Rangers earn split with Angels to get playoff spot

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Closer Joe Nathan got the quick redemption he hoped for, and the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers are back in the playoffs. They're still trying to win another division title. Nathan ended a long day with his 37th save, after blowing a chance in the opener, and Mike Napoli homered twice while driving in six runs as the Rangers won 8-7 Sunday night for a doubleheader split against the Los Angeles Angels. ''Any reliever would ask to get out there and try and put this afternoon's game behind them,'' Nathan said. ''The team over there is playing great, pushed us right the limit again. We've still got some work to do.'' While overcoming an quick 4-0 deficit in the nightcap to assure themselves a playoff spot - and postseason berths for Baltimore and New York Yankees, as well - the Rangers (93-66) have to win at least once during their season-ending, three-game series at second-place Oakland for the AL West title. ''You would think there would be a letdown, but because these guys take each game for what it is, there is no letdown,'' manager Ron Washington said. ''Yes, it was a tough loss the first one. ... Fell down 4-0, it was no big deal. They went out there and put some good at-bats together and they played with a lot of energy and Joe got a chance to redeem himself.'' Los Angeles (88-71) , which won the opener 5-4 on Torii Hunter's two-run double with two outs in the ninth off Nathan, trails the A's by three games for the AL's second wild card with three games left. The Angels have to sweep their three-game series in Seattle and have Texas do the same against Oakland to force a tiebreaking 163rd game between the A's and Angels for the second wild card. ''These guys played their hearts out,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ''I don't know that you can ask much more than that.'' After only his third blown save for Texas in the opener, Nathan worked through the heart of the Angels lineup in the nightcap. Los Angeles led 4-0 after only five batters off Derek Holland (12-6) in the second game, but Ervin Santana (9-13) quickly squandered after his former teammate went deep on him twice. David Murphy and Napoli hit back-to-back homers in the second as Texas closed to 4-3. Josh Hamilton had a double in the first for his 127th RBI. Napoli's 23rd homer an inning later made it 6-4 and chased Santana, who has given up a majors-high 39 homers. Napoli drove a two-run double into the left-center gap in the fifth to make it 8-4. It was Napoli's 10th career multihomer game, four of them against his former team the past two seasons. Napoli played five years for the Angels before being traded twice in five days before the 2011 season, to Toronto and then Texas. ''Sometimes there's going to be that hitter you don't match up well against,'' Scioscia said. Mike Trout, who in the opener became the first major league rookie to reach 30 homers and 40 stolen bases in the same season, struck out to start the second game against Holland. But the Angels then had four straight hits. Albert Pujols had an RBI double and scored on a single by Hunter before Mark Trumbo's 32nd homer, a two-run shot. Nathan took over after Koji Uehara struck out the side in the eighth. Uehara has retired all 23 batters faced his last nine games, with 15 strikeouts. Holland managed to get into the seventh inning, and didn't allow any more runs until a three-run homer by Howie Kendrick, the last batter he faced. The left-hander, who made it only three innings his previous start, struck out five while allowing seven runs and 12 hits. Hunter, who lives in nearby Prosper, had seven hits in the doubleheader. He is hitting .350 (98 of 280) since the All-Star break, and his game-winning double into the left-center gap came right after Nathan (3-5), his former teammate in Minnesota, struck out Trout. The Angels are still trying to make up for two bad slumps. After adding slugger Pujols and left-hander C.J. Wilson this winter, they were 8-15 in April. They had a 4-13 slide to start August. But they still have a chance to make the playoffs after winning 11 of their last 16 games, if they get a lot of help from the Rangers. So what do the Angels do now? ''We go to Seattle and fight like hell,'' Trumbo said. NOTES: Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre came out in the seventh inning after aggravating a strained left shoulder while leaping for a ball with his arm fully extended. He said he's fine and should play Monday. ... Garrett Richards (4-3) retired Nelson Cruz with two runners on in the eighth in the opener, and Ernesto Frieri pitched a perfect ninth in the opener for his 24th save in 26 chances. ... Yu Darvish struck out seven in 6 2-3 innings in the opener, when Cruz hit his 24th homer and also threw Trout out on the bases from right field. ... Texas ended with a regular-season attendance of 3.46 million, an average of 42,720 per game - both franchise records. ... Holland and Santana was the scheduled matchup for Saturday's game, which was called off four hours after its scheduled start because of rain. ... The 21-year-old Trout is the youngest player with a 30-30 season. He needs two stolen bases to become only the third player ever with 30 homers and 50 stolen bases. The others? Eric Davis (1987) and Barry Bonds (1990).

Keselowski emerges late to win at Dover

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Brad Keselowski had fuel to spare for a couple of victory burnouts. Those few splashes of gas left down the stretch were just enough for a checkered flag - and a sign Keselowski is a championship favorite. With other contenders battling fuel woes and limping toward pit road, Keselowski had enough gas in the No. 2 Dodge to win Sunday at Dover International Speedway for his second victory in three weeks. Keselowksi's stout start to the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship allowed him to swipe the points lead from Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski holds a five-point lead over Johnson as the Chase shifts to Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski, who won the Chase opener at Chicagoland, has deftly avoided the famed Big Ones that strike the Alabama track to win twice there in seven career starts. He held off a late push from runner-up Jeff Gordon to match Denny Hamlin for the season victory lead with five. ''I can't state loudly enough how much longer this battle is,'' Keselowski said. Keselowski, Johnson and Hamlin have staked their claim through the first three of 10 Chase races as the drivers to beat. Johnson and Hamlin each led a chunk of laps on the mile concrete oval, but failed to stretch their fuel to the end. Johnson, who has seven career wins at Dover, was ordered to back off the gas and salvaged a fourth-place finish. Hamlin pitted with 10 laps left, opening the door for Keselowski, and denying him his first win at the Monster Mile. Hamlin faded to eighth after starting from the pole. ''They're not going to beat us on the track, that's just plain and simple,'' Hamlin said. ''We're just too fast right now and I feel like everything is going well. These strategy games, and the way these cautions are falling, it's ill-timed.'' There was a caution at the end of a cycle of green-flag pit stops only 69 laps into the race that quickly dropped drivers a lap back. Amazingly, most of the field couldn't ever get that lap back, and only six drivers finished on the lead lap. Non-Chase drivers Mark Martin finished third and Carl Edwards was fifth. Kyle Busch led a race-high 302 laps until his own battles with the pump cost him what would have been a nice victory in a season where he failed to make the Chase. He finished seventh. There were some rough finishes for the rest of the Chase field. Martin Truex Jr. was sixth, Clint Bowyer was ninth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 11th, Kevin Harvick 13th, Kasey Kahne 15th, Greg Biffle 16th, Tony Stewart 20th, and Matt Kenseth was knocked out of the race and was 35th. There are seven races left in the Chase. ''By no means, do I feel like we're the favorite,'' Keselowski said. ''Certainly, we're not the underdog.'' Nope, not with a complete team effort turning the No. 2 Dodge into a regular contender to win. Keselowski joked he had about another ''100 miles'' of racing left in his tank. While crew chief Paul Wolfe didn't want to reveal too much of his fuel-saving strategy, he conceded the car was ''within a lap or two'' or running on fumes. Keselowski raced the last 89 laps without a stop. ''There's always some risk in calls like that,'' Wolfe said. ''We know where we stand. We know what we need to do. We know the guys are racing right now for the championship. I felt like we were as good as anybody on mileage.'' Johnson had his record eighth win at Dover in sight until he was forced to start saving fuel with about 15 laps left. Crew chief Chad Knaus told Johnson to yield the lead so the No. 48 could at least salvage a top-five. ''I wish we could have raced for it,'' said Johnson, a five-time Cup champion. ''We finally got control of the race late. But it just didn't unfold like a normal race here.'' Hamlin had talked this week about embracing Dover after calling the mile concrete oval his least favorite one on the circuit. He won the pole and seemed in position to pull off a breakthrough win until fuel issues forced him down pit road behind Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. That left it to Gordon and Keselowski with 10 laps left to duel for the lead over the closing laps. Gordon hoped Keselowski's No. 2 Dodge would run out of gas. Instead, Keselowski ran off with the victory. Gordon followed his third place last week at New Hampshire with another strong run at Dover. He needed it after a 35th-place finish in the opener at Chicagoland buried him in the standings. Gordon is 10th in points. ''We're not going to continue in this championship against those guys up front if they keep running the way they're running,'' he said. ''The only way we're going to get a chance at them is if they have a problem like we had (in the opener). If we keep running like this, we'll get the wins.'' Keselowski had four career wins coming into the season. He had his career breakthrough at Talladega in 2009 when he raced to his first career victory. He won there again this season in May and knows a season sweep will give him a nice cushion in the standings. ''He didn't make a mistake. We didn't lose any time on the track,'' team owner Roger Penske said. ''He's doing a terrific job and I love the position we're in.''

Dwight Howard aiming to play in Lakers' opener

Five months after back surgery, All-Star center Dwight Howard has targeted his Los Angeles Lakers debut for opening night of the 2012-13 season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Dwight Howard had back surgery five months ago that forced him to miss the playoffs. (Getty Images) Howard is determined to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 30 at Staples Center, and his progress in recent weeks has strengthened the possibility, sources said. Howard has privately indicated his back has returned to 85 percent strength, sources said. He had surgery for a herniated disc in April and still needs doctor's clearance to engage in full training-camp activities with the Lakers. Los Angeles opens its training camp Tuesday. The Lakers have been reluctant to make public a timetable on Howard's return, and have maintained a cautious approach to protect his long-term health. Howard has been working with Lakers coaches and trainers at the team's practice facility, and has shown an increased range of motion, but has yet to engage in five-on-five or significant contact situations. [Also: Rasheed Wallace returning to NBA] The Lakers' coaching staff is implementing a hybrid of the Princeton offense and has shown Howard how the system will open up fresh avenues of scoring possibilities for him. Howard, 26, underwent surgery in April, and missed the final weeks of the season and the playoffs for the Orlando Magic. After Howard insisted he wouldn't re-sign a long-term contract, Orlando traded him to Los Angeles as part of a four-team deal in August

To heck with etiquette, Ryder Cup golfers encourage fans to cheer loud and long

MEDINAH, Ill. – Ryder Cup rivals Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter might have created a new tradition for the event by encouraging the crowd to break golf's strict rules of etiquette. After Watson urged the gallery to cheer all the way through his opening tee shot on Friday afternoon, Europe's Poulter followed suit during the Saturday morning foursomes, when he and Justin Rose took on Watson and Webb Simpson. Watson, teeing off second, had little choice but to gleefully tell the crowd to keep cheering right afterward. Golf decorum usually dictates that fans should remain totally silent during shots; the sport's traditions are firmly enshrined. However, the remarkable scenes where both Poulter and then Watson were given a rousing sendoff met with the firm approval of United States captain Davis Love III. Love was stationed close to the first tee when the incident took place and was caught by TV cameras laughing and smiling. "Davis thought it was awesome," a U.S. team official said. "You wouldn't see any complaints from him if it were to continue, as long as it is done respectfully." [Related: Keegan Bradley finds starring role at Ryder Cup] Europe's Ian Poulter also did his best to fire up the fans. (Reuters) While there is nothing in golf's rules that relates to the conduct expected of the crowd, officials hold up signs requesting quiet before each shot. There is no question, though, that the scene at the first hole added extra edge and spectacle to the matches and was greeted with delight by fans of both teams. "I didn't think there was any way I would be cheering Ian Poulter today," U.S. fan Jim McMahon said. "He is one of those players you love to hate, but when someone goes out of their way to involve the crowd like that and generate atmosphere you have to respect it. It was pretty electrifying to see and be a part of." Poulter conferred with European team captain Jose Maria Olazabal and his teammates before making the decision to fire up the crowd in hopes it might shift some momentum in his team's favor. Indeed, Poulter and Rose won the first hole with a birdie, but little else went right for the visitors at the start of the second morning. Competition officials confirmed to the BBC they would have no problem if the first tee cheering was to become commonplace at every Ryder Cup match. [Related: Day one rules controversy at Ryder Cup] Despite the absence of Tiger Woods on Saturday morning – he rested after his mixed performance on Friday – the Medinah crowd was again in fine voice, boosted by the excellent opening match where both Poulter and Watson shined. Woods' benching appeared to matter little as the Americans took an early lead in all four matches, prompting 2010 European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie to suggest the 14-time major champion was not much of an asset at this event. "The last time the Americans won it and the only time this century was without Tiger in 2008," Montgomerie said on NBC. "It's amazing how they do as well without as with him, and all credit to Davis for leaving him out. It was the right decision to leave him on the bench."

Patience with late-blooming Homer Bailey pays off in form of Reds' first no-hitter since 1988

Ever a season away from his potential, or a game away, even a pitch away, Homer Bailey on Friday night in Pittsburgh became something like the pitcher the Cincinnati Reds always believed would come with that talented right arm. On a cool night at PNC Park, near the end of a season in which he became a consistent contributor to – and 13-game winner for – the NL Central-leading Reds, Bailey threw the modern day record-tying seventh no-hitter of 2012. After the Pirates' Alex Presley popped out on Bailey's 115th pitch, securing a 1-0 win and the Reds' first no-hitter since Tom Browning's in 1988, Bailey thrust his arms straight over his head and welcomed his onrushing teammates. The Reds' Homer Bailey celebrates after notching the final out in his no-hitter against the Pirates. (AP) "It's really surreal," Bailey told reporters afterward. "I can't believe it's happening." In spite of a generation of futility, the Pirates had not been no-hit since 1971 against Bob Gibson. The last Reds right-hander to throw a no-hitter was Tom Seaver, 34 years ago. [Related: From prospect to priest, ex-A's farm star Grant Desme searches for peace] Bailey rode his fastball, particularly in Friday night's late innings. His strikeout of pinch-hitter Brock Holt to open the ninth (on a 93-mph fastball) was his 10th, tying his career best. Bailey walked one batter – Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning – and had another batter reach on Scott Rolen's fielding error in the third inning. The rest saw Bailey hammer the strike zone with fastballs and bury his slider. Noting the cooler temperatures and the guidance of catcher Ryan Hanigan, Bailey said, "We didn't have our best stuff, but somehow we were able to go out and make some good pitches." The seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, Bailey reached the major leagues three years later, as a 21-year-old. He did not pitch a full season, however, until this one. His career ERA was nearly five when, in April, he began to approach the promise of his early years. Friday's was his 32nd start, during which he surpassed 200 innings for the first time. As a result, pitching behind Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Bronson Arroyo, Bailey is among the reasons the Reds – for all intents and purposes – finished the NL Central race weeks ago and remain in a fight with the Washington Nationals for the league's best record. Presumably, the Reds are fully recovered from their last postseason experience, in which the Philadelphia Phillies swept them in the division series two falls ago. They were no-hit by Roy Halladay in Game 1 of that series, and in 2011 finished 17 games behind the division-winning Milwaukee Brewers, primarily because of the pitching staff. They will be among the favorites this October, because they sheared about three-quarters of a run off both their overall ERA and starters' ERA. Rarely has that been more evident than Friday night in Pittsburgh, site of a second-half collapse by the Pirates and Bailey's nine-inning excellence. Homer Bailey got a Gatorade bath for his efforts on Friday. (AP) Bailey said he kept the later innings as simple as he could. By the ninth inning, he inhaled deeply between pitches and exhaled sharply. He shrugged his shoulders to stay loose. And then he went after the Pirates with his fastball, many of them up in the zone. A.J. Burnett, who started for the Pirates, allowed a run in the first inning. Bailey protected that run for more than two hours. "You know what?" he said. "I just kept trying to put up zeroes. We're trying to get the best record in the National League. That was my focus." [Related: Rays unveil plans for proposed new stadium] Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips smiled broadly when the final out of the game settled into his glove. Bailey celebrated with Hanigan and the rest of the Reds, during which he was doused with water. He smiled almost sheepishly on his way off the field. When Bailey disappeared into the dugout he passed acting manager Chris Speier, who was carefully removing the lineup card from the dugout wall. Presumably, the card soon would belong to Bailey. Only hours before, Speier, who is covering for the ailing Dusty Baker, had marveled at Bailey's growth as a player. "It's just been a real pleasure to watch the maturation of Homer Bailey becoming a pitcher," Speier had told reporters before the game. "He's always been a good thrower. Now he's got the whole package. It's been really good." The no-hitter joined a cluster of them over the past five months. Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox, Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels, Johan Santana of the New York Mets, Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and six Mariners pitchers combined threw no-hitters since late April. Three – Humber's, Cain's and Hernandez's – were perfect. Sixteen no-hitters have come since the start of 2010. And how would Bailey finish his evening? By calling his parents in Texas.

No. 9 West Virginia beats No. 25 Baylor 70-63

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- No. 9 West Virginia and the Big 12, perfect together. Geno Smith and the fast-moving, high-scoring Mountaineers proved they fit right in with their new conference, outracing No. 25 Baylor 70-63 on Saturday in the Big 12's highest-scoring game ever. Smith tied a conference mark with eight touchdown passes and narrowly missed another one with 656 yards passing. ''It did feel like one of those classic Texas shootouts,'' said Smith, whose school moved over from the Big East this season. ''That's kind of what the Big 12 is about.'' Smith outdueled Baylor's Nick Florence, who broke Heisman Trophy-winning predecessor Robert Griffin III's school record with 581 yards. Florence threw for five TDs. School, conference and FBS marks all got rewritten in this one. The game also set a new record for the most points scored in a game involving a team ranked in The Associated Press poll. The previous mark of 124 was set in No. 12 Oklahoma's 82-42 win over Colorado in 1980. How wild was it? Smith, the early Heisman front-runner, had more TD passes than incompletions (six). He finished 45 of 51 and still doesn't have an interception this season. ''Can you please tell me how you can improve on that?'' West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. Maybe not on offense, but both defenses have plenty of work to do. West Virginia amassed a school-record 807 yards and the teams combined for 1,507 yards of offense and 67 first downs. Six receivers had at least 100 yards receiving. The Bears' Terrance Williams set a Big 12 record with 314 yards receiving. The old mark was set minutes earlier by West Virginia's Stedman Bailey, who had 303 yards and a school-record five TDs. Williams' 8-yard scoring catch brought Baylor (3-1) within 70-63 with 3:08 left. But Dustin Garrison ran for 17 yards on third down and the Mountaineers ran out the clock to snap Baylor's nine-game winning streak, the second-longest in the nation. ''We expect to score that many points a game,'' Florence said. ''But the goal is to score more than our opponent and we came up a little short today.'' The combined 19 touchdowns tied an FBS mark, last reached when Navy beat North Texas 74-62 in 2007. That matchup set the FBS record for most points in a regulation game at 136. Baylor, meanwhile, tied an FBS mark for the most points scored by a losing team. Among the other records, Smith set school single-game marks for completions, yards and touchdown passes. Bailey and Tavon Austin became the first FBS teammates with 200 yards receiving since 2007. Going back to the Orange Bowl, West Virginia has scored 10 touchdowns three times in its last five games. ''Statistically, it's my best game ever,'' Smith said. ''But I think it's more about the team, and I think it just lets us know that we're going to have to battle it out every week against some really tough teams in the Big 12. ''I could care less about a Heisman Trophy. The big thing for us what that we won the game today. We're on a mission, and we want to win them all.'' West Virginia went ahead for good early in the third quarter, but Baylor almost always had an answer. Austin made long touchdown grabs three minutes apart while Baylor punted and missed a long field goal. Smith stayed in a groove, throwing three passes of 45 yards or more in the third quarter alone. His 47-yarder to Bailey set up Andrew Buie's second short TD run for a 56-35 lead. The way this game was going, though, no cushion was safe. Williams caught a 37-yard scoring pass from Florence and, after Baylor's defense forced a rare punt, Florence's sneak brought the Bears within 56-49, and there was still 14:14 left. But Bailey scored on TD grabs of 87 and 39 yards after that. ''We fought hard,'' said Baylor coach Art Briles. ''But we didn't respond well enough to win the game.'' Holgorsen talked at length about how impatient he got watching Maryland's offense run the clock down before each snap last week. There was no chance of a slowdown from Baylor. The teams scored on 10 of their final 13 possessions of the first half. Seven of those drives lasted under two minutes. Smith, whose passing yardage total was 5 yards shy of the Big 12 mark, completed a school-record 14 straight passes at one point. After a dropped pass, Smith completed 12 more in a row. Smith's fourth TD pass came with 29 seconds left until halftime, but that was more than enough time for Florence. On second down he threw down the left sideline to Lanear Sampson, who juked two defenders and went 67 yards untouched to tie the score at 35-35. The Mountaineers now must hope they can generate points on the road when they head to No. 12 Texas and Texas Tech over the next two weeks. ''Not every Big 12 game is like this,'' Holgorsen said.

No. 5 Georgia holds off Tennessee, 51-44

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Mark Richt looked past the mind-boggling offensive statistics to find the most important fact for his Georgia team. When the game was on the line, Georgia made the plays. Even on defense. Todd Gurley ran for three touchdowns and Keith Marshall added two as No. 5 Georgia recovered after blowing a 17-point lead to beat Tennessee 51-44 on Saturday in the highest-scoring game ever between the SEC rivals. Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC), which had never scored more points against the Volunteers in 41 previous meetings, needed three takeaways in the final six minutes stay unbeaten. Twice Sanders Commings intercepted Tyler Bray's passes and in between the Tennessee quarterback was stripped from behind and the fumble was recovered by Georgia's John Jenkins. ''You can get into statistics, but the bottom line is a lot of games are going to come down to the end where somebody has to make a play,'' Richt said. ''It's nice to have a gut-check and come out on top.'' The Bulldogs' defensive plays in the closing minutes followed a game packed with offense. The previous high for points in the series was 84 in Tennessee's 51-33 win in 2006. On Saturday, the teams combined for 60 points in just the first half. Georgia had 282 yards rushing as its two freshmen each topped 100 yards. With former Georgia standout Herschel Walker watching, Gurley had 24 carries for 130 yards. Marshall had 164 yards on only 10 carries. Asked if he anticipated the high-scoring pace, Gurley said ''Probably not.'' ''We know what we're capable of,'' said Gurley, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of his first five games. ''We did our thing. We executed.'' Aaron Murray threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to Michael Bennett for the Bulldogs. Georgia led 27-10 early in the second quarter before Tennessee took the lead with 20 unanswered points.

Orioles beat Boston, gain tie for AL East lead

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles are tied atop the AL East with the New York Yankees with four games left, a scenario that might cause a team unaccustomed to being in a pennant race to stumble under pressure. Not these guys. After Baltimore beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 Saturday night to earn a share of first place, Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds described the mood of the team as ''a quiet confidence.'' ''Calmness,'' Reynolds said. ''We're playing with house money. We're not supposed to be here. We're just a bunch of kids having fun. We go out every night believing we're going to win the game, no matter what the situation and no matter who we're facing. It's just fun to be a part of.'' Chris Davis hit his 30th home run and rookie Manny Machado lined a go-ahead shot in the seventh inning for the Orioles. After finishing in the division cellar in each of the previous four seasons, Baltimore (91-67) is tied with a team very much accustomed to finishing in first place. The Yankees lost to Toronto before this game started, so the Orioles knew they would earn a share of the lead with a win. Baltimore went ahead 3-0 in the fourth, then let Boston pull even before Machado homered, a liner into the second row of the left-field seats off Felix Doubront (11-10). Machado has been a major leaguer for all of 47 games after being summoned from Double-A Bowie on Aug. 9. ''I'm just trying to play the game,'' he said. ''Obviously, it's bigger than any other games I've played before. I'm just going to try and go out there and give everything I can to help this team win.'' It was another tight victory for the Orioles, their trademark in this unimaginable season. Baltimore is 28-9 in one-run games and 72-0 when leading after seven innings. ''It's an honor to sit there and watch it and marvel at what these guys can do, especially when certain things start snowballing,'' manager Buck Showalter said. ''And you create your karma. These guys have done a good job of doing that, and they're expecting good things to happen.'' Tommy Hunter (7-8) pitched two innings, Brian Matusz and Darren O'Day shared the eighth and Jim Johnson got three outs for his 49th save. A sellout crowd of 46,311, a majority of them clad in Oriole orange, brought Camden Yards back to a time when the home team was a force in the AL East and the ballpark was packed on a nightly basis. The fans got to cheer a Baltimore great before the first pitch, too. A statue of Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson was unveiled during a ceremony in the flag court beyond the center-field wall. The Orioles' goal is to capture the division, but if they win two more games they are at least assured of their first trip to the playoffs since 1997 - their last winning season before this year. Baltimore now is 41-27 in the division and New York is 37-31, so if Baltimore wins one more game, it will have home-field advantage if there's a playoff to decide the AL East title. ''The pressure's on both of us,'' Reynolds said. ''Four games left, dead heat. I guess there's a possibility of two playoff games. It's what we play for, and it's fun.'' In addition to hitting two homers and limiting Boston to five hits, Baltimore also played well defensively. Machado, the third baseman, ranged far to his right in the fourth inning to start a double play, and Reynolds tumbled over the tarp roll and got wedged behind it after catching a foul pop. Endy Chavez, who entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth, made a sparking diving catch of a sinking liner to right field. ''They just keeping doing what they have to do,'' Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of the Orioles. ''Buck knows what he's doing. He puts in a defensive replacement and he makes a diving catch. They've done a great job with that young third baseman. He beat us tonight. He played excellent defense all year.'' Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered for the Red Sox, who fell into last place with their 15th loss in 21 games. Boston has not finished in the cellar since 1992. Doubront allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out 10, walked one and hit a batter. Red Sox leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury went 1 for 4 after being sidelined since Sept. 20 with an unspecified injury. Ellsbury has only four homers and 26 RBIs after finishing second in AL MVP voting last season. ''I didn't see him play that way this year,'' Valentine said before the game. ''He did not quite hit his stride this year.'' Orioles rookie Steve Johnson took a three-hitter and a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning but was lifted after giving up a single and a walk. Hunter got Dustin Pedroia to hit a force at second, but a run came home when Cody Ross hit a sacrifice fly to right field that Davis dropped after Adam Jones drifted over from center and called for the ball. Hunter avoided further damage by getting Mauro Gomez to bounce into a double play. Baltimore went up 1-0 in the second when Machado singled in a run after Doubront hit Davis with a pitch and Reynolds reached on a slow roller to third. In the fourth, after Jones reached on a throwing error by shortstop Mike Aviles, Davis drove a 1-0 pitch far over the right-field wall for a 3-0 lead. Saltalamacchia hit his 25th homer in the fifth after Gomez drew a leadoff walk. NOTES: The Robinson statue stands alongside the team's five other Hall of Fame members, all of whom were in attendance: Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr. ... Joe Saunders will pitch for the Orioles in the series finale Sunday. Zach Stewart will pitch for Boston. ... Baltimore claimed OF Steve Pearce off waivers from the Yankees. He will join the team in Tampa Bay on Monday. ... Boston has lost 17 of 24 to Baltimore since September 2011.

No. 14 Ohio St holds off No. 20 Michigan St 17-16

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Urban Meyer's first Big Ten game as Ohio State coach turned out to be a classic welcome to the conference. His quarterback got shaken up twice, but Braxton Miller kept coming back on the field, and in the end the Buckeyes played just well enough defensively to come away with a bruising victory. ''This was a war. This was two sledgehammers going at each other,'' Meyer said. ''I know the Big Ten has taken some heat. That was a great game. Great atmosphere, a bunch of great players on the field that are going to be playing at the next level, and that was good for college football and good for the Big Ten.'' Miller threw for 179 yards and ran for 136, and No. 14 Ohio State held off No. 20 Michigan State 17-16 on Saturday. Miller put Ohio State ahead 17-13 with a 63-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith in the third quarter, and the Buckeyes' maligned defense held Le'Veon Bell and the Michigan State running game in check. Meyer becomes the third coach to start 5-0 in his first season at Ohio State. Carol Widdoes and Earle Bruce also did it in 1944 and 1979. Michigan State (3-2, 0-1) has lost four home games in a row against Ohio State. The Buckeyes (5-0, 1-0) aren't eligible to win the Big Ten title because of sanctions, but they handed the Spartans an early loss. Michigan State took a 13-10 advantage in the third on a terrific individual effort by Keith Mumphery. With the ball on the Ohio State 29 after a personal foul call on the Buckeyes, Mumphery took Andrew Maxwell's short pass and eluded four tacklers before dragging a couple more Buckeyes into the end zone. The lead didn't last long. Miller managed to pick up a first down, just barely, with a run on third-and-1, then lofted a deep pass on the next play to Smith, who beat Johnny Adams along the right sideline to put Ohio State ahead to stay. ''We hook up all the time,'' Miller said. ''That's one of my favorite receivers, so I'm always going to look for him.'' Miller turned the ball over three times in Michigan State territory, including a fumble early in the fourth - but the Buckeyes actually caught a break on that play. The ball bounced right to Kurtis Drummond of the Spartans, who began running down the right sideline before the play was blown dead and Miller was ruled down. The call was reversed after a review, giving Michigan State the ball at its own 32 - but the Buckeyes were saved from a big return that would almost surely have followed if the call had been correct to begin with. The Buckeyes then appeared to have stopped the Spartans when Maxwell underthrew a pass on fourth-and-1 from the Ohio State 44, but Travis Howard was called for defensive holding on the opposite side of the field, keeping the drive alive. Dan Conroy's 48-yard field goal pulled Michigan State within a point with 7:07 remaining. Miller remained down holding his left knee after his fumble but was able to come back the next time Ohio State had the ball. The Spartans forced a three-and-out anyway and took over at their own 20 with 5:39 left, down 17-16. They could manage only one first down before having to punt, and they never got the ball back. Miller was 16 of 23 with an interception. Maxwell went 22 of 42 for 269 yards. ''Braxton Miller is a very exciting player,'' Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. ''We knew that coming into the game. He took a lot of bad plays and made them good ones. ... I thought Maxwell played well enough to win. He threw the ball very effectively.'' Bell came in with 610 yards on 117 carries, but he ran for only 45 yards against Ohio State. The Buckeyes' defense was ranked last in the Big Ten before the game. ''A great team win,'' Meyer said. ''We found out something about our team today, to go on the road in a hostile environment against a quality, quality football team and find a way to win.'' Ohio State drove 75 yards in eight plays to open the game, taking a 7-0 lead on Jordan Hall's 1-yard scoring run. Miller had runs of 20 and 13 yards on the drive, but he was hit along the sideline at the end of the latter one and was shaken up. He had to leave the game but was back for his team's next possession. The Spartans answered immediately with a 34-yard field goal by Conroy, and that was all the scoring for the half. Miller threw an interception and lost a fumble in second quarter, but Conroy missed a 42-yard attempt in the final minute.

NFL refs approve deal, ready for Sunday games

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- NFL officials ended their labor dispute with the league by approving a new eight-year contract with a 112-5 vote Saturday, then hustled off to the airport to get to work. Next stop, stadiums around the country. And, the officials hope, anonymity. ''The last Super Bowl that I worked, when we got in the locker room, I said, 'You know, the best thing about this game, nobody will remember who refereed this game,''' said Scott Green, president of the referees' association. ''That's how we like to work.'' The vote ended a labor spat that created three weeks of increasingly chaotic games run by replacement officials who drew criticism of everyone from the average fan to President Barack Obama. ''It was pretty much 'Come on in and vote,''' Green said. ''We're going to talk football now. We're going to stop talking about CBAs and lockouts and now we're going to talk about rules and video and getting ourselves ready to work football games.'' They may get ovations similar to the one bestowed on the crew that worked Thursday's Cleveland-Baltimore game with the tentative deal in place. The referees met for about an hour and a half Friday night to go over the contract, then gathered for another 30 minutes Saturday morning before approving the contract. ''We are obviously pleased to hear it,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email to The Associated Press on Saturday. Because they were aware of the financial parameters, most of the discussion by the referees involved non-economic issues such as year-round work and developmental squads, said Tim Millis, the association's executive director. The deal came together quickly this week after an increasing chorus of complaints became impossible to ignore when a disputed touchdown call on the final play gave the Seattle Seahawks a victory over the Green Bay Packers on national television Monday night. Many thought the ruling of a Seattle touchdown instead of a Green Bay interception was botched, and the labor dispute drew public comments from Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. By late Wednesday, the sides had a contract calling for refs' salaries to increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. The current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years' service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution. Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option to hire a number of officials to work year-round. The NFL also can retain additional officials for training and development and assign those officials to work games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the league. The officials that worked Thursday's Ravens-Browns game were cheered from the moment they walked onto the field. The difference between the regular crew and replacements was clear. The officials kept the game in control, curtailing the chippy play and choppy pace that had marred the first three weeks of the regular season. ''I think the thing we're most proud of is the lesson that we all learned,'' Green said. ''If you're going to be in a professional league, you've got top-notch coaches, you need professional officials as well.''

Cabrera ties Hamilton in HRs; Tigers beat Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Miguel Cabrera's line drive home run in the eighth inning against Minnesota moved him into a tie with Texas star Josh Hamilton for the AL lead, bringing the first triple crown since 1967 that much closer to reality. The blast may have been even bigger for Detroit's playoff chances. Cabrera's home run gave the Tigers a five-run cushion they would end up needing and Justin Verlander struck out eight in seven innings in a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday that gave them a two-game lead in the AL Central. Cabrera's blast in the eighth inning off Casey Fien was his 43rd home run for the year. He also leads the AL in batting average (.327) and RBIs (136) as he looks to become the first player since 1967 to lead the league in all three categories. ''It's unbelievable what he's done this year,'' said Verlander, the reigning AL MVP who was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with the message ''Keep the MVP in the D'' and Cabrera's name on the front. ''It's amazing to me how he keeps getting better. He's already the best hitter in the game and he keeps taking it to another level.'' Verlander (17-8) allowed four hits and one unearned run to drop his ERA to 2.64 for the Tigers, who had to sweat out another close one. Cabrera's homer proved to be a big one after Ryan Doumit hit a grand slam off of Joaquin Benoit in the eighth. Al Alburquerque helped the Detroit bullpen do what it couldn't do against the lowly Twins on Friday night - finish the game. Jose Valverde picked up his 33rd save. Prince Fielder and Andy Dirks also went deep for Detroit. Chicago lost to Tampa Bay 10-4 moments before the final out of the Tigers game. ''I want to talk about the team,'' Cabrera said respectfully. ''There's too many distractions right now and been talking too much about triple crowns. I pull too much attention. I don't want to do that. I want to go out there and play my game.'' P.J. Walters (2-5) gave up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts in five innings for the Twins. Joe Mauer went 0 for 3 with two walks, dropping his average to .320. One day after Detroit lost a game of cushion to the White Sox when reliever Brayan Villarreal couldn't find the plate in the eighth inning of a 4-2 loss to the lowly Twins, Verlander came out determined to make sure the Tigers kept the pressure on Chicago. ''That was a huge game for us,'' manager Jim Leyland said. ''You look at the scoreboard and see the White Sox most likely are going to lose. That's a game you've got to win.'' With a free and easy delivery, the right-hander kept his fastball at 93 or 94 mph while keeping the Twins off balance with an array of off-speed pitches. He started to ramp things up in the fourth when he blew Justin Morneau away with consecutive fastballs of 98 and 99 and hit 100 later in the inning. It wasn't just Verlander's dazzling stuff that gave the Twins hitters problems. The afternoon shadows at Target Field make it very difficult for hitters to pick up the ball coming out of the pitcher's hand and often contributes to slow days for the offense. That appeared to be the case early for Cabrera as well, who was befuddled by Walters. The slugger struck out in his first two at-bats and flew out to right in his third. Cabrera entered the day leading Mauer by five points in the batting race, Hamilton by eight in the RBI race, but trailing Hamilton by one in homers. So will he be watching Hamilton down the stretch? ''I'll let you guys keep Hamilton in your eyes,'' Cabrera said. ''I'll go to the hotel and get some breakfast tomorrow and try to win tomorrow.'' The bigger prize, of course, is the division title. Neither the Tigers nor the Sox will qualify for one of two wild cards in the American League, so their only way in is through the division door. ''The last couple weeks, there's too much attention right now,'' Cabrera said of the triple crown. ''I don't like too much of that stuff. But it's always good. You've got to feel comfortable with that. You've got to feel positive and be ready to play.'' NOTES: Verlander left with nobody out in the eighth after Denard Span reached on an error, marking just the fourth time all season he's been taken out in the middle of an inning. ... One night after making a costly error late in a 4-2 loss to the Twins, Fielder was sharp at 1B, making a quick decision on a hot grounder from Jamey Carroll in the fifth. Fielder threw to third base and Cabrera chased Trevor Plouffe down to get the lead runner. ... Plouffe snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a double in the fifth inning. ... The Tigers will send RHP Anibal Sanchez (4-6, 3.95) to the mound for the series finale against Twins RHP Liam Hendriks (1-8, 6.09). Sanchez is coming off of his first shutout in more than a year, a three-hitter against Kansas City that put the Tigers into a tie for first place.

Hamlin takes pole at Dover International Speedway

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Could it really be true love between Denny Hamlin and Dover? So far, it's at least a crush. His performance Sunday will really determine the fate of this relationship. Trying his best to adjust his approach toward his least favorite track, Hamlin's reignited courtship produced fantastic results Saturday when he turned a lap of 159.299 mph to win the pole at Dover International Speedway. Hamlin has been open in his disdain for the 1-mile concrete oval and knew he'd have to conquer his Dover demons to keep his driven bid for his first career Cup championship rolling along. Hamlin, third in the points standings, turned to a sports psychologist for advice. The message for Hamlin was this, ''Let your challenge for the week be to fall in love with this track.'' Hamlin says the good karma, and a great No. 11 Toyota, all played a part in the turnaround. ''I think that right now we have everything rolling,'' Hamlin said. ''That part of it is giving me a ton of confidence.'' Hamlin is six points behind Brad Keselowski and seven points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Johnson starts 11th as he chases history at Dover. He raced his way into the track's history books in June with his seventh win on the concrete, matching the mark held by Hall of Fame drivers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. No active driver owns the track like the five-time Sprint Cup champion. Johnson led 289 of the 400 laps and looked every bit like the driver who swept the two Cup races at Dover in 2002 and 2009. Johnson also won at Dover on Sept. 26, 2010 and he won the September 2005 race. Dover has traditionally given Hamlin fits. He has an average finish of 20.5 in 13 career starts at Dover. He finished 36th or worse during a four-race stretch from 2007 to 2009. He's said he just doesn't like the track known as the Monster Mile. Here's a curve. On Saturday, he talked about winning. ''We've got a car that's very capable of staying in the front and hopefully we'll have a shot to win,'' Hamlin said. Hamlin won his 12th career pole, third this season, and, no surprise here, his first pole at Dover. He had never started better than third. Hamlin praised crew chief Darian Grubb, who led Tony Stewart to the championship last year, for putting the No. 11 in position to take the pole. ''I think there's a lot of drivers out there that could be able to do what I do with the cars that Darian has been giving me the last few weeks,'' Hamlin said. ''I'm going to give him pretty much all the credit and ride his back as long as it will hold me.'' Nine other Chase for the Sprint Cup championship drivers filled the top 13. Clint Bowyer starts second and Martin Truex Jr. is third. Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon start sixth and seventh. Kasey Kahne, Keselowski, Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick are ninth through 13th. Stewart starts 24th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 25th for Sunday's 400-mile race. ''We didn't have a good car in practice and we didn't find any good speed or find any good balance,'' Earnhardt said. ''It's going to be a tough day, I think. It's going to be a tough race for us. We are just going to have to work hard and see what happens.'' Truex had a nice qualifying run on the site of his only career Cup victory. Truex, from nearby Mayetta, N.J., finished ninth and 17th in his first Chase races and is 10th in the standings, 34 points behind Johnson. He posted the fastest time in the first practice Friday and has the speed needed to race into contention for that long-awaited second win. ''We felt good about our car yesterday on long runs,'' Truex said. ''We had good long run speed. That's what it takes here. We'll see if we can get it done tomorrow.''

A's rally to beat Mariners 7-4 in 10 innings

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Brandon Moss still had remnants of a whipped-cream pie splashed across both sides of his beard in the clubhouse. When someone pointed out the smears, Moss plucked the rest from his face and licked his fingers clean. ''Last time, I didn't eat any,'' he said. ''But this time, I ate a lot of it. I left my mouth open.'' Winning sure taste better in a late September playoff race. Moss hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning after Josh Donaldson's tying two-run shot in the ninth, and the Oakland Athletics gained ground on the first-place Texas Rangers with a stunning 7-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. ''Epic,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said. ''It's a pretty dramatic win, maybe as dramatic as all.'' For a low-budget ballclub that has had its share of you-have-to-be-kidding-me moments this season, that's quite a statement from the manager. After what Melvin had just witnessed, perhaps it's hard to blame him. Coco Crisp singled off Oliver Perez (1-3) leading off the final inning for his fourth hit. Stephen Pryor entered with one out and walked Yoenis Cespedes on four pitches. Moss hammered the first pitch against Pryor well over the wall in right for his 21st home run, sending Oakland (90-68) streaming out of the dugout to celebrate its major-league leading 14th walk-off win. The A's are 2 1/2 games back of Texas in the division and 2 1/2 ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for the final wild card. The Angels-Rangers game Saturday in Texas was postponed by inclement weather, and the teams will play a doubleheader Sunday. Tampa Bay also is three games behind Oakland. Oakland hosts Texas in the final three games of the season starting Monday. If the Angels lose the doubleheader and Tampa Bay falls in its finale at the Chicago White Sox, the A's could clinch at least the wild card with a win Sunday. ''Our mind is still focused on trying to go after the division,'' Donaldson said. ''Every game out there is the biggest game of the year for us. That's the way it's been for the last month.'' Considering the way the A's have played since the All-Star break, no goal seems silly anymore. Donaldson's drive off Tom Wilhelmsen in the ninth landed just over the wall in center field for his ninth home run to start Oakland's latest rally. Grant Balfour (3-2) pitched a perfect inning to earn the win. With each game becoming bigger than the last, the A's have shown no signs of a young team overwhelmed by the pressure. Players tossed a football around during batting practice. Right fielder Josh Reddick even wore a camouflage shirt and punted the ball in flip-flops. The laid-back approach carried over again - just not right away. Dan Straily allowed four runs, four walks and three hits in 4 1-3 innings while striking out three, though he ended up jumping over the couch in the clubhouse watching Donaldson's homer, admitting he was so excited ''I have no idea how I got there.'' His bullpen backed him up, though, with five relievers tossing scoreless ball. John Jaso walked leading off the second inning and took advantage of a pair of errors for Seattle's first run. Justin Smoak grounded out to Moss, who stepped on first base and threw the ball into left field. Cespedes tried to throw out Jaso at third and instead sailed the ball into Oakland's dugout, allowing Jaso to score and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. ''It almost hit our Purell container in the dugout. That would have bothered me,'' Melvin could joke later. ''I use that quite often in the dugout. It just hit the water cooler. That would have been really devastating if it knocked over the Purell container. We can take a run there, we just don't want to lose that.'' Kyle Seager hit a solo shot over the wall in center and Michael Saunders lined a two-run homer to right to put Seattle ahead 4-0 in the fourth. It was the 19th home run for each this season. Cespedes singled and scored from first on Moss' single in the bottom of the inning. Cespedes was stealing second on the play, and his hesitation around third base fooled right fielder Casper Wells just enough to slide in safely and slice Seattle's lead to 4-1. Once again, Jason Vargas quieted the A's. He struck out seven and walked none in seven innings. The lefty is 2-1 and has allowed only 10 runs in six starts against Oakland this season. Moss also doubled in the eighth against Wilhelmsen to score Crisp and Stephen Drew was waived home from first by third base Mike Gallego. Second baseman Dustin Ackley's relay throw from Wells in right easily got Drew out at home to end the inning and leave the possible tying run stranded at second. Moss made a diving grab to rob pinch-hitter Jesus Montero for the final out of Seattle's ninth to save at least a run and set the stage for another thriller he would finish. ''Those guys are feeling it over there,'' Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. ''The fans are feeling it. Obviously the players are feeling it. You can sense the excitement in the air.'' NOTES: A's LHP Brett Anderson (4-2, 2.57 ERA), who strained his right oblique Sept. 19 after a strong return from last year's Tommy John surgery, played toss from 120 feet before the game. He will pitch a bullpen session as soon as Monday, and could be back if the A's make the playoffs. ... Oakland slugger Jonny Gomes received the 2012 Dave Stewart Community Service Award from the former A's pitcher during a pregame ceremony. ... Lefty Tommy Milone (13-10, 3.74 ERA) starts for Oakland opposite Mariners RHP Erasmo Ramirez (1-3, 3.42 ERA) in Sunday's series finale.

Giants WR Hakeem Nicks out for Eagles game

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants will be without wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team announced Saturday that Nicks will miss the contest because of a knee problem and will not make the trip to Philadelphia. He previously missed a Sept. 19 win over Carolina with a sore foot. Coach Tom Coughlin has said Nicks developed swelling in his left knee after working out Thursday. It was his only expected practice for the game. Nicks banged his knee making a catch against Tampa Bay. The Giants will likely start either Domenik Hixon or Ramses Barden. Hixon missed the Carolina game with a concussion, but is probable this week. Barden picked up the start against Carolina and had career bests of nine catches and 138 yards.

Hechavarria has big hit as Blue Jays beat Yankees

TORONTO (AP) -- The New York Yankees are making the last week of the season very difficult for themselves. Adeiny Hechavarria doubled home the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-2 on Saturday. New York fell into a first place tie with Baltimore after the Orioles beat Boston 4-3 later Saturday. ''We had chances to blow that game open and we didn't,'' manager Joe Girardi said. ''You look at the opportunities that you have and you say, 'We could have a pretty big lead here,' but we didn't do it.'' Toronto's Rajai Davis homered and had three hits as the Blue Jays heaped more pressure on the Yankees, who wasted several opportunities early. New York went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. New York's only hits with runners in scoring position were both singles, and neither brought home a run. ''We had some opportunities tonight, couldn't make it happen,'' Nick Swisher said. ''It's not like we're going to get down on ourselves. We've got to keep pushing, come back here (Sunday) with a fire.'' Still, even Swisher conceded that New York's margin for error is thin with just four games remaining. ''(Sunday) is going to be a must win,'' he said. ''We put ourselves in this situation, our destiny is in our own hands and we've got to go out and take it. No one is going to give us anything.'' Pitching out of the bullpen for the first time in his career, Shawn Hill (1-0) worked three innings of scoreless relief for the win, his first since Sept. 23, 2010. Casey Janssen closed it out for his 21st save in 24 chances. In all, Toronto got six scoreless innings from its bullpen after left-hander Ricky Romero had to leave with a sore left knee. ''An outstanding job by the bullpen today,'' Toronto manager John Farrell said. ''Shawn Hill gave us a huge lift.'' Andy Pettitte's stretch of 11 scoreless innings since his return from a broken lower left leg was halted in the first when Davis hit a one-out solo homer to left, his eighth. Davis had hits in his first three at-bats after a 4-for-4 night Friday, giving him seven straight hits before he struck out in the seventh. The Yankees loaded the bases twice in the first inning but managed just a pair of sacrifice flies by Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson. New York loaded the bases again in the third but failed to score, coming up empty when Hechavarria made a diving catch on Eduardo Nunez's sharp liner for the third out. ''When you get a guy on the ropes early on you want to capitalize,'' Alex Rodriguez said. ''It's never a good sign when you let the other team hang around a little bit.'' Toronto tied it in the fifth when Jeff Mathis led off with a double, took third on a fly and scored on a two-out infield single by Davis. Davis' bouncer up the third base line appeared to be headed foul. Rodriguez, who was playing in to guard against the bunt, fielded it but couldn't throw to first in time to beat the speedy Davis. ''In hindsight, I think it would have gone foul,'' Rodriguez said. ''With Rajai running, it's kind of a split-second decision. I took my chances.'' The Blue Jays chased Pettitte (5-4) and took a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Yunel Escobar walked, Yan Gomes reached on a bunt single and Moises Sierra flied out before Mathis hit another deep drive, with Granderson making a running catch on the warning track. Joba Chamberlain came on to face Hechavarria, who doubled off the wall in right, scoring Escobar. Gomes went too far around third on the play and was thrown out, killing Toronto's rally. Pettitte allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out four. ''Obviously it was a loss so I don't feel good about that,'' Pettitte said. ''The guys gave me a lead and I wasn't able to hold onto it and it ended up being a loss for us.'' In his final start of a disappointing season, Romero injured his knee in the third and didn't return for the fourth. Farrell and assistant trainer Hap Hudson came to the mound after Romero missed high on a 2-2 pitch to Andruw Jones in the third and hopped around the mound in pain. After a few practice pitches, Romero stayed in the game to strike out Jones, then escaped when Nunez lined out. Romero, who did not speak to reporters, was scheduled to undergo additional tests. He allowed two runs and three hits, boosting his ERA to 5.77, highest among qualified AL starters. He also walked two, giving him an AL-high 105 walks. ''It was clear that it wasn't something that we were going to push,'' Farrell said of Romero's injury. A first time All-Star in 2011, Romero struggled mightily this year, losing 13 consecutive decisions between June 22 and Sept. 24. Derek Jeter started at designated hitter with Nunez at shortstop, but Jeter entered the game in the sixth. Girardi, who had hoped to get Jeter a day off the turf, said the move was made for defensive reasons. NOTES: Yankees INF Jayson Nix returned to New York for an MRI on his injured left hip, leaving Nunez as the team's primary backup infielder. ... Girardi said 1B Mark Teixeira (left calf) was fine after playing an Instructional League game in Florida, and remains on track to rejoin the Yankees next week. ... Hechavarria extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Hill is the 54th player used by Toronto this season, a club record. ... Attendance was 36,139, putting the Blue Jays over 2 million for the first time since 2008. Toronto has four home dates remaining.

Officials gather for contract ratification vote

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- NFL officials on the verge of approving a new contract say they're excited to get back to work. Officials started arriving Friday at a Dallas-area hotel to discuss and vote on an agreement reached with the league late Wednesday. Some planned to fly directly to their assigned cities for Sunday's game. The deal must be ratified by 51 percent of the union's 121 members. Some said they thought Monday night's Packers-Seahawks game, which ended in chaos after a call in the end zone gave the Seahawks the winning touchdown instead of a Packers interception, provided the final push toward a settlement. Many fans commentators - and players in the league - thought the call was botched. Monday night's call brought the three-week furor over replacement officials to a fevered pitch. ''It's all history now,'' head linesman Tom Stabile said. ''For us, it was a benefit. It may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.'' Line judge Jeff Bergman said he could see the play coming as he watched at home. He noticed that players were starting to take advantage of replacement officials struggling to keep control of the game. ''The last play of the game was something that was going to happen sooner or later,'' Bergman said. ''It gave us and the league an opportunity to get together and hammer out a deal that was going to get hammered out anyway.'' Referee Ed Hochuli, who led weekly tests and conference calls for officials to stay sharp during the lockout, declined to say whether the replacements made the right call. ''You really don't want to see that,'' Hochuli said. ''You don't want to see the controversy. You don't want to see teams lose games that they shouldn't have lost, if indeed that's what happened. We're not making a judgment on that.'' After three weeks of games marred by mistakes, the regular refs said they were heartened by the support they've received from fans, players and coaches - even if they don't expect it to last very long now that they're back. ''You're not really beloved by the public. You're tolerated. And to see that type of reception that our guys got last night was really heartwarming,'' said Bergman, who will head to Green Bay for Sunday's game, one week after Packers players ripped the replacements for calling Monday's disputed play a touchdown. ''After the euphoria of the moment wears off, probably sometime early in the second quarter, it'll be back to regular NFL football mode,'' Bergman said. ''Players will be questioning our judgment, our ancestry. Coaches will be screaming at us. And it'll be life as back to normal on Sundays.'' One crew returned to work Thursday night. Cheered from the moment they walked onto the field, the men in stripes ran a smooth and efficient game as the NFL's lockout of officials came to an end with the Baltimore Ravens' 23-16 win over the Browns. ''To just be applauded by 50,000 people prior to anything happening, it was something that kind of chokes you up,'' referee Gene Steratore said. ''It was a very special feeling.'' --- AP Sports Writers Joseph White and Rachel Cohen and AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this story.

Jets not ready to rule out Revis for season

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Rex Ryan has not dashed his Super Bowl hopes - or the chance Darrelle Revis will be there on the field with the New York Jets this season. Revis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Miami last Sunday, but the Jets will wait until after the All-Pro cornerback has surgery in a few weeks to decide on his fate. ''You know what, and I've talked to Darrelle and all that, let's just have him go through surgery,'' Ryan said Friday. ''Let's see what happens when he goes through surgery because there's that 0.0002 percent chance that he could play in the Super Bowl or something, so why would you take that option away from him?'' It wasn't a bold Super Bowl guarantee or prediction, as Ryan has been known to offer in the past. But, rather, it's the coach holding onto the hope that his best player might make an incredibly fast recovery - as the team makes a deep playoff run. ''Let's just put it this way: My thought is, if you're fortunate enough to make it to that big game and he's fortunate enough to be healthy,'' Ryan said, ''I know our fans will want him playing just like I would want him playing.'' The 27-year-old Revis was injured in the third quarter of the Jets' 23-20 overtime victory, falling awkwardly and grabbing his knee without making any contact with another player. An MRI exam confirmed the Jets' worst fears Monday morning that the ACL was torn. Typically, patients with similar injuries wait a few weeks before surgery but begin the rehabilitation process to strengthen the leg in hopes that that will help expedite the healing after the operation. In fact, Revis' business agent posted pictures on Twitter of the cornerback working out Friday. While it seems highly unlikely Revis will return this season, even as late as February for the Super Bowl, what the Jets are doing is not unprecedented. In 1995, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Rod Woodson became the first player to return from reconstructive knee surgery in the same season. Woodson tore an ACL in the season opener against Detroit, but the Steelers kept his roster spot open - and he came back to play in the Super Bowl against Dallas. San Diego's Philip Rivers tore an ACL in the AFC championship game in 2008, but was back on the practice field for minicamp 100 days later. New England's Wes Welker also returned about four months after a similar knee injury in 2010. ''I just want to take him through surgery and see what the doctors say when they're in there,'' Ryan said, ''and we'll see what happens.'' By not placing Revis on IR now, the Jets essentially will be going one man short of the 53-player roster maximum until they make a final decision. New York has not ruled out putting Revis on the NFL's new injured reserve/designated for return list, which teams can use for one player per season. That player would be able to return to practice after six weeks and play in a game after eight. But for now, it makes sense for the Jets to wait until after surgery instead of risking using that designation on a player who could end up missing several months anyway. Ryan added that there wasn't necessarily anything the team saw in the MRI exams to give them heightened optimism, but just wants Revis to have the surgery before a decision is made. ''You don't have to make a snap decision and say, 'Well, let's just place him on IR and replace him with somebody,''' Ryan said. ''Like I said, if you are fortunate enough to get (to the Super Bowl), why wouldn't you at least, if he does well in the surgery and he is healthy for that and is targeted for that, why wouldn't you believe in yourself enough to give yourself that opportunity? ''And, again, I'm not guaranteeing it's going to happen by any stretch.''

Wizards' Wall out at season's start with hurt knee

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Washington Wizards point guard John Wall called his upcoming absence because of a left knee injury ''a minor setback.'' Team president Ernie Grunfeld labeled it ''a bump in the road.'' However it's described, Wall is expected to miss the first dozen or so games of the NBA's regular season after the Wizards announced Friday that their best player - the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft - was diagnosed with the early stages of a stress injury to his left knee cap. The Wizards said the injury does not require surgery. If his rehab goes as expected, Wall will be sidelined for about two months in all, including about the first month of the regular season, which begins Oct. 30 for Washington. Wall said he ''started feeling discomfort'' about a month ago, and he got an MRI exam that Grunfeld said did not show any sort of problem. But Wall still was bothered by his knee while working out and went for a second opinion. He was examined Thursday in New York by orthopedic specialist Dr. David Altchek, and a new MRI revealed the injury. ''Just something that happens when you work out very hard, that's all I can say,'' Wall said. ''It's very tough for me,'' Wall added. He led the Wizards by averaging 16.3 points and eight assists last season. He also topped the team with 95 steals and averaged 4.5 rebounds. The Wizards finished 20-46 during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, the second-worst record in the league. ''The good thing about this is that we caught it when we did. It's not going to be a best-case scenario, but we also have to look at this in a positive way. ... My expectations of what John can do this year, it being his third year, is not going to change. He's just going to start a little later,'' Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. ''We were lucky that we came and saw it before there was any type of fracture or anything of that nature.'' The Wizards open training camp Tuesday at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. They also expect to be without their second-best player, Nene, for most of training camp. He has a foot injury. Until Wall can return to action, he said, ''I'm going to try to be there and be a coach and a mentor.'' But he also pointed out that he wants to ''make sure I don't rush back.'' Grunfeld, meanwhile, said he will ''look around, see who's available'' and would consider signing a player to help fill out the roster while Wall is sidelined. ''We have a deep roster right now, and we have a lot of players at a lot of different positions,'' Grunfeld said. ''We have players that can pick up the slack, and it's not going to be up to one player.'' And, as Wittman noted: ''Obviously, we're going to miss John.'' --- AP Sports Writer Joseph White contributed to this report.

LA backs deal for downtown NFL stadium

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles took a major step Friday toward building a downtown stadium to lure an NFL team back to the nation's second most populous city, despite questions about how a 72,000-seat venue in the city's urban core would impact notorious freeway traffic, nearby housing prices and air quality. The 12-0 vote by City Council came after starkly contrasting predictions about what the $1.5 billion project would mean for an economically troubled city that has fretted over the loss of professional football since the Raiders and Rams fled Southern California in 1994. Supporters said the deal with developer Anschutz Entertainment Group would create thousands of jobs, a hub of civic pride and new tax dollars for cash-starved City Hall, while critics warned that affordable housing would vanish in the neighborhood while traffic would come to a virtual standstill on game days. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement after the vote that it demonstrates ''what we can accomplish when the city family joins together with private partners in a transformational development.'' ''This is truly a game changer for Los Angeles,'' Villaraigosa said. The vote was overshadowed by the recent announcement that AEG was seeking a new owner, though company officials have assured City Hall the stadium plan will remain the same, even if the company changes hands. The biggest question about the stadium is the most obvious: There's no one to play in it. But the Democratic mayor and other supporters hope the agreement will eventually attract a team - or two - to one of the nation's most lucrative media markets. AEG, also the owner of Los Angeles' Staples Center arena and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, has deep ties to City Hall. Any deal to buy the company, a subsidiary of Denver-based Anschutz Co., would mean a major shift in sports and entertainment in the region and around the world. AEG's holdings include pro soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, part-ownership of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, and major entertainment and real estate holdings in downtown Los Angeles. Outside the city, AEG owns Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo and all or part of several arenas around the U.S. and in Sweden, China and Australia. The project, which calls for the renovation of an adjacent convention center, is facing a lawsuit filed by anti-poverty and environmental activists that some predict could delay or derail plans for the stadium, known as Farmers Field. The activist group, Play Fair at Farmers Field Coalition, is challenging a state law intended to help swiftly resolve legal challenges to the stadium, and it also wants AEG to pay $60 million toward affordable housing in the long-struggling downtown neighborhood. There are some risky assumptions. In a city where everyone drives, planners predict many fans will leave their vehicles at home and travel to the stadium by bus or rail. A rival group, Majestic Realty, has proposed building a stadium in the City of Industry, outside Los Angeles. AEG is hoping to have an NFL team on the field by the 2017 season. The company has pledged about $35 million to reduce traffic problems.

Calif. kids' football team hit with bounty scandal

TUSTIN, Calif. (AP) -- The league president and head coach of a children's football team in Orange County have been suspended amid allegations that players were offered bounties to knock opponents out of games. The executives presided over last year's Tustin Junior Pee Wee Red Cobras, a team of mainly 10- and 11-year-olds. The Orange County Register (bit.ly/OsCHwh) says a group of parents alleges that head coach Darren Crawford and an assistant coach offered players cash for getting big hits and for knocking rivals out of playoff games last season. One player suffered a mild concussion. National Pop Warner officials say Crawford and Tustin President Pat Galentine have been suspended until the program investigates the allegations and issues a ruling. Crawford, Galentine and former assistant coach Richard Bowman have denied the allegations.

NHL, locked-out players resume bargaining

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL and the players' association agreed on issues related to player safety and drug testing Friday, but the core economic divide that is preventing an end to the league's latest lockout was not even on the agenda. The sides returned to the bargaining table after more than two weeks apart, and some progress was made in about two hours of discussions during a morning session. ''You would absolutely hope that things progress and kind of catch fire, but right now we're just going to take it one step at a time and try to come to an agreement on as many issues as possible,'' said former player Mathieu Schneider, now an NHLPA special assistant to the executive director. ''We're taking baby steps right now.'' NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took part in Friday morning's talks, but union head Donald Fehr wasn't present. He joined the discussions during the afternoon. The sides also were expected to meet on Saturday and Sunday. ''It says that both sides are committed to getting back to the table and working,'' Schneider said. Schneider added that there were agreements on more rigorous drug testing, expanding it to parts of the year during which testing is not currently done. Neither side sees the use of performance-enhancing drugs as a problem in the NHL. ''We're in agreement that it's not an issue in our sport,'' Schneider said. ''I think it's in the players' best interest as well as the sport to close off any possible time during the year where players could use.'' Other topics on tap for Friday and through the weekend are various health and safety issues, time players spend at training facilities, and other non-economic topics. ''We like to say that nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to, but we've certainly made some headway,'' Schneider said. ''A lot of it was done previous to this morning. We're taking notes of where we stand. I would say that we have a lot of mutual ground that we have found agreement on.'' It is not impossible that monetary issues will come up for discussion in this round of talks, they just aren't scheduled. Neither side has indicated it is prepared to make a new offer now regarding how to split up the more than $3 billion annual pot of hockey-related revenue. ''In general, when you're dealing with collective bargaining, when you start to have agreements on smaller issues, it can lead to bigger issues,'' Schneider said, ''but it's still too early to say.'' These are the first talks since the lockout was put in place on Sept. 16 and they came a day after the league canceled the remaining preseason games. The regular season is to start Oct. 11.

Giants WR Nicks doubtful for Eagles game

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants may be without wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Nicks, who missed a win over Carolina Sept. 19 with a sore foot, now has a knee problem. Coach Tom Coughlin said Nicks developed swelling in his left knee after working out on Thursday. It was his first and only expected practice for the game. He was listed as doubtful for the contest between the NFC East rivals, meaning he has a 25 percent chance of playing. Nicks banged his knee making a catch in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay. Offensive tackle David Diehl (knee), linebacker Keith Rivers (hamstring) and cornerback Jayron Hosley (hamstring) were listed as out for the game against Philadelphia (2-1), which is in a three-way tie for first place with the Giants and Dallas. Safety Antrel Rolle, who missed practice on Thursday because of soreness in his knee, worked out on a limited basis on Friday and is questionable for the game. Rolle hurt his knee against the Panthers, banging it against a hand-held television camera in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Michael Coe, who missed the Carolina game with a hamstring injury, also is questionable but expects to play as the team's third cornerback. If Nicks can't go, the Giants could start either Domenik Hixon or Ramses Barden. Hixon missed the Carolina game with a concussion, but is probable this week. Barden picked up the start against Carolina and had career-bests of nine catches and 138 yards. ''Whatever the circumstances are we will figure it out,'' quarterback Eli Manning said after practice. The Giants are getting used to backups these days, and no matter who gets the call, it hasn't slowed the team. Barden did it last week and running back Andre Brown was outstanding the past two weeks filling in after Ahmad Bradshaw suffered a neck injury against the Buccaneers. Bradshaw returned to practice this week and is probable. ''We've done it every year from way back when,'' Hixon said of the backups. ''I was talking about that with a couple of guys from other teams. Our coaches coach everyone up, because you never know what may happen. So everyone is coached up and ready to play.'' The biggest concern for the Giants will be at cornerback. Corey Webster will be playing with a broken right hand and Prince Amukamara will start for Hosley despite still not being fully recovered from a preseason ankle sprain. He played last week. ''There's still a little discomfort, a little pain, but it's not really affecting my game,'' said Amukamara, who will make his first career start. ''It gets sore a couple of times, but as I'm running, it's warmed up. It feels good as new.'' Webster said he intercepted two passes this week in practice using his left hand only. He plans to use both hands in the game although he is still deciding on an appropriate cast to wear on his right hand, his dominant hand. ''You would like to have both hands,'' Webster said. ''Whatever I can do to help my team I am going to be out there helping.'' Coe almost certainly will have to play with Hosley out. He ran at full speed on Friday. ''I am a competitor and I feel everyone puts pressure on himself to play,'' Coe said. ''It's a big game, a divisional game, especially to jump out to a lead in our division. ''And I definitely want to play against a great quarterback and great receivers in our division.''

Francona joins Alomar as candidate to manage Tribe

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Terry Francona has joined Sandy Alomar Jr. as a candidate to become manager of the Cleveland Indians. Alomar prepared for his first game as interim manager Friday, a day after Manny Acta was fired. General manager Chris Antonetti said both were candidates and others currently employed by teams could become part of the search. ''I'm excited and I'm honored that they would give me an interview,'' Francona told the Associated Press. ''I know Sandy Alomar is also a candidate. He's a good friend of mine. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I will do my homework over the next week.'' Francona, who managed Boston to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, was a special assistant in Cleveland's front office in 2001. He is intrigued by the chance to work again with Indians president Mark Shapiro and Antonetti. ''Chris and Mark are very dear to me and very important to me,'' he said. ''I know there are challenges and I look forward to maybe having the chance to work again with people I care about.'' Francona has been an ESPN analyst since leaving the Red Sox after last season. He played briefly in Cleveland in 1988, following father Tito. Terry Francona managed Philadelphia from 1997-00. Before his first game in charge, Alomar thanked the man he replaced, and gave a glimpse of his own philosophy. ''You have to put yourself last if you want to lead,'' said the former All-Star catcher, who spent the first 11 seasons of his 18-year playing career in Cleveland. ''You have to serve first,'' Alomar said. ''Be unselfish and do what you can for others.'' It is a lesson learned as a youngster from his father Sandy, a major-league infielder in the 1960s and 70s. Alomar's younger brother, Roberto, was his teammate in Cleveland and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Alomar, MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game played in Cleveland and one of the most popular players in franchise history, said that if he gets hired permanently, it would be his dream job. ''I went to Chicago and then bounced around after leaving the Indians, but I was never treated the way I was here,'' he said. ''If it happens that the organization feels it is my time, great. But nobody owes me anything.'' Alomar addressed the team, telling players all he expects is for them to ''be relaxed, take pride in the game and go out and play.'' He said that Acta helped him grow into a candidate for the permanent position as manager. ''He played a big role in bringing me back to Cleveland and it is not easy to replace a guy like him,'' Alomar said. When Acta was hired as manager in 2010, handed the task of rebuilding the Indians, he asked to have Alomar on his staff as first-base coach. Alomar became bench coach this year. Alomar had no managerial experience on any level before the Indians played the Kansas City Royals on Friday. He said being involved in all facets of the game as a catcher prepared him for the job. He credited former Indians manager Mike Hargrove and Charlie Manuel with giving him leadership tips. He also learned from former New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel while on his staff in 2008-09. ''Grover was a great influence on me,'' Alomar said. ''He let me play, but he pushed me.'' Alomar would not discuss why the Indians went from contenders to last place. They led the AL Central on May 28 but were 38-70 since, including 21-50 since the All-Star break. ''We've got talent,'' Alomar said. ''We have to stay focused. The guys are battling, they've never quit, but the results just were not there.'' Closer Chris Perez said players respect Alomar's accomplishments. The outspoken right-hander added it is unfair to expect a miracle turnaround without other changes. ''They came to the conclusion Manny could not take us to the championship level,'' Perez said. ''Well, the players currently in this locker room are not going there, either. We have to get better.'' Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo said all the players feel they let down Acta and hope they finish strong for Alomar. ''We respect Sandy, but our record is not his fault or Manny's fault,'' Choo said. ''Players make managers good or bad. We made Manny have a bad record even though he made good decisions. I hope we don't let Sandy down.''

Kansas signs hoops coach Self to $3.8M contract

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Bill Self could be roaming the sideline at Allen Fieldhouse well into the next decade. The Kansas basketball coach agreed to a restructured contract Friday that extends through the 2021-22 season and includes a raise to $3.857 million per year. Self's previous deal, worth $3.376 million annually, would have run through June 2018. Self is coming off his second appearance with Kansas in the Final Four. He led the Jayhawks to the 2008 national title and lost to Kentucky in the championship game in April. ''I know there are a lot of great jobs out there, but I certainly don't think it takes long to call roll for the best of the best, and I'm fortunate to have one of those,'' Self said. ''I can't imagine myself coaching anywhere else as long as the people at Kansas want me to be here.'' Self's new contract includes bonus provisions of $50,000 for conference regular-season titles, $25,000 for winning the conference tournament, $100,000 for earning AP coach of the year, $150,000 for reaching the Final Four and $200,000 for winning the national championship. ''I felt great about my previous contract that we redid in '08, and of course, extending it four more years is terrific,'' Self said. ''I don't know if it's anything I'm going to be giddy about or lay awake thinking, 'Hey, I have a contract through 2022.' Hopefully if you're doing a good job, they'll want you around, and if you don't do a good job, they won't want you around.'' The restructured contract includes a retention bonus of $876,000 per year, payable in 2015 and 2018. The bonus is replaced in 2019 by an agreement to pay Self a one-time sum of $6 million if he remains the Kansas coach through March 2022. ''We believe Bill Self is among a very small number of elite basketball coaches in this country, and this ensures that we compensate him accordingly,'' Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger said. ''We are thrilled that he will remain our coach for at least another decade.'' The Jayhawks have won a record eight consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles under Self, and averaged 29.9 wins per year. They have not been seeded lower than fourth in nine NCAA tournaments, and have made six trips to the round of 16 and five appearances in the Elite Eight. ''Bill Self not only wins, but he wins the right way,'' Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said. ''He emphasizes the importance of players being both students and athletes, and is himself an active contributor to the university and community. Bill is an outstanding coach and ambassador.'' Despite losing All-American forward Thomas Robinson to the NBA draft, and senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and several other key pieces from last year's national runners-up, Kansas is still expected to be ranked in the top 10 when preseason polls are released. The Jayhawks return shot-blocking center Jeff Withey, senior guards Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson, and role players Kevin Young and Naadir Tharpe. They'll be helped by one of the nation's top recruiting classes, headlined by Kansas high school standout Perry Ellis. Also eligible this season will be Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor, a pair of highly regarded recruits who were forced to redshirt last season because of issues with their academics. ''The key to our team,'' Self said, ''will be how quickly our young guys come around. We have a bunch of them. How aggressive they are, and if they understand the type of aggressiveness and attitude you have to win at this level, at a high level.'' Self also dealt with some staff turnover in the offseason. Assistant coach Danny Manning left to take over the program at Tulsa, where Self once served as coach, and director of basketball operations Barry Hinson was hired to coach Southern Illinois. Former St. John's coach Norm Roberts has returned to Self's staff as an assistant coach after serving in the same capacity last season at Florida. Former Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has replaced Hinson as the director of basketball operations. ''I think one of the great things about coaching is turnover. It's exciting when you have turnover amongst your staff, even if you don't want to lose guys,'' Self said. ''When guys get opportunities, it's because the players have done a good job and performed well.''

Alomar thanks Acta, takes over Indians

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Before his first game as Indians interim manager, Sandy Alomar Jr. thanked the man he replaced. In praising Manny Acta for helping him grow into a candidate for the permanent position as manager after the season, Alomar adhered to his personal philosophy: Put others first. That's just one reasons the Indians asked Alomar to move up from bench coach to replace Acta, fired on Thursday. Alomar took over as manager Friday for the final six games and will interview for the full-time job. General manager Chris Antonetti said Alomar and former Boston manager Terry Francona are on his search list and others currently employed by teams likely will be added.