Sports - Page 7

Now that his April drought is over, Albert Pujols says he was never worried about the unsightly numbers next to his name. Pujols homered twice and had five RBIs, leading a 13-hit attack that helped the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 on Sunday. Afterward, he chided reporters for writing about his early woes. More Info...  

There's no such thing as a meaningless game when the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs play. Although their meeting Sunday had little bearing on the playoff picture, the Western Conference powers played a tense, emotional game that saw bodies flying, emotions overheating, Tim Duncan getting ejected and the Mavericks beating the Spurs 91-86 Sunday to end San Antonio's six-game winning streak. More Info...  

They both wore No. 42 to honor Jackie Robinson, and then C.C. Sabathia and Grady Sizemore did themselves proud. Sabathia pitched eight overpowering innings Sunday and Sizemore hit a leadoff double in the first -- Cleveland's only hit -- as the Indians finished a bizarre, two-city homestand with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. More Info...  

The Calgary Flames dug a hole early with penalties and Detroit kept them in it. Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom scored within the first 4 minutes Sunday and Detroit went on to beat Calgary 3-1, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Calgary had five penalties -- two of which led to Lidstrom's goal -- in the first 8:13 of the game. More Info...  

Even before the playoffs start, the Chicago Bulls are focused, motivated by a goal they set before the season: 50 wins. Well, 49 down, one to go. Ben Gordon scored 30 points, Chicago held Washington to 34 percent shooting, and the Bulls beat the depleted Wizards 101-68 on Sunday for a third consecutive victory. More Info...  

Perhaps the tempers are so short because the stakes are so high in San Jose's playoff series with Nashville. Both the Sharks and the Predators just completed the best regular season in franchise history. The clubs won 51 games apiece, more than anybody except league-leading Buffalo, and finished three points apart in the tough Western Conference. More Info...  

Latest news and information from the world of sports. FORT WORTH, Texas – A new engine could push Chevrolet even further ahead of the competition. More Info...  

Miguel Batista couldn't find anyone to blame for his long layoff. "You couldn't even write a letter to God and tell him you're mad at him," Batista joked. Thanks to Seattle's wacky string weather-related postponements, Batista made just his second start with the Mariners on Saturday. And the 10 days off sure appeared to help. More Info...  

Curt Schilling is willing to mix in more pitches these days if it means he's able to throw fewer pitches overall. Relying less on his fastball and more on changing speeds and location, the Red Sox right-hander cruised through eight shutout innings on Saturday and led Boston to an 8-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. More Info...  

Sidney Crosby doesn't seek attention, he just has a knack of drawing it. Crosby scored his second goal in two playoff games 11:44 into the third period to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, evening their first-round series at one win apiece. Crosby, who scored a late power-play goal in Wednesday's series-opening 6-3 loss, netted Pittsburgh's third goal... More Info...  

Sean Avery is irritating enough any time he steps on the ice. Just imagine how the Atlanta Thrashers felt after everyone's No. 1 nemesis scored with an air-hockey ricochet from center ice, then rubbed salt in the wound by setting up the winning goal late in the third period. Brendan Shanahan scored off Avery's pass with 4:01 remaining Saturday, lifting the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the... More Info...  

B.J. Ryan is one tough closer, even when he doesn't have his best stuff. That just made Marcus Thames' clutch hit Saturday all the more sweeter for the Detroit Tigers. Thames hit a go-ahead, two-run double off Ryan in the ninth inning to help the Tigers rally for a 10-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. More Info...  

Now Chicago takes on the rest of the world. The Windy City's bid to hold a Summer Games for the first time moved to the international stage Saturday when the U.S. Olympic Committee capped a yearlong search for an American candidate for 2016 by picking Chicago over two-time host Los Angeles. "It's just beginning," said Patrick Ryan, Chicago's bid committee chairman. More Info...  

Paul Byrd is warming up to pitching in cold weather. The right-hander worked six sharp innings in his first official start of the season and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 4-0 Saturday. "I usually don't pitch well in the cold, but I've gotten better used to it," Byrd said after performing in 40-degree temperatures and brisk winds. More Info...  

Barry Bonds hit the 736th and 737th home runs of his career Friday night in the city where he began his career 21 years ago, homering on consecutive at-bats in the second and fourth innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Left-hander Zach Duke became the 436th pitcher to allow a Bonds homer when the San Francisco Giants left fielder hit a line drive just inside the foul pole down the right-field... More Info...  

Instead of testing the free agent waters, Jake Westbrook decided to stay on the shores of Lake Erie. Westbrook, eligible for free agency after this season, signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension through 2010 on Friday with the Cleveland Indians, who locked up a key starter. If he had opted to play out the season, Westbrook may have been able to get a longer-term deal elsewhere. More Info...  

San Jose forward Jonathan Cheechoo tested his sprained right knee at Friday's morning skate, then the Sharks' top goal scorer dressed, warmed up and was active for Game 2 against Nashville. Cheechoo had said the decision to play was up to him. If his knee swells or the pain worsens, he said he would not play. More Info...  

Broncos linebacker Al Wilson's heart tells him he can still play football. His neck is a different story. The Broncos released the five-time Pro Bowl player Friday because of a combination of injury and salary cap concerns. Wilson, who injured his neck against Seattle on Dec. 3, was scheduled to make $5.2 million in base salary this season. More Info...  

Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the juniors who led Georgetown to the school's first Final Four appearance in 22 years, will submit their names for the NBA draft. Neither player will sign with an agent before the early withdrawal date, the Hoyas said Friday, which means they will retain NCAA eligibility should either or both decide to return to college. More Info...  

John Wooden was resting at home Friday after his hospital release. The 96-year-old former UCLA coach had been hospitalized since Sunday. "He is at home and doing well," daughter Nan Muehlhausen said in a statement from UCLA. She said he was thankful for people's thoughts, prayers, cards and notes. "Dad needs his rest, so we are asking people not to visit or call him on the telephone at this time,"... More Info...