Athletics regain share of AL West lead
OAKLAND, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Ray Durham's three-run homer capped off a six-run outburst in the fourth inning Wednesday night, rallying the Oakland Athletics to a 7-4 win over the Anaheim Angels that left the teams tied at the top in the American League West.
Oakland's Barry Zito became the first 22-game winner in the AL, although he lasted only 5 1/3 innings and found himself trailing going into the bottom of the fourth, 4-1.
But Oakland produced three home runs in its half of the fourth to take the lead. With one game remaining in their four-game series and 10 games left in the season, the A's and Angels are deadlocked at 95-57. They are a half game behind the New York Yankees in the race for the league's best record.
Anaheim starter Mickey Calloway (1-1) took a three-run lead into the fourth, but gave up back-to-back, one-out home runs to Eric Chavez and Jermaine Dye. Calloway then walked John Maybry and hit Mark Ellis with a pitch, resulting in Dennis Cook being called in from the bullpen.
Cook struck out Greg Myers, but Durham blasted his 15th homer of the season to give the A's a 7-4 lead.
Zito (22-5) gave up seven hits and four runs in his 5 1/3 innings, after which Chad Bradford and Billy Koch combined for 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief.
Prior to their six-run inning, the Athletics had produced one run on a homer by Ellis.
Other American League results: Cleveland 6, Boston 4; Toronto 2, Baltimore 1; Minnesota 2, Detroit 0; New York 7, Tampa Bay 1; Chicago 3, Kansas City 1.
Cards magic number down to four
DENVER, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Scott Rolen and Ivan Cruz homered in the ninth innning as part of a five-run frame Wednesday night, boosting the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
St. Louis lowered its magic number for clinching the National League Central title to four.
Victor Santos came on to pitch for Colorado in the ninth in a 3-3 game and walked Jim Edmonds to start the inning. After Albert Pujols flew out to deep center, Rolen put the Cardinals in front with a home run to left. Cruz followed with a solo homer, after which Edgar Renteria, Mike Matheny and Fernando Vina all doubled to account for two more runs.
Rolen's homer was his second of the night and was one of five produced by the Cardinals.
Colorado loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the ninth and scored twice before Steve Kline ended the rally.
Other National League results: Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 5; Pittsburgh 3, Cincinnati 2; Montreal 4, Florida 2 in 11 innings; New York 2, Chicago 1; Houston 3, Milwaukee 1.
Harrington to start for Lions
ALLEN PARK, Mich., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Quarterback Joey Harrington, the third overall pick in this year's NFL draft, will make his first career start Sunday when the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in the first regular-season game at Ford Field.
"I'm very excited," Harrington said. "I've said the whole time that I'm anxious to get on the field. I didn't exactly know when it was coming, but I was prepared the whole time.
After Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Marty Mornhinweg, who is just 2-16 in his one-plus seasons as Lions coach, said he would not make any changes at the position.
But Mornhinweg changed his mind, announcing Wednesday that Harrington would replace second-year man Mike McMahon, who started Detroit's first two games. Both were blowout losses.
McMahon was nine of 23 against the Panthers, lowering his completion percentage to 45.8 and his rating to 53.6.
Harrington, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy at Oregon last season, played in Detroit's first two games but completed just seven of 18 passes for 52 yards and has a dismal 23.2 rating.
Woods leads field in Ireland
THOMASTOWN, Ireland, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The third World Golf Championship event of the year gets underway Thursday in what is arguably the sport's most significant tournament ever held in Ireland.
Forty-nine of the world's top 50 players will be on hand for the American Express Championship and the rabid fans will have a special treat since Tiger Woods will be playing with Irishman Padraig Harrington in the opening round.
In addition to having the lure of a $5.5 million purse and a $1 million top prize, the tournament will serve as a tune-up for next week's Ryder Cup matches.
"We're trying to win this tournament," said Woods, who won the inaugural American Express Championship at Valderrama in 1999. "It's a big event and once this tournament is over on Sunday, then I think both teams are going to start getting fired up for next week."
Woods and his American teammates will try to retain the Ryder Cup beginning Sept. 27 in England. But the task at hand is to compete with the best field ever assembled in Ireland, which last hosted the British Open in 1951.
The only member of the World Golf Rankings' top 50 not in attendance is Toshi Izawa of Japan. The tournament also includes the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list through Sept. 9 and leading players from the European, Australasian, Southern African, Japanese and Asian tours.
Serena reaches quarterfinals
TOKYO, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Serena Williams notched her 200th professional singles match win Wednesday, 6-0, 6-2, over Austrian Patricia Wartusch in the second round of the $585,000 Princess Cup.
Williams played her first professional match in the qualifying rounds in October 1995 at Quebec City, losing 6-1, 6-1, to American Annie Miller. Seven years later, she is dominating the WTA Tour, having won the French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon this season.
In the only other second-round match, Russia's Elena Likhovtseva bounced eighth seed and former champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain, 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4. Likhovtseva has won three straight meetings with Sanchez-Vicario after losing five of their first six.
Zednik agrees to two-year deal
MONTREAL, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The Montreal Canadiens and right wing Richard Zednik Wednesday agreed to terms on a two-year contract through the 2003-04 season.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Zednik, 26, will enter his seventh season in the NHL and his third with the Canadiens, who acquired him from the Washington Capitals on March 13, 2001. Last season, he scored 22 goals and totaled 44 points while playing in all 82 games.
The Slovakia native also scored four goals in the first four games against Boston in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, he was the victim of a cheap shot by Boston's Kyle McLaren in Game 4 and suffered a concussion and a broken nose that sidelined him for the remainder of the playoffs.
The eighth-seeded Canadiens upset the Bruins before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
Ted Washington out for three months
LAKE FOREST, Ill., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Ted Washington, regarded as one of the NFL's best run-stoppers, will be sidelined up to three months due to a torn ligament in his foot and hairline fracture of his leg.
The Bears released an injury report Wednesday that stated Washington would miss Sunday's game due to an ankle injury, then revealed the problem was more serious than originally reported.
Washington, who has appeared in 119 consecutive games, tore the Lisfranc ligament in his left foot and suffered a hairline fracture of his left fibula in last Sunday's win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The 365-pound Washington will have a screw inserted to stabilize the area surrounding the foot tendon, the more serious of the two injuries. The hairline fracture would have kept him out up to six weeks.
Washington, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, will miss his first game since 1994 on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Alfonso Boone is expected to start in his place.
Washington last missed a game when he was with the Denver Broncos. He had a string of 88 straight starts snapped last year when he came off the bench against the San Francisco 49ers.
From 1996-2000, Washington started all 80 games with the Buffalo Bills. He signed with Chicago prior to last season.
