I' m NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 Tickets going to step up and get my act together'

I' m describes going to states step up and get my act together' That' s pretty much what I said, but I said it, like, 10 times " Dixon said " I made sure that he heard every word He had his kids in the car He said he was ready to go get something to eat. We' re not going to quit " Orlando earned the franchise' s first victory at Arco Arena since Dec 19, 1993. It was 98- 90 when Bryant made a 3- pointer and a long jumper, giving him 36 points and triggering a 14- 0 run that gave the Lakers a six- point lead with 5: 05 left They were on top the rest of the way. Maryland finished with 22 turnovers and hit just 3- of- 13 from behind the arc. Lilly allowed two hits and struck out three, starting nine of 11 batters with strikes " I used everything today, which was good " Lilly said " I got to pitch like I was in game situations, first- pitch changeups and back- to- back breaking balls " Lilly hasn' t had a full spring training since joining the Blue Jays in 2004 " I realize how necessary it is to prepare for a long season " he said " I thought last year I would be able to catch up and get myself ready to start the season, but I was never prepared as I needed to be " Manager John Gibbons likes that Lilly is getting a full camp " It give him a chance to start the season off in shape " he said " The last couple of years he actually pitched pretty good for no spring training, but it caught up with him after a few starts " Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson allowed one hit in three shutout innings Aubrey Huff went 2- for- 2 with a double Winner Scott Downs pitched one scoreless inning. Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder was ejected by plate umpire Wally Bell in the eighth for arguing a third- strike call. Ethier followed with a drive over the wall in left- center for a 6- 4 lead, and the Dodgers added a run on Michael Wuertz' s wild pitch that allowed Rafael Furcal to come home.

But he couldn' t complete the five innings required of a starter to earn a win . Garnett rejected the initial move to Boston even though it would have put him in the easier- to- conquer East and even though he is friendly with Pierce . Huston Street worked a perfect ninth again for his 14th save in 17 chances . But we' re not closing the door " Minaya told the paper " If he wants to come back, we may have some interest " Lozano feels that Piazza could play " two or three more years " and will have options to catch in either league " After the World Series, we' ll take a look at how many teams want him to catch and how many want him to DH . I' m trying to be consistent " Padres manager Bud Black said the Mariners " came out and hopped on some early count pitches. The 44- year- old Moyer went 5 2/ 3 innings and allowed eight hits and five runs " I have to take full responsibility " Moyer said. If I only got three innings, then I just got three innings " Oswalt, who returned to Houston to be examined on Saturday after experiencing more pain in his left hip, is expected to rejoin the team Sunday.

He missed all 10 of his shots in the second half and is at 37 3 percent for the season . He has played 86 career playoff games and was a stalwart on defense for Anaheim during its run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003 The Wild need him now more than ever . Owens first announced what happened late Tuesday night by posting a message on his Twitter site . I mean, traditionally, he doesn' t let us play in this game, but if he wants me to play, I' ll play " On Monday, Brady stretched with his teammates, at one point sitting with his legs outstretched and reaching with both arms to touch his toes . Team executives celebrated Tuesday as they announced the results of an unprecedented online PSL auction, though the nine- day sale occurred as the stock market plunged and more than two- thirds of the seats originally up for bid went unpurchased " The fact that the Jets have sold this many seats in a brand- new process, I think is absolutely amazing " team owner Woody Johnson told The Associated Press. Bonds took batting practice Sunday afternoon and planned to play against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The double- bye format required Gonzaga to win only two games for this title, and the Zags did it with last season' s failures on their minds " The game last year is what really drove us this season " Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves said " We set a goal this year that it wasn' t going to happen.

Louis Cardinals or become the cornerstone of a reconstruction project with the New York Mets In the end, he chose the challenge . Before taking pregame batting practice, Bonds gave a big hug to Darren Baker, son of the Cubs' manager . He' s allowed four earned runs or more in 12 of his 22 starts . Robinson Cano hit a go- ahead, two- run double in a four- run sixth inning, Andy Pettitte won consecutive starts for the first time this season and the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5- 4 on Monday to extend their winning streak to four . Kevin Kouzmanoff tied his career high with four hits for San Diego. His two- run double into the left- field corner in the seventh inning finished the scoring, and he drove in Tracy with a double in a two- run fourth inning Tracy, making his first start since Sept 9, finished a triple short of the cycle. 1 on the depth chart even though he missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

He held that job with the Rams before being elevated following St Louis' 0- 4 start last season . Updated: June 25, 2005, 9: 50 PM ET' It' s great I didn' t have Tommy John surgery' Email Print Share Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif- A day after undergoing season- ending surgery on his pitching elbow, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne showed up at Angel Stadium wearing a cast and a relieved smile " Why not? I get paid " the 29- year- old right- hander replied when asked why he was attending Saturday night' s Dodgers- Angels game so soon after his operation " I' m here to give myself moral support- be with my teammates . You have the Royals' hitters credit for making him work as hard as they did and putting the ball in play " Left- hander Odalis Perez( 6- 9) won for the first time at home since April 20 against Minnesota Perez, who was 1- 6 with a 6 . But just when people stopped talking about him pushing two cameramen in 2005- a videotaped tirade that led to a suspension while he was with Texas- Rogers was at the center of another media circus . He was able to come out and put a good swing on Maddux " Ramirez came on to pinch- hit for Miller with Miguel Olivo on first base and one out. Updated: September 6, 2006, 6: 30 PM ET T. Aaron said a solution to the case may not be as neatly resolved as people would like " It may be we' ll never know exactly why this happened " he said McNair had been dating Kazemi for several months.

Wells said after the game that he uttered a profanity about plate umpire Larry Poncino, who was walking back to the plate . That didn' t bother Jermaine Dye, who hit his 29th home run as the White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 8- 4 on Monday night . The Cubs overcame two solo homers by Rivas and another by Xavier Nady in the first three innings to take a 5- 4 lead in the eighth on Derrek Lee' s double and Aramis Ramirez' s single for his second RBI . Arlington, Texas( AP- Nolan Ryan was waiting with a smile and a handshake when Matt Harrison walked off the field a winner in his major league debut for the Texas Rangers . Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the team would have to wait and see if Duncan will be healthy enough for Friday' s game against Cleveland. Brand, who is in his fifth season with Los Angeles, was more immediately concerned with the future than his team' s past in Portland " We' re 1- 0 for the new year and we' re not looking back " he said " We won tonight so that' s all we' re looking at " The Clippers led by as many as 16 points in the first half, then withstood two spirited second- half Portland rallies. Center Brad Meester( biceps) and defensive tackle Derek Landri( quadriceps) also were ruled out Friday.

But it seems like we have that one( bad) inning " Marco Estrada pitched a scoreless 10th for the win . 28 " It feels really good, it' s been on everyone' s minds " Luongo said " You try not to think about it but it' s kind of hard . Azania Stewart led the Gators with 16 points, and Steffi Sorenson had 11 . JUPITER, Fla( AP- Mark Mulder threw three scoreless innings, leading the St . Game notesCardinals SS David Eckstein missed the game with a strained muscle in his left side. The right- hander earned the dubious distinction of tying Greg Maddux, Terry Mulholland, Curt Schilling and John Smoltz as having allowed eight homers each to Bonds, the most by any pitchers The 42- year- old Bonds hadn' t homered since Aug 4 against Colorado. When all his pitches are working, it' s tough " said Kevin Millar, who scored Baltimore' s lone run " He' s one of the better ones out there " Benson( 9- 9) gave up five runs and nine hits in losing his fourth straight start.

Khalil Greene flied out to center and Josh Bard walked to load the bases again Tadahito Iguchi forced Bard to end the game Wilson got his sixth save in seven chances . He leads the Rangers with 11 RBIs and seven extra- base hits in September " It' s the best I' ve felt all year " Teagarden said " I' m getting an opportunity and I guess I' m just making the most of it . Schumaker singled with one out in the 14th against a tiring Aaron Heilman( 1- 4 . 3 assists in the finals " We' re confident, but we know that in actuality, we haven' t done that much yet " The Pistons have plenty of incentive to beat the Lakers in Game 4 . Getz thought he would end up with an inside the park homer that would have put the White Sox up five runs " That totally changed the game. 500 or better " We should be learning be learning from this We' re definitely angry " Peterson said. Game notes Blackhawks D Duncan Keith sat out his third game with a probable concussion.

Spiezio, who made his third straight start at third base in place of ailing Scott Rolen, also tripled in the first and is 5- for- 11 with a homer and four RBI as the fill- in " It' s nice to get some consecutive games, get those at- bats flowing " Spiezio said " I haven' t had a series like this in a long time " The Cardinals are 10- 3 at new Busch Stadium, all of the games sellouts . Denver is 14- 4 under coach George Karl, has won eight straight home games and has made up 6# 189; games on the Los Angeles Lakers in a little over a month to tie for eighth in the West . Iran will also face a Dallas Mavericks team on July 19 and a Utah Jazz squad on July 21, with both games at Salt Lake Community College Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . Game notes Miami C Shaquille O' Neal had 10 rebounds, giving him 11, 606 in his career . He had four catches for 29 yards Sunday, giving him 16 receptions for 196 yards in eight games this season. Halladay got 13 groundball outs " The first two pitches I' m looking for an out, ground ball or a fly ball out " Halladay said " I' m trying to get quick outs. While able to throw in the mid- 90s, the new motion robbed him of one of his most effective weapons, the split- finger fastball.

So I tried to keep my composure so the players don' t see me losing my composure " It worked . Cornwell said in an e- mail to AP on Friday that the affidavit and e- mails prove the woman knew- and that Dunlap knew or should have known- that her allegations were false " This evidence was available to Mr . The 32- year- old Scutaro, acquired in November from Oakland, filled in for both second baseman Mark Ellis and shortstop Bobby Crosby when they were hurt in recent seasons Scutaro hit 260 last year with seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 104 games . 495 an inning later with a mammoth, two- run shot to left " I' m going to 600 " Ramirez said . It didn' t hurt me, so hopefully it goes away tomorrow " Pettitte( 13- 7) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings while losing for the first time in 10 starts. 8 seconds left in regulation after a splendid pass from Gordon to put the Bulls up 88- 85 in regulation. Updated: July 10, 2009, 3: 03 AM ET Clippers sign Griffin Comment Email Print Share Associated Press LOS ANGELES- The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Blake Griffin, the No 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Updated: December 3, 2008, 7: 17 PM ET Seahawks' Spencer put on injured reserve with back injury Comment Email Print Share Associated Press RENTON, Wash- Seahawks center Chris Spencer will miss the rest of the season with a herniated disk in his back, but he is hoping he can avoid surgery by resting . It was part of a morning of needling, smiles, football talk- and some good ball- striking, too- as the world' s No . Lafayette closed to 26- 17 at the half, but could get no closer . They are playing like a playoff team " Duke said of the Cubs, who have split 14 games with the Pirates this season . That' s a very good, fundamentally sound ballclub with speed, power and pitching You have got to play good in order to beat them They don' t give you games. That was the problem " said Perez, who sat by himself and stared into his cubicle in Cleveland' s clubhouse for about five minutes before turning to take questions from reporters Sowers gave up six hits and threw 104 pitches. I' m more worried about our first- half defense than some hecklers " Game notesPatterson is listed as day to day and the Bucks are hopeful he will be ready to play on Saturday night against New Jersey Davis finished with 23 points Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.

The Giants announced about an hour before gametime there would be no changes to their starting lineup, meaning Manning would start his 41st consecutive regular- season game . Moore, considered the team' s best run blocker, helped pave the way for Thomas Jones to lead the AFC in rushing last season . Every time he goes to the plate you think he' s going to do something " Berkman is batting 380 with six home runs and 18 RBI and Ensberg is 409 with four homers, five doubles and 10 RBI . White Sox starter Adam Russell held the Royals to five hits and one run over four innings, walking two and striking out four . Exceptions include tobacco shops, designated hotel rooms and enclosed areas of nursing homes. In his first start as the Dodgers' regular first baseman, Loney fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three runs. Telfair, a starter until he was injured, did not start Sunday He finished with three points in 23 minutes Ruben Patterson led the Blazers with 16 points.

The Dolphins are also policing fans, a daunting challenge for a team that drew more than 3, 100 spectators to the opening workout last week " I would acknowledge that enforcing the restrictions can be difficult " said Harvey Greene, Dolphins senior vice president for media relations " We' re not looking over everybody' s shoulder, but we do have a concern about information flow " The Professional Football Writers of America has complained about the media restrictions at practices open to the public . Braun went 4- for- 5 with seven RBI, hitting a three- run shot off Jason Windsor in the fifth and a grand slam off Scott Dunn in the sixth . In addition, with his 922nd extra- base hit, he moved past Harold Baines and Goose Goslin into sole possession of 42nd place " He' s hot " Santana said " He' s a great hitter He' s been swinging the bat pretty well lately . Once he got rid of the early jitters, he was sailing " I was walking to the mound and I said' All right, there' s going to be a ton of people here today " Gorzelanny said " But after I got through the first inning, I was more comfortable, more relaxed . Updated: August 11, 2005, 6: 36 PM ET Right fielder taken off field on stretcher Email Print Share Associated Press SAN DIEGO- New York Mets right fielder Mike Cameron was driven off the field on a stretcher and taken to a hospital after a diving, head- to- head collision with center fielder Carlos Beltran in Thursday' s game against the Padres. Ramirez often gets criticized for his defense, but he had a long run just to get near Lopez' s drive " Manny' s such a good hitter that people overlook what he does in the field " said Mike Hargrove, Ramirez' s former manager in Cleveland " I' m not sure there' s another left fielder- outside of somebody who can just fly- that gets that ball " Boston tied it in the seventh off Sean Green Pinch- hitter J D. The Blue Jays have won four straight season series against the Angels.