Jeremy Accardo Taylor Swift Wells Fargo Arena - IA pitched the final 1 1/ 3

Jeremy Accardo assesses pitched the unravels final 1 1/ 3 innings for his 10th save in 12 chances " I was getting frustrated because they had a lot of base hits and were running on us " Towers said " I tried to make an adjustment with my arm slot and I thought the slider got better, so my confidence grew a little bit " Towers returned to Toronto' s rotation on June 7 after being demoted to the bullpen after four starts in April. 111 hitter, drew a walk on a 3- 1 pitch from Volquez to make it 1- 0 Game notes Votto matched his career high in RBIs He also had five against the Cubs last September. The latest effort came against a Chicago team that leads the NBA in field- goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 42 7. Neagle has had three mostly disappointing seasons since signing a$ 51 million, five- year contract with Colorado in 2001. Associated PressPEORIA, Ariz( AP- While the Chicago Cubs were busy spending nearly$ 300 million on free agents in the offseason, Greg Maddux quietly signed with the San Diego Padres. He has made 144 starts in eight big league seasons and spent the majority of his career with Houston, from 1999- 2004 Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. The Cavaliers visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and Boston hosts Golden State.

But, now, we still have time " he said " We can' t let this bother us . Updated: July 13, 2008, 9: 21 PM ET Clippers' Gordon injures hamstring, done with summer league Comment Email Print Share By Marc SteinESPNArchive LAS VEGAS- The Los Angeles Clippers confirmed on Sunday that lottery pick Eric Gordon will miss the remainder of the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV with a strained left hamstring . Months after becoming a part- owner with the final say on basketball decisions, Jordan took Morrison ahead of Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy . But he struggled in the first two games of 2006, then underwent an emergency splenectomy a few hours after a loss to Carolina in Week 3 . On a 1- 2 pitch, he drove his fourth homer of the season over the left- field wall to make it 3- 0. Instead, he signed for a$ 550, 000 bonus as a ninth- round pick and took his nasty curveball, low- 90s fastball and developing changeup to the low Class A South Atlantic League, where the 19- year- old has averaged 10 75 strikeouts per nine innings. For the final time they filed out, most of them silently, after the Cardinals were mastered by Houston pitching yet again while getting a subpar start from 16- game winner Mark Mulder " It was a really great year but it' s not how we wanted it to end like this, especially after Albert hit that home run " Mulder said " We had a lot of momentum coming home.

Orlando is still paying the price for Grant Hill' s bad ankle, and would be leery of committing to another injury risk " It did factor in to some degree " Weisbrod said " But, really, it was the strength of Dwight as a candidate more than any issues with Emeka " One weakness in Howard' s makeup, scouts say, is his lack of toughness " What everybody says " Howard said " they don' t know what' s going on in my heart " Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press . Updated: February 11, 2007, 12: 04 AM ET Bruised knee forces O' Neal to miss Wednesday' s game Email Print Share Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS- Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O' Neal was deactivated for Wednesday night' s game against Seattle because of swelling in his left knee . Utah had a chance to take its first lead on its next two possessions but missed both times . Although Dallas owner Mark Cuban said after the game that Nowitzki' s playing status was never in doubt, Nowitzki said he needed a strong pregame warmup to ensure he could go " It felt great, it started in warmups " he said " I got loose really good and told Avery I wanted to play and that was that " Nowitzki helped Dallas open a 47- 39 lead at halftime with 13 points and 10 rebounds . The reigning NBA MVP made that abundantly clear on Tuesday afternoon, while he was in town promoting his upcoming movie " More Than a Game " When asked by a reporter if he regretted not shaking hands since it gave him his first " black eye " in the court of public opinion, James said " I still haven' t had a black eye, for one Two, I don' t regret anything that I do. He did pilot Chicago to an eight- game winning streak in 2005 and led the Bears to a division title " I' m a better player now than I was as a rookie " Orton told Chicago- area reporters on Monday afternoon " If I play well and win football games, it will be my job. He said the injury occurred on a play in which he was held by a blocker.

He has managed twice at the Triple- A level and also managed the Orioles and Dodgers . Radke struck out one and did not give up any walks " I' m ready to go " Radke said " My slider is working pretty well, and that' s my fourth- best pitch . 408, going went 3- for- 3 with two singles and a walk against Mark Hendrickson( 1- 1) and an RBI double in the seventh against Ruddy Lugo " I don' t really pay much attention to it . Guerrero was hurt on a play in the third inning when he was involved in a double steal . Selected by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 1998 draft, Madson has a 26- 17 record with three saves and a 4 35 ERA in 181 career games. Lara had seven scoreless outings for the Indians, who signed him out of their Dominican Academy in 1999 He is on the club' s 40- man roster Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. The Indians batted around in a five- run first against Kyle Davies before Sizemore led off the second with his 22nd home run.

Aybar' s two- out, two- run single ended Verlander' s night " That was a killer hit " Leyland said . The drive landed in Big Mac Land, the third deck in left, and was estimated at 427 feet " I' ve been pretty much streaky . The 2003 NL Rookie of the Year was acquired by Detroit from Florida in a blockbuster deal that also landed slugger Miguel Cabrera But Willis was a mess last season, with a 9 38 ERA in only 24 innings . Only four minutes in, they called Jones " the most controversial figure in sports " Jones, whose suspension isn' t scheduled for review until after Nov . While his production at the plate is a given, it' s his move to third base that' s under scrutiny. The Lady Raiders held the Aggies without a basket and had opportunity after opportunity to take the lead after that, but missed four layups in the next four minutes to remain down by 1 " We had some poor possessions there " Tech coach Kristy Curry said " We missed some wide open looks down the stretch " Starks and Elonu added two free throws each and a jumper by Gant helped A& M outscored Tech 6- 2 after that to take a five- point lead with about five minutes left. The right- hander missed the entire 2004 season after having surgery on the ulnar nerve in his elbow, but Lee said the existing problem stemmed from a new injury " It' s not related to the nerve injury he had before nor the surgical process for the repair of that either " Lee said " This is a different anatomical region that we' re concerned about " He said irregularities were found " in the mid- portion of the ligament " which generally appears strong and healthy, and stressed that he was taking great care because of Lyon' s importance to the team " We want to make sure that we do everything to ensure that when he comes back he will come back in full force and without a region predisposing him to further injury " Lee said Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.

Damon lined out to right field to end the sixth, and Cano led off the seventh with a line drive right at third baseman Melvin Mora . Torre said Wang' s pitches were moving laterally but not sinking as much as normal, leading to control problems " He was getting behind in some counts, which was uncharacteristic " Torre said . Berkman singled in the third for a 12- game hitting streak a day after connecting for his 13th home run in Monday' s 7- 3 win . SAN ANTONIO( AP- The Detroit Pistons returned to the site of their most painful defeat and handed the defending NBA champions another lopsided loss . 40- caliber Glock he was carrying in his waistband slipped down his leg, and as he grabbed at it, he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot himself in the thigh. The first two came in the third on a single by Manny Ramirez, a throwing error by third baseman Mike Kinkade and a two- run single by Alex Gonzalez. If you can' t handle this competition, you' re not going to be able to handle it in the regular season.

Michael Wuertz loaded the bases with a walk to David Bell and struck out Damian Miller, but pinch- hitter Jeff Cirillo lined a pitch just off Wuertz' s glove, and the ball died in the infield as Kevin Mench scored and cut the lead to 6- 3 . Glavine came up to the Braves in 1987, part of an impressive class of young pitchers that also included Smoltz and Steve Avery . Alfonseca was penalized for making contact with Klemm while Alou and Lopez were disciplined for arguing " The penalty is too severe given the alleged infraction There is no precedent for it . San Diego' s right fielder hit two home runs for the second consecutive day and Jake Peavy remained unbeaten against Cincinnati in the Padres' 10- 4 victory Sunday " I' ve hit the ball like that before " said Giles " This park is a little more conducive to my power " Giles, who also homered on Friday, has hit five of his seven home runs in the past three days . 87 earned run average as a rookie last season, but faded in his final four starts, going 0- 2 with a 10 26 ERA. Gonzalez, who hasn' t played in the majors in three years, was a member of the Rockies from 2004- 06. 61 a week ago " He was having a hard time establishing his breaking ball, his command was off and he threw a lot of high fastballs " Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Wallace stood silent to the charge of misdemeanor assault and battery, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf, said Paul Walton, an assistant Oakland County prosecutor . Moller also assisted on a goal by Patrick O' Sullivan, which gave Los Angeles a 2- 1 lead at 3: 02 of the second period . Then their defense shut the door on the Zags, outscoring them 24- 14 over the final 10 minutes for the win " This Gonzaga team is very tough " said Summitt, who is on a quest to become the first NCAA coach- male or female- to win 1, 000 games " We were not defending and rebounding the way we wanted to " After a slow start, Gonzaga made 6- of- 7 field goals to take a 23- 20 lead, helped in part by eight Tennessee turnovers . And they head to May with a six- game lead over the Braves " It would have been nice to get out of here with a sweep " Trachsel said . It was Howard' s ninth of the season and third in the last two games. 2 in the lineup, followed in some order by Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada " You want to separate the left- handers or not? I don' t know " Torre said " I have not thought about it " Not realizing that three straight losses suffice to set off pinstriped panic, Damon predicted an easy transition " There' s not going to be pressure on us because- guess what- I' m going to get going " he said " You know, if I don' t, Jeter and A- Rod, it' s a domino effect. The 22- year- old right- hander allowed a run and five hits in 5 1/ 3 innings.

He gave up seven hits and seven earned runs in two- plus innings, leaving to boos when he was driven out in the third, mainly because he' d hit Soriano . But he also said he loves his All- Star point guard like a son and is counting on him to make New Orleans successful . 2 seconds left " Two and a half seconds is a lot " Jaric said " I' m upset right now . Long reviled in Philadelphia, Bryant heard some cheers, even some " MVP " chants this time around . Stabler played for Alabama from 1965- 67 and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1968. 75 million salary next year, and he will earn far more because of arbitration Prior went 11- 7 in 2005, posting a 3 67 ERA. I ask that everyone withhold judgment until I have a chance to tell my side of the story " Giles is expected to return to the Padres for spring training next season.

Putzier spent two seasons with the team and had six catches for 39 yards and a touchdown last season . you pray that everything' s fine " Delhomme said " I saw him at the half and he seemed fine, so we' ll see I' ve never once seen him miss a practice I' ve never once seen him miss a rep . Stallworth " Whenever a deadly accident occurs and a driver is impaired, families suffer " said Miami- Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in a statement " I can only repeat this message over and over: If you are going to drink, don' t drive " Stallworth, who is expected to surrender in court Thursday, released a statement last month saying he was " grief- stricken " over the accident . Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the MLB Players Association, said his members seemed enthusiastic about making the long trip to China " I haven' t heard any players on the Dodgers or Padres- unlike any other international event I' ve been involved in- say they didn' t want to come and play in China " Orza said " The players back in the States realize this is truly a start- a first step- in globalizing the sport " It' s only obviously a first step It' s a long way to go . He didn' t have a chance " Martinez made his big league debut Tuesday and was the winning pitcher on opening day. The Rockets scored the first 11 points, with Wesley making a trio of 3- pointers as the Grizzlies collapsed on Yao and left guards open. Maurice Evans, who left the Kings to sign with Detroit in the offseason, scored 12 points on his 27th birthday.

The Pirates put two men on in both the sixth and seventh innings . It would have been even better if the Red Sox had come " Maybe next time . With first place on the line in the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox stuck to playing baseball Monday night James Shields scattered five hits over 6 1/ 3 innings and B J . He was due$ 2 million in salary for 2007 and had a salary- cap figure of$ 2 . Cleanup hitter Michael Cuddyer won' t play until at least Tuesday because of a bruised back, and catcher Joe Mauer- the reigning AL batting champion- was scratched from the lineup because of a sore left quadriceps muscle. And he has become an integral part of the Yankees clubhouse, thanks to a demeanor that' s equal parts Jeter, with his transcendent confidence; Clemens, with his ability to energize everyone on the field; and Mariano Rivera, with his stoicism on the mound. I think they have turned the corner and are completely on the right track in terms of trying to eradicate performance- enhancing drugs in the sport " Is it ever going to be 100 percent foolproof? Absolutely not " he said " No chance, because you' re always going to have someone trying to beat the system.

The Warriors also re- signed center Adonal Foyle last week, handing out another big- money contract for a player who' s never been a full- time starter during seven seasons with Golden State . San Francisco starting pitcher Matt Cain, after being roughed up his two previous starts, settled in after a tough first inning . The concerns for Pierce going forward, no matter what tissue is injured specifically, are how much swelling he develops in the knee( especially overnight when the knee is immobile, a big reason he was wrapped in ice as he left the Garden) and how stiff and painful the knee is in the next two to three days( which will be influenced by the amount of swelling . We' ve got some good tailbacks' Yet Denver' s top two backs are banged up . He has 745 tackles with a high of 137 tackles in 2002, and he registered 100 or more tackles in four straight seasons( 2002- 2005. Ibanez' s homer was just the 10th off Santana on an 0- 2 pitch, the first since the Yankees' Jason Giambi on May 17 last year, according to STATS LLC " Just because you' re Johan Santana, it doesn' t mean you' re going to throw a shutout every night " Santana said. San Antonio has won the title each time " It could' ve been a tied series and a whole new ballgame " Duncan said " It' s a great position to be in " Utah' s Deron Williams had 27 points and 10 assists in 38 minutes despite having lost eight pounds the last two days while fighting a stomach ailment.

Wallace' s father died and the Bobcats F was home for the funeral this week . 23, watched Cleveland build a 21- point advantage at 84- 63 on a layup by Delonte West with 4 seconds left in the third quarter . Steelers president Dan Rooney campaigned for Obama in Pennsylvania during last year' s presidential election In March, Obama named Rooney as ambassador to Ireland Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . By the time Howell retrieved the ball, Wily Mo Pena scored from first . Plugged in at the last minute, Maine responded with a brilliant four- hitter, shutting out the Astros 7- 0. Rowand wasn' t in the starting lineup against his former team but drove in the tying run on a groundout as a pinch- hitter in the sixth His five RBIs tied a career- high " I' ll take it. But Jackson said April 21 that a return this season was remote, and Bynum said much the same thing shortly thereafter Dr.