NBA: Former Net Najera hired as coach
Eduardo Najera, the first Mexican-born player drafted in the NBA, retired yesterday to become the coach of the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends. Najera was drafted by Houston in the second round in 2000 and played 12 NBA seasons with five teams, including the Nets. The Legends said Najera will be the first Mexican-born head coach under the NBA umbrella. The deal also includes Najera becoming a minority owner of the Legendswho are co-owned by Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, and holding a front-office position with the NBA team.
MLB: Beltre hits three homers
Adrian Beltre hit three home runs, including two in a nine-run fourth inning, and had five RBIs as the Rangers beat the Orioles 12-3 in last night in Arlington. Beltre hit his first homer leading off the second against former teammate Tommy Hunter. He connected again off Hunter for a two-run shot with none out in the fourth. He then hit another two-run drive with two outs while facing Kevin Gregg.
Matt Cain (13-5) pitched seven strong innings, Joaquin Arias homered and drove in a career-high five runs as the Giants beat the Dodgers 8-4 to extend their NL West lead to 2 1/2 games with their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium in five years.
LLWS: Tennessee, Japan advance
Cole Carter had an RBI single after Luke Rucker scored the tying run from second on a throwing error to give Goodlettsville, Tenn., a 4-3 victory over San Antonio. Tennessee advanced to the U.S championship game Saturday.
Kotaro Kiyomiya homered in the first inning, and starter Ryuji Osada struck out seven as Toyko earned a berth in the international final at the Little League World Series after a 4-1 victory over Panama.
ETC: Azarenka No. 1 seed at U.S. Open
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, was named the top seed for the US Open women’s tournament that begins Monday at Flushing Meadows. World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland was named the second seed. Maria Sharapova with her fourth major titlewas named the third seed while Serena Williams was named the fourth seed. Australian Samantha Stosur, the defending champion, was named seventh seed while three-time winner Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who has won 21 matches in a row at the tournament, is the 23rd seed in her farewell US Open appearance. Two-time champion Venus Williams is the only former US Open champ not seeded.
Ryan McCormick, a junior on the St. John’s golf team, shot a 5-under 66 to take a two-shot lead over 15-year-old amateur Cameron Young after the second round of 97th Met Open at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club.
The Oilers signed forward Taylor Hall, a former first overall pick in 2010, to a $42-million, seven-year contract extension. Last season Hall finished second on the team in scoring with 27 goals and 26 assists in 61 games.
NCAA: Judge orders ex-UNC coach Davis
A judge has ordered former University of North Carolina football coach Butch Davis to hand over records of calls made on his personal cellphone related to his job duties.
His phone bills had been requested as public records by media organizations. Those requests had been rejected for more than a year by the university, which has faced NCAA sanctions related to violations involving the football team while Davis was coach.
World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will defend his WBO, IBF and WBA belts against Poland’s Mariusz Wach in Hamburg on Nov. 10. The 36-year-old Klitschko faces his 23rd world title fight against the undefeated Wach, four months after the champion’s sixth-round knock-out of US boxer Tony Thompson in Basel.
European vice-captain Thomas Bjorn has not ruled himself out of being afforded a wild-card pick for next month’s Ryder Cup.
Bjorn was approached by European captain Jose
Maria Olazabal at the recent PGA Championship at Kiawah Island and asked to become one of his four vice-captains for the tournament at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
Ryan McCormick, a junior on the St. John’s golf team, shot a 5-under 66 to take a two-shot lead over 15-year-old amateur Cameron Young after the second round of 97th Met Open at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club.