Yankees rely on offense
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 27 (UPI) -- Raul Mondesi homered and drove in four runs and Robin Ventura had three RBI Friday night as the New York Yankees overcame another shaky performance from their pitching staff and posted a 12-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
New York's pitching corps has been plagued by injuries this season and has performed well below expectations. With Roger Clemens already sidelined and David Wells hurting, the Yankees placed star closer Mariano Rivera on the 15-day disabled list Friday.
Mike Mussina struggled against the Devils Rays, but was bailed out by New York's offense, which leads the major leagues in runs, batting average and home runs.
Mondesi had his best game since he was acquired by the Yankees on July 2. He had a two-run double in the fourth inning, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth and added a solo homer in the eighth.
Ventura belted a two-run homer in the eighth inning as New York improved to 9-1 against Tampa Bay this season.
Mussina (13-4) recorded the victory despite allowing four runs and nine hits in six innings. He improved to 8-1 in 11 starts on the road this season.
Other American League results: Baltimore 9, Boston 2; Detroit 8, Cleveland 5; Chicago 10, Kansas City 2; Texas 12, Oakland 4; Minnesota 10, Toronto 5.
Finley helps Cardinals again
ST. LOUIS, July 27 (UPI) -- Chuck Finley worked six effective innings for his second straight win with his new team and pinch-hitter Eduardo Perez belted a three-run homer Friday night, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Acquired from Cleveland on July 19 to help fill the void left by the death of Darryl Kile, Finley improved to 2-0 since joining St. Louis.
Finley made a good impression in his first start at Busch Stadium, allowing three runs and five hits. The veteran lefthander struck out seven without a walk.
Perez's homer came off Cubs starter Jon Lieber with one out in the sixth, giving the Cardinals an 8-3 lead.
Lieber (6-8) continued to struggle, getting roughed up for eight runs and 11 hits in six innings. A 20-game winner last season, Lieber fell to 0-4 in his last six starts.
Other National League results: Montreal 6, Florida 5 in 10 innings; New York 3, Cincinnati 2; Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 2; Houston 4, Pittsburgh 3; Milwaukee 10, Colorado 3.
Armstrong maintains comfortable lead
BOURG-EN-BRESSE, France, July 27 (UPI) -- Lance Armstrong maintained his lead of more than five minutes and Norway's Thor Hushovd won the 18th stage in the Tour de France Friday.
Armstrong finished in the pack Friday, more than 11 minutes behind Hushovd. But Armstrong is five minutes, six seconds ahead of Spain's Joseba Beloki for the overall lead with two stages remaining.
The riders take part in an individual time trial Saturday, during which Armstrong is expected to increase his lead. Sunday's concluding stage will bring the riders to Paris, where Armstrong should wrap up his fourth consecutive title.
That would allow him to join France's Jacques Anquetil (1961-64) and Bernard Hinault (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985), Belgium's Eddie Merckx (1969-72) and Spain's Miguel Indurain (1991-95) as the only cyclists to win the Tour more than three times.
Leaf gives up football
CHENEY, Wash, July 27 (UPI) -- One of the NFL's biggest quaterback busts after being selected second overall in the 1998 draft, Ryan Leaf did not report to the Seattle Seahawks' training camp Friday and informed coach Mike Holmgren that he no longer wanted to play football.
Leaf, 26, signed a contract with the Seahawks last May after being released by the Dallas Cowboys. Although he flopped on the field and alienated management and teammates with his behavior off the field in his first three seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Leaf was a popular figure here since he starred at Washington State.
He was expected to compete with rookies Jeff Kelly and Ryan Van Dyke for Seattle's third-string job behind starter Trent Dilfer and backup Matt Hasselbeck. Leaf participated in the team's spring minicamps and said he was looking forward to another chance after being waived by three NFL teams, but ended up disappointing the Seahawks as well.
Selected after quarterback Peyton Manning in the 2002 draft, Leaf was a nightmare for the Chargers. He faltered on the field, winning just four of 18 games with 13 touchdowns and 33 interceptions, and missed the entire 1999 season with a shoulder injury.
To make matters worse, Leaf's criticized teammates and management with frequent tirades and forced the Chargers to release him in March 2001.
In other NFL news Friday, the Dallas Cowboys signed first-round draft pick Roy Williams to bring their entire 2002 draft class under contract.
Warriors hire Eric Musselman
OAKLAND, Calif., July 27 (UPI) -- Acting on recommendations from Chuck Daly and Doc Rivers, the Golden State Warriors announced Friday they had made Eric Musselman the youngest coach in the NBA.
Terms were not disclosed, but the 37-year-old Musselman reportedly received a three-year deal worth between $4.5 million and $5 million.
An assistant with the Atlanta Hawks for the last two seasons, Musselman will take over a team that has stockpiled young talent in the last two drafts, including top-five selections Jason Richardson and Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean opted to give Musselman the opportunity after waiting three months to decide the fate of interim coach Brian Winters, who went 13-46 after replacing Dave Cowens last December.
Mike Dunleavy Sr., whose son, Mike, was selected third overall by the Warriors in the June draft, held discussions with St. Jean but withdrew his name from consideration last week.
Rivera heads to DL
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 27 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees placed All-Star closer Mariano Rivera on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a mild strain in his right shoulder.
Rivera was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Saturday, when he left a game against the Boston Red Sox due to stiffness in his right shoulder. It is the second stint on the DL this season for Rivera, who was sidelined by a strained groin in June.
The Panamanian righthander has struggled of late, allowing seven runs and seven hits in his last four appearances. He is 1-4 with 24 saves and a 3.06 ERA in 35 appearances.
The 32-year-old Rivera is the Yankees all-time leader in saves with 239. He set a club record with 50 saves in 2001 and has averaged 42 over the last five seasons.
Spurs sign Rose to multi-year deal
SAN ANTONIO, July 27 (UPI) -- Continuing the trend of retaining their own players, the San Antonio Spurs locked up forward Malik Rose to a multi-year deal Friday.
Terms were not disclosed, but the San Antonio Express-News reported that Rose received a seven-year contract worth $42 million with an opt-out clause after the 2006-07 season.
Rose's agent, Lon Babby, apparently patterned the contract after the seven-year, $41 million deal he negotiated for Toronto Raptors forward Jerome Williams last summer.
Rose, 27, is the third free agent and probably the most important to re-sign with the Spurs, following forwards Bruce Bowen and Danny Ferry.
Although undersized at 6-7, Rose uses his 255-pound frame effectively inside and is San Antonio's top reserve. With center David Robinson retiring after the 2002-03 season and NBA Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan entering the last year of his contract, the Spurs understood Rose's value to the team.
Catchings leads Fever
INDIANAPOLIS, July 27 (UPI) -- Tamika Catchings scored 23 points and led a solid defensive effort with a career-high nine steals Friday night as the Indiana Fever concluded the longest homestand in WNBA history with a 73-63 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
Sporting a mask to protect a broken nose, Catchings helped force 24 turnovers while shooting seven of 13 from the field and converting seven of 10 free throws.
Catchings, who had six of her nine steals in the first half, tied a league record set by Michele Brogan for Phoenix on July 27, 1998.
The Fever used a pair of big second-half runs to clinch a split of their eight-game homestand.
After Minnesota's Svetlana Abrosimova tied the game at 41-41 with 13:15 remaining, Olympia Scott-Richardson scored seven points in a 11-2 run that increased Indiana's lead to 52-43 with 9:30 left.
Abrosimova brought back the Lynx, reducing the deficit to 56-55 on a short jumper with 5:46 to play. However, Catchings answered with a jumper that started a 17-8 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes.
In the only other WNBA game, Utah downed Phoenix, 74-61.
Hayes, Funk share John Deere lead
SILVIS, Ill., July 27 (UPI) -- J.P. Hayes fired a course-record, 10-under-par 61 Friday to tie Fred Funk for the lead after two rounds of the John Deere Classic.
Hayes and Funk finished 36 holes at 14-under 128, one shot in front of Robert Gamez.
Hayes is looking for his first tour victory since 1998, when he won the Buick Classic. He notched 11 birdies, including four in a row beginning at the fourth to make the turn at 31.
Funk began his second consecutive bogey-free round with a 12-foot putt for the first of his seven birdies.
Briny Baird, last year's runner-up, and Nolan Henke were tied for fourth at 11-under 131.
Five others were at 132, including Pat Bates, who celebrated his 33rd birthday by shooting a 9-under 62, and Mike Heinen, who had a one-stroke lead after the first round.
In Concord, Mass., Bob Gilder took the lead in the Senior Tour's FleetBoston Classic after a 6-under 66. Gilder is coming off a playoff victory last week.
Elliott wins NASCAR pole
LONG POND, Pa., July 27 (UPI) -- Having continued his success in qualifying, Bill Elliott would like to continue his unqualified success at Pocono Raceway.
Elliott won his second straight pole Friday, claiming the top spot for a race he has won three times in his career, the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500.
Driving a Dodge Intrepid, Elliott averaged 170.568 miles per hour around the 2 1/2-mile speedway for his fourth pole of the season and 55th of his illustrious career. Last week, he took the top spot for the New Hampshire 300 but finished 34th.
Elliott has four career victories at this track, tying him for most among active drivers with Rusty Wallace. He finished fourth here last year but has not won at Pocono since back-to-back victories in 1988-89. In 1985, "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" won both the spring and fall races.
Elliott's speed was nearly two mph off the qualifying mark set two years ago by Tony Stewart. Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip were the only other drivers to eclipse 170 mph.
Rudd will start on the outside of the front row in a Ford Taurus after clocking 170.358 mph. The veteran has 23 career victories but just one at this track, taking the 2001 fall race.
