NBA PLAYOFFS
Pacers outlast Heat
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Miami Heat find themselves trailing a series for the first time in this NBA postseason.
Paul George hit three 3-pointers and finished with 24 points and seven assists as the Pacers beat the Heat 107-96 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami. David West and Roy Hibbert each had 19 points for the Pacers, who shot 8-for-19 from three-point range and 52 percent from the field for the game. George Hill also hit three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, while Lance Stephenson added 17 points and eight assists.
Dwyane (dwayn) Wade had 27 points for the Heat, who entered the series 8-1 in the postseason and 2-0 in series openers. LeBron James finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but Chris Bosh added just nine points on 4 of 12 shooting.
Game 2 is Tuesday at Indianapolis.
NHL PLAYOFFS
Hawks strike first
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have taken Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, which could be a good omen for the Los Angeles Kings.
Corey Crawford made just four of his 25 saves in the third period as the Blackhawks completed a 3-1 triumph over the Kings in Chicago. Duncan Keith snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the second period before Jonathan Toews (tayvz) added an insurance goal with 3:50 remaining.
Brandon Saad (sahd) had a goal and an assist, while Marian Hossa set up two scores.
Crawford blanked the Kings after Tyler Toffoli beat him early in the second period.
The Kings are in familiar territory, having trailed in each of their first two series. They knocked out San Jose in the conference quarterfinals by becoming the fourth team to win a series after dropping the first three games. And they advanced to the conference finals by winning the last two games of their series with Anaheim.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Chicago.
MLB-SCHEDULE
A’s clobber Indians again
UNDATED (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have put a rather emphatic exclamation point on their three-game sweep in Cleveland.
Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EH’-nehs SEHS’-peh-dehs) had a career-high five RBIs and Brandon Moss drove in three runs as the A’s clobbered the Indians 13-3. Cespedes provided a pair of two-run double, while Moss was 3-for-3 with two walks and four runs scored.
The A’s outscored the Indians 30-6 in the series, with Josh Donaldson collecting seven RBIs.
Jesse Chavez was credited with Oakland’s ninth victory in 10 games, allowing solo homers to Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley but just four other hits in five innings to improve to 4-1.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Victor Martinez smacked a two-run homer and Torii Hunter added a solo shot in Detroit’s 6-2 downing of Boston. Miguel Cabrera had two RBIs to back Anibal Sanchez, who allowed one earned run over five innings of the Tigers’ sixth consecutive win.
— Mark Teixeira (teh-SHEHR’-uh) hit a two-run single while the New York Yankees scored four times over the first two innings of a 4-3 win against Pittsburgh in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Hiroki Kuroda (hih-ROH’-kee kuh-ROH’-duh) allowed three runs in six innings for his first victory since April 12.
— Josh Harrison homered in the seventh inning and made a diving catch in left field as the Pirates beat the Yanks 5-3 in Game 2. Starling Marte hit a two-run homer off Vidal Nuno in the sixth inning of the second game after striking out four times in the opener.
— Ryan Vogelsong scattered five hits in seven shutout innings as San Francisco downed Miami 4-1. Pablo Sandoval homered for the first time in more than a month to support Vogelsong’s second victory in nine starts.
— Colorado pulled off a triple play before Justin Morneau belted a two-run homer in the 10th inning to lead the Rockies past San Diego 8-6. Morneau also joined Prince Fielder as the only players since 1988 to hit a walkoff homer in the same game in which they were involved in a triple play.
— Philadelphia was next-to-last in the National League with 27 home runs until Cody Asche (ASH’-ee), Jimmy Rollins, Wil Nieves (nee-EH’-vehs) and Marlon Byrd went deep in the Phillies’ 8-3 rout of Cincinnati. Cliff Lee pitched into the seventh to even his record at 4-4.
— Wilson Ramos drove in four runs and Ian Desmond hit a solo homer as Washington doubled up the New York Mets 6-3 in the rubber match of a three-game set. Jordan Zimmermann allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings for his first win in three starts.
— The Chicago Cubs earned a series victory for just the second time this season as Travis Wood pitched two-hit ball for seven innings of a 4-2 triumph against Milwaukee. Welington Castillo and Mike Olt homered against Marco Estrada, who also surrendered five doubles in five innings.
— Kansas City outscored Baltimore 8-6 behind Alex Gordon, who was 4-for-4 with a pair of three-run homers and a career-high six RBIs. James Shields earned his sixth win by limiting the Orioles to three runs and nine hits in seven innings.
— Matt Dominguez homered twice and had four RBIs as Houston battered the Chicago White Sox 8-2. Brad Peacock gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings for his first win of the season.
— Felix Hernandez helped Seattle snap a four-game skid by allowing just two runs and seven hits in eight innings of a 6-2 victory at Minnesota. Robinson Cano (kah-NOH’) was 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Mariners’ 11-hit attack.
— Atlanta scored twice in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch to rally past the Cardinals 6-5 in St. Louis. Freddie Freeman started the winning rally with a leadoff single and was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
— Mitch Moreland hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Alex Rios had a two-run triple as Texas topped Toronto 6-2 to avoid a three-game sweep. The Rangers had gone 23 innings without an extra-base hit when Rios drove one off the right-center wall in the fourth.
— Albert Pujols (POO’-hohlz) was 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers as the Angels beat Tampa Bay 6-2 in Anaheim. Matt Shoemaker is 2-0 in two starts since his recall after yielding just a run and two hits in six innings.
— Eric Chavez smacked a two-run homer and Cody Ross added a solo shot in Arizona’s 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yasiel Puig (YAH’-see-ul pweeg) went 0-for-3 to end his 16-game hitting streak.
MLB-NATIONALS
Nats put pitcher on DL
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals have placed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his pitching shoulder. The 3-4 Gonzalez dropped his third straight start in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the New York Mets. Gonzalez went 32-16 during his first two seasons with the Nationals after a trade with the Oakland A’s. Sunday’s trip to the DL is the first of his career.
MLB-WHITE SOX
Abreu heads to DL
HOUSTON (AP) — Major league home runs leader Jose Abreu (ah-BRAY’-oo) of the White Sox has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left ankle. The 27-year-old rookie first baseman left Saturday night’s game against the Astros with a limp in the seventh inning. Abreu set rookie records for home runs, 10, and RBIs, 32, in April. He is hitting .260 with 15 homers and 41 RBIs in 44 games.
INDIANAPOLIS 500
Carpenter gets the pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ed Carpenter has won the Indianapolis 500 pole for the second straight year, grabbing the top spot for this year’s race by posting a four-lap average of 231.067 mph. He was the last of the nine fastest qualifiers to hit the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before knocking James Hinchcliffe from the top spot.
Hinchcliffe earned the No. 2 position for the May 25 race a week after his concussion in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Will Power also earned a spot in the front row, just ahead of three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves (EHL’-ee-oh cas-troh-NEHV’-us).
TRIPLE CROWN
Chance California Chrome may not run in the Belmont Stakes
BALTIMORE (AP) — California Chrome might abandon his Triple Crown bid if New York officials do not allow the colt to wear a nasal strip in the Belmont Stakes. Trainer Art Sherman made no threats about the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner passing on a chance to become horse racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner, but he suggested it was a possibility. Sherman says the decision is up to the owners and added, “I know they’ll be upset.”
Neither the New York State Gaming Commission nor the New York Racing Association stewards has received a request to use nasal strips in the Belmont on June 7.
GOLF-BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP
Todd earns first PGA win
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Brendon Todd has captured his first PGA title by winning the Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday.
Todd closed with a bogey-free 4-under 66 for a 14-under total and a two-stroke victory over Mike Weir. He took the lead for good with birdies at Nos. 9 and 10, and went on to become the eighth first-time winner this season.
Charles Howell III and Marc Leishman tied for third at 10 under.
CHAMPIONS TOUR-REGIONS TRADITION
Perry gets another major win
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Kenny Perry won his third Champions Tour major in the past year with a one-stroke victory over Mark Calcavecchia (kal-kah-VEK’-ee-uh) in the Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek.
Perry closed with an even-par 72 to finish at 7-under. Perry bogeyed No. 15 but retook the lead with a birdie on the next hole and lined up an easy par putt on the closing hole.
Calcavecchia finished with a 70. Two-time winner Tom Lehman closed with a 67 to tie Jay Haas at 5 under.
LPGA-KINGSMILL CHAMPIONSHIP
Salas stands on top
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Lizette Salas won the Kingsmill Championship for her first LPGA Tour title, finishing with an even-par 71 for a four-stroke victory over three others.
Salas started the day with a three-shot lead and doubled it with birdies on the par-5 third and par-3 fifth. She finished at 13-under 271 and earned $195,000.
Yani Tseng (YAH’-nee sehng) tied for second with Kraft Nabisco winner Lexi Thompson and Sarah Jane Smith.
OBIT-MEYER
Long time college coach dies
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Don Meyer, one of the winningest coaches in college basketball who came back from a near-fatal car accident and liver cancer before closing out his career, has died at the age of 69. Meyer led his teams into the playoffs 19 times and compiled a 923-324 during his 38-year career, most of which he spent at Lipscomb in Tennessee and Northern State in South Dakota.
TENNIS-FRENCH OPEN/AZARENKA
Azarenka to miss French Open
UNDATED (AP) — Victoria Azarenka will miss the French Open because of a left foot injury.
Azarenka last played on tour at Indian Wells, California on March 7.
Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion and a two-time U.S. Open runner-up.
The French Open begins next Monday.
