UPI NewsTrack Sports

Tampa Bay reaches its first ALCS

CHICAGO, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- B.J. Upton hit two solo homers Monday to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox and their first berth in an AL Championship Series.

Andy Sonnanstine (1-0) held the White Sox to two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts and a walk, to win Game 4 and clinch the American League Division Series for the Rays, who are making their first post-season appearance.

Carlos Pena went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Upton homered three times in the last two games of the series for the AL East champions.

Gavin Floyd (0-1) surrendered four runs on five hits, including both of Upton's homers, in three-plus innings with four strikeouts and two walks to take the loss. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye each hit solo homers for Chicago.

The Rays will play Boston in the AL Division Series. The Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Monday night to take their ALDS 3-1.

Packers to rest QB Rodgers until Thursday

GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Green Bay Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not participate in practice until Thursday at the earliest.

"I'm not going to practice him Wednesday, and we're going to stay in the rehab," McCarthy said. "Then we're looking at potentially limited Thursday was the conversation we had with the doctors, and we'll take it from there."

Rodgers, who has a sprained right shoulder, was a game-time decision in Sunday's contest against the Atlanta Falcons, but he went the route while completing 25-of-37 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 defeat.

"I thought he had an excellent performance with everything he was dealing with," McCarthy said of Rodgers, who hurt the shoulder in a 30-21 loss to Tampa Bay Sept. 28.

Rodgers has passed for 1,274 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions in five games this season, his first as a starter since replacing Brett Favre.

Mauresmo among 1st round Moscow winners

MOSCOW, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France was among Monday's first-round winners in the women's draw at the $1.34 million Kremlin Cup.

A two-time major champion, Mauresmo came from behind to beat fellow Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-4. Mauresmo reached a final here five years ago.

In other opening-day play, Russian wild card Vera Dushevina beat Czech Nicole Vaidisova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 and Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova defeated France's Marion Bartoli 6-1, 4-1. Bartoli retired in the second set.

This week's top seeds are world No. 1 Serbian Jelena Jankovic, Russian favorites Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva, and another Serb, Ana Ivanovic. Jankovic, fresh off her back-to-back titles in Beijing and Stuttgart, was this year's U.S. Open runner-up.

Safina reached the finals at the French Open and Olympic Games, Dementieva captured a gold medal in Beijing, and Ivanovic won the French Open and was runner-up at the Australian Open. Dementieva defeated Serena Williams in last year's Moscow finale.

Wimbledon champ Venus Williams is seeded sixth.

Ariz. St. quarterback doubtful for USC game

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter is questionable for Saturday's game at ninth-ranked Southern California, Coach Dennis Erickson said Monday.

"We need to get the OK from the doctor, and then see how he moves out there (in practice)," Erickson said. "I'm not going to put him on the field unless he has the mobility to be able to move and throw. He has to be pretty close to 100 percent."

Carpenter sprained his left ankle in the Sun Devils' 24-14 loss at California last weekend. The senior has made 36 straight starts.

If Carpenter is unable to play, Arizona State would go with junior Danny Sullivan at quarterback.