Rupp surprises Lagat at U.S. track trials

EUGENE, Ore., June 28 (UPI) — Galen Rupp ended a long losing streak against Bernard Lagat Thursday, winning the 5,000-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Rupp had raced against Lagat 14 times without winning, but after being passed in the home stretch of Thursday’s finals Rupp put on a surge and won in the time of 13:22.67.

Lagat, a native of Kenya who will represent the United States at the Olympics for the second time since becoming a citizen, finished just .15 of a second behind Rupp. Lopez Lomong won the third spot on the Olympic team in 13:24.47.

Julie Culley captured the women’s 5,000 and will be joined next month at the London Games by Molly Huddle and Kim Conley.

Conley provided one of the most dramatic moments of the evening when she put on a sprint down the stretch and edged Julia Lucas for the third and final spot on the American roster. Conley beat Lucas to the line by .04 of a second.

Evan Jager, Donald Cabral and Kyle Alcorn all qualified for the U.S. team in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, with Jager winning in the time of 8:17.40. Kenyan runners have won the Olympic gold medal in the event for the past seven Games.

Brad Walker, Jeremy Scott and Derek Miles will represent the United States in the pole vault. Walker won the finals Thursday with a jump of 18-7 1/4. Lance Brooks claimed first place in the discus throw with an effort of 213-9.

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MLB: Seattle 1, Boston 0

SEATTLE, June 29 (UPI) — A one-out ninth-inning single by John Jaso brought home Casper Wells from second Thursday, giving the Seattle Mariners a 1-0 victory over Boston.

The clutch hit from Jaso made a winner out of Felix Hernandez (6-5), who struck out 13 and threw just the fifth shutout of his eight-year career. It was the 19th time he has gone the distance and the first time this season.

Franklin Morales threw seven shutout innings for the Red Sox, but Scott Atchison was unable to get the game into extra innings.

Atchison (2-1) gave up a one-out double to Wells in the ninth and Justin Smoak was walked intentionally. Jaso then hit the first pitch from Atchison to right field.

Boston lost the opener of a seven-game road trip after having won nine of its previous 11 outings.

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MLB: Texas 7, Oakland 6

ARLINGTON, Texas, June 29 (UPI) — Texas closer Joe Nathan put the tying run on third base in the ninth Thursday before escaping the jam and preserving the Rangers’ 7-6 win over Oakland.

The Rangers won their third in a row and have captured 11 of their last 13 contests.

Texas overcame a 4-2 deficit with a four-run fifth, highlighted by David Murphy’s two-run single. Murphy has six hits and seven RBI over his last two games.

With the Rangers clinging to a one-run lead heading into the ninth, Nathan retired the first batter of the inning.

Josh Reddick then drew a four-pitch walk, went to second on a wild pitch and stopped at third when Yoenis Cespedes singled to right.

Nathan survived the trouble, however, striking out Seth Smith and getting Brandon Inge on a grounder to shortstop. It was Nathan’s 18th save.

Scott Feldman (2-6) was credited the win after a struggling, five-inning performance. He gave up four runs on nine hits.

Tyson Ross (2-8) surrendered five runs on eight hits in four frames to take the loss.

Josh Reddick, Derek Norris and Cliff Pennington all hit solo homers for the A’s.

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Djokovic heads into Wimbledon 4th round

Novak Djokovic, shown in a first-round match at Wimbledon, posted a four-set, third-round win Friday. UPI/Hugo Philpott 

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LONDON, June 29 (UPI) — Defending champion Novak Djokovic moved into the fourth round at Wimbledon with a four-set victory Friday.

Djokovic saw some opportunities slide by in the first set but controlled the match the rest of the way for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Radek Stepanek. Djokovic won 75 percent of the points on serve after the first set.

By late in the fourth set Stepanek was playing for honor and survived a very long game to cut the deficit to 1-4. But Djokovic came back with three consecutive aces and a fourth serve that Stepanek couldn’t handle to hold serve in about 1 minute.

After going 0-for-5 in break chances in the first set, Djokovic finished with seven breaks on the day.

Djokovic will next go against Serb countryman Viktor Troicki, who ousted 15th-seeded Juan Monaco 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 in his third-round match Friday. His six breaks — two in each set — were twice as many as Monaco managed.

Djokovic owns an 11-match winning streak versus Troicki.

No. 3-seeded Roger Federer and eighth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic — another Serb — were among those scheduled for play later Friday.

Sam Querrey knocked out 21st-seeded Milos Raonic 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in a second-round match that carried over from Thursday. Querrey dropped serve just once across the 3-hour match. His break in the fourth set allowed him to advance to the third round against 16th-seeded Marin Cilic.

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MLB: San Francisco 5, Cincinnati 0

SAN FRANCISCO, June 29 (UPI) — Madison Bumgarner allowed a lone hit while going the distance Thursday, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 5-0 victory over Cincinnati.

Ryan Hanigan broke up Bumgarner’s no-hit bid with a single leading off the sixth. Bumgarner (10-4) walked two and struck out eight in the first complete game of his four-year career.

The one-hitter came one start after Bumgarner had given up four runs on 11 hits against Oakland. Despite his struggles in that game, Bumgarner was the winning pitcher and he has captured five consecutive decisions.

The San Francisco pitcher even had one of his team’s nine hits Thursday and scored the Giants’ fourth run on a triple by Gregor Blanco in the seventh.

Angel Pagan started the San Francisco offense with a two-run single in the first.

Johnny Cueto (9-4) was saddled with the loss after giving up two runs on six hits in six innings.

The Giants have won four in a row and took sole possession first place in the National League West.

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Flames sign Sarich for 2 more years

The Calgary Flames’ Cory Sarich handles the puck in a Nov. 5, 2009, game. UPI/Bill Greenblatt 

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CALGARY, Alberta, June 29 (UPI) — Veteran Calgary Flames defenseman Cory Sarich has been re-signed to a two-year contract, the team announced Friday.

“Cory is a true competitor who plays the game the right way, with fire and grit,” General Manager Jay Feaster said.

The club said the contract was worth $4 million.

Sarich joined the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1998-99 season. He also played for Tampa Bay and was signed by Calgary as a free agent in 2007.

In 887 NHL games, Sarich has 20 goals and 146 points, including 10 goals and 57 points in 351 contests with the Flames.

“He is capable of delivering the big hit and as such keeps opposing players honest, he eliminates time and space down low, he moves the puck well with a good first pass, he is one of the leaders in our room and he is a well-liked and well-respected teammate,” Feaster said.

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MLB: San Diego 7, Houston 3

HOUSTON, June 28 (UPI) — Alexi Amarista finished off a six-run ninth inning with a grand slam homer Thursday, rallying the San Diego Padres to a 7-3 victory over Houston.

The Astros owned a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth and Brett Myers came on in a bid to record his 18th save.

Instead, the Padres batted around and benefited from a costly error that made five of the runs in the inning unearned.

San Diego had runners on first and third with one away when Logan Forsythe hit a grounder to third baseman Chris Johnson, who misplayed the ball for an error, opening the floodgates for the Padres.

Myers (0-3) had a chance to escape the inning when he fanned Jesus Guzman with the bases loaded for the second out of the frame. Amarista, however, followed with a homer to right that snapped a 3-3 tie.

It was the first homer of Amarista’s career.

San Diego starter Andrew Cashner did not give up a hit through six innings, but eventually allowed two runs on two hits.

The win went to Nick Vincent (1-0) even though he allowed a run in the eighth.

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Sharapova advances to fourth round

Maria Sharapova, shown in a match Wednesday, won in striaght sets Friday and is into the fourth round of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. UPI/Hugo Philpott 

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LONDON, June 29 (UPI) — World No. 1 Maria Sharapova and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska used straight-set wins Friday to gain spots in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships.

Sharapova got past Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1, 6-4 in windy conditions. Sharapova had five double faults, including two in a row that gave Hsieh a break and a 2-3 lead in the second set.

After Hsieh held serve to go up 4-2, Sharapova charged back and won four consecutive games and the match.

Radwanska won the first nine games in a 6-0, 6-2 rout of local-favorite Heather Watson. Radwanska took nearly 75 percent of the points in the first set and faced two break points on the day.

She claimed 60 percent of the points off Watson’s serve.

Eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber lost serve once in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 28th-seeded Christina McHale. Kerber fought off 10 break points, while converting both of her own, in taking the first set.

She draws Kim Clijsters in the fourth round. Clijsters had built a 6-3, 4-3 lead when 12th-seeded Vera Zvonareva retired with a respiratory illness.

No. 15-seeded Sabine Lisicki defeated Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-2. Lisicki, who had to overcome 35 unforced errors, lost her serve just once outside of the second set. The win put her into the fourth round against Sharapova.

Also, 30th-seeded Peng Shuai was on the court just 47 minutes in a 6-1, 6-2 romp over Arantxa Rus.

Players in late third-round matches Friday included 17th-seeded Maria Kirilenko and No. 20 Nadia Petrova.

In a second-round result Friday, Jana Cepelova knocked off 26th-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. The total time of the match, which began Thursday, was 3 hours, 6 minutes. Cepelova held off six break points in the third set.

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Boudry leads Irish Open

Gregory Bourdy, shown in a 2010 file photo, has a one-stroke lead half through the European Tour’s Irish Open. UPI/Brian Kersey 

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PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland, June 29 (UPI) — Gregory Bourdy, despite three bogeys Friday, owns a one-stroke lead halfway through the European Tour’s Irish Open.

Bourdy, who shared the lead after the first round, had an up-and-down round Friday that included an eagle and six birdies. He finished at 5-under-par 67 and moved to 12-under 132 for the tournament.

Mark Foster matched Bourdy’s 65 with a bogey-free round and is at 11-under after 36 holes. Three players, including Paul Waring, who fired 7-under 65 Friday, are tied for third at 10-under.

Also in third place are Lorenzo Gagli, who had a second-round 66 and Padraig Harrington, with a 67 Friday.

First-round co-leader Jeev Milkha Singh turned in a 1-under 71 in the second round and is tied for eighth at 8-under.

Bourdy started hot Friday with an eagle at the par-5, 528-yard second hole and a birdie at the par-3 third before his first bogey of the tournament at No. 4. He then had four birdies in a five-hole span. Bogies at 11 and 14 slowed him some but he had a 4 at the par-5 17th for his 67.

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MLB: N.Y. Mets 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2

LOS ANGELES, June 29 (UPI) — Andres Torres doubled home the tiebreaking run in the fifth Thursday and the New York Mets held on from there to edge the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.

The Dodgers lost their fifth in a row and fell out of a first-place tie with San Francisco in the National League West.

Elian Herrera delivered an RBI triple in the fourth and then scored on a single by Juan Rivera to end a 33-inning LA scoring drought and bring the Dodgers back from an early 2-0 deficit.

New York quickly regained the lead, however, when Mike Nickeas singled with one out in the fifth, advanced to second on a sacrifice by pitcher Chris Young and scored on the double by Torres.

Young (2-1) went 6 1/3 innings in his fifth start since returning from shoulder surgery. He gave up both Los Angeles runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Bobby Parnell, handed the New York closer’s role while Frank Francisco is on the disabled list, worked a perfect ninth for his first save. Parnell had blown 15 of 22 saves opportunities over the past five seasons.

Chris Capuano (9-3) surrendered the double to Torres and took the loss in a seven-inning effort. Capuano suffered his first loss in five starts.

David Wright drove in the first two New York runs with a double in the first and a homer in the fourth.

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