■ BASEBALL
Webb makes All-Star team
Arizona pitcher Brandon Webb will replace Colorado pitcher Brian Fuentes on the National League roster for tomorrow's All-Star Game in San Francisco, Major League Baseball announced on Saturday. The reigning NL Cy Young Award award winner, Webb is 8-6 with a 3.27 ERA this season. He was a candidate in the NL final vote for the All-Star Game but missed out to San Diego's Chris Young. Fuentes announced on Friday that he would miss the game because of a mild strain of his lattisimus dorsi muscle.
■ RUNNING
Salazar leaves hospital
Alberto Salazar was released from the hospital on Saturday, one week after the three-time New York City Marathon champion had a heart attack. Officials at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center declined to provide details of Salazar's departure or his condition. Salazar, 48, collapsed while coaching distance runners at the Nike campus outside Portland, Oregon. Doctors inserted a stent and determined that he had suffered a heart attack. "He's not relinquished any of his coaching," said Kara Goucher, who placed second in the 10,000m last month at the US athletics championships.
■ BOXING
Alcine wins WBA title
Joachim Alcine scored a unanimous decision over Travis Simms to win the World Boxing Association light middleweight title on Saturday. Simms (25-1) was ineffective against Alcine in a bout at Harbour Yard Arena that saw both fighters have points deducted for excessive clinching. The 36-year-old southpaw, who was making his third defense of the WBA belt since winning it from Alejandro Garcia on December 13, 2003, was knocked off-balance in the ninth and was ruled to be down when his glove touched the canvas. Alcine (29-0, 18 KOs) received scores of 114-111, 115-110 and 116-109 en route to his first major championship. It was the first bout in the US since May 2003 for the 31-year-old Haitian, whose previous 12 fights took place in Canada. Another champion lost his crown Saturday as International Boxing Federation flyweight titleholder Vic Darchinyan was knocked out by Nonito Donaire in the fifth round of their bout. Previously unbeaten, Darchinyan (28-1) was outboxed from the start and was tagged by a left hook 38 seconds into the fifth that left him on the mat for several minutes. The 31-year-old Armenian southpaw was making his seventh title defense.
■ ATHLETICSs
USOC apologizes for joke
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) apologized to Brazil on Saturday after one of its employees jokingly compared South America's largest nation to the Congo, making headlines and prompting outrage from local politicians. Brazilians cringed at the photo, published on the front page of Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper, of a whiteboard at the USOC's press center for the Pan American Games where someone scrawled "Welcome to the Congo!" O Globo called the joke "full of prejudice" as US athletes arrive to compete in the games, which begin next week. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Cesar Maia told CBN Radio that Brazilians are understandably sensitive about being compared to much less developed countries -- especially by Americans, who are often seen here as arrogant in their views on other nations.
■ SOCCER
Bellamy move delayed
Wales captain Craig Bellamy has passed a medical and agreed personal terms for a move to West Ham United, but his ?7.5 million (US$15.1 million) transfer from Premier League rivals Liverpool has been delayed. The east London club said on Saturday that a private contractual issue between Bellamy and Liverpool had to be resolved before any transfer could be completed. "The player is due to meet with Liverpool on Monday morning, and we expect to complete the transfer soon after," said a statement on West Ham's Web site. After Liverpool's 3-2 win over Wrexham in a friendly on Saturday, manager Rafa Benitez told reporters: "He [Bellamy] has signed with West Ham. It's done. It's a good move for him."
■ SUMO
Hakuho posts debut victory
Mongolian Hakuho posted a win in his debut as grand champion yesterday while compatriot and fellow yokozuna Asashoryu was upset on the first day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. After forcing Tokitenku back to the edge, Hakuho got a left-hand grip on his opponent's belt and lifted the komusubi out to pick up his first win at sumo's highest rank. Asashoryu looked set for an opening day win but stepped out over the straw ridge after forcing komusubi Aminishiki to the edge of the ring.
■ CRICKET
Indian batsmen in the runs
India batsmen Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik and skipper Rahul Dravid all made fifties against Sussex on the first day of the opening match of the England tour at Hove on Saturday. Gambhir led the way with 81, Karthik made 76 and Dravid was 57 not out as India ended the first day of four against the English county champions well-placed on 281 for three. Dravid had added an unbroken 75 for the fourth wicket with VVS Laxman (37 not out), at the close. Karthik and Gambhir put on 129 for the second wicket following the early loss of Wasim Jaffer. Karthik then had the distinction of becoming Saqlain Mushtaq's maiden first-class wicket for Sussex. The former Pakistan off-spinner, whose British passport arrived earlier in the week, bowled Karthik to end a 177-ball innings featuring 10 fours. Gambhir's patient display ended when he was caught and bowled by Sussex stand-in skipper Michael Yardy.
■ MOTOR RACING
Ex-Ferrari man forced to flee
The ex-Ferrari employee at the center of the Formula One espionage drama has pleaded his innocence after being forced to flee from his home in Italy. Nigel Stepney has been the subject of an investigation by Italian police after being accused of supplying McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan with secret Ferrari technical information. But despite documents belonging to Ferrari being found in his house, Stepney has vehemently protested his innocence. "I categorically deny that I copied them [the Ferrari documents], or that I sent them to Mike Coughlan," Stepney told the British media late on Saturday. "I have no idea how anything came into Mike's possession. If he has some documents, they came from another source," he said. Stepney admitted he fears reprisals from angry Ferrari fans and safety concerns have prompted him to flee from his home in Italy to a secret location. "Ferrari is unique in Italy; it's a religion. If you go against it, it's like going against the Vatican. I'm anxious, naturally, but I haven't done anything wrong and I believe in the legal system in Italy," he said.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early on Tuesday struck out 11 in five shutout innings to match a franchise record during his MLB debut against the Oakland Athletics. “Pretty sick performance,” teammate Romy Gonzalez said. “It was fun to watch.” The only other Red Sox starter to rack up 11 strikeouts in his first career game was Don Aase versus the Milwaukee Brewers on July 26, 1977. “It was amazing, just to go out there and have that first opportunity,” Early said after getting the win in a 6-0 victory. “A long day of travel yesterday and just getting to the field, seeing
Mikel Merino on Sunday scored a hat-trick as a majestic Spain thumped Turkey 6-0 away in World Cup qualifying, while a brilliant Florian Wirtz free-kick helped Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to get their bid up and running. European champions Spain were in unstoppable form in the central Turkish city of Konya, claiming their second biggest-ever away win in World Cup qualifying as Arsenal midfielder Merino scored his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona playmaker Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal. The quality of Merino’s strikes was remarkable, with his
ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS: Blake Snell allowed two singles and two walks against the Rockies as he ended a personal three-game skid with his first win since Aug. 16 Blake Snell on Wednesday struck out a season-high 11 in six innings, while Mookie Betts hit a grand slam in the eighth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-0 for their fourth straight win. Helped by their third series sweep of the Rockies this MLB season, the Dodgers increased their National League West lead to three games over the San Diego Padres, who lost 2-1 at home to the Cincinnati Reds. Betts went four for five with five RBIs, capped by his seventh career slam on a 3-0 pitch from reliever Anthony Molina to make it 8-0. Andy Pages and
SWEDEN BEATEN: Goals in the first half by Elvis Rexhbecaj and Vedat Muriqi were enough to give Kosovo their second-ever win in World Cup qualifying Sandro Tonali’s last-gasp winner on Monday edged Italy to a 5-4 victory over Israel in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying, while Kosovo beat Sweden despite Alexander Isak making his first appearance of the season. After collapsing from leading 4-2 in the final two minutes to drawing 4-4, Tonali’s 91st-minute strike in the Hungarian city of Debrecen sent Italy above Israel and into the playoff spot in Group I. New coach Gennaro Gattuso’s side trail leaders Norway by three points and still have a chance of taking first place and the group’s sole direct qualifying spot as they seek to avoid missing out
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