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Major League Baseball

Nats drop fourth straight in Grapefruit League

VIERA, Fla. | Mike Pelfrey sawed off a couple of bats with a new pitch, didn't get down on himself and recovered from a shaky start. Pelfrey unveiled an effective split-finger fastball in his first spring start, Fernando Martinez had four hits and homered twice, and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 14-6 on Saturday. "My thought process coming into the game was I was going to have some adrenaline. I wanted to kind of keep that under control, kind of back off, and I think I did a good job of doing that," said Pelfrey, who is ...

Nationals lose slugfest to Braves

KISSIMMEE, Fla. | Derek Lowe got off to a solid start after a rough first season in Atlanta, pitching two hitless innings in the Braves' 11-8 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday. The Braves new closer, Billy Wagner, did not fare so well. He gave up three hits and two runs in the third inning. Yunel Escobar went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Melky Cabrera had two hits and an RBI for the Braves. Rookie Jordan Heyward had a hit and stole his second base of the spring. Ian Desmond homered and drove ...

Astros belt 5 home runs vs. Nats

KISSIMMEE, Fla. | Brett Myers made his Houston debut, and the Astros smacked five home runs in a 15-5 victory over the Washington Nationals split squad on Thursday in the spring training opener for both teams. Myers, the longtime Phillies hurler, walked three and allowed three runs as he struggled to control his fastball in his first trip to the mound since Game 3 of last year's World Series. Hunter Pence hit two home runs, a solo shot and a three-run blast, during the Astros' nine-run fourth inning. Reserve outfielder Jason Michaels and minor leaguers Yordany Ramirez and Chris Johnson ...

Nats drop Grapefruit League openers

JUPITER, Fla. | Anibal Sanchez says it's been five years since he felt this healthy in spring training, which is why he was grinning after his first spring training start Thursday. Sanchez struck out three in two innings to help the Florida Marlins beat the Washington Nationals' split squad 10-4. The right-hander has been plagued by injuries and spent two stints on the disabled list last year. But he finished the season strong and is among six pitchers bidding for three openings in the rotation. "When I'm healthy, I can do a lot," said Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter as ...

NBA / WNBA

Vasquez named ACC player of year

After a record-breaking senior season, the individual honors are rolling in for Greivis Vasquez. The Atlantic Coast Conference today named the Maryland guard the league's player of the year and, also today, The Sporting News named Vasquez a first-team All-American. Vasquez, who has averaged almost 20 points a game while leading the Terrapins to a share of the league's regular season title, on Tuesday won the ACC's top individual honor, receiving 39 votes from members of the ACC Sports Media Association. Duke's Jon Scheyer had 12 votes and Viginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney two. On Monday, Vasquez was a unanimous selection ...

Mavericks top Timberwolves for 12th straight

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Just when Dallas needed it most, Shawn Marion returned to the high-scoring form that has been absent all season. That's been the story of this remarkable run for the Mavericks. Marion had a season-high 29 points and 14 rebounds and the Mavericks stretched the league's longest active winning streak to 12 straight games with a 125-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. "I've done that before," Marion said with a chuckle about his monster line. "That's easy." What isn't so easy is the unselfishness he's shown this season. Marion has averaged at least 17 points ...

Vasquez, Scheyer, Delaney unanimous All-ACC

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Maryland's Greivis Vasquez, Duke's Jon Scheyer and Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney -- the top three scorers in the Atlantic Coast Conference -- are unanimous All-ACC picks. Vasquez, Scheyer and Delaney were first-team selections on all 53 votes in ballots cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Clemson's Trevor Booker and Duke's Kyle Singler rounded out the first team in results released Monday. The Blue Devils, who earned the top seed in this week's tournament, also had a second-team pick in high-scoring guard Nolan Smith, making them the only program with three players selected ...

Kansas back on top in AP poll

The Jayhawks (29-2), coming off their sixth straight Big 12 regular season title, moved back into the top spot in The Associated Press' college basketball poll Monday. It is their 14th week at No. 1 this season, more than triple the total of the other three schools who have been there in 2009-10. Kansas, which dropped to second last week after a four-week stint on top, was a near unanimous No. 1, receiving 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Kentucky (29-2) moved up one place to No. 2 and had the other first-place votes. Syracuse (28-3), No. ...

National Football League

Snyder answers Smith's jab at Redskins

Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder are getting into a bit of a verbal exchange through the media, as Snyder responded to a comment made by the Dallas Cowboys great in SLAM Magazine this week. When asked by SLAM what team he liked beating the most on the football field, Smith responded: "I loved defeating the Redskins. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it with a passion," Smith said. "And I loved it more when Daniel Snyder got the team, for a number of reasons. I did. Because here is a guy ...

Ravens acquire Boldin for two draft picks

BALTIMORE | The Baltimore Ravens couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a talented pass catcher to their roster: three-time Pro Bowl standout Anquan Boldin. Baltimore obtained Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals on Friday for a third- and fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft. Baltimore also got a fifth-round pick from Arizona. The 29-year-old Boldin has amassed at least 1,000 yards receiving in five of his seven seasons, including 1,024 yards on 84 catches last season. Boldin received a new four-year, $28 million deal with Baltimore in which $10 million is guaranteed. He was to set to earn $3 million ...

Roethlisberger under investigation in assault case

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | For the second time in a year, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is being accused of sexual misconduct, with police investigating him Saturday for an alleged assault at a nightclub in a Georgia college town. Police in Milledgeville were examining the claim of a 20-year-old student, who told an officer that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted early Friday. The police department had no plans to comment further until Monday at the earliest. The case comes as Roethlisberger faces a lawsuit filed last July by a woman who says he raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and ...

Redskins have slow start to free agency

ASHBURN, Va. | Washington Redskins fans woke up to a new routine on the first day of free agency. There was no dramatic overnight deal with a marquee name, the biggest indicator yet of a change of philosophy now that Mike Shanahan is in charge. Instead of courting, say, Julius Peppers with an over-the-top offer, the Redskins pragmatically sought to solve their biggest problem Friday by courting veteran offensive linemen. The team also re-signed defensive lineman Phillip Daniels, versatile backup Lorenzo Alexander and offensive lineman Mike Williams. By this time a year ago, the Redskins had lured Albert Haynesworth with ...

Golf

AP: Woods home from family counseling

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Tiger Woods is back at home after a week of family counseling in Arizona and is trying to get into a routine that includes golf and fitness, a person with knowledge of his schedule said Tuesday. Woods returned to his home near Orlando on Saturday and has been hitting balls on the range at Isleworth, not far from where he ran his SUV into a tree in a middle-of-the-night accident on Nov. 27 that set off revelations of his extramarital affairs. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because only Woods is authorized to release ...

Gatorade drops Woods as spokesman

NEW YORK | Add Gatorade to the list of endorsement deals that Tiger Woods has lost. A representative for the drink, sold by PepsiCo Inc., confirmed late Friday that it had ended its relationship with the golfer, who made a lengthy public apology last week for his infidelities. "We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship," a Gatorade spokeswoman said. "We wish him all the best." The spokeswoman said Gatorade would continue its relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation. She declined to say whether his contract was terminated early because of ...

Woods returns to therapy after speech

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Tiger Woods will return to therapy after he ends a three-month silence and speaks about his infidelity and his future plans. Golf's biggest star on Friday will address the shocking and sordid sex scandal that has consumed his life since late November then will return to the clinic where he has been undergoing therapy, according to a letter from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem obtained by The Associated Press. Finchem's letter to the PGA Tour policy board and other officials explained why Woods chose Friday to make his first public comments, which are to ...

Tiger to hold news conference Friday

BREAKING NEWS: MARANA, Ariz. (AP) -- Tiger Woods will end nearly three months of silence Friday when he speaks to the media for the first time about his middle-of-the-night accident that sparked shocking revelations about his infidelity. Woods will talk to a small group of reporters at 11 a.m. Friday from the clubhouse of the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., home of the PGA Tour. "This is all about the next step," Mark Steinberg, his agent, told The Associated Press. "He's looking forward to it." Steinberg said he would speak to a "small group of friends, colleagues and ...

Hockey / NHL

Stars rally to snap Caps' home streak

After 40 minutes, the Capitals looked to be firmly in charge, holding a 2-0 lead and outshooting the Dallas Stars 42-16. But a pair of penalties opened the door for the Stars to score three times in the third period to silence the sellout crowd Monday night at Verizon Center as the Stars rallied to win a 4-3 decision in a shootout. The bright spot for the home crowd was Alexander Ovechkin, who did his part to bring life to his team and the building with a pair of goals, his first in over a month. The Caps' star, mired ...

This year's Caps in rare company

On Saturday, the Capitals paid homage to the team's past during their 35th anniversary celebration, which included a video montage featuring some of the playoff highlights of Captials teams past. Of course, some fans watching were thinking how much this year's edition could add to that highlight reel. Last year's club tied the Capitals franchise record for regular-season wins (50) and broke the mark for points (108). This year's team is set to obliterate both marks, as they currently are on pace for 56 wins and 121 points after Saturday's 2-0 win over the Rangers. To put that degree of ...

Caps get 13th straight win at home

It wasn't without a struggle, but the Capitals, now unbeaten at home in 2010, extended their 12-game winning streak Saturday night with another 2-0 win over the Rangers at Verizon Center with help from a player that Washington GM George McPhee picked up at the trading deadline. Playing a defensive style that frustrated Washington at times during last year's first-round playoff matchup, New York was able to slow down the Capitals' fast-paced attack and get some good scoring chances of their own thanks to some sloppy turnovers. But timely saves by Jose Theodore masked some very careless play in front ...

New addition fuels Caps' 12th straight home win

Skating at Verizon Center for the first time in nearly a month, Washington picked up where they left off after the Olympic break with a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay Thursday night, marking their club-record 12th straight home win thanks to an 11th-hour traded player. Scott Walker, who was acquired from Carolina at Wednesday's trade deadline, scored two goals in his first game as a Capital -- including the team's last two goals in the contest -- during a wild third period where the two teams traded four goals in a three-minute span. But thanks to Walker -- along Mike ...

NCAA

Vasquez named ACC player of year

Vasquez, Scheyer, Delaney unanimous All-ACC

Kansas back on top in AP poll

VCU surge sinks George Mason

RICHMOND, Va. | Brandon Rozzell's three consecutive 3-pointers fueled a late Virginia Commonwealth spurt Saturday and the Rams went on to topple George Mason 75-60 in the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The Rams (22-8) face archrival Old Dominion in the semifinals Sunday. The teams split their regular-season games, each winning at home. With the Patriots (17-14) ahead 53-51 with 7:23 left, Ed Nixon tied the game with a floater in the paint. Rozzell connected from outside on the Rams' next three possessions to give Virginia Commonwealth a lead it never lost. Joey Rodriguez capped the 12-2 rally ...

Outdoors

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Motorsports / Racing

McMurray wins Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jamie McMurray's heart sank when he saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. lurking in his rearview mirror. Of all the guys bearing down on me, he thought, it has be one who seems destined to win the Daytona 500. Then McMurray looked up at the finish line. I don't think he can beat me to it, he thought. Turns out McMurray was right. Just barely. The truth — the hole truth — is that McMurray won the Super Bowl of NASCAR on Sunday in a spectacular finish. Race officials just hope it makes fans forget about a pothole ...

Patrick in 12-car wreck in NASCAR debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Even as her mangled race car belched steam from its radiator in the background, Danica Patrick remained confident she would have good days in NASCAR. This wasn't one of them. Making her NASCAR debut, Patrick ran outside the top 20 for most of Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway before getting caught up in a 12-car wreck just past the race's halfway point. Patrick was hoping to learn as much as she could about a new style of racing. She ended up going to the school of hard knocks. "It's important to have realistic ...

NASCAR tries to get back on track

Of the biggest U.S. sports, NASCAR has had the toughest time battling the recession. With the advertising dollars drying up for sponsorship of race teams, automakers' recent woes and high fuel prices, stock car racing is facing sagging television ratings and lower attendance. With NASCAR's crown jewel, the Daytona 500, set to run Sunday, the circuit hopes to stem the losses and turn around what had been a growing sport for most of the past decade before the recession hit. "We've got to be sure we do this together, build this back up, because we need the TV ratings up, ...

Patrick trouble-free in NASCAR practice

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Danica Patrick has taken the next step in her stock car racing education, staying out of trouble and learning as much as she can in her first NASCAR Nationwide series practice at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick's crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., says she was comfortable in the car Wednesday and did a good job handling the jump from ARCA to Nationwide. After finishing sixth in the Daytona ARCA race on Saturday, Patrick is preparing to make her Nationwide race debut Saturday. Patrick finished 26th on the speed chart. Eury said practice speeds aren't particularly important at ...

Soccer

World's first live 3-D sports event set for Sunday

LONDON | British network Sky Sports says it will broadcast the world's first live sports event in 3-D when Arsenal hosts Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. Soccer fans will wear special glasses at nine pubs across Britain and Ireland, providing the public's first taste of live 3-D soccer ahead of Sky's dedicated channel launching in April. Previous 3-D trials have been limited to closed-circuit broadcasts in Britain and the United States -- including one on the giant screens at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium during a game -- but the BSkyB channel will be transmitting Sunday's match ...

One-third of World Cup tickets remain unsold

JOHANNESBURG | The world soccer's governing body says one-third of World Cup tickets remain unsold less than five months before the first tournament held in South Africa. About 1 million of the 3 million tickets are still available, FIFA officials said Wednesday. South Africans and Americans had made the most bids for tickets in the third round of sales, which will be settled by lottery on Monday. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke dismissed concerns that South Africa -- notorious for its high crime rates -- would be dangerous for visiting fans. "Don't kill the World Cup before the World Cup ...

Arena elected to U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

CARSON, Calif. | Bruce Arena, who coached the U.S. to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, was elected Saturday to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. Arena coached Virginia to five NCAA titles in 18 seasons and D.C. United to a pair of MLS Cup championships and one U.S. Open Cup win before taking over as national team coach in 1998. The 2002 World Cup was the most successful for the U.S. since it reached the semifinals of the first tournament in 1930. Arena coached the U.S. through the 2006 World Cup, when it was eliminated in the ...

Adu says he has no regrets leaving MLS

ATHENS, Greece | Though his career has faltered in Europe, Freddy Adu said he's confident his game will pick up in Greece after being lured there by a respected coach and the hope of a place in the U.S. World Cup squad. The 20-year-old American forward joined Greek club Aris on Jan. 6 on an 18-month loan from Benfica, where he had struggled to establish himself. He had previously been loaned to smaller Portuguese club Belenenses. Adu said he has no regrets about leaving the United States. "Football in Europe is No. 1 and where it's at its best and ...

Tennis

Federer wins Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Roger Federer dismantled Andy Murray in the Australian Open final Sunday to extend his record to 16 Grand Slam titles and prolong an already long British drought. Federer collected his fourth Australian Open title with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) win at Rod Laver Arena that, apart from the tiebreaker, lacked the drama and raw emotion of his five-set loss here last year to then No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal. Last year, Federer sobbed when Rod Laver presented the winner's trophy to Nadal, having missed a chance to equal Pete Sampras' record 14 career majors. This time, Murray ...

Serena Williams captures fifth Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia | Serena Williams won her second straight Australian Open championship, ending Justine Henin's hopes of a Grand Slam title in her return from retirement with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory Saturday. Williams withstood a determined challenge from Henin before securing her fifth Australian Open title overall and 12th Grand Slam singles championship overall, tying Billie Jean King. King was at the stadium on Saturday night to take part in a pre-match ceremony to honor the 40-year anniversary of Margaret Court's four Grand Slam tournament wins in 1970. "Billie, we are tied," Williams said. "So I've reached my goal." ...

Agassi admits using crystal meth

NEW YORK -- Andre Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission that he used crystal meth in 1997 and lied to tennis authorities when he failed a drug test -- a result that was thrown out after he said he "unwittingly" took the substance. According to an excerpt of the autobiography published Wednesday in The Times of London, the eight-time Grand Slam champion writes that he sent a letter to the ATP tour to explain the positive test, saying he accidentally drank from a soda spiked with meth by his assistant "Slim." "Then I come to the central lie of the ...

On Tennis: Intrigue at the U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- The 2009 U.S. Open was nothing if not intriguing. And it was downright exciting for the first time in years. There were upsets and outbursts, meltdowns and comebacks. There also were two surprising but deserving champions. The most-discussed development - pesky weather that kept players on the court through Monday aside - clearly was the behavior of three-time champion Serena Williams. The consensus in New York: Williams was right to be upset about a foot-fault call that set up match point in her semifinal against Kim Clijsters, but she took things exponentially too far by threatening a ...

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