MLB-SCHEDULE
Padres stifle Dodgers...Bosox blast Rays...Yanks, Twins pad leads
UNDATED (AP) — The San Diego Padres were able to double their lead in the National League West Wednesday night by getting another strong performance from one of their young pitchers.
Cory Luebke (LOOB'-kee) picked up his first major league win, holding the Dodgers to two hits while striking out seven over six innings of the Padres' 4-0 shutout of Los Angeles. The 25-year-old allowed just one runner to get to third after surrendering four runs over five innings in his major league debut last Friday.
Miguel Tejada (teh-HAH'-dah) singled home the game's first run in the third inning before Luis Durango added a two-run single in the sixth.
The Padres are two games ahead of the second-place Giants and 4 1/2 games in front of Colorado.
The Giants had won four straight until Daniel Hudson allowed five hits in seven innings of Arizona's 3-1 win over San Francisco. Hudson and the Diamondbacks' bullpen blanked the Giants after Freddy Sanchez homered in the top of the first.
Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WITS'-skee) homered twice, Seth Smith added a solo shot and Carlos Gonzalez stretched his hitting streak to 16 games while the Rockies were blasting Cincinnati 9-2. Jonathan Herrera and Eric Young Jr. each hit two-run singles as the Rockies won their sixth in a row despite losing starter Aaron Cook to a broken right leg. Cook was injured when Joey Votto (VAH'-toh) slammed a line drive into the pitcher.
Philadelphia still leads the NL East by a half-game over Atlanta after Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels led the Phillies to a 10-6 win over the Florida Marlins. Howard slammed his 28th homer and drove in six runs while the Phils were building a 10-0 lead. Hamels extended his shutout streak to 25 innings by limiting the Marlins to four hits in seven frames.
The Phils finished the game without shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who left after three innings due to tightness in his right hamstring. The team said Rollins is day to day.
Atlanta clobbered Pittsburgh 9-3 to stay a half-game behind Philadelphia. Martin Prado (PRAH'-doh), Derrek Lee and Alex Gonzalez each had two hits and two RBIs as the Braves halted a three-game skid. Derek Lowe evened his record at 12-12 by holding the Pirates to a run on eight hits in six innings.
Ryan Braun launched a three-run homer in Milwaukee's 8-1 romp over St. Louis, which keeps the Cardinals six games behind the Central-leading Reds. Albert Pujols hit his 36th homer in the first for the Cardinals, but that was the only run Chris Capuano allowed over seven innings.
Also in the National League, the New York Mets beat Washington 3-2 to win a rubber match of a road series for the first time this season. Pinch-hitter Nick Evans snapped a two-all tie with an RBI double to support R.A. Dickey, who allowed two runs in six innings for his career-high 10th win of the year.
Houston won for the 13th time in 17 games as Hunter Pence homered and Brett Myers scattered three hits in eight innings of a 4-0 shutout of the Chicago Cubs. Myers has lasted at least six innings in all 29 of his starts, the longest streak in team history and longest in the majors since Curt Schilling's run of 35 straight for Arizona in 2002.
Over to the American League where, the Boston Red Sox fell behind 4-0 before helping the New York Yankees stretch their lead in the East to 2 1/2 games over Tampa Bay.
Marco Scutaro (SKOO'-tah-roh) smacked two of Boston's five home runs in an 11-5 pounding of the Rays. Adrian Beltre (BEHL'-tray), David Ortiz and Victor Martinez also went deep to support 44-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who became the oldest pitcher to win for the Red Sox.
The Yankees beat Baltimore 3-2 on Nick Swisher's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, allowing New York to avoid its first four-game losing streak of the season. The Yankee bullpen struck out six over three hitless innings of relief before Swisher's 26th home run prevented the Orioles from completing their first three-game sweep in New York since 1986.
Minnesota completed a three-game sweep of Kansas City to stretch its lead in the AL Central to 5 1/2 games over the Chicago White Sox. Brian Duensing (DUHN'-sing) struck out seven while yielding a run and six hits over eight innings of the Twins' 4-3 downing of the Royals. J.J. Hardy homered and Denard Span added a two-run triple in the Twins' sixth consecutive win.
Jeremy Bonderman gave up a run and three hits in eight innings to pitch Detroit past the White Sox 5-1. The Tigers trailed 1-0 in the fourth until Brandon Inge (ihnj) hit a two-run single and Alex Avila added a two-run double, both coming after third baseman Mark Teahen's second error of the game.
West-leading Texas ended its five-game skid as Ian Kinsler hit a leadoff homer and Nelson Cruz added a two-run blast in the Rangers' 8-1 rout of Toronto. Derek Holland picked up his first win since May 17, allowing three singles while fanning eight over five shutout innings.
Oakland downed Seattle 4-3 behind Coco Crisp's home run and three RBIs. Gio Gonzalez pitched into the seventh for his 14th win to help the Athletics stay seven games behind the Rangers.
And Jeff Mathis lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 16th to end the Los Angeles Angels' 4-3 triumph over Cleveland. Mike Napoli and Peter Bourjos homered for the Halos.
MLB-DODGERS/TORRE
Torre will wait before announcing plans for '11
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers Joe Torre says he's waiting to announce his plans for 2011.
Torre had previously said he would announce by Labor Day whether he would manage the team again next year. He now says he'll wait until the Dodgers clinch a playoff spot or are eliminated before revealing his decision.
TENNIS-U.S. OPEN
Federer, Djokovic, Wozniacki and Zvonareva move into semis
NEW YORK (AP) — Second seed Roger Federer is back in the U.S. Open semifinals after steamrolling seventh seed Robin Soderling (SOH'-dur-lihng) Wednesday night.
The five-time Open champ fired 18 aces and handled wind gusts of 30 mph in a 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Soderling. Federer improved to 13-1 lifetime against Soderling, with the lone loss coming in this year's French Open quarterfinals.
Federer has won 45 of his last 46 matches in Flushing Meadows, the one exception the 2009 final against Juan Martin del Potro.
Federer will meet third-seeded Novak Djokovic (JOH'-kuh-vihch) in the semifinals for the third U.S. Open in a row.
Djokovic is in the semifinals for a fourth straight year following a 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over No. 17 seed Gael Monfils (GAH'-ehl mohn-FEES'). Federer has ended Djokovic's title hopes each time.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki (wohz-nee-AK'-ee) has earned the right to take on No. 7 Vera Zvonareva (zuh-VAH'-nah-REY'-vuh) in the women's semifinals on Friday.
Wozniacki was a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Dominika Cibulkova (see-bul-KOH'-vuh) to reach the Open semis for the second straight year.
Zvonareva also won in straight sets. The 2006 champion defeated Estonia's Kai Kanepi (KY'-uh kuh-NEP'-ee) 6-3, 7-5, putting Zvonareva one win away from her second straight Grand Slam final.
NFL-BUSH/HEISMAN
Bush says Heisman matter 'out of my hands'
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Reggie Bush says whether he forfeits his Heisman trophy is out of his hands and that his play on the field in college speaks for itself.
The former Southern Cal running back says he "cannot confirm or deny" whether he's met with anyone from the Heisman Trust and has no comment on a Yahoo! report that says he could be stripped of the award by the end of the month.
Bush says he hasn't even thought about whether he'd actually return the trophy if asked and stresses that his focus is on the New Orleans Saints' season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
The NCAA found major violations in USC's football program and levied serious sanctions against the school in June. The Trojans have dissociated themselves completely from Bush.
NFL-REDSKINS/HAYNESWORTH
Haynesworth still a Redskin
UNDATED (AP) — Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says disgruntled defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth will be with the club when it opens its season Sunday night against NFC East-rival Dallas.
Shanahan addressed Haynesworth's status a day after multiple reports said the Redskins were in discussions with the Tennessee Titans about trading the two-time All-Pro. Shanahan did not deny the trade talks, but he did his best to put to rest any chance of Haynesworth getting moved this week.
Shanahan would not say whether Haynesworth will play against the Cowboys.
Also in the NFL:
— Former Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith has signed with the Miami Dolphins, just three days after he was cut by Tampa Bay. The Dolphins have been seeking a replacement for returner Ted Ginn Jr., who they traded to San Francisco in the offseason.
— Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs was in full pads for the first time since Aug. 28 and practiced on a limited basis for the Chicago Bears on Wednesday. Briggs has been nursing a sprained right ankle since the third preseason game against Arizona.
— Bills coach Chan Gailey says ninth overall draft pick C.J. Spiller will start at running back in the season opener Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Gailey says Spiller would have gotten the nod as starter even if Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch had not missed much of the past month with injuries.
— And season ticket sales have declined for the third year in a row as NFL teams struggle to get fans to the stadium in a weak economy. League VP of business ventures Eric Grubman says season ticket sales will be down between 1 percent and 2 percent.
T25 FOOTBALL-GEORGIA/GREE N SUSPENDED
Bulldogs receiver suspended
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia receiver A.J. Green has been suspended for four games for selling a jersey to someone the NCAA says qualifies as an agent.
Green sold his Independence Bowl game jersey for $1,000. The junior sat out the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette and will miss three more games before he's eligible to play.
T25 FOOTBALL-BAMA/INGRAM
Ingram doubtful against Nittany Lions
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban says tailback Mark Ingram is unlikely to play against Penn State while he continues to recover from knee surgery that forced him to miss the season opener.
Saban says Ingram might be recovered enough to play in Saturday night's game with the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions but likely won't be able to get enough time in practice to be ready.
BASKETBALL-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP/DOPING
So far, so good
ISTANBUL (AP) — Basketball's governing body says there have been no positive results from more than 60 random drug tests conducted at the world championship.
FIBA (FEE'-buh) conducted 48 tests in the first two days of the championship, two for each of the 24 teams competing, and more have been done since the start of the knockout round.
FIBA plans more than 100 tests before the championship game on Sunday.
