Posted: 3:15 am
June 30, 2008
BASEBALL: Rays win; Bosox lose
Backup catcher Shawn Riggans homered and drove in two runs and Tampa Bay completed a remarkable first-half turnaround, beating the Pirates 4-3. The Rays are 49-32, the most victories midway through a season by a team that had the majors' worst record the season before, according to Stats, Inc. . . . Mark Loretta had a pinch-hit, RBI single in the eighth inning off Hideki Okajima as the Astros beat Boston, 3-2, to take two of three from the Red Sox . . . Carlos Quentin, Brian Anderson and Jim Thome homered to back Mark Buehrle's seven strong innings as the White Sox beat the Cubs, 5-1, to complete a three-game sweep at U.S. Cellular Field . . . Eric Hurley pitched into the sixth inning to lead the Rangers past the Phillies, 5-1.
NASCAR: Kurt Busch wins it
Former series champion Kurt Busch stayed on track when the leaders pitted late in yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Loudon, N.H., and the strategy paid off with a win when the race was cut 17 laps short by rain. It was the first victory for the Penske Racing driver since last September.
On lap 271, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had been in the top 10 all day, started toward pit road and was hit from behind by Jamie McMurray, who then spun into David Ragan, bringing out a caution. Leader Tony Stewart and the rest of the front-runners pitted under the yellow flag, while Busch stayed on track. The race restarted on lap 279, but there was another crash on lap 280.
The rain began falling moments later and, moments after the cars were red-flagged onto pit lane just before completing lap 285, NASCAR called the race, leaving Busch on top, ahead of Michael Waltrip, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson and Casey Mears, all of whom had stayed on track during the previous caution.
RACING: 'Fire' takes Irish Derby
In Dublin, 16-1 Frozen Fire pulled off an upset in the Irish Derby, defeating Casual Conquest by two lengths and giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his third straight win in the race at The Curragh.
