Sports

Sports Shorts

MLB: Dodgers roll over Rays

Clayton Kershaw lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.88 with eight innings of three-hit ball and had a two-run single, and the Dodgers increased their NL West lead to a season-best 7 1/2 games last night with an 8-2 victory over the Rays in Los Angeles. Mark Ellis had a homer and three RBIs to help L.A. improve to a major league-best 37-8 since June 22.

Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer and the Braves beat the Marlins 9-4 in Atlanta yesterday, a day after their 14-game win streak ended. Braves outfielder Justin Upton left the game in the fifth inning with cramping in his left hamstring. … Stephen Strasburg pitched a four-hitter and struck out 10 in the first complete game of his career and the Nationals swept the Phillies with a 6-0 victory in Washington.

James Shields earned his first home win in more than three months, Alex Gordon homered and the Royals beat the Red Sox 4-3 in Kansas City, Mo., to improve to 18-5 since the All-Star break. The Royals also acquired infielder Jamey Carroll from the Twins for a player to be named or cash.

J.J. Hardy hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Adam Jones added a three-run shot in the ninth and the Orioles pounded the Giants 10-2 in San Francisco.

TENNIS: Serena, Nadal win Rogers

Serena Williams won the Rogers Cup for the third time, routing unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-0 in Toronto. Williams has lost only one match since March, a stunning early exit at Wimbledon, and did not drop a set this week. In the men’s final, Rafael Nadal beat Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-2 in Montreal, spoiling Raonic’s bid to become the first Canadian winner in 55 years.

TRACK: Bolt takes World 100m

Usain Bolt blew by American Justin Gatlin with about 30 meters to go in the 100-meter final at the world championships in Moscow and never glanced back. He didn’t even crack a smile when he crossed the finish line to win in 9.77 seconds. Gatlin was second and Bolt’s Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter third. Brittney Reese and Ashton Eaton of the United States were just as dominant. Reese won her third straight long jump gold, and Eaton owns the world and Olympic decathlon titles.

WNBA: Cappie powers Liberty


Cappie Pondexter scored 33 points and the Liberty earned an 88-82 victory over the Dream in Atlanta. Plenette Pierson and Kelsey Bone had season-high 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively, for the Liberty (10-13).

ETC.: Busch tops at The Glen

Kyle Busch finally has that elusive second win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, atoning for a year ago when he lost on the last lap. In a caution-filled Sprint Cup race yesterday, Busch barely held off Brad Keselowski, who finished second in this race for the third straight time.

Former St. John’s golfer Andrew Svoboda won the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo., for his first Web.com Tour title, closing with an 8-under 64 for a three-stroke victory. … Emma Talley, 19, won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Charleston, S.C., beating 17-year-old Yueer Cindy Feng 2 and 1.