Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

AHN At The Ballpark: Rangers Double-Up Bucs, Run Win Streak To Nine

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 10:19 PM PDT

Arlington, TX, United States (AHN) – The red-hot Texas Rangers extended their longest winning streak in five years to nine games, receiving a quality start from pitcher Tommy Hunter and home runs from Michael Young, Julio Borbon and Josh Hamilton to defeat the pesky Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Tuesday night at Rangers Ballpark.

Texas, which won eight straight on the road, tied the second-longest streak in franchise history in their first matchup of a six-game homestand.

With the interleague tilt win, the Rangers at least maintained their 3 1-2 game lead over Los Angeles for first place in the American League West, pending the outcome of the Angels' contest later Tuesday night.

The Pirates, who own the National League's worst record and the second-worst in all of baseball, lost for the 13th time in their last 15 games.

Hamilton's 17th home run of the season – and Major League-leading eighth in the month of June – just made it over the wall in dead center field to make it 5-3 in the sixth, a quick answer after Pittsburgh had pulled to within 4-3 in the top half of the inning.

An eighth inning sacrifice fly by Nelson Cruz scored Ian Kinsler, who had two hits on the day, from third to complete the scoring.

Texas overcame an early 2-0 deficit and a dominating first three-plus innings from Pittsburgh starter Ross Ohlendorf (0-6), but a solo home run by Young in the fourth and Borbon's three-run blast in the fifth erased the Pirates' advantage.

And while Ohlendorf faltered as the game progressed, Hunter (3-0) got stronger.

Hunter surrendered seven hits over the first four innings, but was able to minimize the damage to just two runs, only one of them earned, before allowing one more run in the sixth off an RBI double by Bobby Crosby.

Hunter, making just his fourth start of the season after missing most of the year with a left oblique strain, had to leave last start on Wednesday at Florida in the third inning due to hip flexor strain, but looked solid on five days rest.

He gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits in six innings, while striking out six and walking none.

After retiring the first 10 batters he faced, Ohlendorf melted down in the fourth and fifth.

At first, the damage didn't appear too bad, as he surrendered Young's ninth home run of the season with one out in the fourth on a 3-2 pitch that was driven into the Texas bullpen.

Then, in the fifth, Hamilton led off with a double, but it looked like Ohlendorf might sneak out of trouble when he got the next two batters out.

But Matt Treanor walked, and Borbon, the number nine hitter, drilled a 1-0 pitch deep into the right field bleachers for his second homer of the year.

Ohlendorf didn't finish the inning, coming out after 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out one.

Pittsburgh got on the scoreboard early, when Garrett Jones doubled home Neil Walker in the first inning to extend his career-high hitting streak to 12 games.

In the top of the fourth, the Pirates added another run.

With runners at first and third and none out, Lastings Milledge dribbled a grounder to first base, but Texas rookie Justin Smoak made a poor throw to the plate, allowing Pedro Alvarez to score.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Rangers Outfielders Battling In All Star Voting; Hamilton In Lead

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 12:26 PM PDT

Arlington, TX, United States (AHN) – Red-hot Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton surged in All Star voting this past week, overtaking teammate Nelson Cruz Tuesday for the final starting spot in the AL outfield.

If the voting ended today, Rangers designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero would join Hamilton as the starting DH.

Hamilton, who is batting .337 with 16 homers and 52 RBI, trailed Cruz by 87,000 votes last week and is now ahead of his fellow outfielder by about 50,000 votes.

Cruz is batting .327 with 10 homers and 34 RBI for the Rangers (41-28), who currently lead the AL West by 3.5 games ahead of Anaheim.

If voting ended today the starting lineup in the AL would be: catcher Joe Mauer; first baseman Justin Morneau; second baseman Robinson Cano; shortstop Derek Jeter; third baseman Evan Longoria, designated hitter Guerrero and outfielders Hamilton, Ichiro Suzuki and Carl Crawford. Mauer leads all vote-getters with 3,280,565.

A new twist has been added to this year’s voting.

Any fan can join a players’ campaign staff. After voting, you are presented with the option to help support the campaign of any of the 17 players for whom you just voted.

Fans forward links to their friends to vote for the player they selected and MLB.com tracks votes that fan helps generate for that specific player.

Fans generating the most votes will have their names/aliases appear on a player campaign page.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Wimbledon: Nadal Rolls In Return; Serena Again Dominates Opener

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:28 AM PDT

Wimbledon, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – As far as returns to Wimbledon go, Rafael Nadal’s match Tuesday grabbed some attention, although the real buzz was about the possible comeback of the Queen.

Nadal, who missed Wimbledon last year due to tendonitis in his knee, cruised by Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Nadal, of Spain, won here in 2008 and is seeded No. 2 behind six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.

Women’s top-seed Serena Williams dominated Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal by winning all 27 of her first-serve points and ripping 15 aces en route to a 6-0, 6-4 victory in her opening match.

Williams raised her record to 43-0 in first round matches of Grand Slam events.

Much to the delight of the crowd, Williams curtsied afterward, which fueled expectations of a visit Thursday from Queen Elizabeth II, who would be returning to Wimbledon for the first time since 1977.

Also Tuesday, few top seeds broke a sweat in taking down early-round opponents.

No. 4 seed Andy Murray was behind 4-2 in the first set against Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, but quickly rallied to win 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.

Ninth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain easily dispatched wild card Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 6-4, 6-2. The No. 10 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France had trouble with American qualifier Robert Kendrick, but finally put him away 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4.

On the women’s side, French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur was ousted by qualifier Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Jazz Own Intriguing No. 9 Pick As NBA Draft Approaches

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:07 AM PDT

Salt Lake City, UT, United States (AHN) – The selection order is set for Thursday’s NBA Draft, but science and scouting adds intrigue to the next few days as teams make those final, crucial calculations before they pull the trigger on top picks.

Take, for example, the Utah Jazz, which brought in 31 players for workouts and tests and drills, poking and prodding for added insight into which prospect they’ll take with the No. 9 pick.

The Jazz won 53 games this season, and as a perennial playoff team, usually don’t sniff the top 10 in the draft.

Utah is making only the fourth lottery pick in franchise history, and with the Jazz having lost to the eventual Western Conference champions four seasons in a row, this particular spot has fans abuzz.

The No. 9 pick came from Phoenix Suns, via the New York Knicks, in 2004 with a trade that included Tom Gugliotta, Ben Handlogten and Keon Clark.

Now, the Jazz reportedly are zeroing in on center Greg Monroe of Georgetown, power forward Ed Davis of North Carolina and guard Xavier Henry of Kansas.

As Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out: “… the importance of the pick can’t be overstated. The Jazz face the possible free-agent departure of Carlos Boozer this summer as well as Mehmet Okur’s uncertain recovery after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the playoffs.”

Similar calculations are being crunched throughout the league as the Draft day deadline approaches.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Bobcats May Be Interested In Acquiring Draft Picks

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:06 AM PDT

Charlotte, NC, United States (AHN) – The Charlotte Bobcats are reportedly looking to acquire draft picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The reported plan could be the reason for a number of prospects working with the Bobcats, who currently do not have a pick in the 2010 draft.

Under the guidance of coach Larry Brown, known to emphasis on defense primarily, the Bobcats reached the postseason for the first time in their franchise history this past season despite lacking the needed offense.

The acquisition of versatile Stephen Jackson and the improved plays of All-Star forward Gerald Wallace provided the main offense for Charlotte.

Despite their surprising playoff run, the Bobcats eventually succumbed to a more experienced and much-more talented Orlando Magic, who swept them right out in the first round.

With this year’s class overflowing with prospects and with many underclassmen giving up their remaining eligibility, the Bobcats might address the issue on their offense by acquiring a draft pick(s).

But it is still uncertain.

"I don't know. (Owner) Michael (Jordan) might buy a draft pick or we might be able to move a contract to get a draft pick,'' Brown said, as reported by the News Observer.com.

"We have a lot of roster spots potentially and we're kind of limited because we're close to the luxury tax, added Brown. “A draft pick might be a valuable thing to have because it wouldn't put us over the luxury tax this year.''

Meanwhile, former Memphis guard Antonio Anderson, who played for the Bobcats in the 2009 season before being cut, will be part of Charlotte’s summer-league team next month in Orlando, News Observer.com reported.

On Monday, six additional draft candidates auditioned with the Bobcats, including Duke’s Lance Thomas and Deon Thompson of North Carolina.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Yankees Pull 10-1 Hughes From Rotation; Want Starter To Preserve Arm

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:05 AM PDT

Phoenix, AZ, United States (AHN) – Pitch and inning counts are part of baseball strategy as clubs try to protect their valuable starters.

And with a 10-1 record and 3.17 ERA, Phil Hughes appeared to be on the top of his game regardless of New York Yankees policy.

But Hughes will now reportedly miss a scheduled start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not because of a game or weekly or monthly pitch count.

The Yankess interrupted their starting rotation because Hughes has pitched 82 1-3 innings in less than half a season, meaning he’s too far ahead of his season pace for innings pitched.

Nobody’s sure what Hughes’ innings count is, but the New York media estimates it’s around 175 for the regular season.

“He’s made 13 starts and averaged over six innings per start,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters. “This is a hard guy for me to sit because of the way he’s pitching for us, but we can’t be shortsighted on this. We have to think of this year and next year and we have to think of his future. We want to make sure we have him for a long time.”

The Yankees don’t play Thursday, so their starters will have had their regular days off heading into the Dodgers series Friday. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte will pitch in Los Angeles.

Hughes, who grew up in Mission Viejo near Los Angeles, also will miss a chance to start in front of his relatives and friends. He turns 24 Thursday, and a big Hughes family crowd was expected.

Hughes went seven innings in his last start, allowing three runs Saturday in the Yankees’ 5-3 victory over the Mets.

It will now be nine days until his next start, which is expected to be at home June 29 against the Seattle Mariners.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

South African Mothers Name Babies In Honor Of World Cup

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:04 AM PDT

Johanneburg, South Africa (AHN) – If one questioned the importance of hosting the World Cup to South Africans, they need to just look at a trend gripping mothers in the host country.

New-born babies born during the World Cup are being given names like “Fifa,” “Bafana,” and “Soccer City,” according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor.

Anele Ntshinga gave birth to a baby girl 10 minutes into the start of the Cup and named her daughter “Fifa,” in honor of the sport’s governing body.

As black and white South Africans unite in celebration of the festivities, the effect of hosting the cup on the previously war-torn country becomes evident.

White South Africans Charl and Riana Reinhardt gave birth to twins in Bloemfontein whom they named "Bafana" and "Mexico."

With more than half of the tournament still to be played, there remains plenty of time for other South Africans to name their children in honor of the event.

Meanwhile, South African businesses are reaping the benefits created by the once-every-four-year tourney.

The $107 billion spent by South Africa on roads, airports, highways and stadiums is expected to be offset by the stimulation of the local economy by hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Goodell And Madden To Take NFL Camp Tour

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:03 AM PDT

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – They would seem to be unlikely travel partners — Roger Goodell, the suit-and-tie Park Avenue executive, and John Madden, the disheveled former coach and retired broadcaster.

Goodell doesn’t mind taking a jet, preferably a private one. Madden has a well-known fear of flying and motors among the people in his customized RV.

Goodell, the NFL commissioner, and his special advisor Madden, are about to take a summer road trip. Together. And in the Madden Cruiser, no less.

Goodell and Madden are reportedly ready to embark on a tour of several training camps, sort of a grassroots, goodwill mission to get some face time in front of players, coaches and fans.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told media outlets the trip was still in the planning stages.

Dates and times for the tour stops are to be announced. Plenty of seats surely will be available.

No word yet on who’ll get the top bunk.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Celts Coach Rivers: Rasheed Wallace Probably Retiring

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:02 AM PDT

Boston, MA, United States (AHN) – Celtics coach Doc Rivers told a major media outlet Monday he believes Rasheed Wallace is going to retire. Rivers said Wallace told him Game 7 would be his last game prior to the start of the contest.

“Rasheed told me the night before; ‘I’m going to give you everything I’ve got. I really believe this is my last game that I’m going to play,’” Rivers told sports radio WEEI 850 AM.

Rivers went on to say the season had been physically demanding on the 35-year-old forward and that Wallace desires to spend more time with his kids.

Wallace, a 15-year veteran, has not offered comment and still has two years remaining on the contract he signed with Boston last summer.

The former Tar Heel accumulated 15,860 points and 7,321 rebounds in 1088 games with four teams and won the NBA title in 2004 with the Pistons.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

World Cup: So. Africa Tops France, But Mexico, Uruguay Advance In Group A

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:01 AM PDT

Fifa

Fifa

Bloemfontain, South Africa (AHN) – 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa recorded a famous 2-1 win over troubled France in their final Group A match Tuesday.

Both sides were eliminated, however, after Uruguay beat Mexico 1-0 to ensure both Latin American sides progress.

In truth it always looked as though South Africa would become the first ever World Cup hosts to be knocked out at the Group Stage.

A 1-1 disappointing draw with Mexico and crushing 3-0 defeat to Uruguay left the hosts needing to beat France and see a five goal swing with Mexico go through, courtesy of Mexico’s earlier 2-0 win over France.

France meanwhile enfdred the worst tournament in their history with in-fighting at every turn and a clearly separated squad.

The team director resigned and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home and France never looked like the team that reached the 2006 final.

Such was the disruption, French captain Patrice Evra found himself dropped to the bench and watching alongside famous names including Thierry Henry and Florent Malouda.

Central defender Khumalo gave South Africa the start it needed with a well-taken header on 19 minutes.

The game looked well and truly on as the half wore on.

First Gourcuff was harshly sent off for using an elbox, before Mphela doubled the hosts lead scrambling home a loose ball.

To complete a memorable first half, Uruguay took the lead against Mexico through Suarez, meaning there were only two goals in it and with South Africa facing only ten men, the dream looked on.

Sadly for South Africa that is as good as it got as France, ranked a good 70 places above South Africa in FIFA’s world rankings, regained some of its composure.

The effort was duly rewarded when substitute Florent Malouda scored on 69 minutes.

As a result of Tuesday’s fixtures Uruguay wins Group A and will face the runners-up from Group B to likely come from either South Korea and Greece.

Nigeria also isn’t out of consideration, however.

Mexico, meanwhile, will play Group B’s winner, who in all liklehood will be Argentina.

South Africa may be out, but there is a very real sense the 2010 World Cup is only now getting started.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.
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