This time, Al Reyes stopped the Red Sox rally. The Tampa Bay closer fanned Manny Ramirez with two runners on for the final out, and the Devil Rays held off Boston 6-5 on Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Reyes allowed two runs in the ninth that gave the Red Sox a 2-1 win. “The interminable ninth here at Fenway,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.
Byung-Hyun Kim’s latest stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks lasted only two starts. Arizona designated Kim for assignment Wednesday, a day after he retired only one batter in a 14-5 loss to the Florida Marlins. Manager Bob Melvin pulled Kim after 17 pitches. The right-hander allowed four runs, three earned, to boost his ERA in two starts with the Diamondbacks to 23.63.
Arrowhead Stadium, with the family of the late Lamar Hunt kicking in an extra $50 million, is going to get a $375 million renovation. The 35-year-old home of the Kansas City Chiefs will expand by approximately 500,000 square feet and will include a roughly 50 percent increase in concessions and an 80 percent increase in bathroom facilities.
Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chike Okeafor will probably miss the season after undergoing surgery Tuesday to reattach a torn biceps tendon. Okeafor was holding out hope for a return this season, coach Ken Whisenhunt said, but the normal recovery period for that type of surgery is four months.
Facing increasing pressure to strike a deal with prosecutors, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick conferred with his attorneys for hours Wednesday. The conference call came two days after Vick’s two remaining co-defendants scheduled plea hearings, presumably agreeing to testify against Vick if his federal dogfighting conspiracy case goes to trial as scheduled Nov.
Defending champion Lava Man and 12 other horses were entered Wednesday in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar this weekend. If all 13 start Saturday’s 1-mile race, it would be the second-largest field in the event’s 17-year history. Fourteen horses ran in 2002, when Carry Home became the third 3-year-old to win.
More Happy, trained by Bob Baffert, went wire-to-wire Wednesday in winning the $150,000 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Getting a clean break under jockey Rafael Bejarano, the 2-year-old daughter of Vindication was clearly the best as she cruised home to win the 6 1/2 -furlong event by three-quarters of a length in 1:17.51.
Tim Donaghy started making NBA bets four years ago, and he didn’t hesitate to wager on games he worked. Speaking in code during telephone calls, he tipped off high-stakes gamblers with inside information and recommended which teams to bet on. When his picks hit, he was paid $5,000. The stunning allegations emerged Wednesday as the disgraced former NBA referee pleaded guilty to two felony charges in…
Toronto forward Chris Bosh withdrew from U.S. training camp Wednesday because of a left foot injury. Bosh has plantar fasciitis and will not play in the FIBA Americas tournament that starts next week, USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said. The 6-foot-10, 230-pound Bosh will remain on the team and under consideration for a spot if the Americans qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
Bobby Carpenter, the first American-born player to score 50 goals in an NHL season, will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in October. The newest class of members that includes goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, forward Aaron Broten and former Michigan Tech coach John MacInnes was revealed Wednesday by USA Hockey.
