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No clinch tonight for Sox

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Josh Beckett returns to the mound after committing a throwing error, helping Nick Punto to score from second on a single, tonight at Fenway Park. Beckett was the losing pitcher as the Sox fell to the Minnesota Twins, 5-4. Meanwhile, the Yankees beat Tampa Bay, 3-1, meaning that the Red Sox' magic number remains at two with three games to go. For more details, go to the SoxBlog, or click here to see the box score.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Dereck Knight Out for Season

Dereck Knight, the Brown tailback from Pawtucket who rushed for 208 yards against Duquesne, tore a tendon in his left great toe on his first carry in the Harvard game last Saturday night and will miss the rest of the college football season. Knight said yesterday that he expects to have surgery in the next two weeks. For now he is wearing a special boot that protects and immobilizes the toe.

A senior, Knight could apply to the Ivy League for a medical redshirt if he wants to play in 2008. In that case he would have to take the spring semester off and return to school next fall.

Brown and the University of Rhode Island will play for the 92nd time Saturday afternoon at Brown Stadium.

Posted by Mike Szostak  at 1:30 PM to College Sports | Permalink | Comments 0

Celtics sign Uruguayan center, former first-round draft pick

BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Celtics have signed center Esteban Batista and swingman Dahntay Jones to round out their training camp roster.

The 6-foot-10 Batista, who is from Uruguay, averaged 1.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in limited playing time with Atlanta last season. The 24-year-old led last month's FIBA Americas Championship in rebounding with 12.4 per game.

Jones, 26, was drafted by the Celtics with the 20th pick in 2003 and immediately sent to Memphis as part of a deal for Marcus Banks.

The 6-foot-6 Jones played four years for the Grizzlies, averaging 7.5 points and 2 rebounds per game last season.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed. The Celtics have 17 players on their roster, two over the maximum the league allows once the season starts.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:42 PM to Celtics | Permalink | Comments 0

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Good stuff from Manny and Lowell

Head over to the SoxBlog to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, and read excerpts from the conversation. Today's topics: Manny Ramirez's strong return; Mike Lowell as team MVP; time will do Jon Lester good; which pitcher will get the 25th playoff roster spot; and why the Red Sox are better off facing the Angels.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Women's World Cup: Brazil defeats United States

HANGZHOU, China (AP) - The streak is over, and so is the United States' bid for a third Women's World Cup championship.

Brazil and its star player Marta put on a dazzling performance against the Americans and cruised to a 4-0 victory in the semifinals Thursday, ending the U.S. winning streak at 51 games and sending the Brazilians into their first title match, against Germany on Sunday.

Brazil went ahead on an own-goal in the 20th minute, and Marta made it 2-0 soon after. Cristiane and Marta added goals in the second half, with Marta becoming the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals.

The U.S. played the final 45 minutes with 10 players after midfielder Shannon Boxx was sent off in first-half injury time for a contentious second yellow card.

The Americans play Norway in Sunday's third-place game.

Bidding for another title to go with championships in 1991 and 1999, the U.S. team was clearly outplayed and outhustled by the Brazilians in their worst defeat in any World Cup match. The semifinal loss was a repeat of the 2003 event, when the Americans were eliminated by Germany.

In the 20th minute, Formiga sent in a corner, which bounced just short of the goal. Attempting to head it behind, midfielder Leslie Osborne headed it into the net between goalkeeper Briana Scurry and Lori Chalupny.

Scurry, playing in her 164th game for the U.S., was surprisingly picked ahead of Hope Solo, who started the first four games. Solo gave up two goals in the first match but was unscored on for the following 300 minutes. Scurry, meanwhile, hadn't played a full game in three months.

Marta, Brazil's creative striker, struck seven minutes later. She evaded a half-dozen players and cracked a left-footed shot from 15 yards that hugged the ground and beat Scurry diving to her left. She got her left hand on the ball but couldn't stop it.

Brazil may have also deserved a penalty in the fifth minute when American defender Cat Whitehill escaped despite bringing down Cristiane in the area.

Forced to push for the goal in the second half, the U.S. left itself exposed at the back with Maycon, Daniela and Cristiane narrowly missing in the opening minutes.

Cristiane finally broke through in the 56th to make it 3-0, left-footing a shot home in a one-on-one contest with Scurry.

The Americans had only two shots on goal in the first half and top striker Abby Wambach was never a factor. Kristine Lilly, playing in a record fifth World Cup, had the best U.S. chance in the second half but her point-blank shot landed in Andreia's hands in the 63rd.

After the third goal, Brazil slowed the play as the Americans kept pressing for a score.
Brazil's last flurry came in the 79th when Marta showed off all her talent. Off the left wing, she faked around U.S. defender Tina Ellertson, raced into the box, dummied around another and beat Scurry with a shot that drew a huge ovation from a crowd of 48,000.

Scurry, the 36-year-old veteran who was coach Greg Ryan's surprise goalkeeping choice against Brazil, had a nervous first half. In the seventh minute, she came out to catch a free kick, but it slipped through her fingers although Brazil missed the scoring chance.

Ryan said he picked Scurry because of her quick reflexes. She was in goal in a 2-0 win over Brazil in June in New York, and she also was the keeper in the Americans' 2-1 victory over Brazil in the 2004 Olympic final. Badly outplayed in that match, Scurry was credited with bringing the Americans gold.

Brazil's victory was only its second over the United States in 23 games.

Despite winning Group B, the Americans seldom looked threatening on offense in this tournament, and was unable to sustain the form of its 3-0 victory over England in the quarterfinals.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

Soccer World Cup: That might do it

Down a player after a controversial (OK, it was just bad) yellow-card call by officials, the USA team just gave up another goal, as wide-open Brazilian player Cristiane took a centering pass and kicked it past the U.S. replacement goalkeeper, Briana Scurry. It's now 3-0 with just over a half-hour remaining.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Baseball Today: Thursday, September 27

Get all the news from the world of baseball on projo.com's Sox Blog.

Posted by Art Martone  at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Women's World Cup: Brazil leads USA, 2-0

AP photo / Eugene Hoshiko
Brazilian players celebrate after Marta scored the team's second goal.

Brazil has extended its lead to 2-0 in the 27th minute, as Marta used her left foot to snap a shot past U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Soccer World Cup: USA falls behind early

AP photo / Greg Baker
United States midfielder Leslie Osborne deflects the ball into her own goal as goal keeper Brianna Scurry and United States midfielder Lori Chalupny looks on.

Playing in the semifinals of the women's world Cup in China, the American team has fallen behind Brazil, 1-0, following an own goal on a corner kick in the 21st minute. We'll have more updates as the morning continues.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments 0