Sports News

TORONTO - David Purcey pitched eight shutout innings and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep with a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, extending their winning streak to eight games.

SEATTLE - Mariners pitcher Carlos Silva has been scratched from his start against the New York Yankees because of stiffness in his back.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago White Sox outlasted the Anaheim Angels 7-6 over 15 innings on Saturday, powered by Jim Thome's walk-off home run.

SEATTLE - Bobby Abreu homered and drove in three runs, Jason Giambi also connected and the New York Yankees rallied for five runs in the seventh inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 7-4 on Saturday night.

SAN FRANCISCO - Rich Aurilia hit one of three Giants home runs and San Francisco finally beat the Pittsburgh Pirates at home, 7-6 on Saturday night.

PHILADELPHIA - This is what a healthy Donovan McNabb looks like.

PITTSBURGH - The Houston Texans lost a gamble, a challenge and, likely, their opener in the first five minutes of the season. Willie Parker and the Pittsburgh Steelers made certain the Texans didn't get a second chance in a 38-17 win that was effectively over early in the second quarter.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans sacked David Garrard seven times and Cortland Finnegan intercepted him twice in beating Jacksonville 17-10 Sunday in the season opener between the AFC's two wild cards in 2007.

NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns, and Scott Fujita made a clinching interception in the final minute, lifting the New Orleans Saints to a 24-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

MIAMI - Brett Favre hardly looked like the retiring type, raising his arms to signal a touchdown, then leaping and skipping to the bench, where he vaulted into the arms of two teammates.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing were among seven new members inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.

CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers signed center Lorenzen Wright on Friday to help offset the loss up front of forward Joe Smith.

Sporting News caught up with Todd Quinter, Olympics scout and Suns director of player personnel, to talk about his experience scouting the basketball overseas. Among the highlights: trying to find a proper meal in Nanjing, the atmosphere of the European game, and Rudy Fernandez is the real deal.

RYE BROOK, N.Y. - He was drafted more than 14 months ago, and even then he looked too old to be a first-year player, so it's easy to forget that Greg Oden is technically a rookie.

LOS ANGELES - LeBron James could be excused for his poor shooting from behind the arc, and for being blown out in a game of H-O-R-S-E with a warehouse worker in a beach exhibition. James was still floating in the clouds from his Olympic experience.

BARCELONA (AFP) - England's senior players, including David Beckham and John Terry, are attempting to quash any talk of revenge as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday that could begin to define the new Fabio Capello era.

BERLIN (AFP) - Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the organising committee for the 2010 World Cup, insisted Sunday South Africa "is on time" to host the tournament and dismissed rumours Germany could step in as a replacement.

ROME (AFP) - Midfield stalwart Gennaro Gattuso could miss Italy's World Cup qualifier against Georgia at Udine on Wednesday after injuring his wrist in training.

BARCELONA (AFP) - Fabio Capello has warned Croatia that England have no intention of playing for a draw in Wednesday's crucial World Cup qualifier.

LONDON (AFP) - Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Donadoni appear the frontrunners to take over from Alan Curbishley as manager of West Ham, but the club insisted Sunday there were no clear favourites as they confirmed a four-man shortlist.

A newly formed Russian hockey league accused the NHL of poaching two of its players when the Los Angeles Kings agreed to terms with two draft prospects last week.

DALLAS - Dallas Stars center Stu Barnes is retiring after 16 years in the NHL.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, keeping one of the club's best young players with the Sharks through the 2012-13 season.

DENVER - Patience paid off for the Colorado Avalanche, who signed Joe Sakic to a one-year, $6 million contract Wednesday after he decided to play a 20th season in the NHL rather than call it a career.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Scott Gordon faced a probing question in the time between accepting the job as head coach of the New York Islanders and his introductory news conference.

NEW YORK - East Carolina can't play the underdog role anymore.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was good early and even better late, enough to help No. 5 Florida snap a six-game losing streak against rival Miami. Tebow threw two touchdown passes, speedster Percy Harvin ran for a score and the Gators used a swarming defensive effort to beat the Hurricanes 26-3 Saturday night at The Swamp.

SEATTLE - Jan Jorgensen busted through the line and blocked Ryan Perkins' 35-yard extra-point attempt with 2 seconds left in regulation, and No. 15 BYU held on to a 28-27 win over Washington on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did. Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. 3 Ohio State before the Buckeyes righted things in the fourth quarter and went on to win 26-14 Saturday.

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Skip Holtz followed his biggest coaching victory at East Carolina with an even more impressive one. Jonathan Williams had two short touchdown runs, quarterback Patrick Pinkney was nearly perfect and the Pirates routed No. 8 West Virginia 24-3 on Saturday for their third straight win over a ranked team.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Zimbabwe's Cara Black completed a US Open doubles double title run here Sunday, joining South African-born American Liezel Huber in winning the women's doubles final.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Roger Federer moved within one victory of his fifth consecutive US Open title Saturday, firing 20 aces to overpower Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams will have to wait until Sunday to meet in the US Open final with the added incentive of the WTA's world number one ranking on the line along with the final Grand Slam title of 2008.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Forecasts of rain for Saturday have prompted the US Tennis Association to schedule an earlier than normal start for the US Open men's semi-finals and make back-up plans for title matches.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Two-time winner Serena Williams advanced to her first US Open final in six years, breezing past Russian Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

HELSINGOER, Denmark - Annika Sorenstam ended her pro career in Europe by finishing third Sunday at the Nykredit Masters.

ST. LOUIS - Camilo Villegas gave himself his best chance of winning on the PGA Tour with a 12-foot birdie Sunday morning to complete a 4-under 66 and take a one-shot lead going into the final round of the BMW Championship.

The LPGA Tour's "mea culpa" didn't need much translation.

MEXICO CITY - Lorena Ochoa of Mexico says a new LPGA Tour policy requiring players to be effective in English starting in 2009 is a "little drastic."

NEW YORK - Chad Campbell lingered in the parking lot of a Dallas hospital as his wife waited inside to get the latest report on their first child, due to be born later this week.

HOUSTON - Local favorite Juan Diaz scored a close split decision in 12 rounds over Australia's Michael Katsidis for the IBO world lightweight title Saturday night.

BERLIN - Russian giant Nikolai Valuev won the WBA heavyweight championship Saturday night, using his left jab to outpoint American John Ruiz in an unanimous decision.

NEW YORK - Police say a promising New York City boxer is dead after being shot during a fight in the Bronx.

Oscar De La Hoya finally has an opponent for his farewell fight — only the Golden Boy's tantalizing matchup with Manny Pacquiao might not be his final bout after all.

CHICAGO - Jabir Herbert Muhammad, a longtime manager of boxer Muhammad Ali, has died following heart surgery. He was 79.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Felipe Massa was declared the winner of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting a corner during a late duel with world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

JOLIET, Ill. - Things just got a lot tougher for Helio Castroneves in his quest to overtake Scott Dixon for the IndyCar Series championship.

RICHMOND, Va. - Steady rain that began Friday night and expectations that it would continue through Saturday with Tropical Storm Hanna moving in forced NASCAR to postpone Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

RICHMOND, Va. - Clint Bowyer would maybe be nervous about making the Chase for the championship if the 12-driver field was finalized at any place other than Richmond International Raceway.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tony Stewart and Joey Logano will not be on probation in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after all.

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Skip Holtz followed his biggest coaching victory at East Carolina with an even more impressive one. Jonathan Williams had two short touchdown runs, quarterback Patrick Pinkney was nearly perfect and the Pirates routed No. 8 West Virginia 24-3 on Saturday for their third straight win over a ranked team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did. Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. 3 Ohio State before the Buckeyes righted things in the fourth quarter and went on to win 26-14 Saturday.

NEW YORK - Ominous clouds overhead, the sort of hard court that troubled him this season underfoot, Roger Federer sensed something Saturday he hadn't in quite a while. He was playing exactly like that guy named Roger Federer.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was good early and even better late, enough to help No. 5 Florida snap a six-game losing streak against rival Miami.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AFP) - A motorcyclist was killed after losing control of his bike at 385 kilometers (239 miles) per hour and crashing on Utah's famous Bonneville Salt Flats, authorities and reports said Thursday.

NEW YORK - More than two out of three people worldwide tuned in for the Beijing Olympics.

The four American cyclists who arrived for last month's Beijing Games wearing black masks and were subsequently ordered to apologize for offending the host nation are seeking an apology from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

CHICAGO - The thought of wearing a skintight swimsuit in public makes many people cringe. But gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps said he wouldn't be surprised if he dons his Speedo when he hosts the Sept. 13 season premiere of "Saturday Night Live."

CHICAGO - Thousands of spectators cheered Olympic medalists Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Kobe Bryant on Wednesday as the city of Chicago got a high-profile boost to its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee is investigating the silver and bronze medalists in the men's hammer throw in Beijing for suspected doping offenses.