THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
SPORTS
5B
NFL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUPPLIED PRESENTS Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen (4) looks to throw a pass during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Hawks City, Mo., on Aug. 29. Thigpen was traded to Tuesday by the Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins for an undisclosed deal.
Injured Pennington,33 moves over for Thigpen
BY STEVEN WINE
Asssociated Press
MIAMI — Chad Pennington's season officially ended with a trade that didn't involve him.
The Miami Dolphins placed Pennington on the reserve-injured list to create a roster spot for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was acquired Tuesday from the Kansas City Chiefs for an undisclosed draft pick.
Pennington hurt his right shoulder Sunday at San Diego, an injury that leaves his career in jeopardy. At 33, he likely faces a third operation on the shoulder since 2005.
Thippen shores up depth behind second-year pro Chad Henne, who is expected to make his first
NFL start Sunday against Buffalo Rookie Pat White is the Dolphins' other quarterback.
Thigpen, a third-year pro, went 1-10 as a starter for the woeful Chiefs last year and threw for 2,608 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Kansas City acquired Matt Cassel in the off-season, and Thigpen lost a battle this year with Brodie Croyle for the No. 2 job.
Thigpen is excited about the move to Miami, even though the Dolphins are 0-3, said his agent, Joel Turner.
"It's not like that team is short on talent — they won the division last year," Turner said. "It's a wonderful opportunity, Nobody does it like Bill Parcells. For Bill Parcells
to believe in Tyler speaks volumes about Tyler"
Parcels may have wildcat duty in mind for Thigpen, who ran a spread offense last year with the Chiefs. At 225 pounds, he's a powerful runner and the first quarter-back in Chiefs history to score a touchdown three ways: as a passer, rusher and receiver.
Henne is expected to get an extended opportunity as a starter. Taken in the second round of the 2008 draft, he has been considered Pennington's heir apparent for more than a year.
The Dolphins will be Thigpen's third organization. He was a seventh-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2007.
GAME
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
It's not just about end game, but also leading up to the end game; Bechard said.
"We can get to the end game, then we haven't seemed to be able to battle through the end," Grieb said.
"We work on end game every day, but also how to put yourself in a situation from one to 20 where end game is not so critical." Bechard said.
Senior middle blocker Brittany Williams agreed that Kansas needs to work on end game and continue with the strong defense and getting key digs.
"We have to play our own game and be on our pace instead of responding to the pace of another team," Williams said.
— Edited by Samantha Foster
HOCKEY St. Louis Blues shut out Swedish Elite League 6-0
LINKOPING, Sweden — Paul Kariya scored twice in the second period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 6-0 victory over Swedish Elite League club Linkoping in a preseason game Tuesday.
David Perron, Carlo Colaia-covo and Swedish stars patrik Berglund and Alexander Steen also scored for the Blues, who will play the Detroit Red Wings in a two-game season-opening series in Stockholm's Globe Arena on Friday and Saturday.
ZURICH — ZSC Lions beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 Tuesday in an exhibition game to win the Victoria Cup trophy, marking the Zurich club's biggest success against an NHL team.
Berglund, who had 21 goals and 26 assists as a rookie last season, put the Blues ahead for good midway through the second session.
The exhibition only drew 4,916 fans.
Lions win Victoria Cup after breaking tied score
Zurich's Patrick Baertschi tied the score with 7:35 left in the opening period.
The Lions almost took the lead with about eight minutes left in the second period when a slap shot by Mathias Seger hit the post.
Lukas Grauwiler scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:16 left in the period, handing the Blackhawks their first loss against a European club since 1991.
Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MLB
Twins come within arms' length of first-place Detroit
DETROIT — The AL Central race got even wilder. Orlando Cabrera hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning after a pair of wild pitches and the Minnesota Twins closed within one game of first-place Detroit, beating the Tigers 3-2 Tuesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Detroit Tigers' Gerald Laird is hit by a pitch from Minnesota Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn in the second inning in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Tuesday in Detroit. The Twins closed to within a game of the Tigers.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Twins trailed Detroit by seven games only two weeks ago. But Minnesota would pull even with a sweep — Tigers ace Justin Verlander was set to pitch against Brian Duensing in the nightcap.
Minnesota clinched the season series 10-5 against Detroit, meaning a division tiebreaker would be at the Metrodome. Because Brett Favre and the Vikings host Green Bay on Monday night at the stadium, a baseball playoff would likely be pushed back until Tuesday.
It was tight throughout at Comerica Park. Scrapping for a run, the teams combined for five sacrifice bunts and used three pinch-runners.
The Twins missed a chance to take the lead in the ninth when Nick Punto popped up a suicide-squeeze bunt, resulting in a double play. Speedy Minnesota right fielder Denard Span made a fine running catch on Ramon Santiago's deep drive toward the line with a runners on second and two outs in the bottom half, leaving it tied at 1-all.
Minnesota tied the game in the fifth when Matt Tolbert led off with a double, took third on one of the Twins' four sacrifice buns and scored on Span's sacrifice fly.
A rainout Monday night delayed the start of this fourgame series and forced a doubleheader. Each team has six games left.
By that point, Blackburn had settled down, retiring the Tigers in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Both starters finished with no-decisions. Tigers rookie Rick Porcello allowed one run in 6 1-3 innings, while Nick Blackburn gave up one run in seven innings.
Jon Rauch (4-1) walked Carlos Guillen to start the bottom of the ninth, and Gerald Laird bunted pinch-runner Wilkin Ramirez to second. Brandon Inge hit a shallow flyout and Span ran down Santiago's liner on the warning track.
Minnesota had another chance as Porcello tired in the seventh. Jose Morales led off with a single under second baseman Placido Polanco's glove and Tolbert bunted him to second.
Curtis Granderson hit a leadoff homer against Joe Nathan in the Tigers 10th. Nathan retired the next three batters for his 45th save — he is 30-for-30 in career save tries against Detroit.
Span led off the 10th with a single. He advanced on consecutive wild pitches by Brandon Lyon (6-5), who had thrown just one wild pitch all season.
Cabrera followed with a single and Delmon Young added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead.
The 20-year Porcello left to a standing ovation after walking Punto on his 111th pitch — seven more than his previous career high. Zach Miner got Span to pop out to shallow right, then struck out Cabrera to end the inning with Joe Mauer on deck.
The Tigers stranded seven runners in the first four innings, getting their only run on Santiago's single in the second off first baseman Michael Cuddyer's glove.