Jeter's replacement has big night
TORONTO, April 3 (UPI) -- Erick Almonte singled, homered and drove in three runs Wednesday night to carry the New York Yankees past Toronto, 9-7.
Almonte started his first game in place of the injured Derek Jeter and he helped the Yankees complete their first road three-game sweep to open the season since 1942. New York rocked Toronto pitching in the series, scoring 27 runs.
Jeter went down for at least a month in the series opener and Enrique Wilson filled in on Tuesday. But the job now belongs to Almonte, a 25-year-old defensive standout who has not hit consistently in the minor leagues.
On Wednesday night, Almonte had an RBI single in the second and added a two-run homer in the third as New York bolted to a 9-1 lead.
Mike Mussina (1-0) became the third Yankees starter in as many games to record a victory, surviving six rocky innings. After Jose Contreras was hit hard, Chris Hammond struck out two of the four batters he retired.
Juan Acevedo, filling in for injured closer Mariano Rivera, struck out one in a perfect ninth to notch the save.
In Anaheim, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in major league history to hit 300 homers, but his Texas Rangers fell to the Anaheim Angels, 11-5.
Other American League results: Kansas City 5, Chicago 4; Cleveland 4, Baltimore 2; Minnesota 8, Detroit 1; Boston 7, Tampa Bay 5.
Expos blank Braves
ATLANTA, April 3 (UPI) -- Zach Day combined with three relievers on a three-hitter Wednesday night as Montreal posted a 3-0 triumph over the Atlanta Braves.
In just his his third major league start, Day (1-0) allowed three hits in seven innings and ran his major league record to 5-1. He struck out three, walked two and got 14 groundouts.
The 24-year-old righthander escaped trouble in the bottom of the first inning and cruised the rest of the way. He issued two-out walks to Gary Sheffield and Chipper Jones before an error by third baseman Fernando Tatis loaded the bases. But Day regrouped and got Javy Lopez to bounce out.
Day set down the next eight batters before Lopez reached on shortstop Orlando Cabrera 's error and took second on Vinny Castilla 's base hit in the fourth. But Day got Mark DeRosa to bounce to second to end that threat.
Day worked primarily out of the bullpen in his rookie season and earned a spot in Montreal's rotation with a solid spring. He was 4-1 last season in 19 appearances after being promoted from the minor leagues last June.
Other National League results: Philadelphia 8, Florida 1; Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 4; New York 4, Chicago 1; Houston 8, Colorado 7; St. Louis 7, Milwaukee 0; Los Angeles 5, Arizona 0.
Spurs win seventh straight
MEMPHIS, April 3 (UPI) -- Tim Duncan collected 33 points and 19 rebounds Wednesday night in helping San Antonio run its winning streak to seven games.
The Spurs downed the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-87.
Duncan's 28th double-double in his last 34 games helped the Spurs pull within 1 1/2 games of first-place Dallas in the Midwest Division and the top seed in the Western Conference. It also helped them extend their road winning streak over the Grizzlies to 13.
Unlike their last trip to Memphis, when the Spurs needed Duncan's fallaway jumper at the overtime buzzer to post a 103-101 victory, they put this one away midway through the third quarter with a 13-4 run that opened a 73-54 lead with 4:28 remaining.
San Antonio took an 83-67 advantage into the fourth quarter and built it to 93-73 with six minutes remaining.
Duncan also kept Pau Gasol in check. Gasol finished with just five points in 23 minutes before fouling out as Memphis suffered its fifth straight defeat and fell to 4-27 all-time against San Antonio.
Other NBA results: Boston 90, Miami 62; Indiana 103, Cleveland 82; Philadelphia 108, Chicago 101; Toronto 89, Detroit 78; Milwaukee 106, Houston 99; Minnesota 91, Seattle 86; Sacramento 105, Washington 99; New Orleans 106, New Jersey 97.
Lightning nears division title
TAMPA, Fla., April 3 (UPI) -- Nikolai Khabibulin extended his personal unbeaten streak to 16 games Wednesday night, boosting Tampa Bay past Montreal, 2-1.
The surging Lightning move within a win of clinching the first division title in team history.
The NHL Player of the Month for March, Khabibulin did not miss a beat in his first April start. He stopped 26 shots, including all 21 over the final two periods, and is 12
4 with a 1.23 goals-against average and .954 save percentage since February 11.
The 16-game unbeaten streak matches the longest in the NHL this season. Dallas' Marty Turco also was 12
4 from Dec. 27-March 25.
Vaclav Prospal and defenseman Cory Sarich scored for Tampa Bay, which moved three points ahead of second-place Washington in the Southeast Division with two games to play. The Lightning extended their team-record unbeaten streak to 13 games (7
6).
Jan Bulis had the lone goal for the Canadiens, who have lost four of five.
Other NHL results: Buffalo 4, Atlanta 3; Columbus 3, Minnesota 0; Pittsburgh 3, Carolina 2; Dallas 2, Anaheim 1; Calgary 2, San Jose 2; Phoenix 3, Vancouver 3.
Bowa suspended one game
MIAMI, April 3 (UPI) -- Philadelphia Manager Larry Bowa was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount Wednesday for his role in a spring training incident.
Major League Baseball vice president Bob Watson announced the suspension prior to the Phillies' game at Florida. Bowa will sit out Thursday's game against the Marlins.
The suspension stems from an incident in a March 26 game in which Toronto Blue Jays righthander Roy Halladay hit Jim Thome with a pitch in the third inning.
An inning later, Bowa yelled at Halladay, inciting both benches to empty. Bowa was ejected from the game and had to be restrained by his players.
Hawks fire Pete Babcock
ATLANTA, April 3 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Hawks, who will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year, Wednesday fired General Manager Pete Babcock.
Babcock replaced Hawks president Stan Kasten as general manager in February 1990 and the team was 529-497 during his tenure.
Kasten said Hawks director of basketball operations Billy Knight will take over Babcock's roles and a search for a replacement will begin immediately.
The firing continues a revamping of Hawks' management. Atlanta is 18-29 since Coach Lon Kruger was fired on Dec. 26 and replaced on an interim basis by Terry Stotts. Babcock hired Coach Lenny Wilkens, who became the NBA's all-time wins leader, and the Hawks made the playoffs eight times in nine seasons before their current drought.
DeChellis to coach at Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., April 3 (UPI) -- Ed DeChellis is expected to be named the new men's basketball coach at Penn State on Thursday.
DeChellis will come to Penn State from East Tennessee State, which reached the NCAA Tournament this season.
A spokesman at Penn State confirmed the school has scheduled a news conference Thursday regarding a new basketball coach.
"This is a very hard decision to leave East Tennessee State," said DeChellis, who compiled a 105-93 record in seven seasons as Buccaneers coach. "The administration at the university and the fan support has been tremendous. The hardest part of this is leaving the current players. I owe a great deal to this team and previous teams."
DeChellis, 44, led the Bucs to a 20-11 record this season, a third straight regular-season Souther Conference Division North title and the school's first appearance in 11 years in the NCAA Tournament. The Bucs were narrowly beaten by No. 2 seed Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament.
At Penn State, DeChellis is replacing Jerry Dunn, who resigned March 17 after his second straight 7-21 season.
Smith, Goestenkors given Naismith award
ATLANTA, April 3 (UPI) -- Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Duke's Gail Goestenkors Wednesday were named the Naismith college basketball coaches of the year.
Smith led Kentucky (32-4) to the Southeastern Conference championship and the Midwest Region final of the NCAA Tournament, where the Wildcats had a 26-game winning streak snapped in an 83-69 loss to Marquette.
Kentucky became the first team to go undefeated in the SEC during the regular season and then win the conference tournament.
Goestenkors has guided Duke (35-1) to the Final Four of the NCAA women's tournament. The Blue Devils, who captured their fourth straight Atlantic Coast Conference title, will face Tennessee in the semifinals.
The awards were presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, which last month named Texas' T.J. Ford and Connecticut's Diana Taurasi its players of the year.
Lefty Driesell, who retired earlier this season, received the club's award for outstanding contribution to basketball.
Driesell recorded 786 victories and is the only coach in NCAA history to win at least 100 games with four different schools, doing so at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State. Driesell retired as Georgia State coach in January.
NBA lottery moved to prime time
NEW YORK, April 3 (UPI) -- The NBA announced Wednesday this year's lottery will take place on Thursday, May 22 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
For the first time, it will be stretched into a 30-minute show and televised nationally by ABC.
In past years, the lottery would air at halftime of a playoff telecast.
The NBA draft lottery determines the order of selection for the top 13 picks in the first round. The team with the worst record in the regular season has the most chances at the No. 1 pick.
For the third straight year, the NBA draft will take place June 26 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Chris Tamer suspended two games
NEW YORK, April 3 (UPI) -- Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Chris Tamer was suspended for two games without pay Wednesday.
Tamer was handed the suspension for cross-checking Vladimir Orszagh in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators.
Tamer drew a game misconduct in the second period for intent to injure. He hit Orszagh in apparent retaliation for a hit on Dany Heatley by Nashville's Rem Murray.
Based on his average annual salary, Tamer will forfeit $12,962.96.
