WPPA/T102 SPORTS/Saturday

Latest Pennsylvania sports:

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Mets' seven-game winning streak is over after Philadelphia built a 4-to-0 lead in a 4-to-3 win at Shea Stadium last night The Phillies scored twice in the first off Brian Bannister, who was making his first start since injuring his hamstring on April 26th. Ryan Howard drove in a sacrifice fly in the first before adding a two-run homer in the third. Howard leads the National League with 45 homers and 117 R-B-Is. Carlos Beltran accounted for the Mets' scoring with an R-B-I double and a two-run homer. But New York ended an eleven-game home winning streak, which began after a loss to the Phils on August fourth. Randy Wolf gave up three runs and five hits over five innings to move to 3-and-0. Ryan Madson picked up his second save and Bannister dropped to 2-and-1. Bannister surrendered four runs in six innings. The teams meet again tonight.

MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) - Carlos Leon and Josh Kroeger had R-B-I hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons to a 7-to-6 victory over the Buffalo Bisons in the International League last night. Buffalo took a 6-to-5 lead in the top of the inning when Jake Gautreau drew a bases-loaded walk. Before Gautreau's walk, Tim Laker was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Jason Cooper homered in the second inning for Buffalo, which has lost four of its last five games. The series continues tonight.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Roger Clemens won his fourth straight decision and the Houston Astros belted a pair of homers in a 5-to-1 triumph at Pittsburgh last night. Clemens is 6-and-4 this season following his 347th career victory. He gave up a run and six hits over six innings and lowered his E-R-A to two-point-50. Lance Berkman launched a solo shot in the third to put the Astros ahead to stay. Jason Lane added a two-run homer in the ninth to cap the scoring. Brad Ausmus drove in a run and scored twice as the Astros won for only the fourth time in 14 games. Astros outfielder Willy Taveras led off the game with a single to extend his team-record hit streak to 28 games. The loss goes to 5-and-9 Victor Santos, who gave up three runs in six innings. The series continues tonight.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - David Akers kicked three field goals and Jeff Garcia threw a 61-yard scoring pass to Greg Lewis, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 16-to-7 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers last night. Akers kicked field goals of 40, 49 and 52 yards. Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to a pair of field goals before going to the bench. The Steelers didn't get any points during the two series Ben Roethlisberger played. Charlie Batch threw a 23-yard scoring pass to Cedric Wilson for Pittsburgh's only score. Kicker Jeff Reed missed field goals of 50 and 47 yards. Roethlisberger completed nine of 14 attempts for 52 yards and one interception. McNabb went seven-for-nine for 79 yards. He was sacked three times.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Authorities say a man from the Pittsburgh area is at it again, a year after he was accused of impersonating Steelers quarterback and Ohio native Ben Roethlisberger (RAHTH'-lihs-bur-gur). Prosecutors now say 32-year-old Brian Jackson of Brentwood told a woman he was Steelers tight end Jerame Tuman so she'd give him 32-hundred dollars. He's been charged with theft by deception. Last year, Jackson was charged with pretending to be Roethlisberger to get a woman to date him. He was also accused of impersonating Big Ben's backup at the time, Brian St. Pierre. Jackson was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - The U-S and International champions will be decided today at the Little League World Series. Columbus, Georgia, will face Beaverton, Oregon, in the U-S final, while Kawaguchi City, Japan, and Mexico meet in the International title game. The winners advance to the championship game tomorrow.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - Little League Baseball will implement a new pitch-count rule next season. Organizers hope the change will reduce wear and tear on youngsters' arms. Starting next year, the rules would bar eleven- and 12-year-old pitchers from throwing more than 85 balls a day. The limits will vary with age. Currently, pitchers 12 and under are limited to six innings per week and six innings per game. Inning limits increase with age. Little League's board of directors unanimously approved the change. The regulations are expected to become mandatory.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - Grayce Stotz, the wife of Little League Baseball founder Carl Stotz who also played an instrumental role in the youth organization, died yesterday at 92. Stotz's daughter, Karen Stotz Myers, says her mother died of natural causes. Stotz's death came on the off-day for this year's Little League World Series tournament, and her daughter called it "very fitting." Carl Stotz founded Little League in Williamsport in 1939 and was the league commissioner and served on the board of directors with his wife until 1950, when Little League incorporated. He stayed as commissioner for another five years, then left because of differences with board members over the direction of the organization. Carl Stotz died in 1992.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jay Heinbuck has been hired as the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of amateur scouting. Heinbuck was formerly the head amateur scout for the New York Islanders. He replaces Greg Malone, a former Penguin who recently took a job with the Phoenix Coyotes. Before working for the Islanders, Heinbuck was an assistant coach and recruiter at Saint Lawrence University. General manager Ray Shero has overhauled the Penguins staff since being hired in May to replace Craig Patrick. Patrick, a Hall of Fame executive, had been the Penguins' general manager since 1989.

Update on the latest in sports:

UNDATED (AP) - There's a new leader in the American League wild-card race this morning. The Minnesota Twins have moved a half-game ahead of the White Sox by pulling out a 5-to-4 victory in Chicago. Jason Bartlett singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth to send the Twins to their eighth victory in eleven games. Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer to put the Twins ahead 4-to-3 in the sixth. Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski homered for the White Sox, who had won two in a row.

The Twins also are within five games of first-place Detroit in the A-L Central after the Tigers lost to Cleveland 4-to-2. Rookie Jeremy Sowers won his third straight start by holding the Tigers to two runs over six innings. Victor Martinez, Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta had R-B-I hits in a three-run third that put the Indians ahead 4-to-2. The Tigers have dropped three straight and are just 5-and-12 since August eighth.

Friday's American League schedule also includes Oakland's 9-to-3 blowout over Texas. Barry Zito picked up his 14th win and had a no-hitter until Mark DeRosa led off the eighth with a single. Nick Swisher hit a three-run double and Milton Bradley laced a two-run double while the Athletics were scoring six times in the ninth.

The Los Angeles Angeles stayed five and a-half games behind the A's by beating the New York Yankees 6-to-5 on Mike Napoli's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. Vladimir Guerrero had three hits, including a two-run double that gave the Angels a 3-to-0 lead.

The Yankees' lead in the A-L East remains five and a-half over Boston after the Red Sox were embarrassed by Seattle 6-to-0. Jake Woods combined with two relievers on a five-hitter as the Mariners dealt the Red Sox their seventh loss in nine games.

Shaun Marcum held Kansas City to a run and seven hits over six innings of Toronto's 6-to-3 win over the Royals. Troy Glaus put the Blue Jays ahead to stay with a two-run single in the first.

And Daniel Cabrera combined with two relievers on a seven-hitter as Baltimore blanked Tampa Bay 4-to-0. Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY'-kihs) hit a pair of sacrifice flies to help the Orioles send the Devil Rays to their eighth straight road loss.

Over to the National League, where the St. Louis Cardinals have reclaimed a one-game lead over Cincinnati in the Central. The Cardinals won a pitcher's duel while the Reds dropped one. Jeff Suppan gave up five hits while pitching into the eighth inning of the Redbirds' 2-to-0 shutout of the Chicago Cubs. Scott Rolen put the Cards ahead with a sacrifice fly before Juan Encarnacion singled home the insurance run.

Matt Morris tossed a three-hitter and supplied a two-run double as San Francisco dumped the Reds 4-to-1. Ken Griffey Junior put Cincinnati in front with his 562nd career homer, but Barry Bonds tied it with an R-B-I single in the first before Shea Hillenbrand homered in the third.

San Diego remains a game and a-half off the wild-card lead after Colorado hammered the Padres 13-to-5. Brad Hawpe (hawp) went 4-for-4 with four R-B-Is, including the tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a marathon to stay a game ahead of the second-place Padres in the N-L West. Orlando Hudson smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the 15th as Arizona outlasted the Dodgers 9-to-7. Hudson and Conor Jackson each had four hits for the Diamondbacks, who won despite leaving 21 runners on base.

Elsewhere:
- Roger Clemens earned his 347th career victory by allowing a run over six innings of Houston's 5-to-1 triumph at Pittsburgh. Lance Berkman smacked a solo shot and Jason Lane hit a two-run homer as the Astros won for only the fourth time in 14 games.
- Mike Jacobs doubled twice and had three R-B-I's as Florida rallied from a 5-to-2 deficit to beat Milwaukee 6-to-5. Brian Moehler pitched four shutout innings of relief to lead the Marlins to their fifth straight win.
- And Austin Kearns provided the go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh to power Washington past Atlanta 7-to-6. Nationals left fielder Alfonso Soriano became the fastest man to collect 200 homers and 200 steals when he swiped second in the third inning of his 929th career game.

UNDATED (AP) - Tiger Woods hit the roof at the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, yesterday, but it had nothing to do with his temper. The defending champ birdied his first four holes en route to a 6-under-par 64 that leaves him 9-under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Davis Love the third. But his most memorable shot might have been on the par-four ninth hole, when Woods pulled out a nine-iron and sent his second shot on a wild journey. It jumped out of bounds, over the flag and past the grandstands before it hit the concrete path, bounced over a balcony and onto the clubhouse roof before landing on the other side. Woods got a free drop because the grandstand behind the green is a temporary immovable obstruction. He settled for a bogey that kept him atop the leaderboard. Woods is fresh off his victory at the P-G-A Championship at Medinah, where he moved into second on the all-time list for major titles.
Adam Scott and Jim Furyk (FYOOR'-ihk) are tied for third at 6-under, one shot ahead of Ernie Els, Kevin Stadler and Lucas Glover.

The Bridgestone is one of two P-G-A events being played this week. The other is at Nevada, where Bob Estes (EHS'-tehs) is the leader heading into the third round of the Reno-Tahoe Open. Estes fired a 7-under-par 65 today to move 15-under for the tournament, one shot ahead of first-round leader Will MacKenzie.

On the L-P-G-A Tour, South Koreans Jee Young Lee and Soo-Yun Kang will be co-leaders going into the third round of the Wendy's Championship for Children in Dublin, Ohio. Both are 11-under-par after 36 holes. Mikaela (mih-KY'-luh) Parmlid and Marisa Baena (by-AY'-nuh) are one stroke back.

The Champions Tour is at the midway point of its final major senior event of the season. Bobby Wadkins shot his second consecutive 5-under-par 67 to take the lead at The Tradition in Aloha, Oregon. Lonnie Nielson was alone in second at 7-under, three shots off the lead.

NEW YORK (AP) - The upcoming U-S Open won't include Venus Williams. The 2000 and 2001 champ has pulled out of the final Grand Slam event of the year, citing a left wrist injury that's sidelined her since Wimbledon. Williams was seeded 30th for the tournament, which gets under way Monday.

UNDATED (AP) - The New England Patriots have told Deion Branch to go long. Very, very long. The Pats have given the holdout wide receiver one week to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with another team. The team's best deep threat has until September first to seek a new team. Branch is scheduled to make over one (m) million dollars this season, the last of his original five-year contract. But he wants a new deal and has refused to report to the Patriots' mandatory preseason minicamp and its ongoing training camp.

In other N-F-L news:
- Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was arrested outside a bar early yesterday morning and charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication. The police report claims officers saw Jones arguing loudly with a woman outside a nightclub where a rap concert had been held. Police described the 22-year-old Jones as slurring his speech, having bloodshot eyes and smelling strongly of alcohol.
- The Carolina Panthers say outside linebacker Na'il (na-EEL') Diggs sprained his right knee against the Miami Dolphins Thursday night. Diggs had an M-R-I test and is listed as day-to-day after getting injured while playing on the punt team.
- Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis isn't sure how long he'll let quarterback Carson Palmer play in Monday's game against Green Bay. Palmer will be seeing his first game action since suffering a severe left knee injury during the A-F-C playoffs against Pittsburgh last January.
- Chicago Bears defensive end Alex Brown had to leave last night's game against the Arizona Cardinals with a sprained shoulder. Brown was injured on the game's second play from scrimmage, when he was blocked to the ground by two Cardinals while chasing running back Edgerrin James.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - Kurt Busch has won the pole for tonight's Sharpie 500 Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He ran a qualifying lap at 124-point-906 miles per hour on the short track to edge Jeff Burton. Bobby Labonte (lah-BAHN'-tee) and Matt Kenseth make up the second row, just ahead of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin.

NEW YORK (AP) - Nike has suspended its contract with banned sprinter Justin Gatlin. This comes three days after Gatlin agreed to a maximum eight-year ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for testosterone and other steroids.

DETROIT (AP) - Coming off a rookie season in which he scored 12 goals, Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has inked a three-year contract. The 26-year-old Swede would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2007-08 season. Franzen made his N-H-L debut last season and led Detroit rookies in games played, points and goals.

Today's sports events:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

N-Y Yankees at L.A. Angels 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Toronto 4:07 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Baltimore 4:35 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland 7:05 p.m.
Minnesota at Chi White Sox 7:05 p.m.
Oakland at Texas 8:05 p.m.
Boston at Seattle 10:05 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Chi Cubs at St. Louis 1:20 p.m.
Washington at Atlanta 1:20 p.m.
Cincinnati at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Florida 6:05 p.m.
Houston at Pittsburgh 7:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at N-Y Mets 7:10 p.m.
San Diego at Colorado 8:05 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers at Arizona 9:40 p.m.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON

Cleveland at Buffalo 6:00 p.m.
Indianapolis at New Orleans 7:00 p.m.
Atlanta at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville 8:00 p.m.
Washington at New England 8:00 p.m.
St. Louis at Kansas City 8:30 p.m.
Seattle at San Diego 11:00 p.m.

Here are the latest scores from yesterday's sports events:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Final Cleveland 4 Detroit 2
Final Baltimore 4 Tampa Bay 0
Final Toronto 6 Kansas City 3
Final Minnesota 5 Chi White Sox 4
Final Oakland 9 Texas 3
Final Seattle 6 Boston 0
Final L.A. Angels 6 N-Y Yankees 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Final Houston 5 Pittsburgh 1
Final Philadelphia 4 N-Y Mets 3
Final Florida 6 Milwaukee 5
Final Washington 7 Atlanta 6
Final St. Louis 2 Chi Cubs 0
Final Colorado 13 San Diego 5
Final Arizona 9 L.A. Dodgers 7, 15 Innings
Final San Francisco 4 Cincinnati 1

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON

Final Arizona 23 Chicago 16
Final Minnesota 30 Baltimore 7
Final N-Y Giants 13 N-Y Jets 7
Final Philadelphia 16 Pittsburgh 7
Final Oakland 21 Detroit 3