Yankees try for 2-0
SEATTLE, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees didn't win 116 games during the regular season as did Seattle. They didn't even win 102.
But the Yankees were just three victories away from another trip to the World Series when they met the Seattle Thursday night in the opener of the American League Championship Series.
The three-time defending World Series champions sent Mike Mussina to the mound at Safeco Field as they sought a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series.
The Mariners countered with 18-game winner Freddy Garcia who had a league-leading 3.05 ERA during the regular season. Mussina was second at 3.15.
Game Three is Saturday in New York.
Meanwhile, the National League Championship Series was all tied at one game apiece after the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1 Wednesday. The series resumes in Atlanta Friday.
Bills, Jags tangle
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Coming off much-needed bye weeks, the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars each sought a much-needed win Thursday night as they kick off Week Six in the National Football League.
It was especially vital to Buffalo (0-4), which limped into Florida as the only winless team in the AFC and only one of two in the NFL, joining the Washington Redskins (0-5).
The Bills were off to their worst start since they opened the 1985 season with six consecutive defeats.
Quarterback Rob Johnson will play in Jacksonville for the first time since he was traded to Buffalo in February 1998. But he comes in banged up, having suffered a pinched nerve in his neck in a game last week with the Jets.
The Jaguars (2-2) lost Pro Bowl offensive lineman Tony Boselli for the season with a shoulder injury and running back Fred Taylor remained sidelined with a groin injury.
That put an added amount of pressure on quarterback Mark Brunell, who suffered a concussion in a 23-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 30.
Capriati, Davenport advance
ZURICH, Switzerland, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Current world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati and former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport advanced to the quarterfinals of the $1.19 million Swisscom Challenge Thursday.
Capriati, the second seed, required three sets to get past Russian teenager Nadia Petrova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in their first career encounter.
Davenport, the third seed, had a much easier time beating South African Amanda Coetzer, for the 10th time in their 13 lifetime meetings, 6-3, 6-4.
Capriati awaited the winner of Thursday's match between Switzerland's Marie-Giane Mikaelian and Russia's Tatiana Panova.
Davenport will face either Slovak qualifier Daniela Hantuchova or Austrian Barbara Schett in the next round.
Sooner among Butkus nominees
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Rocky Calmus, leader of
second-ranked Oklahoma's defense, was named Thursday as one
of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which goes to the
nation's top collegiate linebacker.
Fifth-ranked UCLA, whose improved defense has the Bruins in
contention for the national championship, is the only school
with two players represented -- seniors Ryan Nece and Robert
Thomas.
The list of semifinalists also includes Florida's Andra Davis,South Carolina's Kalimba Edwards, Louisiana State's Trev Faulk, North Carolina State's LaVar Fisher, Michigan's Larry Foote, Maryland's E.J. Henderson, Texas' D.D. Lewis, Virginia Tech's Ben Taylor and Michigan State's Josh Thornhill.
The award is named for Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, who played collegiately at Illinois and in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.
Racing champ hurt in crash
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Reigning Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. broke his foot Wednesday in a crash while testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Eight cars participated in the off-season test at the 2.5-mile oval, and Hornish was second fastest at 223.592 miles per hour before he crashed in Turn 1.
Hornish was released from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with small fractures in his left foot, which was placed in a small cast after evaluation by Dr. Kevin Scheid.
Hornish, who never lost consciousness during the crash, is allowed to put weight on the foot.
"The car was running pretty good," said Kevin Blanch, team manager for Panther Racing. "It got loose. He banged his left knee and right elbow. He'll be sore tomorrow."
Hornish completed 68 laps of testing.
The 22-year-old Hornish won three IRL races (Phoenix, Miami and Texas) and the IRL title.
Concerns cancel tourney
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The ATP succumbed to international security concerns Thursday, canceling the World Doubles Championship in India.
This is the first ATP tournament canceled in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, although an event in Toulouse, France, was skipped last month due to an explosion at a nearby petrochemical plant.
The World Doubles Championship, one of the final two events on the 2001 schedule. was to be held Nov. 7-11 in India, considered too close to the strife in Afghanistan.
"Our primary concern is safety for our fans, players, tournament staff and media," ATP CEO Mark Miles said.
