angeles Angels' ace gave the Orioles just as much trouble on Saturday night as he did at Camden Yards, limiting them to just three hits over eight innings in a 3-0 victory. "Jason was great. He's given a chance to win just about every time out, and you couldn't ask for more. But the other guy was just a little bit better," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Weaver was really good....

Read More

Smith Wants to Knock England Off Top Spot

Something has to give when England, who have not lost a home series for four years, take on second-ranked South Africa in a three-match encounter that starts later this month. England's last home defeat was against the Proteas who have not lost on their travels since 2006. "We hope getting to number one can be a reward for our consistency," Smith told reporters on Saturday. "We have been near the top of the rankings for a long time now and had a taste of it for a small while (in 2008). "We are...

Read More

Dodgers Struggle Against Diamondbacks

Los Angeles lost for the sixth time in 10 games with a 5-3 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. The Dodgers remain in first place in the West at 47-39, but have been inconsistent due to injuries to a number of front-line players. "When we get all our guys back... Matt (Kemp) is supposed to be back, Dre (Andre Ethier) is supposed to be back, we got Mark Ellis back, we are going to be a new team," starter Chad Billingsley said. Billingsley (4-9) lost his fifth straight start and...

Read More

Grasscourt Great? I Don't Even Like It: Serena

The 30-year-old American carved another landmark on the All England Club's famous Centre Court on Saturday when she overpowered Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska to move level with her sister Venus's singles haul at the championships. Despite being a relative veteran of the women's game, the American is clearly not finished yet and, should she stay fit and healthy, few would bet against her matching the six of fellow American Billie Jean King here in 12 months' time. Yet the girl who learned her trade...

Read More

Error-Prone Yanks Split DH With Red Sox

The Yankees committed a season-high four errors, leading to a pair of unearned runs, extra baserunners and extended innings in a 9-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a split doubleheader Saturday. Following a 3-hour, 59-minute game in the opener and a long muggy afternoon, the Yankees appeared worn down. But captain Derek Jeter wasn't thinking that way. "That's an excuse," he said. "You play the same game. We didn't play well. That's the bottom line." Yankees manager Joe Girardi agreed...

Read More

Nibali Emerges as Clear Third Man

That man is likely to be Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, who rose to third in the overall standings on Saturday after keeping pace with new leader Wiggins and Evans on the race's first ascent up to the Les Planche des Belles Filles on stage seven. He finished fourth, seven seconds behind stage winner Chris Froome and just behind second-placed Evans and Wiggins in third, as the absence of banned great Alberto Contador was countered by a thrilling end to the climb. "I'm satisfied both for the performance...

Read More

Spain Still Hopes to Upset U.S.

Since the sport was first included at the 1936 Berlin Games, the U.S. have won 13 of the 16 competitions entered and, with a squad stuffed with NBA All-Stars, are overwhelming favorites to retain the title won in Beijing four years ago after beating the Spanish. Scariolo's Spain, with plenty of top NBA players of their own, including the Gasol brothers Marc and Pau, Jose Calderon and Serge Ibaka, are widely tipped to take silver again in London, but the Italian is not entirely ruling out an upset....

Read More

Richard Struggles as Padres Fall to Reds 6-5

He just couldn't shut down the Cincinnati Reds' suddenly clicking bats. Richard struggled as he allowed home runs to Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey, helping the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 win Saturday night. "(Fastball) was not quite as consistent as I'd like it to be," Richard said. "I left a few up and it cost us." San Diego, which lost its second straight after a season-high six-game winning streak, cut Cincinnati's lead to 6-5 in the eighth inning on Logan Forsythe's RBI single against Sean Marshall...

Read More

New Golf Course Design Philosophy Aids Casual Player

That has become a refrain in these days of golf courses shutting down and growth stagnating, and industry officials are listening. So after years of high-end, challenging golf courses being built and many of them foundering, design concepts are changing to make courses easier to play to accommodate the recreational golfer who does not like paying hundreds of dollars for scores in the 100s. “People have too much fun playing on golf courses that are a little easier to play and not so long,” said...

Read More

Phillies Fall Again to Braves

Hunter Pence ran over third-base coach Juan Samuel on his way to scoring a run in the second inning of a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night. The five-time defending NL East champions are freefalling since Chase Utley returned to the lineup, losing nine of 10. They just got Ryan Howard back on Friday night and have lost two in a row, though the former NL MVP didn't play in this loss. If there's a single play to sum up Philadelphia's season, it was this. With two on and one out in the...

Read More

Nets’ Williams Was Swayed to Stay by Johnson Trade

In reality, though, Williams knew he was not picking from a pool of 30 N.B.A. teams. Dallas or Brooklyn? Hometown team or team moving to the bright lights? On Tuesday, through his Twitter account, Williams announced he was staying with the Nets. On Friday, Williams was at the United States national team’s first practice leading up to the Olympics. And it was here, after a few days to reflect, that Williams described his thought process in deciding between the two teams. The surprise, Williams said,...

Read More

The One and Only: Botswana’s Amantle Montsho Seeks Glory in Punishing Race

They stretched and shook their limbs behind the starting blocks, the relaxing shimmy before the 50-second explosion. Among them: Sanya Richards-Ross of the United States, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist; Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica, a top talent from a country that produces world-class runners the way Stanford produces computer programmers; and Amantle Montsho, the reigning world champion. Montsho, 29, is from a rural village in Botswana, an African country not known for elite athletes....

Read More

Cahill Helps Diamondbacks Edge Dodgers

Trevor Cahill pitched seven solid innings to help the Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on Saturday night, and if Arizona (41-43) can win the finale of the four-game series with L.A. on Sunday at home, the Diamondbacks could find themselves four games out of first place heading into the All-Star break. "I felt pretty good. I'm always trying to go at least seven innings," Cahill said. "Everybody in here knows where we want to be and how important these games are." Cahill (7-7), traded...

Read More