Arizona tries to make a playoff rebound
PHOENIX, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Curt Schilling tries to prevent the Arizona Diamondbacks from falling into a huge hole Thursday night when they continue their National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Schilling was 4-0 with a 1.12 ERA in six postseason starts last year, but he had a sub-par September in which he went 2-2 with a 5.87 ERA in six appearances.
In his last start, ironically also against the Cardinals, he struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced, but allowed a three-run homer to Scott Rolen in the fourth inning and one to J.D. Drew in the eighth as the Cardinals posted a 6-1 win.
That loss dropped Schilling to 5-9 lifetime in the regular season against the Cardinals, but he did beat them twice in the NLDS last year.
In Game Five, Schilling fired a six-hitter with one walk and nine strikeouts as the Diamondbacks edged the Cardinals, 2-1.
On Tuesday in Game One, the Cards got to Randy Johnson right away as Jim Edmonds hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Rolen hit a two-run shot in the fourth as St. Louis rolled in a 12-2 rout.
"Anytime you go down 0-1, you're in trouble," said Arizona first baseman Mark Grace. "We feel like we have the guys who can pull ourselves right back into the thing on Thursday. We're an
awfully good baseball team and we know we'll be fine."
Including the regular season, the Cardinals have won five straight meetings with the Diamondbacks and hope lefthander Chuck Finley can extend that streak on Thursday. Finley lost
two starts in the American League Division Series last season, when he was with the Cleveland Indians. He was acquired on July 20 and went 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 14 starts with the Cardinals.
The Atlanta Braves, who lost in five games to Arizona in the NL Championship Series last year, also try Thursday to rebound from a loss.
The San Francisco Giants Wednesday seized home-field advantage by hammering Tom Glavine and the Braves, 8-5, in the opener of their Division Series.
Barry Bonds had a hit and a walk in five plate appearances, but J.T. Snow, Rich Aurilia and Benito Santiago each had two-run doubles, and Russ Ortiz allowed two runs in seven innings as the Giants seized an 8-2 lead and hung on.
The Giants send Kirk Rueter to the mound against the Braves' Kevin Millwood. Greg Maddux was scheduled to start Game Two, but has a blister and will not go until Game Three on Saturday in San Francisco.
"Greg has a blister on the index finger of his right hand," said Braves spokesman Jim Schultz. "We just felt it would be better if he had a couple extra days' rest. He begged (Manager Bobby Cox) to be able to pitch (Game Two), but between the training staff, Bobby and the coaches, they just decided it would be better to push Greg back to the first game in San Francisco."
Both AL Division Series are even at a game apiece and continue Friday.
On Wednesday, Anaheim beat the New York Yankees, 8-6, and Oakland drubbed Minnesota, 9-1.
Bowdens face off in key ACC tilt
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden faces his son, Clemson's Tommy Bowden, for the fourth season Thursday night when the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals meet at Doak-Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
The elder Bowden has won the previous three meetings. The Seminoles have averaged 47.5 points and gained 664 yards in the last two contests, including a 41-27 win last season.
Chris Rix threw for a career-high 369 yards and Greg Jones ran for 160 yards and a touchdown in last season's Seminole win. Florida State (4-1, 1-0 ACC) has won the last 10 meetings between the two schools and leads the series, 13-2.
The Seminoles will be trying to rebound from last Thursday's stunning 26-20 overtime loss to Louisville. They fell seven spots in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
Rix struggled in the rain at Louisville and threw a costly interception in the extra session.
Greg Jones had his streak of five straight 100-yard rushing games snapped two weeks ago against Duke, and he had even more trouble against Louisville, gaining just 32 yards on 13 carries.
With defending national champion Miami next on the schedule, the Seminoles know this is a critical game if they want to vault themselves back into the national title picture.
Clemson (3-1, 1-0) has won three straight games and was off last week after a 30-7 win over Ball State. The Tigers nearly upset Georgia in their season opener before losing, 31-28.
They face a dangerous, athletic quarterback in junior Willie Simmons. He has four touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Anticipating major traffic problems in and around Tallahassee, the school called off classes for Thursday and Friday.
Mississippi State loses McNeil for season
STARKVILLE, Miss., Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Officials at Mississippi State University say offensive lineman Chris McNeil is done for the balance of the 2002 college football campaign after suffering a season-ending foot injury in the first quarter of last Saturday's loss to Louisiana State.
The injury was especially untimely for the Bulldogs, who have struggled on offense this season and have limited experience in the line. Also, McNeil, a 6-3, 289-pound native of Petal, Miss., could play both guard spots and center as well.
"It's just a really unfortunate injury," said MSU offensive coordinator Sparky Woods. "Chris is probably as aggressive as any kid we've got on offense. He worked so hard over the summer. I hate it for him. It sure hurts our team."
SU offensive coordinator Sparky Woods. "Chris is probably as aggressive as any kid we've got on offense. He worked so hard over the summer. I hate it for him. It sure hurts our team."
In the wake of his absence, several others will get much more playing time, including senior Michael Allen and freshman Richard Burch.
MSU has lost three of its first four games this season, and offensive line-play has been one of the team's deficiencies. McNeil was making his first start of the year in the LSU contest.
"We just need a win against a good SEC team or any SEC team," Burch told the Starkville Daily News. "If we can get that first one, then I really believe that we can get on a roll.
We are not too high right now, considering all of the circumstances, but our coaches have been complimenting on how good our character has been. I think we will be okay, but we just have to get that confidence level back up."
Also getting added playing time will be Johnny Wadley, Will Rogers and Manuel Dickson.
McNeil will be in a cast for six weeks, but should be fully cleared by spring practice next year.
"It's disappointing, but it's part of the game," McNeil said. "I'll just have to be a team supporter every way I can."
Montross out with foot ailment
TORONTO, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The Toronto Raptors, already with the loss of Hakeem Olajuwon, Thursday announced that reserve center Eric Montross will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with ongoing foot problems.
Montross has a continuing reaction to a small stress fracture in the talus bone in his left foot. The injury was confirmed Wednesday by foot and ankle specialist Dr. Ned Amendola of the University of Iowa.
Montross, 31, will be treated with a hinged orthotic device for four-to-six weeks, which will restrict the movement of the foot. He will be re-evaluated at the end of that process.
The 7-foot, 270-pounder missed the final four games of the 2001-02 season and the playoffs with his injury. He averaged 2.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 13.4 minutes per contest in 49 games last season.
He became more valuable recently when the team announced that Olajuwon has been excused from training camp because of a lower back injury.
Power forward Antonio Davis likely will move to center, with forward Jerome Williams and injury-plagued Mamadou N'diaye serving as backups.
U.S. to face Croatia in 2003 Davis Cup
LONDON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The United States Thursday learned it will play its first-round tie of the 2003 Davis Cup in Croatia when the draw to determine the opponent was held by the International Tennis Federation.
The Americans, who lost to France last month in the 2002 semifinals, will visit Croatia for the first round on Feb. 7-9, 2003. It will mark the first encounter between the two nations in Davis Cup play.
France and Russia, who will square off in the 2002 Davis Cup final in December, also will be on the road for their first-round ties next year. France visits Romania while Russia travels to the Czech Republic.
Also, the Netherlands host Switzerland, Britain goes to Australia, Brazil journeys to Sweden, Spain welcomes Belgium, and Germany entertains Argentina.
