Brandon Webb baffled the Cubs with his sinker, then staggered them with changeups and curves. This high-stakes duel in the desert went to the quiet ace from Kentucky. Webb shut down Chicago in a brilliant postseason debut, and the young Arizona Diamondbacks got home runs from two unflappable kids Wednesday night for a 3-1 victory in their NL playoff opener.
Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen is back in Buffalo to begin the next step of rehabilitation after having open heart surgery last month. “I feel good, really good. Things are going well. Every day I feel stronger and stronger,” Numminen said Thursday after watching the Sabres practice. Numminen said he’s been walking — but not allowed to drive a car — and intends to begin riding a stationary bike…
David Carr appears likely to making his second straight start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers after Jake Delhomme missed practice again Thursday. While coach John Fox would not identify a starter for Sunday’s game at New Orleans, Delhomme hasn’t thrown a football since straining his right elbow on Sept.
Tony Dungy hopes three of his injured starters can play against Tampa Bay this week. He just can’t count on it. So when the Indianapolis Colts went back to work Wednesday, Dungy was making contingency plans for the possible absences of receiver Marvin Harrison, running back Joseph Addai and safety Bob Sanders, all of whom were hurt in last Sunday’s victory over Denver.
Trainer Carl Nafzger likes the idea of a short ride to a big payday. Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby and Travers winner trained by Nafzger, is the odds-on favorite in a short field for Saturday’s $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park, an easy drive up Interstate 71 from his home barn at Churchill Downs.
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Orlando Magic forward Tony Battie will undergo rotator cuff surgery likely to end his season, the team said Wednesday. He partially tore a ligament a few weeks ago in a pickup game. He had an arm on center Dwight Howard as Howard backed toward the bucket and felt the shoulder give. Battie knew surgery was the likely option after seeing two doctors just before training camp.
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker will take a two-year hiatus from the French national team. Parker said on his Web site Wednesday he needed time to rest and pledged to return to the team in time for the 2009 European championship in Poland. “It has been many years that I am playing more than 120 games a year,” Parker said.
The Rocket’s ready to fire again in the playoffs. Roger Clemens, who had several starts pushed back because of an injured hamstring, said Wednesday that he’s set to pitch for the New York Yankees in Game 3 against the Cleveland Indians. Clemens had no problems during a 69-pitch simulated game on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., a final tuneup before what will be his 34th postseason start.
Tom Glavine is likely to decline his $13 million option with the New York Mets by Friday’s deadline, giving the pitcher time to think about his future. Glavine’s contract said he must make a decision on the option by the fifth day after the Mets concluded their season. “Tom and I have been having discussions since Sunday.
Sidney Crosby has no time to be nervous, overwhelmed or awed by anything on a hockey rink. His name was known across North America years before he finally became the first pick in the lockout-delayed 2005 NHL draft. Facing comparisons to Wayne Gretzky and other greats didn’t rattle him. He met all the pressure and expectations with a shrug of the shoulders, letting his exquisite ability bolster the…
Already a Hall of Famer for his time on the ice, Ron Francis is quickly moving up the ranks in the second half of his hockey career. The Carolina Hurricanes promoted the fast-rising Francis, already the team’s director of player development, to assistant general manager on Thursday. He replaces Jason Karmanos, the 33-year-old son of team owner Peter Karmanos Jr., who resigned last week because of…