KWBG Sports for July 31st

CINCINNATI (AP) - Cincinnati pitchers walked a season-high 11 and the Reds' 10-game winning streak came to a crashing end as San Diego routed the Reds 11-5 behind Will Venable's four RBIs. The run was two short of the Reds' club record of 12 consecutive wins, shared by the 1939 and 1957 teams.

     LONDON (AP)- Misty May-Treanor (TRAY'-nur) and Kerri Walsh, defending gold medal champions in women's beach volleyball, beat Czechs Marketa Slukova (sloo-KOH'-vuh) and Kristyna Kolocova (krihs-TEEN'-uh koh-loh-KOH'-vah) 21-14 21-19 last night. It was the 16th consecutive Olympic victory for the two-time gold medalists.

     LONDON (AP)- Missy Franklin gave a much-needed boost to U.S. swimming, coming back less than 14 minutes after swimming a semifinal heat to win the 100-meter backstroke. It's the first gold medal of what figures to be a dazzling career for the 17-year-old Franklin.

     LONDON (AP) - Michael Phelps has yet to score gold in the London games, but there has been other men's successes in the swimming competition at the London Games. Americans Matt Grevers and Nick Thoman had a 1-2 finish in the men's 100 backstroke.

     LONDON (AP) - The early medal count has China leading with nine golds and is tied with the U.S. with 17 overall medals. The United States has five golds with Japan third with 11 overall medals.

KWBG Sports for July 30th

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The L.A. Dodgers have moved into a virtual tie with San Francisco atop the NL West after finishing a three-game sweep 4-0 on a Clayton Kershaw five-hitter. Luis Cruz drove in two runs, and Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier (EETH'-ee-ur), James Loney and Mark Ellis had two hits apiece for the surging Dodgers, who outscored the Giants 19-3 over the series.

     PHOENIX (AP) - R.A. Dickey rebounded from his first loss in three months to earn his National League-leading 14th win as the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 for just their third victory in 17 games. Dickey ) allowed an unearned run and four hits in seven innings, striking out eight, to improve toe 14-2, matching Tampa Bay's David Price for the major league lead in victories.

     ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Zack Greinke (GREHN'-kee) was outpitched by Jeremy Hellickson in his Los Angeles Angels' debut, losing to the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0. Obtained Friday from Milwaukee, the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out eight.

     LONDON (AP) - The U.S. men's basketball team opened with a dominant 98-71 victory over France behind 22 points from Kevin Durant. Coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEF'-skeez) club is off until Tuesday when it plays Tunesia.

     LONDON (AP) - It was a gold medal and world record day yesterday for American swimmer Dana Vollmer. She won the 100-meter butterfly in 55.98 seconds, 0.08 better than the previous mark.

KWBG Sports for July 27th

  LONDON (AP) - Opening ceremonies for the London Olympics get under way later today (4 p.m. EDT). The only event of the day is archery after soccer took center stage yesterday. Reigning World Cup champions Spain played one man short due to a red card and lost to Japan, Britain played to a 1-1 tie against Senegal and Brazil scored three first-half goals before downing Egypt 3-2.

     NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A hearing in federal court for suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma wrapped up yesterday without an immediate decision about whether he can temporarily return to work. Vilma is trying to persuade U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan to impose a temporary restraining order while his lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell proceeds. Vilma has been suspended for the entire upcoming season after the NFL determined he was part of a team bounty to injure opposing players.

     UNDATED (AP) - The NHL Players Association made a number of presentations to owners yesterday, although the union says it is awaiting specific financial information from the owners before submitting a counterproposal.  Player pensions, length of training camp and ice conditions were the topics of this round, as the two sides agreed to continue negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement on Monday at the league offices in New York. The current agreement ends on Sept. 15.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - NASCAR officials are mulling the elimination of the top-35 rule to put the focus back on speed in qualifying. Since 2005, the top 35 in points have been guaranteed provisional starting spots at the next race, which has sometimes eliminated faster cars from starting the race. The rule was designed to make sure full-time teams with big-name drivers and big sponsors did not miss the race, but that could change next season.

     UNDATED (AP) - Scott Piercy fired an 8-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead over Greg Owen and William McGirt through one round of the PGA's Canadian Open. Bernhard Langer's (LAHN'-gurz) 6-under 64 has him one stroke ahead of Mark McNulty after 18 holes of the Senior British Open. And Stacy Lewis was two shots better than Hee Young Park heading into the second round of the Evian Masters in France.

KWBG Sports for July 26th

UNDATED (AP) - The Penn State Board of Trustees says the harsh sanctions levied against its football program were not as bad as a multiyear "death penalty" the NCAA had considered. College sports' governing body on Monday handed down a $60 million fine, imposed a four-year bowl game ban, reduced football scholarships and negated 111 wins under former coach Joe Paterno.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Jesus (HAY'-zooz) Guzman, Chase Headley and the San Diego Padres turned Tim Lincecum's (LINZ'-ih-kuhmz) latest start into a round of batting practice. Guzman hit two home runs and Headley had another to hand Lincecum his latest setback, powering the Padres past the San Francisco Giants 6-3 to avoid a three-game sweep.

     SEATTLE (AP) - Pinch-hitter Jayson Nix lined a three-run double off Seattle reliever Shawn Kelley in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees rallied for a 5-2 win over the Mariners yesterday to complete a 2-5 West Coast trip. Nix probably will see increased playing time with Alex Rodriguez sidelined for a month or more because of a fractured left hand.

     ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - The Denver Broncos reported to camp yesterday hoping to lift the spirits of a community in mourning over the movie theater massacre in neighboring Aurora, Colo. Several players visited hospitalized survivors and medical personnel in the days after a gunman in full body armor opened fire during the midnight premiere of the new Batman movie, leaving 12 dead and 58 injured.

     GLASCOW, Scotland (AP)- London Olympic organizers are hoping the worst fallout is over from a flag snafu yesterday before North Korea's women's soccer team blanked Colombia 2-0. During pre-game introductions for the North Korean players, the flag of South Korea was mistakenly shown on the jumbotron.

KWBG Sports for July 25th

  NEW YORK (AP) - Gio (JEE'-oh) Gonzalez outpitched R.A. Dickey and won his 13th game as the NL East-leading Washington Nationals handed the New York Mets their 11th loss in 12 games, 5-2. Adam LaRoche launched a two-run home run into the upper deck to spark a five-run uprising after two were out in the sixth inning.

     SEATTLE (AP) - Alex Rodriguez is going on the disabled list after breaking his left hand after being hit by a pitch from Felix Hernandez in the eighth inning of the New York Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners last night. Rodriguez was the third player to be hit by a pitch from Hernandez in the inning.

     LONDON (AP) - NASCAR has suspended driver A.J. Allmendinger indefinitely after a test of his backup urine sample came back positive yesterday for a substance officials did not identify. Allmendinger originally was suspended July 7 after failing a random drug test taken in late June, and his backup "B" urine sample came back positive as well.

     BARCELONA, Spain (AP)- The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team is off to London following its final exhibition victory, a 100-78 rout of Spain in a rematch of the Olympic gold medal game in Beijing four years ago. Carmelo Anthony had 27, LeBron James added 25 and Kevin Durant chipped in 13.

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville Predators captain and star defenseman Shea Weber is staying in the Music City.  The Predators matched Philadelphia's offer sheet, and Nashville will pay the 26-year-old Weber $110 million over 14 years.

KWBG Sports for July 24th

 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Penn State didn't get the death penalty, but the NCAA has slammed the school's football program with an unprecedented series of sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The NCAA fined the university $60 million, five years of probation, a four-year bowl ban and vacated all of former coach Joe Paterno's victories from 1998-2011.

     STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP)- The Paterno family reacted by accusing the NCAA of a rush to judgment and what it called a "panicked response" to the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Paterno's family said in a statement that the sanctions "defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator."

     SEATTLE (AP) -The New York Yankees have acquired star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (EE'-cheer-oh soo-ZOO'-kee) from the Seattle Mariners in a trade for two pitchers, D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar, and cash. The 38-year-old Suzuki, a career .322 hitter, has never played in the World Series but joins the team with the best record in the majors.

     ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The Texas Rangers have placed right-hander Colby Lewis on the disabled list for the second time because of forearm tendinitis and recalled rookie left-hander Martin (mar-TEEN') Perez. Lewis is expected to undergo elbow surgery and will likely miss the rest of the season.

     MINNEAPOLIS (AP)- Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith has signed a new deal which will keep him with the Gophers through the 2016-17 season.  Smith, whose record is 103-68 in five seasons with the Gophers, has yet to win an NCAA tournament game with Minnesota but he did guide the team to the NIT final last season.

KWBG Sports for July 23rd

  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Today is the day Penn State fans find out what is the future of the Nittany Lions' storied football program. The NCAA is set to release what it calls "corrective and punitive measures" against Penn State in the wake of the child sex-abuse scandal involving former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

     LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) - Ernie Els is celebrating his fourth major golf title, thanks to a monumental late collapse by Adam Scott. The Aussie bogeyed the final four holes to allow Els to win his second British Open title to go along with his two U.S. Open crowns.

     COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - Former Cincinnati Reds star Barry Larkin and the late Chicago Cubs great Ron Santo are the latest inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Larkin, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Reds, called his induction the "ultimate validation" of his career.

     PARIS (AP) - Bradley Wiggins has become the first Briton to win the Tour de France, after safely protecting the yellow jersey during Sunday's final processional ride into Paris and teammate and fellow Briton Christopher Froome finished second, 3 minutes, 21 seconds behind overall. The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchmen finished 1-2 in cycling's most famous race.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Pinch-hitter Matt Treanor (TRAY'-nur) had a two-run single in a five-run 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the fading New York Mets 8-3 to finish a three-game sweep. New York has lost nine of 10 to fall under .500 (47-48) for the first time this season and now entertains first-place Washington in a three-game series beginning tonight at Citi Field.

KWBG Sports for July 20th

 LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) - The second round of the British Open is under way at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Australian Adam Scott tied a course record yesterday with a 6-under-par 64 that left him one shot ahead of Paul Lawrie, Zach Johnson and Nicolas Colsaerts.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Andrew Luck will be under center when the Indianapolis Colts open training camp next week. The Colts have signed the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft to a four-year, $22.1 million package. Luck completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns and just nine interceptions for Stanford last season.

     ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is expected to be back for the 2013 season after surgery Thursday to repair a nerve injury in his right shoulder. The Cardinals say rehabilitation should take two to three months and Carpenter should be able to have a normal offseason after being unable to pitch this year.

     PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Nashville Predators have six more days to match Philadelphia's 14-year, $110-million offer sheet to defenseman Shea Weber. The offer comes a few weeks after blueliner Ryan Suter left Nashville for a 10-year contract with Minnesota.  GM David Poile (poyl) repeated previous statements that the Predators intend to match any offer, but says the team will need to "review and evaluate" the Flyers' offer and "all of its ramifications" before making a final decision.

     UNDATED (AP) - The Big Ten Conference is considering a plan to give its commissioner the power to punish schools with financial sanctions, suspensions and even the ability to fire coaches. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that an 18-page plan is being circulated among Big Ten leadership that raises the possibility of giving Commissioner Jim Delany such authority. The plan comes after former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was recently convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys, sometimes on campus.

KWBG Sports for July 19th

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The National League East-leading Washington Nationals moved 17 games over .500 by holding off the New York Mets 4-3 for their second straight one-run victory over the New Yorkers. Adam LaRoche hit a two-run home run and Tyler Clippard earned his 15th save despite giving up a pair of solo homers in the ninth

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - A person with direct knowledge of the decision says free agent forward Antawn Jamison will sign a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 36-year-old Jamison will be reunited with coach Mike Brown, who was in charge of the Cavaliers when Jamison was traded to Cleveland during the 2009-10 season.

     LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) - The British Open, third major of the golf season, is under way today at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, which features a staggering 206 bunkers around this historic course. Tiger Woods, who's won three times already this year, can regain his world No. 1 ranking with a victory and if current No. 1 Luke Donald finishes below fifth this week.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The NHL and the NHL Players' Association met for more than two hours in an attempt to nail down a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires on Sept. 15. Neither side reported much progress and players union director Donald Fehr (feer) says he hasn't decided whether to formally respond to the owners' first offer, which reportedly called for major concessions from the players.

     STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Some Penn State students have begun a campus vigil to protect Joe Paterno's statue at Happy Valley. Paterno was fired after former assistant Jerry Sandusky was charged last winter with sex abuse of 10 boys and there have been calls for removal of Paterno's statue in wake of a blistering internal report which accused Paterno of a cover-up to protect his legacy.

KWBG Sports for July 18th

 LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay back in their starting rotation by rallying for a 3-2 victory over the fading Los Angeles Dodgers, who've lost four straight and have fallen three games back of San Francisco in the NL West. Halladay, out since May with shoulder woes, hurled five innings, allowing two runs on five hits in his 80 pitches.

     NEW YORK (AP) - CC Sabathia (suh-BATH'-ee-uh) carried a shutout into the seventh inning during his sparkling return from the disabled list and the steamrolling New York Yankees got a three-run homer from Andruw Jones in a 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last night. Sidelined since June 24 because of a groin strain, Sabathia improved to 10-3.

     BOSTON (AP) - Kevin Youkilis (YOO'-kih-lihs) hit his first homer at Fenway Park as a visitor, driving a three-run shot over the Green Monster to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox. It's been less than a month since Boston traded one of its most popular players to Chicago and the Fenway fans cheered "Yooouk!" loudly for the second straight night in the Hub.

     DETROIT (AP) - Mike Trout had another four-hit game for Los Angeles, including a 430-foot homer that was part of an early power show in the Angels' 13-0 rout of the Detroit Tigers last night. Trout, Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols (POO'-hohlz), Alberto Callaspo (ky-AS'-poh) and Kendrys Morales all went deep.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The NHL and the NHL Players' Association are set to resume labor talks today at the league offices in New York. The split of total revenue is the biggest sticking point with multiple reports coming out of the last round of talks saying the owners want the players' share of total revenue cut to 46 percent from the current 57 percent.

KWBG Sports for July 17th

 UNDATED (AP) - Pro Bowl running backs Ray Rice of Baltimore and Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears have agreed to long-term contracts. Rice has accepted a five-year, $40 million deal after leading the NFL with 2,068 yards from scrimmage last season. Forte took what the Chicago Sun-Times says is a four-year, $32 million deal with $18 million guaranteed.

     CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds will spend the next three to four weeks without first baseman Joey Votto, who needs surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. The 2010 National League MVP hurt the knee while sliding into third base June 29 in San Francisco, but continued to play until Sunday. General manager Walt Jocketty said Votto didn't have an MRI before yesterday because the first baseman didn't think he needed one.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clippers forward Blake Griffin has undergone surgery to repair the medial meniscus tear of his left knee that he suffered during practice with the U.S. national team in Las Vegas. Griffin returned to Los Angeles last Thursday after experiencing discomfort in the same knee that bothered him during the playoffs. He will miss the London Olympics, but the Clippers say he should be ready for the start of the NBA season.

     SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Syracuse has the green light to move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Big East has reached an agreement with the school, allowing the Orange to leave the league a year early for the ACC. The move will cost Syracuse a fee of $7.5 million.

     STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Joe Paterno's family strongly denies the findings of a special investigator who described the late coach as one of four high-ranking university officials who covered up child sex abuse allegations against former assistant Jerry Sandusky. In a statement, the family says they "vehemently disagree" with the conclusions reached by a team of investigators led by former FBI director Louis Freeh (LOO'-ee free). Freeh's scathing report last week said Paterno and other university officials covered up for Sandusky to avoid bad publicity.

KWBG Sports for July 16th

 CINCINNATI (AP) - The streaking Cincinnati Reds won their sixth straight game by finishing a three-game weekend sweep of St. Louis with a 4-2 win last night. Scott Rolen delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth for the Reds, who have taken a one-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

     MIAMI (AP) - The Washington Nationals maintained their three-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East by blanking Miami 4-0 as Stephen Strasburg won his 10th game by combining with three relievers on a seven-hit shutout. Strasburg also broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a run-scoring single that helped raise his batting average to .385.

     LAKE ORION, Mich. (AP) - Roger Chapman won the U.S. Senior Open by two strokes, and joined some impressive company in the process. Chapman, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Hale Irwin are the only players to win the U.S. Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship in the same year.

     SILVIS, Ill. (AP)- Zach Johnson birdied the second playoff hole to win the John Deere Classic with a tap-in one-foot putt. Both Johnson and Troy Matteson posted double bogeys on the first playoff hole but Johnson secured his ninth career victory by knocking his second shot on the second playoff hole stiff from a fairway bunker.

     LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - Kasey Kahne  (kayn) made it two Sprint Cup victories for this year and 14 in his career by holding off Denny Hamlin to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Clint Bowyer (BOY'-ur), Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five.

KWBG Sports for July 13th

 PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Penn State's internal investigation into the Jerry Sandusky scandal concludes that football coach Joe Paterno and other top school officials hushed up child sex abuse allegations against Paterno's former assistant coach. An eight-month probe headed by former FBI director Louis Freeh (LOO'-ee free) blames a fear of bad publicity for their inaction.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Mets pitcher Dillon Gee will have surgery today in St. Louis to replace a portion of damaged artery, a procedure that could sideline him the rest of the season. The right-hander was released from a New York hospital Wednesday after undergoing a procedure to break up a blood clot in his pitching shoulder. Gee is 6-7 with a 4.10 ERA this season and compiled a 3.00 earned run average in 60 innings over his last nine starts.

     TORONTO (AP) - Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-OHN') has signed a three-year, $27 million contract that begins next season. The 29-year-old Dominican native is batting .295 and is tied for fourth among all American Leaguers with 23 home runs. He's also fifth in the league with a .595 slugging average and seventh with 58 RBIs.

     SILVIS, Ill. (AP) - Troy Matteson is the leader heading into the second round of the PGA's John Deere Classic near Chicago. Matteson carded 10 birdies yesterday for a 10-under 61 that leaves him three strokes ahead of Ricky Barnes. Steve Stricker is four shots back as he tries to win the event for the fourth straight year.

     SAN DIEGO (AP) - Coroner's officials say Junior Seau's (SAY'-owz) family has donated some of his brain tissue for research amid questions about whether damage from his football career contributed to his decision to commit suicide. The 43-year-old former NFL linebacker shot himself in the chest at his Oceanside, Calif., home in May, less than 2 1/2 years after ending his Pro Bowl career.

KWBG Sports for July 12th

 STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - The results of Penn State's internal investigation into the Jerry Sandusky scandal are expected to be released this morning. The report is the product of a team led by former federal judge and FBI director Louis Freeh. They've interviewed hundreds of people to learn how the university responded to warning signs that the former defensive coordinator was a serial child molester.

     LAS VEGAS (AP) - The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team plays its first exhibition today. They're hosting the Dominican Republic in Las Vegas and sound eager for a game. Deron (DEHR'-ihn) Williams says he's been feeling "rusty." Coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEF'-skee) says the team has had a disjointed start thanks to NBA free agency, and now needs to "rectify that."

     MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Heat have won a championship, but they're still looking for improvement. In a move that could create more space on the court for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat have signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The two were teammates in Seattle for five seasons, and both figure to fit perfectly into Miami's plan to surround James, Wade and Bosh with strong perimeter shooters who can stretch defenses.

     LAS VEGAS (AP) - Jeremy Lin will be staying in New York and as the Knicks' starting point guard. Coach Mike Woodson say Lin will "absolutely" be back next season and will enter training camp as the starter at his position, even with the Knicks agreeing to a deal with veteran Jason Kidd. Lin has agreed to sign an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets for about $28 million over four years, but the Knicks have said they'll match any offer.

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Major League Baseball's All-Star break extends one more day. The schedule resumes with a full slate of games Friday. Tuesday's 8-0 National League victory was the most watched TV show of the night. Overnight TV ratings were 3 percent higher than last year, though that game registered a record low.

KWBG Sports for July 10th

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)- San Francisco right-hander Matt Cain, who hurled one of baseball's two perfect games this season, has been tabbed by NL manager Tony La Russa to start tonight's All-Star game in Kansas City. AL manager Ron Washington is turning to 2011 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to start for the junior circuit.

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)- For the second time in four years, Prince Fielder is the king of the Home Run Derby. The Detroit Tigers first baseman outslugged Toronto's Jose Bautista, the current major league home run leader with 27, to win the final round 12-7.

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The batting orders are out and the AL has Derek Jeter leading off and playing shortstop, followed by Yankees teammate Robinson Cano (kuh-NOH') at second base, Texas left fielder Josh Hamilton, Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista, Detroit first baseman Prince Fielder and Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre (BEHL'-tray) batting sixth. Boston designated hitter David Ortiz bats seventh, followed by Texas catcher Mike Napoli (NAP'-oh-lee) and Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson.

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)- The NL counters with Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez leading off as the designated hitter, followed by San Francisco center fielder Melky Cabrera, Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto (VAH'-toh), St. Louis right fielder Carlos Beltran and, Giants catcher Buster Posey batting sixth. San Francisco third baseman Pedro Sandoval bats seventh, followed by Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla and St. Louis shortstop Rafael Furcal (fur-KAHL').

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Two of baseball's youngest phenoms -- 19-year-old Bryce Harper of Washington and 20-year-old Mike Trout of the L.A. Angels, will be part of the bench strength for each team. Harper is the youngest position player in All-Star history and a key part of the Washington Nationals' transformation to a first-place team while Trout is leading the American League in hitting.

KWBG Sports for July 9th

  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Baseball's elite are heading to Kansas City for Tuesday night's All-Star game. Tonight, the sultans of swat take center stage with the annual Home Run Derby jump-starting the All-Star festivities.

     UNDATED (AP) - At the break, the American League division leaders are the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and two-time AL champion Texas Rangers. The National League leaders are three teams that were considered long-shots during spring training: the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and L.A. Dodgers.

     BOSTON (AP) - In the final game before the All-Star break, the New York Yankees beat Boston 7-3 to take three of four from the Red Sox in their weekend series at Fenway Park. Ivan (ee-VAHN') Nova won his 10th game and Andruw Jones homered as the Yanks padded their AL East lead to seven games over Baltimore.

     KOHLER, Wis. (AP) - Na Yeon Choi managed to win the U.S. Women's Open by four shots despite ballooning to a one-over 73 in her final round. Paula Creamer was the top American finisher, a tie for seventh place.

     WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Roger Federer is back on top of men's tennis after posting his seventh Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown by downing third-seed Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. The loss was dismaying for the host Brits, who were hoping that Scotsman Murray could become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon.

KWBG Sports for July 6th

 UNDATED (AP)- Both the Washington Nationals and New York Mets rallied for 6-5 victories last night. The Nats finished a three-game sweep of San Francisco with two runs in the bottom of the ninth and the Mets jolted Philadelphia when David Wright singled off Jonathan Papelbon with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve R.A. Dickey's 11-game winning streak.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese are headed to the Midsummer Classic after fans voted them into next week's all-star showcase in Kansas City. Darvish is the eighth Rangers player on the AL team managed by Texas' Ron Washington.

     KOHLER, Wis. (AP) - Americans Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome (LIHN'-sih-kohm) and Lizette Salas shot 3-under 69 to share the first-round lead in the U.S. Women's Open. Ai Miyazato (EYE mee-yah-ZAH'-toh), coming off a victory Sunday in the LPGA Tour event in Arkansas, was a stroke back along with 17-year-old Lexi Thompson, Jennie Lee and Beatriz Recari.

     WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Thirteen-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will play for a fifth Wimbledon singles crown on Saturday against Agnieszka Radwanska (ahg-nee-ESH'-kuh rahd-VAHN'-skuh). Williams served up a Wimbledon record 24 aces during her semifinal victory over second seeded Victoria Azarenka (ah-zah-REN'-kuh) of Belarus 6-3, 7-6

     WIMBLEDON, England (AP)- Today at Wimbledon, defending champion Novak Djokovic (JOH'-kuh-vich) plays six-time winner Roger Federer in the men's semifinals. Then England's Andy Murray will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (SAHNG'-guh) in the other men's semifinal with the winners meeting on Sunday.

KWBG Sports for July 5th

 WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - It is women's semifinals day at Wimbledon, where third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska (ahg-nee-ESH'-kuh rahd-VAHN'-skuh) of Poland has advanced to her first Grand Slam final with a 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 8 Angelique Kerber of Germany. Sixth-seeded Serena Williams and No. 2 seed Victoria Azarenka (ah-zah-REN'-kuh) are meeting in today's second match on Centre Court.

     PHOENIX (AP) - The L.A. Lakers filled their greatest need by acquiring All-Star point guard Steve Nash from the Suns in a sign-and-trade deal.  Phoenix gets first-round draft picks in 2013 and 2015 and second-rounders in 2013 and 2014.

     PHOENIX (AP) - The Suns have signed free-agent point guard Goran Dragic, who is likely to step in as the replacement for Steve Nash following the former MVP's move to the Lakers. Dragic was Nash's backup in Phoenix until he was traded to Houston in February of 2011.

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Miami Marlins got some much needed offensive help by acquiring Carlos Lee from Houston for a pair of prospects. The 36-year-old slugger spent five-plus seasons with the Astros and is hitting .287 with five homers and 29 RBIs in 65 games this year.

     OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Red Sox slugger David Ortiz reached a career milestone in Oakland on Wednesday. Big Papi belted his 400th home run in a 3-2 loss to the A's. That ranks eighth among active players and 49th on the all-time list, seven behind Duke Snider.

KWBG Sports for July 4th

 CHICAGO (AP) - Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios hit first inning home runs off of Roy Oswalt (OHZ'-walt) and the White Sox went on to pound Texas 19-2.  A.J. Pierzynski (pur-ZIHN'-skee) added a three-run homer to cap Chicago's nine-run fifth inning.  Chicago pounded out 21 hits.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta's Chipper Jones has been named to replace injured Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp on the NL All-Star team.  The 40-year old Jones celebrated by going 5-for-5 with four rbi's in the Braves 10-3 win over the Cubs.

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Drew Sutton hit his first homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth to give Pittsburgh an 8-7 win over Houston.  The victory improved the Pirates to eight games over .500 for the first time in 20 years.

     PHOENIX (AP) - Restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon has agreed to a four-year deal with the Phoenix Suns worth about $58 million, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The New Orleans Hornets have the right to match the deal and keep Gordon.

     DALLAS (AP) - Five-time NHL scoring champ Jaromir Jagr (YAR'-oh-meer YAH'-ger) will continue his NHL career with the Dallas Stars.  The 40-year old signed a one-year, $4.55 million dollar contact with Dallas after spending last season with Philadelphia.

KWBG Sports for July 3rd

UNDATED (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to deal All-Star guard Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets for five players and a draft pick, and Atlanta will send forward Marvin Williams to the Utah Jazz for guard Devin Harris. A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that Atlanta will receive guards Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar and DeShawn Stevenson and forwards Jordan Williams and Johan Petro, along with a draft pick Brooklyn received from Houston in a prior deal.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Less than two weeks after guiding his team to the NBA Finals, Scott Brooks has signed a multiyear extension to return as coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Terms were not disclosed but other media outlets reported the deal was for four years at more than $4 million per season.

     ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena homered and the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of Mark Teixeira's (teh-SHEHR'-uhz) first error of the season to beat the New York Yankees 4-3. After pinch hitter Brooks Conrad's RBI double tied the game in the seventh inning, Teixeira misplayed Elliot Johnson's sharp grounder over first base for his first error in 671 chances this year, enabling Conrad to score the go-ahead run.

     WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - A wet and wild Monday at Wimbledon saw top-seed and world No.1 Maria Sharapova fall to 15th seed Sabine Lisicki (suh-BEEN' lih'-SIH'-kee), 6-4, 6-3. Third seed Roger Federer defeated Xavier Malisse (mah-LEES') 7-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, but only after he left the court for a few minutes during the first set because of a back problem.

     OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Dara Torres has come up short in her bid to make it to the Olympics for a sixth time. The 45-year-old Torres finished fourth in the final of the 50-meter freestyle Monday night, her only event at the U.S. swimming trials, and said afterward her storied Olympic career is over.

KWBG Sports for July 2nd

 BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - Tiger Woods is visiting a few places he hasn't been since September of 2009 -- the top of the PGA Tour's money list and FedEx Cup point standings. Woods outlasted Bo Van Pelt in a back-nine duel to win his own AT&T National tournament by two strokes and claim his third title of the year.

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Joe Daley fought off challenges from more-heralded players such as Tom Lehman (LAY'-muhn), Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia (kal-kuh-VEHK'-ee-ah) to capture the Senior Players Championship for his first title on the 50-and-over circuit. The 51-year-old Daley beat runner-up Lehman to the finish line by two strokes at the third of five majors on the Champions Tour calendar.

     ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Rangers rookie sensation Yu Darvish struck out 11 batters but was still tagged with his first home loss. Darvish uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the tiebreaking run to score in a 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics that dropped him to 10-5 and snapped the major league leader's five-game winning streak.

     TORONTO (AP) - Sunday will be a day to remember for Angels rookie Mike Trout. First he learned he'd earned a berth in this month's All-Star game, then he went out and blasted a game-changing homer in L.A.'s 10-6 victory over the Blue Jays that spoiled Toronto's Canada Day celebration.

     WIMBLEDON (AP) - It shapes up to be a very busy day at Wimbledon following Sunday's traditional off day. Some of the more notable players due on court for fourth round play are top seeds Maria Sharapova (shah-rah-POH'-vah) and Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak JOH'-kuh-vich), along with the likes of six-time champion Roger Federer and four-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams.