Rangers force AL wild-card tiebreaker

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― The Texas Rangers had to keep winning to keep playing. After seven wins in a row, they have to do it one more time to get into the playoffs.Craig Gentry had a key two-run single, Geovany Soto had a tiebreaking RBI double and a solo homer, and the Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 Sunday to force a one-game tiebreaker for the second AL wild-card spot.“They showed heart, fight, gut ― any other adjective you want to find,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said.The Ranger

BaseballSept. 30, 2013

Dodgers' Ryu takes loss in final regular season start

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers lost his final regular season start on Sunday, going just four innings against the Colorado Rockies for his shortest outing of 2013.At Dodger Stadium, Ryu gave up two earned runs on eight hits and a walk against the Rockies, as Colorado took the game 2-1. Scott Van Slyke pinch-hit for Ryu in the bottom of the fourth with the Dodgers trailing 2-0. The South Korean lefty needed 76 pitches to get through four innings.Despite one of his shakiest starts of 2013

BaseballSept. 30, 2013

Pirates win to wrap up wild-card home game

CINCINNATI (AP) ― Hundreds of Pirates fans stood, twirled their towels and chanted “Let’s Go Bucs!” as Jay Bruce hit a grounder for the final out, setting up a playoff game in Pittsburgh.Baseball, this time.Neil Walker hit two of Pittsburgh’s six homers ― its biggest power surge in six years ― and the Pirates clinched home-field advantage for the NL’s wild card playoff game by beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 Saturday.Pittsburgh will host the Reds on Tuesday night in the Pirates’ first playoff ap

BaseballSept. 29, 2013

Lehman takes Champions Tour lead

PEBBLE BEACH, California (AP) ― Tom Lehman made a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Pebble Beach on Saturday for his second straight 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s First Tee Open.Lehman, the seven-time Champions Tour winner and former British Open champion, had a 10-under 134 total after rounds at Del Monte and Pebble Beach.“To play Pebble Beach in beautiful conditions is a pleasure and a treat,” said Lehman, winless this year. “The greens are first and fast, the

GolfSept. 29, 2013

Messi answers questions in tax fraud case

Lionel Messi and his father appeared before a Spanish judge to answer questions in a multimillion-euro tax fraud case on Friday.Messi gave answers for around half an hour after his father Jorge Horacio Messi had been questioned. After they both left separately, Messi's lawyer spoke outside the courthouse No. 3 in Gava, an easy-going coastal town just south of Barcelona near Messi's residence.``The Messi family has wanted that we act with transparency, clarity and with a sense of cooperation, and

More SportsSept. 27, 2013

IOC satisfied Olympic charter respected for Sochi

SOCHI, Russia (AP) ― The International Olympic Committee doesn’t have the authority to intervene in Russia’s law banning gay propaganda and is convinced there will be no discrimination against athletes or spectators at the Winter Games in Sochi, a top Olympic official said Thursday. Jean-Claude Killy, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission, gave his stamp of approval of Russian preparations for the games during a news conference at the conclusion of the commission’s 10th and final visit to

More SportsSept. 27, 2013

Brazil eyes fringe benefits from Asia visit

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) ― Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said the door is still open for fringe players to force their way into his World Cup plans as he revealed his squad to face South Korea and Zambia in October friendlies.Scolari will be without experienced goalkeeper Julio Cesar and defender Thiago Silva, who are both injured, for the game with South Korea in Seoul on Oct. 12 and against Zambia, three days later in Beijing.In Cesar’s absence, Scolari’s 23-man squad includes Atletico Mineiro

SoccerSept. 27, 2013

Rival universities’ sports festival kicks off

The annual sports festival between Yonsei University and Korea University kicked off Friday.The two-day event between two of South Korea’s most prestigious schools commenced with the opening ceremony held at Jamsil stadium in Southern Seoul. The time-honored tradition between two of South Korea’s fiercest rivals is regarded as one of the biggest events in the country’s collegiate sports. Both schools are noted for the success of their sports teams as well as academic accomplishments.The opening

More SportsSept. 27, 2013

Brazil to bring top guns to football friendly vs. S. Korea

Five-time World Cup champion Brazil will bring most of its top guns to an upcoming football friendly against South Korea.FC Barcelona forward Neymar will headline the 23-man roster for the world No. 8 Brazil, which will visit Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 12 for its fifth meeting against South Korea. Brazil has won three of the four previous matches between the teams.At a news conference, head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he was looking forward to having Neymar's services up front."It is int

SoccerSept. 27, 2013

Kim to sit out Grand Prix events with foot injury

Two-time world figure skating champion Kim Yu-na will sit out the upcoming Grand Prix events with a foot injury, skating officials here said Thursday.The Korea Skating Union said Kim suffered an injury to her metatarsal on her right foot and could be sidelined for up to six weeks.Kim had been slated to compete at Skate Canada International from Oct. 25-27 in Saint John, New Brunswick, and again at the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris from Nov. 15-17, as part of the International Skating Union Grand

More SportsSept. 26, 2013

NC Dinos join KBO in demanding new site for stadium

The NC Dinos on Wednesday joined the country’s top baseball league in demanding their home city change the site for the team’s new stadium, citing accessibility problems with the city’s original choice.The Dinos, an expansion Korea Baseball Organization club, said in a press release that they will formally ask Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, to pick a different location for the team’s new ballpark.The Dinos joined the KBO this year as the league’s ninth and newest team. They’re currently pl

BaseballSept. 25, 2013

Talks on allowing N. Koreans in Olympic taekwondo may wrap up

Ongoing talks between two international taekwondo bodies on allowing North Koreans to compete in the Olympic Games could wrap up sometime next year, a senior South Korean taekwondo official said on Wednesday.Choue Chung-won, head of the World Taekwondo Federation, said at a press conference in Seoul that his organization has held talks with the North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation on letting athletes compete in each other’s events.Currently, only the global body is sanctioned by th

More SportsSept. 25, 2013

Torres on target as Chelsea ...advances

LONDON (AP) ― Fernando Torres made the most of a rare Chelsea start Tuesday by scoring one and setting up another in a 2-0 victory over third-tier club Swindon in the League Cup, while Manchester City and Tottenham advanced with stylish wins.Torres slotted in from close range in the 29th minute, and then wriggled through the defense six minutes later before slipping the ball through to Ramires to dink the ball into the net.“For the players who have not played in the last few matches it was good

SoccerSept. 25, 2013