STANLEY CUP FINALS
Hawks set off Chicago Cup celebration
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks are drinking from the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons.
Duncan Keith scored the game-winner and Corey Crawford finished with 25 saves as the Hawks closed out the finals in six games, beating Tampa Bay 2-0. The game was scoreless until Keith followed up his own rebound and beat Ben Bishop with 2:47 left in the second period. Patrick Kane and Brad Richards drew assists on the Cup-winning goal.
Kane doubled the Blackhawks’ lead with his only goal of the series with 5:14 remaining.
Richards finished with two assists and Crawford earned his fifth career postseason shutout.
Before tonight, every game in the series had been decided by one goal. Chicago scored just twice in each of their four victories.
It’s the sixth Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks, and the first time they’ve clinched on home ice since 1938.
NHL-CANADIENS-MITCHELL
Mitchell gets 3-year pact
MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal Canadiens center Torrey Mitchell has signed a three-year deal.
The 30-year-old Mitchell had six goals and eight assists in 65 regular-season games between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal. He had a goal and four assists in 12 playoff games for the Canadiens.
MLB-PADRES
Black canned as manager
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dave Roberts is the new manager of the San Diego Padres following the dismissal of Bud Black on Monday.
The Padres are just 32-33 and third in the NL West after making several expensive offseason moves.
Black was the 2010 NL Manager of the Year and went 649-713 in eight-plus seasons as San Diego’s skipper, but the team never reached the playoffs or won more than 90 games.
MLB-METS-GEE
Gee DFA’d
NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Gee lost a regular spot on the New York Mets’ starting rotation, and he’s now lost his place on the roster.
The Mets have designated the right-hander for assignment, one day after he allowed eight runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of an eventual 10-8 win against Atlanta.
General manager Sandy Alderson said the NL East leaders will try to trade Gee or push him through waivers for the purpose of sending him to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Gee won a career-high 13 games as a rookie in 2011, but he’s 0-3 with a 5.90 ERA in 39 2/3 innings this year. He’s 40-37 with a 4.03 ERA over six major league seasons.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Mets halt Jays’ streak
UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays saw their 11-game winning streak end in agonizing fashion.
Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores hit RBI singles with two out in the bottom of the 11th to push the New York Mets past the Jays 4-3. Toronto went ahead on Dioner (dee-AH’-nur) Navarro’s sacrifice fly before ending their team record-tying winning streak.
Jose Bautista homered twice for the Blue Jays, including a game-tying blast on the first pitch of the ninth inning.
Juan Lagares (lah-GAH’-rehs) and Ruben Tejada hit consecutive RBI doubles for the Mets, who stretched their lead in the NL East to 1 ½ games over Washington.
Mets starter Noah Syndergaard (SIN’-dur-gahr) had to settle for a no-decision after striking out 11 over six innings and leaving with a 2-1 lead.
Elsewhere in the all-interleague schedule:
— Erasmo Ramirez threw six shutout innings and Logan Forsythe was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI singles in the Rays’ fourth consecutive win, 6-1 over Washington. The Rays have won 10 of their last 13 to move one game ahead of the New York Yankees and Toronto atop the AL East.
— Anibal (AH’-nih-bahl) Sanchez fired a two-hitter with seven strikeouts in Detroit’s 6-0 shutout of Cincinnati. J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs, while Miguel Cabrera added a two-run double to the Tigers’ sixth victory in eight games since an eight-game losing streak.
— Starling Marte (mahr-TAY’) was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as Pittsburgh crushed the Chicago White Sox 11-0. Francisco Cervelli (sur-VEH’-lee) and Jung Ho Kang also drove in two runs apiece to back Francisco Liriano, who struck out 12 and gave up only two hits in eight innings.
— Derek Dietrich hit a tiebreaking homer off Masahiro Tanaka (mah-sah-HEE’-roh tah-NAH’-kah) in the seventh inning, and Tom Kohler combined with two relievers on a three-hitter as Miami downed the New York Yankees 2-1. Koehler gave up the three hits, including Mark Teixeira’s (the-SHEHR’-uhs) solo blast in the second inning.
— Wei-Yin Chen struck out nine and held the Phillies to four hits in eight innings of Baltimore’s 4-0 shutout of Philadelphia. Matt Wieters (WEE’-turz) hit a three-run homer as the Orioles handed the Phillies their seventh straight defeat and third shutout loss in four games.
— Williams Perez worked six shutout innings and Atlanta put together a 3-run fourth in a 4-2 triumph at Boston. Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY’-kihs) was 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a run scored for the Braves.
— Monday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and visiting Cleveland Indians has been rained out and rescheduled for Aug. 24.
MLB-NEWS
Odor returns to Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Second baseman Rougned Odor (ROOG’-nehd oh-DOOR’) has been recalled by the Texas Rangers after they placed outfielder Delino DeShields on the disabled list with a left hamstring injury.
Odor was sent to Triple-A Round Rock five weeks ago after hitting .144 with one home run and 25 strikeouts in 90 at-bats while starting 25 of the Rangers’ first 31 games.
Also in the majors:
— The Toronto Blue Jays have placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 15-day disabled list with a mild lat muscle strain. Sanchez is 5-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 11 big league starts since making his debut last season. Scott Copeland filled in for Sanchez on Wednesday and has been recalled to start Tuesday’s game against the Mets in New York.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have given up on Lance Stephenson, sending the guard to the Los Angeles Clippers for Center Spencer Hawes and forward Matt Barnes.
The Hornets signed Stephenson to a three-year, $27 million contract after he averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Indiana in 20013-14. But he struggled with Charlotte, providing just 8.2 points, 4 1/2 boards and 3.9 assists while starting just 25 of his 61 games.
The deal was also a chance for the Clippers to unload Hawes’ contract.
He has three years left on a four-year, $23 million deal he signed last summer with the Clippers.
Hawes didn’t play in half the Clippers’ 14 playoff games.
Speaking of the Hornets, center Al Jefferson has exercised the third-year option on his contract and will remain with the team next season.
Jefferson struggled with injuries last season and appeared in 65 games, averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds.
NBA-NUGGETS
AP sources: New coach for Denver
DENVER (AP) — Michael Malone has agreed to a deal to be the new head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
He won the job over Melvin Hunt, who had served as interim coach after Brian Shaw was fired on March 3. Malone was let go by Sacramento in December after going 39-67 in parts of two seasons with the Kings.
NFL-TRANSACTIONS
Falcons and Panthers announce moves
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have released veteran offensive tackle Sam Baker. He started 61 of his 70 career games, but missed last season after tearing his right patellar tendon during a preseason game. After starting all 16 games in 2012, when the Falcons won the NFC South and reached the NFC championship game, Baker was re-signed to a six-year, $41.5 million deal.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Panthers have signed outside linebacker Thomas Davis to a two-year contract extension. The 32-year-old is now under contract through the 2017 season. Davis, who is entering his 11th season with the Panthers, was selected by Carolina No. 14 overall in 2005 and has returned from three torn ACLs in the same knee to become the second-leading tackler in franchise history with 831.
CFL-SAM
Als suspend Sam to free up roster spot
MONTREAL (AP) — The Montreal Alouettes (AHL’-oo-ehtz) have suspended defensive end Michael Sam in a move that frees a roster spot while allowing the Alouettes to retain his CFL rights.
Sam left the Alouettes’ training camp for personal reasons last week after being given special permission to return home to Texas. His departure came three weeks after he became the first openly gay player to sign in the CFL.
FIFA-BLAZER-US PROSECUTORS
Blazer working with Feds
UNDATED (AP) — Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer agreed to act undercover for U.S. prosecutors and has been cooperating since at least 2011 in the government’s investigation of soccer corruption. His plea agreement from Nov. 2013 was unsealed today after a federal judge agreed to a request by media organizations. In exchange for Blazer’s cooperation and guilty pleas to 10 counts, the government agreed not to recommend a specific sentence for his crimes and also accepted that a reduction of up to three levels be warranted under sentencing guidelines.
SHARPER-RAPE
Former NFL player admits guilt
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Saints player Darren Sharper is headed to jail after pleading guilty to rape in a Louisiana drug-and-sexual-assault case, completing a series of pleas in four states that will see him serve at least nine years in prison.
Each case arose from allegations that the former player drugged and sexually assaulted women. Formal sentencing is still pending but the deal calls for Sharper to spend nine more years behind bars.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Vandy rallies big on Day 3
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Jeren Kendall’s two-run homer off Tyler Peitzmeier in the bottom of the ninth inning gave defending national champion Vanderbilt a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series. The Commodores were down 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when heavy thunderstorms Sunday night forced the suspension of the game until this afternoon.
The winners and losers from Saturday are back in action at the College World Series today. In the afternoon, Miami is facing Arkansas in a game featuring the two losers, while the evening game has Virginia playing Florida.
