Boston left-hander Joe Lester pitches no-hitter
BOSTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Left-hander Jon Lester pitched the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history Monday when Boston defeated the Kansas City Royals, 7-0.
Lester (3-2), who was diagnosed with a form of cancer two years ago, struck out nine and issued only two walks -- the first in the second inning to Billy Butler and the other in the ninth to Esteban German.
After Lester, 24, walked German to start the ninth, Tony Pena ground out to third base, David DeJesus grounded out to first, and Alberto Callaspo struck out swinging at a high fastball.
Lester threw 130 pitches, 86 for strikes.
The Red Sox have had the last two no-hitters in the majors. Clay Buchholz had the other Sept. 1, 2007, against Baltimore.
Lester is the first Red Sox left-hander to pitch a no-hitter since Mel Parnell did it against the Chicago White Sox July 14, 1956.
Lester's 2006 rookie season was cut short due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but he returned in July 2007 and went 4-0 with a 4.57 earned run average in 12 games, 11 of which were starts. He was the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the World Series against Colorado.
Big Brown big favorite to win Triple Crown
PHILADELPHIA, May 19 (UPI) -- Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown is a big favorite to became horse racing's first Triple Crown champion in 30 years.
The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.
Big Brown is the first 3-year-old since Smarty Jones in 2004 to go into the Belmont Stakes with a chance to sweep the three races.
One possible contender in the Belmont Stakes is Peter Pan Stakes winner Casino Drive.
"He just ran a big race," Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said of Casino Drive. "He's going to have to come back in a month off that race, which isn't going to be easy for him.When horses have to sit a long time, their next race might not be so strong. I'd like to have the horse, but I don't see him beating Big Brown."
Casino Drive is a half-brother to Jazil and Rags to Riches, the winners of the last two Belmont Stakes.
Texans WR has arthroscopic knee surgery
HOUSTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson will miss the remainder of the team's off-season workouts after having arthroscopic knee surgery last week.
Johnson, 25, missed seven weeks last season after suffering a sprained left knee in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. He returned in Week 11 and averaged 84.1 yards in his final seven contests, finishing with 60 receptions for a team-high 851 yards and eight touchdowns.
Johnson aggravated the injury two weeks ago during off-season mini-camp.
"He wasn't really comfortable coming out of (mini-)camp, so we said, 'Hey, let's go scope it and see if there are any issues,'" Texans Coach Gary Kubiak told the team's Web site.
Johnson should be ready for training camp at the end of July.
"I feel good right now," said the two-time Pro Bowler. "The knee didn't swell up or anything. It has a little bit of swelling, but nothing major."
Charles Barkley says he'll stop gambling for now
PHILADELPHIA, May 19 (UPI) -- NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who reportedly owed a Las Vegas casino $400,000, said Monday his gambling days are over, at least for now.
"I gamble probably once every two or three weeks to a month," Barkley said on the pre-game show on Turner Network Television before Game 7 of the Spurs-Hornets Western Conference semifinal series. "It's not like I'm going every day."
Barkley acknowledged he paid the Wynn Las Vegas resort after the casino filed a civil complaint.
"I am not going to gamble anymore," Barkley said. "For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble. It was my fault."
Barkley, a nine-time NBA all-star, was the league MVP in 1993. Since his retirement in 2000, he has worked as an analyst with TNT.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 after a career in which he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.
