Shaq can have LeBron. Ron Artest says he'll take Kobe. Artest, whose versatility and toughness have made him one of the most coveted and combustible players in the NBA, told CBSSports.com Thursday that he's signing with the Lakers. "I'm definitely going to L.A. -- to sign, yeah," Artest said in a phone interview. "Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I'm in L.A. right now." Artest said he met with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss Thursday and previously had spoken with Lakers coach Phil Jackson. He was en route to his financial manager's office, where he planned to huddle on the phone with his agent, David Bauman, to finalize details. Artest's exuberance -- he spent the whole summer in L.A., including several appearances at Lakers home games during the NBA Finals -- got ahead of the process a bit. Other teams that made overtures for Artest -- including the Cavaliers -- have not yet been notified that Artest is signing with the Lakers. (Consider them notified.) Bauman has spoken with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, and a person with knowledge of the negotiations told CBSSports.com that Artest agreed to a five-year deal for the full mid-level exception -- about $33 million. It's the same deal that Houston agreed to with Trevor Ariza, who swaps cities with Artest. "I don't really care about the money," Artest said. "I'll play there for nothing. ... L.A. was very interested in me, and they got me."

The Houston Rockets have answered the defection of Ron Artest to the Los Angeles Lakers by quickly reaching an agreement to sign Trevor Ariza away from L.A. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Ariza made a verbal commitment Tuesday night to sign a five-year deal with the Rockets on Wednesday -- the first day free agents are permitted to sign new contracts -- not long after the Lakers and Artest reached terms on a three-year deal worth an estimated $18 million. ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan reports that Ariza, according to sources, will receive the Rockets' full mid-level exception, which is being projected to come in at $5.8 million for next season. If the exception for the 2009-10 season is indeed set at $5.8 million Wednesday when the league announces next season's salary cap and luxury tax, Ariza's deal would be worth $33.5 million. The Rockets shifted their focus away from Orlando Magic restricted free agent Marcin Gortat on Thursday when it became clear that Gortat was on the verge of reaching terms with the Dallas Mavericks and when it became known leaguewide that Ariza was determined to leave his hometown Lakers -- in spite of his vital contributions to L.A.'s championship run -- because they were unwilling to start his new contract higher than the mid-level exception.

Venus and Serena Williams won in contrasting fashion Thursday to set up their fourth all-sister Wimbledon final and eighth meeting in a Grand Slam title match. Two-time champion Serena saved a match point and overcame Elena Dementieva 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 in 2 hours, 49 minutes. Five-time winner Venus needed only 51 minutes to overwhelm Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0 and reach her eighth Wimbledon final. "Oh my God, this is my eighth final, and it's a dream come to true to be here again and have the opportunity to hold the plate up," Venus said. The sisters -- who hold 17 Grand Slam titles between them -- will face each other Saturday on the Fourth of July, Independence Day in the United States. "A fourth final -- it's so exciting. It was so hard before my match to watch all that drama," Venus said, referring to Serena's semifinal. "It was so difficult. But the hardest part is next to come, to play Serena Williams." One Williams or the other has won seven of the past nine championships at the All England Club. Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and '03 finals here, while Venus came out on top against her younger sister last year. Venus is bidding to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a row. There have been seven previous all-Williams championship matches at majors, with Serena holding a 5-2 lead. Overall, the sisters are tied 10-10.

Laughing and loose, Shaq looked right at home. Shaquille O'Neal and his oversized persona debuted in Cleveland on Thursday with a stated goal for next season. His friend LeBron James craves a championship, and O'Neal is here to serve. "My motto is very simple," O'Neal said. "'Win a Ring for the King."' The 15-time All-Star center with four NBA titles was bedecked in a black suit, pink shirt and pink tie for an introductory news conference that might as well have been billed The Shaq Show. Acquired last week in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns, O'Neal was welcomed by a team that believes he can bring this title-thirsty region its first major pro sports crown in 45 years. Flanked by Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown, O'Neal held court for nearly a half hour as only Shaq can. In front of an audience that included Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, media members, season-ticket holders, corporate partners and kids from a summer camp, O'Neal gave Cleveland fans their first glimpse of what's in store next year -- and maybe beyond.

A day after jumping to Detroit, Ben Gordon told a Chicago radio station Thursday that the Bulls never made a contract offer even though general manager Gar Forman claimed re-signing him was their No. 1 priority. "I mean they didn't pursue me at all. They didn't even make an offer so it was pretty much a one-man race," Gordon told ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago. Gordon agreed to a five-year deal worth $50 million-plus with the Pistons on Wednesday after leading the Bulls in scoring the past four seasons. Under league rules, that deal can't be announced until next week. Gordon and the Bulls had tried to negotiate long-term deals the past two years. He wound up accepting a one-year tender offer last year and enjoyed one of his best seasons, averaging 20.7 points, and tied a career-high by shooting 45.5 percent while leading the Bulls to the playoffs. Once he hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, the Pistons quickly jumped. The Bulls? "I just told you there was no offer made," Gordon said in the interview. "So you guys can put it together. I'm happy about my new situation now. I'm looking forward to it."

Derrek Lee took a curtain call after his second homer, a grand slam that gave him a career-high seven RBI on a night when the baseball seemed to be coming at a different speed. "Just some nights the game seems like it slows down a little bit and tonight was one of those nights," Lee said after leading the Chicago Cubs to a 9-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of an 11-game homestand. The Cubs also got homers from Geovany Soto and Jake Fox as their erratic offense showed some spark against Brewers starter Seth McClung and reliever Chris Smith. "It makes it fun to hit when everyone is swinging the bats well. There are guys on base and pressure on the pitcher," Lee said. "Tonight is a great night, but we're right back here tomorrow at 1. ... So, turn the page."

It was the kind of late-inning buzz that none of the players had experienced before. The Houston Astros -- who once had the "Killer Bs" -- beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over left field at Petco Park. It certainly gave a new meaning to getaway day. "It's how this year's going. Bizarre things. You think you've seen it all in baseball and you're going to see something new," said Houston's Geoff Blum, who hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBI. The drama began with Houston leading 6-1 with two outs in the top of the ninth. San Diego's Kyle Blanks started walking in from left field, trying to get shortstop Everth Cabrera to call time. It ended when a beekeeper obliterated a ball of bees that followed a queen bee under a ballgirl's jacket that was slung over the back of a chair down the left-field line. "I kind of saw one or two floating around my head," Blanks said. "Then I turned around and there was a wall. I started to walk in and tried to get Everth to call time."

The Boston Celtics offered Rasheed Wallace a contract at the anticipated mid-level exception after the three-hour meeting, according to the Boston Globe. The Big Three, Ainge, Grousbeck, and coach Doc Rivers attended the meeting.

France's sports minister says Lance Armstrong will be "particularly monitored" in anti-doping checks at the Tour de France this year. Roselyne Bachelot, speaking in an interview on French cable TV on Friday, sent the warning to the seven-time Tour winner who has come out of retirement to race again in cycling's showcase. "The [doping] controls will be multiplied, and I tell Lance Armstrong that he will be particularly, particularly, particularly monitored," Bachelot told i-Tele. The American has denied having taken banned substances during his cycling career. The head of France's anti-doping agency, which is working with cycling's governing body UCI on doping checks for the race, has said Armstrong will be treated like any other rider regarding drug testing. The International Cycling Union, responding to the damage done to the sport by continual drug and cheating scandals, is planning more than 500 doping checks at this year's Tour. "There needs to be a really very, very active fight against doping," Bachelot said. "The organizers know how much a positive doping test could have harmful effects." The three-week race starts Saturday in Monaco.

Fernando Tatis' body was laden with ice bags, Francisco Rodriguez's right arm was wrapped with towels. The weary New York Mets went through a lot to gain an improbable victory in an unwanted game. Two days after appearing to be in a freefall, the Mets pulled off the kind of victory that can turn a season around. Ryan Church singled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and the Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-8 on Thursday after trailing by five runs and wasting a ninth-inning lead. "It was a roller coaster, especially the way the day started down 5-0, but it just shows you we are resilient," Church said. Adam LaRoche hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth against Francisco Rodriguez before the Mets rebounded to win the makeup of a June 3 rainout. No doubt they would have preferred their first day off in 2½ weeks to playing, but the Mets (39-39) now head into a big weekend series at Philadelphia back at .500 with back-to-back victories following a five-game losing streak. "We could have just said, 'Let's pack up and head to Philly, it's a short flight, let's get this out of the way,' " said manager Jerry Manuel, who held a lengthy team meeting Tuesday in Milwaukee. "They chose to fight and I thought that was what was most impressive. We overcame a lot of things that were adversary."

The NFL suspended Jets linebacker Calvin Pace for four games without pay Thursday for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Pace will miss New York's first four games of the season and be eligible to return for the Monday night game at Miami on Oct. 12. In a statement issued by the Jets, Pace said the ban is a result of him taking an over-the-counter dietary supplement that he was unaware violated the NFL's policy. Pace, in his second season with the Jets, is eligible to participate in preseason practices and games. The suspension begins Sept. 5 and he can return to practice on Oct. 5, a day after New York's game at New Orleans. "I am responsible for what I put into my body and I should have paid closer attention to the league's guidelines," Pace said. "I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization, as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl."

When he finally connected, Russell Branyan made it count. Branyan rebounded from a frustrating string of strikeouts with a mammoth homer over Monument Park, and the Seattle Mariners beat CC Sabathia 8-4 on Thursday night to snap the New York Yankees' seven-game winning streak. "Majestic," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. Franklin Gutierrez also homered and Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-run double that was misplayed by center fielder Melky Cabrera. Chris Woodward added two RBI as Seattle won in the Bronx for the first time since Sept. 3, 2007, ending a 10-game road losing streak against the Yankees. "Our guys are learning how to win," reliever Miguel Batista said. Branyan launched his 20th homer in the ninth inning, a two-run shot off right-hander Alfredo Aceves that made it 8-4. It was the first drive at the new Yankee Stadium to carom off the tinted-glass windows of the big sports bar in straightaway center, above Monument Park.

Anthony Kim is regaining a lot of his strength and a little of his swagger. He can only hope his record start Thursday at the AT&T National will allow him to get rid of some frustration built up from a year of not winning. Kim ran off eight birdies over his final 13 holes and set the course record at Congressional with an 8-under 62, giving him a two-shot lead over tournament host Tiger Woods and two others. Kim, 24, has not won since his victory in the AT&T National last year, slowed by an assortment of injuries that caused his game to slip just as he was being anointed the next great American player. It was the best round of his PGA Tour career, although Kim walked off the par-5 ninth green slightly perturbed after narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie putt. Apparently, eight birdies wasn't enough. "You don't have many opportunities to bust a 61," Kim said. But it was enough to hold off Woods, who missed his tournament last year after having season-ending knee surgery. Woods played in the afternoon with deceptive wind swirling from trees lining the fairways. He missed only two fairways and three greens, and made enough putts for a 64, his lowest round since the 2007 Tour Championship.

Stock car racing giants ranging from Bill France Sr. and Junior Johnson to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are among the 25 nominees for NASCAR's first Hall of Fame class. The announcement Thursday night comes 10 months before the Hall of Fame's scheduled opening in downtown Charlotte. An inaugural class of five will be chosen from the group that includes the bootleggers who helped create the sport to the drivers, owners and officials who made it popular. NASCAR patriarch France and his son, Bill France Jr., were among the candidates selected by a 21-member panel. The drivers include Petty, Earnhardt, Johnson, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Glenn "Fireball" Roberts. Car owners are represented, too, including Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Glen Wood. A panel of people in the sport and a fan vote will decide the first class, which will be announced in October. Induction will take place in conjunction with the Hall's opening in May.

Phoenix police say leading Phoenix Mercury scorer Diana Taurasi was cited for drunken driving just a few hours after the club's win over the Seattle Storm. Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio says an officer stopped Taurasi at about 2:30 Thursday morning for allegedly speeding. A police statement says the officer smelled alcohol and gave her several field sobriety tests. Taurasi was then driven to a mobile DUI van where she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did not know her blood alcohol content. Taurasi, a guard, scored 22 points and blocked four shots in Wednesday night's 93-81 win over the Storm. She is the WNBA's leading fan vote-getter ahead of the league's July 25 All-Star Game.

Houston Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming will have to wait up to a week before he knows whether he will need surgery on his broken left foot. The playing future of the 7-foot-6 Yao is in question amid reports from the team doctor that the hairline fracture in his foot could keep him out all of next season, and potentially end his career. "It hasn't been decided yet," Yao's agent, Eric Zhang, told The Associated Press on Friday. "He is still in the process of group consultations of doctors holding different opinions and different plans. The result of the consultations is due within a week." Before that there is no way of telling whether surgery will be performed, Zhang said. "We are still in the information gathering period," he said. Yao sustained a hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone late in a May 8 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets said last week that the injury has not healed and he was out indefinitely. Yao played in 77 regular-season games in 2008-09, his most injury-free year since 2004-05, when he played in 80. Before last season, Yao missed chunks of the previous three seasons with leg and foot injuries.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

THURSDAY, JULY 2

Golf: PGA European Tour, Open de FranceALSTOM, first round, in Paris., Golf Channel, 9:30 a.m. PGA Tour, AT&T National, first round, in Bethesda, Md., Golf Channel, 3

Motor sports: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Coke Zero 400, practice, in Daytona Beach, Fla., Speed, 4 and 6:30. NASCAR Nationwide Series, Subway Jalapeno 250, practice, in Daytona Beach, ESPN2, 5:30

Tennis: Wimbledon, women's semifinals, in Wimbledon, England, ESPN2, 7 a.m. (live); NBC, noon (live and same-day tape)

The Detroit Pistons struck first Wednesday, getting commitments from their top two free-agent targets, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Gordon agreed to a five-year, $55 million deal, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Villanueva also agreed to a five-year deal in the $35 million range -- or slightly above the anticipated mid-level exception of $5.6 million per year -- a person involved in those discussions said. The exact figures won't be known until the deals are signed on July 8, after the league and players association agree on the salary cap and luxury tax for the 2009-10 season. After firing coach Michael Curry Tuesday, Pistons president Joe Dumars acted swiftly in targeting Gordon and Villanueva with the salary-cap space produced by the controversial decision to trade Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson and his $22 million expiring contract last November. But the signings posed two potential problems: 1) There isn't enough room in the same backcourt for Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey; and 2) The Pistons will no longer be major players in the much better free-agent summer of 2010. Not able to afford another miserable season for the mere chance that a big-ticket free agent would come to Detroit in '10, Dumars decided to strike now. The Pistons were among only a handful of teams with significant cap space this summer, and thus could dictate which players they pursued. Next summer, they might've ended up on the periphery of the excitement when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and others were looking for not only money, but also a championship-ready roster to join. The Pistons don't have a championship roster, but they did have money. As a buyer in a seller's market, Dumars obviously felt the time to act was this summer, not next.

The Chicago Blackhawks dipped deep into the NHL free-agent market by signing star forward Marian Hossa away from the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday with a 12-year, $62.8 million contract. Hossa, who surprisingly took a one-year deal with the defending champion Red Wings last summer, cashed in this time. The four-time All-Star and 11-year NHL veteran has played on the Stanley Cup runner-up the last two seasons -- while with the Penguins he lost to the Red Wings and this year with Detroit, he fell to Pittsburgh in the rematch. The young Blackhawks are his fourth team since 2008. "Now I don't have to worry about dealing with it year-to-year. I'm set for 12 years. That will make it easier and I can focus on hockey," Hossa said.

There must be more than meets the eye when it comes to the trade reported by the Los Angeles Times in which the Clippers send Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies for Quentin Richardson. Z-Bo makes $6.6 million more than Q-Rich and has two years left on his contract as opposed to Richardson's one. Memphis is under the cap, so the trade doesn't have to satisfy the 125 percent rule. Still, the Clippers should feel fortunate to have found such a willing taker. But let's not let that get in the way of our euphoria -- our flat-out ecstasy -- over this trade. Quentin Richardson was one of the first bad contracts acquired by Isiah Thomas when he took over as president of the Knicks. Zach Randolph was another one. One of the worst. It was a miracle that Isiah was there to take Z-Bo from the Clippers Blazers on draft night a couple of years ago.

Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing's most classic brawls and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early Wednesday. Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Sandanista Party's Radio Ya and other local media were reporting it appeared to be a suicide. The La Prensa newspaper reported that Arguello -- elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year -- was found with a gunshot wound to the chest. The 57-year-old Arguello retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts and was a champion in three weight divisions. He was perhaps best known for two thrilling battles with Aaron Pryor and fights with Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares. "I'm kind of in a daze right now. I can't believe what I'm hearing," Pryor told the Associated Press. "Those were great fights we had. This was a great champion." Nicknamed "The Explosive Thin Man," Arguello was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992, where flags were flying at half-staff in his honor Wednesday. Hundreds of people lined up to say goodbye to Arguello Wednesday night at a memorial service at the Palace of Culture in the capital of Nicaragua.

Hank Blalock didn't put any extra significance on Wednesday night's game-winning homer or his team's success thus far against the Los Angeles Angels. Blalock's second home run of the game, a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning, gave Texas a 9-7 victory and moved the Rangers within one-half game of the first-place Angels in the AL West. "If you think one game is more important than another, that means you're not trying to win against a team with a worse record," Blalock said. "You've got to take every game as serious as you can because once it gets later in the year, you start thinking about the games you let slip away." The Angels rallied from a 7-1 deficit by scoring three runs in both the seventh and ninth. Juan Rivera's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth off Frank Francisco (2-1) tied the game at 7. "We didn't get it done in regulation like we wanted to," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "But the character in that clubhouse showed up."

Roger Federer neutralized Ivo Karlovic's huge serves Wednesday to reach the Wimbledon semifinals and move a step closer to a record 15th Grand Slam championship. Two-time finalist Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Tommy Haas completed the final four. In a match featuring short points and few rallies, Federer conjured up a few great returns to break the 6-foot-10 Croatian twice and secure a 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory on another sunbaked day at the All England Club. Federer, closing in on his sixth Wimbledon title, reached his 21st consecutive semifinal at a Grand Slam tournament and extended his winning streak to 17 matches with another vintage performance on his favorite Centre Court. "I love the record I have of reaching so many semifinals in Grand Slams in a row -- 21 is quite a number," Federer said. "It shows how consistent I've been." It was Federer's ninth win in 10 matches against Karlovic, who was playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Federer's next opponent will be Germany's Haas, who upset fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 to advance to his first Wimbledon semifinal. The 31-year-old Haas was the oldest player in the quarters, while the 22-year-old Djokovic was the youngest. Third-seeded Murray swept Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first Wimbledon semifinal and keep up his bid to become the first British player to win the men's title since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray will face the sixth-seeded Roddick, who served 43 aces and outlasted 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4 in the day's most competitive match. Hewitt battled back from two sets to one down, before Roddick broke for 5-4 in the fifth and then served out the match -- which ended after 3 hours, 50 minutes when the Australian popped up a forehand half-volley past the baseline.

On the day Marian Gaborik left Minnesota for good, the Wild signed free-agent right wing Martin Havlat to fill the large hole in their lineup. Havlat, Chicago's leading scorer last season with 77 points, signed a six-year contract late Wednesday. Gaborik, the first player drafted by Minnesota when the franchise began nine seasons ago and the Wild's career scoring leader, signed hours earlier with the New York Rangers, getting a five-year, $37.5 million deal. The Wild also signed free-agent defenseman Greg Zanon to a three-year contract. The 29-year-old Zanon had seven goals and 19 assists in three-plus seasons with Nashville.

For a second straight game, Jonathan Papelbon unexpectedly found himself in position to become Boston's career saves leader. Less than 24 hours earlier, Papelbon was victimized by the greatest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history. On Wednesday, after the Red Sox staged an improbable rally of their own, Papelbon got his coveted save. Boston used a four-run ninth inning to pull even, Julio Lugo singled in the tiebreaking run in the 11th and Papelbon emphatically closed a 6-5 victory over the Orioles. Papelbon got three outs for his 20th save this season and 133rd with the Red Sox, breaking the team record held by Bob Stanley. "Obviously, it feels good," Papelbon said. "When I set out to be the closer of the Boston Red Sox, there were definitely a lot of goals in sight and this was one of them. To finally get it and get it out of my head, you know, to stop thinking about it, is definitely good for me. It's done with. Let's move on."

The Edmonton Oilers are turning to another veteran goaltender. Edmonton signed 36-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year, $15 million deal on Wednesday. He'll replace 39-year-old Dwayne Roloson, who signed earlier in the day with the New York Islanders. Khabibulin is a former Stanley Cup winner who spent last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He went 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage despite missing time due to a nagging groin injury. "Nikolai is a world-class goaltender who has proven himself throughout his career as one of the best in the game," Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said in a release. "He has had success at many levels of hockey and we're looking forward to seeing him continue that success here in Edmonton." Khabibulin joins his fifth NHL team after stops with the Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets. He backstopped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004.

Two months after a positive drug test for methamphetamines, Jeremy Mayfield is getting ready to return to NASCAR. U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen on Wednesday issued a temporary injunction to allow the driver to get back behind the wheel at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. "This is huge for us," Mayfield said. "This means more to me probably than any race I've ever won or anything." Concluding the "likelihood of a false positive in this case is quite substantial," Mullen said as he ruled in Mayfield's favor after about two hours of arguments, including NASCAR's contention that Mayfield is a danger to the sport after testing positive for high amounts of a dangerous, illegal drug. But Mullen sided with Mayfield's attorney, Bill Diehl, who argued the test results would only be accurate if Mayfield were a habitual meth user. If Mayfield used the drug at the levels the NASCAR test indicated, Diehl suggested Mayfield would be "either a walking zombie or he's dead." "His teeth were never rotting out, his eyes were not sunken," Diehl said. "He never displayed any characteristics that are commonly seen by everyone among people who use meth."

A little rest here and there has done wonders for Alex Rodriguez. The streaking slugger hit a tiebreaking homer and Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings, leading the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Wednesday night for their seventh consecutive victory. A fatigued Rodriguez, who had hip surgery in March, was held out of the lineup June 19-20 in Florida. Soon after, his swing started to come around. Now, the three-time MVP is on a hitting tear. In his last seven games, he is 10 for 23 (.435) with four homers, 13 RBI and 10 walks. "I'm feeling better. I feel more energized out there," said Rodriguez, who also got a mini-break Wednesday as the designated hitter.

Kobe Bryant insisted his contract status wouldn't be an issue, and he was right. Now the Los Angeles Lakers can turn their attention to some NBA champion teammates. Bryant chose not to terminate the final two years of his contract and will remain with the Lakers, the team he wanted to leave just two summers ago. Team spokesman John Black on Wednesday confirmed Bryant's decision. The MVP of the NBA Finals had until Tuesday to become an unrestricted free agent, but downplayed questions about his future plans throughout the Lakers' five-game victory over Orlando. Now the Lakers and Bryant's agent will negotiate a contract extension. If they somehow cannot agree, he would earn $23 million next season and could opt out next June. Bryant has spent his entire 13-year career with the team, winning four NBA championships. On June 19 he said, "I'm not going anywhere. I know I ain't going nowhere, so it's just a waste of our breaths just talking about it."

Trevor Ariza's short but sweet stay in Los Angeles might be coming to an end. The 24-year-old swingman, who played a key role in the Lakers' run to their 15th NBA championship, is on the verge of leaving the club, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday. With at least five teams pursuing Ariza, the Lakers are currently unwilling to pay him more than the $5.6 million mid-level exception. "They're letting him go," one of the sources said. Cleveland is making a hard push for Ariza, and the Cavaliers' coaching staff was speaking with him on Wednesday. While Cleveland can only offer the mid-level as well, Ariza's disappointment with the Lakers' stance has moved other suitors ahead of his current team. The Rockets, Clippers, Raptors and Blazers are also showing interest in Ariza. Portland and Toronto could each offer more than the mid-level exception. If the Lakers refuse to increase their offer, it's a clear indication that they are choosing their other big free agent forward, Lamar Odom, over the younger Ariza.

David Beckham has come under attack from L.A. Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan just as he prepares to return for action with the MLS team. In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and has been a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach Ruud Gullit. "All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us," Donovan says in 'The Beckham Experiment', authored by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. "As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways - on the field, off the field. "Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah. If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard."

George Gorecki
THESOCCERREPORTER.COM

It was a final that was worthy of the name: the undisputed kings of soccer, Brazil, taking on the underdogs from the USA. The upstarts ran off to a 2:0 lead in the first half, but order was eventually restored as the Brazilians ran off three unanswered goals in the second half to win 3:2 and take home the 2009 Confederations Cup title in Johannesburg.

The USA was sailing in uncharted territory, having reached its first final in an international tournament. The Confederations Cup began as a debacle for the USA, with back-to-back losses to Italy and Brazil. The group match versus Brazil, a 3:0 mauling, was a genuine embarrassment. But the USA turned it around when they had to and their spot in the final was validated with an impressive 2:0 win over Spain in the semifinals.

Brazil's place in the final was hardly a surprise. One of the biggest teams in the world is used to playing in the biggest matches on the biggest stages and under the brightest lights. The USA's performance versus Spain must have caught the eye of the Brazilian players, but they certainly had to be confident of winning the Confederations Cup crown for the third time.

The USA had other plans, however. Bob Bradley's group had sky-high confidence going into the final and undoubtedly was looking for vindication after their abysmal performance versus Brazil in the group stage. Bradley would be without son Michael Bradley in the lineup, who was sent off in the semifinal in a very harsh decision by the referee. Benny Feilhaber was more than a capable replacement for the younger Bradley. Otherwise, the USA squad remained unchanged from the one that faced Spain.

The USA took the game to Brazil right from the start. The choice to push players forward and not bunker worked handsomely against Spain and Brazil got a taste of American capabilities after just ten minutes. Jonathan Spector crossed the ball into the mixer from the right flank for Clint Dempsey. The midfielder was loosely marked and made the most of his opportunity when he laced a twisting, first-time shot from 12 yards past the desperate lunge of goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Brazil responded in kind three minutes later. Robinho received a pass on the counterattack on the left side and cut inside the penalty area. He fired a hard shot that was saved by a diving Tim Howard.

Brazil maintained a healthy edge in the possession statistics and kept the USA defense busy all night long. But the USA proved against Spain that they had the goods to play smart, disciplined football on defense.

In the 25th minute, Felipe Melo blasted a hard shot from 25 yards, forcing a reflex save from Howard. Moments later, Maicon and Kaka worked a brilliant one-two along the right wing channel. Maicon received the return pass near the goal line, and despite a seemingly impossible angle, had intentions of beating Howard at his near post. Howard read the play expertly and blocked Maicon's shot.

After absorbing all of that pressure, the USA shocked Brazil with a fabulous goal on the counter. Ricardo Clark won the ball in the USA area and played a pass forward for Landon Donovan, who sprinted to the halfway line. Donovan released the ball to Charlie Davies on the left wing and Davies came at full speed. He cut the ball back into the middle for the supporting Donovan, whose first touch caught Ramires off-balance. Donovan settled the ball with his second touch and fired a laser into the lower corner to make it 2:0.

But Brazil was not ready to back down. Ten minutes before the break, Robinho played a slick pass behind the USA defense for Andre Santos, who drilled a shot at the near post. Howard got there first and kept Brazil off the board. Six minutes later, it was Robinho again, flashing past Spector on the left side. Spector positioned himself to give Robinho the worst possible angle for a shot, yet the Brazilian master nearly found an opening in Howard's defense of the USA goal.

The story to start the second half was whether Brazil would finally find its game and if it did, what the USA could do about it. Coach Bradley got his answer only 45 seconds after the kickoff. Maicon supplied the service and Luis Fabiano made a delightful turn at the top of the area to shoot through the legs of Jay DeMerit and past the diving Howard. It was a typical Brazilian build-up: get the ball into a scoring position and force the opponent to find a way to defend it. The USA defense was slow in reacting all around and suddenly, Brazil was back in business.

Brazil thought they had tied the affair on the hour mark when Kaka hit a header at the far post that Howard knocked off of the underside of the crossbar. Various replay angles displayed different conclusions, but Howard appeared to make his frantic save after the ball had crossed the line.

The USA, pinned back in their own half, replied with two great chances to regain their two-goal advantage. After a period of sustained possession, Donovan nailed a shot from 25 yards that Julio Cesar parried off to the side. A minute later, Dempsey was open at the arc and Julio Cesar anticipated well to block the shot.

Brazil evened the score in the 74th minute. Kaka beat Spector one-on-one on the left flank and squared the ball across the goal for Robinho. His shot deflected off of the bar and Luis Fabiano reached the loose ball first to head home.

The irrepressible Brazilians would not be denied. Six minutes from time, Elano took a corner kick and crossed the ball to the far post for Lucio. The Brazilian captain made no mistake, sending a powerful header past Howard, clinching victory for Brazil.

In the end, Brazil's class rose to the top. They knew that they had been in a genuine battle with the USA. For their part, Bradley's men put everything they had into this match, but it simply was not enough.

After the disastrous 3:0 defeat to Brazil, critics of the National Team were everywhere, knives sharpened. Anyone who believed that this team didn't play hard enough or didn't care enough simply needed to look at a distraught Dempsey, fighting back the tears as he received the Bronze Ball from FIFA for being the third-best player in the competition. Donovan summed up his team's feelings after the game. “[W]e’re at the point where we don’t want respect, we want to win," he said. "There’s no guarantee that we ever get back to a final game like this, so it’s disappointing.”

ggorecki@thesoccerreporter.com

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

Golf: PGA of America, Professional National Championship, final round, in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. (Golf Channel, 3:30 p.m.)

Major League Baseball: San Francisco at St. Louis (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Tennis: Wimbledon, men's quarterfinals, in London (ESPN2, 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.; NBC, 10 a.m.)

All or nothing seems to be the formula for coaching the Detroit Pistons. Bring home an NBA championship or hit the road. First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax as president for basketball operations Joe Dumars fired him Tuesday after watching his team stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs. But winning playoff games hasn't been enough to keep Pistons management happy. Just ask Flip Saunders. Dumars fired Saunders last season after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season. In 2005, the Pistons parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown after he helped them win a title and almost repeat during his two years with the team. And Rick Carlisle was fired after two years with the Pistons following a conference finals appearance in 2003 in his second season and NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first. Curry and Dumars shared playing days together with Detroit. That may have helped Curry land the coaching job last year, but it wasn't enough to keep him in it. The Pistons went 39-43 in 2008-09 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers after six straight conference finals appearances. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind by Tuesday. "This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

John Smoltz watched in disbelief as the Boston Red Sox wound up on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history. Smoltz wasn't upset he didn't earn his long-awaited 211th victory. He just couldn't believe that the Red Sox didn't win, either. "No one would have ever dreamed it would play out the way it did," Smoltz said after the Orioles rallied from a nine-run deficit to win 11-10 on Tuesday night. "It's one of those games when you shake your head and can't believe what you just saw." Nick Markakis hit a two-run double off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to complete the comeback before a mixture of delirious hometown fans and stunned Red Sox backers. Baltimore trailed 10-1 before scoring five runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth. The rally was even more shocking because it came against a Boston team that had defeated the Orioles eight consecutive times, including five this season.

Albert Pujols has more home runs than strikeouts against Randy Johnson after going deep two more times off the big left-hander. So what if the St. Louis Cardinals' star is 11 for 24 with five homers, 14 RBI and four strikeouts against the Big Unit? Johnson did enough against everybody else to earn his third straight decision and 303rd of his career in the San Francisco Giants' 6-3 victory on Tuesday night. "He's doing what he does and we won the game, that's the bottom line," Johnson said. "My individual battles are obviously there, but I'm facing eight or nine hitters and if one guy has his day against me but we win, I feel like I did my job." The Cardinals couldn't overcome Chris Carpenter's shakiest outing since 2006, which left them trailing 6-1 after five innings. St. Louis has lost three straight since acquiring Mark DeRosa, who is a quiet 0 for 9 thus far, and has dropped six of seven overall.

Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and the Milwaukee Brewers are still in first place despite a rough month. The Mets haven't been so lucky. Braun hit a three-run double and scored on Johan Santana's throwing error, sending the Brewers to a 6-3 victory on Tuesday night that extended New York's losing streak to a season-high five games. Afterward, the injury-depleted Mets held a closed-door meeting that lasted almost 30 minutes. Manager Jerry Manuel said he was the only speaker. "We just had a little family talk -- a little private family discussion," Manuel explained. "Just to get things in order, a lot of things." Fielder added a 452-foot solo homer and fill-in starter Mike Burns earned his first major league win for the NL Central leaders, who have won four of five. The Brewers have a two-game lead over St. Louis despite a 12-15 mark in June. "It couldn't get much better," Braun said. "We have a tough schedule up until the All-Star break. We've got these guys one more day, go to Chicago and then we've got the Dodgers and Cardinals.

Scott Gomez's brief New York tenure ended Tuesday when the star center was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens as part of a six-player deal. The key player coming back to New York is forward Christopher Higgins, a Long Island native who is set to become a restricted free agent. The deal was announced one day before the NHL's free-agent shopping season opens Wednesday. New York had been looking to clear space under the NHL salary cap and cut out a major contract that still has five years and $33.5 million left on it. The cap hit on Gomez's deal is $7.35 million. "We're not up against the cap now," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said of the $56.8 million payroll ceiling for the upcoming season. "We've got lots of cap room. It just makes the options more inviting for us. I am not sure what is going to happen. "It gives us some options tomorrow when free agency comes along and I think there is going to be quite a few options available."

If the Colorado Rockies are going to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need more of what Jason Marquis gave them Tuesday night against the team with baseball's best record. Marquis pitched a two-hitter to become the league's first 10-game winner, leading the resurgent Rockies to a 3-0 victory. The 30-year-old right-hander also hit a two-run single and outpitched Chad Billingsley in a matchup of potential All-Stars. "It definitely was fun to pitch a game like that," Marquis said. "I just tried to attack the bottom of the strike zone and get early swings. I was executing better than I have probably all year, and obviously you saw the results." Marquis (10-5) tied Kevin Slowey, Zack Greinke, Roy Halladay and Tim Wakefield for the major league lead in wins, facing two batters more than the minimum and throwing just 86 pitches in his third career shutout. The complete game was his sixth in 214 career starts and second this season.

After a frantic day that had Kansas fans fretting they might lose a prized recruit, Xavier Henry texted a local radio station late Tuesday night saying he decided to stay with the Jayhawks. Earlier, the father of Xavier and his brother, C.J. Henry, said there would be a family meeting on Tuesday and that the two might not play at Kansas, after all. But late Tuesday, Xavier Henry sent a text message to Cory Anderson of the Chris and Cowboy Show on 610 Sports Radio confirming he would not change his mind. "I'm goin to Kansas and that's final," the text read. Xavier Henry, a 6-6 guard, is considered one of the most talented players Kansas coach Bill Self has ever recruited. Adding him to a deep and experienced squad which returns almost everyone from the team that reached the NCAA Sweet16 last season would likely make the Jayhawks preseason favorites for the national championship. Xavier and his older brother, C.J., were headed to Memphis before switching to Kansas in the wake of John Calipari's decision to leave Memphis and coach at Kentucky.

New York legend and McDonald's All-American Lance Stephenson has committed to Cincinnati, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv in New York. "He's off to Cincinnati," an anonymous source close to the family told SNY.tv. "It's a done deal." Stephenson's recruitment has been unique in that he's a consensus top 10 prospect who has been turned away by schools such as Kentucky, Kansas, Maryland and Florida for a variety of reasons, most notably because of the impression in recruiting circles that Stephenson will almost certainly bring a thorough NCAA investigation to campus. His ties to athletic apparel companies and BornReady.tv have many questioning whether his amateur status has been compromised. Stephenson is due in Brooklyn Criminal Court on July 15 to face sexual assault charges.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski made it clear: He's not going to ever be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. During his annual summer meeting with reporters Tuesday, one of the first topics covered by the Duke coach was the simmering buzz that had him leaving the Blue Devils for the Lakers if Phil Jackson retires. "I'm not going to the Lakers. They have one of the great coaches in the game," Krzyzewski said. "I don't know where that rumor started, but there has been nothing done like that, and I'm not leaving Duke. Whatever you hear about anything like that, I will never leave Duke until I leave coaching." Recent reports fueled the latest round of Krzyzewski-to-the-Lakers chatter. Jackson had raised the possibility of coaching just home games next season and when that proposal was shot down it raised questions about Jackson's future with the club. Five years ago, Krzyzewski was courted by the storied franchise before he ultimately turned down a reported $40 million offer and stayed at Duke. After three decades in Durham, Krzyzewski sounds like he is planning to stick around for quite a while longer. "Since the Laker thing [in 2004], to hear another rumor like that, not that it's so bad, but I'd rather not go there at all," Krzyzewski said. "I don't want my Duke team -- not necessarily my basketball team, but my Duke team, the community -- to feel like you're looking at other things. I'm getting ready to start my 30th year at Duke, and I don't see the finish line yet. I know the finish line will be there sometime, but it's not in my vision right now."

A federal judge in Texas reaffirmed his original dismissal of most of the claims in Roger Clemens' defamation suit against former trainer Brian McNamee, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday. The decision clears the way for McNamee to pursue his own defamation suit against the former seven-time Cy Young Award winner. In his opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison wrote that "if [Clemens] believes that the federal investigators or the Mitchell Commission overstepped the bounds of the law, he is free to bring suit against those enemies, subject to possible immunity." He added that the court was only concerned about McNamee's behavior and did not accept Clemens' invitation to thwart the government's allegedly "coercive" behavior by punishing McNamee, who was the target of that behavior. The Mitchell Commission was headed by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to look into performance-enchancing drug use in baseball. McNamee has told federal agents, Mitchell and a House committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998-2001. Clemens has denied using performance-enchancing drugs.

Right from the first pitch, the Tampa Bay Rays had their power stroke going. B.J. Upton homered to leadoff the game, Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar added solo shots and the Rays won their seventh consecutive game Tuesday night, 4-1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. "We really lived by the long ball," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We didn't have to do the speed game today." The Rays finished June with a team-record 41 homers and are the only squad in the major leagues with more than 100 homers (105) and 100 steals (121). Matt Garza (6-5) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings, walked three and struck out three to win consecutive starts for the first time since April 30 and May 5. "Garza struggled a little bit with command," Maddon said. "But overall, his stuff is so good he was able to fight through some moments." Garza is 4-2 with a 0.60 ERA in his past six starts against the Blue Jays. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 0.91 ERA in four career starts in Toronto but was at a loss to explain his dominance against Toronto.

Mariano Rivera walked down off the mound, took a few more steps toward the plate and began the evening with a nice, soft toss. He ended it in much more familiar fashion, with a hard fastball for strike three. Rivera started what he finished and the New York Yankees, helped by Melky Cabrera's go-ahead double in the eighth inning, beat the Seattle Mariners 8-5 on Tuesday night for their sixth consecutive victory. In a sight rarely seen in baseball, an active player threw out the ceremonial first ball. Rivera was honored for earning his 500th career save Sunday, and his teammates applauded while the Mariners came to the top step of the dugout to pay their respects. "As soon as I got here they told me," Rivera said. "I think everybody had fun with that." Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "I told him he should throw it out left-handed." Once Cabrera's hit put the Yankees ahead, Rivera went to work. He pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Franklin Gutierrez for his 19th save in 20 chances.

Venus and Serena Williams are one round away from meeting in another Wimbledon final. Five-time champion Venus overpowered Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday, and two-time winner Serena followed her into the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Victoria Azarenka. No. 3-seeded Venus will next face top-ranked Dinara Safina, who overcame 15 double-faults and beat German teenager Sabine Lisicki 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Wimbledon semis for the first time. In the bottom half of the draw, No. 4 Elena Dementieva defeated Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 to set up a semifinal encounter with No. 2 Serena Williams. It's the first time since 2006 that all four top-seeded women reached the semifinals at a Grand Slam tournament. The Williams sisters overwhelmed their opponents Tuesday with breathtaking displays of power tennis, showing why they have dominated on the grass of the All England Club for most of the past decade. "We definitely upped our levels of game today," Serena said. Venus, seeking her third straight Wimbledon title, outhit the 14th-ranked Pole from all parts of the court and proved again that she is the dominant female player on grass.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth said on a 911 call that the man he struck with his car while driving drunk "came out of nowhere" before the crash. Stallworth is serving a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in the March 14 death of 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Stallworth also reached an undisclosed financial settlement with Reyes' family. Stallworth has also been suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Attorney David Cornwell, who is representing Stallworth in that matter, released a statement Tuesday after the Miami Herald reported on its website, citing unidentified sources, that the receiver tested positive for marijuana after the accident. Cornwell stated any facts surrounding the case that might soon become public were fully known by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and the judge when the plea agreement was reached. Those facts could include the presence of marijuana in Stallworth's blood, according to the lawyer's statement. An individual can test positive for marijuana weeks after its use, meaning its presence in Stallworth's blood doesn't necessarily mean he was under the influence at the time of the accident. While the marijuana hasn't appeared to play a role in Stallworth's criminal case, it could affect his standing with the NFL and its drug policies. "The NFL's substance abuse policy addresses the specific discipline that may be imposed for use of illegal substances," Cornwell said in his statement. "We are confident that Commissioner [Roger] Goodell will respect existing league polices and consider all of the evidence when making his disciplinary assessment."

Scratch the highest-profile defenseman off Wednesday's free-agent list. Jay Bouwmeester agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, forgoing unrestricted free agency. Bouwmeester's deal is worth an average of $6.6 million per season, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. He made $4.875 million this past season. The Flames had about $10 million worth of cap space to work with for 2009-10. "Jay is one of the most complete defenseman in the game, and we are very pleased to have reached an agreement that will make him an important component of the Calgary Flames success," Flames general manager Darryl Sutter said in statement. "We identified Jay as the priority player where we were going to focus our money. We wanted an opportunity a few days in advance of the deadline, and that's why we made the move we did this past weekend."

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

TUESDAY, JUNE 30

Golf: PGA of America, Professional National Championship, third round, in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. (Golf Channel, 3:30 p.m.)

Tennis: Wimbledon, women's quarterfinals, in London (ESPN2, 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., NBC, 10 a.m., live and same-day tape)

WNBA: Minnesota at Atlanta (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)

Rockets center Yao Ming's broken left foot could be a "career-threatening" injury. Dr. Tom Clanton, the Houston Rockets' team physician, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Yao's injury "has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening." Yahoo! Sports first reported the Rockets and Yao's representatives were concerned the 7-6 All-Star would never play again. Yahoo! Sports quoted "multiple league executives, officials close to Yao and two doctors with knowledge of the diagnoses." Yao suffered a hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone late in a May 8 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The team said last week the injury hasn't healed and he was out indefinitely. Yao played in 77 regular-season games in 2008-09, his most injury-free year since 2004-05, when he played in 80. Before last season, Yao missed chunks of previous three seasons with leg and foot injuries. He missed 21 games in 2005-06 after surgery to heal an infection to his left big toe, then broke a bone in his left foot with four games left in the regular season. In 2006-07, Yao missed 32 games after breaking his right leg and he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in 2007-08, underwent surgery and sat out 26 games. Yao hurried back from that foot injury to represent China in the Beijing Games. He made it through the Rockets' season and the first round of the playoffs before breaking his left foot late in the Rockets' 108-94 loss to the Lakers in Game 3 of the second round at the Toyota Center. Two days later, Yao said he didn't believe the injury was as serious as any of his previous ones. The Rockets said he would miss only 8-12 weeks. But last week, the team said Yao would undergo additional tests and consult with other doctors to map out a new course of treatment. Yao is due to make over $16 million next season with a player option for 2010-11 that would pay him over $17 million. He was the top overall pick by the Rockets in the 2002 draft. The Rockets already expect Tracy McGrady to miss at least the first half of next season after microfracture surgery on his left knee.

Tim Lincecum looked ready for a return trip to Busch Stadium in two weeks for the All-Star Game. The St. Louis Cardinals could not touch him. Lincecum threw a two-hitter for his third complete game of the season, all in his last four starts, in the San Francisco Giants' 10-0 rout Monday night. Travis Ishikawa's three-run homer for a 4-0 lead in the fourth was way more than the right-hander needed. "The way Timmy's been pitching lately, after the first run I felt pretty comfortable," Ishikawa said. Lincecum (8-2) is tied with teammate Matt Cain for the league lead in complete games and his 2.37 ERA is second in the NL after mastering the punchless Cardinals with his third career shutout and fifth career complete game. He needed only 95 pitches to match his career low complete game and finished off the Cardinals in a snappy 2 hours, 6 minutes.

They played into the night on Centre Court, later than anyone ever had in Wimbledon's long history, and they played indoors, the first match contested entirely under the new roof. And at 10:39 p.m. Monday, when No. 3-seeded Andy Murray of Britain finally finished off a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club, the partisan fans celebrated their guy's victory with quite a roar. "It was pretty special," said Murray, who dropped to his knees when the match ended, then stood and swatted a ball straight up so hard it hit the roof. No man from Britain has won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and, like his countrymen, Murray -- a 22-year-old from Scotland -- is more interested in that sort of history than the sort he and Wawrinka made Monday.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer won easily, as did two-time runner-up Andy Roddick and No. 4 Novak Djokovic. Venus Williams, like Federer chasing a sixth title at the All England Club, was way ahead when her opponent, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, quit with a thigh injury. Williams' younger sister, Serena, herself a two-time Wimbledon champion, and No. 4 Elena Dementieva were never challenged in their straight-set victories. One surprising run ended in the fourth round. Melanie Oudin, a 17-year-old qualifier from Marietta, Ga., who never won a Grand Slam match before last week, lost to No. 11 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 7-5. "It's always difficult to play someone who you don't know," said Radwanska, who did not appear to have any difficulty Monday, but might find the road rougher Tuesday. That's when she will play in the quarterfinals against Venus Williams, who has won 18 consecutive matches at Wimbledon and is trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win the tournament three years in a row. Tuesday's other matches are No. 2 Serena Williams against No. 8 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, Dementieva against unseeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy, and Safina against unseeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany.

In his first game back from the disabled list, Toronto ace Roy Halladay was outpitched by a rookie. Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell homered, Jeff Niemann pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and the Tampa Bay Rays ruined Halladay's return with their sixth straight victory, 4-1 over the Blue Jays on Monday night. "You've got to pitch well to beat Doc," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's what we did and that's why we came out on top." Halladay (10-2) came in having won his past seven decisions, the longest streak in the majors, but lost for the first time since April 21, against Texas. The Blue Jays have lost three straight. He was starting for the first time since June 12, against Florida, when he left two pitches into the fourth inning with a sore groin that landed him on the disabled list. Halladay allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander, who walked two and struck out seven, failed to pitch at least seven innings for only the second time in 15 starts. "Thank God he's been out for two weeks because they'd have left him in longer," Maddon said. "He would have probably finished that thing off."

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Bill Guerin for one year on Monday. The 38-year-old forward who helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup this month would have become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. He signed for $2 million, accepting a big pay cut to stay with a championship team after making $4.5 million last season with the Islanders and Penguins. They also signed Craig Adams, a fourth-line forward, to a $1.1 million, two-year contract. Adams made $600,000 last season. He will make $550,000 during each season of his new deal. A 17-year NHL veteran, Guerin scored seven goals and 15 points in the postseason after being acquired from the Islanders at the trading deadline in March. He has 408 goals and 811 points in 1,185 regular-season games with New Jersey, where he also won a Stanley Cup, Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose before joining the Islanders and then the Penguins.

Sean O'Sullivan threw the pitch Marlon Byrd was expecting. And the Los Angeles Angels rookie starter still prevailed. Byrd, who had already doubled and homered to help Texas to a one-run lead, was too far ahead of a change-up and grounded into a double play to end the Rangers' fifth inning. "That was a big momentum shift," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. The first five Los Angeles hitters then reached to start the sixth, including back-to-back home runs by Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales, and the AL West-leading Angels won their sixth consecutive game, 5-2 against the struggling Rangers on Monday night.

Andre Ethier and the Los Angeles Dodgers are making a habit of fantastic finishes. Ethier's two-run homer in the 13th gave the Dodgers a 4-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night in the opener of a suddenly significant series between NL West teams. It was Ethier's fourth walk-off hit this season and the 14th time the Dodgers have won in their final at-bat. They improved the best record in the majors to 49-28. "I can't believe we did it again," said Ethier, who hit three home runs last Friday against Seattle. "I'm just enjoying it and having fun." The Dodgers left the potential go-ahead run in scoring position five times in a span of six innings starting with the seventh. Juan Pierre stole a base in three different innings during that stretch, but they couldn't cash in until Ethier came through with the team's ninth walk-off hit of the season.

In taking a case involving the National Football League's exclusive licensing deal for sports merchandise, the Supreme Court could go beyond caps and give leagues more leeway in areas such as team relocation, legal scholars said Monday. "A broad ruling in favor of the NFL could rewrite almost all of sports antitrust law," said Gabe Feldman, associate law professor and director of the Sports Law Program at Tulane University in New Orleans. The court will hear an appeal from American Needle Inc., of Buffalo Grove, Ill., which filed an antitrust challenge to an agreement the NFL struck with Reebok International Ltd. American Needle had been one of many firms that manufactured NFL headwear until the league granted an exclusive contract to Reebok in 2001. The NFL won the case in the federal appeals court in Chicago. But it also asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in a quest for a more sweeping decision that could put an end to what the league considers costly, frivolous antitrust lawsuits. The court decided to take the case against the advice of the U.S. Solicitor General's office. The central question is whether the league is essentially a "single entity" that can act collectively, as the NFL argues, or 32 distinct businesses that must be careful about running afoul of antitrust laws.

It's about as close as it gets to a sure thing in baseball: Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon pitching for Boston against the Baltimore Orioles. Lester threw seven shutout innings, Papelbon earned a milestone save and the Red Sox extended their dominance of the Orioles with a 4-0 victory Monday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA against Baltimore in 10 career starts. The only other pitcher to win his first eight decisions against the Orioles was Todd Stottlemyre (1988-93). "Maybe their lineup just fits me for some reason, I don't know," Lester said. "I don't pitch any different against them than against any other team, but I'm just fortunate to get some runs early on and that's the biggest thing." Boston made it easy for Lester by building a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning against rookie Jason Berken (1-5).

NASCAR filed court documents Monday night that show an independent laboratory found an illegal substance in the urine sample that led to Jeremy Mayfield's suspension for a failed drug test. The documents, part of NASCAR's response to Mayfield's lawsuit to have his indefinite suspension lifted, show that Medtox Laboratories in Minnesota tested both his "A" and backup "B" samples last week and "confirmed the presence" of a substance that is blacked out in the filing. Both sides are due in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, and Mayfield is hoping a judge reinstates him in time to travel to this weekend's race at Daytona International Speedway. He's been suspended since May 9 for failing a random drug test eight days earlier for what NASCAR has deemed "a dangerous, illegal, banned substance." Mayfield indicated in an affidavit filed last week that he tested positive for methamphetamines, which he denied using. Mayfield has previously blamed his positive test result on the combination of Adderall for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Claritin-D for allergies, but that explanation was debunked by NASCAR's program administrator.

The Milwaukee Bucks have made qualifying offers to restricted free agent guard Ramon Sessions and forward Ersan Ilyasova, but will not make an offer to forward Charlie Villanueva - allowing one of their top scorers from last season to become an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, the team also is dealing with a potentially embarrassing YouTube moment from first-round draft pick Brandon Jennings. Bucks general manager John Hammond said Monday that the team already had sent offers to Sessions and Ilyasova, giving Milwaukee the right to match any contract offers from other teams. But with Tuesday's deadline for teams to make offers to their restricted free agents looming, the team decided not to make an offer to Villanueva. Posting on his Twitter account Monday evening, Villanueva noted that "my journey in Milwaukee has come to [an] end," thanking fans and Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl for "three great years." With a mid-level exception at their disposal, the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to have interest in signing Villanueva -- and the interest sounds mutual. Perhaps anticipating his free agency, Villanueva posted Sunday that "Cleveland fans are showing me mad love on twitter, appreciate the love."

Carlos Boozer has a tough decision ahead of him tomorrow. Boozer has until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to decide whether to exercise a player option on his contract with the Utah Jazz. The contract is set to pay Boozer $12.7 million next season if he opts in. Could he make more than that on the open market? Boozer isn't so sure. Sources close to Boozer told ESPN.com that the power forward is still mulling his options and won't make a decision until Tuesday. However, sources say that there's a significant chance that Boozer will exercise his player option and return to the Jazz next season. A few months ago, Boozer was much more confident about his decision. He told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that he was opting out in December. "I'm opting out. No matter what, I'm going to get a raise regardless," Boozer told ESPN.com. "I am going to opt out. I don't see why I wouldn't. I think it's a very good business decision for me and my family, but I'd also like to see what happens with the Jazz and stay here." The landscape has changed a lot since Boozer made his statement in December. The financial meltdown has caused owners to pull back on spending. The free agent landscape is pretty dicey. Only three teams -- the Pistons, Thunder and Grizzlies -- have enough money under the cap to offer Boozer a substantial deal. Two of those teams, the Thunder and Grizzlies, are young teams in the process of rebuilding. Boozer is not in either team's plans, according to sources.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

MONDAY, JUNE 29

Golf: PGA of America, Professional National Championship, second round, at Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. (Golf Channel, 3:30 p.m.)

Major League Baseball: New York Mets at Milwaukee (ESPN, 7 p.m.).

Tennis: Wimbledon, round of 16, at London (ESPN2, 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., NBC, 10 a.m., live and same-day tape).

Brazil's "Beautiful Game" came alive in the second half Sunday with three comeback goals in a 3-2 win over the upstart United States in the Confederations Cup final. Luis Fabiano scored two of the goals and Lucio added the third in the 84th minute to give Brazil its second consecutiveConfederations Cup title and third overall. It was all looking good for the Americans, playing in the men's final of a FIFA tournament for the first time, in the first half when Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan gave the team a 2-0 halftime lead. "You realize why these guys are worth so much at times like this, but it's still disappointing," Donovan said. "We are in the position where we don't want respect, we want to win." Brazil really did look like a beaten team in the first 45 minutes, creating little and being constantly stymied by the United States defense and goalkeeper Tim Howard. During that time, the American attack was stretching the nervous-looking Brazil defense, with Donovan working hard to give his team several scoring chances. Although that quality play managed to give the Americans a hefty lead at half time, Brazil was not about to let yet another title slip by. Luis Fabiano started the comeback in the 46th minute. The striker collected a pass from Ramires before turning and shooting past defender Jay DeMerit for his fourth goal of the tournament. He added a tournament-leading fifth to equalize in the 74th, heading in a rebound after Kaka's cross was kicked against the crossbar by Robinho. "We gave up the first goal so early in second half," United States coach Bob Bradley said. "We really put ourselves in a tough spot."

There were questions about the judgment of team owner Joe Gibbs when he decided to replace departing two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart with a 19-year-old rookie this season. Even a rookie considered a phenom. The former NFL coach, head of Joe Gibbs Racing, admitted Sunday he tried not to put too many expectations on the talented, but woefully inexperienced Joey Logano. "We were really looking for just constant improvement, and that's really what we've seen," Gibbs said after Logano became the youngest driver in the history of the Sprint Cup series to win a race, taking the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "The last seven, eight races we've battled back from some real tough things," Gibbs added. Sunday was no exception as the precocious teenager overcame a crash and a lost lap, then saved just enough fuel to earn his first Cup victory in only his 20th start. Logano, not even allowed to begin his NASCAR career until he turned 18 in May 2008, added his latest victory to three wins in the second tier Nationwide Series. "Well, I figured out this sport is a rollercoaster," Logano said when asked how tough his learning curve has been. "I go up and down, up and down, up and down. ... One week you can win and the next week you can be 43rd."

Mariano Rivera has 500 saves -- and one precious RBI. Guess which feat he was most excited about. On a New York night that belonged to baseball's most unflappable closer, Rivera became the second reliever to reach the 500-save milestone when the Yankees held off the punchless Mets 4-2 on Sunday for a Subway Series sweep. He joined Milwaukee's Trevor Hoffman, who has 571 saves, as the only major leaguers with 500. The biggest surprise, though: Rivera drew a bases-loaded walk to add a ninth-inning insurance run. "I had one thing in mind -- just try to do something," Rivera said, before expounding on his save. "Don't get me wrong, it's definitely special." Chien-Ming Wang won for the first time in more than a year and Rivera got four outs, securing the Yankees' fifth consecutive victory, all on the road.

Beating Zack Greinke and the weatherman in one day proved too difficult for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greinke didn't allow any scoring until making his final pitch before a rain delay in the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals prevented the Pirates from sweeping an interleague series for the first time since 2001 by winning 3-2 on Sunday. David DeJesus hit a solo homer off Charlie Morton (0-1) and drove in two runs to support Greinke (10-3), who gave up seven hits in 6 1/3 innings ahead of the 59-minute delay. Greinke became the AL's fourth 10-game winner, striking out three and walking none during a second successive effective start. His 1.95 ERA leads the majors. "He's one of best in baseball and showed why," Freddy Sanchez said. "He pretty much shut us down." The Royals, ending 8-10 against the NL, halted a three-game losing streak and made sure the Pirates didn't finish with their best record since interleague play began in 1997. They went 8-7, the same record they had in 2001.

In what could become a landmark case for player safety, the NCAA and Rice University have settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a Rice football player who died in 2006 due to complications resulting from sickle cell trait. As part of the settlement announced Sunday night, the NCAA has agreed for the first time to recommend to its membership that it test for the condition that affects one in 12 African-Americans. While the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook has contained language warning against the dangers of sickle cell trait for more than 30 years, the association had not formally recommended or endorsed testing, calling it an "institutional decision." CBSSports.com reported last month that "exertional sickling" a complication of sickle cell trait, is now the leading cause of death of NCAA football players this decade. The details of Lloyd's death were part of a document obtained exclusively by CBSSports.com detailing the rash of sickle cell traits deaths this decade. "The most gratifying part about this case is I am very hopeful and optimistic we have seen the last death of a sickle cell athlete," said Eugene Egdorf, attorney for the Lloyd family.

Tommy Hanson was very much aware of who he'd be facing in these two starts. It didn't faze him a bit. The big right-hander became the first NL rookie to beat the New York Yankees and Boston in consecutive starts, throwing two-hit ball over six scoreless innings, and homers by Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson carried Atlanta past the Red Sox 2-1 on Sunday. The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak and prevented a Boston sweep in a weekend series dominated by pitching. The teams combined for only nine runs in three games, and Hanson (4-0) sure kept it going, despite a bout with the flu that put his start in doubt even as he was riding to the ballpark with teammate Kris Medlen. "I told Kris he'd better be ready to pitch," Hanson said. "I felt horrible waking up this morning. Driving to field, I didn't feel good at all. But once I got going, got my blood flowing, I felt a lot better."

Kenny Perry has set a goal of winning 20 times before he leaves the PGA Tour. The 48-year-old earned No. 14 on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, shooting a 63 to finish with a tournament-record 258, three strokes better than Paul Goydos and David Toms, two other 40-something golfers. This was Perry's 11th victory since his 40th birthday. "Six more wins is a lot of wins," he said. "I've won three last year, two this year already. Who knows? If I can get hot again, get on one of those streaks and sneak in two more by the end of the year, it might be very realistic." Perry, whose bogey-bogey finish at Augusta kept him from winning the Masters in April, tied a course record with a 61 Thursday and led after each of the first two rounds here. But he trailed by a stroke to Goydos heading into the final round. He responded by shooting a 32 on the front nine and was up by five strokes heading to the par-4 15th.

Brandon Inge knew what pitch was coming, and he salvaged the Detroit Tigers' final game in Houston with a single swing. Inge hit a two-run homer off Jose Valverde with two outs in the ninth inning and the Tigers averted a sweep with a 4-3 win over the Astros on Sunday. Kaz Matsui's RBI double off Edwin Jackson in the seventh gave Houston a 3-2 lead. Tim Byrdak retired two batters in relief of Russ Ortiz in the eighth and Valverde (0-2) started the ninth, looking for his seventh save. Placido Polanco and Miguel Cabrera each flied out before Valverde walked Marcus Thames, an at-bat that Inge watched carefully. When Valverde missed the strike zone with his first pitch to him, Inge correctly guessed that a straight fastball was coming next. He promptly drove the pitch over the left-field wall for his 18th home run to give Detroit its first lead.

Chad Gaudin is suddenly pitching like an ace for a battered San Diego pitching staff that can use the boost. Gaudin allowed one hit over eight scoreless innings, the first opposing pitcher to do that at Rangers Ballpark, and the Padres beat the stumbling Texas Rangers 2-0 on Sunday night to win their first series in a month. "I've seen a lot of games in this park from that dugout," said Padres manager Bud Black, the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels seven seasons before that. "That was one of the best-pitched games I've seen." After David Murphy drew a one-out walk in the first and Michael Young followed with a single, Gaudin retired 23 of the last 25 batters he faced -- including the last 13. Murphy was the only Texas runner to touch second base. "I've seen a bunch of balls go out of here," Gaudin said. "I tried to stay aggressive, let them know you're going to attack the zone. That makes it tough for them because they know you're not going to nibble, not going to let them wait for one pitch."

Max Mosley claims he is coming under pressure to reverse his decision last week not to seek re-election as president of Formula One's ruling body. Mosley originally said he would step down as president of the International Automobile Federation in October. His decision helped broker a peace deal with the Formula One Teams Association, which had threatened to form a breakaway series if the FIA pressed ahead with an unpopular plan for budget caps from next year. However, FOTA may not have seen the last of Mosley, according to an interview with the Mail on Sunday, where the 69-year-old official said some in the world of motorsport want still him to stand for a fifth term after 16 years in the job. "They made the mistake of dancing on my grave before I was buried," Mosley was quoted as saying. "It's no good the teams getting a PR agency to claim I am dead and buried when I am standing here as large as life. I am under pressure now from all over the world to stand for re-election. "I do genuinely want to stop. But if there is going to be a big conflict with the car industry, for example, with the FOTA teams, then I won't stop. I will do whatever I have to do. It's not in my nature to walk away from a fight."

North Carolina State linebacker Nate Irving has been charged with careless and reckless driving after a wreck that left him with a broken leg and a collapsed lung. State Highway Patrol spokesman Capt. Everett Clendenin said the one-vehicle wreck occurred about 4:40 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 40 in western Johnston County. He said Irving's vehicle ran off the road twice before striking two trees. Clendenin said troopers believe Irving may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The school said Irving was expected to undergo surgery Sunday night at WakeMed Trauma Center in Raleigh. Irving's mother, Frances Corbett, told the Charlotte Observer that her son was returning to N.C. State from his home in Wallace, located near Wilmington. "He's doing really well," Corbett said. "He knows he's lucky to be alive." Irving expected to recover from his injuries quickly, she said. But the junior's status for the upcoming season was not immediately known. He was the third-leading tackler on the team last season, despite missing time with injuries.

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson is in no hurry to have his team play more than one annual regular-season game in Toronto. Wilson told The Associated Press on Sunday he'd prefer waiting "two or three years" to determine whether the northern experiment is a success before he'd consider reworking the contract reached last year with Toronto-based Rogers Communications. The Bills are locked into playing five regular-season -- one a year -- and three preseason games in Toronto under the agreement which runs through 2012. Rogers officials have expressed interest in adding at least one additional regular-season game a year, particularly if the NFL goes forward with a proposal to expand its regular-season schedule to 17 or 18 games. Wilson said an expanded schedule wouldn't make a difference at this point. "I'm sure they want another game. And who knows?" Wilson said in an interview conducted at his home outside Detroit. "I don't know whether they'll get another game or not. We'll have to see how it works out up there."

It takes something pretty special these days to surprise Shawn Crawford, a veteran with a load of hardware back home and even more memories in his head. Something like, say, winning a national championship in 2009. The 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist -- gold medalist from 2004, that is -- blew away his younger opponents in the 200-meter final Sunday to win his fourth U.S. title, a string that began in 2001, when Tyson Gay was wrapping up high school. "Before this race, I thought I was done," Crawford said. "After this, maybe I got a little bit more in me than I thought." Shawn Crawford crosses the finish line ahead of the field during the men's 200 at the U.S. track and field championships. He finished in a wind-aided 19.73 seconds to beat 21-year-old newcomer Charles Clark by .27 seconds and 24-year-old Wallace Spearmon, whom he considers his protege, by .30. "He doesn't really care what happens, he wants to see everyone else run their best too," Spearmon said of Crawford. "He stays on me. It shows the type of person he is. He's a great competitor, and a great friend." Allyson Felix joined Crawford as America's other 200-meter champion. A heavy favorite to win her fifth national title, Felix didn't disappoint, finishing in 22.02 (also wind-aided) to edge Muna Lee. Marshevet Hooker finished finished third and grabbed the last spot on the U.S. team heading to worlds later this summer.

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

Golf:  PGA European Tour, BMW International Open, final round, Golf Channel, 9 a.m.,  Champions Tour, Dick's Sporting Goods Open, final round, Golf Channel, 1,  PGA Tour, Travelers Championship, final round, CBS, 3,  PGA of America, Professional National Championship, first round, in Pueblo, N.M., Golf Channel, 4,  LPGA, Wegmans LPGA, final round, ESPN2, 5,  Nationwide Tour, Players Cup, final round, Golf Channel, 7 (same-day tape)

Major League Baseball:  Boston at Atlanta, TBS, 1:30,  Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox, WGN, 2,  New York Yankees at New York Mets, ESPN, 8

Motor sports:  NASCAR Sprint Cup, Lenox Industrial Tools 301, TNT, 2,  FIM World Superbike, in Derby, England, Speed, 3 (same-day tape),  NHRA Full Throttle Drag Series, Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, final eliminations, ESPN2, 7 (same-day tape)

Soccer:  FIFA Confederations Cup, championship match, USA vs. Brazil, ESPN, 2,  Major League Soccer, Houston at Los Angeles, ESPN2, 10

Tennis:  Wimbledon Championships, early round, NBC, 1 (live and same-day tape)

Track and field:  U.S. Outdoor Championships, NBC, 4

This is what the Yankees envisioned when they spent $243.5 million on CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. One day after Sabathia and the bullpen combined on a three-hitter, Burnett and two relievers authored a suffocating one-hitter against the punchless Mets, a 5-0 victory Saturday night in a runaway Subway Series. "You can say I was inspired, definitely," Burnett said. "I thought about his game all last night. And I've told him a handful of times over the season, 'I can't wait to throw behind you, Big Man, I can't wait."' Alex Cora got the Mets' only hit, lining a clean single to center on a 0-1 curveball leading off the sixth. "I wanted it down a little more. That was one of those pitches where as soon as I let it go, I saw him hitting it," Burnett said. "Before he even hit it, I knew it was going to be a base hit." Cora had been 0 for 21 against Burnett (6-4).

Manny Ramirez went about his baseball business Saturday night, going through pregame stretching, shagging balls in left field and taking batting practice. His routine didn't include talking to reporters as the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger resumed his minor league rehab stint. He replied, "No, gracias" when asked if he would speak. Ramirez went 2-for-2 with a walk before leaving the ballpark after the fifth inning. He's preparing to rejoin the Dodgers on July 3 at San Diego after serving a 50-game steroid suspension. He homered in his first at-bat, sending the second pitch from left-hander Nick Schmidt into left field after being introduced to a smattering of boos mixed with cheers. He batted leadoff as the designated hitter for the Single A Inland Empire 66ers in his third rehab game. He wore a long white sleeve on his left arm. Fans chanted "Manny! Manny!" during his second at-bat. Facing two strikes, Ramirez drew a walk after Schmidt uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the runner on first to advance, and then scored to increase the 66ers' lead to 3-0 in the third.

The Minnesota Twins successfully challenged Albert Pujols the night before. Then they tried it again. Pujols made them pay by lining two-run homers in his first two at-bats Sunday, doing most of the damage against Kevin Slowey in a 5-3 Cardinals victory on Saturday. His crucial ninth-inning strikeout against Joe Nathan in a two-run loss the previous night was on his mind. "Things like that are going to happen in this game so you can get better at it," Pujols said. "Sometimes I'm going to miss those pitches and someday I'm going to have a good day like I did today." Pujols leads the majors with 28 homers and 74 RBI in 76 games after his 29th career multihomer game, sixth this season and second in six days. Both homers came off Slowey (10-3), whose bid to take the major league lead in victories was a bust, and Pujols' second long ball put the Cardinals ahead 5-3 in the third. "I don't know if looking back you should say we should have walked him," Slowey said. "For me, looking back, I need make a better pitch in both situations."

Gordon Beckham saw A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome sprinting after him, and just like that, his euphoria gave way to nerves. Soon, the mob engulfed him, delivering jabs to the ribs and a couple other shots -- none was as big as the blow he delivered. Beckham singled in the winning run with two outs in the ninth, and Scott Podsednik homered while tying a career high with four hits to lift the Chicago White Sox to an 8-7 victory over the Cubs on Saturday. "That's probably the best feeling I've ever had playing baseball," Beckham said.

The Calgary Flames have added Jay Bouwmeester to their already impressive defense corps, at least for the next four days. Bouwmeester, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, was acquired by Calgary in a trade with the Florida Panthers as the NHL entry draft wrapped up Saturday with the final six rounds at the Bell Centre. Florida acquired Jordan Leopold -- also on the verge of free agency -- and a third-round pick, which the Panthers used to draft right wing Josh Birkholz 67th overall. The trade gives Flames GM Darryl Sutter a window of exclusivity in negotiating a new contract with Bouwmeester and his agent, Bryon Baltimore. "I think we have everybody under contract that we want under contract, and we're trying to get him under contract," Sutter said. The suspense leading up to the start of the 2009 entry draft peaked at its outset Friday night when New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow tabbed high-scoring center John Tavares as the No. 1 pick overall.

Down by two runs in the ninth, Milwaukee refused to give in to the San Francisco Giants. Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer in the sixth and then knocked in the winning run as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied with three runs in the ninth for a wild 7-6 win over the Giants on Saturday night. "The odds of us coming back, I wouldn't say were slim, but real low," Fielder said. With one out, pinch-hitter Craig Counsell singled to left. Brian Wilson (2-4), who blew his fourth save of the season, then walked Mat Gamel. Corey Hart, who had been hitless in his last 19 at-bats, followed with an RBI single. J.J. Hardy slapped a shot off the glove off second baseman Juan Uribe and Gamel raced from second to beat the throw home and tie the game. One out later, Fielder doubled into the right-field corner scoring the winning run. "[Wilson] is a great closer and to be able to come back like that is a good thing," Fielder said. "[It] gives us a good feeling." The Giants had an early four-run lead, their starter Barry Zito looked strong through five innings and after blowing the lead, they forged ahead on two sacrifice flies in the top of the ninth of Trevor Hoffman.

Former Duke starter Elliot Williams has informed Josh Pastner's staff that he plans to transfer to Memphis, sources close to the program told CBSSports.com on Saturday. Williams' father, Mexwayne Williams, later confirmed the news to CBSSports.com via text message. An official announcement should come next week. Williams is a 6-foot-4 guard from Memphis who initially chose Duke over Memphis, Tennessee and Virginia. He started the final 12 games for the Blue Devils last season, but decided to transfer because of what Duke called "family medical reasons." Multiple sources have told CBSSports.com the specific reason is that Williams' mother is battling cancer, an unfortunate development that should allow the former McDonald's All-American to receive a waiver from the NCAA what will make him eligible to play for the Tigers this season. Sources said Williams will apply for the waiver soon. He should be a starter for Memphis in its first season under Pastner.

Richard Baldinger, a former lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, was involved in a traffic accident that left a woman dead. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Marilyn Walters, 61, of Grain Valley was killed when the car she was in collided with a car driven by the 49-year-old Baldinger. The accident happened about 2:15 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of U.S. 40 in Blue Springs. The patrol said two people in Walters' car were injured. Baldinger was not listed as injured. The accident was under investigation. Baldinger was an offensive lineman for the Chiefs from 1982-93. He has also worked as a television analyst. The Chiefs' website says Baldinger would be handling sideline reports for preseason games.

Kyle Busch finally figured out a way to win again in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. After two straight frustrating runner-up finishes in the second tier series, Busch passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano near the end of the Camping World 200 on Saturday and held off the precocious 19-year-old to get the victory at New Hampshire International Speedway. Logano, who started from the pole and led 108 of the 200 laps, beat Busch out of the pits by the length of a hood on the final pit stop by the two leaders. But, this time, Busch was able to stay with the leader and eventually drive past him with 36 laps left. "We just kept adjusting on our car all day," Busch said. "Normally, when we're out front, we don't adjust on it. Today we didn't have the winning car, we made the winning car. "[Crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and myself, we talked this past week about what we need in order to get better, in order to take this team to Victory Lane instead of finishing second week in and week out. This is a good step in the right direction." Logano said the handling on his car changed too much during the final run and it slowed him up enough for Busch to move ahead.

Landon Donovan remembers the first time he played the Brazilians, when his under-23 team trudged off the field, victims of a 7-0 thrashing. "I haven't beaten Brazil on any level," the U.S. forward said. "It would be amazing to do it tomorrow." Amazing, unbelievable, spectacular -- any adjective would apply. When the Americans play Brazil in the Confederation Cup final Sunday, they have a chance to create a watershed moment in U.S. soccer. The Americans have never won a FIFA tournament -- this is the first time they've even made it to a final -- and a victory over the five-time World Cup champions would signal they are closer than ever to the likes of Spain, England, Argentina, Italy and Germany. It would be a big hit back home, too, where fans who couldn't tell a corner kick from a handball just a few days ago have suddenly become soccer aficionados. "For U.S. Soccer, this is a very special day," coach Bob Bradley said Saturday. "It's the first time we're playing in a final of a world competition like this, and to play against Brazil -- everybody knows their history -- is extra special." The United States has beaten Brazil only once in 14 tries, and that 1-0 victory came in Los Angeles in the semifinals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

As a tyke growing up in Marietta, Ga., Melanie Oudin would watch Venus and Serena Williams on TV and tell anyone who would listen that she was going to play at Wimbledon, too, one day. Who knew she'd be right? And do so well, so quickly? Making her Wimbledon debut at age 17 after getting through qualifying, the 124th-ranked Oudin joined the Williams sisters in the fourth round at the All England Club by beating former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 Saturday in the most startling result of the tournament's opening week. Melanie Oudin, ranked 124th, will get into the top 100 by virtue of her upset of Jelena Jankovic. "Was just thinking that she was any other player, and this was any other match, and I was at any other tournament -- you know, not, like, on the biggest stage, at Wimbledon, playing my first top-10 player," Oudin said. "I mean, I go into every match the exact same, you know, like, no matter who I play. It's not, like, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm playing the No. 1 player in the world.'" The only time Oudin really lost her way was when her match ended and it was time to leave Court 3, a patch of grass known as "The Graveyard of Champions," because of the long list of stars upset there. She wasn't quite sure where to go and asked someone to direct her toward the exit.

The Cleveland Indians traded infielder Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. DeRosa, who the Indians acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a trade last offseason, was hitting .270 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs. DeRosa goes from the Indians, who have the worst record in the American League, to the Cardinals, who are tied with Milwaukee for first place in the National League Central. "You want to hit the rewind button here," DeRosa said of the Indians' disappointing season. "From a selfish standpoint, I get to battle for a division title again and I'm in a good position with a great team." DeRosa started at second base for Chicago last season, helping the Cubs to the division title. Ironically, he will now be joining the Cubs' bitter rival. DeRosa can play all over the infield, which makes him a perfect fit for the Cardinals. St. Louis has been trying to fill at hole at third base this season because Troy Glaus has been out with an injured shoulder.

Scott Dixon grabbed the lead from teammate Dario Franchitti in the only spot he could have -- on pit road -- and made a bit of history on Saturday night. Dixon won for the 19th time in the IndyCar Series, tying Sam Hornish Jr.'s career victories record, and said the night could have been a turning point in the season. Scott Dixon tied the IndyCar Series record with his 19th career win. While he and Franchitti gave Target Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish, the other dynamic team -- Team Penske -- had a miserable night in which neither Ryan Briscoe, the points leader at the start, or Helio Castroneves finished. Castroneves wound up 17th, Briscoe 19th. "Any time you can make a gain on the Penskes, you've got to take that and try to run with it," said Dixon, who earned his series-best third win of the season. "Tonight was a big gain for us and could be a pivotal point of the season." The result was better than the show that produced it, however, as the smallest oval in the IndyCar Series allowed for one-groove racing and almost no passing all night long.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday notified Plaxico Burress that his office is initiating a review of incidents involving Burress under the personal conduct policy, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed. Burress, who shot himself in the thigh Nov. 29 in a Manhattan nightclub, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison. He made a brief appearance in court Monday, where Judge Felicia Mennin adjourned the case until Sept. 23, enabling the former Giants receiver to continue negotiations with several NFL teams in hopes of returning to the field in 2009. Goodell had been waiting for the legal process to be complete, but as it is delayed with no clear indication of when it will be concluded, the commissioner decided to take the initiative, league sources said. The NFL's vice president of labor and law policy, Adolpho Birch, notified Burress of the commissioner's review on Friday. The Giants signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September. The team later withheld $1 million after the shooting and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Burress' behalf. A special master ruled the Giants had to pay Burress because the money was a signing bonus he earned upon agreeing to the contract extension and could not be withheld for future conduct. Burress has 505 career receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jabari Davis
TVSPORTSDAILY.COM

Picks that made sense

The good news for Los Angeles basketball fans foolish enough not to cheer for the Lakers? Your team finally made the ‘consensus’ smart pick, and went with Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) with the first pick in last night’s draft. The bad news? You’re still supporting a team with a bevy of underachieving talent, and a franchise that simply embraces a ‘culture of losing’. This move alone has about as much of a chance at catapulting the Clippers into the playoffs, as a minority has at renting one of Donald Sterling’s (Owner) properties. Moving at least one of either Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman, or Marcus Camby is now a must. Even if Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN) refused to work out for the Grizzlies, kudos to them for making the ‘common sense’ pick. He adds shot-blocking and tremendous size to a lineup that is actually starting to take shape and look half-way decent. Rebounding and shot-blocking generally translate at the next level, but the next 3 years should definitely be spent in the gym and under the direct tutelage of a worthy ‘Big man’ coach. The Thunder added another young and agile scorer in James Harden (ASU), but the question for this team will remain whether they will be able to add some veteran leadership through free agency in order to harness all of that youth and ability? Never a team to disappoint, the Spurs picked up a potential diamond in the rough (yet again) by grabbing DeJaun Blair (Pitt) in the 2nd round. I know the kid is only listed at 6’7” and is playing on 2 reconstructed knees (high school injuries), but I watched the kid play and he is going to be a perfect fit for Gregg Popovich. Do I think he’s going to have the impact of a guy like Charles Barkley? I won’t go quite that far, but I definitely think he has more game than a guy like Malik Rose, whom many are comparing him to.

Picks that didn’t make sense

Maybe I’m just a bit annoyed by the standard revisionist history and ultra-annoying over-hype ESPN tends to lavish upon every new thing, but I am already tired of the Ricky Rubio story before he’s even played a second of N.B.A. basketball. Admittedly, this is totally unfair to this kid, but what’s even less fair are all the ridiculous comparisons and unfounded claims the so-called ‘experts’ are falling over themselves to make. During last night’s coverage, I heard one analyst already proclaim that Rubio was the greatest passer he’d ever seen. As I closed my eyes to visions of ‘Baby Jordan’, ‘Baby Shaq’, and ‘White Magic’ I had to calmly practice my circular breathing and simply press mute. But I digress… The reason I don’t understand the pick, and follow-up pick of Johnny Flynn is because it simply makes no sense from a basketball standpoint. I’m not buying that explanation of playing them together at the same time as being a viable option for a second. Both players are used to a ball-control style, and require the ball in their hands with spacing up top in order to do what they are best at. Not to mention the bit of ‘prima donna’ feel I’m getting from the Rubio camp with their demands to play in a large market, which Minnesota simply is not. The ‘Mall of America’ and Fort Snelling probably aren’t very high on Rubio’s list of places to visit in America. The Golden State Warriors may have picked the ‘Best Shooter in the draft’ in Stephen Curry (Davidson), but what did they actually do to bolster their chances of winning a title? I have never subscribed to the whole Nellie-ball nonsense, and never will. With a roster that already possesses Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson, and Monta Ellis, is there even room for another one-dimensional player that will need the ball in order to contribute? That isn’t intended to be a knock on Curry, but fact remains he was drafted by a team chalked full of pseudo-scorers that shoot a ton of shots, rarely play consistent defense for longer than 2 minutes at a time, and have never been mistaken for team-players. I’m hoping the potential trade rumors with Phoenix are true, solely for Curry’s sake.

Quick thoughts on other teams

Sacramento Kings- Tyreke Evans (Memphis) may be a freakish athlete, but what position are you going to play a 6’5” guard with a questionable jumper?

New York Knicks- Jordan Hill (U of A) is a scrappy rebounder and potential shot-blocker, but I thought you already had this player sans dreads and melanin in the form of David Lee?

Milwaukee Bucks- The gamble paid off for Brandon Jennings even if he didn’t trust that it would. No penalties in showing up to the draft late, but now the reality of the N.B.A. is about to settle in. Let’s hope that year playing abroad has helped. Good pick with Jodie Meeks (Kentucky) at the 41st spot. Another 6’4” scorer…congrats.

Denver- Great job in picking up Ty Lawson (North Carolina), via trade with Minnesota, as he is a natural leader. He may not be the flashiest of players, nor the biggest (5‘11“), but he has the opportunity to play/develop behind one of the most poised and polished point guards of this generation in Chauncey Billups.

Chicago Bulls- Another undersized (by N.B.A. standards), but athletic big man in Taj Gibson (USC). How is he vastly different from Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas?

jabari.davis@tvsportsdaily.com

All times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27

Action sports:  Dew Tour, Nike 6.0 BMX Open, in Chicago, NBC, 2

Boxing:  Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Olivier Lontchi, WBO junior featherweight title, pay-per-view, 9,  Arthur Abraham vs. Mahir Oral, IBF middleweight title, Showtime, 9 (same-day tape on West Coast),  Victor Ortiz vs. Marcos Rene Maidana, junior welterweights, HBO, 10 (same-day tape on West Coast)

Golf:  PGA European Tour, BMW International Open, third round, Golf Channel, 9:30 a.m.,  Champions Tour, Dick's Sporting Goods Open, second round, Golf Channel, 1,  PGA Tour, Travelers Championship, third round, CBS, 3,  LPGA, Wegmans LPGA, third round, ESPN2, 3,  Nationwide Tour, Players Cup, third round, Golf Channel, 6:30 (same-day tape)

Major League Baseball:  Regional coverage, Boston at Atlanta; Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox; or Los Angeles Angels at Arizona, Fox, 4

Motor sports:  NASCAR Sprint Cup, Lenox Industrial Tools 301, practice, Speed, 9 and 11:30 a.m.,  NASCAR Nationwide Series, Camping World RV Sales 200, pole qualifying, Speed, 10 a.m.; race, ABC, 3,  NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, MemphisTravel.com 200, in Memphis, Speed, pole qualifying, 2; race, 6,  NHRA Full Throttle Drag Series, Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, qualifying, in Norwalk, Ohio, ESPN2, 8 (same-day tape),  IRL IndyCar Series, SunTrust Indy Challenge, in Richmond, Va., Versus, 8,  Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Toyota AMA Pro National, in Lakewood, Colo., Speed, 11

Tennis:   Wimbledon Championships, early round, ESPN2, 8 a.m. (live); NBC, 3 (live and same-day tape)

Track and field:  U.S. Outdoor Championships, ESPN, 7:30