NHL-STANLEY CUP FINALS
Kings work OT to get jump on Rangers
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Justin Williams scored 4:36 into overtime after a turnover by Dan Girardi, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night in the Stanley Cup finals opener. It’s the third straight year that Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals has gone overtime.
Williams was left alone in the slot after Girardi’s pass from his knees went straight to Mike Richards. Williams put his eighth goal of the postseason past Henrik Lundqvist, who made 40 saves and nearly stole a series-opening win for the Rangers.
Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for the Kings. The Kings moved one victory closer to their second Stanley Cup title in three years after a hair-raising finals opener.
Game 2 is Saturday at Staples Center.
NHL-WORLD CUP
League making plans for World Cup ’16
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The NHL and the players’ union are deep in conversations about staging another World Cup of Hockey in two years.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and the NHLPA have held “very substantive discussions” recently about the return of the tournament, which hasn’t been held since 2004.
Bettman says the plans aren’t “fully baked,” but the hockey world has been talking for months about the return of the potentially lucrative summer tournament, likely in September 2016.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Padres get one hit, and win…Cards end three-game slide
UNDATED (AP) β The San Diego Padres had only one hit β a bunt single by Everth Cabrera in the first inning β and still beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 thanks to Francisco Liriano’s wildness.
The Padres played ultimate small-ball. They scored on a sacrifice fly, an error and a bases-loaded walk to avoid a three-game sweep. Rene Rivera’s fly to Andrew McCutcheon to end the eighth was the only ball fielded by a Pirates outfielder. Carlos Quentin’s hit a sacrifice fly in the first, but it was caught in short right by second baseman Josh Harrison.
Ian Kennedy won his third straight start to improve to 5-6.
In other MLB action:
βAsdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run homer with one out in the 12th inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox early today and a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champions
βJohn Danks and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, Leury Garcia hit his first major league home run and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the rubber game of a three-game series.
β Matt Carpenter had a career-high five hits, including the go-ahead double in the 11th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 to snap a three-game losing streak.
β The AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays bounced AL Central-leading Detroit 8-2. Adam Lind doubled twice to drive in three runs. Melky Cabrera added a homer and three hits.
β Michael Morse swatted his 12th home run and NL West-leading San Francisco nipped Cincinnati 3-2. Juan Perez also went deep for the Giants, who ended the Reds’ four-game win streak.
β Donovan Solano hit a three-run homer off David Price to help the Miami Marlins beat Tampa Bay 5-3. That extends the Rays’ longest losing streak in nearly five years to nine games. It is the second-longest losing streak in the major leagues this season.
β Oakland rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees 7-4 for their fifth straight win. Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EHN’-ehs SEHS’-peh-dehs) homered twice. Josh Donaldson hit a tiebreaking shot in the seventh inning.
β The L.A. Angels ended a four-game slide by blanking Houston 4-0. Garrett Richards stuck out nine to match his career best over eight innings. He’s 5-2.
__ Washington doubled up Philadelphia 8-4. Anthony Rendon (rehn-DOHN’) homered and drove in three. Stephen Strasburg improved to 5-3. He went seven innings, striking out 11 and allowing two runs.
β The Baltimore Orioles held off Texas 6-5. Chris Davis and Nick Markakis (mar-KAY’-kihs) homered for the Orioles. Adrian Beltre (BEHL’-tray) homered twice for the Rangers.
β Oswaldo Arcia drove in four runs, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, to push the Minnesota Twins past Milwaukee 6-4. The Twins have beaten the Brewers seven of the last eight meetings.
__ The Arizona Diamondbacks rapped out 21 hits in mauling Colorado 16-8 in a typical Coors Field slugfest. Miguel Montero hit his sixth homer for the D-Backs.
β The Chicago Cubs nipped the New York Mets 6-5. Starlin Castro went 3 for 4 with three RBIs to help Edwin Jackson improve to 4-5.
β Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma (hih-SAH’-shee ee-wah-KOO’-muh) scattered six hits over seven innings in a 2-0 win over Atlanta. The victory boosted the Mariners winning streak to a season-best five games.
NBA-CLIPPERS
Attorney says Sterling agrees to $2 billion sale
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The NBA has found a way out of the Donald Sterling situation.
An attorney for the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner says Sterling has agreed to sign off on selling the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for what would be a record $2 billion, according to his attorney. Sterling bought the team for $12 million in 1981.
Sterling “has made an agreement with the NBA to resolve all their differences” and as co-owner has given his consent to a deal that was negotiated by his wife, Shelly Sterling, to sell the team, said attorney Maxwell Blecher.
Donald Sterling sued the NBA in federal court last week alleging the NBA violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording that publicized racist remarks he made to a girlfriend. It also says the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling $2.5 million and that it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale.
Blecher said the suit will be dismissed. If the NBA owners approve the sale, it will be a record-high sale for an NBA team.
NBA-ALL-NBA
Durant leads the way
NEW YORK (AP) β Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant capped his MVP season by being the lone unanimous choice to the All-NBA first team. Durant was a first-teamer on all 125 ballots, and made the top squad for the fifth time. Miami’s LeBron James got 124 first-team votes on the way to being selected for the eighth time, while the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul earned his fourth first-team selection. Houston’s James Harden and Chicago’s Joakim Noah (JOH’-keem NOH’-ah) are first-time first-team choices.
Second-team All-NBA selections were San Antonio’s Tony Parker, Golden State’s Stephen (STEF’-ihn) Curry, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, Houston’s Dwight Howard and Minnesota’s Kevin Love.
Portland’s Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, Phoenix’s Goran Dragic (GOHR’-uhn DRAH’-gitch), Indiana’s Paul George and Charlotte’s Al Jefferson were third-team selections.
BELMONT
Derby and Preakness winner favored to win Triple Crown
NEW YORK (AP) β California Chrome is the 3-5 early favorite to win the Belmont Stakes and become horse racing’s 12th Triple Crown champion. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will break from the No. 2 post under Victor Espinoza on Saturday at Belmont Park. Eleven Belmont winners have come out of that post, the last being Tabasco Cat in 1994.
Wicked Strong was the 6-1 second choice and drew post No. 9 while Tonalist was made the third betting choice at 8-1 odds and will break from the No. 11 post.
Eleven horses were entered to take on California Chrome in his bid to win the Triple Crown for the first time since Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1978.
FRENCH OPEN-DAY 11
Men’s No. 1 wins
PARIS (AP) β Top-seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL’) has advanced to the French Open semifinals for the ninth time by beating No. 5 David Ferrer (dah-VEED’ feh-REHR’) 4-6, 6-4, 6-love, 6-1. Nadal improved his record to 64-1 at the French Open, and stretched his unbeaten streak to 33. His only loss came in the fourth round of the 2009 tournament, when Robin Soderling (SAH’-dur-ling) beat him.
Seventh-seed Andy Murray beat No. 23 Gael Monfils (GAH’-ehl mohn-FEES’) 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 1-6, 6-love and will now face Nadal in the semi’s.
For the women, 28th-seed Andrea Petkovic (PEHT’-koh-vich) advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-2 win over 10th-seed Sara Errani (her-RAH’-nee). She will face fourth-seed Simona Halep (HAL’-ehp) who defeated 2009 French Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova (svet-LAH’-nah kooz-NET’-so-vah), the 27th-seed, 6-2, 6-2. Halep and Petkovic have reached a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time.
NFL-NEWS
Kaepernick gets extension
UNDATED (AP) β San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (KAP’-ur-nihk) has received a new six-year contract extension that keeps him with the franchise through the 2020 season.
ESPN reported the deal is worth more than $110 million.
Kaepernick has made a quick ascent to the ranks of the NFL’s elite play callers after taking over as starter in 2012 and leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He was due to make less than $1 million this season.
Elsewhere around the NFL,
βThe NFL has suspended New York Giants defensive back Jayron Hosley for the first four games of the 2014 season for violating the substance abuse policy. Hosley will be eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster on Sept. 26 following the team’s Sept. 25 game against the Washington Redskins. He is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.
β The Detroit Lions have agreed to a four-year contract with second-round draft pick Kyle Van Noy, the linebacker out of BYU. Van Noy finished his college career at Brigham Young with 226 tackles and played 13 games each of his four seasons.
SUPER BOWL
Forget the L
NEW YORK (AP) β If the NFL’s use of Roman numerals for the Super Bowl has been confusing over the years, you’re going to get a break in 2016. The 50th edition of the Super Bowl will be played in Santa Clara, Calif., and the league says it will be called “Super Bowl 50”, not “Super Bowl L.”
In 2017, the league will revert to Roman numerals, referring to the 51st edition as “Super Bowl LI.” The NFL first started using Roman numerals for the fifth Super Bowl in 1971.
NCAA-LAWSUIT
NCAA will not punish players in lawsuit payout
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β The NCAA says it won’t penalize current college players if they receive part of the $40 million settlement that videogame maker Electronic Arts agreed to last week.
If approved by the court, more than 100,000 athletes — including some current players — could receive a payout.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the NCAA said no players would miss a practice or game because this deal “does not equate” to payment for performance. But the NCAA complained lawyers would get $15 million in the deal.
SPORTS-MEDIA
Cubs leaving WGN
CHICAGO (AP) β It’s the end of an era in radio in the Windy City. The Chicago Cubs are leaving the station that’s been their radio home for 90 years. WGN Radio president Jimmy de Castro confirmed the Cubs are leaving the station after this season and will embark on a long-term deal with CBS-owned WBBM-AM 780.
De Castro says the parting was a difficult decision for the station, which determined that the business deal the Cubs insisted on did not make economic sense.
OBIT-DON ZIMMER
Longtime baseball fixture dies at 83
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) βFormer major league manager, coach and player Don Zimmer has died. He was 83. Zimmer spent more than 60 years in baseball. He was a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays, who announced his death.
Zimmer died Wednesday. He had been in a rehabilitation center in Florida since having heart surgery in mid-April.
Zimmer played for the only Brooklyn Dodgers team to win the World Series in 1955, played for the original New York Mets in 1962, nearly managed the Boston Red Sox to a championship in the 1970s and was Joe Torre’s right-hand man with the New York Yankees’ most recent dynasty. He was a lifetime .235 hitter from 1954-65. He also was a manager for 13 seasons.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig (SEE’-lihg) called Zimmer “a memorable contributor to baseball for more than 60 years,” adding: “Don was the kind of person you could only find in the National Pastime.’
Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg called Zimmer “a national treasure and a wonderful man.”
