David Nalbandian wants to return to Queen's next year despite being disqualified in final for injuring line judge

David Nalbandian hopes to return to Queen's next summer despite being disqualified from Sunday's final for an ill-tempered kick that bloodied a line judge's shin and could leave the Argentinian up to £43,000 out of pocket.
 
In the wars: David Nalbandian took his anger out on an advertising hoarding when flew up and cut the leg of the line judge Photo: GETTY IMAGES


Nalbandian won the first set of his AEGON Championships final at Queen's but lost his temper in the second set after being broken by opponent Marin Cilic.

After missing a lunging forehand Nalbandian kicked an advertising hoarding in front of the chair of line judge Andrew McDougall.

The hoarding flew off its hinges and struck McDougall in the shin, causing an inch-long gash from which blood started to seep.

Nalbandian was disqualified after being deemed guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct and he suffered further pain when he had his £36,500 prize money withdrawn and heard he could be hit with a £6,400 fine.

Yet despite the incident, Nalbandian hopes to return to the Wimbledon warm-up event next year.


"This incident doesn't mean that I'm not going to come back," Nalbandian said. "It doesn't matter. I really feel good at this tournament.

"The tournament director is great to me and I like it. This is a bad situation for everybody and I really apologise for that but it doesn't mean anything to next year."

The 6,000-strong crowd sided with Nalbandian straight after the incident, many of them unaware the kick had caused such damage to the left leg of McDougall, who needed treatment for the injury.

Tournament director Chris Kermode stopped short of saying the 10th seed would definitely be allowed back, but conceded banning the player would be highly unlikely.

"Look, mistakes happen," he said. "I haven't really thought about next year, but you can ask me again in a couple of weeks

"There was no way he intended to do that. It would be foolish to say he's not welcome back to this tournament.

"The tennis he's played this week has been phenomenal and the crowd like him.

"You could tell by the crowd that they wanted him to play, so, you have to forgive these things and move on."

 

Joey Logano disappointed -- not disheartened -- after crash takes him out at MIS

By Mike Brudenell

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Joey Logano was riding high after a Sprint Cup victory at Pocono last weekend and a Nationwide Series win at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.

But the kid they called "Sliced Bread" in the garage for being the next best thing in NASCAR, went stale Sunday at MIS.

It was not entirely Logano's fault -- he was trying to avoid a loose car when he slammed into the wall on Lap 126 of the Quicken Loans 400.

"I thought I had it saved, and I overcorrected and went into the wall," Logano said. "It's a little frustrating, but we had a top-10 car today, I think we had a top 10 coming to us here -- maybe a top five."

Logano, who started from the ninth position for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, believes he'll be back for a fresh start at Sonoma this weekend.  

"We're still on a role, and we've still got a really good race team," Logano said. "Really good cars here, and we're not going to let this take us down."

Did Logano have any problems with the new left-side Goodyear tires that the manufacturer shipped in overnight when tires blistered in practice Friday and Saturday at MIS?

"I had one right-front (tire) issue during my last run," Logano said. "I was good, good, good, and then it blistered, and then it started to chunk apart. We were lucky we didn't blow a right front there."

Smoky escape: Some like it hot, but definitely not Denny Hamlin.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was involved in a scary episode when his car spun in Turn 4, made contact with another car and caught fire.

Hamlin drove his crippled car down pit road in flames.

When Hamlin stopped in his pit box, crew members leaped into action, extinguishing the fire and helping Hamlin out of the smoking hulk.

"I got to definitely thank all the crew guys who hauled (butt) over there and got me out," Hamlin said. "I've never actually been in that situation before. I've seen it with other guys, but I've never known what it's actually like, but it gets hot.

"I thought for a second I was OK. It was just in the back, and then something exploded in the front and it caught fire. Thankfully, we got everything that we have safety-wise."

Early exit: Trevor Bayne, guest columnist for the Free Press, was the first casualty of the race when his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford expired on Lap 7.

"I didn't even break a sweat," said Bayne, who started from seventh place. "It seems like nothing like this ... happens on a day you are running bad. As soon as you have a fast car and feel like you are in the hunt, something comes up."

Pole-vaulted: Pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose finished ninth in his No. 9 Stanley tools Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports.

Ambrose, the new qualifying record holder at MIS, had a solid day but got shuffled back in the pack after leading early in the race. But he wasn't too disappointed.

"We will take the top 10, but we had a great car today and we lost a little bit of track position and it hurt us," Ambrose said. "I am proud of my Stanley team. We led some laps and looked good up there. It was a strong day for us. Not quite what we wanted, but we will take it and move along to Sonoma."

Bad-break Brad: Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski had a respectable 13th-place finish in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.

"We made a lot of progress from where the weekend started, and I think we were better than a 13th-place car," Keselowski said. "We kind of fought some bad breaks, and I feel like we were probably a fifth- to 10th-place car and came home with a 13th. That's kind of been the story of our last few weeks.

"We've fought through a lot of bad breaks, some of them just luck and some of them self-inflicted, and we've been able to get finishes that you can't cry about. I feel like when we get a little bit of speed in our cars and when I execute a little bit better, we'll get ourselves back in victory lane."

Contact Mike Brudenell: 313-222-2115 or mbrudenell@freepress.com.

LaDainian Tomlinson to retire as San Diego Charger

By Bernie Wilson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN DIEGO —  LaDainian Tomlinson’s brilliant NFL career will officially end when he rejoins the San Diego Chargers in a ceremony for a day.

The Chargers said yesterday that Tomlinson, who was the NFL MVP in 2006 with San Diego and is the fifth-leading rusher in league history, will re-sign with the team today and then announce his retirement.

Tomlinson was drafted in the first round by San Diego in 2001 and became one of the biggest stars in team history, helping revive the Chargers after the devastating Ryan Leaf years and turning them into a force in the AFC West. He spent the first nine years of his career in San Diego. He played the last two seasons with the New York Jets.

Tomlinson was MVP in ’06, when he set NFL single-season records with 31 touchdowns, including 28 rushing, and 186 points. He ran for a career-high 1,815 yards that year, giving him the first of two straight league rushing titles.

Tomlinson finishes his career with 13,684 yards and 145 touchdowns.

Tomlinson spoke at the public memorial service for Junior Seau on May 11, drawing the biggest cheers of the night.

Perhaps his most memorable moment with the Chargers came on Dec. 10, 2006, when he swept into the end zone late in a game against the Denver Broncos for his third touchdown of the afternoon to break Shaun Alexander’s year-old record of 28 touchdowns.

His linemen hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him toward the sideline, with Tomlinson holding the ball high in his right hand and waving his left index finger, while the fans chanted “L.T.! L.T.!” and “MVP! MVP!”

When the Chargers released him in February 2010, quarterback Philip Rivers said: “I had the best view in the house on some of those awesome runs he made.”

Tomlinson had said recently that he might continue his career if the right opportunity was available. Some fans hoped the Chargers would bring back Tomlinson as a third-down back, but that appeared impossible as long as general manager A.J. Smith was in control.

Tomlinson had a less-than-smooth separation from the Chargers. The slashing, dazzling runs came less frequently and Tomlinson was slowing down because of injuries and age. He became less and less the face of the franchise as his role was reduced in a pass-happy offense. The Chargers would have been on the hook for a $2 million roster bonus, along with a $5 million salary.

Days after his release from the Chargers, Tomlinson held a tearful news conference at the suburban country club where he and his wife lived.

L.T. also had a public tiff with Smith.

A year before the Chargers released Tomlinson, Smith came under fire for mocking a statement Tomlinson made about wanting to stay in San Diego. 

Durant’s Foul Trouble Proves Costly to Thunder

N.B.A. Finals

Kevin Durant picked up his fourth foul with 5 minutes 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter and headed to the bench, where he remained until the start of the fourth quarter.
By EDGAR THOMPSON
 

MIAMI — If Oklahoma City is going to overcome a two-games-to-one deficit against the Miami Heat in the N.B.A. finals, the Thunder are going to need the leading scorer Kevin Durant on his game — and on the court.
For the second straight game, Durant was saddled with foul trouble that cut into his minutes Sunday night. But in contrast to Game 2, Durant was not able to recover from his absence and deliver during the fourth quarter, and the Thunder lost Game 3 to the Heat, 91-85.

Durant, averaging 34 points in the series entering Game 3, was held to 25 points, including just 4 in fourth quarter as the Heat pulled ahead.

Durant picked up his fourth foul, on Heat guard Dwyane Wade, with 5 minutes 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter and headed to the bench, where he remained until the start of the fourth quarter.

At the time, Oklahoma City led by 60-54 and was on a 17-7 run.

LeBron James of the Heat said the Thunder lost their edge when Durant left the game. Durant had scored 8 points in the third quarter before picking up his fourth foul.

“I think he got it going in the third,” James said. “He made some big shots, gave them the lead. His fourth foul on D-Wade, we kind of got the momentum from there.”

Durant, a three-time N.B.A. scoring champion, was clearly frustrated with the fourth foul call and never regained his offensive rhythm as the Thunder managed just 18 points in the final 12 minutes.

In Game 1, Durant scored 17 fourth-quarter points to lead his team to victory. In Thursday’s 100-96 loss to the Heat, the Thunder nearly overcame an early 17-point deficit behind 16 fourth-quarter points by Durant, even though he picked up his fifth foul less than two minutes into the final quarter.

“I’m just trying to play aggressive on both ends, and unfortunately I’m getting some fouls called on me,” Durant said Sunday. “But I’ve got to play through it. Two games in a row, man, so I’ve just go to play smarter next game.”

Fouls, and foul shooting, played a key role in Sunday’s game.

The Heat finished 31 for 35 from the foul line, or 88.6 percent, while the Thunder shot 15 of 24 from the line (62.5 percent) after leading the league in free-throw shooting during the regular season.

“We have to do a better job defending them without fouling,” Oklahoma City Coach Scott Brooks said.

Brooks said Durant, 23, also had to get to the line more. On Sunday, he had just four free-throw attempts after averaging 7.6 in the regular season.

“Kevin is an aggressive player,” Brooks said. “I’d like to see him keep attacking, and hopefully he can get to the free-throw line himself.”

After he re-entered the game, Durant missed a pair of free throws with Miami ahead, 76-75. Moments later, Durant broke free of James’s suffocating defense, but Heat forward Chris Bosh blocked Durant’s hook shot.

The 6-foot-9 Durant finished just 2 of 6 from the field in the fourth quarter.

“We just tried to put bodies in front of him, make it as difficult as possible,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Really have to sweat and work for those looks.”

Despite his struggles, Durant still had his chances, even after he picked up his fifth foul with 3:47 to go as he attempted to draw a charge on James.

With about 1:10 left and the Heat leading, 88-85, Durant did not even hit the rim with a runner that caromed off the glass.

“We missed some shots,” he said. “But we put ourselves in position to win.”

Oklahoma City finds itself in the unenviable position of having to overcome a 2-1 deficit, something teams have done less than 15 percent of the time in the N.B.A. finals.

To have a chance, the Thunder are going to need Durant, who also had five turnovers, to bounce back and avoid foul trouble.

“It was frustrating,” he said. “You know, I hate sitting on the bench, especially with fouls. Just got to do better the next game.”

Sweep runs Yankees’ win streak to nine

By Joseph White 

Associated Press 

WASHINGTON - The Yankees are used to so-called “playoff atmospheres’’ in the regular season. The clubhouse is stocked with players who know what it’s like to be in first place.

Those are relatively new sensations for the on-the-rise Nationals, who received a lesson or two in the Yankees’ first trip to the nation’s capital in six years. New York swept the series between division leaders, capping the three-game set Sunday with another solid performance from starter Ivan Nova in a 4-1 win.

“When you’re playing as well as we are, no matter what the situation is, you feel like you’re going to get it done,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Both teams entered the series riding six-game winning streaks. The Yankees are now up to nine, their longest since May 2009, and have swept three consecutive series of three games or more for the first time since 1998.

This series drew the eighth-, ninth-, and 10th-largest crowds in the 4 1/2-year history of Nationals Park.

Nova (9-2) gave up seven hits and a run in a mostly trouble-free 7 2/3 innings to win his fifth straight start. He is also unbeaten in his last 15 road starts.

The offense, as usual, came from the long ball. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano hit the Yankees’ 98th and 99th homers of the season - both solo shots - to make up for another abysmal day (0 for 12) with runners in scoring position. New York is hitting .216 with men on second and third this season.

“We’re still not happy about that,’’ said Mark Teixeira, who went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. “I wish I could tell you the issue.’’

Granderson homered off Edwin Jackson (3-4) in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Cano made it a two-run cushion in the seventh off Tom Gorzelanny.

Nova was pulled with two outs and a runner on base in the eighth. Boone Logan finished the inning, and Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.

“We’ve got to play better than that,’’ Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said, “if we want to beat teams like that.’’

© Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company.

Tiger, Phil, Bubba, Rory: Golf’s biggest guns misfire on its biggest stage

By Jay Busbee | Devil Ball Golf

Where he walks these days, Tiger walks alone. (Getty Images)

We're in the midst of a golden age of golf parity, an era when anyone within five shots of the lead on the Sunday of a major (which, at one point or another, encompasses pretty much everyone) can bring home one of golf's biggest prizes. And while that keeps hopes of dozens of golfers alive, it's hell on the brands of the sport's biggest names.

This week was one of the most wretched in memory for many of golf's best-known players. Let's take a look at each of them in turn, and see how the Olympic debacle might affect them:

Tiger Woods (+7, finished T21): An unmitigated disaster. After two days, Woods was in prime shape to win his first major in four years. After three, he was rocky but still within striking distance; all he would have needed, in theory, was a three-under performance to force a playoff. But he completely imploded, going +6 over the first seven holes and perpetuating doubts that he'll ever be able to put together four consistent major-level rounds. He should win another major in his future, but Jack Nicklaus' 18-major record looks as safe as it ever has.

[Related: Webb Simpson comes from four shots back to win the U.S. Open]

Phil Mickelson (+16, finished T65): Miserable from the very first shot. Mickelson's vaunted bounceback ability was nowhere to be seen this week. He's had terrible performances like this before, but rarely in majors. Mickelson has an incredible ability to forget his poor play, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him contend at the PGA Championship. (The British Open has almost always bedeviled him.) Still, the window is closing fast on his chances to win the major he wants so badly.

Rory McIlroy (Missed cut, T95): Highly concerning. McIlroy has now missed cuts in four of five events. Congressional looks a long way away now. This isn't the boy wonder who torched course after course; this is a man adrift. Whether it's lifestyle, preparation or just a really bad stretch, McIlroy is spinning now. Fortunately, he could right the ship at the British ... or he could further spiral downward.

Bubba Watson (Missed cut, T73): Unsurprising. Bubba is a household name entirely because of his Masters win, but he's always been a bit of a flaky golfer. Pairing him with Woods and Mickelson was a stroke of brilliance on the USGA's part, but Watson never appeared particularly comfortable at any time on the Olympic grounds. Still, he's very much a product of the 21st century: brilliance one week, catastrophe the next.

Earnhardt Jr.'s win caps career revival

By NOAH TRISTER

AP Sports Writer

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. had finally reached Victory Lane again, ending one of the longest stretches between wins in Sprint Cup history.
He had gone 143 races without finishing first - but not all of those defeats ended in failure. Over the last couple years, Earnhardt has methodically worked his way back among NASCAR's elite, to the point where his victory at Michigan International Speedway seemed almost inevitable.
It really was only a matter of time.
"I feel like we are getting stronger," Earnhardt said. "This year, we have gotten faster throughout the year. We started off pretty quick and we have gotten quicker, and quicker, especially these last couple weeks. So that's been a thrill for me."
Earnhardt's first Cup victory since 2008 came in convincing fashion when he beat Tony Stewart by 5.393 seconds Sunday. When the black Chevrolet with the green No. 88 crossed the finish line, Earnhardt could stop answering questions about when he was going to win again. Now, he's a legitimate contender for the overall series championship.
Earnhardt is second in the points standings and has been consistently impressive all year.
"We have a conference meeting on Tuesday with all of the drivers and crew chiefs and that will be a thrill since we won," Earnhardt said. "But we have got to start talking about the next race. We need to keep our eye on the goal and, like I said, we'll enjoy this, but we are ready for the next opportunity to win one, because this is fun."
It was Earnhardt's 19th Cup victory and his second in 159 starts for Hendrick Motorsports. He had 17 victories in 291 races for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
In 2009, he averaged a 23rd-place finish, but by last year, that average was up to 14.5. Sunday was his 12th top-10 finish in 15 starts this season. He's second to Matt Kenseth in the standings.
The victory came almost exactly four years to the day after his previous win in a Cup race. That also was in Michigan on June 15, 2008. He led for 36 laps a week ago at Pocono but made a late stop for gas instead of trying to stretch the fuel to the end.
On Sunday, it wasn't even close - but Earnhardt was still sweating out the finish, waiting for the other shoe to drop during the final moments of the 200-lap race.
"I was in there just going crazy," he said. "I just knew I was going to come around the next corner and see a piece of metal laying in the racetrack. I just was waiting on something to happen. That was terrifying."
Earnhardt's 143 races between wins was the sixth-longest streak in Sprint Cup history.
"Dale had the fastest car all day," Stewart said. "It's not a national holiday, guys. This morning they were celebrating his fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, because he's broke that string now, so I don't know what we're all supposed to think."
Like his last victory in Michigan, this one came on Father's Day - fitting for the driver whose father is so revered around NASCAR circles. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. "Junior" is now stock-car racing's most popular driver.
"They stayed loyal," he said. "As soon as I got out of the car, that was my initial thought - was about how many people were in their living rooms screaming at the top of their lungs, or running out in the yard, or whatever they do. I just wish I could see it all at once."
Earnhardt moved past pole winner Marcos Ambrose on lap 70 to take the lead, and although Stewart would lead for a bit, Earnhardt was in front again not long after the race's halfway point.
Earnhardt led on lap 171, after a pitting cycle. With 25 laps remaining, he was ahead by 1.978 seconds. With 10 remaining, he had built a 5.468-second cushion.
The end was almost anticlimactic, and it gave the team a measure of vindication after Earnhardt played it safe at Pocono.
"It just proves to us that our strategy is correct," crew chief Steve Letarte said. "If you bring fast enough racecars, you don't have to get outside your comfort zone too far."
After finally winning, Earnhardt stopped in front of the grandstand and spun his wheels in front of thousands of fans who were on their feet screaming.
Kenseth finished third in the 400-mile race, which included eight cautions for 39 laps and a rain delay of a couple hours at the beginning. After practice and qualifying speeds soared over 200 mph on the newly paved surface at MIS, teams switched left-side tires for the actual race.
Earnhardt seemed agitated after a special practice session Saturday night following the tire switch.
"I was desperate in that last practice to get something to work," he said. "When it ended, I still wasn't really sure if we were where we needed to be. I woke up this morning, just antsy, not knowing how this was going to play out."
It worked out just fine for Earnhardt.
"This is incredible," Earnhardt said. "I just didn't know when it would happen. I knew it was going to happen, just didn't know when."

Red Sox down Cubs

Sports Network

Chicago, IL —

Fighting back to the majors for the first time since 2010 after a lengthy absence due to shoulder and neck surgeries, 24- year-old Ryan Kalish finally got his opportunity just hours before Boston's interleague series finale against the Cubs.

Fresh off his promotion, Kalish came through with a go-ahead RBI single, which highlighted a three-run top of the seventh inning, as the Red Sox downed Chicago, 7-4, on Sunday.
Kalish was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket prior the contest for Ryan Sweeney, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left big toe inflammation.

"That's what baseball's been for years," Kalish said. "People getting hurt and people stepping up."

Making his first start in over two years -- a spot start in place of Josh Beckett -- Franklin Morales fanned nine and surrendered two runs on four hits in five innings. Beckett was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with right shoulder inflammation.

Matt Albers (2-0) picked up the win after allowing a run in the sixth.

David Ortiz smacked two hits, including a solo homer, registered two RBI and a pair of runs scored for the Red Sox, who have won four of their last five games.

Starlin Castro collected three hits and two RBI for the Cubs, who have dropped four of their last five contests.

They fell to 3-15 against left-handed starters.

"Coming into the season, I thought that one of our strong points would be when left-handed pitchers faced our team," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "It's not that they're doing horrible, we're just not getting the slugging percentage at all against left-handed pitching, which is holding us back from scoring multiple runs in an inning."

The game was tied 3-3 after six frames, but Boston surged ahead with its three-run seventh.

Darnell McDonald doubled and Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- pinch-hitting for Kelly Shoppach -- singled to put runners on the corners with no outs against Shawn Camp (2-4).

James Russell took over for Camp and was welcomed by Kalish, who lined an RBI single to center. Will Middlebrooks lifted a sacrifice fly to center and Daniel Nava's suicide squeeze gave the Red Sox a 6-3 advantage.

Saltalamacchia's RBI groundout made it 7-3 after eight while David DeJesus's sacrifice fly in the ninth concluded the scoring.

Earlier, an RBI double by Dustin Pedroia and a run-scoring base hit by Ortiz gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the opening frame before Castro's RBI triple in the home half and run-scoring double in the third knotted the game at 2-2.

Boston reclaimed the lead in the fourth when Ortiz belted a solo shot to center, but Chicago, aided by a pair of errors, battled back and squared the contest at 3-3 in the sixth.

Darwin Barney led off and reached base on a fielding error by Kevin Youkilis at third. Later, Barney scampered home from third when Albers' throw to second on a Jeff Baker comebacker to the mound was dropped by shortstop Mike Aviles.

Game Notes

Morales made his last start with Colorado on Apr. 21, 2009 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. All of his 15 career starts prior to tonight's also came with the Rockies. He made 145 straight regular-season appearances out of the bullpen prior to Sunday's game...Boston was 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position while Chicago finished 2-for-12 with RISP.

Copyright © 2012, Sports Network

Euro 2012 paper review: 'A black page in the history of Holland'

The Dutch press hits out at their side's first-round exit, while the Portuguese hail the return to form of Cristiano Ronaldo

Jacob Steinberg
guardian.co.uk

Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder contemplate Holland's exit from Euro 2012. Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Farewell then, Holland, slain by the Group of Death. But to be perfectly honest, they won't be missed. Not this time. Not after their worst ever performance at an international performance, not after finishing bottom of their group with three defeats from three games. With that in mind, the Dutch press is in no mood to hold back, the headline in De Telegraaf instantly capturing the mood of desolation: "Oranje, shame on you!" it blasts, getting straight to the point.

It had started so promisingly for Holland against Portugal, Rafael van der Vaart giving them an early lead, but the Portuguese hit back with two goals from an irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo to send the Dutch packing. "After the goal, the team seemed paralysed for a time," writes Tijmen Lensink. "Without winning a single point, the Dutch team leaves Poland and Ukraine with its tail between its legs." Holland's first group-stage exit at a European Championship since 1980 marks an "inglorious retreat" according to Lensink.

The criticism does not stop there, with the paper tipping the under-fire manager Bert van Marwijk to leave after overseeing an "outright embarrassment". "Never before had the Netherlands taken zero points from the group stage. In other words, Van Marwijk and Co wrote a black page in our football history in Kharkiv." Elsewhere it is suggested that Holland currently have no place in the top echelons in international football, with Nieuwsblog, referencing "the mockery of the European championship, noting that no team has ever destroyed its reputation so quickly and so thoroughly as Holland have managed.

"The Dutch team now knows where it stands," writes Chris Nijnatten in Algemeen Dagblad. "In the pale regions of the margins of the world. The belief was based on an illusion. It was the belief in a disjointed group, full of misunderstanding and full of gossip. It was the belief in strong containers without enthusiasm (Robin van Persie) and without a future (Mark van Bommel)." Although Van Marwijk did what many felt he should, dropping Van Bommel for Van der Vaart, Nijnatten says this merely left a creaky defence exposed. "The block was needed against stronger opponents, in order to protect the vulnerable back line," he says.

Few expect Van Marwijk to stay, yet while his popularity is at an all-time low, much of the focus is placed on the players, another paper pointing out that with so many good players in the side, there was no way Holland should have finished with no points. "Egos have destroyed the team."

While the Dutch lick their wounds, Portugal revel in a famous victory and after a brilliant match-winning display from Ronaldo, Correio da Manhã puts it best: "We have our hero back, the country can now rest". Scorn had been heaped on Ronaldo after a wayward performance in the previous game against Denmark, but against Holland he was exceptional, menacing the Dutch defence throughout and helping himself to two fine goals. "The Portuguese reaction to the Dutch goal was brutal," says the paper. "It was Cristiano Ronaldo's night. He hit the post twice and scored two. We have our hero back. The country can sleep soundly."

"Paulo Bento could not ask for more," writes Publico, before sounding a word of caution over the quarter-final against the Czech Republic. "The leaders of the federation could already book tickets to Warsaw, where a surprising Czech Republic will be waiting for the Portuguese delegation for a remake of the quarter-finals of Euro 96. This time without Karel Poborsky." The memory of the Czech's infamous scoop 16 years ago remains raw.

The other match in Group B was more low key, Germany's win over Denmark sending them through as group winners. Bild tries to ratchet up the excitement with their headline "Boom boom Bender!" in honour of Lars Bender's late winner, but Germany's performance left most underwhelmed. "I thought it would be easier against Denmark," says Franz Beckenbauer. "To be champions, we must improve."

There is praise in Die Zeit for the performance of the Danes despite their exit. "The Danes played namely such as Löw had feared the day before," it writes. "Defiant, stubborn, and without fear. The Danes were vigilant, well-organised and also had a greater presence in midfield." Clearly, then, the feeling in Germany is that they have a way to go if they are to win the tournament.

That provides little consolation for an unfortunate Denmark however, although there is optimism about the way they performed in the toughest of groups. As Christian Thye-Petersen says in Jyllands-Poster, Denmark were a goal away from knocking Germany out. "The crucial question, when disappointment has subsided, is whether the effort gave promise for the future," continues Thye-Petersen. "It did." Focus turns to qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and Thye-Petersen is confident this is a team that can take heart from their showing at Euro 2012.

"Based on what we have seen and experienced with the Danish national football team, I have no doubt that Denmark will qualify for World Cup - yes, I expect it," he says, pointing out that the youngster Christian Eriksen will be more mature, the defence with Daniel Agger is solid and up front Nicklas Bendtner can become even better. Where next for Denmark then? "Next stop – Rio."
 

Simpson rallies on foggy Sunday to win U.S. Open at Olympic Club by one shot

By Cameron Morfit, Senior Writer, GOLF Magazine

SAN FRANCISCO -- Your new U.S. Open champion is a 26-year-old father of one with another on the way. He admits to a weakness for Bojangles biscuits and fried chicken, inspired the USGA to change one of the Rules of Golf, and missed his last two cuts coming into the season's second major at Olympic Club.

James Frederick "Webb" Simpson, who broke through with two victories in 2011 but was in the midst of an unremarkable 2012, carded his second straight 68 at fog-shrouded Olympic for a one-over total and a one-shot victory over Graeme McDowell (73) and Michael Thompson (67) at the 112th Open on Sunday.

"One of my thoughts on the back nine was, 'I don't know how Tiger has won 14 of these things,'" Simpson said, "because the pressure -- I couldn't feel my legs most of the back nine."

McDowell birdied the 17th hole and had a chance to force a Monday playoff, but his birdie putt from 24 feet on the 18th hole wasn't close, missing left. Simpson and his wife, Dowd, watching cell phone videos of their son, James, in an effort to remain calm, hugged after McDowell's ball eased past the hole.

"There's a mixture of emotions inside me right now," said McDowell, who was trying to win the U.S. Open for the second time in three years. "Obviously disappointment, deflation, pride -- but mostly just frustration, just because I hit three fairways today. That's the U.S. Open. You're not supposed to do that."

Related Photos: Simpson rallies in final round at Olympic Club


Jason Dufner (70), Jim Furyk (74), Padraig Harrington (68), John Peterson (70) and David Toms (68) tied for fourth place at three over par, two back.

Children and adults huddled in blankets as the fog turned to a fine mist on a day that was nothing like the first three at this course tucked into the hills by the Pacific Ocean. Second- and third-round co-leader Furyk looked solid while making a series of pars until a shocking snap-hook off the tee at the par-5 16th, where USGA officials moved the tees up to alter the hole from a 670-yard behemoth to 569 yards. He bogeyed three of his last six holes to tie for fourth.

"I don't know how to put that one into words," said a despondent Furyk, who was trying for his second major and 17th official Tour win. "But I had my opportunities and my chances and it was right there. It was my tournament to win."

Furyk questioned the USGA's decision to move the tee up so far on 16, creating a dog-leg left tee shot that players hadn't faced all week.

"I thought they might put the tee up maybe 65 yards, like they did on Friday," he said. "But to get to a tee where the tee box is 100 yards up and the fairway makes a complete L-turn, I was unprepared and didn't know exactly where to hit the ball off the tee."

Ernie Els eagled the seventh hole and birdied 12 to get to within a shot of the lead, but bogeyed two of his last three holes to finish ninth at four over par.

Simpson, who turned pro in 2008 and lives in Charlotte, N.C., made three straight birdies on the sixth through eighth holes, added another at the 10th, and made eight straight pars to hang on for his third Tour victory.

"You know, this is only my second U.S. Open, and so I told myself don't get too excited, don't try to win," said Simpson, who tied for 14th place last year at Congressional. "You've got to go out there and try to make pars, and that's what I did. And luckily I made some putts, and got a couple under out of it."

For the second straight day the USGA set up the Olympic Club's Lake Course to bring the players to their knees on the first six holes, then nurse them back to health on the back nine. With the par-5 17th hole playing just 510 yards, and the 335-yard, par-4 18th requiring only a wedge or 9-iron for the second shot, conditions were right for a player to make a strong finishing kick for the win. As it turned out, Simpson's pars, including a deft up-and-down on 18, were enough.

Tiger Woods provided both the sublime and the ridiculous at this Open, from his air-tight, first-round 69 to his lost weekend of weak bunker shots and fluffed chips. After the way Woods had won at the Memorial two weeks earlier, it was tempting to call it early in favor of the 14-time major champion, who fired a rock-solid 70 in the second round. Woods was 8-1 in majors when holding at least a share of the 36-hole lead, so everyone knew what was coming next. But it turned out that no one knew what was next -- seven of 14 fairways hit, 34 putts, and a 75 on a Saturday when 13 players broke par.

Sunday began just as badly as Saturday ended, as Woods went six over for his first six holes. "Tiger's done," a father explained to his son as they crossed the 16th fairway, and that was true, for this week. Woods went three under for his next 12 holes for a final-round 73 and a seven-over total.

"I was just a touch off, and that's fine," he said. "I was still in the ballgame."

At least he hung around a while before falling apart. Phil Mickelson, who along with Woods and Bubba Watson made up Olympic's answer to John, Paul and Ringo for the first two days, hooked his first shot of the tournament into a Monterrey cypress tree and was so off the mark that his opening-round 76 qualified as a minor miracle. The good news: He made the cut with a second-round 71, and he turned 42 on Saturday. The bad news: He never got into contention. Watson (78-71) didn't make the weekend.

"If you played anything less than perfect golf, it was extremely penalizing," Mickelson said, "and I played far from perfect."

University of Oregon golf coach Casey Martin bogeyed his last hole Friday to miss the cut by one, but Martin, who suffers from a painful circulatory condition in his left leg and sued the PGA Tour to win the right to use a golf cart in competition, provided the first human interest story in a week full of them.

Paul Casey withdrew with a shoulder injury before the tournament, which opened a spot for 14-year-old Andy Zhang, who is believed to be the youngest competitor in U.S. Open history. Zhang (79-77) missed the cut by a mile, but he was pumping his fist upon making a putt to break 80 Thursday, and on Friday he said that a simple nod of recognition from Els -- they met through the David Leadbetter Academy -- provided one of the highlights of his week.

Then there was Beau Hossler, the 17-year-old amateur who just finished his junior year of high school but has already committed to play for Texas. He briefly took the lead during the second round, and while he quickly lost it, he refused to go away in round three (70) before fading Sunday, carding a double bogey at the last for a final-round 76 and a nine-over total. He lost low-amateur honors to current Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth, who shot 70 to finish seven over.

Simpson made $6.35 million last year, when his ranking sky-rocketed from 208th to ninth, but was having what he called a "slow" follow-up season. After missing cuts at the Players Championship and Memorial he spent long sessions on the range with caddie Paul Tesori, and as part of his preparation for the Open he went on a buddy golf trip to Pinehurst. Simpson knew Olympic, having lost in the first round of the 2007 U.S. Amateur at the fabled track.

"I had a tough draw," he said, "but I liked the course."

Although he made bogeys on two of his first five holes Sunday, Simpson told himself not to panic. Tesori told him to stop watching leaderboards. Seven months pregnant, Dowd Simpson watched as her husband made his remarkable run. Although her due date with the couple's second child is Aug. 3, they will induce labor so he can play in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Aug. 2-5.

The USGA changed the Rules of Golf after Simpson, a Wake Forest product, was given a costly penalty at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last season. Simpson had addressed his ball on the green when the wind moved it, and he was assessed a one-shot penalty that dropped him into a playoff with Bubba Watson, which Simpson ultimately lost. He later won the 2011 Wyndham Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship in a span of three weeks, and went 3-2-0 for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. And now, in just his second U.S. Open and fifth major championship start, Simpson has win number three. At story-time for their 16-month-old son, Webb and Dowd sometimes read a book about space called "Full Moon Rising." Dowd, an actress, reads, while James looks at Webb to see if he's paying attention. James always goes bonkers when they get to the end. Now the family has a new story to tell, the tale of a surprising walk to victory in the cool San Francisco mist.

"If I'm honest with you, I believed in myself that I could win a major," said Simpson, "but maybe not so soon."

Four-Point Play: Thunder can't afford to play soft in paint

Four key points in the aftermath of the Miami Heat's 91-85 win Sunday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder:

Kendrick Perkins is a basketball bully. He made his name in this league with hard screens and harder defense. The Thunder center has a rough beard at the end of his chin, and he rarely cracks a smile on the court.

Serge Ibaka is all arms, his 7-4 wingspan leaving his massive hands in reach of every shot. He averaged a block and a half more than any other player in the NBA this season. The Thunder forward gets in opponents' faces and doesn't leave.

But the Heat own the paint.


With 6-4 Dwyane Wade and 6-8 LeBron James pounding through Oklahoma City's defense time after time, Miami shot 23-for-35 at the rim in Game 3, according to Hoopdata. In Game 2, they shot 18-for-28 in close. That's 65.1% (41-for-63) in their two wins as they've taken the Finals by the neck. The Thunder shot 50% (28-for-56) in their losses.

The Thunder have played soft, that dreaded word that implies losing basketball. Even Russell Westbrook, often criticized for his fearlessness, lost his edge in Game 3, shooting 1-for-6 at the rim after a 6-for-13 performance in Game 2. Coach Scott Brooks will watch video Tuesday of his team playing scared.

The ball's in Brooks' court now. He's got a young team playing against one hardened by external criticism. He's got a young star, Kevin Durant, being mercilessly picked on by the NBA's best, James.

It's not that the Thunder aren't defending or that Brooks' strategy is failing. Miami was a startling 1-for-19 on mid-range jump shots in Game 3. The Thunder blocked eight shots. Heat starters Wade, Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers combined to shoot 12-for-42 from the field.

But Miami controlled the paint all night, holding a 45-37 rebounding edge. The only period where things went right inside for the Thunder was the third, when Durant was in foul trouble and Brooks opted for bigger lineups. Oklahoma City had a 16-7 rebounding edge and only let up six points in the paint in the third quarter.

Durant's going to play, but that can't mean the Thunder play so poorly inside. The Thunder were plus 3 with Perkins and plus 8 with Ibaka on the court. They need the physicality and size to compete with Miami's relentless attack. The Thunder struggled in the Western Conference finals with Ibaka and Perkins playing together because of the San Antonio Spurs' spread offense. But packing the paint can work against the Heat, particularly when they're shooting so poorly.

This is where great coaches prove themselves. Brooks has drawn praise for building the Thunder into a power, but the team is young. They need to be reminded of the stakes. They need to be told to toughen up.

The other side of the coin: Miami can't hit a jump shot. That 1-for-19 stat should startle every person in the Heat locker room. They've got to look toward Shane Battier more often. He was 2-for-2 on three-pointers but didn't attempt another field goal in the win. He's 11-for-15 in the series, and his teammates are 7-for-21 from long range. Battier's open most often when James drives to the basket. James is one of the most gifted passers in the NBA, but he's kept his head down often during this series and made 13 assists in three games after averaging 6.2 a game in the regular season. Battier even got fouled on a three-point try, and he made all three free throws.

Everybody on the Heat is making free throws. Critics will look at the 35-24 edge Miami had in opportunities from the line as a sign of poor refereeing. And there were some questionable calls mixed in with the easy ones. But the Heat shot 88.6% (31-for-35) while the Thunder shot 62.5% (15-for-24). Those nine misses were crucial, enough to turn a loss into a win, and seven came in the second half. The Heat are making 85.9% (67-for-78) in the series after shooting 77.5% in the regular season. An issue has become a strength.

Both teams have struggled to set up their offenses in the half court. Thabo Sefolosha's steal on Dwyane Wade was the most glaring example, but Thunder guard James Harden committed two bad turnovers late as well. With Chalmers struggling, the Heat have relied on Wade late in games to initiate. And Harden often takes the reins from shot-happy Westbrook late for Oklahoma City. They're both fine passers, but their ball-handling doesn't match elite point guards.

© 2011 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
 

Robshaw: We must learn from defeats

(UKPA)

Captain Chris Robshaw hopes England can combine the best from their two Test defeats in South Africa to gain a consolation win next week.

England's hopes of drawing level in the three-match series were dashed as they slipped to a 36-27 loss in the second Test in Johannesburg despite a stirring second-half fightback.

He said: "If we add a couple of little bits to our game, hopefully it will improve massively. Throughout the Six Nations and last week our defence was spot on but yesterday it wasn't quite there. These are things we are going to have to work on... It is about taking all these little areas and improving them."

While England were blunt in attack but proved their defensive resilience in the first Test defeat in Durban, the opposite was true in what proved a more open game in the capital.

The teams meet again in the final match in Port Elizabeth next week and Robshaw believes improving England's efforts can still earn tangible reward.

"The scrum was vastly improved from last week and our maul was very good and we challenged them with the kicks. Unfortunately we couldn't do them last week... Before the tour we really believed we could come over here and win the series. Unfortunately that has not been the case but hopefully we can get a consolation next week."

Despite the series loss, spirits remain high and England can still feel they are heading in the right direction under new head coach Stuart Lancaster. He has rejuvenated the team during a positive RBS 6 Nations campaign after the disaster of last year's World Cup.

The Springboks have just proved a little too good for them this time but the long-term goal is the next World Cup in 2015.

Robshaw, who has proved himself an impressive leader since appointed by Lancaster, said: "We are obviously very disappointed but credit to the South African side to win the series. They came out all guns blazing and we gave ourselves too much to do. Just after half-time we were down by an 18-point deficit and that is a long way to come back.

"Credit to all the boys to come back and win the second half but unfortunately it was too little, too late. It has been a massive experience and one everyone has, not enjoyed, but had a challenge with."

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Advocaat: Russia played brilliantly against Greece

The Dutch trainer was made to rue a lack of incisiveness from his strikers after his team's unexpected Euro 2012 exit in an otherwise dominant performance

By Igor Mladenovic

 Dick Advocaat believes that Russia's Euro 2012 exit was undeserved and that his team completely outplayed Greece during Saturday night's 1-0 defeat.

The Russians were touted as dark horses for the continental crown after their 4-1 demolition of Czech Republic on the opening day of the tournament, but were ultimately eliminated at the group stage after drawing with Poland and losing to Fernando Santos' men.

However, the 64-year-old has maintained that his troops deserved to clinch a victory that would have seen them qualify for the latter stages of the tournament after dominating their opponents.

"We played a brilliant first half," Advocaat told De Telegraaf. "Our attackers were unfortunately not sharp enough. When the Greeks scored a goal, that changed the whole story.

"We had many opportunities, but were just not sharp enough to score. We went to the European Championships to win, not just to play. We tried to control the game and ultimately to decide it.

The Dutchman went on to praise Fernando Santos' Greek side for a stern defensive display which saw them survive a number of Russian attacks.

"I have to compliment the Greeks. They stayed up well against the Russian attacks and defended very right. "

Advocaat is set to join PSV after two years in charge of Russia. 

Euro-Greece must keep a cool head for quarter-final

By Karolos Grohmann
GDANSK
 
(Reuters) - Greece will go into the Euro 2012 last eight with a sense of pride but must keep a cool head after a roller coaster group stage saw them move from the brink of elimination to the knockout phase with a 1-0 win over Russia.
Greece coach Fernando Santos said their erratic start - a 1-1 draw with Poland and a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic in Group A - before their victory against group favorites Russia meant they were neither the worst nor the best team.
The Greeks finished in second place level on four points with Russia behind Group A winners the Czech Republic, who had six points, and co-hosts Poland who came bottom with two.
They only qualified by virtue of a better head-to-head record courtesy of their victory over the Russians.
"We have to clear our heads and keep our feet stuck on the ground so that we can prepare for whatever awaits us in the last eight," said Santos, who took over in 2010 from the revered Otto Rehhagel, the architect of their Euro 2004 triumph.
"Beating Russia does not make us the best team in the world and the bad start we had does not make us the worst team either."
The Greeks conceded only five goals in 10 Euro qualifiers before letting in three in the first two matches at the finals.
"We know who we are and we will give it all we have got. The real character of this team comes to the surface in the tough games," Santos added.
Greece have now lost only twice in their last 24 games since the 2010 World Cup.
They will come up against the winners of Group B where Germany lead the standings with six points and take on Denmark on Sunday needing only a point to top it.
The quarter-final will be held in Gdansk on June 22.
They will have do it without captain Giorgos Karagounis, who equalled the Greek record of 120 caps on Saturday but was booked and is suspended for one match.
"We are not afraid of the big teams in this tournament," said defender Giorgos Tzavellas. "Even if it is Germany, I am not worried. We do really well against the tough teams."

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Ken Ferris)

ROONEY PREPARES FOR ENGLAND RETURN

Wayne Rooney's re-integration into the England team began in earnest on Sunday as the European Championship squad resumed training ahead of Tuesday's crunch clash with Ukraine.

Rooney arrived at their Hutnik Stadium base on the outskirts of Krakow this morning, along with his 22 other team-mates, with the big question being who would partner the country's talisman in their final Group D game in Donetsk.

Danny Welbeck appeared favourite to get the nod to play alongside his Manchester United team-mate, whose recall to the side after a two-game ban was never really in doubt, despite England taking four points from their matches against France and Sweden at Euro 2012.

That would almost certainly mean Andy Carroll, a scorer in the latter game on Friday, making way against co-hosts Ukraine.

Although, with England training behind closed doors today, it was going to be difficult to glean manager Roy Hodgson's exact thoughts.

Hodgson gave his players a day off on Saturday and he may decide - as he did two days after the France game - to wrap some of those who played on Friday in cotton wool again this morning.

Chelsea star Ashley Cole usually does not train fully two days after a match for club and country and he could be joined by others in undertaking gym and pool work.

Indeed, it was not long before Cole emerged from the stadium entrance with a towel around his shoulders.

That was after Scott Parker walked out - and back in - while training was ongoing, hinting he may not have played a full part.

Central midfield partner and captain Steven Gerrard later followed suit.

© 2012 365 Media Group Ltd

Sources: Owners Budge on Cap Demand

By HOOPSWORLD

Basketball News & NBA Rumors

For the first time in two years of labor talks, NBA owners made a modest push from their rigid stance on implementing a hard salary cap, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The owners proposed at Tuesday’s negotiating session an idea similar to the current system that allows teams to pay a luxury tax for going over the cap. Only, now there would be ultra-punitive measures against higher-spending teams. The current system has teams pay a dollar-for-dollar tax for exceeding the cap.

Players Association executive director Billy Hunter has called the hard cap a “blood issue” for the union, and insisted the players would never agree to it.

The owners’ proposal on Tuesday “would still have the affects of a hard cap,” one source with knowledge of the talks said.

via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Do you like Presidents Cup picks of Woods and Haas?

By Reid Cherner, USA TODAY

Fred Couples made it official yesterday by picking Tiger Woods and Bill Haas with his two captain's picks for the Presidents Cup.

PRESIDENTS CUP:  Couples takes two

Greg Norman will captain the International team.

Although Woods has not played since the PGA Championship in August, Couples had said a month ago that Woods would be a choice. Last weekend, Haas won the Tour Championship and the FeEx Cup.

Haas was 12th in the Presidents Cup points standings. The top 10 are automatically on the team.

Not picked for the Nov. 17-20 matches at Royal Melbourne Golf Club: PGA winner Keegan Bradley (20th on points list); 2010 Ryder Cup member Rickie Fowler (15th) and Brandt Snedeker (11th).

The automatic qualifiers: Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, David Toms, Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk.

First Pitch: Tied wild-card races raise prospect of one-game playoffs

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

Ready for two playoffs before the playoffs?

That scenario would unfold if the wild-card races remain the way they are for just one more day.T

The St. Louis Cardinals finally caught up to fast-fading Atlanta by overcoming an early 5-0 deficit to crush the Houston Astros 13-6 on Tuesday, after the Philadelphia Phillies had delivered another damaging blow to the Braves by beating them 7-1.

Should the NL wild-card contenders remain tied after today's action, they would face each other in a one-game playoff Thursday in St. Louis at 8:07 p.m. EDT.

The AL wild-card tiebreaker would be played four hours earlier at Tampa Bay, provided the Rays and Boston Red Sox can't settle matters by tonight.

Both clubs won Tuesday, but while the Rays rode Matt Joyce's three-run homer in the seventh to a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees, the Red Sox had to sweat till the last swing before dispatching the stubborn Baltimore Orioles 8-7.

Fittingly for a Boston club that has gone 7-19 in September, it took closer Jonathan Papelbon 28 pitches and all of his resources to get out of the ninth inning, after allowing one Oriole to score and having the tying run at second base.

"I don't know if you could see out there, but there was a couple of times I had kind of a little grin on my face," Papelbon said afterward. "I enjoy that. That's baseball, man. It doesn't get any better than that. I was having fun. I enjoy that. That's what it's all about."

Manager Terry Francona, who saw his club take an 8-4 lead in the eighth and nearly blow it, had an appreciating for the moment but wouldn't exactly describe the experience as fun.

"I think it's really good for baseball. Not so good for my stomach,'' said Francona, who will have Jon Lester on the mound tonight, opposing Alfredo Simon. "It's exciting. If you don't want to show up tomorrow and play, you've got no pulse. My goodness. I can't remember being that nervous in a long time.''

Boston got a major boost from rookie catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who had two homers and four RBI. The Rays, meantime, were lifted by two highly unlikely developments – a sixth-inning triple play and Joyce's second homer in his last 30 games.

The blast turned a 3-2 Yankees lead into a 5-3 Rays margin that held up.

"It was probably one of the most exciting times you can possibly have on a baseball field -- in our town, two games left in the season, everything riding on the line, you're down a run. You know it was just a big hit," Joyce said.

He homered off former Rays closer Rafael Soriano, as Yankees manager Joe Girardi stuck with his plan to give some work to his top relievers, including David Robertson and Mariano Rivera. Today, however, Girardi intends to rest them for the playoffs, and he has yet to announce a starter. The Rays will go with ace left-hander David Price.

The Braves will also have their ace on the mound in Tim Hudson, but he may need a bit more support than his fellow starters have received in the last two games, when the Phillies held Atlanta hitters to a total of three runs. He'll be opposed by Joe Blanton.

The Braves, who had an 8 ½-game lead for the wild card on Sept. 6, have lost 12 of 17.

"You never expect this to happen to you," said Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones. "It's like living out a bad dream."

The Cardinals must have felt the same way after a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers left them at 67-63 on Aug. 24, the wild card but a faint hope with the Braves 10½ games ahead of them.

Now they're on equal footing, except St. Louis is facing the team with the majors' worst record and the Braves play the one with the best.

The Cardinals have won 21 of 29 since the Dodgers sweep.

"It's kind of fed us here the last few days, 120 years of baseball and this is one of those historic runs to tie," said manager Tony La Russa, who will send out ace Chris Carpenter against the Astros' Brett Myers. "But there's a different story between tying and finishing it off. So tomorrow we'll see if we can go take another step."

Braves, Cardinals all even

Associated Press 

Dan Uggla drop-kicked his bat after striking out on three pitches. Chipper Jones slammed his bat into the dirt after popping up. Derek Lowe just trudged off the mound to another round of boos from the home crowd, wondering how it all went wrong.

The Braves are mad and frustrated heading to the 162d game.

Their season is on the brink after a potentially historic collapse.

“It’s like living out a bad dream,’’ Jones said.

Lowe (9-17) had another miserable outing, surrendering five runs in four-plus innings, and the Braves took another step toward giving away a playoff berth that seemed certain just a few weeks ago with an ugly 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last night in Atlanta.

St. Louis pulled even with the Braves, rallying from an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros, 13-6.

Chase Utley, Hunter Pence, and Jimmy Rollins homered to back a three-hit outing by Roy Oswalt (9-10), who tuned up for the playoffs with a strong performance in a largely disappointing season.

Talk about disappointing. Look what has happened to the Braves.

They lost their fourth in a row and eighth in 11 games, sending them to the final day of the regular season tied with the Cardinals. Atlanta had an 8 1/2-game lead just three weeks ago.

“We’ve got one game to play in the month of September, then October comes around and it’s a new month,’’ Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “There’s not a person in that locker room who I wouldn’t want to be on my team to play that game.’’

Sixteen-game winner Tim Hudson will try to wrap up the wild card or at least force a one-game playoff against Cardinals, which would be tomorrow night in St. Louis.

“It is what it is,’’ Gonzalez said. “We’ve played 161 games and it comes down to one. We’ve done it to ourselves. No excuses there. We’ve got to go get it tomorrow.’’

Cardinals 13, Astros 6 - Visiting St. Louis got a tiebreaking two-run triple from Ryan Theriot in the seventh inning to beat Houston and pull even with Atlanta in the NL wild-card race. The Cardinals trailed, 5-0, early and appeared to be headed for a second straight loss to the Astros. But St. Louis scored five times in the fourth and erased a 6-5 deficit with a four-run seventh.

In other games - Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Nelson Cruz hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning, and the surging Rangers stayed on track for homefield advantage in the AL division series with a 10-3 victory over the host Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers (95-66) have won five straight and nine of 10 while holding off Detroit (94-67) for the AL’s second-best record. If Texas wins today’s season finale or if the Tigers lose to the Indians, the Rangers will host the AL’s wild-card winner Friday . . . Prince Fielder homered three times in a game for the first time in his career, including a two-run shot in the seventh inning that lifted host Milwaukee to a 6-4 victory over Pittsburgh . . . Wilson Betemit hit a 423-foot home run in his first game back from left knee soreness, and host Detroit beat Cleveland, 9-6 . . . Bryan Petersen homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Javier Vazquez (13-11) pitched a five-hitter as the host Marlins beat the Nationals, 3-2 . . . Rene Tosoni hit a grand slam, the first by a Twins player at Target Field in the two-year history of the park, to lift host Minnesota to a 7-4 victory over Kansas City . . . Mark Buehrle (13-9) pitched seven shutout innings to lead the host White Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays . . . Jose Reyes hit two solo home runs, putting pop into his bid for the NL batting title, but visiting Cincinnati the Mets, 5-4, on Drew Stubbs’s squeeze bunt in the 13th inning. Reyes went 3 for 6 and raised his average to .336, finishing the evening one point ahead of Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, who went 1 for 2 against Pittsburgh . . . Trevor Cahill and two relievers held Seattle to just four hits to lift visiting Oakland to a 7-0 win over the Mariners.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

Surging Rays Top Yankees, Remain Tied With Red Sox for AL Wild Card

Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Rays are loose and raring to go, ready to work overtime -- if necessary -- to win the AL wild card.

"Whatever it takes," designated hitter Johnny Damon said. "It's been a fun ride and hopefully it continues."

The Rays' improbable bid for a third playoff berth in four years comes down to the final day of the regular season after Tuesday night's 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees left them tied for the wild card with Boston. The reeling Red Sox held off the Baltimore Orioles 8-7.

If the teams remain tied after Wednesday night's season finales, they will meet in a one-game playoff at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon.

"We have to focus on ourselves ... play our game and not worry about the other side of it," manager Joe Maddon said. "That will eventually take care of itself."

Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist homered, the bullpen shut down the Yankees after starter Jeremy Hellickson pitched six strong innings, and the Rays kept the score close by turning the third triple play in franchise history.

Throw in Joyce, whose three-run homer wiped out a 3-2 deficit in the seventh -- playing on an injured foot -- and that the Rays were without Casey Kotchman after the first baseman experienced tightness in his chest and was taken to a hospital for tests, and no wonder Tampa Bay feels it has no limits.

"All the indicators are there, let's just keep pushing," Maddon said. "When those things kind of show up, it really promotes even more fight, I think. There's more of a believability about the moment."

Joyce's homer off former teammate Rafael Soriano (2-3) was the All-Star's first in more than three weeks. Zobrist hit a two-run drive off Bartolo Colon in the second, and the Rays kept the Yankees from busting the game opened with the triple play that bailed Hellickson out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.

"Everybody's thirsty for offense, and we'd like to score more," Maddon said. "But we're built around pitching and defense."

Jake McGee (4-2) pitched one scoreless inning to get the win. With a crowd of 22,820 standing and cheering, Kyle Farnsworth got the final three outs for his 25th save in 31 chances. The victory was the fourth straight for Tampa Bay, which trailed the Red Sox by nine games before battling back into the wild-card race.

Russell Martin hit a solo homer for the Yankees in the third, but also grounded into the triple play that prevented them from building on the 3-2 lead Nick Swisher gave them with a RBI double.

The Yankees, who clinched the division title and homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs last week, rested Derek Jeter and plan to play most -- if not all -- of their regular lineup again on Wednesday. Manager Joe Girardi remained undecided on a starting pitcher for the finale, but it figures to be a reliever.

Tampa Bay will go with All-Star lefty David Price, who's 12-13 after finishing second in balloting for the AL Cy Young Award a year ago.

The Rays said he's up to the task.

"I always have the utmost confidence when David pitches. I really do," Maddon said. "Every time he pitches we feel like we're going to win that night. I know some things have not necessarily gone his way this year, but in a very tight moment, you always feel very comfortable about how David will pitch."

Despite squandering their big lead with a miserable September, the Red Sox are excited about still having a chance to make the postseason on the final day.

"I think it's really good for baseball (but) not so good for my stomach," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "It's exciting. If you don't want to show up (Wednesday) and play, you've got no pulse."