NFL-GOODELL/ROETHLISBERGER
Commissioner reduces suspension for Roethlisberger
NEW YORK (AP) — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL') has reduced the suspension of Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH'-lihs-bur-gur) from six to four games. The two met early this morning and Goodell said Roethlisberger can return to play on Oct. 17 against Cleveland.
When Roethlisberger was suspended in April for violating the league's personal conduct policy, Goodell said he would review the player's behavior over the next few months. Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. He was not charged by Georgia authorities.
NFL-NEWS
Lions' Suh fined
NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit Lions rookie Ndamukong Suh (ehn-DAHM'-uh-kehn SOO) has been fined $7,500 by the NFL for his roughing-the-passer penalty on Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme.
The defensive tackle grabbed Delhomme's face mask and twisted it, then wrapped his arms around the quarterback's head and slammed him to the ground in an exhibition game last Saturday. Suh says he didn't know Delhomme had thrown the ball before he hit him.
In other news from around the NFL;
— A person familiar with the injury tells The Associated Press that Denver's LenDale White has a ruptured Achilles' tendon and is out for the season. The Broncos tailback was injured in last night's exhibition loss to Minnesota.
— Arizona has traded starting guard Reggie Wells to Philadelphia for an undisclosed draft pick.
— Houston has cut kicker Kris Brown, the last player remaining from the Texans inaugural 2002 season.
MLB-NATIONALS/MARLINS SUSPENSIONS
Nats, Marlins suspended after brawl
NEW YORK (AP) — Washington Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan has received an eight-game suspension stemming from his part in a brawl during a game against the Florida Marlins. He charged the mound after Florida pitcher Chris Volstad threw behind him, touching off the bench-clearing melee. Morgan had been hit earlier in the game.
For the Marlins, pitcher Volstad received a six-game suspension, pitcher Alex Sanabia was suspended for five games, first baseman Gaby Sanchez for three, and manager Edwin Rodriguez for one game.
Nationals pitcher Doug Slaten gets a three-game suspension, manager Jim Riggleman is suspended for two games, and third base coach Pat Listach for three.
MLB-SCHEDULE
A pair of matinee games in baseball
UNDATED (AP) — Curtis Granderson drove in three runs for the second straight game to lead the Yankees to a 7-3 win over Toronto. Granderson had a pair of doubles to help the surging Yankees to their seventh consecutive win and to help up their lead over Tampa Bay to two games. The Rays play in Baltimore tonight.
Two first-place clubs are squaring off in the American League tonight as Texas plays at Minnesota. The Rangers lead Oakland by 10 games in the West, while the Twins top the White Sox by three and a-half games in the Central. Oakland plays host to the Angels, Cleveland remains in Seattle and Detroit is at Kansas City.
The game in Boston between the Red Sox and White Sox has been rained out and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Saturday.
The biggest matchup of the night will take place in St. Louis as the Cardinals start a crucial three-game series with Cincinnati. The Cards have dropped five straight and have fallen five and a-half games back of the Reds in the National League Central Division. A sweep of the series would certainly change the landscape of the divisional race as the season begins to wind down. On the mound for the visiting Reds will be Bronson Arroyo and his 14-and-8 record. Jaime Garcia takes a 2.33 ERA into the game with a mark of 12-and-6 for the Cardinals.
In other NL games this evening, Philadelphia, which has won three straight, plays host to Milwaukee, while Washington is at Pittsburgh; Atlanta, which leads Philly by two games in the East, is at Florida; Houston plays at Arizona; San Francisco is in L.A. and the Padres entertain the Rockies. San Diego starts the day with a three-game lead over the Giants.
TENNIS-US OPEN
Clijster keeps winning
NEW YORK (AP) — Defending champion Kim Clijsters (KLY'-sturz) has moved to the round of 16 at the U.S. Open by winning the final 12 games in her 6-3, 6-love victory over Petra Kvitova. Clijsters dropped the first three games but then recovered to win her 17th straight match at the Open.
Sam Stosur and Elena Dementieva (deh-mehn-tee-AY'-vuh) also moved into the fourth. Fifth-seeded Stosur knocked off Italy's Sara Errani 6-2, 6-3 while No. 12 seed Dementieva stopped Daniela Hantuchova (han-TOO'-koh-vuh) 7-5, 6-2.
In other matches today women's No. 2 Kim Clijsters is playing 27th-seed Petra Kvitova and men's fourth-seed Andy Murray is going against Jamaica's Dustin Brown.
GOLF-DEUTSCHE BANK
Early tie for the top
NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Zach Johnson and Jason Day beat up on the course and beat the weather at the Deutsche (DOY'-chuh) Bank Championship. Both shot 8-under 63 to share the first round clubhouse lead.
They finished right before play was suspended for 1 1/2 hours when the first remnants of Earl arrived.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MISSISSIPPI/MASOLI
Ole Miss QB cleared to play
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The NCAA has reversed itself and now says Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli can play for the Rebels immediately. The NCAA had ruled that the former Oregon quarterback had to sit out a season after enrolling at Ole Miss. But Mississippi appealed that decision and announced Friday that the NCAA had ruled that Masoli can play this season.
Masoli is pursuing a graduate degree at Ole Miss. According to NCAA rules, football graduate student-athletes must receive a waiver in order to compete if they enroll at a university other than the one where they received their undergraduate degree.
Mississippi plays Jacksonville State on Saturday.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NORTH CAROLINA
18th-ranked Tar Heels lose 15 players
UNDATED (AP) — Three North Carolina defensive starters aren't making the trip for tomorrow's season opener against LSU in Atlanta. Linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter, and safety Deunta Williams did not travel with the team, amid an ongoing NCAA investigation. A total of 15 Tar Heels won't play in the game against the 21st-ranked Tigers.
The school says six players have been declared ineligible for the opener for "violating school and/or NCAA rules." Another six players are being held out of the game during the investigation.
NHL-DEVILS-KOVALCHUK
NHL OK's Kovalchuk deal
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The NHL has signed off on Ilya Kovalchuk's latest contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Five weeks after rejecting the Russian's landmark 17-year, $102 million contract with the Devils, the league approved a revised 15-year, $100 million deal. The approval comes after the league reached an agreement with the NHL Players Association on an amendment covering long-term contracts.
Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk's agent, confirmed the agreement in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The NHL had rejected the Devils' initial offer because it violated the league's salary cap.
INDY CAR-QUALIFYING
Pole on the line
SPARTA, Ky. (AP) — Ed Carpenter posted a lap of 217.933 mph to capture the pole for Saturday's Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. The pole is the first of Carpenter's career.
Series points leader Will Power, coming off a disappointing 16th-place finish in Chicago last week, will start second at the 1.5-mile oval.
Defending series champion Dario Franchitti (fran-KEE'-tee), who trails Power by 23 points with three races remaining, qualified 11th.
