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Pens in 2-0 ho

Rivalry heats up, Pag

F

Chris Osgood had another stin net for Detroit, making 3

DETROITIt has been on

two rounds since the Pitts

Penguins rallied from a tw

deficit to beat Alex Ovech

the Washington Capitals

happen.

But only one team in hi

lost two road games to ope

Stanley Cup finals and gonwin the cham-

pionship. Heres

what it will take

for Pittsburgh, a

3-1 loser to Detroit

in Game 2 Sunday,

to become the

second:

1. Scoring from Sid:T

large part to the strong d

play of Red Wings forwar

Zetterberg, Sidney Crosby

have a point. Its frustrati

thats playoff hockey, he

2. Solve Chris Osgood

Detroit goalie is making athe Conn Smythe Trophy

timely saves, including an

huge glove stop on Evge

3. Match Detroits dep

Abdelkader has more goa

Crosby and Malkin comb

Pittsburgh needs an answ

surprising rookie. C

STANLEY CUP FINA

Detroit 3, Pittsbur

GA

DePitTue8 pTV

MONDAY

JUNE 1, 2009

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 314

Scoreboard

NHLStanley Cup finalsDetroit 3, Pittsburgh 1

(Detroit leads series 2-0)

BaseballAmerican League

Cleveland 5, N.Y. Yankees 4

Boston 8, Toronto 2

Detroit 3, Baltimore 0

Minnesota 3, Tampa Bay 2

Chicago White Sox 7, Kansas City 4

Oakland 5, Texas 4

L.A. Angels 9, Seattle 8

National League

N.Y. Mets 3, Florida 2

Houston 2, Pittsburgh 1

Philadelphia 4, Washington 2

Milwaukee 5, Cincinnati 2

San Francisco 5, St. Louis 3

San Diego 5, Colorado 2

Atlanta 9, Arizona 3

L.A. Dodgers 8, Chicago Cubs 2

MLB > 12 NFL > 23 NBA > 9 NHL > 6 NASCAR > 27 COLLEGE FOOTBALL > 29 COLLEGE BASKETBALL > 30 GOLF > 31 NBA DRAFTQUICK LINKS:

Between them, the Tigers, Rang-ers and Reds have made one playoff

appearance this decade. That totalcould doubleat leastin 2009.

As the seasonslips into June, theTigers lead the A.L.Central by fourgames, the Rangersare 5 gamesahead in the A.L.West and the Redsare crowding theBrewers andCardinals in the

N.L. Central.This week, all three clubs face

challenges from bona fide contend-ers that will go a long way in deter-mining if theyre indeed ready toshed their perennial also-ran status.

TIGERSAhead: Playoff regulars Boston

and the L.A. Angels visit ComericaPark.

Update: After breaking campwith a staff full of pitching

questions, the Tigers have cometogether. They are second in A.L.ERA and lead the majors in bounce-back seasons, thanks to JustinVerlander, Fernando Rodney, JoelZumaya and Dontrelle Willis. RickPorcello, a 20-year-old lefty, hasemerged as an A.L. Rookie of theYear favorite.

Theyre playing like everyone

expected them to play last year,Royals CF Coco Crisp said. Expec-tations were high last year and itdidnt happen. With a little pressureoff, theyre playing better.

RANGERSAhead: A trip to New York and

Boston will provide some sort ofstatement.

Update: Everyone outside ofTexas figured the Ra ngers were

keeping first place warm for theinjury-depleted Angels. Well, as theAngels have gained their health, theRangers have strengthened theirlead. Their pitching is holding upand they still lead the majors inhomers.

REDSAhead: After being swept at

Milwaukee, series still await at St.Louis and home against Chicago.

Update: For a change, the Redsare relying on pitchingtheir 4.07ERA is sixth best in N.L.and

power. They will have to count evenmore on pitching because their besthitter, Joey Votto, just went on thedisabled list for stress-relatedissues.

We knew their pitching would beimproved, Brewers G.M. DougMelvin said. And they would be oneof the teams in this race. Its going tobe close all summer.

[email protected]

BASEBALL:THE WEEK AHEAD

Ready or not

Stan McNealBASEBALL

GAILBURTON/AP

Curtis Granderson, right, Jeff Larish and the A.L. Central-leading Tigers have a tough draw this week.

Look whos talking

San Diego QB Philip RiversThe Pro

Bowler dishes on

his battles with

Jay Cutler, his

family life, and

his rep as one of

the NFLs most

notorious trash-talkers. Page 23

Draft prospect Hasheem ThabeetThe former UConn starand

possible top-3

pick later this

monthadmits

his offense

is a work in

progress, but his

defensive play?

Not a problem. Page 5

June brings litmus tests forthree surprising contenders
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009See a Different Game

THEWORLDSFIRSTDIGDAILYSPORTSNEWSPA

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MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CREATIVE DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MEDIA. . . . . . . . . . .

VP, MARKETING & SALES DEVELOPMEN

EDITORIALOFFICE120 West Morehead Street, Suit

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Letters to the editor:

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General feedback:[email protected]

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[email protected] Strauss, 212-500-0672

[email protected]

ON NEWSSTANDS

A Division I head basketball coaanyone can do it, its Memphis JoSporting News college hoops eDeCourcy explains in the new m

Are the Chicago Cubs worth $900million?

Thats the question that has reportedly bogged down negotiations between theTribune Co. and Wilmette, Ill., investmentbanker Tom Ricketts, whose planned pur-chase of baseballs lovable losers wasexpected to be final by now.

The Chicago Tribune reports that a disputeover the value of the Cubs broadcasting con-tracts is stalling the Tribune Co.s attempt tosell the team to Ricketts and his family.

Tribune Co. controls WGN-TV, WGNradio and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, all

of which broadcast Cubs games. The expo-sure has generated millions of ticket salesat Wrigley Field and significantly increasedthe value of a team Tribune Co. bought for$20.5 million in 1981.

But the Tribune says the Ricketts familydisputes the value of those broadcast con-tracts and is asking for concessions or areduction in the sale price of $40 million to$50 million.

If the Ricketts deal doesnt get done, Iam sure therell be other ones, Tribune Co.chairman Sam Zell told BloombergTelevision.

Retired players angry with the NFLPlayers Association over disability andpension benefits say the executivedirector of the union may be ahead ofhimself in seeking their support duringupcoming contract talks with theleague.

An informal group of players lashed outSunday at comments made by DeMaurice

Smith, who said Saturday that if there is alockout by owners in 2011 retired player benefits would be reduced by 80 percentwhile it lasts.

Several players meeting in Las Vegasabout their clashes with the union saidtheir benefits are protected by lawlockoutor not.

Gossip site RadarOnline.com landedthe first at-home photos ofMichael Vick, who

is serving the remaining 60 days of a prisonsentence under house arrest in Hampton,Va.

The site this weekend posted a video andsix photos it says show the suspended Fal-cons quarterback with children from hisnon-profit foundation.

Ted Williams fishing license and per-

sonal notes on local fishing holes wereswiped during an auction preview in NewHampshire.

AuctioneerJohn Pappastold theNew Hamp- shire Sunday News the stolen items couldhave fetched $1,000 or more at Saturdaysauction. The 1970 license for TheodoreWilliams was in a small holder attachedto a fishing cap, and the notes were tuckedinside.

Compiled by staff with wire reports

BASEBALL

Yankees at Indians

7 p.m., ESPNJoba Chamberlain isnt performing as wellas a starter as he did as a reliever, but G.M.

Brian Cashman seems resolute in sticking with

Chamberlain in a starting role. Chamberlain

carries a respectable 3.97 ERA into tonights con-

test, but its his 1.57 WHIP that is unsightly. The

Indians offense will give Chamberlain a tough

test, but its their pitching that the Yankees will

feast on. Jeremy Sowers 7.71 ERA shouldnt

provide much resistance.

TENNIS

French Open

Noon, ESPN2Roger Federer and Andy Roddick are on paceto face each other in the quarterfinals, which

means all they have to do is beat their respective

opponents today. Roddick has the tougher road

to reach the quarters, as hell face 11th-seeded

Gael Monfils, while Federer will face unseeded

Tommy Haas, who has never reached the round

of eight. On the womens side, No. 2 seed Serena

Williams and No. 5 seed Jelena Jankovic also are

vying for a spot in their quarterfinals.

NASCAR

This Week in NASCAR

8 p.m., SpeedIf you want to know what Pocono Racewaylooks like, go to your closet and get a hanger.

Pocono has its share of detractors among

drivers (many want races there shortened from

500 miles to 400), but the fact remains it is one

of NASCARs most unique and difficult tracks

to run on. Steve Byrnes and the gang will give

us the flavor and history of the track, and also

recap all that happened at Dover on Sunday.

Compiled by Roger Kuznia

Tune In TodayA quick look at the best sports on TV

all times Eastern

GUIDE

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

8 p.m.ESPN2 World Series, finals, game 1, teams

TBA, at Oklahoma City

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7 p.m.ESPN N.Y. Yankees at Cleveland

TENNIS

NoonESPN2 French Open, round of 16, at Paris

Delay ofgame in

Cubs sale

OFF THE FIELD

DAVIDBANKS/AP

Tom Ricketts plan to purchase Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs has hit a snag over the teams broadcast deals.
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com My Profile

Ara Parseghian95-17-4 as Notre Dame football coach

(What you wont find on Facebook even if you are approved as a friend)

Born: May 21, 1923, in Ak ron, Ohio

Status: Married

Alma mater: Miami (Ohio)

Whats on TV: Network news: A.M.TodayShow, P.M.CBS. Sportsfootball, basketball,baseball golf. I prefer mystery movies. Moviesthat make you think. I liked Columbo.

Whats in my iPod: 40s music, Sinatra, someclassical. When in FloridaMarco Islandwelisten to FM 101.1. Terrific music.

What I drive: 8-year-old parchment Lexus 430

Favorite flicks:Patton,Elmer Gantry, TheGodfatherand several others

What Im reading: Jim Dents new book. Covers

my first year at Notre Dame, 1964.Magazine subscriptions:Newsweek, TIME, Golf

Digest, Golf Magazine

Bookmarks: BlueandGold.com, South BendTribune, Chicago Tribune

Superstitions: Very few. When coaching, if wewere on a win streak it was a good idea to wearthe same outfit.

Worst habit: Lack of patience

First job: Golf caddy, age 14 or 15, Loyal OakCC in Akron. Made 75 cents for 18 holes. Astime moved forward, it went to 85 cents andwe hoped for a 15-cent tip to make $1 for 4hours. The golf course was about 4 miles frommy house. Hitch-hiked to and from.

Talent Id most like to have: To be a gifted musicalinstrument player. The piano.Favorite meal: SeafoodEscargot, stone crabs,

lobster, virtually all seafood. Also, Armenianfoodfather Armenian, mother French

Favorite city to visit: San Franciscogreat foodFavorite team as a kid: Cleveland Indians

Favorite values in others: Honesty, integrity,loyalty

Favorite physical attribute about myself: I am alive!!

And least Eyesight. Would still like to havesharp vision.

Dream date: At 86, I dont have one!!

My greatest love: Sports after wifeMy heroes: Everyone who was a part of

WWII. I served in the Navy just short of 3years.

My motto: Its not the first mistake you make;its the one you repeat.

Jeff DAlessio

APFILE
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He wont be the No. 1 pick , but at 7-2 , center

Hasheem Thabeet is the tallest player in this years

NBA draft and, thus, figures to go either second or

third. He readily admits that he has much to learn

on the offensive endthough, he explains, thatsonly because he is more of a natural soccer player.

Sporting News Todays Sean Deveney caught up with

Thabeet for further explanation.

Q:Youre on the verge of being oneof the top picks in the draft.Could you have imagined that whenyou got over here?

A:When I came in, my goal was just toget an education and then go homeand get a good job. But I started playingbasketball seriously, and I started learningthe game and I found out I love doing it.

Q: Coming out of the Big East,which was such a toughconference this year, has that helpedyou as you approach the NBA draftprocess?

A:I think so. After the season, I gota chance to work out with somepros, and I could see the strength thatthose guys had. But I was getting thatevery day in the Big East. It was reallytough. I have played basketball, coming in,only six years. So, it made me grow up fastwith it, the skill level and strength I need.

Q:You met with some

representatives from Memphisout in L.A. last week. How did that go?

A:It went pretty well. I met with them,they got to know me a little bit, theyasked me about myself, about where Ithought I would get picked.

Q:Do you have a team in mind thatyou want to go to?A:I dont have a preference. It is agreat opportunity for me. I just

want to go wherever I get picked.

Q:What have you been workingon to get ready for the draft?A:

I have been working on my offense.That is all I do. A lot of timesnowadays when I go to work out, I dontwork on my defense at all. I go and I shootjump shots and things like that.

Q:So you feel your defense isalready NBA-ready?A:Definitely. I can always playdefense. No one taught me how toplay defense, I just have always knownhow to do it.

Q:You come in thinking defenseall the way.A:

I think t hat, maybe my offenseneeds to improve, but I think that ifI am not going to go to your end and score,then you are not going to come to my endand score. That helps me a lot more playingdefense, to be motivated.

Q:How far along is your offense atthis point?

A:It is getting better. The thing peopledont understand, I had to make atransition from soccer to basketball, fromjust kicking it and youre not allowed totouch it, to now, youre allowed to touch itbut youre not allowed to kick it. That

takes time to get used to. I am just t ryingto get as many repetitions as I can to getbetter.

Q:As long as you dont getconfused and start kicking theball in a basketball game.

A:Sometimes during practice, I willkick the ball and coach will stop thepractice and say, No, this is basketball,Hasheem. This is not soccer.

Q:What position did you play insoccer?

A:I grew up playing soccer, so I wouldplay all different positions. I haveplayed every position in soccer. Throw meanywhere, I will play. I played goalie whenI was young.

Q:Have you kept in touch with(former Husky) Rudy Gay?A:I talk to Rudy a lot. We dont reallytalk about basketball; we talk about alot of things. But, he has told me t hat, in theNBA, you cant just stand near the basketand block everything that comes near you,or they will call you for the 3-second rule.That is one thing I will have to make anadjustment on. I have been working on that.

Q: You were in Nashville in April,for a benefit concert. How didthat come about?

A:It was a charity event for a choirgroup from Africa that was trying

to raise money for back in Africa, so thatthey can build schools and stuff. It was theAfrican Childrens Choir. They invited me.

Q:A lot of country music, Iunderstand.

A:Yes, and I am not a real fan ofcountry. But it was a benefit, so itwas good.

Q:You were one of the speakers?

A:I was, I had a speech. I was sur-prisedI was in Nashville, and Idid not think that anyone in Nashvillewould know who I am. I came out, and Ihad a speech I had prepared and memo-rized. But with the ovation I got, it wasamazing. The ovation was so loud, I gotconfused and forgot my speech. I had to dothe impromptu version.

Q&A with C Hasheem Thabeet

Thabeets offense needs work, but I can always play defens

CH

Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet is expected to be taken among the top three in the NBA draft.

SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009Next Gen: NBA Draft
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GAME 2:DETROIT 3 PITTSBURGH 1STANLEY CUP FINALS

Temperatures rise as Wings take 2-0 leadDETROITThe final seconds were ticking

away in Detroits 3-1 Game 2 win overPittsburgh and the Red Wings had ameaningless two-man advantage, thanksto penalties against Evgeni Malkin andMax Talbot.

The Red Wings easily could have runout the clock, passing thepuck back and forth astime expired. But insteadthey shot it, one lastchance at another goalon Marc-Andre Fleury.

They wanted to score.Kind of like a quarter-

back who takes one more

shot at the end zoneinstead of taking a kneeagainst a heated rival.

Thats what this has become. The Pen-guins and Red Wings, two teams thatrarely play in the regular season and areonly squaring off for the second time inthe playoffs, are forming quite a rivalry.

They obviously dont like us, we dontlike them, Pittsburgh forward PascalDupuis said. Its playoff time right now,so 20 seconds left in the game, what hap-pened, happened.

What happened? With 19 secondsremaining, two of the biggest stars in the

series, Henrik Zetterberg and Malkin,exchanged punches after Zetterberg tookexception to the Penguinsmostly Tal-botwhacking at goalie Chris Osgood.

Zetterberg ducked a big swing fromMalkin and ended up on top of the Rus-sian, although its hard to say anyone wonthe fight between two players who seldomdrop their gloves. Zetterberg guessed itwas the first time he has ever received afive-minute major for fighting.

Detroits big rookie, Jonathan Ericsson,one of the few Red Wings who actuallydoes fight, liked what he saw fromZetterberg.

Zs a strong man from Sweden and tookcare of him, Ericsson said, smiling.

Zetterberg wasnt gloating about thefight, and seemed more embarrassed than

anything. Malkin didnt address the

media.I think in the playoffs and finals like this,there is a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings,Zetterberg said. When you get scrums,thats the way it is. It should be a lot of feel-ings and nothing more than t hat.

But it is. From the heated exchangebetween Sidney Crosby and Kirk Maltbyin Game 1, to Johan Franzen shoving ChrisKunitz into the Red Wings bench, the badblood between these two teams is becom-ing increasingly public.

The Red Wings seldom engage in post-whistle shoving and impressed the Black-hawks with their discipline. Chicago tried

everything to fluster them, but nevercould.Theyre one of those rare teams that do

everything right all the time, Chicagodefenseman Brent Seabrook said.

But the Penguins are bringing out anedginess in the Red Wings. When guyslike Zetterberg start throwing punches,its hard to ignore.

Part of it is frustration, at least from thePenguins side. They struggle to beatOsgood and when they do, they hit thepost.

But what do the Red Wings have to befrustrated about? As Crosby pointed out,

Malkin wasnt fighting himself.Z threw punches too, Crosby said.Its a mix of frustration and bad blood.

Factor in the talent level of both teams and,if Pittsburgh ever finds a way to score, thiscould be a fascinating series.

And the Penguins certainly still thinkits a series.

They were strong at home, Crosbysaid. Now we have to do our job.

[email protected]

Two games worth of ch ippiness culminated in a late fight between Evgeni Malkin,top, and Henrik Zetterberg.

FRANKGUNN/AP

NOTEBOOK

Babcock: I misspabout classy Cro

Before saying a word about th

Detroit coach Mike Babcock felt theclarify an earlier statement.At a press conference before S

Game 2, Babcock said PittsburghsCrosby went head hunting in Sagame. Crosby said it was the first timbeen referred to as a head-hunter by aing coach and the comment added mto an already contentious rivalry.

Babcock tried to clarify the commday night, saying he meant to highhead-to-head matchup of Crosby andforward Henrik Zetterberg.

I misspoke or I didnt speak well,to me speaking unfairly about Sidney

would be wrong, Babcock said.wanted to clear that up because twasnt my intent at all. And its ancomment on a classy player who play

From surgery to starDetroit defenseman Jonathan

scored the Red Wings first goal ofwith his second-period slapshot. Tcame less than a week after his appenremoved in a surprising surgery thahim to miss the clinching game of thern Conference finals.

Surprisingly, he hasnt missed against Pittsburgh and Babcock

hasnt changed the way he has used hhis return.No, I just play him, Babcock saidEricsson said after Sunday nigh

that he is being aided by pain-killingI dont feel much right now actuall

sson said. It feels better and better aon.

Ericsson played 16:48 on Sunday ished plus-1.

C

Craig CustanceHOCKEY

SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009NHL
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Two nights, two wins for exhausted WingsDETROITThe Red Wings found a

perfect way to move halfway to arepeatbeat the Pittsburgh Pen-guins back-to-back.

So much for Detroit being old, beaten down and needing a break.The Red Wings topped the Pen-guins 3-1 in Game 2 of the finalsSunday night and are two winsfrom holding onto the Stanley Cup.

Just as they did last year in win-ning the title for the 11th time andfourth in 11 seasons, the Red Wingstook the first two games from thePenguins at home. This year poseda new challenge, sweeping a pair on

consecutive nights three days afterfinishing the Western Conferencefinals.

Its hurt us. Dont kid yourself,Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. Ithought we were exhausted outthere. Its amazing what will doesfor you.

We found a way to win twogames, but we havent been as goodas were capable of being.

Rookie defenseman JonathanEricsson, who watched the WesternConference finale Wednesday nightin the dressing room hours after

having his appendix removed,scored the tying goal for Detroit inthe second period. He missed onegame and returned to the lineupSaturday.

Just a couple years ago, it tookpeople a month to recover, the25-year-old Ericsson said. It tookme three days.

Valtteri Filppula added the go-ahead tally 6:08 later, and Justin

Abdelkader scored his second of

the series in the third. The RedWings left the ice in front of theircheering, towel-waving fans andheaded for Pittsburgh with anothercommanding lead.

Game 3 is Tuesday night, and theodds favor the Red Wings quest to become the NHLs first repeatchampion since they did it in 1997and 98. Teams that win Games 1and 2 at home have captured theCup 31 of 32 times.

Frustration boiled over for Pitts-burgh with 18.2 seconds left, whenMax Talbot stuck his stick in goalie

Chris Osgoods midsection after hemade his 31st save. That led to afight between Evgeni Malkin andRed Wings forward Henrik Zetter- berg that left both players jerseyson the ice.

Malkin was subject to a one-gamesuspension for being assessed in thefinal 5 minutes, but that punishmentwas quickly rescinded by leaguedisciplinarian Colin Campbell.

None of the criteria in this ruleapplied, Campbell said in a state-ment. Suspensions are appliedunder this rule when a team

attempts to send a message in thelast five minutes by having a playerinstigate a fight. A suspension couldalso be applied when a player seeksretribution for a prior incident. Nei-ther was the case here.

The Penguins, who dropped theopener 3-1 on Saturday night, played better in this two-game set com-pared to a year ago when the finalswere new to them.

Malkin had a strong first period

and staked Pittsburgh to an early1-0 lead. It just wasnt enough asDetroitespecially Zetterberg bottled up captain Sidney Crosbyand kept him pointless for the sec-ond straight night.

In each of the first two games wehave been able to play in the offen-sive zone for periods of time, Pen-guins coach Dan Bylsma said.Weve been able to get shots, beenable to outshoot a good Detroit team, but theyve been able to get thetimely goals.

As a result theyve got two

wins.Crosby sent a perfect feed frombehind the net to Bill Guerin, whosebid to tie it in the second was foiledwhen the puck struck the inside ofthe left post. Crosby was denied bythe left post at the other end, lessthan 2 minutes into the third, a no-goal confirmed by video replay.

Crosby let out a disgusted spitfrom the bench as the announce-ment was made.

Just over a minute later,Abdelkader sealed the win with hissecond NHL goal and second in two

nights. Not bad for a rookie whohails from Michigan.Abdelkader stayed with the bound-

ing puck while guarded by Rob Scud-eri and took a whack at itsending ashot fluttering past Marc-AndreFleurys glove 2:47 into the third.

Osgood outplayed Fleury againin earning his 73rd NHL playoffvictory, eighth on the career list.

Ericsson tied it 1-1 at 4:21 of the

second after Darren Helm won afaceoff in the Pittsburgh end. Just 14 seconds after Malkin left

the penalty box, Filppula back-handed in a rebound of Marian Hos-sas shotwith Tomas Holmstrom infrontwith 9:31 remaining.

After shutting out the Penguinsby a combined 7-0 score in the firsttwo games of last years finals, thenicked-up Red Wings bent but

didnt break. And they did it againwithout injured forwards PavelDatsyuk, their leading scorer in theregular season, and four-timechampion Kris Draper.

The Penguins needed nearly 7minutes before Kris Letangrecorded the teams first shot, butPittsburgh finished the period witha flourishoutshooting the RedWings 9-0 to close the frame.

They took advantage wheKronwall was sent off fochecking Talbot, the onlycalled in the first.

Malkin, the NHLs regson scoring championandleader with 30 pointslet gthat was batted in the air bseman Brad Stuart and pastwith 3:10 left in the period.

The Ass

Dan Cleary and the Red Wings scored three goals on 26 shots in Sundays Game 2 win.

FRANKGUNN/AP

Series glance(Best-of-7), All times ET

(Detroit leads series 2-0)

May 30: Detroit 3,Pittsburgh

Sunday: Detroit 3,Pittsburgh

Tuesday: Detroit at Pittsburg

p.m., Versus

Thursday: Detroit at Pittsbu

p.m., Versus

Saturday: Pittsburgh at Detr

p.m., if necessary, NBC

Tuesday, June 9: Detroit at

Pittsburgh, 8 p.m., if necessa

NBC

Friday, June 12: Pittsburgh a

Detroit, 8 p.m., if necessary, N

Pittsburgh 1 0 0Detroit 0 2 1

FirstPeriod: 1,Pittsburgh,Malkin13(Letang,GuPenalties:Kronwall,Det(cross-checking), 16:08.Second Period: 2, Detroit, Ericsson 3 (Hudler,Detroit,Filppula2 (Holmstrom,Hossa),10:29.PePit(interference), 8:15.Third Period: 4, Detroit,Abdelkader2 (HolmstroPenalties:Talbot,Pit (slashing),19:41;Malkin,Pmisconduct (instigator, fighting), 19:41; Zetterb(fighting),19:41.Shotson Goal:Pittsburgh11-9-12: 32.Detroit7Power-playopportunities:Pittsburgh1of1;DetGoalies: Pittsburgh, Fleury 12-7-0 (26 shots-23Osgood14-4-0 (32-31).A:20,066(20,066). T:2:27.Referees: BillMcCreary, MarcJoannette.LinesmSteveMiller.


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Nieuwendyk replaces Hull-Jackson G.M. duo in DaGoal scoring: Abdelkader two, Crosby zero

DETROITA frustrated SidneyCrosby took a whack at Kirk Malt-

bys skate near the end of Game 1,tired of what he called the nonstopchirping by the Red Wings for-ward. So far, it might be Crosbysbest shot of the Stanley Cup finals.

Blanketed by Henrik Zetterbergwhenever he steps on the ice,Crosby has gone from best playerin the playoffs to a concern becauseof his lack of offense.

Hes not playing badlyhes justnot playing like Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins 3-1 loss Sundaynight put them down 2-0 for thesecond straight year, and Crosbys

inability to duplicate his previousdominating play14 goals and 14assists in 17 games through thefirst three roundsis a reasonwhy.

Theres tons of explanations,but the fact is you get quick chancesand either you put them in or youdont, and thats the difference,Crosby said.

Crosby has no points in twofrustrating games, though itshardly for lack of effort. He nearly broke through early in the thirdperiod when, with Pittsburgh

down 2-1, he rang a shot off the leftpost and nearly stuffed therebound past Chris Osgood.

About a minute later, JustinAbdelkader, a rookie who hadnever scored an NHL goal beforethe finals, scored to give the RedWings a 3-1 lead.

Who could have guessedAbdelkader would have two goalsand Crosby none?

Its an all-too-familiar scenariofor the Penguins, who never recov-ered from their 2-0 deficit last yearand lost to Detroit in six games.Evgeni Malkin has a goal and anassist, but the Penguins arentfinding the open ice they did inearlier series.

The left and right post? Theyre

finding those regularly.Instead of hitting the post, we

have to hit the net, defensemanHal Gill said.

The Penguins trailed Washing-ton 2-0 in the Eastern Conferencesemifinals and eventually won theseries in seven.

The Associated Press

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are hitting goal posts with regularity.

CARLOSOSORIO/AP

The Dallas Stars, after missing theplayoffs for the first time since 2002,announced Sunday that co-generalmanagers Brett Hull and Les Jackson

will be replaced by former Stars for-wardJoe Nieuwendyk .The surprising change, which was

reported before Game 2 of the Stan-ley Cup finals, was made by teamowner Tom Hicks, who called Nieu-wendyk a rising front-office starwho has made an impact as specialassistant to the general manager inToronto.

These moves are all about help-ing this club take the proverbial nextstep, Hicks said in a statement. Joeis a leader and has been a winner ineverything he has done. He is ready

for this opportunity and has a brightfuture as an NHL general manager.We want that future to be with theDallas Stars.

Nieuwendyk and Hull were team-mates on Stars teams that won theStanley Cup in 1999 and returned tothe finals in 2000. Nieuwendykwon the Conn Smythe Trophy aspostseason MVP in 99, but it wasHull who scored the Cup-winninggoal.

Nieuwendyk played seven yearswith the Stars and posted careertotals of 564 goals, 562 assists and

1,126 points over 20 seasons. He alsoappeared in 158 career playoffgames, recording 116 points and 66goals. He helped three differentteams in three different decades winStanley Cups: Calgary in 1989, Dal-las, and New Jersey in 2003.

I am ready for this opportunity,said Nieuwendyk, who retired fromplaying in 2006. The Dallas Starshave built a winning tradition over

the years and I want to help continuethat legacy.

Hull and Jackson had spent a sea-son and a half as front-office part-ners. The Stars reached the WesternConference finals months after theytook over in 2007-08, but didntmake the playoffs this past season.Injuries were a big problem, butthere also were serious dressing-room issues that can be traced to the

most memorable move of the Hull-Jackson era: the signing ofSean Avery.Both will remain with the Stars in

front-office roles that focus on theirrespective strengths, according to anews release. Hull will serve asexecutive vice president and alter-nate governor; Jackson will return tohis longtime role as director of scout-ing and player development.

Brett and Les have done a great

job as co-general managers,analyzing the situation, it teams best interest to returnroles that fit their rstrengths, Hicks said. Bassist the club in several areas and serve as an advisand (team president) Jeff CogLes will go back to what bestoverseeing ourdepartment.

The Associated Presthat the Edmonton Oilesigned centre Milan Kytnar toyear entry level contract. Kywas Edmontons fifth picoverall) in the 2007 draft athe team after two seasonWHL. The 6-foot, 180-pounkian scored 27 goals for thtoon Blades this season.

Joe Nieuwendyk won three Stanley Cups with three different teams, including Dal

DANIE

INSIDE DISH


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NBA FINALS

Magic happy, but not satisfied with silveORLANDOPick a moment.All-Star point guard Jameer

Nelson going out with a shoulder

tear in February. Dwight How-ard calling out coach Stan VanGundy for not getting the ballenough, or losing on four last-second shots in the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic have sur-vived it all to reach the NBAFinals. Weve been througheverything you could possibly gothrough in the playoffs in one sea-son, Van Gundy said.

The Magic knocked off thedefending champion Boston Celt-ics after falling behind in theseries 3-2. They eliminated LeB-

ron James and the top-seededCleveland Cavaliers, and nowOrlando is back in the finals forthe first time since 1995. Game 1 isThursday night at Los Angeles.

But the Magic arent satisfied.You can look at everybody in

the locker rooms eyes as well ascoach and tell that we are happyabout getting to the finals, but weare not tremendously happyenough yet, forward RashardLewis said. We like winning thatsilver basketball, but I think thegold basketball will be a little bet-

ter than t hat silver one.Orlandos only other finalsappearance ended swiftly, gettingswept by the Houston Rockets.After Shaquille ONeal bolted forLos Angeles in the summer of 96,the franchise collapsed.

The Magic hit bottom in the2003-04 season, with coach DocRivers getting fired and star TracyMcGrady demanding a trade.

They were 21-61 that season.The No. 1 pick brought them

another Superman.

Howard has talked about win-ning a title since he was draftedout of high school. The 23-year-old has quickly honed his skills,and his rare combination of sizeand speed has helped the Magicrise again.

I think we started to bring back some magic in Orlando,Howard said. I felt that we were alaughingstock around the league.Everybody played the Magic, theythought about Disney World. So Ijust wanted to change that.

Consider it done.

Howard had 40 points and 14rebounds in a Game 6 win Satur-day night to power the Magic to a4-2 series win over Cleveland.

Nelson went down in early Feb-ruary, and only a trade-deadlinedeal to get Rafer Alston fromHouston kept them as contenders.Then came the playoffs, whichhas provided the ultimate heart-break and satisfaction.

Andre Iguodala and ThaddeusYoung each hit shots in the finalmoments to give Philadelphia winsin the first round series against the

Magic. But they survived.They lost on a Glen Davis shotas time expired in Game 4 oftheir second round series againstBoston. And after the Magic blewa fourth-quarter lead in a devas-tating Game 5 meltdown, How-ard publicly challenged VanGundy for not getting him theball enough. But they survived.

Then came the league MVP.

James averaged more than 38points, eight rebounds and eightassists in the conference finals,including a buzzer-beating3-pointer to win Game 2 and atriple-double to steal Game 5. Butagain the Magic survived.

Now comes the Lakers.The Magic are 2-0 this season

against Los Angeles, but thewins against the Lakers this

season were helped in large partby Nelson, who was their leadingscorer in both.

Though rumblings of Nelsonsuiting up for the Finals arealready heating up again, a Magicspokesman said Sunday thatNelsons rehabilitation is aheadof schedule but that his statusremains uncertain.


Magic C Dwight Howard, dunking, had 40 points and 14 rebounds in the Game 6 w in.

GARYW.GREEN/ AP

Orlando Magic

AVG 3-Pnt.

Player G MIN FGM-FGA PCT FGM-FGA FTM-FTA PCT PTS AVHoward 18 38.3 140-225 .622 0-2 110-170 .647 390 21

Lewis 19 40.7 126-274 .460 36-92 8 0-103 .777 368 19

Turkoglu 19 38.3 96-234 .410 25-67 71-84 .845 288 1

Alston 18 32.9 85-222 .383 33-94 25-34 . 735 228 12

Pietrus 19 25.1 65-134 .485 33-84 36-51 . 706 199 10

Lee 16 28.9 55-122 .451 10-33 20-22 .909 140 8

Redick 12 21.8 23-63 .365 16-41 12-13 .923 74 6

Lue 1 3.9 2-2 1.000 1-1 0-0 .000 5 5

Johnson 19 14.7 32-85 .376 9-30 9-18 .500 82 4

Gortat 19 11.4 27-37 .730 0-0 8-12 .667 62 3

Battie 16 5.8 16-34 .471 0-0 3-5 .600 35 2

Richardson 1 2.4 0-1 .000 0-0 0-0 .000 0 0

Foyle 2 1.9 0-1 .000 0-0 0-0 .000 0 0

TEAM 19 241.3 667-1434 .465 163-444 374-512 .730 1871 98

OPPONENTS 19 241.3 660-1473 .448 112-346 348-457 .761 1780 93

REBOUNDS ASSISTS

Player OFF DEF TOT AVG. AST AVG. PF DQ STL

Howard 81 196 277 15.4 32 1.8 82 4 12

Lewis 20 95 115 6.1 50 2.6 35 0 21

Turkoglu 8 78 86 4.5 97 5.1 61 0 14

Alston 2 43 45 2.5 79 4.4 43 0 29

Pietrus 17 35 52 2.7 12 0.6 61 0 15

Lee 4 28 32 2.0 26 1.6 29 0 16

Redick 1 16 17 1.4 23 1.9 22 1 7 Lue 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0

Johnson 7 19 26 1.4 39 2.1 28 0 11

Gortat 16 47 63 3.3 3 0.2 34 0 7

Battie 6 10 16 1.0 0 0.0 7 0 0

Richardson 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0

Foyle 0 1 1 0.5 0 0.0 1 0 0

TEAM 162 568 730 38.4 361 19.0 403 5 132

OPPONENTS 160 575 735 38.7 378 19.9 461 6 125

* Rookie

SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009NBA

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NBA FINALS

Lakers hungry and focused after last years embarrassmeLOS ANGELESIts going to be

Orlando, not Boston, in the NBAfinals. Even though the opponentis different, the Los Angeles Lak-

ers are still consumed withredeeming themselves after lastyears abject failure.

Their humiliating 131-92 dis-missal by the Celtics in Game 6last year still stings.

We know what it feels like tolose and we just want to come outthere and amend that, coachPhil Jackson said Sunday.

A year ago, Pau Gasol hadnever played in the NBA finals,so he was excited just to be there.

Not this time.The team right now is hungry

and focused, he said. This yearwe have a mission. Its like, OK,were in the finals, now lets go towork. Its a big difference.

Another difference is that theLakers have home-court advan-tage this year. Games 1 and 2 a reThursday and next Sunday atStaples Center before the best-of-7 series moves to Orlando forup to three games.

Its nice to have home-courtadvantage, but its still not some-thing to rely on in this kind of aseries, Jackson said. Orlando is

one of the better road teams inthe league the last two years.No doubt Jackson will remind

his team that both Houston andDenver won at Staples in the pasttwo rounds, costing the Lakershome-court advantage.

Thats something you dontwant to do in the finals with thiskind of 2-3-2 setup, he said. Its just about trying to get a leg up

right off the bat so you haveadvantage.

After taking Saturday off, theLakers reconvened Sunday for a

video session. Except for Gasoland Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryantand the other starters departedwithout speaking to the media.

Having played 13 games in 26days to reach the finals, the Lak-ers are taking advantage of thesix-day break before making onelast push at a 16th NBAchampionship.

We got really banged up inthese last two series, Jacksonsaid. There are a number ofguys that physically could usethe days off.

They include Lamar Odom(sore back), Trevor Ariza (sorehip and groin) and Luke Walton(ankle).

Weve been in situationswhere we had days of rest andthen we were a little sluggish atthe beginning of a series, Gasolsaid. Now theres no slacking,no slipping or nothing. Wereready to start and were ready toplay.

Bryant admitted during theWestern Conference finals thathes not sleeping much. Hes been

sending text messages to Gasolin the wee hours and gettingresponses.

We exchanged a couple of textmessages making sure were onthe same page, Gasol said. Itjust brings us together.

The Lakers immediate prob-lem is how to contain DwightHoward. He averaged 21.5 pointsand 16 rebounds when the Magic

swept them in two regular-sea-son games.I dont think there have been

many players like him because ofhis physical gifts and attributes,Gasol said. You have to be reallyfocused on him, dont let him getany deep catches and dont lethim get going or confident.

Howard does most of the dam-age inside, while Rashard Lewis,

Hedo Turkoglu, Mickael Pietrusand Rafer Alston are threatsfrom 3-point range.

Its to your advantage not todouble against this team, Jack-son said. Theyre going tothreaten you with that (outsideshooting), but really its theirinside game that you have to beconcerned about.

The Associated Presss

Lakers F Pau Gasol has averaged 18.2 points and 11.3 rebounds in the playoffs.

DAVIDZALUBOWSKI/AP

Los Angeles Lakers

AVG 3-Pnt.

Player G MIN FGM-FGA PCT FGM-FGA FTM-FTA PCT PTS AVBryant 18 40.0 184 -395 .466 28-81 137-153 .895 533 29

Gasol 18 39.9 124-216 .574 0-0 79-113 .699 327 18

Odom 18 31.4 82-158 .519 14-27 38-64 .594 216 12

Ariza 18 29.7 72-129 .558 30-60 31-54 . 574 205 11

Fisher 17 26.8 42-118 .356 12-51 25-30 .833 121 7

Bynum 18 17.0 46-94 .489 0-0 22-34 .647 114 6

Brown 18 14.5 36-81 .444 12-25 19-24 . 792 103 5

Farmar 15 13.5 27-68 .397 11-31 12-17 . 706 7 7 5

Vujacic 18 12.7 24-85 .282 16-48 5-6 .833 69 3

Walton 16 16.0 24-65 .369 5-15 8-12 .667 61 3

Powell 12 5.2 9-22 .409 0-0 6-6 1.000 24 2

Mbenga 4 2.4 1-5 .200 0-0 0-0 .000 2 0

TEAM 18 240.0 671-1436 .467 128-338 382-513 .745 1852 10

OPPONENTS 18 240.0 614-1431 .429 114-364 391-513 .762 1733 96

REBOUNDS ASSISTS

Player OFF DEF TOT AVG. AST AVG. PF DQ STL

Bryant 16 79 95 5.3 89 4.9 46 0 31

Gasol 58 145 203 11.3 47 2.6 54 1 15

Odom 54 117 171 9.5 38 2.1 54 1 11

Ariza 13 54 67 3.7 46 2.6 57 0 27

Fisher 4 26 30 1.8 40 2.4 45 0 15

Bynum 23 42 65 3.6 7 0.4 56 0 6

Brown 7 17 24 1.3 13 0.7 26 0 10 Farmar 3 19 22 1.5 31 2.1 12 0 7

Vujacic 7 23 30 1.7 10 0.6 31 0 10

Walton 13 29 42 2.6 40 2.5 32 1 13

Powell 5 8 13 1.1 3 0.3 6 0 0

Mbenga 0 2 2 0.5 0 0.0 0 0 0

TEAM 203 561 764 42.4 364 20.2 419 3 145

OPPONENTS 215 535 750 41.7 363 20.2 422 4 147

SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009NBA

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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2009Baseball

The Cleveland Indians, alreadystruggling in last place in the A.L.Central, have placed star CF GradySizemore on the 15-day disabled list

and sat leading hitter Victor MartinezSunday with a bruised left knee.Sizemore has struggled at the

plate all season and recently wasused at DH because of the elbowinflammation that finally forcedhim to the D.L. He hit his team-highninth home run against the Yan-kees Saturday night, but his overallaverage is .223.

Martinez, who is hitting a team- best .350 with seven home runs,fouled a ball off his knee Saturdaynight in the first inning. He tried tocontinue, but could not run more

than a few feet after grounding tosecond to complete the at-bat. X-rayswere negative.

Sizemore was replaced on theroster Chris Gimenez, who was calledup from Class AAA Columbus.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhiresaid Sunday that LP Francisco Lirianowill remain in the rotation, at leastfor the time being. Liriano is 2-7and has not lasted more than fourinnings in his last three starts. Imdefinitely not ready to send Frankieto the minor leagues and Im not

ready to send him to the bullpenright now, Gardenhire told TheAssociated Press after watchingLiriano and the Twins lose to theRays Saturday night. Well just seehow it all goes. Id love to seeFrankie just get going in therotation.

Liriano told reporters he doesntalways know what pitch to throwwith men on base. To which

Gardenhire replied: When you gota catcher like Joe Mauer that knowswhats going on, you trust him. Ifits not going well for you, just trusthim.

Rangers OFJosh Hamiltonsat outSundays game against the Athlet-ics with an abdominal pain and willundergo an MRI today to determineif he needs to go back on the dis-abled list. I dont want to, Hamil-ton told MLB.com. I dont like

those two letters (D.L.), but if itsnecessary, its necessary. If its not,well work through it and see whereit goes from there. Hamilton saidhe has been playing at about 75 per-cent, but that declines below 50when he tries to run. He was usedas a DH Saturday night.

Royals C John Buck remainedhospitalized Sunday with a lower

back problem that struck withoutwarning while he was preparing tobat in Saturdays game against theWhite Sox. It grabbed him so hard,they said he went down to hisknees, manager Trey Hillman said.He did go to the hospital and hesstill there. ... He was in some pain.Buck was placed on the 15-day dis-abled list and catcher Brayan Penawas recalled from Class AAAOmaha. Hillman said he had noidea how long Buck might remain

in the hospital or whether he mightrequire surgery.

Padres RP Jake Peavywill makehis scheduled start Tuesday despitebeing bothered by tendinitis in hisright ankle. Padres manager BudBlack said the ankle has improvedand Peavy feels confident its notgoing to affect him. Black addedthat its always great to have that

caliber of pitcher making his start.Peavy is 5-5 with a 3.67 ERA. Heturned the ankle running the basesagainst the Cubs on May 22.

The Associated Press reportsthe Reds will activate RP EdinsonVolquez from the disabled list andstart him today in the opener of afour-game series against theCardinals.

Volquez (4-2, 4.25 ERA) willmake his ninth start of the season.He left a May 16 game against thePadres with mild spasms in hisback and went on the D.L. six dayslater.

According to the St. Louis Post-

Dispatch, RP Kyle Lohse will miss hissecond straight start Tuesday whenthe Cardinals face the Reds. Lohse,who was hit by a pitch in a May 23game against the Royals, has bat-tled what he describes as a burn-ing cramp in his arm every time heexerts himself. Its become frus-trating because its not getting bet-ter, Lohse told the newspaper.

TheSt. Petersburg Times reportsthat Rays RP Troy Percival might not be retiring after all. Manager JoeMaddon told the newspaper he met

with the veteran closer, who toldhim hes going back to Californiaand work to get his arm healthyenough to return. If successful, Per-cival, 39, could potentially work hisway back onto the roster. Hesgoing to continue to work on tryingto get the feeling back in his arm,right shoulder down through the bicep area to his elbow, Maddontold the paper. Were just on hold.

THE LAUNCHING PAD

What to expect in the major leagues today

Back in Dodger blue The first-place Dodgers will get a key teammateno, not that

back tonight against the Diamondbacks. Righthander Hiroki Kurodhasnt pitched for Los Angeles since opening day, is set to return froblique injury. Kuroda had a 5.19 ERA in two minor league rehab starhe was only 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts against Arizona last However, the Dodgers have won four of the fives games, including thfour, between these two teams this season. To keep that streak alive, Lneed more production from its infield. First baseman James Loney, baseman Orlando Hudson, shortstop Rafael Furcal, third basemanBlake and catcher Russell Martin have combined for a .216 batting a(19-for-88) against the D-backs this season.

Out with the Oswalt?In addition to the speculation that Astros manager Cecil Cooper

are numbered, there is growing sentiment that the same is true for aOswalt in Houston. A recent Chicago Tribune report indicated Oswahas a no-trade clause, is at odds with Cooper and might be willing to a deal to a contender. In the meantime, Oswalt will try (again) for his swin of the season tonight against a Colorado team that has seen its faof speculation and change in recent days.

On the road againStill under .500 at home, the Phillies head West for the start of a 10

road trip. Philadelphia is a major league-best 16-6 away from CitizenPark heading into tonights game at San Diego. Meanwhile, the Padrewon their past 10 games at Petco Park. Back in April, the Padres took three in Philadelphia, despite Phillies second baseman Chase Utley hing three times and droving in six runs.

C

INSIDE DISH

Struggling Indians put Sizemore on D.L.

TONYDEJAK/AP

Grady Sizemores inflamed elbow forced him to DH, then landed him on the disabled list.

LENNYIG

Starter Hiroki Kuroda hasnt pitched for Los Angeles since opening day.
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American League StandingsEast W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeNew York 29 2 1 .580 6-4 L-1 14-9Boston 29 2 2 .569 4-6 W-1 17-6Toronto 29 2 4 .547 1 1 2-8 L-1 18-7Tampa Bay 25 2 8 . 472 5 5 4-6 L-1 13-11Bal timore 23 2 8 .451 6 6 7-3 L-2 16-13

Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeDetroit 28 2 1 .571 5-5 W-2 15-7Chicago 24 2 5 .490 4 4 7-3 W-3 12-10Minnesota 25 27 . 481 4 4 6-4 W-1 19-11Kansas City 23 27 . 460 5 5 2-8 L-4 15-15C le ve la nd 2 2 3 0 . 42 3 7 7 6 -4 W- 1 12 -1 3

West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeTexas 30 20 .600 7-3 L-1 18-9Los Angel es 25 24 . 510 4 3 5-5 W-1 14-12Seattle 24 2 7 .471 6 5 5-5 L-1 12-12Oakland 19 2 9 .396 10 8 4-6 W-1 11-13

National League StandingsEast W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeP hi lad el phi a 28 20 . 58 3 7 -3 W- 3 1 2- 14New York 28 2 1 .571 7-3 W-1 17-9Atlanta 25 25 .500 4 4 5-5 W-1 11-12Florida 23 2 8 .451 6 6 4-6 L-1 9-14W as hi ng to n 13 36 . 26 5 15 1 5 2 -8 L -6 7- 16

Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeMilwaukee 30 20 . 600 5-5 W-3 16-9St. Louis 29 21 .580 1 6-4 L-1 17-9C inc inna ti 26 23 . 53 1 3 2 5 -5 L -3 1 3- 12Chicago 25 24 . 510 4 3 4-6 L-1 16-10Pittsburgh 22 2 8 .440 8 7 3-7 L-1 12-11Houston 20 28 .417 9 8 2-8 W-1 9-15

West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str HomeLos Angeles 35 17 . 673 6-4 W-1 18-5S an Fra nci sc o 25 24 . 51 0 8 3 6 -4 W- 1 18 -9San Diego 25 2 5 .500 9 4 7-3 W-1 17-6Arizona 22 29 . 431 12 7 5-5 L-1 12-19Colorado 20 29 . 408 13 8 5-5 L-1 9-14

z-firstgamewasa win

Pitching Matchups TodaysGames (AlltimesEastern)

American League The Line

N.Y.Yankees(Chamberlain2-1)atCleveland(Sowers1-2),7:05p.m. NYY-150at C

Oakland(Cahill2-5)atChicagoWhiteSox(B.Colon3-4),8:11p.m. atChW-125O

Baltimore(R.Hill1-0)atSeattle(Washburn3-3),10:10p.m. atSea-115B

National League The Line

N.Y.Mets(Li.Hernandez4-1)atPittsburgh(Snell1-6),7:05p.m. NYM-115atP

Milwaukee(Suppan3-4)atFlorida(A.Miller1-2),7:10p.m. atFla-115M

Colorado(Cook3-2)atHouston (Oswal t1-2) ,8:05p.m. atHou-130C

Cincinnati(Volquez4-2)atSt.Louis(Wellemeyer5-4),8:15p.m. atStL-125Ci

Philadelphia(Blanton3-3)atSanDiego(Correia1-3),10:05p.m. atSD-170Ph

Arizona(Buckner1-1)atL.A.Dodgers(Kuroda1-0),10:10p.m. atLAD-165A

MORE COVERAGE

Get everything you need todominate your fantasy league atsportingnews.com/fantasy/baseball

Fantasy FocusWaiver-wire pickups

Kelly Shoppach, C, Indians. WithVictor Martinez nursing a kneeinjury, Shoppach could get extraat-bats this week. He did well last

season in place of Martinez, sotheres a nice track record here.

Randy Wells, SP, Cubs. Hes 0-2, buthis peripherals (1.80 ERA, 1.16WHIP and 8.3 K/9) make himworth a shot. Plus, he gets twostarts this week (at ATL, at CIN).

Randy Choate, RP, Rays. You neverknow whos going to get the savesin Joe Maddons bullpen-by-com-mittee, but Choate has naileddown the last two for Tampa Bay.

Aaron Rowand, OF, Giants. Rowandis hitting .363 in his new leadoffrole, and he can plug a gap ifyoure short outfielders at themoment.

George Winkler

LEAGUE LEADERS

Batting Average

Runs

RBIs

HIts

Doubles

Home Runs

Stolen Bases

Pitching (5 decisions)

Strikeouts

Saves

A.L.

Player Team

AHill Toronto 77

Crawford Tampa Bay 69

VM arti nez C le vel an d 6 9

ISuzuki Seattle 68

Mor ne au Mi nnes ota 6 7

Four tied 65

N.L.

Player Team

Hudson Los Angeles 70

Tejada Houston 69

Zimmerman Washington 66

F Sanc he z P it tsb ur gh 65

Beltran New York 62

I bane z P hi lad el ph ia 62

Three tied 60

A.L.

Player Team

Verlander Detroit 90

Greinke Kansas City 88

Lester Boston 74

F He rna nd ez S ea ttl e 7 2

Halladay Toronto 68

Garza Tampa Bay 66

Beckett Boston 59

N.L.

Player Team

JVazquez Atlanta 86

JSantana New York 86

Peavy San Diego 84

Lin ce cum S an Fra nc isco 8 4

B il lingsley LosA ngeles 7 6

Haren Arizona 71

G al lar do Mi lw au kee 65

A.L.

Player Team

Fuentes Los Angeles 13

Papelbon Boston 13

Jenks Chicago 12

FFrancisco Texas 11

MaRivera New York 10

Rodney Detroit 10

Sherrill Bal timore 10

N.L.

Player Team

Bell San Diego 15

F rRod ri gu ez Ne wY or k 14

Cordero Cincinnati 13

H of fm an Mi lw au kee 13

Four tied 12

A.L.

Player Team

Longoria Tampa Bay 55

Bay Boston 49

Mo rne au M inne sot a 47

Teixeira New York 44

T or Hunt er LosA ngeles 4 2

CPena Tampa Bay 41

Ma rk ak is B al ti more 40

N.L.

Player Team

Fielder Milwaukee 48

I ba ne z P hi la de lp hi a 4 6

Dunn Washington 42

Pujols St. Louis 42

A dGo nz al ez Sa nD ie go 4 0

H ow ar d P hi la de lp hi a 4 0

Hawpe Colorado 39

A.L.

Player Team

BR ob ert s Ba lt imo re 4 3

Scutaro Toronto 43


Damon New York 40

AdJones Baltimore 40

Mor ne au Mi nnes ota 4 0

Pedroia Boston 39

N.L.

Player Team

Pujols St. Louis 42

I bane z P hi lad el ph ia 40

Zimmerman Washington 39


Ad Gonz al ez S an Die go 37

ASoriano Chicago 36

Two tied 35

A.L.

Player Team

B ar tl et t T am pa Ba y . 37 3

MiCabrera Detroit .355

ISuzuki Seattle .354

VMa rt in ez Cle ve la nd .35 0

Ad Jo ne s B al ti more . 34 4

Mo rne au M inne sot a . 34 2

Two tied .333

N.L.

Player Team

Beltran New York .352

Tejada Houston .350

Pence Houston .341

Pujols St. Louis .339

FSa nc he z Pit tsburgh .33 3

DWright New York .333

Two tied .332

A.L.

Player Team

CPena Tampa Bay 17

Teixeira New York 16

Bay Boston 15

NCruz Texas 14

M or ne au Mi nn es ota 1 4

Four tied 13

N.L.

Player Team

Ad Gonz al ez S an Di eg o 20

Ib ane z P hi lad el phi a 17

Dunn Washington 16

Pujols St. Louis 16

Bruce Cincinnati 14

Ho wa rd P hi lad el phi a 14

Reynolds Arizona 13

A.L.

Player Team


Ellsbury Boston 21

Figgins Los Angeles 20

Abreu Los Angeles 15

BUpton Tampa Bay 15

Bartlett Tampa Bay 14

Two tied 11

N.L.

Player Team

Bourn Houston 16

Kemp Los Angeles 12

Taveras Cincinnati 12

DWright New York 12

B urr iss Sa nF ra nc is co 11

Fowler Colorado 11

JosReyes New York 11

A.L.

Player Team

Palme r LosA ngeles 5 - 0 1 .0 00

G re in ke Kan sa sCi ty 8 -1 .88 9

Ha ll ad ay Tor ont o 8 -1 . 88 9

S lo we y M in ne so ta 7 -1 .87 5

Bu ehr le C hi ca go 6 -1 . 85 7

Penny Boston 5-1 .833

P et ti tt e Ne wY ork 5 -1 . 83 3

N.L.

Player Team

Broxton LosAngeles 5-0 1.000

Cain S an Fra nc isco 6 -1 .85 7

M ar tis Washingto n 5 -1 .83 3

P el fre y Ne wY ork 4- 1 . 800

JoJoh nson Flor ida 4 -1 .80 0

LiHernandez NewYork 4-1 .800

Lincecum SanFrancisco 4-1 .800

A.L.

Player Team

Longoria Tampa Bay 20

MYoung Texas 19

Byrd Texas 18

C al las po K ans as Ci ty 1 7

Lowell Boston 17

Three tied 16

N.L.

Player Team

Tejada Houston 20

F Sanc he z P it tsb ur gh 18


Kotchman Atl anta 16

HaRamirez Fl orida 16

Three tied 15

DENISPOROY/AP

Chicago Cubs SP Randy Wells

TuesdaysGamesAmericanLeagueBostonatDetroit,7:05p.m.TexasatN.Y.Yankees,7:05p.m.L.A.AngelsatToronto,7:07p.m.KansasCityatTampaBay, 7:08p.m.Clevelandat Minnesota,8:10p.m.Oaklandat ChicagoWhiteSox,8:11p.m.BaltimoreatSeattle,10:10p.m.

NationalLeagueN.Y.MetsatPittsburgh,7:05p.m.SanFranciscoat Washington,7:05ChicagoCubsatAtlanta,7:10p.m.MilwaukeeatFlorida,7:10p.m.Coloradoat Houston,8:05p.m.CincinnatiatSt.Louis,8:15p.m.PhiladelphiaatSanDiego,10:05p.ArizonaatL.A.Dodgers,10:10p.m
http://www.sportingnews.com/http://sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseballhttp://sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseballhttp://www.sportingnews.com/

8/14/2019 sportingnews - 20090601

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

HOME GAMES ROAD GAMES

DATES TOTAL AVG DATES TOTAL AVG

Baltimore 29 650,503 22,431 22 607,753 27,625

Boston 23 869,461 37,803 28 883,835 31,566

Chicago White Sox 22 561,637 25,529 27 650,339 24,087Cleveland 25 561,338 22,454 27 766,983 28,407

Detroit 22 613,589 27,890 27 777,488 28,796

Kansas City 30 672,393 22,413 20 573,216 28,661

L.A. Angels 26 1,051,033 40,424 23 691,654 30,072

Minnesota 30 779,624 25,987 22 628,741 28,579

N.Y. Yankees 23 1,026,625 44,636 27 898,711 33,286

Oakland 24 428,879 17,870 24 626,065 26,086

Seattle 24 653,625 27,234 27 723,551 26,798

Tampa Bay 24 583,783 24,324 29 698,215 24,076

Texas 27 705,366 26,125 23 572,378 24,886

Toronto 25 585,144 23,406 28 643,425 22,979

AL Totals 354 9,743,000 27,523 354 9,742,354 27,521

NATIONAL LEAGUE

HOME GAMES ROAD GAMES

DATES TOTAL AVG DATES TOTAL AVG

Arizona 31 833,320 26,881 20 510,210 25,511

Atlanta 23 551,184 23,965 27 815,578 30,207

Chicago Cubs 26 1,027,754 39,529 23 876,570 38,112

Cincinnati 25 550,783 22,031 24 660,801 27,533

Colorado 23 634,059 27,568 26 719,779 27,684

Florida 23 412,786 17,947 28 853,298 30,475

Houston 24 719,279 29,970 25 596,628 23,865

L.A. Dodgers 23 1,014,063 44,090 29 941,998 32,483

Milwaukee 25 934,730 37,389 25 777,416 31,097

N.Y. Mets 26 1,014,435 39,017 23 790,195 34,356

Philadelphia 26 1,130,426 43,478 22 684,433 31,111

Pittsburgh 23 388,334 16,884 27 838,369 31,051

San Diego 23 597,758 25,989 27 931,603 34,504

San Francisco 27 922,521 34,167 22 722,488 32,840

St. Louis 26 1,050,968 40,422 24 658,518 27,438

Washington 24 483,872 20,161 26 889,034 34,194

NL Totals 398 12,266,272 30,820 398 12,266,918 30,821

MLB Totals 752 22,009,272 29,268 752 22,009,272 29,268

Attendance reportThrough May 31

Disabled ListThrough May 28

AMERICANLEAGUEBaltimoreOF Luis Montanez, May 23RHP Dennis Sarfate, May 2RHP Alfredo Simon, April 15RHP Koji Uehara, May 24

BostonRHP Miguel Gonzalez-x, March27OF Mark Kotsay, March 27

SS Jed Lowrie, April 12RHP John Smoltz, March 27

ChicagoNone

Cleveland1B Travis Hafner, April 29LHP Aaron Laffey, May 23LHP Scott Lewis-x, April 11RHP Anthony Reyes-x, May 23RHP Joe Smith, April 29RHP Jake Westbrook-x, March 26

DetroitRHP Jeremy Bonderman, March30SS Carlos Guillen, May 5OF Marcus Thames, April 19C Matt Treanor-x, April 24

KansasCitySS Mike Aviles, May 243B Alex Gordon, April 16SS Tony Pena, May 3RHP Joakim Soria, May 8RHP Robinson Tejeda, May 21RHP Doug Waechter, April 18

LosAngelesRHP Kelvim Escobar-x, April 4RHP Shane Loux, May 17RHP Dustin Moseley, April 18C Robert Shields, May 27

MinnesotaRHP Boof Bonser, March 27RHP Pat Neshek-x, Feb. 21LHP Glen Perkins, May 19

NewYorkRHP Brian Bruney, May 20

LHP Damaso Marte, April 26C Jose Molina, May 8OF Xavier Nady, April 15C Jorge Posada, May 5SS Bryan Ransom-x, April 25

Oakland3B Eric Chavez-x, April 25RHP Joey Devine-x, April 4RHP Justin Duchscherer-x, March272B Mark Ellis-x, April 29SS Nomar Garciaparra, May 24RHP Dan Giese, May 16

SeattleRHP Roy Corcoran, April 29LHP Ryan Feierabend-x, March15LHP Cesar Jimenez-x, March 29C Kenji Johjima, May 26RHP Shawn Kelly, May 6LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith, April11RHP Carlos Silva, May 7

TampaBaySS Jason Bartlett, May 25RHP Chad Bradford, March 27OF Pat Burrell, May 11

INF Akinori Iwamura-x, May 25LHP Scott Kazmir, May 21RHP Troy Percival, May 22CF Fernando Perez-x, March 27C Shawn Riggans, April 10LHP Brian Shouse, May 25

TexasRHP Joaquin Benoit-x, April 5RHP William Eyre, April 23RHP Eric Hurley-x, April 5RHP Dustin Nippert-x, March 27RHP Vincente Padilla, May 17

TorontoC Michael Barrett, April 18RHP Jesse Litsch, April 14RHP Shaun Marcum, March 27RHP Dustin McGowan, March 27RHP Robert Ray, May 22

NATIONALLEAGUEArizona1B Tony Clark, May 5RHP Tom Gordon, May 41B Conor Jackson, May 12RHP Yusmeiro Petit, May 9RHP Brandon Webb, April 7

AtlantaRHP Buddy Carlyle, May 26LHP Tom Glavine, April 2RHP Tim Hudson-x, Feb. 24SS Omar Infante, May 21LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, May 21

ChicagoRHP Chad Fox, May 10INF-OF Ryan Freel, May 28RHP Rich Harden, May 182B Aaron Miles, May 263B Aramis Ramirez, May 9

Cincinnati3B Edwin Encarnacion, April 28RHP Edinson Volquez, May 17

ColoradoINF Jeff Baker-x, April 27RHP Taylor Buchholz-x, March 27RHP Matt Daley, May 18LHP Jeffrey Francis-x, March 27C Chris Iannetta, May 24LHP Franklin Morales, April 22RHP Ryan Speier, April 19

FloridaSS Alfredo Amezaga, LHP Renyel Pinto, MaRHP Scott Proctor-x MRHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Henricus VanMarch 29

Houston3B Aaron Boone-x MaRHP Doug Brocail, MaRHP Geoff Geary, MayRHP Jose Valverde, Ap

LosAngeles

LHP Hong-Chih Kuo, RHP Hiroki Kuroda, A1B Doug MienkiewiczOF Xanvier Paul, MayRHP Jason Schmidt, MRHP Claudio Vargas-x

MilwaukeeRHP David Riske, Apri2B Rickie Weeks, May

NewYorkOF Ryan Church, MayINF Alex Cora, May 181B Carlos Delgado, MLHP Oliver Perez, MaySS Jose Reyes, May 21C Brian Schneider, ApLHP Billy Wagner, Ma

PhiladelphiaNone

PittsburghC Ryan Doumit, April LHP Phil Dumatrait-x,RHP Craig Hansen, ApRHP Tyler Yates, May

St.LouisLHP Jaime Garcia, Ma3B Troy Glaus, March

SanDiegoRHP Mike Adams-x, ARHP Cha Seung BaekSS Everth Cabrera-x, AOF Cliff Floyd, April 5RHP Shawn Hill, April2B Luis Rodriguez, MaRHP Mark Worrell-x, ASan FranciscoLHP Noah Lowry-x, MRHP Joseph MartinezRHPSergio Romo, Ma

WashingtonCF Roger Bernadina-xLHP Matt Chico-x, MaOF Elijah Dukes, May C Jesus Flores, May 10LHP Scott Olsen, May1B Dmitri Young, AprRHP Terrell Young, M

(x-60-day; all others a

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BATTING

Longest current batting streak... 24,

Suzuki, Sea, May 6 to May 31.

Longest batting streak, season ... 24,

Suzuki, Sea, May 6 to May 31 (current).

PITCHING

Longest current winning streak... 6, Verlander, Det, April 27 to May 30;

Greinke, KC, April 8 to May 4.

Longest current losing streak... 5,

Contreras, CWS, April 10 to May 8.

Longest winning streak, season

... 6, Verlander, Det, April 27 to May 30

(current); Greinke, KC, April 8 to May 4

(current).

Longest losing streak, season ...

5, Contreras, CWS, April 10 to May 8

(current).

TEAM

Longest current winning streak... 3,

CHW, May 29 to May 31.

Longest current home-win streak...

1, BOS, May 24 to May 24; CLE, May 31 to

May 31; LAA, May 31 to May 31; SEA, May

24 to May 24.

Longest current road-win streak...

3, CHW, May 29 to May 31; TEX, May 22 to

May 24.


K-C, May 27 to May 31.

Longest current home-loss streak...

4, K-C, May 27 to May 31.

Longest current road-loss streak...

9, TOR, May 19 to May 27.

Longest winning streak, season ...

11, BOS, April 15 to April 27.

Longest home-win streak, season ...

9, BOS, April 17 to April 26.

Longest road-win streak, season ...6, SEA, April 9 to April 25.

Longest losing streak, season ... 9,

TOR, May 19 to May 27.

Longest home-loss streak, season ...

5, NYY, May 2 to May 7.

Longest road-loss streak, season ...

9, MIN, May 5 to May 20; TOR, May 19 to

May 27.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

BATTING

Longest current batting streak... 14,

Tejada, Hou, May 16 to May 31.

Longest batting streak, season ... 30,

Zimmerman, Was, April 8 to May 12.

PITCHING

Longest current winning streak... 4,Condrey, Phi, April 8 to May 24; Lowe, Atl,

April 25 to May 11; Harden, ChC, April 21 to

May 12; Meredith, SD, April 9 to May 7; W.

Rodriguez, Hou, April 28 to May 20; Pineiro,

StL, April 10 to April 27; Pelfrey, NYM, April

8 to May 7; Cain, SF, May 7 to May 29.


De La Rosa, Col, April 11 to May 31.

Longest winning streak, season

... 5, Broxton, LAD, April 15 to May 23;

Billingsley, LAD, April 8 to May 3.

Longest losing streak, season ...

6, De La Rosa, Col, April 11 to May 31

(current).

TEAM

Longest current winning streak...

3, MIL, May 29 to May 31; PHL, May 29 to

May 31.

Longest current home-win streak...

10, S-D, May 7 to May 24.

Longest current road-win streak...

2, COL, May 23 to May 24.


WAS, May 25 to May 31.

Longest current home-loss streak...

4, HOU, May 21 to May 24.

Longest current road-loss streak...

6, CHC, May 19 to May 24; CIN, May 15 to

May 31; WAS, May 25 to May 31.

Longest winning streak, season ...

10, S-D, May 15 to May 25.

Longest home-win streak, season ...13, LAD, April 13 to May 6.

Longest road-win streak, season ...

6, FLA, April 14 to April 19.

Longest losing streak, season ... 8,

CHC, May 17 to May 25; PIT, May 3 to May

10.

Longest home-loss streak, season ...

7, WAS, May 15 to May 20.

Longest road-loss streak, season ...

11, S-D, April 29 to May 14.

Streaks Through May 31


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NATIONAL LEAGUE

L.A. Dodgers 8, Chicago Cubs 2 Dodgers 8, Cubs 2Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.Pierre lf 6 0 0 .74Furcal ss 5 0 0 0 .45Hudson b 5 0 0 .Martinc 0 0 .7Loneyb 5 0 .89Kempcf 4 .06Lorettab 4 0 .Hoffmannrf 4 0 0 0 .00Miltonp 0 0 0 0 .000Belisario p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

c-Ausmusph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .44Troncosop 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000e-Ethierph 0 0 0 0 0 .56Broxtonp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Totals 39 8 12 7 4 10

Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg.A.Sorianolf 4 0 0 .46Theriot ss 4 0 0 0 .9Bradleyrf 4 0 0 .4D.Leeb 0 0 0 0 .48Re.Johnsoncf 4 0 0 0 .95Soto c 4 0 0 0 .6Scalesb 0 0 0 0 0 .9Waddell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---b-Hoffpauirph 0 0 0 0 0 .8Patton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Marmol p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---d-Fukudomeph 0 0 0 0 .09Greggp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Fontenotb-b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .4Marshallp 0 0 0 0 .Ascaniop 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000a-J.Fox ph-b 0 0 0 0 .49Totals 35 2 9 2 1 9

Los Angeles 501 020 000 8 12 0Chicago 000 002 000 2 9 2

a-struckoutforAscaniointhe5th.b-fliedoutforWaddellinthe6th.c-washitbyapitchforBelisariointhe8th.d-struckoutforMarmolinthe8th.e-groundedintoafielderschoiceforTroncosoin the9th.E:Marmol(),Soto(). LOB: LosAngeles,Chicago8.2B:Loney(),Loretta(),A.Soriano(),Re.Johnson ().HR:Kemp(6), offMarshall. RBIs:Hudson(),Loney (8),Kemp(0),Loretta (0),Hoff-mann(7),Re.Johnson(4).SB:Martin(7),Kemp().SF:Hoffmann. Runnersleftinscoringposition:LosAngeles6(Milton,Hoffmann,Loney,Pierre);Chicago4(Hoffpauir, Theriot, Fukudome). DP: Los Angeles (Hoffmann,Hoffmann,Martin).

Los Angeles IP H R E R BB S O N P ERAMiltonW, -0 5 13 6 4 86 .4Belisario 23 0 0 0 7 .0

Troncoso 0 0 0 5 .89Broxton 0 0 0 0 .44Chicago IP H R ER BB SO N PERAMarshall L, -4 4 13 8 8 7 7 4.7Ascanio 23 0 0 0 .5Waddell 0 0 0 4 0.00Patton 0 0 8 6.46Marmol 0 0 0 .Gregg 0 0 4.64

Inherited runners-scored: Belisario -0, Ascanio -.HBP: byMilton(D.Lee),by Marmol(Ausmus),byMarshall(Milton). WP:Troncoso.Umpires: Home,Rob Drake;First,MarkWegner; Second,TimTimmons;Third,Jeff Kellogg. T::05.A:40,09(4,0).

At age 24 and in only his second full season in the rotation,Billingsley has become the Dodgers ace. He recently appearedon Sporting News Radio to discuss his early accomplishments,

the rotations young arms and the Dodgers success without sus-pended outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Q:Youre ranked 42nd on Sporting NewsTop 50 players list. It has to be prettycool to be on the list, right?

A:Oh, absolutely. Just starting my fourth season,its kind of amazing everything thats hap-pened in this short time. Its a great honor just to berecognized with all the great players we have in thisleague right now.

Q:How do you use last year to makeadjustments for his year?

A:

Every time you go out there, you learnsomething. As a pitcher, youve got to adjust

from pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat. You may get aguy out one way, but the next at-bat he might belooking for that pitch. Youre constantly learning andthe games evolving. Youve always got to find thatedge to get you over the top a little bit.

Q:You broke your ankle in the offseason.Did you start to wonder, What the heckdid I do wrong?

A:Absolutely. They always say bad thingshappen in threes. Its kind of a freakaccident. Luckily, there were no ligament tears oranything like that. It was just a spiral fracture andbreak. So I was kind of happy about that, but stilla broken ankle. At four weeks I started walkingon it, and at five weeks I started jogging on it alittle bit. Luckily, it happened fairly early in theoffseason so I didnt have any setbacks going intospring training. I didnt really do any groundrunning on it until the end of January. I was alittle bit behind in that, but I got off the moundabout six or seven times before camp started. Ididnt come in behind at spring training, so I wasable to join the team at full strength and ready togo.

Q:How does this team feel about itsenow?A:As you can see, with Manny or withoutwere a team that knows how to win. Gustepped up greatly like Juan Pierre. He steppedbatting (near .400), driving in some runs, steasome bases. And Casey Blake, I dont know thany better eight-hole hitter out there. ... Were pgood overall ball. Were winning the close gambeating the teams we need to beat. Were playinlot of confidence right now.

Q:Can you and Clayton Kershaw forof the best starting tandems in baA:

Hes still just 21 years old. Hes still leaHes going out there and competing ev

time he steps out on the mound. Hes definitebright future ahead of him if he can figure thout. He reminds me a lot of myselfalways slike he had to throw the ball by the guy. Hes to learn its not about velocity; its about chanspeeds and location and mixing your pitches well. Hes showing some signs of learning thacan get that down, he can be one heck of a pitcmany years to come.

Were a team that knows how to wiFive-run first lifts Dodgers

CHICAGOEric Milton pitched into thesixth inning for his second straightwin, and the Los Angeles Dodgersbacked him with a five-run first while beating the Chicago Cubs 8-2 Sundaynight to salvage a four-game split.

Matt Kemp hit his sixth homer andfinished with two hits. Rafael Furcal,Russell Martin, Mark Loretta and JamesLoney each added two apiece as theDodgers banged out 12 in all, and LosAngeles finished a 5-2 trip with an easywin after getting pounded 7-0 and shutout for the first time the previous day.

Milton (2-0) took a shutout into thesixth and left with one out after theCubs scored twice. He allowed six hitswhile earning back-to-back wins aftergoing nearly three years without one.The Dodgers continued to roll eventhough Manny Ramirez is serving a50-game suspension for violatingbaseballs drug policy.

Los Angeles went 20-9 in May, post-ing its highest win total for the monthsince going 21-7 in 1962, and this onegot out of hand early.


Q&A with ... Dodgers SP Chad Billingsley

At the age of 24, Chad Billingsley has developed into the Do

NAMY.HUH/AP

Dodgers C Russell Martin, right, tagged out Cubs CF Reed Johnson at home plate in the second inning.


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NATIONAL LEAGUE

Mets 3, Marlins 2

Florida AB R H BICoghlan lf 4 0Bonifacio b 0 Ha.Ramirezss 4 0

Cantub 4 0 0 0Hermida rf 4 0 0 0Ugglab 4 0 0Jo.Bakerc 0 0 0C.Ross cf 0 0 0Volstadp 0 0 0b-Gloadph 0 0 0Calerop 0 0 0 0c-R.Paulinoph 0 0 0Totals 32 2 6 2

NewYork AB R H BIPagan cf 0 Reedcf 0 0 0L.Castillo b 0 0D.Wright b 4 0 0Sheffield lf 4 0Dan.Murphyb 0 0 0F.Martinez rf Santosc 0 W.Valdezss 0Mainep 0 0 0

Felicianop 0 0 0 0a-Tatis ph 0 0 0Putzp 0 0 0 0Parnellp 0 0 0 0Fr.Rodriguezp 0 0 0 0Totals 27 3 7 3

Florida 000 000 020NewYork 001 000 20x

a-groundedintoa doubleplayfor Fb-walkedfor Volstadin the8th.c-stinthe9th. LOB: Florida7, NewYork(6),Uggla(9),Pagan(),L.CastilloSantos(5). RBIs:Bonifacio(),Ha.Ra(),F.Martinez (),Santos (8).SBDan.Murphy, Maine. Runnerslefttion: Florida4 (Jo.Baker, Hermida,4(L.Castil lo,D.Wright, Tatis,SheffieldTatis. DP: Florida (Ha.Ramirez, URamirez, Uggla,Cantu); NewYorkMurphy).

Florida IP H R ERVolstadL, 4-4 7 6 Calero 0 0NewYork IP H R ERMaineW,5- 6 0 0FelicianoH,8 0 0 0PutzH,0 13 ParnellH, 0 23 0 0Fr.R odriguez S, 4- 4 0 0 0

Inherited runners-scored: ParnHome,TimWelke;First, JimReynoHernandez; Third, Bill Welke. T:(4,800).

Phillies 4, Nationals 2

Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.A.Hernandezb 4 0 0 0 0 .7Hanrahanp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---N.Johnsonb 0 0 0 0 .

Zimmermanb 4 0 0 0 0 .9Dunnrf 4 0 0 0 0 .70Willinghamlf 4 0 .5Kearnscf 4 0 0 0 .6J.Bardc 4 0 0 0 0 0 .74Alb.Gonzalezss 0 0 0 0 0 .78Lannanp 0 0 0 0 .00Bergmannp 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000Beimel p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---b-W.Harris ph-b 0 0 0 0 .64Totals 33 2 5 2 1 7

Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg.Rollinsss 5 0 0 0 0 .6Victorino cf 0 0 0 .9Utley b .94Howardb 0 .66Ibanez lf 4 0 0 .Werthrf 0 0 0 .5Felizb 4 0 0 0 .0Coste c 0 .54-Ruizpr-c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .04

Moyer p 0 0 0 0 .077a-Dobbsph 0 0 0 0 .Condreyp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Madsonp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---c-Stairs ph 0 0 0 0 .8Lidgep 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Totals 31 4 7 4 6 10

Wash 000 100 100 2 5 0Phil 110 100 10x 4 7 1

a-struckout forMoyerin the6th.b-singledfor Beimelinthe 8th. c-struckout forMadson inthe 8th. -ranforCostein the8th. E:Moyer(). LOB:Washington5,Philadelphia9. 2B: Utley(8). 3B: Howard (),Ibanez(). HR:Willingham(8),off Moyer;Willingham(9),offCondrey;Coste(),offLannan.RBIs:Willingham(),Utley(),Howard(40),Feliz(7),Coste(7).SB:Utley(5). Runnersleftin scoringposition:Washington(Dunn);Philadelphia5(Ibanez,Moyer,Rollins).

Washington IP H R E R BB S O N P ERALannanL,-5 5 4 4 7 06 4.Bergmann 0 0 0 6 .97Beimel 0 4.87Hanrahan 0 0 0 5 5.40Philade lp hi a I P H R E R B B SO NP E RAMoyerW, 4-5 6 0 4 0 6.75CondreyH,5 0 4 .0MadsonH, 0 0 5 .49LidgeS,-6 0 0 0 0 7 7.7

Umpires: Home,Dana DeMuth;First,Doug Eddings;Second, HunterWendelstedt; Third, BrianKnight. T::.A:45,9(4,647).

N.Y. Mets 3, Florida 2Philadelphia 4, Washington 2

Ailing Mets finish May 1Moyers milestone lifts Phillies to 6th straight winNEW YORKThe worse the New

York Mets feel, the better theyseem to play.

John Maine shut down Flor-ida again before becoming thelatest Mets player sidelined bysickness or injury, and NewYork held off the Marlins 3-2 onSunday to cap a hectic monthmarked by gritty success.

Our pitching has reallystepped up for us, managerJerry Manuel said.

David Wright made a divinggrab to start a rally-killing dou-ble play, and the depleted Metscompleted a 5-1 homestand tofinish 19-9 in May. After takingtwo of three from Florida, theyhave won 11 of the past 14 gamesat their new home, Citi Field.

Bobby Parnell escaped aneighth-inning jam and Fran-cisco Rodriguez struck outthree in a hitless ninth for his14th save in 14 chances.

Missing injured regulars JoseReyes, Carlos Delgado andRyan Church, New York gotRBI doubles from Omir Santos,Fernando Martinez and AngelPaganwho left in the fourthwith discomfort in his rightgroin.

Pagan started in center fieldfor All-Star Carlos Beltran,who sat out with a stomachvirus.

Maine (5-3) apparentlycaught the bug, too, and lost hislunch during the game. Feelingill, he was lifted after six shut-out innings and 82 pitches.


PHILADELPHIA Jamie Moyer reached arare mark for a pitcher, becoming the44th to win 250 games. The veteranPhillies left-hander would have beenjuast as happy if it was his first.

Moyer went six strong innings to leadthe Phillies to their third straight vic-tory, 4-2 over the bumbling WashingtonNationals on Sunday.

The 46-year-old Moyer is only the 11thleft-hander to join the exclusive 250-winlist. And despite his teammates post-game champagne toast, Moyers wordslacked the excitement one might expectafter such a rare achievement.

Its not about the personal things, Immore excited about us winning, Moyersaid. I really havent thought about

(winning 250). It takes so much effort toprepare and play. I was taught to playthe game as a team, not as an individual.When you play 20-some years, some ofthese things can happen.

Moyer is pitching his 23rd season for hisseventh club. It was his sixth try at 250after going winless in his last five outings.

I really wasnt concerned about howmany attempts, I was concerned aboutcreating consistency with myself, he said.

Moyer (4-5) had one his best starts ofthe season Sunday, striking out four andwalking none while registering a sea-son-low hits allowed. It was Moyersfirst win since April 26.

And while he was reluctant to laud hismilestone, others praised a pitcher who

has reached 250 wins with a fastball in thelow 80s.

Its impressive how much hes perse-vered in this game, Nationals managerManny Acta said. Hes been written offseveral times. Its remarkable and he setsa great example. Im happy for him.

Said Phillies manager Charlie Man-uel, A guy like Jamie and the type ofpitcher he is, what hes had to earn andhis ups and downs, it says a lot about theindividual. For a guy with his ability,how he goes about it, how he gets it done,you dont see many guys like that.

Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth torecord his 12th save. The Phillies have wonseven straight against Washington.


H.RUMPHJR/AP

Philadelphias Shane Victorino, left, barely beats the tag of Nationals C Josh Bard in the first inning. Victorino scored on Chase Utleys double.

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

Giants 5, Cardinals 3

St.Louis AB R H BIBr.Ryanss 5 0Thurstonb-b 0 0 0Pujols b 4 0Ludwick rf 0 0 Stavinoha lf 4 0 Y.Molina c 4 0 0Barden b 0 0 0a-Duncanph 0 0 0

Rasmus cf 0 0 0Wainwright p 0 0 0c-Ankielph 0 0 0D.Reyesp 0 0 0 0C.Perez p 0 0 0 0Schumaker cf-b 0 0 0Totals 33 3 8 3

San Francisco AB R H BIRowandcf 4 0Torres cf 0 0 0 0Renteriass 0 Winnrf 0 0 Sandoval b 4 F.Lewis lf 0 0Uribeb 0 0Medders p 0 0 0 0b-Schierholtz ph 0 0 0M.Valdezp 0 0 0 0Affeldt p 0 0 0 0d-B.Molinaph-c 0 0 0 Whiteside c 4 0 0B.Wilson p 0 0 0 0Burrissb 0 0J.Sanchezp 0 0 0 0Auriliab Totals 29 5 12 5

St.Louis 001 020 000San Fr anc isc o 100 020 11xa-struckout forBardenin the5th.bMedders inthe 6th. c-fliedoutforW8th.d-hita sacrificeflyforAffeldtinLouis, SanFrancisco5. 2B: Br.RyStavinoha(4),Rowand(5),Sandov(),off Wainwright. RBIs: Ludwick(0),Renteria(),Winn(0),Sand(),Aurilia ().CS:F.Lewis(). S:TSF:Ludwick,Winn,B.Molina. Runnposition: St.Louis7 (Ludwick,Wain,Thurston);San Francisco (WinLouis (Barden,Thurston,Pujols),(Br.Ryan,Pujols).

St.Louis IP H R ER

Wainwright L, 5- 7 0 4 4D.Reyes 0 C.Perez 0 0 0San Fr anc isc o IP H R E RJ.Sanchez 413 6 Medders 23 0 0 0M.Valdez W, -0 23 0 0Affeldt H, 13 0 0 0B.Wilson S, -5 0 0D.Reyes pitched to batters in thrunners-scored: C.Perez -, Me-0.IBB:offMedders(Y.Molina),offHBP: by J.Sanchez (Thurston). WWhiteside. Umpires: Home,MikeMeriwether;Second, LazDiaz; Third,EA:4,440(4,95).

Brewers 5, Reds 2

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB S O Avg.Dickersoncf 4 0 0 0 .9HairstonJr. b 4 0 0 .6Bruce rf 5 0 0 .9

B.Phillips b 4 0 .80L.Nix lf 0 0 0 0 .64a-Gomesph-lf 0 0 0 0 .75R.Hernandezb 0 0 0 .86Ale.Gonzalezss 4 0 0 0 0 .4Haniganc 4 0 0 0 .Owings p 0 0 0 .00Massetp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---b-A.Rosalesph 0 0 0 0 0 .47Weathersp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Totals 36 2 7 2 3 14

Milwaukee AB R H B I B B SO Avg.Counsell b 4 0 0 0 0 .4Hardyss 0 0 .6Braun lf 4 0 0 .6Fielderb 0 0 .7M.Cameroncf 4 0 .84Gamelb 0 0 .4Stetterp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---DiFelicep 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---c-Catalanotto ph 0 0 0 0 0 .50

Hoffmanp 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---Hart rf 4 0 0 0 0 .56Kendall c 0 0 .07Gallardop 0 0 0 0 .8Hall b 0 0 0 0 .Totals 29 5 8 5 3 8

Cincinnati 001 010 000 2 7 0Milwaukee 212 000 00x 5 8 3

a-struck out forL.Nix in the 7th. b-fouled out forMassetinthe 8th.c-fliedoutfor DiFelicein the8th. E:M.Cameron(),Fielder(),DiFelice(). LOB:Cincinnati, Milwaukee5. 2B: Ale.Gonzalez(7), Hanigan (),Kendall(6). HR:B.Phillips(9),off Gallardo;M.Cameron(),offOwings.RBIs: Bruce(0), B.Phillips(6), Hardy(4), M.Cameron (7), Gamel(6). S: Gallardo. SF:Hardy. Runnersleft inscoring position: Cincinnati7 (Owings, R.Hernandez,HairstonJr. ,B.Phillips);Milwaukee4(Hart,Gallardo,Counsell). GIDP:Kendall.DP:Cincinnati (HairstonJr., B.Phillips,R.Hernandez).

Cincinnati IP H R ER B B SO NP ERA

Owings L, -6 5 23 8 5 5 5 0 5.0Masset 13 0 0 0 0 8 .06Weathers 0 0 0 0 9 .55Milwaukee IP H R ER B B SO NP ERAGallardo W, 5- 5 13 7 9 97 .8StetterH, 9 0 0 0 0 6 .94DiFelice H, 6 23 0 0 0 0 .6Hoffman S, - 0 0 0 0.00

Inherited runners-scored:Masset -0,Stetter-0,DiFelice-0. HBP:byGallardo (B.Phillips).WP:Gallardo,Hoffman.Umpires: Home,JimWolf;First,BrianONora;Second,FieldinCulbreth;Third,GaryCederstrom. T::0.A:44,594(4,900).

San Francisco 5, St. Louis 3Milwaukee 5, Cincinnati 2

Giants bullpencomes throughin rubber game

Brewers bats awaken in 3-game sweep

SAN FRANCISCOThe Giantsdependable bullpen is a big rea-son San Francisco has beenwinning the close games lately.

Rich Aurilia hit his firsthome run of the season to giveSan Francisco the lead in theseventh, Aaron Rowand dou-bled and scored twice and theGiants took the rubber gamefrom the St. Louis Cardinals5-3 on Sunday.

The victory gave the team awinning month of May at 15-14and a 5-1 homestand.

Merkin Valdez (2-0) pitched1 2/3 innings with a 1-2-3 sev-enth for the win as San Fran-cisco improved to 6-1 in rubbergames and 5-0 at home in thosecontests. The Giants are 8-1 inhome series this season.

Brandon Medders struck outAlbert Pujols to end the sixth, Jeremy Affeldt struck out JoeThurston with runners on firstand second to end the eighthand Brian Wilson finished forhis 12th save in 15 chances.

Today, they saved us, man-ager Bruce Bochy said of hisrelievers. We played goodbaseball this homestand com-ing off a tough trip. Its big forthis ballclub to bounce back.

Pujols doubled, singled twiceand scored a run after hittingtwo home runs in Saturdaynights 6-2 victory and was7-for-11 in the series.


MILWAUKEEThe Milwaukee Brewersregained s

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