Fisher makes auto racing history
SPARTA, Ky., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Sarah Fisher became the first woman to win a pole in Indy car competition Saturday, taking the top spot for the IRL Belterra Casino Indy 300.
Fisher has become a factor on the open-wheel circuit, nearly winning the Michigan Indy 400. On Saturday, she won the pole when she lapped the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Speedway at 221.830 miles per hour in a G Force/Infiniti.
That knocked fellow Infiniti driver Billy Boat off the pole after the driver from Phoenix ran a lap at 221.364 mph. It also gave her the track record as she eclipsed Scott Goodyear's previous mark of 219.191 mph set in 2000.
Fisher, a 21-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, would prefer that her gender not be an issue. However, she does realize that a woman in racing often is judged by a different standard than the rest of the field.
"A woman has to do a job twice as good as a man to be considered half as good," Fisher said. "Everybody sees everything that I've done. Being a woman in racing is nothing that I've ever looked at seriously. I've always been a driver.
"To be able to be just a driver and be judged on ability is all that matters to me."
Woods struggles, but still leads
GRAND BLANC, Mich., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods began Saturday's third round at the Buick Open with a four-stroke advantage, fell behind by three at the turn, then recorded three birdies on the back nine to end the day with a one-shot lead over Mexico's Esteban Toledo.
The world's top-ranked player posted a 1-under-par 71 at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club to complete 54 holes at 15-under 201 as he tunes up for next week's PGA Championship.
Next week at Hazeltine in Minnesota, Woods will try to become the first player in history to capture three majors in a season twice. Ben Hogan is the only other player to accomplish the feat once.
Woods opened a two-stroke lead with his final birdie on No. 16. But in keeping with the day's theme, he gave back a shot with a bogey on the final hole. His round included five birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey 7 on the first hole.
Woods' second shot at the par-5 first sailed over the green, hit a downslope and bounced out of bounds. Thirty players turned in a better score Saturday than Woods' 71.
Fred Funk was tied for third with Bob Tway at 12-under 204, one stroke ahead of first-round leader Kent Jones and two in front of Steve Flesch, Tom Byrum, David Toms and Jim Furyk.
For most of Saturday, it was as if the two leaders reversed roles. Woods played like the journeyman and Toledo the superstar.
Toledo birdied five of the first nine holes to make the turn at 5-under, then birdied two of the first four holes on the back to get to 7-under.
But Woods put the pressure on Toledo with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and Toledo relinquished the lead with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 en route to a 67.
Johnson moves up strikeout list
PHOENIX, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Three-time defending National League Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson recorded 14 strikeouts Saturday to move past Tom Seaver into fifth place on the all-time list as the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the Florida Marlins, 9-2.
Johnson (17-4) struck out five of the first six batters in the game and when he passed Seaver by fanning Preston Wilson in the second inning. Seaver had 3,641 career strikeouts. Johnson finished with 3,652 and should move past fourth-place Bert Blyleven (3,701) later this season.
"The Big Unit" also registered 10 or more strikeouts for the 182nd time in his career. Johnson ranks second on the all-time list behind Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who had 215.
Johnson, who yielded two runs and five hits with two walks in eight innings, has allowed three runs and 19 hits in 33 innings since being torched at San Diego on July 21.
Steve Finley and Greg Colbrunn homered off Marlins starter Michael Tejera (7-5).
Other National League results: St. Louis 5, New York 4; Houston 8, Atlanta 5; San Francisco 8, Pittsburgh 3; Milwaukee 5, Montreal 2; Cincinnati 9, San Diego 0; Chicago 15, Colorado 1.
Martinez dominates Twins
BOSTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Pedro Martinez tossed eight shutout innings Saturday, allowing only four hits and extending his career-high scoreless innings streak to 31 as the Boston Red Sox blanked the Minnesota Twins, 2-0.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner's streak is the longest in the major leagues since Atlanta's Greg Maddux went 39 1/3 innings without allowing a run from Sept. 2-28, 2000.
Martinez (16-2) struck out eight without a walk in another overpowering performance. He improved to 14-0 against the American League this season and topped his previous best start of 15-2 in 1999.
Martinez displayed impeccable control, throwing 77 of 101 pitches for strikes. He did not get a chance for his first complete game of the season as closer Ugueth Urbina struck out the side in the ninth for his 27th save.
In his last eight starts, Martinez has been virtually unhittable, allowing only three earned runs over 56 1/3 innings, an ERA of 0.48.
The righthander stretched his winning streak to nine games since his last loss June 14. He tied teammate Derek Lowe for the American League lead in wins.
The Red Sox have not had a pair of 20-game winners in the same season since Mel Parnell (25-7) and Elli Kinder (23-6) did it in 1949.
Other American League results: Seattle 7, Chicago 3; Cleveland 4, Texas 3; Oakland 8, New York 0; Anaheim 11, Toronto 4; Baltimore 3, Detroit 2; Tampa Bay 13, Kansas City 6.
Hewitt reaches another final
CINCINNATI, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Lleyton Hewitt remains on course to win his 11th consecutive ATP final.
The top-seeded Australian fired 20 aces, converted four of five break-point chances and rallied Saturday night to beat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-2, to reach the final of the Tennis Masters Series-Cincinnati.
In Sunday's title match, Hewitt encounters No. 16 Carlos Moya of Spain, who dropped just nine points on his serve earlier Saturday en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fellow countryman and eighth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Dating to January 2001, when he captured the Sydney hardcourt title, Hewitt has won 10 straight finals, including the Wimbledon title last month.
Texans win first game
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Kris Brown kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:04 remaining Saturday night, lifting the expansion Houston Texans to their first exhibition victory, 13-10 over the New Orleans Saints.
The Texans' first win came five days after they endured a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
Brown, who signed with the Texans after a disastrous 2001 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, also kicked a 39-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Texans quarterback David Carr, the first overall pick in April's draft, completed nine of 14 for 95 yards. Fourth-round pick Jonathan Wells, had a one-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, giving Houston a 10-7 lead.
Deuce McAllister, the Saints' new starting running back after Ricky Williams was traded to Miami, had a five-yard scoring run in the second quarter. He finished with 27 yards on eight carries.
New Orleans receiver Joe Horn suffered a sprained left knee in the first quarter and did not return.
Other NHL exhibition results: Philadelphia 20, Green Bay 13; Cleveland 27, Minnesota 15; Denver 27, Chicago 3; New York Giants 22, New England 19; Tennessee 28, St. Louis 26; Washington 37, Carolina 30; Kansas City 17, San Francisco 14 in overtime.
Kreis ends scoring drought
DALLAS, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- All-Star Jason Kreis ended a five-game drought with a tie-breaking goal in the 89th minute and added an assist Saturday to lead the Dallas Burn to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire.
The Burn (9-5-7, 34 points) have won their last five home meetings with the Fire dating to August 1999. Chicago (8-9-4, 28 points) missed an opportunity to overtake the MetroStars atop the Eastern Conference.
Kreis took the MLS all-time scoring lead with 218 points, breaking a tie with Kansas City Wizards midfielder Preki. The assist was the 60th of his career, allowing him to join Preki as the only 60-60 players in league history.
The match appeared headed for overtime before Kreis struck for his 13th goal of the season in the 89th minute. Ryan Suarez threaded a ball into the box toward Kreis. The pass was deflected off a defender, slowing it just enough for Kreis to turn on it and slot a 10-yard shot inside the left post and out of goalkeeper Zach Thornton's reach.
Trying to tie, the Fire pushed forward, but the game was put out of reach in stoppage time with a goal from mid-season acquisition Ronnie O'Brien. Kreis assisted on O'Brien's second goal of the season.
Other MLS results: Kansas City 0, D.C. United 0; Colorado 2, Columbus 1; Los Angeles 2, New England 1.
Comets suffer key setback
HOUSTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Tangela Smith scored 17 points and Lady Grooms added 14 Saturday as the Sacramento Monarchs built a 14-point lead and then held off a furious rally spearheaded by Sheryl Swoopes and beat the Houston Comets, 61-59.
The loss may have cost the Comets home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. Houston posted a 67-64 victory at Los Angeles on Thursday night to tie the Sparks for the best record in the league at 23-7 and owns the tiebreaker advantage by virtue of winning the season series.
But the Monarchs, the hottest team in the league with nine wins in their last 10 games, knocked Houston out of the top spot.
Swoopes scored a season-high 32 points and did her best to rally the Comets, who trailed by 13 with just 6 1/2 minutes left.
Swoopes hit a basket and a three-pointer to ignite a game-ending, 15-4 run. But she missed a potential tying 15-footer from the left side with six seconds left. Houston had a last chance to tie the game, but Tiffany Johnson missed a 12-foot jumper from the left side at the buzzer.
The loss snapped a 13-game home winning streak for the Comets, who close the regular season here Tuesday against Minnesota.
The game was the only one on the WNBA schedule.
