UNDATED (AP) -Orlando's All-Star and free-agent-to-be center Dwight Howard says he will have season-ending back surgery today in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk. The operation will end his season and keep him from playing for Team USA in the Olympics in London.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Martin Brodeur (mar-TAN' broh-DYOOR') bounced back from his shortest postseason performance with a record-setting 24th Stanley Cup playoff shutout, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers, tying their first-round series at 2-all. Brodeur made 26 saves in taking over sole possession of the postseason shutout mark from Patrick Roy (wah).
NEW YORK (AP) - Curtis Granderson hit three home runs in the first four innings for the New York Yankees in their 7-6 win over Minnesota last night. With a chance to tie the major league record of four homers in a game, Granderson lined a clean single in the sixth and beat out an infield hit in the eighth for his first five-hit game since 2008.
BOSTON (AP) - The New York Yankees will visit Boston and help the Red Sox celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first game at venerable Fenway Park at 3:15 p.m. (Eastern time) this afternoon. The Red Sox are stumbling along so far this season in the basement of the AL East with a 4-8 record heading into the weekend series with the Yanks.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The lawyer for Joe Paterno's family says that the university's payment of millions under the former coach's employment contract wasn't a settlement and that the family declined a request for a full release. Wick Sollers issued a statement after Penn State disclosed it had provided the estate with more than $5.5 million in money and benefits to finalize the payments due under the contract.
