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■ BASEBALL

Lackey to be out for a month

Los Angeles Angels starter John Lackey is expected to be sidelined for at least a month with a strained right triceps, the club said on Saturday. Lackey, 29, went 19-9 with a league-leading 3.01 earned run average last year. The 198cm right-hander, who had not missed a regular season start because of injury since breaking into the rotation in 2002, will sit out for three to four weeks before being reevaluated. "I'm going to do everything I can to get back as soon as I can," Lackey told Major League Baseball's official Web site mlb.com. "I'll be a little bit cautious. They'll be pulling me back a little slower than I want to go." The Angels, widely regarded as the pre-season favorites in the American League West, will open defense of their division title without their top two starters.



■ ATHLETICS

Korir wins Seoul marathon

Sammy Korir of Kenya, the world's third fastest marathoner, won the Seoul International Marathon yesterday as his compatriots swept the annual race, organizers said. Korir clocked 2 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds to snatch the US$80,000 first prize, though he fail to beat his previous best of 2:04:56 in Berlin five years ago. Jason Mbote and Edwin Komen, both Kenyan, finished second and third respectively in 2:07:37 and 2:07:45. The fourth and fifth spots also went to Kenyan athletes. "I'm so happy," Korir told a television reporter after crossing the finishing line at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. Zhang Shujing of China won the women's race in 2:26:11. Her compatriot Wang Xueqin came second in 2:28:39, followed by Hellen Jemaiyo Kimutai of Kenya third in 2:29:11. Lee Bong-ju, a top South Korean runner and silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, finished eighth.



■ BASKETBALL

Gasol to miss games

Spain's Pau Gasol will miss the last three games of the Los Angeles Lakers' road trip with a sprained left ankle, the National Basketball Association club said on Saturday. That means Gasol would miss yesterday's showdown at Houston, where the Rockets were to pit their 21-game undefeated streak -- the second-longest in NBA history -- against the Lakers for the overall lead in the Western Conference. Gasol suffered a sprained left ankle on Friday in a 108-98 loss to New Orleans, leaving in the first quarter. The 210cm center did not return. The 27-year-old Spaniard has sparked the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference since being obtained from Memphis on Feb. 1.



■ ICE HOCKEY

Ducks' Pronger suspended

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger was suspended for eight games by the National Hockey League on Saturday after stomping on the leg of Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler. The incident took place early in the s'econd period of the Ducks 4-1 home victory on Wednesday over Vancouver after Kesler fell to the ice behind the Ducks' net and Pronger became entangled with him. There was no penalty whistled on the play but league officials watched videotapes of the incident and assessed the banishment. "In attempting to free himself, Pronger carelessly and recklessly brought his foot down," NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. Pronger will surrender US$609,756 in salary during his suspension and cannot return to the defending Stanley Cup champions until their final regular season game on April 6.



■ SOCCER

Fan shot and killed

A fan of Argentina's Velez Sarsfield was shot and killed as he traveled to Saturday's game against crosstown rival San Lorenzo, setting off riots that led to the match's postponement. Emanuel Alvarez, 21, was shot as he took a bus with other Velez supporters to San Lorenzo's stadium in southern Buenos Aires to attend the match, Velez club president Alvaro Balestrini told local media. The shot apparently came from a car that intercepted the bus. Police are still investigating the incident. As news of the shooting spread, Velez supporters in the stadium reacted violently and tried to break through the retaining barriers and enter the field. Police sought to prevent them and the referee suspended the match.



■ GOLF

McDowell wins after playoff

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the Ballantine's Championship on the third play-off hole after a gripping duel with Jeev Milkha Singh of India yesterday. McDowell ripped his approach to within 2 feet for birdie three as Singh fluffed a 4-foot putt to end a day of high drama on the South Korean island of Jeju. The overnight co-leaders had fought to a stalemate over 72 holes and Singh conjured a miraculous escape from 15 feet after bunkering on the second return to the play-off hole, the par-four 18th. At the third attempt, both players produced precision iron shots but Singh could not put his birdie putt away, leaving McDowell to hole out for his first European Tour win since 2004.



■ CRICKET

Trescothick pulls out of tour

Marcus Trescothick has had a recurrence of the stress-related illness that has put his England career on hold, withdrawing at the last minute from a preseason tour to Dubai with his county club. Trescothick pulled out of Somerset's tour on Friday after checking in his luggage for the flight to Abu Dhabi. It was to be the England opener's first overseas trip since flying home early from the Ashes tour in Australia in 2006. Somerset bowler Andy Caddick said the team supported Trescothick. "It is just a little glitch that he is having to come to terms with, and he has made the right decision,'' Caddick said after training in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. ``There is no point in him being out here if he is feeling uncomfortable."



■ RUGBY UNION

Sharks remain unbeaten

The Sharks kept their unbeaten Super 14 record on Saturday with a 16-8 win over the Lions in a match spoiled by a heavy downpour at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Both teams showing a willingness to run with the ball, but struggled after the rain started midway through the first half. The Sharks jumped out to a 16-3 lead at half-time, which proved sufficient as the Lions couldn't create many scoring opportunities in the wet conditions until replacement lock forward Franco van der Merwe scored a try with only a minute left. The win lifted the Sharks to 21 points in second place behind Canterbury Crusaders of New Zealand. The Sharks' only try came from a sweeping counterattack. Lions flyhalf Jaco van Schalkwyk kicked away the ball on attack, and Francois Steyn hit back down the left. A run linked him with four other Sharks players, and flanker Keegan Daniel was brought down just short of the line. B.J. Botha dived over from the ensuing ruck, and scrumhalf Rory Kockott converted. Kockott kicked three penalties while Van Schalkwyk had one.
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