4B SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Royals second baseman Alberto Callaspo tags out Cleveland Indians' Josh Barfield as he tries to steal in the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 9-3.
Cleveland earns road win
Victory over Royals ends six-game streak dating from last season
DOUG TUCKER Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Not only did he get a win on his 24th birthday, but Aaron Lafey may have also landed a job.
The left-hander, who almost made the rotation in spring training, went 5 1-3 innings and allowed only two runs Wednesday while Cleveland picked up its first road win and avoided a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory over Kansas City.
Travis Haferner's second double keyed a three-run seven inning for the Indians, who hadn't been swept in KC since 2006 and were 0-5 on the road this year.
Asked if Laffey pitched well enough in his first start to stay in the rotation, manager Eric Wedge sounded encouraging.
"He pitched well enough to earn that," Wedge said. "I thought Laffey was good. I was very impressed with his effort. He gave us every opportunity to win the game and we took it from there."
Called up from Triple-A Columbus to replace the injured Scott Lewis, Laffey gave up three hits and two runs, with three walks and five strikeouts.
"It's a pretty good way to celebrate my birthday," he said. "I'm only 24, but I feel old."
Jensen Lewis (1-0) issued three straight walks in the bottom of the seventh but still got the victory with 1 2-3 innings of relief. Kyle Farnsworth (0-2) gave up three runs while getting only one out in relief for the Royals.
After the Royals tied it 2-all in the sixth, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled leading off the seventh against Farnsworth and scored on an RBI single by Mark DeRosa.
who has a five-game hitting streak and seven RBIs in eight games.
After Victor Martinez walked, Hafner hit an RBI double and Shin-Soo Choo made it 5-3 with a sacrifice fly.
The victory made the struggling Indians 1-5 on the road heading to New York for a four-game series that will open the new Yankee Stadium. It broke a six-game road losing streak dating back to last year.
"It's baby steps," Wedge said. "We just want to make sure we show up and expect good things to happen."
Mike Jacobs had 429-foot home run against Jensen into straightaway center in the eighth.
Just before Jacobs' homer made it 5-4, Mark Teahen singled but was thrown out at second on a good throw by right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.
"I like the aggressiveness there, especially because I know Mark knew it was a left-handed-throwing out fielder," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "Nine times out of 10 he's not going to be able to field it like that and throw it to second base. The one time he does, the guy behind him hits a home run."
Wedge said he was not surprised his outfiter made the play.
"He has a great arm. He really picked us up throwing Teahen out at second base. That was huge."
Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his first American League save.
"You never like to go long without pitching," said Wood, who had 34 saves for the Cubs last year. "I got in the last (game) before we left home and felt fine. I felt good again today. They (saves) come in bunches and you've got to be prepared on the flip side of pitching three or four days in a row. It's the life of a reliever"
Royals starter Sidney Ponson went six innings and gave up two runs and six hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Indians scratched out a run in the third when Tony Graffanoin walked, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on Grady Sizemore's RBI single. They took a 2-0 lead in the sixth when Hafner doubled and scored on Ryan Garko's RBI single.
Coco Crisp walked leading off the Kansas City seventh and went to third on Willie Bloomquist's single. David DeJesus' infield grounder brought home Crisp and then Joe Smith came out of the bullpen and struck out John Buck.
Lewis then relieved Smith and walked Teahen, Jacobs and Alex Gordon, all on full counts. Gordon's walk brought in Bloomquist with the tying run before Miguel Olivo's grounder ended the inning.
Notes: Cliff Lee will go against CC Sabathia on Thursday in a matchup between the past two AL Cy Young winners as Cleveland and New York open Yankee Stadium. Sabathia, who signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with New York, won the Cy Young in 2007 with Cleveland. ... 3B Gordon struck out in the second inning, giving him strikeouts in four consecutive at-bats. Sizemore made an outstanding running catch of Gordon's sinking liner leading off the fifth. ... Farnsworth's ERA in 3-1 3 innings is 16.20. Both of the bullpen's losses belong to him. ... Sizemore tried to score from third on a wild pitch in the ninth but was tagged out by Olivo.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Season Wrap Up
Coming Monday, April 20th
Point those toes
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Junior high jumper Nate Scherzer practices his form on Wednesday between events at the Kansas Relays. Scherzer will compete in the Men's High Jump at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
PGA
Weekley attempts for a three-peat
PETE IACOBELLI Associated Press
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Boo Weekley's having too much fun at Harbour Town to worry about chasing history.
Weekley tries for three wins in a row at the Verizon Heritage when the PGA Tour event tees off this week. But if the folksy, self-proclaimed "hick" is feeling any pressure to succeed here, he didn't show it Wednesday.
"If I win, I win." Weekley said, a wide grin on his face. "It can't like I ain't going out there to try. If it happens, man, it's going to happen. You know what I mean? There's no sense forcing the issue. Just go out and enjoy life and enjoy what's in front of you."
That's been Weekley's credo long before the former chemical plant worker from the Florida Panhandle became a PGA Tour champion and U.S. Ryder Cup folk hero.
Now, he can achieve what no one else has on golf architect Pete Dye's treacherous, maddening masterpiece.
For many here, it's a week to catch their breath after the churning stomachs and rising pressure at the Masters — if they didn't take the week off.
Masters winner Angel Cabrera isn't here. Neither are the two players Cabrera beat in a playoff, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.
Tiger and Phil? Not here either.
Tiger and Finn. Not here either.
In all, six of the world's top 20 players are here. Just two of the
top 11 Masters finishers — Steve Flesch and Jim Furyk — are playing.
He broke through for his first tour win in 2007, chipping in on the 71st and 72nd holes to outlast Ernie Els.
Weekley wouldn't miss this tournament for the world, especially after the past two years.
Weekley doubled up last spring, his second career victory coming by three strokes over Aaron Baddeley and Anthony Kim.
Should Weekley threepat, held be the tour's first to make the same tournament his first three PGA Tour victories since Leonard Gullett, who won the Wisconsin PGA in 1929, 1933 and 1934, according to Dave Lancer of the PGA Tour.
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