Ibanezs 2-run homer helps Ms top White Sox, halt skid at 5

By Nam Y. Huh (AP)

The big matchup between Big Z and the Big Unit never materialized. Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward delivered a two-run double in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied again to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Sunday after the anticipated showdown between Carlos Zambrano and Randy Johnson got wiped out.

Carlos Marmol (1-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth and Kerry Wood pitched the ninth to earn his seventh save in 10 chances and finish off Chicago\'s three-game sweep of the NL West leaders.

Heavy rain and temperatures in the mid-40s delayed the start of the game by 58...

By Nam Y. Huh (AP)

The big matchup between Big Z and the Big Unit never materialized. Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward delivered a two-run double in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied again to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Sunday after the anticipated showdown between Carlos Zambrano and Randy Johnson got wiped out.

Carlos Marmol (1-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth and Kerry Wood pitched the ninth to earn his seventh save in 10 chances and finish off Chicago\'s three-game sweep of the NL West leaders.

Heavy rain and temperatures in the mid-40s delayed the start of the game by 58...

By Mike Carlson (AP)

Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer and Cliff Floyd added a pair of run-scoring singles, helping the Tampa Bay Rays stop Ervin Santana from becoming the AL\'s first seven-game winner with an 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Santana departed with a 5-4 lead with one runner on and two outs in the sixth inning, but the game quickly shifted when Justin Speier (0-3) entered and gave up a double to Akinori Iwamura and Crawford\'s third homer of the season.

B.J. Upton doubled for the third consecutive hit off the Angels reliever. He took third base on a wild pitch...

By Pablo Martinez Monsivais (AP)

Dan Uggla\'s second home run on Sunday was a go-ahead drive in the eighth inning that lifted the Florida Marlins to their seventh straight win, 5-4 over the Washington Nationals.

Uggla drove in two runs and has seven RBIs and three homers in two games; he hit a grand slam Saturday and has 11 homers this season.

The Marlins have won all six of their games at Nationals Park, which opened this season, and their seven-game win streak overall is their best run since winning nine straight in August 2006.

Washington\'s Aaron Boone had a homer, triple and single with two RBIs...

By Duane Burleson (AP)

Derek Jeter was all suited up for the New York Yankees and ready to bat cleanup for just the second time in his career. A steady downpour, though, postponed the game Sunday in Detroit and foiled manager Joe Girardi\'s plan.

\"He only did it because he knew the game was going to be rained out anyway,\" Jeter joked.

Girardi insisted the forecast didn\'t have anything to do with slotting Jeter to bat fourth with Hideki Matsui resting against the Tigers\' left-handed starter, Nate Robertson, and Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list.

\"I told him I thought of it last night,\"...

By Mike Carlson (AP)

Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer and Cliff Floyd added a pair of run-scoring singles, helping the Tampa Bay Rays stop Ervin Santana from becoming the AL\'s first seven-game winner with an 8-5 victory on Sunday.

Santana departed with a 5-4 lead with one runner on and two outs in the sixth inning, but the game quickly shifted when Justin Speier (0-3) entered and gave up a double to Akinori Iwamura and Crawford\'s third homer of the season.

By Dan Steinberg (AP)

Television heads into its biggest week with the hangover from a 100-day writers strike persisting.

Viewership is down, although it\'s hard to tell how much the strike is to blame. This week\'s \"upfront\" presentations by broadcasters outlining their fall schedules, which annually precedes a multibillion dollar ad buying binge, promises to be much different than before.

\"The strike had a number of impacts,\" said Alan Wurtzel, NBC Universal research chief, \"but as with everything it\'s never very clear or direct or black and white.\"

ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC had nearly 9...

By Pablo Martinez Monsivais (AP)

Dan Uggla\'s second home run on Sunday was a go-ahead drive in the eighth inning that lifted the Florida Marlins to their seventh straight win, 5-4 over the Washington Nationals.

Uggala drove in two runs and has seven RBIs and three homers in two games; he hit a grand slam Saturday.

By Elise Amendola (AP)

Hillary Rodham Clinton began her presidential quest armed with talent, tenacity, fame, money, connections and a team that knew how to win. Many people believed her victory in the Democratic nomination was a sure thing. Her ultimate failing may have been in believing it, too.

Clinton had one big problem out of the gate: 40 percent or more of Americans said they\'d never vote for her. She was too polarizing. It\'s love her or hate her.

Clinton powered through that hurdle in state after state, showing grit that earned her the valuable political currency of being merely...

By John Raoux (AP)

Richard Hamilton scored 32 points and Hedo Turkoglu missed a layup with time running out as the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 90-89 on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Tayshaun Prince scored 17 for Detroit, including an 11-foot runner for the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left. Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and eight rebounds. Antonio McDyess had eight points and 14 boards.

Orlando squandered a 15-point lead in the third quarter. After Prince\'s basket, Turkoglu\'s layup from the left side of the lane was no good and...

By SHEILAH MILLER (AP)

Many have fled this depressed, pollution-scarred mining town. Those who have chosen to stay or have not yet relocated face a new heartache.

A tornado ripped through a 20-block swath of Picher late Saturday afternoon, killing at least seven people. The same storm system then moved into southwest Missouri where tornadoes took the lives of at least 12 others, authorities said.

On Sunday, storms rumbled across Georgia, killing at least one person in Dublin, about a 121 miles southeast of Atlanta, authorities said. Weather officials had not yet confirmed whether the storms...

By ROGER NOMER (AP)

Many have fled this depressed, pollution-scarred mining town. Those who have chosen to stay or have not yet relocated face a new heartache. A tornado ripped through a 20-block swath of Picher late Saturday afternoon, killing at least seven people. The same storm system then moved into southwest Missouri where tornadoes took the lives of at least 12 others, authorities said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown said Picher\'s victims included an infant. He said at least three people were confirmed missing.

\"We\'ve seen homes that were completely leveled to the...

By Marc F. Henning (AP)

Many have fled this depressed, pollution-scarred mining town. Those who have chosen to stay or have not yet relocated face a new heartache.

A tornado ripped through a 20-block swath of Picher late Saturday afternoon, killing at least seven people. The same storm system then moved into southwest Missouri where tornadoes took the lives of at least 12 others, authorities said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown said Picher\'s victims included an infant. He said at least three people were confirmed missing.

\"We\'ve seen homes that were completely leveled to the...

By John Raoux (AP)

Richard Hamilton scored 32 points and Hedo Turkoglu missed a layup with time running out as the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 90-89 on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Tayshaun Prince scored 17 for Detroit, including an 11-foot runner for the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left. Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and eight rebounds. Antonio McDyess had eight points and 14 boards.

Orlando squandered a 15-point lead in the third quarter. After Prince\'s basket, Turkoglu\'s layup from the left side of the lane was no good and...

By Bill Kostroun (AP)

Bronson Arroyo pitched eight dominant innings to win a matchup of struggling pitchers and Jeff Keppinger had a career-high five hits, lifting the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Mets 7-1 Saturday for a split of their day-night doubleheader.

In the opener, Carlos Beltran hit a bases-loaded triple and drove in five runs to back Johan Santana\'s first home win for the Mets in a 12-6 victory. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider hit New York\'s first back-to-back homers of the season during a makeup of Friday night\'s rainout.

Ken Griffey Jr. had two hits and an RBI in the...

By Nick Wass (AP)

Dan Uggla drove in five runs, Andrew Miller allowed two hits in seven innings and the Florida Marlins routed the Washington Nationals 11-0 on Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

The Marlins\' winning streak is their longest since they won nine in a row from Aug. 20-29, 2005. Florida (22-14) is eight games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 18, 2005.

Florida chased Mike O\'Connor (1-1) _ making his first start since Sept. 28, 2006 _ during a seven-run fourth inning highlighted by Uggla\'s fourth career grand slam.

Miller (3-2) gave up singles in the first...

By Chris O'Meara (AP)

Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-0 on Saturday night to hand Joe Saunders his first loss of the season.

One day after James Shields shut out the AL West co-leaders 2-0 on a one-hitter, Kazmir (1-1) held the Angels to a single and two doubles in his second start since missing all of April with a left elbow strain suffered during spring training.

Evan Longoria, who won Friday night\'s game with a two-run, ninth-inning homer, drove in the only run off Saunders (6-1) when he grounded into a force play with the bases...

By Nick Wass (AP)

Dan Uggla drove in five runs, Andrew Miller allowed two hits in seven innings and the Florida Marlins routed the Washington Nationals 11-0 on Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

By Chris O'Meara (AP)

Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-0 on Saturday night to hand Joe Saunders his first loss of the season.

One day after James Shields shut out the AL West co-leaders 2-0 with a one-hitter, Kazmir (1-1) held the Angels to a single and two doubles in his second start since missing all of April with a left elbow strain suffered during spring training.

Evan Longoria, who won Friday night\'s game with a two-run, ninth-inning homer, drove in the only run off Saunders (6-1) when he grounded into a force play with the bases...

By John Raoux (AP)

Richard Hamilton scored 32 points and Hedo Turkoglu missed a layup with time running out as the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 90-89 on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Tayshaun Prince scored 17 for Detroit, including an 11-foot runner for the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left. Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and eight rebounds. Antonio McDyess had eight points and 14 boards.

Orlando squandered a 15-point lead in the third quarter. After Prince\'s basket, Turkoglu\'s layup from the left side of the lane was no good and...

By Phelan M. Ebenhack (AP)

Tayshaun Prince made the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left, Richard Hamilton scored 32 points, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 90-89 on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

By Duane Burleson (AP)

Derek Jeter hit his first homer of the season, Darrell Rasner pitched six-plus strong innings and the New York Yankees ended a six-game losing streak to the Detroit Tigers with a 5-2 victory Saturday.

Rasner (2-0) gave up two runs and four hits, departing after Magglio Ordonez\'s leadoff single in the seventh.

Three relievers finished, with Joba Chamberlain pitching the eighth and Mariano Rivera the ninth for his 10th save. The Yankees had lost seven of eight against Detroit dating to last season.

Jeremy Bonderman (2-4) lasted just four-plus innings in his shortest...

By Chris O'Meara (AP)

Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups won\'t play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Pistons coach Flip Saunders says Billups wouldn\'t be effective because of a sore hamstring. The All-Star strained it on Thursday after getting tied up under the basket with an Orlando player.

With Billups out, the Pistons are activating guards Lindsey Hunter and Juan Dixon. Rookie Rodney Stuckey was effective in Game 3 and is expected to start in place of Billups, who is third in career playoff scoring for the franchise.