Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Vicksburg Post
mlb
Thome hits home run No. 600 Brewers turn rare triple play
ered for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have won 17 of 19 and have a six-game lead over second-place St. Louis after the Cardinals lost 6-2 at Pittsburgh. Milwaukee converted four double plays and threw out two runners at home, including one on the triple play. In the second, James Loney hit a grounder that second baseman Josh Wilson grabbed up the middle, flipping the ball out of his glove to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Betancourt threw to Prince Fielder at first and Fielder fired home, where George Kottaras tagged out Matt Kemp.
By The Associated Press Jim Thome hit his 600th career home run an inning after he hit No. 599 to help the Minnesota Twins outslug the Detroit Tigers 9-6 on Monday night. Thome became the eighth major leaguer to reach 600, hitting a three-run shot off Daniel Schlereth in the seventh inning to give Minnesota a 9-5 lead. An inning earlier, Thome hit No. 599 with a two-run shot off Rick Porcello (11-8) that broke a 3-all tie. Francisco Liriano (8-9) allowed five runs in six innings for the Twins and Joe Nathan earned his 10th save. Both of Thome’s homers were hit to the opposite field. When No. 600 cleared the fence in left, Thome raised his right fist as he went around first base, and the crowd in Detroit came to its feet to applaud him. Before Monday’s game, Thome hadn’t homered since Aug. 4.
Mariners 6, Blue Jays 5 Mike Carp and Casper Wells hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead Seattle’s comeback.
Yankees 7, Royals 4 Derek Jeter drove in three runs, including two with a go-
Mets 5, Padres 4 Scott Hairston drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice with one out in the 10th inning and New York snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 15 games.
Pirates 6, Cardinals 2 The associated press
Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jim Thome rounds the bases after hitting his 600th career home run in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. ahead triple in the sixth, and struggling A.J. Burnett finally won a game in August for New York.
Rangers 8, Angels 4 Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli hit back-to-back homers and Michael Young added a two-run single during a sixrun fifth inning for streaking Texas.
Orioles 6, Athletics 2 Robert Andino hit a go-
ahead bases-loaded double in the seventh inning, and Josh Bell added a two-run single as Baltimore picked up a rare victory on the road.
Brewers 3, Dodgers 0 Randy Wolf tossed eight effective innings and the Brewers turned a triple play as part of a superb defensive effort in a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Corey Hart hom-
Ryan Doumit went 4-for-4 and hit a tiebreaking threerun home run to lift the Pirates to a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cubs 4, Astros 3 Geovany Soto had three hits and two RBIs and Kerry Wood earned his first save in over a year as the Chicago Cubs won for the 12th time in 15 games with a victory over the Astros.
Rockies 7, Marlins 4 Jason Giambi hit a threerun homer to cap a four-run ninth inning, and the Rockies rallied for a victory over the Marlins.
nfl
Houston’s defense is key in win HOUSTON (AP) — Houston coach Gary Kubiak brought in Wade Phillips to rebuild the Texans’ defense. The group showed progress in the preseason opener against the New York Jets. The Texans had seven sacks and running back Chris Ogbonnaya scored two touchdowns in Houston’s 20-16 win over the Jets on Monday night. Phillips has had only a few weeks to teach the Texans how to play a 3-4 scheme, a change from the 4-3 they played last season. Kubiak liked what he saw, though the Jets outgained Houston 310-221. “It was exciting to find a way to win the game there at the end, because we played really, really exceptionally on the defensive side of the ball throughout the game,” Kubiak said. The starters for both sides only played the first quarter. The Jets’ Mark Sanchez looked sharp, completing 6 of 7 passes, two to Santonio Holmes. Sanchez’s usual backup, Mark Brunell, did not play because of a finger injury, leaving the rest of the game to seventh-round draft pick Greg McElroy, the former Alabama star. The Jets’ first-string offense produced four first downs and 73 yards, but only three points.
The associated press
Houston Texans wide receiver Lestar Jean catches a pass as New York Jets’ Chris Jennings defends during the fourth quarter Monday. “We would’ve liked to score a touchdown on that first drive, but we didn’t,” Sanchez said. “I was proud of the first group moving the ball the way we did. Now, we just need to finish in the red zone.” Matt Schaub, meanwhile, looked shaky for the Texans. He went 2-for-5 for 20 yards and was sacked once before Matt Leinart replaced him. Ogbonnaya accounted for
104 total yards — 37 on the ground and 67 receiving. He was just about the last running back standing for Houston after Derrick Ward left in the first half with a head injury. Arian Foster, the 2010 league rushing champ, and backups Steve Slaton and Ben Tate were sidelined with hamstring injuries. “Hats off to Ogbonnaya, the young man’s had a great camp
regents to take any action he deems necessary in terms of realignment. He said Texas A&M is looking only at the SEC right now, but didn’t rule out other possibilities. “It’s not so much what’s wrong with the Big 12, it’s what’s right for Texas A&M and where we want to go in time,” he said. The Big 12 will begin the football season in a few weeks with 10 teams after Nebraska (Big Ten) and
Colorado (Pac-12) left in July, a year after a seismic shift in conference alignment. The Big 12 did not respond to requests for comment Monday, though Commissioner Dan Beebe told USA Today on Sunday that the Big 12 was interested in maintaining 10 member schools. Loftin said he would have to consider the financial consequences to leaving the Big 12, if Texas A&M wants to
for two weeks,” Kubiak said. “Really, he was all we had. He played the whole game. He’s been a real warrior for us.” Houston trailed 16-13 in the final quarter when Derrick Townsel returned a punt to the New York 37. Two plays later, rookie T.J. Yates completed a 28-yard pass to rookie Lestar Jean to the 1. Ogbonnaya dived into the end zone on the first play following the two-minute warning. The Jets had a chance to win it in the final minute, but undrafted free agent Michael Campbell dropped a 32-yard pass from McElroy in the end zone. “Obviously, I hate losing, our team hates losing,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “I don’t care if it’s preseason or not, we know in the big picture, you forget about what your record is. But still, at the time, I hate losing.” Leinart, who turned down offers from other teams to return to Houston and back up Schaub, also looked solid, except for an interception that led to the Jets’ lone touchdown. Leinart went 8-for14 for 78 yards in about two quarters. Sanchez completed his first four throws, and the Jets drove inside the Houston 15. Linebacker Xavier Adibi sacked Sanchez on third down, forcing New York to settle for Nick Folk’s 33-yard field goal.
Aggies Continued from Page B1. championships in football but on Sunday reaffirmed its 12-school membership while leaving the door open to expansion. “There is no bid,” Loftin said. “There has never been a bid to invite us into the SEC at any time in the past and if it were to occur in the future, we would certainly want to evaluate that.” Loftin met with reporters shortly after receiving authority from the board of
go somewhere else. The Big 12, including Texas A&M, agreed to a 13-year television deal with Fox Sports in April that is worth more than $1 billion. If the Aggies leave the conference, there is a chance the contract could be voided, which could lead to legal issues for Texas A&M and its new league. Texas A&M also could be subject to buyout or exit fees if it bolts.
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Braves Continued from Page B1. to second and third before Martin Prado delivered a run-scoring single to left, trimming the Giants’ lead to 4-3 and moving Lugo to third. Wilson walked Brian McCann on four pitches to load the bases before striking out Dan Uggla to bring Freeman to the plate. Freeman worked the count full and then waited on a fastball. Freeman said he expected Wilson to throw “either a two-seamer or a cutter.” He said he got the two-seamer. The rookie first baseman lined the 3-2 pitch over the middle to drive in Lugo and Prado. Braves players
stormed out of their dugout to celebrate around Freeman near second base. “I’m not worried about what a hitter can do,” Wilson said. “I pitch to my strengths. They hit them where we weren’t. “I lost the game. I blew it.” After the game, Freeman inspected the damage from the celebration. He said a toe that was stepped on by a teammate was numb. An elbow also was sore, or at least that was his best guess. “We’ll see in about two hours when the adrenalin rubs off,” he said with a smile.
NASCAR Continued from Page B1.
the 15th different winner in Cup races this year. Busch, trying to win a second time from the pole at Watkins Glen, led the field to the green flag for the final two laps. But Keselowski, racing with a broken left ankle and trying for his second straight win and third of the season, dove from third to the lead entering the first turn with Ambrose also streaking past Busch. “Those guys didn’t care to give me any room,” said Busch, who finished second to brother Kurt here in Saturday’s Nationwide race. “There’s only one corner you’ve got to make, and as soon as you make it through that corner and can keep everybody behind, it’s
smooth sailing from there.” Ambrose then closed on Keselowski in the chicane after zooming through the high-speed esses and passed him for the lead before the final lap. “I wanted to win,” said Keselowski, who has the first wild card for the Chase and moved up four spots in the standings to 14th. “We had a shot at it, and that’s all you can ask as a driver.” Busch finished third, and Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano rounded out the top five. Kevin Harvick was sixth, followed by defending race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson.
Saints Continued from Page B1. suburban New Orleans. He said recently he was looking forward to playing healthy again this season. That still might happen, but not in New Orleans, where he also has been among the most active players on the team in terms of his charitable work. If he doesn’t find work as a lineman, he likely won’t have trouble keeping busy. He has long talked of wanting to enroll in medical school after his football career ended. In the meantime, Brees will have to get used to a new right tackle, with Strief, a five-year veteran out of Northwestern, appearing to have the edge at this time. Brees referred to Strief as a “renaissance man” on the offensive line because he has played both tackle spots and also is regularly inserted as an eligible tight end. “We’ve even thrown a pass to him, although don’t bring that up with him,” Brees said, referring to a short
pass Strief dropped in the end zone last season. “So he’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in. I know he’s been biding his time, waiting for his opportunity and I’m excited for him. I’m excited because I know how hard he’s worked and he deserves to be in the position he is to fight for that job.” Stinchcomb had three years left on a five-year extension he signed in 2009. He was due about $2.25 million in base salary this season. Although Strief was competing for playing time at the same spot, he said he and Stinchcomb were close. “It’s really bittersweet. It’s like somebody coming and telling you that you’re getting something you’ve always wanted but at the detriment to your brother,” Strief said. “And that’s exactly how I see Jon. He has been a mentor here for me and a friend and he’ll continue to be. It’s hard to come out to practice and not see him there.”