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KINGS-SHARKS
Sharks tie series with 2-1 win over Kings
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Brent Burns helped San Jose jump off to a fast start with his second goal of the postseason and the Sharks tied their second-round series against Los Angeles at two games with a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Logan Couture followed up his overtime game-winner in Game 3 with his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs to add to the lead and Antti Niemi (AN'-tee nee-YEH'-mee) made 22 saves as the Sharks matched the Kings' two home wins to open the series with 2 of their own.
Mike Richards scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles when the Sharks will look to end a streak of 4 straight wins by the home team in this series.
CLIPPERS-DEL-NEGRO
Clippers won't offer Del Negro new deal as coach
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Vinny Del Negro is out as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after their first-round playoff exit.
The team said Tuesday he won't be offered a new contract when his current one expires at the end of June.
Del Negro had a 128-102 regular-season record in three years with the team. The Clippers made the playoffs the last two seasons, including last year when they advanced to the second round for only the second time since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984.
This season, the Clippers won a franchise-record 56 games, had a 17-game winning streak and won the club's first Pacific Division title before their early playoff exit. They led Memphis 2-0 before losing in six games.
All-Star guard Chris Paul becomes a free agent July 1, and the Clippers have said their top priority is to re-sign him.
SPARKS MOVES
Sparks hire Bridget Pettis as assistant coach
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Sparks have hired Bridget Pettis as an assistant, replacing Jim Lewis who left the team for family reasons.
The team announced Tuesday that Olaf Lange and Gail Goestenkors are joining as consultants.
Pettis spent 12 years in the league as a player, assistant coach and director of basketball operations for the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever. She retired from her front-office job with the Mercury in 2011.
Lange has 18 years of coaching experience, including stints with the San Antonio Silver Stars. Most recently, he was head coach of UMMC Ekaterinburg, this year's EuroLeague champion that included Sparks star Candace Parker. Lange is married to Sparks assistant Sandy Brondello.
Goestenkors' college coaching stints include Duke and Texas. She was an assistant on the U.S. national teams at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
The Sparks open the season at home against Seattle on Sunday.
LEGENDS CLASSIC
Pittsburgh leads field for Legends Classic
NEW YORK (AP) - Pittsburgh, playing its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, highlights the teams that will play in the championship round of this year's Legends Classic at Barclays Center.
The Panthers, who lost to Wichita State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, will be joined by Stanford, Houston and Texas Tech, which will be led by first-year coach Tubby Smith, in the semifinals and finals to be played Nov. 25 and 26.
The four teams coming to Brooklyn will each host two regional round games on campus from Nov. 17-21, and the remainder of the field will participate in subregionals held at a campus site.
The entire bracket for the tournament will be announced later.
Top-ranked Indiana beat Georgetown 82-72 in overtime in last year's championship game.
ATHLETICS-RANGERS
Straily, Cespedes push A's past Rangers 1-0
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Rookie right-hander Dan Straily pitched seven scoreless innings and Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EHN'-ehs SEHS'-peh-dehs) homered as the Oakland Athletics won their fifth straight game, 1-0 over the Texas Rangers and Yu Darvish on Tuesday night.
Straily (2-2) gave up only two singles while facing 22 batters, just one over the minimum for his seven innings. He struck out five.
Even with consecutive wins to start the 3-game series, Oakland still trails the Rangers by 4½ games in the AL West.
Darvish (7-2) had won all 5 of his previous starts this season when pitching after a Texas loss.
The Japanese right-hander struck out five, but walked three and hit a batter while giving up five hits in six innings.
With the help of a couple of defensive plays, the only run he allowed came when Cespedes homered to straightaway center in the third.
RANGERS-PITCHING CHANGES
Cotts back in majors; Rangers skipping Tepesch
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Left-hander Neal Cotts is back in the major leagues for the first time since 2009.
The Texas Rangers purchased the reliever's contract from AAA Round Rock before Tuesday night's game against Oakland. Cotts had ligament replacement surgery in 2009.
Texas also activated catcher A.J. Pierzynski from the disabled list. He was in the starting lineup after being out since May 6 with a strained right oblique muscle.
Right-hander Josh Lindblom, Monday night's starter, and catcher Robinson Chririnos were optioned to Round Rock.
The Rangers will skip rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch's scheduled start Wednesday because of a blister on his right middle finger.
Right-hander Ross Wolf will be recalled from Round Rock to start the series finale against Oakland.
Wolf's last major league appearance was 2010.
CARDINALS-PADRES
Descalso's slam, Wainwright's arm carry Cards
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Daniel Descalso hit his first career grand slam and had a career-high five RBIs, and Adam Wainwright won for the first time at Petco Park as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 10-2 Tuesday night.
Descalso lined a 1-2 pitch from Anthony Bass into the Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Deck in right-center with one out in the eighth, his second homer of the season. Jon Jay was intentionally walked ahead of him.
Descalso, hitting just .197 coming in, went 3 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs.
Wainwright (6-3) held San Diego to one run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked one.
San Diego's Edinson Volquez (3-5) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out five and walked one.
He allowed four runs on six hits in the fifth.
DODGERS-BREWERS
Gomez, Lucroy help Brewers beat Dodgers, Greinke
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Carlos Gomez hit a go-ahead two-run double, Jonathan Lucroy had three hits and an RBI and five Milwaukee relievers combined for five scoreless innings as the Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 Tuesday night.
Mike Fiers (1-2), Michael Gonzalez, John Axford, Brandon Kintzler and Jim Henderson pitched Milwaukee to only its fourth victory in its last 19 games by allowing a total of just four singles. Henderson threw the ninth for his ninth save, striking out pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke with runners on first and second.
Zach Greinke (GREHN'-kee) (2-1), making his second start since returning from a broken left collarbone, gave up nine hits and five earned runs in four-plus innings against his former team en route to his first career loss at Miller Park.
The right-hander, traded by the Brewers to the Los Angeles Angels last July 27, had won his first 15 decisions in Milwaukee.
MARINERS-ANGELS
Trout hits for cycle, drives in 5, Angels rout M's
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Mike Trout hit for the cycle and drove in five runs, Josh Hamilton celebrated his 32nd birthday with a homer and a triple, and Howie Kendrick also went deep in the Los Angeles Angels' 12-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Trout, last season's AL rookie of the year and MVP runner-up, became the sixth player in Angels history to complete the cycle and the first to do it since Chone (shahn) Figgins on Sept. 16, 2006, at Texas.
After taking a called third strike his first time up, Trout reached on an infield single in the third inning, hit an RBI triple in the fourth and added a three-run double in the sixth before homering in the eighth on a 2-0 pitch from Lucas Luetge.
NATIONALS-GIANTS
Sandoval's HR lifts Giants past Nationals 4-2
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning after Gregor Blanco's tying triple in the ninth, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Sandoval flipped his bat and shifted into a slow trot as soon as he sent the ball off Yunesky Maya (0-1) over the right-center field wall for his eighth homer this season. It was Sandoval's second career game-ending hit - both home runs against the Nationals - and San Francisco's sixth walk-off win this season.
Blanco had three hits, including his RBI triple off closer Rafael Soriano with two outs in the ninth. The Giants' comeback upstaged a superb outing by Stephen Strasburg, who outdueled Matt Cain in seven innings in a matchup of NL aces.
Jeremy Affeldt (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
GIANTS-INJURIES
Ryan Vogelsong, Santiago Casilla go on Giants' DL
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after breaking his pitching hand and the San Francisco Giants are bracing to be without him for two months.
Vogelsong was in surgery Tuesday morning at Stanford. X-rays on Monday night revealed the injury, which came on a fifth-inning swing during an 8-0 victory against the Washington Nationals.
Vogelsong had a 6-0 lead when he got hurt. He pitched five scoreless innings for his first victory since April 11 and snapped a six-start winless stretch.
Righty reliever Santiago Casilla also went on the disabled list Tuesday because his troublesome right knee still isn't fully healed despite the use of 2 different braces.
GIANTS-AFFELDT THE AUTHOR
Affeldt has grown to love open-minded Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When Jeremy Affeldt came to the Bay Area as an opposing player, he wouldn't even leave his hotel room.
He was admittedly homophobic.
When he joined the San Francisco Giants five years ago, he was determined to get rid of his negative feelings toward the gay population. The transformation took time and a change of heart, given what he calls his "sheltered" upbringing in Eastern Washington.
Now, Affeldt is more than comfortable saying he was wrong to judge a community based solely on sexual orientation.
Affeldt reveals these stories in his recently released book, "To Stir a Movement:" Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball."
In the book, he also acknowledges how he returned $500,000 to the Giants after a typo gave him an accidental bonus before the 2010 season.
NATIONALS-MOVES
Nationals place Mattheus on DL, recall 2 pitchers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Washington Nationals have placed reliever Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day disabled list after he broke his right pitching hand punching a locker.
The Nationals also sent outfielder Eury Perez to AAA Syracuse and recalled lefty Fernando Abad and right-hander Yunesky Maya on Tuesday to bolster their beleaguered bullpen. Mattheus' move is retroactive to Monday.
Mattheus allowed five runs in one inning of Washington's 13-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Manager Davey Johnson said Mattheus did not inform the team of his injury until just before Monday's game at San Francisco.
Abad has a 1.06 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 17 appearances for Syracuse this year, while Maya is 1-4 with a 5.07 ERA in eight starts.
NFL MEETINGS
The 50th Super Bowl goes to San Francisco Bay Area
BOSTON (AP) - San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York says it "feels really good" to win a Super Bowl.
While the 49ers lost to Baltimore last February, NFL owners Tuesday awarded the 2016 Super Bowl to the San Francisco Bay Area over South Florida.
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the decision, members of the San Francisco bid committee let out a roar of approval, then toasted each other with champagne.
It will be the 50th Super Bowl and York said they're excited "to be able to put on the 'Golden Super Bowl' in the Golden State."
The game will be played in the 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara that's due to open for the 2014 season.
The only previous Super Bowl played in northern California was at Stanford Stadium in 1985.
49ERS-SUPER BOWL HOSTS
49ers thrilled to have Super Bowl come to town
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Only a Colin Kaepernick (KAP'-ur-nihk) deep ball away from the San Francisco 49ers' practice field, Levi's Stadium is taking shape in a hurry.
The constant noise around team headquarters is a combination of cranes, hammering and coaches' whistles. San Francisco's players got back to work with organized team activities Tuesday while also celebrating the announcement that their new, state-of-the-art $1.2 billion stadium next door had landed the coveted 50th Super Bowl.
The only other time the Bay Area hosted the NFL title game, the 49ers were in it. That was after the 1984 season, when Joe Montana led the Niners past the Miami Dolphins 38-16 at Stanford Stadium.
With the franchise on a roll, everybody hopes a sixth championship is coming after the Niners lost the last Super Bowl.
CHARGERS-STARKS
LT Starks, Chargers agree to 1-year deal
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Left tackle Max Starks has agreed to a 1-year contract with the San Diego Chargers to help protect Philip Rivers' blind side.
Starks, who is 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds, spent his first nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played every offensive snap for the Steelers last year despite tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Steelers' playoff loss at Denver the previous season.
He won two Super Bowl rings with Pittsburgh, starting at right tackle against Seattle in 2006 and starting at left tackle against Arizona in 2009.
Starks has experience at both tackle positions while starting 96 of 123 regular-season games played and eight starts in 10 playoff games.
Also Tuesday, the Chargers released tackle Kevin Haslam.
RAIDERS-WOODSON
Charles Woodson meets with Raiders
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Free agent defensive back Charles Woodson is meeting with the Oakland Raiders to talk about returning to his original team.
About 100 Raiders fans greeted Woodson on Tuesday when he arrived at the team's facility in Alameda to encourage him to sign with Oakland.
Woodson spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Raiders after being selected with the fourth overall pick in 1998. He signed with Green Bay following the 2005 season and helped the Packers win a Super Bowl title five years later before being released by the team in February.
Woodson has said he would like to play for a contender and has visited a handful of teams since being let go by Green Bay - including San Francisco and Denver.
NCAA-MEN'S-FINAL
Virginia defeats UCLA to win NCAA men's tennis
URBANA, Ill. (AP) - Mitchell Frank rallied in the decisive match and second-seeded Virginia defeated top-seeded UCLA 4-3 Tuesday to win its first NCAA men's tennis championship.
After finishing as the national runners-up the previous two seasons, the Cavaliers finished the season at 30-0. Virginia lost in the championship match to Southern California in each of the last two years.
Virginia won the doubles point to gain early momentum and led 2-0 and 3-2 before UCLA tied the match. Frank lost the first set at No. 3 against Adrien Puget, but bounced back to win 0-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The Cavaliers had reached the national semifinals 6 of the last seven seasons.
UCLA (29-2) was seeking its first championship since 2005.
NCAA WOMEN'S FINALS
Stanford takes NCAA women's tennis title
URBANA, Ill. (AP) - No. 12 seed Stanford defeated third-seeded Texas A&M to win the NCAA women's tennis championship.
Stanford won the national title for the 17th time. Stanford (22-4) also earned its seventh title under coach Lele Forood. The Cardinal were the lowest-seeded team to reach the championship match since 2007.
Stanford's Nicole Gibbs rallied for a 0-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar to help the Cardinal gain momentum. Gibbs won NCAA singles and doubles titles last season. Kristie Ahn scored a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Cristina Stancu to clinch the match.
Stanford earlier ended top-seeded Florida's run toward a third consecutive championship while also knocking off fourth-seeded Georgia and fifth-seeded USC over the previous four days.
In its second season under coach Howard Joffe, Texas A&M (26-4) made the school's first appearance in the championship match.
NCAA-WOMEN
Southern Cal, San Jose State share 1st-round lead
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Southern California and San Jose State shared the lead at 4-under 284 after the first round of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships on Tuesday.
USC, which won titles in 2003 and '08 and was runner-up to Alabama last year, came in as the top-ranked team in the country, while San Jose State - seeking its first team title in 21 years - was 48th.
Duke, which won back-to-back-to-back titles from 2005-2007, was in third after a 2-under 286 on the University of Georgia Golf Course, two strokes ahead of the Crimson Tide.
Spartans freshman Regan De Guzman leads the field at 5-under 67, with the Blue Devils' Celine Boutier and Alabama's Stephanie Meadow two shots back.
Mississippi State's Allie McDonald and Southern Cal's Annie Park were tied for fourth at 2-under, with 14 players tied for sixth place another shot behind.
BACK IN THE USA
Beach volleyball tour back after 10-year absence
(AP) - The international beach volleyball tour is returning to the United States for the first time in 10 years.
The World Series of Beach Volleyball will be played in Long Beach, Calif., from July 22-28. It will be a stop on the FIVB world tour, which hasn't visited the U.S. since 2003.
The affiliation with the international tour nearly guarantees that the top players in the world will play. In addition to the 2-on-2 sport played in the Olympics, there will be competitions featuring 4-on-4 and 6-on-6 teams. Organizers also are planning a music festival during the event.
Promoter Leonard Armato says he wants to celebrate all aspects of beach and volleyball culture.
INDYCAR-INDY-500-PACE-CAR
Jim Harbaugh to drive Indianapolis 500 pace car
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will return to Indianapolis on Sunday to drive the Indianapolis 500 pace car.
Track officials made the later-than-usual announcement in a news release sent out early Wednesday morning.
In a statement released by track officials, the NFL coach called the opportunity a "tremendous thrill."
Harbaugh has strong ties to the Indianapolis area. He played four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he earned the nickname "Captain Comeback," and is a part-time owner of Indianapolis-based Panther Racing. JR Hildebrand, who starts 10th, and Townsend Bell, who starts 22nd, both drive for Panther.
Harbaugh led the 49ers to the NFC championship last season but lost in the Super Bowl to a Baltimore team coached by his brother, John.
Harbaugh's brother-in-law is Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean.
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