OXFORD — Veteran short track driver Tommy Ricker powered around the outside of Scott Luce on lap 18 and pulled away to claim the final 40-lap Late Model trophy dash of 2009 on Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway. Jason Larrabee led the first four circuits before Gary Chiasson took command. Scott Luce and Chiasson […]

LEMONT, Ill. — Tiger Woods started with a bogey. His best shot led to a par. It turned out to be his best round of the year. Getting better with every shot, Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field Saturday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that […]

Beware the Rangers. That’s the advice offered here, particularly for the Yankees. It goes against every fiber of their being, but Yankees fans need to learn how to root for the hated Red Sox. If the Red Sox hold off the Rangers in the American League wild-card race, the Yankees almost certainly will play the […]

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Richard Seymour ended his five-day sit out and will join the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, saying he was initially “blindsided” by the trade from the New England Patriots. Seymour was acquired last Sunday for a 2011 first-round pick but did not report to the Raiders, raising speculation he did not want […]

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Tiger Woods dropped his 3-wood in disgust after his first tee shot Saturday sailed left into the bunker for another sloppy bogey. Four hours later, he finished off his best round of the year to build a seven-shot lead in the BMW Championship. Getting better with every shot, Woods broke the […]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals right-hander John Smoltz is being held out of his scheduled start Monday against the Florida Marlins because of shoulder tendinitis. Smoltz, 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in four starts with St. Louis after being released by the Boston Red Sox, said Saturday he expects to miss only one start. His […]

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s hard to know what to expect from A.J. Burnett come the playoffs. Will it be the dominant pitcher who went 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA from June 27 to July 27? Or will it be the struggling starter who is 1-5 with a 6.19 ERA since? “You do want him […]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Coyotes opened training camp without coach Wayne Gretzky on Saturday. One day after the conclusion of arguments in front of a U.S. bankruptcy judge, the team began preparing for the upcoming season despite the absence of the “Great One.” Gretzky’s coaching status remains in limbo until Judge Redfield T. Baum […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal has no way of knowing how his aching stomach muscles will feel when he plays in the U.S. Open semifinals. And no one else knows exactly how much Nadal is bothered by the injury, because he steadfastly refuses to delve into details on the subject. What the six-time major […]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays got in just 12 minutes of baseball before their game was postponed because of rain on Friday night. The umpires called for the tarp with the bases loaded in the top of the first, with one out and a 1-0 count on Pat Burrell. […]