KWBG Sports for April 10th

 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Yu Darvish pitched into the sixth inning of his much-anticipated major league debut for the Texas Rangers, retiring 10 batters in a row after a rough start and getting credit for the victory in the Rangers' 11-5 victory over Seattle. Darvish gave up four runs in the first inning but settled down and allowed five runs on eight hits in his five and two-thirds innings of work.

     BALTIMORE (AP) - The New York Yankees finally won their first game of the season, using four hits by Derek Jeter and an effective pitching performance by Ivan Nova to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 last night. The Yanks averted the fourth 0-4 start in franchise history - the first since 1973.

     SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs rested stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (MAN'-oo jih-NOH'-blee) as they lost to the Utah Jazz 91-84 to end their 11-game winning streak. The Spurs already have clinched a playoff berth, but fell a game behind Oklahoma City in the race for best record in the Western Conference.

     NEW YORK (AP) - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL') upheld  the one-year suspension of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal. Also upheld was yesterday was eight-game suspension of GM Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who will sit out the first six games of the regular season.

     MIAMI (AP) - Isiah Thomas' firing at Florida International sparked a protest by his former players last night. Team members who attended a university athletic department banquet quietly walked out of the event moments before the season's award winners were to be introduced but the event continued as planned.

KWBG Sports for April 9th

 AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Bubba Watson earned his first green jacket and his first major title victory with a playoff victory on the second hole to defeat Louis Oosthuizen (LOO'-ee OOST'-hay-zihn) to win the 80th Masters. The long-hitting lefty outdueled Oosthuizen, who made a rare double-eagle on the second hole for just the fourth double-eagle in Masters history.

     SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their 11th straight game, beating the Utah Jazz 114-104 to maintain their slim lead atop the Western Conference. Manu Ginobili (MAN'-oo jih-NOH'-blee) added 23 points for the Spurs, who are now on their second 11-game win streak - a season best in the NBA.

     ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3, taking two of three in their season-opening series. Albert Pujols (POO'-hohlz) went 2 for 3 with a double and two walks, as the Angels' new $240 million slugger went 3 for 10 with two doubles in his first three games at Angel Stadium.

     UNDATED (AP) - TCU plans to introduce LSU's Trent Johnson today as the basketball coach who will lead the Horned Frogs into the Big 12 Conference. Johnson replaces Jim Christian, who's moving on to become coach of Ohio University.

     UNDATED (AP) - The best of the NHL gets a few days off before the playoffs start Wednesday night. Vancouver, which won the Presidents' Trophy for the second straight year with the best record in the league, opens at home Wednesday night against the eighth-seed L.A. Kings.

KWBG Sports for April 6th

 SAN DIEGO (AP) - With Magic Johnson watching from next to the dugout, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 even though reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw left after three innings with the flu. Former Lakers great Johnson, part of a group buying the Dodgers for $2.15 billion, had a big smile after Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer in the eighth, giving him three RBIs.

     CLEVELAND (AP) - In the longest opening-day game in major league history, J.P. Arencibia's (ah-rehn-SAY'-bee-uhz) three-run homer in the 16th inning sent the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians. Luis Perez, Toronto's seventh pitcher, pitched four scoreless innings for the win and Sergio Santos got two outs to end the 5-hour, 14-minute game.

     AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)- England's Lee Westwood takes a one-shot lead over South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (LOO'-ee OOST'-hay-zehn and Sweden's Peter Hanson into today's second round of the 80th Masters. There's a big group of golfers tied at 3-under including Americans Ben Crane, Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson.

     ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points, Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 12 rebounds and the New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 96-80 last night. The Magic's fifth loss came on the heels of coach Stan Van Gundy's comments yesterday morning saying he'd heard from top team officials that Dwight Howard has asked that he be fired.

     FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino has been put on paid leave following release of a police report which says that Petrino had a 25-year-old female employee with him during a weekend motorcycle ride that ended in a crash. Petrino, who is married with four children, broke four ribs and cracked a neck vertebra, but didn't reveal he was riding with the woman during a news conference Tuesday.

KWBG Sports for April 5th

  MIAMI (AP) - Kyle Lohse (lohsh) hurled six no-hit innings and pitched into the eighth to help the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals spoil the Miami Marlins' debut in their new ballpark, 4-1. The highlight for Marlins fans came early when boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who had one of his greatest bouts in Miami Beach against Sonny Liston in 1964, delivered the ceremonial first pitch after riding in from center field in a golf cart.

     UNDATED (AP) - There are seven more major league openers on tap today with both Cy Young award winners scheduled to pitch. AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander is on the mound this afternoon for the Tigers in their home opener against Boston and tonight in San Diego, NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers takes on the Padres at Petco Park.

     CHICAGO (AP) - The Theo Epstein era in Chicago begins this afternoon as the Cubs new GM starts his new gig after coming over from Boston. The Cubs, who haven't won a World Series since 1908, send out Ryan Dempster against the much-improved Washington Nationals and their young ace, Stephen Strasburg, at 98-year-old Wrigley Field.

     MIAMI (AP)- The Miami Heat moved within two games of the Chicago Bulls in the race for the NBA's best record following their 98-93 win over Oklahoma City last night. LeBron James had 34 points and 10 assists and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade added 19 points in the Heat's 17th straight home victory.

     CHICAGO (AP) -Reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose practiced with the Chicago Bulls yesterday and could be back in the lineup for their game tonight against Boston. Rose has missed the last 11 games with a groin injury.

KWBG Sports for April 4th

  DENVER (AP) - National player of the year Brittney Griner scored 17 of her game-high 26 points in the second half and added 13 rebounds and five blocked shots in unbeaten Baylor's 80-61 victory over Notre Dame for the NCAA women's national championship. The Lady Bears are the first college team to win 40 games in a season and the seventh women's team to finish the season undefeated.

     MIAMI (AP) - LeBron James scored a season-high 41 points, Mario Chalmers added 19 and the Miami Heat clinched a playoff spot with a 99-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Chris Bosh scored 17 points and Udonis Haslem (yoo-DAH'-nihs HAZ'-lehm) grabbed 11 rebounds for Miami, which won despite Dwyane Wade sitting out with a bruised left knee.

     AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Tiger Woods got a featured tee time for his first round Thursday in the Masters, playing just behind defending champion Charl Schwartzel and just ahead of No. 1- ranked Luke Donald. Woods will play his first two rounds with Miguel Angel Jimenez (AHN'-hehl hee-MEHN'-ehz) of Spain and Sang-Moon Bae of South Korea with a 10:35 a.m. (Eastern) for Thursday's opening round.

     MIAMI (AP) --Ozzie Guillen's (gee-EHNZ') new-look Miami Marlins open the stateside Major League Baseball season Wednesday night against the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday night at the Marlins new $515 million ballpark on the site of the old Orange Bowl in Miami. Marlins ace Josh Johnson gets the opening night pitching assignment against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse (lohsh) for new manager Mike Matheny, who takes over for retired skipper Tony La Russa.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Boston Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey will have surgery on his right thumb that could sideline him for a significant portion of the season. The Red Sox were counting on Bailey to take up the closer's role left vacant when Jonathan Papelbon signed a free-agent deal with Philadelphia.

KWBG Sports for April 3rd

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Kentucky sits atop the men's basketball world today after winning its eighth national title in school history, 67-59 over Kansas last night. The Wildcats' talented freshman center Anthony Davis won the most outstanding player award, scoring just six points but grabbing 16 rebounds and tying the NCAA championship game record with six blocked shots.

     DENVER (AP) - The undefeated Baylor's women's team goes for the NCAA women's national championship tonight when it plays Notre Dame, a team the Lady Bears defeated 94-81 back on Nov. 17 in Waco, Texas. If the Baylor women win, they will become the first college hoops team to win 40 games in a season.

     NEW YORK (AP) - New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin underwent what the team called successful surgery on his injured left knee, and posted a picture on Twitter of himself recovering in his hospital bed. The second-year sensation out of Harvard is expected to miss about six weeks.

     PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Flyers coach Peter Laviolette (lah-vee-uh-LET') was fined $10,000 Monday after calling out counterpart Dan Bylsma (BIHLZ'-muh) for sending out his checking line late in Philadelphia's 6-3 win at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The shouting match was the highlight of a fight late in the game after Pens forward Joe Vitale leveled Flyers center Daniel Briere (bree-AYR').

     GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) - Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta says he's penciling in pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (oo-BAHL'-doh hih-MEHN'-ehz) to start the second game of the season, despite Jimenez drawing a five-game suspension and fine by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WIT'-skee) on Sunday in a spring training game. Jimenez could delay the suspension with an appeal, which Acta says is likely.

KWBG Sports for April 2nd

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - John Calipari's group of Kentucky's mostly freshman-dominated team takes on Bill Self's surging Kansas Jayhawks in tonight's NCAA men's title. Kentucky is gunning for its eighth national title while the Jayhawks are trying for their fourth in school history, and second in four years.

     DENVER (AP) - Baylor's undefeated women's team has one more game left to try and become the first team in NCAA hoops history to record 40 victories in a season. The Lady Bears rallied in the second half to beat Stanford 59-47 behind Brittany Griner's 13 points and nine rebounds to reach Tuesday night's championship against Notre Dame.

     DENVER (AP) - Skylar Diggins scored 19 points, Brittany Mallory hit two big 3-pointers in overtime and Notre Dame beat Connecticut 83-75 on Sunday night to reach the national championship game for the second straight year. The Irish made their first three 3-point shots in OT after missing nine of 11 from long range in regulation.

     MARTINSIVLLE, Va. (AP) - Ryan Newman took advantage of a three-car wreck on the final lap to win the NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway and snap a 22-race winless streak on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. Jeff Gordon dominated the race all the way, leading for 328 laps, and wound up finishing 14th.

     HUMBLE, Texas (AP) - Hunter Mahan (MAY'-han) shot a 1-under 71 to win the Houston Open, edging Carl Pettersson (PEET'-ur-suhn) by one stroke.  Mahan, who won the Match Play Championship in February, is going to this week's Masters as the first two-time champion on the PGA Tour this year.