DEERFIELD, Ill. — The swimsuit model faked left and used her right hand against Derrick Rose. She was thinner than Tayshaun Prince but surprisingly skilled. As Marisa Miller drove by for a two-handed layup off the glass, Rose nodded with a smile to the small audience watching from the three-point line.
Miller invaded the Bulls’ practice facility last week to nominate Rose as Chicago’s sexiest athlete on behalf of Victoria’s Secret, yet Rose didn’t appear shy about the honor. Read More
Manchester United are given more injury-time at the end of matches to equalize or score winning goals than their English Premier League rivals, a study has revealed.
Owen’s 96th minute winner at Old Trafford left Manchester City livid.
As the row over the near seven minutes of added time accorded to United to win the Manchester derby with a last-gasp Michael Owen goal continues, the Guardian newspaper probed the official injury-time statistics. Read MoreSEATTLE — It was the masterstroke of the Yankees’ off-season, the stealth signing that was no sure thing for the team’s ownership. Brian Cashman, the Yankees’ general manager, had already signed two high-priced free-agent pitchers. He also wanted Mark Teixeira to anchor the lineup for the next eight seasons, but it would take an extra $180 million.
The Steinbrenners are surely happy they authorized Cashman to spend the money. There may be no better choice for the American League most valuable player than Teixeira, who bashed a tie-breaking leadoff home run in the ninth inning Friday to lift the Yankees to a 4-2 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good position, and I’ve fit in really well with this team and had a great time,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully I can stay healthy and keep producing, because we’re having a lot of fun right now on this team.”
The Yankees are flying, with 22 victories in 28 games since the All-Star break to move to 73-43, a season-high 30 games over .500. Teixeira has pointed them there, leading the league in total bases and extra-base hits. He ranks second in home runs (30) and is tied for second in runs batted in (86).
He has run the bases well, played exceptional defense — helping Andy Pettitte to a pickoff with a strong throw in the fourth inning Friday — and generally performed even better than the Yankees expected.
“You could read about the numbers, but when you watch a guy every day, you really realize how good he is,” Manager Joe Girardi said of Teixeira. “I knew he was a great player, but when you see him do all the things he does, you realize what a great player he is and how many things he can do as a baseball player.”
Teixeira’s home run on Friday came off a 1-1 changeup from reliever Mark Lowe. Robinson Cano then doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Nick Swisher, giving a two-run lead to closer Mariano Rivera, who earned his 34th save in 35 chances.
Teixeira, who broke a tie with a homer off Boston’s hard-throwing Daniel Bard last Saturday, said he was judicious about trying for a home run. But this was the right situation to do it.
“I try not to do it every single at-bat; I’d probably be hitting .200 right now,” said Teixeira, who is batting .288. “But you give yourself a shot against a really good pitcher in the ninth inning. So I’d say every couple of games, when I have a chance to change a game with a home run.”
Teixeira continued: “There’s nothing better in sports, I think, than a game-winning home run. And when you hit that home run and you have Mo coming out the next half-inning, you feel like it’s a walk-off, because he’s been so lockdown this year.”
Rivera was unavailable Wednesday because of a tired shoulder, and he was not needed in the Yankees’ blowout victory here Thursday. He threw just nine pitches to get three groundouts and finish Friday’s game.
Pettitte worked the first six innings, striking out 10, a season high. He needed 111 pitches to do it and said he would rather have fewer strikeouts and more innings pitched. But he continued his pattern since the All-Star Read More