Diamondbacks defeat Dodgers 9-3

Garrett Atkins hits 2 homers in Rockies 9-4 win

By Lenny Ignelzi (AP)

Garrett Atkins hit two home runs and had a season-high five RBI to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 9-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

The Rockies have won 10 of 13 games and are trying to position themselves for another late-season playoff run. Colorado remained six games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West with 26 games left.

Colorado won 14 of its final 15 regular-season games last season, including a one-game playoff against San Diego, to win the wild card berth and the NL title.

No heat in latest NASCAR rivalry

By Reed Saxon (AP)

What rivalry?

Kyle Busch jokingly says Carl Edwards is his \"bff,\" texting shorthand for best friend forever. Edwards stopped short of such a commitment, but he did say, \"I feel like we really have been good competitors.\"

The two NASCAR Sprint Cup stars caused a sensation _ and evoked images of great rivalries past _ Saturday night at Bristol when Edwards nudged a dominating Busch aside to take the lead with 30 laps to go and the two then exchanged postrace bumps after Edwards won.

The fans at the Tennessee track ate up the action, hooting with glee. But the bumping...

Favorite Son Knicks trade for Ewing Jr.

By David J. Phillip, left, Kevin Larkin, right (AP)

Talk about pressure. Patrick Ewing Jr. is following in the footsteps of his famous father again.

The New York Knicks acquired the younger Ewing from the Houston Rockets on Friday in exchange for the draft rights to center Frederic Weis, one of the most widely panned picks in franchise history.

\"Coming to the Knicks, and hopefully being able to contribute, means a lot to me,\" Ewing Jr. said in a statement. \"It has always been my dream to play for this team. My goal is to show the coaches that I can play and do all that I can to help the team win some games.\"

Ewing...

Leinart has strong quarter in loss to Denver

By Paul Connors (AP)

Matt Leinart gained a measure of redemption in Arizona\'s preseason finale, even if it came against what essentially was the Denver Broncos\' junior varsity.

Leinart relieved starter Kurt Warner and directed the Cardinals to two touchdowns in the Cardinals\' 28-14 loss to the Broncos\' reserves on Friday night.

He was 10-of-14 for 177 yards and a score, all in the second quarter.

Twenty-nine Denver players sat out the game, as is the custom for the final preseason contest for coach Mike Shanahan.

Third-string quarterback Darrell Hackney threw for 208 yards,...

Avs sign center, captain Joe Sakic to new contract

By Jack Dempsey (AP)

Patience paid off for the Colorado Avalanche, who signed Joe Sakic to a one-year, $6 million contract Wednesday after he decided to play a 20th season in the NHL rather than call it a career.

\"Ultimately it came down to the fact that I still enjoy playing and competing,\" the 39-year-old captain said in a statement released by the team. \"I\'m comfortable with my conditioning and my overall health. I\'m ready for the start of camp and am looking forward to the upcoming season.\"

Because the Democratic National Convention is taking place this week at the Pepsi Center, the...

Man United gets Celtic in Champions League draw

By CLAUDE PARIS (AP)

Defending champion Manchester United will face British rival Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League.

United will also meet Villarreal and Aalborg in the 32-team phase, which begins next month.

Chelsea, which lost May\'s final on penalty kicks to the Red Devils, also has a relatively easy group, featuring AS Roma, Bordeaux and newcomer CFR Cluj.

Five-time champion Liverpool was drawn Thursday alongside PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid and Marseille.

Juventus has a tough return to the lucrative competition after a two-year absence. The Italians will have to...

Kuznetsova loses at US Open Roddick, Federer win

By Charles Krupa (AP)

Roger Federer flicked a final winner, trotted to the net and started to shake hands. Then, there was one last challenge.

Playfully, Thiago Alves called for a replay review.

So the man trying for his fifth straight U.S. Open title and an overmatched qualifier shared a laugh, watching together as the giant scoreboards above Arthur Ashe Stadium confirmed the call: The ball landed squarely on the line, and Federer had won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 Friday.

Federer swept a guy ranked 137th, someone who spent this year in the minors and was playing his first tour-level event of the...

Phelps continues whirlwind of appearances

By Gene Duncan (AP)

Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals are everywhere these days.

The swimmer celebrated his record-breaking haul from the Beijing Games with a parade Friday at Walt Disney World and is going to be one of the 150 Olympians on the season premiere of \"The Oprah Winfrey Show.\"

Disney spokesman Gary Buchanan said Phelps rode through the Magic Kingdom with Mickey Mouse in a red convertible as part of the \"America\'s Homecoming Parade\" at the park. Phelps was also honored with Disney parades after the 2004 Games.

The 23-year-old has been busy since Beijing. He has...

South Carolina survives 4 interceptions

By Mary Ann Chastain (AP)

Steve Spurrier just can\'t avoid quarterback controversies.

South Carolina\'s coach had intended since April for junior Tommy Beecher to lead the Gamecocks. But after Beecher threw four interceptions in his first start and backup Chris Smelley led three fourth-quarter touchdown drives in South Carolina\'s 34-0 win over North Carolina State on Thursday night, Spurrier\'s opened things up under center for next week\'s Southeastern Conference opener at Vanderbilt.

\"Chris Smelley did come in and play very well. We\'ll have to wsatch the tape, analyze it to see what in the world...

Sources De La Hoya wraps up deal for final fight

By Mark J. Terrill (AP)

Oscar De La Hoya has nearly wrapped up a deal to finish his boxing career Dec. 6 against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because any deal won\'t be announced until Thursday, said De La Hoya\'s long-stalled talks with Pacquiao recently revived when the sides found an acceptable way to split the possible $100 million in revenue from what\'s certain to be boxing\'s most lucrative fight since De La Hoya\'s split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last...

Kuznetsova loses at US Open Roddick, Federer win

By Charles Krupa (AP)

Roger Federer flicked a final winner, trotted to the net and started to shake hands. Then, there was one last challenge.

Playfully, Thiago Alves called for a replay review.

So the man trying for his fifth straight U.S. Open title and an overmatched qualifier shared a laugh, watching together as the giant scoreboards above Arthur Ashe Stadium confirmed the call: The ball landed squarely on the line, and Federer had won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 Friday.

Federer swept a guy ranked 137th, someone who spent this year in the minors and was playing his first tour-level event of the...

Weir shoots a career-low 61 for the lead at Boston

By STEW MILNE (AP)

Mike Weir shaved his \"playoff beard\" when his wife and children flew into town this week, but that had no bearing on his golf Friday. This was a round to enjoy, not explain.

Determined to get off to a better start, Weir birdied the first four holes and one-putted his final nine greens in the Deutsche Bank Championship to tie the course record at TPC Boston with a 10-under 61, the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.

Weir had a three-shot lead over a group of four players that included Vijay Singh, whose victory last week at The Barclays put him atop the standings in the PGA...