Armstrong dominant in time trial
MACON, France, July 28 (UPI) -- Lance Armstrong emphatically enhanced his reputation as the king of international cycling Saturday by recording a one-sided victory in the next-to-last stage of the Tour de France.
Already owning a huge lead with the final stage looming on Sunday, the three-time defending champion won Saturday's individual time trial by almost a full minute.
He covered the 31-mile ride from Regnie-Durette to Macon in an hour, three minutes, 50 seconds to win the 15th stage of his tour career.
Raimondas Rumsas of Lithuania finished second, 53 seconds behind. Rumsas actually had a better time than did Armstrong at the first check point, but difficulty with the handle bars on his machine caused him to lose time over the second half of the time trial.
The mechanical problems cost him a chance to move into second place in the overall standings.
Armstrong increased his lead to seven minutes, 17 seconds over Joseba Beloki of Spain while Rumsas was a minute further behind in third place.
The overall placings are not expected to change during Sunday's concluding stage, which is usually a ceremonial ride through the streets of Paris.
But because the sprint championship will be on the line Sunday between Erik Zabel and Robbie McEwen, there will still be some significant efforts being made at the front of the pack.
Twins continue to roll
MINNEAPOLIS, July 28 (UPI) -- Corey Koskie's RBI double off Kelvim Escobar in the 10th inning Saturday night lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Minnesota, which suffered a collapse after the All-Star break last season, is doing the exact opposite this year. The Twins improved to 13-3 since the break and have won 17 games in July for the first time since 1984.
Minnesota squandered a 4-0 lead but received an excellent performance from reliever Bob Wells (1-1), who tossed two innings to maintain the tie.
Escobar pitched a perfect ninth but gave up a leadoff single to Bobby Kielty in the 10th. Jacque Jones sacrificed and Cristian Guzman was walked intentionally.
Koskie, who had an RBI single in the third inning, lined a 2-0 pitch from Escobar (5-5) into the right-center field gap to bring in Kielty with the winning run.
Other American League results: Seattle 3, Anaheim 1; Boston 4, Baltimore 0; Tampa Bay 7, New York 4; Chicago 9, Kansas City 1; Detroit 5, Cleveland 1; Texas 10, Oakland 6 in 10 innings.
Schilling wins 18th game
PHOENIX, July 28 (UPI) -- Curt Schilling became the first 18-game winner in the major leagues Saturday, allowing one run and eight hits over eight innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Diego Padres, 4-3.
It was Arizona's fifth straight win.
While not as dominant as he has been at times this season, Schilling limited the damage by not issuing a walk and striking out seven.
Erubiel Durazo staked Schilling (18-3) to a 4-0 lead by belting a three-run homer in the fifth inning in his first game since being activated from the disabled list.
Closer Byung-Hyun Kim, who entered with one out in the ninth, made things interesting by giving up a two-run double to Tom Lampkin. But he closed out the win by getting pinch hitter Deivi Cruz to popout.
Schilling posted his sixth staight victory and capped a spectacular month. In five July starts, he was 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA, allowing eight earned runs in 38 1/3 innings.
Schilling recorded his 150th career win and improved to 16-1 against the National League this season.
Other National League results: Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3; Cincinnati 2, New York 1 in 10 innings; Chicago 7, St. Louis 3; Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 1; Milwaukee 6, Colorado 5 in 10 innings; Florida 7, Montreal 2; Houston 3, Pittsburgh 0.
Brooks fails to report
NEW ORLEANS, July 28 (UPI) -- New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks shocked team officials Saturday by not reporting for the start of training camp.
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team had not heard from Brooks or his agent.
"I don't know why he's not here because no one has talked to him," Loomis said. "I'm a little disappointed he's not here."
However, it is probable that Brooks may be holding out for a new contract since he is scheduled to make the league minimum of $400,000 in 2002 after tying a club record with 26 touchdown passes last season.
Loomis also issued a warning to Brooks.
"We're not going to negotiate with anyone that's not in training camp and under contract," Loomis said.
Brooks, 25, participated in all of New Orleans' minicamps and did not threaten a holdout.
Scheckter wins IRL pole
BROOKLYN, Mich., July 28 (UPI) -- After a week where he was all but fired, Tomas Scheckter gained redemption Saturday by winning the IRL pole for Sunday's Michigan Indy 400.
Scheckter led a 1-2-3 Red Bull Cheever Indy Racing sweep by winning the pole at 221.868 miles per hour in a Dallara-Infiniti.
Buddy Rice, who was brought in by team owner Eddie Cheever and given Scheckter's crew for this race, qualified second with a lap at 221.831 mph in another Dallara-Infiniti. Cheever rounded out the top three when he qualified his Dallara-Infiniti at 220.328 mph.
Defending Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. was fourth at 219.580 mph in a Dallara-Chevrolet and Mark Dismore fifth in the 25-car field at 219.295 mph in a Dallara-Chevrolet.
On the CART circuit, Brazil's Cristiano da Matta set a qualifying record to win the pole for the CART Molson Indy Vancouver.
Fire nears Eastern Conference lead
NAPERVILLE, Ill., July 28 (UPI) -- Ante Razov had a hand in all three goals Saturday as the Chicago Fire blanked the MetroStars, 3-0, to climb within two points of the Eastern Conference leaders.
Razov collected two goals and an assist to move into a tie for fourth in the MLS scoring race with 26 points. He helped the Fire register their first regulation win since June 2.
Off a free kick from the right flank, Razov curled a left-footed into service in the box that was flicked on by Josh Wolff and hit Fire defender Jim Curtin in stride. Marked by defender Mike Petke, Curtin knocked the ball into the net from five yards after bringing it down with this chest.
It was Curtin's first MLS goal and ended Chicago's 196-minute scoring drought.
The MetroStars went into the break having already made a substitution. In the 41st minute, midfielder-forward Dustin Sheppard made his MLS debut, coming on for striker Mamadou Diallo, who was involved in physical challenges against Fire defenders all afternoon and limped off with a hamstring strain.
Other MLS results: New England 1, D.C. United 0; Kansas City 2, San Jose 1; Dallas 2, Colorado 2; Los Angeles 2, Columbus 1.
Hayes, Gamez share lead
SILVIS, Ill., July 28 (UPI) -- J.P. Hayes and Robert Gamez dueled to a stalemate on the back nine Saturday and wound up tied for the lead after the third round of the John Deere Classic.
On a steamy day at the TPC at Deere Run, no one was hotter down the stretch than Hayes and Gamez.
Hayes birdied the final three holes and four of the last five to turn a ho-hum round into a 4-under-par 67. Winless in 12 years, Gamez fired a 66 that ended with back-to-back birdies. Both players had 54-hole totals of 18-under 195.
First-round leader Mike Heinen was alone in third place at 15-under after matching Gamez's 66.
Another stroke back were Chris Riley and Briny Baird while Tim Petrovic was five shots behind the leaders at 13-under 200.
Detroit ends road losing streak
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 28 (UPI) -- Rookie Swin Cash had 20 points and 10 rebounds Saturday night as the Detroit Shock snapped a 17-game road skid with a 74-66 triumph over the Charlotte Sting.
Elaine Powell added 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Detroit, which had not won away from the Palace at Auburn Hills since an 80-77 overtime triumph at Portland last July. The Shock ended last season by dropping their final five road contests and began the 2002 campaign 0-12.
Detroit fell one game shy of matching Phoenix's current WNBA-record road losing streak.
Other WNBA results: Seattle 80, Washington 71; Sacramento 79, Phoenix 64; Portland 71, Miami 61.
