AMERICAN LEAGUE
Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning and tied a major league record as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 to complete a three-game sweep on Thursday.
Thome’s two-out, three-run shot, was his 25th this season and 532nd of his career. Konerko followed and Ramirez hit his before Robinson Tejeda came on to pitch. Uribe, homerless in his 107 previous at-bats, greeted him with his fourth of the year to make it 9-2.
PHOTO: AP
Chicago set a club record with the four straight homers, and it was the sixth time it had occurred in major league history. The Boston Red Sox were the last team to accomplish the feat, doing it against the New York Yankees in April last year.
Carlos Quentin extended a much more painful streak in the first inning, when he was hit by a pitch from Kyle Davies (5-4). Quentin has been plunked in his last six games and a major league-high 20 times this year.
In other games it was: • Rays 7, Athletics 6, 12 innings • Tigers 5, Blue Jays 1 • Red Sox 10, Rangers 0 • Orioles 11, Indians 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, HOUSTON, Texas
Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to help the Houston Astros down the San Francisco Giants 7-4 for their eighth straight win in the National League on Thursday.
It gave Houston, which has won 16 of 20, a four-game sweep of the Giants.
With the score tied in the eighth, Miguel Tejada led off with a single against reliever Keiichi Yabu (3-5). The Giants then replaced Yabu with Alex Hinshaw, who allowed Berkman’s 25th home run of the year.
In other games it was: • Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 2 • Padres 3, Brewers 2 • Cubs 11, Braves 7 • Mets 9, Nationals 3 • Cardinals 3, Marlins 0 • Reds 3, Pirates 1 • Dodgers 3, Phillies 1
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and