NBA players suffer first international loss
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A swarming defense and a balanced scoring effort led by Emanuel Ginobili gave Argentina to a shocking 87-80 victory over the United States in the World Basketball Championship Wednesday night, the first loss ever for an American team made up of NBA players.
The United States had won all 58 of its international contests involving players from the NBA since the initial Dream Team particulated in the Barcelona Olympics.
Argentina's victory came after Team USA had been forced to rally against both Germany and China earlier in the tournament.
"It had to happen," American coach George Karl said. "They are a veteran team, well coached. We are a group of individuals who haven't had enough time together. We didn't do the job on defense and couldn't get our shots to drop.
"In the medal round I would like to play them again."
The loss does not eliminate the Americans from gold medal contention. But it not only demonstrated the vulnerability of the U.S. team, it will force the Americans to play a quarterfinal game Thursday night against Yugoslavia.
Going into the tournament, Yugoslavia was given the best chance to end the American winning streak.
Argentina, a national team that has trained together for more than a year, led from the opening stages and dominated throughout the night - building as much as an 18-point lead in the first half. Argentina finished unbeaten in the six-game, round-robin phase of the tournament and as the champion of Group F will play Brazil in the quarterfinals.
The other quarterfinals will find Puerto Rico taking on New Zealand and Spain facing Germany.
Oakland sets AL record with 20th win
OAKLAND, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Pinch-hitter Scott Hatteburg crushed a 1-0 pitch from Jason Grimsley into the right field seats with one out in the ninth inning Wednesday night to give the Oakland Athletics the longest winning streak in American League history with a bizarre 12-11 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Oakland blew an 11-0 lead and then pulled out a win in its last at bat for the third straight game, a wild decision that came before a record home crowd of 55,528.
The Athletics won their 20th consecutive game, leaving them six away from equaling the all-time record established by the 1916 New York Giants.
Prior to Oakland's remarkable surge, the longest winning streak ever in the American League had been 19 games -- set by the Chicago White Sox in 1906. The Athletics will take Thursday off before resuming play in Minnesota Friday night and a win then will tie the second-longest streak ever in the majors, the mark of 21 set by the Chicago Cubs in 1935.
After Miguel Tejada produced the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in both the 18th and 19th consecutive victories, it appeared there would be no drama involved Wednesday night.
Oakland scored six runs in the first inning, during which it produced four extra base hits, and had an 11-0 advantage through three innings.
Kansas City managed to trim its deficit to 11-5 in the fourth with two of the runs being unearned.
Oakland still had a six-run advantage going into the eighth only to have the Royals get within run thanks in large part to a grand slam homer by Mitch Sweeney.
Billy Koch came on the ninth to try to hold onto the one-run lead, but gave up a leadoff single to Joe Randa.
Brent Mayne sacrificed Randa to second and, after Dee Brown struck out, pinch-hitter Luis Alicea blooped a single to left that scored Randa and tied the game. Alicea moved to second on a wild pitch, but managed to get picked off by Koch to end the inning.
If Oakland had lost the game, it would have marked the first time in 27 years that a major league home club had blown an 11-run lead.
Hatteburg, however, ended that possibility with his long homer.
The A's have won their last 10 games at home and have defeated the Royals five times during the streak. They have won eight of nine games against Kansas City this season.
Other American League results: Minnesota 3, Seattle 2; Baltimore 8, Texas 3; Cleveland 9, Detroit 3; New York 3, Boston 1; Toronto 6, Chicago 2; Anaheim 4, Tampa Bay 2.
Mauresmo ousts Capriati
NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Two-time defending champion Venus Williams fired five aces and won 89 percent of her first-serve points Wednesday night to roll to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over fellow-American Monica Seles in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
The second-seeded Williams reached the semifinals for the sixth straight year.
Williams, 22, will face France's Amelie Mauresmo in the final four on Friday. Mauresmo battled to a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory over third seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States.
On the men's side, top seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia also reached the semifinals, working his way past the weary 20th-seeded Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco, 6-1, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
Hewitt will meet No. 6 Andre Agassi in what could be a classic semifinal duel. Agassi rallied Wednesday night to defeat No. 32 Max Mirnyi of Belarus, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
Williams survived a three-set duel against fellow American Chanda Rubin to reach the quarterfinals. She was not about to allow Seles the same opportunity.
On the lone break point against her serve, Williams unleashed an ace at 112 miles per hour and deflated Seles' spirit.
Mauresmo almost made a quick exit as Capriati served for the match in the second set. But Mauresmo broke to force a tiebreaker, won it, then broke Capriati twice in the final set to reach the semifinals here for the first time.
NFL season opens Thursday night
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Millions of Americans ring in each New Year by watching the ball drop in New York City's Times Square. On Thursday, a giant-sized football will drop at the same site to celebrate the start of the NFL season.
A day of music and festivities will be followed by an unprecedented Thursday prime time season opener when the New York Giants host the San Francisco 49ers.
Coach Steve Mariucci and the 49ers played the New York Jets here in a Monday night game, three weeks after Sept. 11. It was the Jets' first home game after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Now the 49ers return and face the Giants six days before the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.
The 2002 season begins with two major challenges for the Giants. First there will be the 49ers, who went 12-4 last year. New York will then have to travel to NFC champion St. Louis on Sept. 15.
The opening weekend of the season features 14 games on Sunday, including the debut of the expansion Houston Texans, who will host the Dallas Cowboys.
On Monday night, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots entertain the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch of last year's AFC championship game.
Johnson moves up on strikeout list
PHOENIX, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Randy Johnson tossed a three-hitter and moved into fourth place on the all-time strikeout list Wednesday night and Matt Williams had three hits, including a three-run home run, as the Arizona Diamondbacks salvaged the finale of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-1.
After allowing seven runs to San Francisco on Friday for his first loss in seven decisions, Johnson (20-5) yielded one run -- a two-out homer to Shawn Green in the ninth inning -- and three hits in his sixth complete game of the season. He joined teammate Curt Schilling as the only 20-game winners in the majors.
Johnson struck out eight without a walk and raised his career strikeout total to 3,705, four more than Minnesota Twin Bert Blyleven on the all-time list. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner improved to 9-1 after an Arizona loss and has won 32 of his last 39 decisions.
Sidelined for three games with a tender left elbow, Williams connected on a 2-0 offering from Andy Ashby in the first inning for his sixth homer to give the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead. Steve Finley followed with a solo shot as Arizona moved five games ahead of the Dodgers in the National League West.
Other National League results: Chicago 3, Milwaukee 0; Atlanta 6, Pittsburgh 0; Montreal 8, Philadelphia 5; New York 11, Florida 3; St. Louis 10, Cincinnati 5; San Diego 5, Houston 1; Colorado 2, San Francisco 1.
Baseball to observe Sept. 11
NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball games on Sept. 11 will pause for a moment of silence at exactly 9:11 p.m. local time to mark the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Officials announced Wednesday that a series of events that will mark a "special patriotic program of remembrance" at each of the 15 parks hosting games that day.
"All of us in baseball were devastated by the horrific attack on our country on and it is with a great deal of sadness and grief that we will mark the first anniversary," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "We take this opportunity to honor the memories of those lost and to pay tribute to the firefighters, police officers, rescue workers and all those who sacrificed their lives trying to save others."
The moment of silence will be followed with a video presentation honoring those lost during the attacks. The tribute and video presentations will take place during the seventh-inning stretch during the day games on Sept. 11.
Major League Baseball also has created a commemorative design that will be displayed on the field and outfield walls and on each base. Fans at each game will be given a white T-shirt featuring the design and will be encouraged to wear it during the contest.
Players will be outfitted in caps and outerwear featuring the American flag, just as they were when play resumed last September following the attacks.
