Halladay tosses perfect game for Phillies
MIAMI, May 29 (UPI) -- Roy Halladay tossed the second perfect game in Phillies history Saturday, twirling a 115-pitch gem to post Philadelphia to a 1-0 win over Florida.
Halladay induced pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino to hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Juan Castro, who speared the ball to his left, spun and threw out the runner to end the game and trigger a celebration on the mound, marking the 20th perfect game in MLB history.
Halladay (7-3), the 13-year veteran and 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner, finished with 11 strikeouts, eight ground ball outs and eight flyouts.
It was the second perfect game this month -- Oakland's Dallas Braden threw one against Oakland on May 9. The only other perfect game in Phillies history was tossed by Jim Bunning against the New York Mets in 1964.
Philadelphia got the only run of the game when Wilson Valdez came around to score on Cameron Maybin's fielding error in the third inning on a Chase Utley drive.
Marlins starter Josh Johnson (5-2) pitched well in the defeat, allowing only the one unearned run in seven innings, yielding seven hits, walking one and striking out six.
Blackhawks win Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
CHICAGO, May 29 (UPI) -- Thomas Kopecky's third period goal sparked the Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-5 win over Philadelphia Saturday in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals.
After two wild periods in which the two teams combined for 10 goals and a 5-5 tie, Kopecky got the only tally of the final frame.
He received a pass from Kris Versteeg in the slot, circled to the right of the net and scored from a sharp angle to give Chicago a 1-0 edge in the championship series.
Troy Brouwer notched a pair of goals and an assist while Kopecky, Dave Bolland and Versteeg each added a goal and a helper for the Blackhawks.
Patrick Sharp added a goal and Antti Niemi stopped 32-of-27 shots for Chicago, which will seek to a take a 2-0 lead in Game 2, set for Monday at the United Center.
Daniel Briere had a 4-point night, notching a goal and three assists for the Flyers, who also got goals from Aron Asham, Blair Betts, Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino in the defeat.
Starting goalie Michael Leighton was pulled after allowing five goals, and Brian Boucher was in nets for Kopecky's game-winner.
Indians P Huff hit in head by line drive
NEW YORK, May 29 (UPI) -- Cleveland Indians pitcher David Huff was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez Saturday.
With one out in the bottom of the second inning at Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez blasted a pitch straight back at Huff, who was struck full-on the right side of his head. He immediately collapsed on the mound, lying motionless while Indians teammates and Rodriguez gathered around, motioning for medical attention.
Indians manager Manny Acta and trainers ran to the mound where Huff appeared conscious. After several minutes, a stretcher was brought out, Huff's head was immobilized and he was loaded onto a motorized cart.
As he was being driven off, Huff made a thumbs-up sign.
The Indians said Huff was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center where he was administered a CT scan for possible brain damage. The test came up negative and Huff never lost consciousness, the team said.
Roddick upset; Nadal advances in Paris
PARIS, May 29 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal advanced to the fourth round and Andy Roddick lost to a little-known qualifier in the biggest upset of the French Open Saturday in Paris.
Nadal, the second seed and four-time champ, sped past former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, stretching his winning streak to 18 matches on red clay surfaces and charging into the Round of 16.
Nadal took 2 hours, 28 minutes to notch the victory using seven breaks against Hewitt, raising his all-time record at the French Open to 34-1. He lost in the Round of 16 last year to Swede Robin Soderling.
He now faces Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the fourth round.
No. 6 seed Roddick, meanwhile, was bounced by Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili Saturday 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in less than two hours, dashing his hopes of repeating last year's appearance in the fourth round.
Instead, the 114th-ranked Gabashvili, 25, moves on to the Round of 16, the first time he's made the fourth round in a Grand Slam event. In 11 previous majors starts, he has been eliminated in the first round eight times and went out in the second in his other three tries.
Roddick complained about the playing conditions on the windy and overcast day, criticizing French Open officials for storing wet tarpaulins on the court, which he said created puddles and slowed the ball down.
Also Saturday, world No. 3 Novak Djokovic completed a 4-set win over Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, taking the victory in 2 hours, 38 minutes.
The Serbian double-faulted eight times but was able to break Hanescu's serve seven times.
